Bush I says son Dubya victim of bad advice from Cheney and Rumsfeld

He's not wrong. Cheney and Rumsfeld sank Bush's presidency. Bush had some very thoughtful cabinet members in his first term like Paul O'Neill and Colin Powell (Both of whom would probably be labeled as Democrats today). Both were essentially pushed out by Cheney.

Paul O'Neill in particular was a big opponent of the Bush tax cuts. He even correctly pointed out that the tax cuts would blow up the budget deficit to which Cheney famously said "deficits don't matter". Paul O'Neill was a super old school Republican from the Ford administration. His tenure in office pre-dated the constant focus on how a policy might impact the next election. O'Neill's book is worth reading to get a picture of how he felt during the first two years in the White House. Eventually, Cheney got O'Neill fired for opposing Cheney's agenda.

The negative things said about Cheney dont even do justice to how bad an influence he was. Cheney systematically purged the White House of any contrarian voices. It wasn't until 2006 when it was clear that the Democrats were going to make gigantic gains in the elections that Cheney's influence started to weaken. And even then he still maintained some level of control.

Bush was a victim of his advisers. In Texas he had some good ones. In Washington, his good advisers were quickly purged.

 

Nope! Sorry pops! Your criminal son doesn't get a pass.

History will not look kindly on 43's time in office.

 

Points for honesty but nothing we don't already know.

 

These guys and James Baker were all at each other's throats in the '70s trying to get cabinet appointments or VP nominations under Ford and Nixon, I wouldn't be surprised if this was just some kind of weird residue from those old rivalries. Even if it wasn't I'd take all these quotes and comments with a grain of salt, and still commend Bush on his tact and diplomacy should he decide to deny them after the fact.

 

To be fair, Bush 41 did say it's ultimately W's fault.

“The big mistake that was made was letting Cheney bring in kind of his own State Department. I think they overdid that…It’s not Cheney’s fault. It’s the president’s fault. The buck stops there.”

If Cheney and Rumsfeld had unprecedented power for their positions, it's only because W allowed it.

 

Why did a C student who pretty much didn't do anything extraordinary get to be president of the US?

 

The adult biography of W:

• Couldn't graduate high school in Texas, so he went to Massachusetts.
• Couldn't get into public schools in Texas, so mommy and daddy bought his way into Yale.
• Didn't want to fight in 'Nam, so daddy wrote a letter so he could fly planes in the National Guard.
• Left the Nation Guard to study an MBA
• Became an alcoholic shortly after leaving the National Guard, racking up a DUI and getting smashed every weekend for the next 14 years.
• Started an oil company at age 30 despite no relevant work experience.
• Woke up at age 40 and said "Gee, George, you can't just keep gettin' smashed every weekend. You got a wife, two kids, a mortgage, car payments, and a fledgling oil company - time to make something of yourself.
• Yadda yadda yadda - president of the United States.

He's the victim of who he is. Dad's just trying to clear the family name.

 

Bush Sr. was critical of his son's Presidency while it was going on.

I also will give Sr. credit for admitting the obvious, Bush Jr. let his advisors influence him.

 

Because we elected him.

 

Actually we didn't. The SC did.

But that's another thread.

 

Because it's not a scholarship contest?

 

The fact that he was president pisses me off to this day and always will. It's not just the fact as stated he was not qualified, and the whole mass amounts of people dying for no reason in Iraq. But he got there in part because of his dad.

Now "I" have to deal with most likely Clinton becoming president. Ugggghhhh

On what plane of existence do people think 4 of the last 5 (6 out of 8 elections if Clinton wins) presidents should come from 2 families. It blows my mind.

How old are Obama's daughters going to be if After Clinton serves 2 terms?

 

We got a trustbuster and child labor laws with 2 out of 7. A couple of pre-Jacksonian abolitionists with 2 out of 5.

 

Old enough to still be black and female; rest easy, Will Rogers.

 

The crazy part is that W was a pretty good governor. Everyone liked and voted for the guy. He was smart and articulate too. Then he gets elected President and turns into a bumbling idiot who can't put two sentences together.

 

He was fortunate to have older, moderate Democrats in senior leadership, like Bob Bullock and Dan Morales, and Rove did a good job keeping him on message as far as low taxes and school reform. Had 9/11 not happened, tax cuts and holding the line on social issues would have been enough to keep him popular with conservatives and male independents.

I have no idea how smart (or conscientious) he is compared to his parents or brothers, he was very gregarious which is just as prudent a skill to have in his particular social circles. Any scrutiny of his intelligence probably seemed ridiculous when you consider how close we came to electing Palin, who is obnoxiously disengaged but still attention-starved.

 

There may not be an easier job in politics than republican Texas Governor.
No real duties, no real conflicts, the guaranteed popularity of the State's braggadocio.

 

Basically he is calling his son a putz and saying Cheney and Rummy ran the show.

Probably would have been more insightful 15 years ago