Yesterday, January 4th George W. Bush appeared with moderator Charles Lamb on C-Span in an interview from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where his library is to be and completed by 2013. Bush took hard hitting and excellent questions from some of the students there which he gave interesting and direct answers to and also displayed his down home country humor.
One student asked him about his library's contribution to diseases such as aids. Bush replied that his commission that he has set up is already working with other countries on curing aids and other diseases. Bush said he felt it was right that the strongest country in the world should help the less fortunate. During his presidency Bush donated $500,000 to fighting aids in Africa and another $500,000 here. Unfortunately the media doesn't pick up on things like that if you are a republican. They just concentrate on the negative.
Another student asked Bush about U.S. relations with India and Pakistan which are at odds with each other. Bush replied to him that it was important that the United States make sure that both nations understand that the U.S. is both of their allies and try to bring them together.
One student asked Bush about his place in history. Bush answered that he doesn't think about his legacy and will let history decide that, "I just did what I had to do and what I thought was right at the time," Bush answered. He told students that as you go through life you will be dealt hands that aren't always good and you will have to deal with the hand you are dealt the best way you can. "This is how life is ," he said to the students gathered there. He also expressed his reasoning that a president shouldn't worry about his popularity, "You make decisions on what you think is right for the country and not what you think will make you popular," Bush said. He added that at one time he had the highest rating of any president (which is true. During 9/11 he was in the 90% approval rating, higher than any president in history) and told his advisors at the time that it could only go down after that.
Bush also expressed his continued love for our troops and fighting forces who are dedicated to protecting our country and the world from evil. He also expresed his undying love for his wife Laura who he's come to appreciate even more throughout his presidency.
One student asked Bush about what he intends to do in his post presidency. Bush replied that he wants to go back to privacy and will not appear on TV shows and be a pundit or comment on other presidents even though he was on TV now. He said when you are in the whitehouse you lose your anomininity and he just wants to go back being a private person. Throughout the interview they showed great pictures of Bush with his family when he was a kid and some great pics of him and Laura in their early days and him with the troops. It was a great interview with him fielding some great questions from the students to which he gave direct answers to and it was refreshing to hear from him too.
Several times during the interview Bush displayed his boyish country humor with the moderator Charles Lamb saying,"You can ask some questions too," laughing with his trademark laugh of shaking his shoulders up and down. Lamb laughed and responded that "the students are doing just fine." Towards the end of the interview Lamb stated that ,"We have time for just one more student question." to which Bush replied pretending to misunderstand Lamb," These are not stupid questions." Lamb replied laughing, "I said student not stupid" to which everyone laughed.
Bush talked about his book "Decision Points" and said he put in the best and most decisions he made, but not all. He didn't want a book that was too cumbersome to read or that someone would use as a doorstop.
I'm including a link about his library here which contains links and questions for any infornmation you may want about Bush's administration and the people with him.
George W. Bush Presidential Library
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