by Mark Silva
President Bush usually is reluctant to talk about his own legacy, suggesting that historians will sort all of that out long after he is gone. But suddenly, with a chance to create his own entry in the archives of the Library of Congress, Bush sees a very clear legacy in his own mind.
The retiring leader, a born-again Christian who says he has "been in the Bible every day since I've been the president,'' declares that he is proud of something his father, too, can declare: They have not sold their souls.
Now, as interviewers go, you've got your Barbara Walters and a certain expectation about the questions that are likely to come your way. And if you're sitting in the Bush White House, you're more likely to steer clear of Keith Olbermann and perhaps opt for Sean Hannity.
But this one's in a class by itself: Doro Bush Koch, the president's sister, interviewing President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for StoryCorps, the national oral history initiative, headed for the archives of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The interview was held Nov. 12 in the White House residence, a week after elections that handed power to the Democratic Party - to President-elect Barack Obama --and an excerpt aired yesterday on National Public Radio as a run-up to today's StoryCorps "National Day of Listening.''
Listen to what Bush had to say of his legacy:
"How do you want to be remembered,'' sister Doro asked the president, "and what are you most proud of?
"I would like to be a person remembered as a person who, first and foremost, did not sell his soul in order to accommodate the political process. I came to Washington with a set of values, and I'm leaving with the same set of values. And I darn sure wasn't going to sacrifice those values; that I was a president that had to make tough choices and was willing to make them. I surrounded myself with good people. I carefully considered the advice of smart, capable people and made tough decisions.
"I'd like to be a president (known) as somebody who liberated 50 million people and helped achieve peace; that focused on individuals rather than process; that rallied people to serve their neighbor; that led an effort to help relieve HIV/AIDS and malaria on places like the continent of Africa; that helped elderly people get prescription drugs and Medicare as a part of the basic package; that came to Washington, D.C., with a set of political statements and worked as hard as I possibly could to do what I told the American people I would do.''
Laura Bush, reminded of how much she has done "so much for women and children around the world,'' was asked about her own most rewarding initiative.
"Well, it's certainly been very rewarding to look at Afghanistan and both know that the president and the United States military liberated women there,'' she said. "that women and girls can be in school now; that women can walk outside their doors without a male escort.
"I worry about Afghanistan, but I will always have a special place in my heart for the women that I've met there, both on my visits to Afghanistan and then the many women from Afghanistan who've traveled to the United States on scholarships or with the Afghan American Women's Council, or with a lot of other ways that American citizens have opened their homes to women in Afghanistan so they can be educated quickly, because they missed their education when they were children or young women, because they weren't allowed to learn anything.
"I think that's really important. I think as we look all around the Middle East, we'll see that women can be the ones who really lead the freedom movement, and that American women are standing so strongly, I think, with the women in Afghanistan and other places.''
The president was asked about No Child Left Behind, the education reform won during his first year in office.
The plan to demand accountability from the public schools was Bush's answer to "the soft bigotry of low expectations'' that had beset schools for so many years, with annual testing of students and consequences for schools that don't demonstrate "adequate yearly progress.'' Initially it was enacted with bipartisan support, only to become criticized later for placing too much emphasis on testing, and for Washington's failure to provide the money that schools needed to meet the demands for improvement.
"I think the No Child Left Behind Act is one of the significant achievements of my Administration because we said loud and clear to educators, parents, and children that we expect the best for every child, that we believe every child can learn, and that in return for Federal money we expect there to be an accountability system in place to determine whether every child is learning to read, write, and add and subtract,'' Bush said.
"This is a piece of legislation that required both Republicans and Democrats coming together, and it is a landmark legislative achievement. But more importantly, it focused the country's attention on the fact that we had an achievement gap that -- you know, white kids were reading better in the 4th grade than Latinos or African American kids. And that's unacceptable for America. And the No Child Left Behind Act started holding people to account, and the achievement gap is narrowing.
"When you couple that with a very strong literacy initiative, which Laura has been a part of, it begins to focus our whole system on solving problems early, and not accepting this premise that you're just going to move people through the system and hope for the best, and insisting upon high standards for every single child. And I'm very proud of that accomplishment, and I appreciate all those here in Washington and around the country that have worked hard to see that the promise of No Child Left Behind has been fulfilled.''
The interviewer asked the president to describe the impact that their parents had had on the 43rd president.
"I think that the gift our dad gave to all of us is unconditional love,'' he said. "It is the greatest gift a father can give a child. And it has made life so much easier in many ways, because if you have the ultimate gift of love, then the difficulties of life can be easier handled. And to me that is a great gift.
"And he also taught me -- and I think you and Jeb and Neil and Marvin -- that you can go into politics with a set of values and you don't have to sell your soul once you're in the political system. And you can come out with the same set of values. And so I remember, I think it was Jeb said, "Dad was busy in politics, but he invented the definition of quality time." In other words, he was a great father before politics, a great father during politics and a great father after politics.''
He was asked about the role of faith in his life.
"I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president, and I have been affected by people's prayers a lot,'' he said. "I have found that faith is comforting, faith is strengthening, faith has been important....
"I would advise politicians, however, to be careful about faith in the public arena. ...In other words, politicians should not be judgmental people based upon their faith. They should recognize -- as least I have recognized I am a lowly sinner seeking redemption, and therefore have been very careful about saying (accept) my faith or you're bad. In other words, if you don't accept what I believe, you're a bad person.
"And the greatness of America -- it really is -- is that you can worship or not worship and be equally American. And it doesn't matter how you choose to worship; you're equally American. And it's very important for any President to jealously protect, guard, and strengthen that freedom.''
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Comments
"I would like to be a person remembered as a person who, first and foremost, did not sell his soul..."
No, it was rented out.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport ☮ | November 28, 2008 9:39 AM
You notice when Bush talks about his legacy, it's all about him and how he feels about himself? It doesn't have anything to do with the rest of us. HE stuck to HIS values. What a selfish, ignorant, arrogant jerk.
Bush's legacy is that he is the worst president in the history of this country. He started two illegal wars, which cannot be won. He authorized torture, against the laws of our land, and the laws of the rest of the world. And he engineered the worst economic collapse in the history of the world.
Posted by: Melanie Childers | November 28, 2008 9:47 AM
Let the revisions begin !! He may not have sold his soul, who would want anything so cheap, but he sure sold America's soul, as she continues in search of it !!
He had no business being President, an historical fact, that is extremely difficult to evaluate, with honesty and forthrightness !! Our nation is beleaguered and bewildered by his Presidency and I do not think, that speaks well for his terms in Office. His tenure has " damaged " our national life, in so many ways, it is difficult to begin !! It will be a daunting undertaking, for any historian, to consider !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | November 28, 2008 10:13 AM
I usually find the liars in this world are the ones that directly come out and preface a comment with “I did not…..” when the other person in a conversation does not even bring up the subject. It is like watching a 6-year old’s mind operate sometimes. No, I did not start the fight…..*wink* (before mother even asks the question). You see that all the time with the big televangelists too.
Posted by: Xcellentform | November 28, 2008 10:48 AM
Bush principles;
1. Drill baby drill
2. Truthiness
3. Vanity war
Posted by: C.Morris | November 28, 2008 11:32 AM
" I carefully considered the advice of smart, capable people and made tough decisions."
-------------------------------------------------------
Right. There was Rumsfeld, Cheney, Heckuva Job, on and on and on and on and on...
Posted by: Kenneth Janowski | November 28, 2008 11:35 AM
Bush is a damn idiot. He destroyed the economy, the US' international reputation, sent the US energy sector the wrong way for 8 years and ran up huge deficits. He's low down there on the worst President's list.
Posted by: Smooth Jazz | November 28, 2008 11:57 AM
Bush ran an administration of thieves that stole from the poorest of us to give to the richest of us. Those are the value set that he brought to the white house and will carry them out. In no other administration has this outright thievery been national policy and Bush is proud of that, and all his other get-tough policies -- the tortures, the two needless wars, etc. -- have been a result of that. And in the end, he brought down America's and the world's economic system, all to line his own pockets. That is Bush and the GOP. The only good this arrogant pirate has done was to basically destroy the GOP for years to come. That is what this man should be remembered for.
Posted by: watercloset | November 28, 2008 12:12 PM
George W ,like Truman will be placed in history as one of the greatest presidents who won the war on terror, expanded the economy with 6 years of economic growth, and kept the country safe.
God Bless and Go in Peace.
Posted by: dubbya | November 28, 2008 12:19 PM
Bush was/is a disaster, and another 7 weeks to go. Can't wait.
Posted by: Jerry Bighorn | November 28, 2008 12:20 PM
Okay, bladabladablada... now you better hustle off to Paraguay before they catch up with you.
Posted by: dennis | November 28, 2008 12:42 PM
I am certain President Bush is a good husband and a great Dad, however, he was and is way out of his comfort zone when it comes to the Presidency. Far better for the country had he just said "no" and stayed in Texas. Secondly he should have questioned Mr. Cheney's choice to be VP. Not to say who would have done better, but to be remembered as the one in office when the country is nearly back to 1929 days which some of us still recall and our children and grandchildren beginning now to find out themselves. It is horrible to now be in the same circumstance as MY grandparents. Bush had the highest office and his party in control and he must accept the responsibility along with his fellow republican's. Many democrats who helped either by voting with him, or against him so that he would not get credit for something that may have turned out right for the country. It is a sad sad situation and I pray that 50 years from now some historian does not proclaim him to be one of our "best". I do hope he and Laura share the remainder of their life totally out of politics, and enjoy their grandchildren should they be so blessed.
Posted by: Joyce Weber | November 28, 2008 12:58 PM
This Bush will be remembered for being the WORST president and administration of the United States in history and why the world today is in such terrible shape. Bush's ideology is fatally flawed, inhumane and simply wrong for the human family. The fact that Bush is in total denial over the problems they have created says much about who this failure really is.
Posted by: rupunzel | November 28, 2008 1:32 PM
One of the most honest president Ameircan has ever had-
Posted by: Inky | November 28, 2008 1:40 PM
Bush has a lot of nerve. Values? What values? It's all about him. He is still so out of touch, that he actually thinks he has something to be proud of. Glad to be rid of you!
Posted by: Karolyn | November 28, 2008 1:44 PM
For this man to speak of legacy strikes me as the ultimate idiocy. Yes, he has a legacy of incompetence, lawlessness, cruelty, untruthfulness and complete duplicity.
We will certainly remember him and say "never again".
Posted by: Henry Cross | November 28, 2008 2:13 PM
One of the most honest president America has ever had...That is funny!
Posted by: GK | November 28, 2008 3:27 PM
Bush's legacy will I think be looked more favorably upon in the future generations.
Posted by: John Galt | November 28, 2008 4:36 PM
Obviously this article gave the Bush bashers one of their last chances to vent about George Bush. History, as Bush said, will decide his place in history. The criticism of Bush has been non-stop for eight years. After the heat of the present anger cools, scholars will review the record and a balanced assesment of the Bush Pesidency will be made. Don't be surprised if history is kinder than many of you would like.
Posted by: Jeff in Orlando | November 28, 2008 5:21 PM
Bush - I liberated Iraqi's...
Dear Mr. President,
You signed the order to invade Iraq with UN approval. But, YOU didn't liberate Iraq. American Service men and women did all the heavy lifting and still are. The operational planning of this "liberation" was flawed to put it mildly and Americans are still footing the bill for your highly questionable operational ineptitude... in short, your decisions in regards to Iraq "sucked" to say the least. Somewhere between Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld you somehow hustled Colin Powell to carry your water to the UN and get approval for an invasion that was not well thought out and an occupational socio-economic political strategy that lacked a consciousness of history and culture.
In closing, I want to extend my thanks to President Bush for all that his efforts. However, I don't believe you will see tears of sadness running down the cheeks of America come the inauguration.
PS - Don't let the door hit you in the.... on the way out, Mr. President.
Posted by: Randy | November 28, 2008 5:44 PM
The best to ever come out of Bush:
"And the greatness of America -- it really is -- is that you can worship or not worship and be equally American. And it doesn't matter how you choose to worship; you're equally American. And it's very important for any President to jealously protect, guard, and strengthen that freedom.''
From now on, whenever some fundamentalist shoves their religion down my face or says this is a Christian nation, I'll simply show them this quote.
Posted by: Katrinasurvivor | November 28, 2008 6:11 PM
It took over 500 years for the real history of Christopher Columbus to come out, what makes you think the real history of George W. Bush will be any different, remember he will have his own library to write the events of history as he saw it.
Posted by: Sailingwindward | November 28, 2008 6:49 PM
The best to ever come out of Bush:
"And the greatness of America -- it really is -- is that you can worship or not worship and be equally American. And it doesn't matter how you choose to worship; you're equally American. And it's very important for any President to jealously protect, guard, and strengthen that freedom.''
From now on, whenever some fundamentalist shoves their religion down my face or says this is a Christian nation, I'll simply show them this quote.
Posted by: Katrinasurvivor | November 28, 2008 8:06 PM
This man did nothing for this country...he made all his decisions based on HIS beliefs and not what was best for the American people. I hope as he fades into the sunset he finally learns where he went wrong.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | November 29, 2008 7:10 AM
If Bush didn't sell his soul, it was ONLY because it was already long gone, given over to his cronies, the demons of the Religious Right/Social Conservatives, and even earlier to alcohol and cocaine, and no buyer could have gotten a clear title. Why, indeed, would you want to buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
Posted by: Op109 | November 29, 2008 9:59 AM
What soul?
Posted by: JOHN CHUCKMAN | November 29, 2008 11:40 AM
I also think that history will indeed be kinder to Mr. Bush than what today's self-annointed experts believe. Although, given the penchant of imperial liberalism to rewrite history in its own image... who knows for sure. Too bad that such vitriol has blinded the minds of so many. I wish President-Elect Obama well... and hope he's able to accomplish much good during the upcoming honeymoon period.
Posted by: Afraid Not | November 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Bush's comments are laughable. He didn't sell his soul? Ok good, he just sold the country down the river in exchange for bailing out his friends on Wall St. and racking up war profits in Iraq for his friends in the arms business (both Republicans and Dems alike).
Bush will be remembered as a corrupt, illiterate, ass who busted our Treasury, jailed U.S. border patrol agents and prosecuted U.S. Marines for doing their jobs, and bailed out his criminal friends on Wall St, making sure they got off scott free.
Posted by: Mike_S | November 30, 2008 12:22 AM
Bush legacy:
The good:
1) No terrorist attacks since 9-11.
2) Thousands of terrorists and much of the leadership of al Qaeda killed or captured in dozens of countries.
3) Removal of 2 brutal regimes – Saddam & the Taliban, ending UN sanctions (previously killing thousands every month), countless human rights violations, and Oil-for –food.
4) Confiscation of Libya WMDs.
5) No advancement of North Korea nukes.
6) Iranian WMD programs put on hold (according to central intelligence).
7) End of the AQ Kahn nuclear network.
8) Economy had consistent growth and low unemployment for over 6 years, until 2008, when the housing bust and the Democratic congress kicked in.
9) Record tax revenues after tax cuts.
10) Medicare prescription drug plan a success, despite a rocky start. 24 million enrolled, and running 40% below projected cost.
11) Teen drug use down 25% in last 6 years.
12) Abortions down and stem cell policies encouraging research breakthroughs.
13) Quality judge appointments.
14) Stepping up support for AIDs in Africa with PEPFAR, the most ambitious international health initiative in American history, saving the lives of 2 million (and counting) in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
15) Malaria Initiative
16) Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Marine Reserve – Largest marine reserve in the world, larger than all other U.S. national parks combined.
The not so good:
1) Not controlling spending.
2) Was not proactive, along with nearly all other government officials, in handling the looming credit crisis.
3) Poor initial strategies managing the “peace” in Iraq.
4) Poor political response to Katrina (even though the local response is what caused the major issues).
5) Bush-Kennedy NCLB – good intentioned, but not an efficient way to improve education.
6) Looming Social Security & Medicare problems unresolved.
7) Limited progress with healthcare.
8) Limited progress with immigration.
9) Too many breaks for Big Oil.
10) Not enough pressure to resolve Darfur.
11) White House public relations.
Posted by: reality | November 30, 2008 9:21 AM
"Reality" commented: "Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Marine Reserve – Largest marine reserve in the world, larger than all other U.S. national parks combined."
He made it a preserve, then DIDN'T FUND IT. Have you been? It's full of garbage, including the bodies of endangered marine life that this was supposed to help.
Oh, and the abortion rate climbed, millions in Africa die from AIDS and that stupid abstinence-only policy.
After this weekend you probably should re-think your blather on terrorist activity around the world too.
Posted by: Cheryl | November 30, 2008 4:47 PM
The man is crazier than a loon or the biggest blasphemer since Judas Iscariot. Obviously, the answer is BOTH!
Posted by: Col. Joseph C. Kopacz (ret) | December 28, 2008 6:43 PM