[...] Original post:  Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Bush Speaks Out At Last! [...]

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@Wordsmith: Thanks. I had not seen that.

I’ll highlight this:

He made explicit reference, speaking passionately, and to hushed silence, about Muslim women in particular, and how they long to be educated and raise their babies in freedom. That emphatic statement from Bush haunts me right now as I now watch footage of Iranian women literally taking bullets for freedom—martyred women who may be the modern equivalent of that Tiananmen student who stood in front of a tank 20 years ago this month.

For years Bush worked to improve the fate of women in Islamic countries. Laura made it a personal mission. You remember her visits to women’s health centers in Saudi Arabia? The State Dept. also worked on this issue.

They laid the groundwork to assist in facilitating the emergence of women we see in the protests in Iran.

And yet, Dems in Washington are still trying to claim Obama’s Cairo speech deserves the credit for inspiring the Iranians.

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Mike, did you see this:

Bush Unplugged
By: Dr. Paul Kengor
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Last Wednesday evening, I witnessed a remarkable event, which is being misreported and misperceived—from the Drudge Report to the White House—in antagonistic ways I plainly didn’t see. I shouldn’t be surprised, since it involved George W. Bush.

It was the 104th annual event of the Erie-based Manufacturer & Business Association, which attracts top speakers from all over the world. June 17 was no exception, as Ralph Pontillo and his staff brought in the 43rd president of the United States.

As president, George W. Bush was, of course, widely disregarded for his oratorical shortcomings. His failure to communicate his core message, especially regarding his Middle East vision, was central to his record disapproval.

And yet, Bush was magnificent last Wednesday. He spoke with no teleprompter and few notes. After formal remarks, he reclined in a leather chair and answered audience-supplied questions. It was Bush unplugged.

I can’t do justice to all that was said. I’ll share a handful of items not getting the wider attention they deserve:

Referring to post-9/11 America, Bush calmly conceded, in a refreshingly frank manner: “I’m surprised we didn’t have another attack.”

We should all be surprised. Credit for that colossal accomplishment—Bush’s first priority after 9/11—goes to this president, who got little thanks.

Speaking of ingratitude, the unpopular ex-president didn’t whine about how he was poorly treated, and acknowledged he doesn’t sit around “psychoanalyzing” himself. Besides, he suffered something worse: He said it was far harder watching his father get attacked as president.

This was telling. George W. Bush idolizes his father. He talks of the “unspeakable” reassurance of the “unconditional love” of his father, which he compares to the unconditional love of his “heavenly father.” After watching his dad absorb arrows for four years, only to lose to Bill Clinton, the shots he took for eight years were easy.

Besides, said Bush, he can look in the mirror knowing he didn’t “sell his soul” for political gain. He always did what he felt was “morally right.”

The George W. Bush presidency was truly the sacrificial presidency.

What was more, Bush, a history buff and history major at Yale, noted that he had three busts installed at the Oval Office: Churchill, Lincoln, and Eisenhower. Ironically, he did that before 9/11, and it occurred to him only later that all three were wartime leaders. He couldn’t imagine the war he faced, and asserted that the most unexpected aspect of being president is preparing for the unexpected—“to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

On this point, President Bush didn’t pause to zing President Obama for removing that bust of Churchill. Quite the contrary, Bush promised, to tepid applause, that the one thing he will not do as ex-president is rip the current president: “I didn’t like it when it happened to me [read: Jimmy Carter], and I’m not going to do it to others.”

Here, reports that Bush “slammed” Obama are untrue. Naturally, he unavoidably made clear his preference for policy solutions in contrast to the central planning now governing Washington. At the same time, he dismissed fears that the nation was rushing toward “socialism.”

Bush shared a fascinating insight into his conviction that the Middle East can be democratically transformed. He reaffirmed his faith-based belief that Middle East Muslims have an inherent yearning for freedom placed on their hearts by a “loving God.” To think otherwise was “condescending.” God created them, too.

He made explicit reference, speaking passionately, and to hushed silence, about Muslim women in particular, and how they long to be educated and raise their babies in freedom. That emphatic statement from Bush haunts me right now as I now watch footage of Iranian women literally taking bullets for freedom—martyred women who may be the modern equivalent of that Tiananmen student who stood in front of a tank 20 years ago this month.

These were messages right out of the best speech of his presidency, his November 2003 address to theNational Endowment for Democracy.

What was new was the personal way he brought Japan into the equation. After World War II, many judged that Japan couldn’t become a democracy. Japan was out-of-control, recklessly belligerent. It was that culture, that insane war-machine, which shot down Bush’s dad in the 1940s.

And yet, explained Bush, not only did Japan change dramatically, unthinkably, but one of his best friends as president was Japan’s prime minister, who was the first to telephone after 9/11.

Imagine, exhorted Bush: There he was, President George Bush, son of President George Bush. The father had been shot down by imperial, anti-democratic Japan. Now, after 9/11, peaceful, democratic Japan was calling the son to express condolences and offer help.

That moving message deserves pause: If Japan could change that much, what might transpire in the Middle East? It’s a promising prospect, one every skeptic of Iraqi democracy should bear in mind.

This was George W. Bush in Erie, Pennsylvania on June 17—inspiring, colorful, communicating the big picture.

Alas, the one major disappointment from the event is that no video or transcript is available. All rights belong to the 43rd president. I imagine this gem will end up on a shelf at the Bush Library, left to lonely scholars with a VCR, watching with a mix of awe, confusion, and frustration.

Awe at the supposedly poor communicator delivering this engaging message. Confusion as to why he couldn’t communicate the message as president. And frustration that the millions who ought to be watching never will.

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I think that so far Obama’s “Plan” IS working. However, in clarification, I must qualify that by stating that I feel certain that Obama’s “Plan” is not what everyone in Washington DC and the MSM seems to think it is. I also think his “plan” for “change” is to change the United States far away from what the forefather’s plan was, into a type of government they feared it could become.

After the Constitutional Convention had finished its work in 1787, a woman asked Ben Franklin what kind of government had been decided upon. He replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

The question now is: Will we be able to keep our republic with a far-left administration that wishes to remake America in their own image, and a Congress and MSM that will neither obstruct, nor hinder a governmental transformation by single party aligned elites?

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Morris,

‘Whether you choose to believe it or not’ – you are funny Morris. Really, you are.

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Notice he still hasn’t answered where he served! Morris cub scouts don’t count, or is it Girl scouts?

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@Morris #26:

Also, I love how so many people were so “Pro-War” but I can guarantee you a mojority of them have never served.

Must explain why the majority military voting block consistently goes to Republicans.

I am a veteran and let me ask you something,

Also, I love how Morris pulls out the chickenhawk card, tries to fortify his opinion behind the “I am a veteran” aegis, then writes this gem:

just because a man served in the war and spent 1500 days as a POW does not mean he knows how to “Manage” a war.

Must be taking lessons from President Obama on how to have his argument both ways.

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@Morris:

Under who’s administration was the government under when these lendors were forced to push through these loans?

Hmmm….

The Community Reinvestment Act was passed under Carter in 1977

Reforms were implemented to restrict it under George HW Bush in 1989

Clinton expanded the legislation multiple times, forcing lenders to raise the percentage of loans to minority groups as well as forcing the lowering of lending standards, thus increasing the percentage of lending to less qualified buyers.

George W. Bush acted multiple times to reign in FannieMae and FreddieMac beginning way back in 2001 only to be rebuffed by Congress.

So, there’s the history of the issue in short bullet point form to make it easier for you to understand.

Thanks for asking.

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Hey Jainphx– “Weapons of mass destruction are somewhere up my butt”. I don’t think I even need to comment on this. HA the funny thing is they still haven’t been found yet so maybe they’re “up my butt” (IDIOT).

Bottom line: Whether you choose to believe it or not Obama was clearly the better candidate in the presidential race so before you criticize every democrat that comes into office please, please don’t make it so easy with lousy candidates. Also, just because a man served in the war and spent 1500 days as a POW does not mean he knows how to “Manage” a war. I am not going to sit here and say Obama has any experience either but as a country we had no choice but to elect somebody and based on the turnout “change was necessary”. Repulicans have controlled the house and office for the past 11 years and clearly something is not working. I am sure there are many of your right wing pals that voted Obama but would never admit it.

Don’t judge Obama’s presidency after the first 130 days or so and if you do make sure you put a better team on the field next race.

Oh yeah I almost forgot: Aye Chiuahua: Under who’s administration was the government under when these lendors were forced to push through these loans?

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Found this video report:
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