Sunday, May 31, 2009

Historic President Finally Speaks Out... Bush


Like him or not, President Bush is a President that has changed the world.

Former President George W. Bush appearing Friday with his predecessor, Bill Clinton, in what turned out to be a collegial conversation rather than a spirited debate, once again said he would not criticize President Obama — then proceeded to do just that.

"International pressure — diplomacy only works if there's leverage," Mr. Bush said. "It sounds wonderful — 'Let's go talk to people' — but you better have leverage in order to make diplomacy work."

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Obama vowed to open dialogues with rulers of rogue nations, such as Iran and Cuba. After taking office, he lifted restrictions on visits to Cuba — a significant shift in U.S. policy. He also spoke amiably with Venezualan President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the United States.

1 comment:

David Becker said...

Bush was a monumental president, both for the two superb supreme court justices he appointed and, also, for the version of the "Bush Doctrine" that strives for democratization in Muslim countries as a geopolitical strategy for defeating terrorist groups. Although I disliked some of his policies, his mode of action was certainly different from the "Caracas on the Potomac" attitude of his successor. I miss him.