Bush refuses to criticize Obama, says 'essential' to help him; split with Cheney grows

A surprising split -- or perhaps a chasm -- appearing now between the former White House team of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, who seemed so solidly in sync for eight years.

After a previous interview with Politico.com, the ex-vice president was on CNN last weekend, again criticizing the new Barack Obama administration for what Cheney characterized as decisions that could seriously threaten American national security, including changes in terrorist interrogation policy and closing Guantanamo Bay. The former VP did say Bush should not be blamed for the economic meltdown.

But Cheney was also openly critical of the decision not to pardon his former chief of staff, Lewis Libby in the closing days of the Bush administration.

That decision, perhaps needless to say, was made by Cheney's boss, President Bush, who unexpectedly chose Cheney as his two-time running mate in 2000 after originally asking Cheney to lead the search for a VP partner. So the right-hand guy is letting the world know now his post-administration displeasure with the boss.

Since flying home to Texas after the Obama inauguration on Jan. 20, Bush has been totally silent, staying first on his Crawford ranch and then moving into a new house in the Preston Hollow section of north Dallas to begin work on a book and his presidential library at Southern Methodist University.

Tuesday in Calgary, the 43rd president gave the first of about a dozen paid speeches arranged so far by the Washington Speakers Bureau on his 2009 schedule. And here's what Bush told about 2,000 business persons about his successor, the 44th president:

"There are plenty of critics in the arena. He deserves my silence."

Bush said something else too:

"I love my country a lot more than I love politics. I think it is essential that he be helped in office."

Not exactly the Rush Limbaugh failure line of comment. Or the Dick Cheney tone. Bush also said if the new president wanted his help, "he's welcome to call me."

The former president received two standing ovations from the Canadian audience, which paid $3,100 per table for "A Conversation with George W. Bush."

Bush said he was pleased to make his maiden post-presidential speech in a place like Alberta, (named for a daughter of Queen Victoria), which is Canada's most conservative province and one with close and deep energy-economic ties to Texas.

Bush joked that he'd need more such engagements to pay for the house his wife, Laura, bought without him seeing it. "I actually paid for a house last fall," he told the crowd. "I think I'm the only American to have bought a house in the fall of 2008."

The ex-president seemed to enjoy himself in the question-and-answer session, saying he was prepared to stay all day. "I'm flattered people even want to hear me in the first place."

Bush also revealed the outlines of his book, which will be built around what he regards as his 12 toughest decisions. "I want people to understand what it was like to sit in the Oval Office," he said.

We have a brief video with pictures below. And Mark Silva has more details on the story over in the Swamp.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo (top): Former President Bush talks with former Canadian Ambassador Frank McKenna in Calgary. Credit: Ewan Nicholson / tinePublic via Associated Press

Photo (bottom): Bush arrives for speech. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[cynthia]

After this new administration's receiving only stinkballs thrown by the majority of Republicans since the last election, I'd like to say a personal "thank you " to Bush for going against the grain of his own party to say we need to help our new President.
As for Mr. Cheney,...Put a sock in it.

[Crenshaw Nation]

ENOUGH PLEASE!!!

[Haitiana4Obama]

Bush knows good and well should he open his mouth and say one negative thing about President Obama that those calling for investigation on his many war crimes will feel emboldened to do more by way of seeking justice. He also knows if he wants to fade away into obscurity with some semblance of peace, he needs to shut his mouth and not utter another Bushism in the direction of our esteemed President Obama. Canada usually gets it right, I'm glad to see the everyday people are just as offended by his crimes as we are in America. As usual it's the "haves" and the "have mores" who've welcomed him with open arms. No surprise there,

[George in Miami]

I thank Mr. Bush for his respectful comments. Thought I have often disagreed with him, I have always felt him to be a decent man, and his words re-enforce my impression of him.

The nation is in peril, perhaps as grave as that after 9/11. Thoughtful, constructive efforts are needed.

Mr Bush is to be thanked for putting his nation above party politics.

[Luby]

I am a Democrat and of course I voted for Obama however, I noticed when Obama won the election Bush really showed a lot of class in the way he congratulated Obama. George Bush really gained a lot of respect in my eyes, and this story seems to demonstrate my point.

[Bubba]

"I'm flattered people even want to hear me in the first place." - George W Bush

At least now it's clear that he knows people don't like him.

We thought in the past that it was either a complete disregard for humanity or he was just dumb.

Today, we know it is a combo of both.

Like this bonehead comment, may his legacy reflect that he's REALLY BAD AT PR.

1. when u lie, don't snicker
2. when u misappropriate funds, dont make it obvious
3. when u start uneccesary wars masked as retaliatory wars, don't say u don't care about the attacker
4. when u are legacy rebuilding, don't admit u know everyone hates you

[Eagle in NYC]

It's a simple difference in style.

Bush was president and is very respectful of that office, even after leaving it. (As opposed to the Andrew Jackson-imitating man currently desecrating that office.)

Cheney, on the other hand, never held that office and therefore is not bound by its traditions of not criticizing an administration's successor. He also, by style, is far more blunt than Bush. That's his nature.

But understand a simple fact that apparently is lost on you: Bush is merely expressing a variation of the old adage, "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." It's very clear that he is holding his tongue, rather than criticize Obama. But by refusing even a modest compliment of the man, he says volumes. (Even suggesting that The One call him - ostensibly because, Lord knows, The One needs help.)

But that refusal to criticize one's successor is something that all presidents did until Carter. And that courtesy has only been broken to date by Carter and Clinton.

But also contrast Bush's respect for the office and reluctance to criticize another president - not to Cheney's bluntness, because he was not president - but to Obama's mantra that everything that is wrong in the world is Bush's fault. HE blames EVERYTHING on Bush. It's been a fundamental lie of the Obama political campaign since its inception and that campaign is ongoing still. (Note the new, pledge-allegiance-directly-to-our-Führer, Nazi-style OFR.)

"We inherited 'X'." "It's not our fault, we inherited it." "It's Bush's fault." ad nauseum....

THAT's the behavior to contrast against Bush's sense of decorum and respect. Not Cheney's bluntness when asked specific questions about The One who is single handedly destroying Western civilization.

[Nonamer]

By contrast, Barack Obama continues to cast awful, negative aspersions if not outright, direct denigrations and blame as to the Bush Administration.

The contrast between these two is remarkable: George Bush remains a gentleman in speech and demeanor -- and stood fully responsible during his administration for all his actions -- while there we have Obama who never ceases blaming Bush, Capitalism, just about anyone and everyone except taking responsibility for his own positions and actions.

I anticipate that Obama will continue on his attacks in general against our U.S. democracy. President Bush is just another one of Obama's excuses as to who Obama blames.

[LAR]

President Bush is more than a decent man. He is a leader and well loved by a majority of people in the United States. Dick Cheney is as well a very valuable leader who exercises his right to disagree about his own the treatment of Mr. Libby, his OWN EMPLOYEE. Mr. Cheney's warnings should not go unheeded about the safety of this country, but they will by this idiot in the White House along with his stupid "TEAM". God Help Us because believe me, the Left is clueless.

[Gee]

Bush is a decent human been. But during the eight years he was in office, he allowed himself to be used by the likes of Cheney and Ramsfield and cosequently causing him acute declassification. All the policies he pushed through had Cheney and Ramsfield witten all over them. Because of this, his party has suffered defeat and will continue to suffer defeat for decade to come. The Irony is; all the blame goes to Bush and not Cheney. Because, he did not make the right choice of politely asking these Neocons to SHUT UP OR PUT UP. That is the perfect time in my judgement for him to put the country first and not politics. It is rather too late and very dissappointing too for him to now claim he love his country after eight year in office with a price tag of 11.1 trillions dollar deficit/debt and a global economics melt down. No doubt, when he came to office, he inheritted a suplus in the tune of billions of dollar. In hind sight, I should not have voted for him twice as an independent. Now, George, You will need Jesus in your life to forgive you for what you have done to this great nation. As a redemption, your silence going forward will be golding. As for Cheney. All the money he has made will be 90% taxed. The prospect of him making more is dimmed. He can relocate to Moscow if he feels security of the country is now been undermine. Peace out

[John C. Randolph]

Why would Bush criticize someone who's following in his footsteps? Obama's just as incompetent as Bush was, and he's following Bush's plan to destroy the dollar and rob us all for the benefit of the banks.

-jcr

[Kim]

To Eagle at NYC -- that "the One" name is something that's only appropriate from the viewpoint of the Right. The Left, not being authoritarians, just don't think that way. Your use of it shows that you are not aware that what the real difference between the Left and the Right is that their points of view are very different: the Right is authoritarian and hierarchical, the Left is egalitarian. The Left doesn't accord authority to people who are just authority figures, they look at expertise, and tend to only consider one an authority in one's field of expertise. Thus, authority is much more fluid and changeable than it is from the viewpoint of someone of an authoritarian mindset.
What you don't get is that each side thinks they are moral and the other side is immoral. Yes, they think you are grossly immoral. Think of it. You. Yes, you. Immoral. And, if you could get them to describe it, they even have reasons, quite as valid as your reasons for thinking the other side is immoral. The difference is in worldview. Each system is self-consistent. All those things that look to you like hypocrisy, aren't. Same for the other side.
We're all just people, trying to do our best. We all have a system of morals (except the sociopaths among us, who have no consciences.) When you fall prey to hating the other side, you fall prey to Satanism. The Rush Limbaughs of the world are promoting hate: Satanism. Watch for it.