President Bush lets emotions show while thanking White House staff

It was an emotional moment for President Bush, and his face showed the strain.

The election was two days in the past. He came out on the White House South Lawn under cloudy skies, the Washington autumn morning damp and dreary, to thank the White House staff for the work they have done.

"We believe that service to our fellow citizens is a noble calling -- and the privilege of a lifetime," he said.

He asked them to conduct themselves during the transition to the Barack Obama administration with "decency and professionalism."

Needing no mention: the reports of fraternity house shenanigans when the Bill Clinton staff turned their offices over to the incoming Bush brigades.

The president and Laura Bush will welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday, and Bush said: "I hope you will join Laura and me in congratulating President-elect Obama, and wishing him the very best for his family and our country."

He said he recognized that with Jan. 20 approaching, "some of you may be anxious about finding a new job or a new place to live.

"I know how you feel," he said.

But, he added:

Earlier this year, I promised that I would sprint to the finish. I am keeping that promise. ... I will be honored to stand with you at the finish line.

The staff's applause triggered an apparent welling of emotions, and Bush did all he could do to keep them under control.

-- James Gerstenzang

Photos. Top, Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images; Ron Edmonds / Associated Press

Comments

just go away and die. you are the embodiment of failure. every word you say is a lie, every impulse you have is corrupt, and if there is a God, you will go to sleep every night remembering you are a fraud and a criminal.

And you have achieved the rank of not only worst-president ever --- that one was easy --- but probably worst national leader -- non-genocidal category --- in history.

before you go ? try and do one thing ... ONE THING .... good for the country. you haven't done a damn thing right or decent in eight years and there is still time to do one ... good ... thing ....

Resign Now.

[Savannah]

Thanks President Bush for your service to this country!!!! Thankyou for keeping us safe after 9/11. I hope you will be vindicated in the future, and that those on the left reponsible for the housing downturn, will be found out. Do not believe the polls, there are more people who love you than hate you. Besides their hatred of you is not justifed. Hatred is never justified.
May history prove you right. God Speed, Mr President.

[daryl]

Why block those under thirteen years of age and allow a no name nobody to bash President Bush to his hearts content?
If this unqualified replacement protects this country half as well the we will all be lucky.

I didnt know that Keith Olbermann blogged here......what an idiot

[Bryan]

Comments will most surely get negative on here

But.. I hope that there is a transition that will be healthy for the country. As a matter of fact, is this goes well, Bush may be considered that uniter after all.. at least at the end

[Ahahan Sigh]

The comment here is a typical Juvenile reaction of an idiot. LA TIMES you let your reader post crap and junk here.. oh well, I didnt expect much, so, so much for free speech.

Comments
just go away and die. you are the embodiment of failure. every word you say is a lie, every impulse you have is corrupt, and if there is a God, you will go to sleep every night remembering you are a fraud and a criminal.

And you have achieved the rank of not only worst-president ever --- that one was easy --- but probably worst national leader -- non-genocidal category --- in history.

before you go ? try and do one thing ... ONE THING .... good for the country. you haven't done a damn thing right or decent in eight years and there is still time to do one ... good ... thing ....

Resign Now.

Posted by: | November 06, 2008 at 02:04 PM

[redconfetti]

Thank you for the Two Minutes Hate

[Chris]

The outrageous comments regarding President Bush reflect both a lack of class and perspective. Regardless of how one might feel regarding President Bush's policies, I have no doubt of his love of country, the sincerity of his views and his desire to do what he believes is right. I feel the same way about former President Clinton, Senator McCain and President-Elect Obama. The true insanity of the reader's remarks lies in their stridency. I would suspect that the individual who wrote these comments, when all is said and done, will spend many sleepless nights in self-reflection trying to understand how and why they became be so bitter, callous and cruel. How sad.

[Leigh]

Hello,

I'm a proud Obama supporter. I'm also a former Texan, and have very fond memories of then-Governor Bush.

I may not have agreed, but I appluad him greatly for his service to our country. History will make its own judgements, but one judgement is already clear....President Bush loves his country, is a good man, and deserves respect.

For those who would disrepect President Bush, stop and take a breath. First, remember the ideals of President-elect Obama...think of his dignity...and then make an attempt to represent the same. Second, we may certainly have deeply disagreed with President Bush...but he's our President....he has a good heart, and he - like every President - make a huge sacrifice and commitment for all of us. Time to turn around the political discussion in our country. Let's all be a part of it.

[Daisy]

Regarding the November 06, 2008 at 02:04 PM comment:

As much as I criticize Bush for being a closet-liberal, he did one thing good for the entire country: he kept us safe. Please excuse him for being over protective or zealous about keeping us safe. Try living in India for some months...or better yet, try Mid-East.

Even though he was unable to control the size of govt and spending, and gave us fiscal conservatives a headache -- I will go ahead and say "I will MISS Pres. Bush".

I don't think terrorists are necessary to bring America down anymore. You people (and your reluctance to wean yourselves off the govt) are sufficient.

Btw, are we still allowed to say "God Bless America"? Or do we have to say "damn" now?

One last thing -- those of you that were born in this country have no idea how good you have it. Get out of your shell and see the world. I guarantee you will be kissing the soil when you get back.

[Mark Donners]

Bush is a psychotic, a mass murderer and a criminal. He would do Stalin proud. Anybody who supports him has been proven to be hiding horrific crimes themselves.

[bob]

'fraternity house shenanigans when the Bill Clinton staff turned their offices over to the incoming Bush brigades.'

Yeah, sorry, never happened. So don't mention it. It destroys the paper's credibility.

I note bush always gets weepy when he's the object of the sentiments being expressed. He's a narcsisist extraordinaire.

[Bill]

Class! I love it. unlike what he was handed when white house was turned over.

Im eager to see what history (not current public opinion) says about the massive changes put in place by Bush. There have been few presidents in recent history whom have acted and not made politically expedient decisions. Some will claim that they were idiotic. However in honesty, no one can predict that. no one can argue that the future will answer this question.

Much like the times after the civil war when Lincoln's popularity was at extreme lows, the country learned in later years later how lucky we were.

God Bless Obama! what a great site to see. A story like this could never have happened in any other part of the world...............including our brethren in western Europe. Thanks for runnign a great campaign...........

[kieran]

The fact that I do not agree with Bush in any of his policies regarding wiretapping innocent American civilians, approving torture techniques to supposed terrorists, not offering fair trials for people accused of terorism, not doing enough to make Health Care a universal right like access to the Fire Department or Police Department, and working to improve the state of education in this country (namely making secondary education more affordable), I do not hate the man nor do I think he was an evil person. He is a good man, a decent man but a man that has an ideological view that is different from mine. He beleives government should promote morals and I believe the family should promote morals as their should be a clear distinction between religion and government.

He is by no means the worst president in history but by no means the best. He is a righteous man that I think would have been more suited to a different time than the modern one that we are in now.

[Mark]

So, this looks like one of the last spots for the Bush Dead-Enders Club to meet. "Poor misunderstood Pres. Bush! See, he's all weepy and when I see him all weepy, it makes me weepy too" The guy is, in no particular order, a war criminal, Constitution basher, fear mongerer, civil rights wrecker, pathological liar, incompetent fool, croney hiring idiot.

Good riddance

[lambert strether]

Bush wipes away a tear? Awww. That's precious.

Maybe he could use the shredded Constitution for a hanky?

[L.A. Native]

After reading comments; it's clear that some people have some deep hate and there is some 'wrong' facts to their hate. 'bob' said there wasn't any controversy to when Clinton left office.......oh, yes there was......the Clinton's took stuff that they had to return and also left a mess. That fact was not gossip. Also, people saying for Bush to 'die' and some other comments, are disturbing. I am a conservative, but, Obama won and he will be our President. I do think the media and this newspaper was very; very biased. There is also a column in this newspaper on the opinion page where a woman claimed that Hillary was a feminist and Sarah wasn't. It's funny, liberals think they are open minded and peaceful; I now realize that is a bunch of bull. ALOT of hate, untruth and destructive leaning is coming out of them. I didn't think this before, but, maybe it IS only conservatives that have compassion, respect and honor.

[Prairieplow]

Re:"Fraternity house shenanigans" posted by Bob on 11/7.

Sorry Bob, it did happen. I was there and had to help clean it up. Slogans were painted on the walls, keyboards and hard drives destroyed. porn on computers and in copy machines, furniture overturned and damaged beyond repair, and food and liquor trash thrown about.

Being a class act, President Bush chose to move on and not make an issue of it. I suggest it is your credibility that is in question since you have failed to check the facts prior to posting.

[Andrew Yu-Jen Wang]

All of the appalling scandals or corrupt activities of people who were in the Bush administration at some point or another reflect negatively upon George W. Bush—the first and foremost person who could have been thought of as having been, in a way, in charge of all of them notwithstanding that Bush certainly does not literally have the capacity or time or opportunity to oversee every substantial thing whatsoever that happens relative to members of the Bush administration. Maybe something about the evil and incompetent George W. Bush contaminated the psychological environment relative to members of the Bush administration—possibly contributing, to whatever extent, to such widespread decadence.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow indeed has good reason to be “thankful” that the Bush administration is ending soon. It is one of the most important things to be thankful about during the time of the Thanksgiving holiday.

George W. Bush is the worst thing that ever happened to the United States of America. George W. Bush is not welcome around the world and not welcome in the United States of America—read the news about this.

Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993