Bush on the economy and accountability: "A lot of the decisions were made before I arrived"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Bush: 'I Did Not Compromise My Principles'
President George W. Bush Says He Will Leave Office With 'Head Held High'

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Politics/Story?id=6354012&page=2



President Bush said that his administration responded promptly to the economic crisis.

"When you have the secretary of the treasury and the chairman of the Fed say, 'If we don't act boldly, we could be in a depression greater than the Great Depression,' that's an 'uh-oh' moment," he said.

Through government action such as the Troubled Assets Relief Program, Bush insisted that the government has taken the necessary first steps towards economic recovery.

"Slowly but surely, the system is becoming unthawed, and it's going to take time for the system to become unthawed," he said. "What the American people have got to know is we've taken the steps to unthaw it, which is the first step to recovery.

"The American people got to know that we will safeguard the system," he said. "I mean, we're in. And if we need to be in more, we will."

While many have cast blame on the Bush administration for mishandling the economy, the president said he did not have feelings of guilt for the financial collapse.

"You know, I'm the president during this period of time, but I think when the history of this period is written, people will realize a lot of the decisions that were made on Wall Street took place over a decade or so, before I arrived in president," Bush said. "And when people review the history of this administration, people will say that this administration tried hard to get a regulator. And there will be a lot of analysis of why that didn't happen. I suspect people will find a lot of it didn't happen for pure political reasons."

[PM7nj]

1. He's still around?

Damn.

[riqster]

2. "Before I arrived in president"?????

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Deep13]

3. The previous 42 presidents DID make a lot of decisions!

I'm pretty sure talking us into a recession, giving away the Federal treasury, cutting taxes and then going to war were not among those decisions.

[Auggie]

4. A decade or so from 2001? Mmmm, who was in office then...?

[xxqqqzme]

9. Right - did he just blame his father

for the mess today? Clinton didn't take office until '93.

[City Lights]

19. Looks like Junior is still having Daddy issues.

It would have been so much better for planet Earth if he'd sought help from a psychiatrist. :mad:

[Catshrink]

5. He tried to get to get a regulator?

I thought they tried to get rid of regulators. He sure has a selective/defective memory. They just make shit up as they go.

[gkhouston]

12. They were on 8 year backorder. Making regulators is hard work. n/t

[WinkyDink]

6. "The American people got to know...." = Articulate to the bitter end.

[Lerkfish]

7. so... he's the UNDECIDER?

:)

[lunatica]

8. Shakespeare was thinking of someone like Bush when he wrote these words

I substituted the word 'Bush's' for the word 'Life's', but otherwise it's all Shakespeare

Bush's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[Hekate]

11. The epigraph for any Bush biography; the epitaph for his tomb. The Bard is perfection. nt

[Kurt Remarque]

13. his stupidity is so profound

read the interview and continue to wonder how the hell this jerk got elected for anything

[gkhouston]

10. Wow, I guess Cheney hit the ground running.

I'm surprised he never managed to get a regulator. He sure didn't have any trouble shooting that guy in the face.

[uponit7771]

14. I think I just threw up in my mouth...

[struggle4progress]

15. "Don't blame me: I'm just the decider guy"

[treestar]

16. WTF? I thought * was The Decider

Wasn't he that strong figure in charge of everything? :shrug:

[tigereye]

17. yeah right

:nopity:


poor George. He just did what he was told.

[City Lights]

18. A "misleader" to the bitter end.

Oh, and george, regarding those principles you didn't compromise...you can't compromise something you don't have.

Bring on 1.20.2009!

[TK421]

20. What...no "mission accomplished"? oh wait.....nevermind, scratch that shit

;-)