George W. Bush's reaction to Obama telling him of Bin Laden's death: 'Good call'

George W. Bush's reaction to Barack Obama's phone call earlier this month upon learning the news of Osama bin Laden's death in Pakistan was congratulatory but not joyful.

"Good call," Bush said when Obama telephoned him soon after the SEAL Team 6 raided the terrorist's million-dollar hideout in Abbottabad and shot and killed its target.

The former president was in Las Vegas on Wednesday speaking to hedge-fund managers when he revealed the conversation he had with Obama, ABC News reports.

"I was eating souffle at Rise Restaurant with Laura and two buddies," Bush explained, referring to his wife and friends, when he was notified that Obama wanted to speak with him about the mission that had just been accomplished. 

"I excused myself and went home to take the call," Bush said, according to an ABC contributor who was at the speech in Las Vegas. "Obama simply said 'Osama bin Laden is dead.' "

When asked about his reaction to the news, Bush said that he was "not overjoyed' to hear about the death of the Al Qaeda leader because the desire to hunt him down was not borne "out of hatred but to exact judgment."

Bush said that he met the SEAL Team 6 in Afghanistan and was impressed with them.

"I said, 'I hope you have everything you need. One guy said, 'We need your permission to go into Pakistan and kick ass,' " the 43rd president said.

RELATED:

Will Ferrell, as George W. Bush, learns Osama bin Laden is dead

Osama bin Laden dead: George W. Bush and Tony Blair congratulate President Obama

George W. Bush passes on ground zero visit; radio host asks when SEALs will drop in on him

-- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: In this April 12, 2011 file photo, former president George W. Bush makes opening remarks at the The 4% Project, Driving Economic Growth conference at SMU, in Dallas. Credit: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File

Comments

[Henry]

'We need your permission to go into Pakistan and kick ass,'

Sounds like someone doesn't want to give Obama credit for anything positive.
Could it be because he is Black, Democrat, or both? With all the cheap shots comming from various people, it's hard to tell who's who.

[Henry]

Also, censorship is a problem for me. I believe that everyone should be able to see all sides of the truth. I think that censorship helps to promote a specific side of an issue with an offense against truth. Otherwise, a lie can be met with undermining principles and information. It's as if the objective is to control how people think regardless of what's really going on. It's the practice of the principle, "If you can't say anything kind, don't say anything at all". We are in essence being asked to say kind things about things that are immoral, even illegal by pure reasoning with the intent for righteousness.

[jim morrison]

I believe between bush and obama they are ruining this country for us and our grandchildren.

[Terry]

Yep Henry thats it.He a poor little black person and no one wants to give him credit.

[SAMANTHA]

Bush is awesome! We need to kick ass.... !

[Satish Chandra]

I am India's expert in strategic defence and the father of India's strategic program, including the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program and in my blog titled 'Nuclear Supremacy For India Over U.S.', which can be found by a Yahoo search with the title, I have shown that all terrorism and insurgencies in the Indian subcontinent and in much of the rest of the world are sponsored by the C.I.A. Both Pakistan's ISI and India's RAW function as branches of the C.I.A. and participate in terrorism and insurgencies throughout the subcontinent, under direction of the C.I.A. (Within the above blog look for 'What You Should Know About RAW').The goal of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and partial occupation of Pakistan is eventual occupation and overt colonial rule over the subcontinent as a whole; India is already under covert CIA rule, through RAW. To end this, India has said that five to six nuclear bombs have been prepositioned in various cities/countries such as New Delhi, Washington and New York -- see my blog -- for the nuclear destruction of New Delhi, Washington and New York and later the coast-to-coast destruction of the United States.
Those who would like to educate themselves should go to my blog above which answers all questions (disregard abusive comments posted by operatives of CIA-RAW to discourage people from doing so). Satish Chandra

[Ashley]

Killing Bin Laden is not a win and does nothing but prove that our nation is trying to flex their muscles and say we're strong but not that we are as democratic as we pretend to be. Did I want to see a long trial for Bin Laden? No. But when we captured Sadaam, he was tried and he was killed through justice. Killing Bin Laden this way did not reflect justice, but more like revenge. Bush's reaction, per this article, seems to be based on this premise. I'm sure he was glad the world is now a little bit safer but of course liberal media would rather pick and poke to make him look like a bad guy. Finally, this was not an Obama "win", it was a Bush-Obama "win." I am thankful Obama kept the Bush policies for the war on terror.

[h]

Who did all the work and stop the saying it's racial it's been 250 years were all over it.

[Samuel]

The military leans so Republican that many of them still consider Bush the President of the United States not saying i agree with that but there are alot of people that feel that way.

[Barry Hussein]

Henry: Here are a few things that Obama is hiding from you and all other Americans. How is that hope & change transparency working for you?

Barack Obama / Stanley Ann Dunham marriage license -- Not released
Lolo Soetoro / Stanley Ann (Dunham) Obama marriage license -- Not released
Record of adoption by Lolo Soetoro -- Not released
Baptismal certificate -- Not released
Indonesian Passport, renewed for travel to Pakistan, a restricted nation for U.S. citizens in 1981 -- Not released
Student records at Mentung No. 1 public school in Jakarta, Indonesia Not released
Hawaii elementary school records Not released.
Punahou High School records - Not released
How his education at Punahou, a very expensive private school (Current tuition is $17,300/year.), was paid for.
Student records at Mentung No. 1 public school in Jakarta, Indonesia Not released
Selective Service Registration - Released but proven to be Counterfeit
SAT score Not released
Occidental College records - Not released
Columbia College records - Not released
Columbia thesis - Not released
Harvard College records - Not released
Harvard Law Review articles - None (maybe 1, but not signed
How he paid for his Occidental, Columbia and Harvard education Not released
LSAT score not released
University of Chicago scholarly articles None found
Law practice client list - Not released
Financial records while a community organizer in Chicago Not released
Annenburg Project records - Not released
Illinois State Senate records - None (Locked up to prohibit public view)
Illinois State Senate schedule - 'Lost' (ALL other Illinois state senators' records are intact)
Medical records - Not released
Passport - Not released
Why his social security number allegedly starts with 042, a number
issued in Connecticut sometime during 1976-1977.
Why his mother, Ann Dunham, is reported to have nearly a dozen
aliases, at least two different Social Security numbers, and upwards
of over 99 separate addresses.
Father's name and address, and if dead, his death certificate. Not released
Mother's death certificate showing who survivors are. Not released
Mother probate estate records showing who heirs are. Not released
In addition to being simply "Not released" most of these records are
SEALED.

[Gabriel]

Henry, you are a moron. Clearly you can not understand what GW said or felt at the death of this terrorist. Did GW in fact offer his congradulations to Obama? As Bush said, this was justice not revenge, that's why he did not jump up and down with joy. You need to get over the black issue, not everyone is as racist as you are.

[Jimma James]

Here is the deal, Bush is the one who declared war on terroism. Obama was against it. I am glad Bin Laden is gone. Our troops are the greatest. Obama just happen be in office when we found him. I thank our trooops first, Bush for having the guts to go after them and Obama for giving the permission to pull the trigger. This has been a team effort. With this said, we need a better president next! and lots of prayers for America!

[Barry Hussein the fool I am not]

Barry Hussein, you'll just eat up any conspiracy tea party crap thrown out there. Fortunately, you and your ilk are so few that you'll never discredit President Obama. His approval rating is at 60% and with the unemployment numbers coming down it's hard to see it fall below 50%, which is about what he'd need to be re-elected, which he will. Now go off and dig up a few more of these far-flung conspiracy theories, publish them and continue making yourself out to be the utter fool you are. Which begs the question: Did you have to attend an institution of higher learning in order to learn how to become stupid or were you simply just born that way? Now don't get in the way of the Obama Express, unless you'd prefer to be road kill.

[melek]

W.....go away....you destroyed the best economy we ever had and are still having breakfast with the same hedge-fund managers that you've done everything for (including getting on your knees now and then) who have literally raped the American people financially, and it was okay for you and Cheney because you got millions out of it.......Of course W wasn't "joyful", anyone who pays attention will realize that the Bin Ladens and the Bushes were seriously tight back in the day.....which is why W diverted our resources and attention to Iraq even though they had NOTHING to do with 911. We need your permission like a submarine needs a screen door. F-U W!!!!!!!

[Shawny916]

My Gosh people.Get over it.A black man won the presidency.So for many of you country bumpkins who find that hard to believe the proof is in the pudding.This is AMERICA...and everyone has a right to believe what they want, but evidence never lies.Bush was by far one of the worst presidents and depending on whom you speak to that opinion may differ.But at the end of the day he was the president of the USA and you have to repsect that, AND the same needs to be done for BARACK OBAMA.As much as you may want to forget...racisim still exists and probably always will, so instead of trying to trivialize its existence, accept and determine how YOU will make the world a better place.

[George]

Sour grapes on GW's part. Low IQ on the birthers continual pablum and it's the only thing they have to say bad about Obama. Sounds like a parrot repeating Trump's platform! Shall we start listing the downfall of this country from good ole GW? That administration is the reason we are at war, gas prices are so high and biggest of all why we are in a recession! Short term memory loss people, education will help that.

[Samuel]

I am so sick and tired of hearing and reading the word "black" in front of president every time Obama is mentioned. Especially from his supporters who are clearly making themselves appear racist. Why must you conclude that he is a black man when in fact he is also a white man. Do you get it people? He is bi-racial!!!!! So, for those of you who keep stating get over it our president is black are so racist because you are declaring him that simply because of his appearance. Was any other president referred to as our "white" president?

[Barry Hussein]

Fool, since when did asking for the release of significant information become a "conspiracy theory". Go ahead and fool yourself into believing that Obozo will be reelected in 2012 because it definitely won't happen. His multiple failures on the economy, the budget deficit, health care, accelerating infrastructure decay and the destruction of the dollar will place him into the ashcan of history. When the "true believers" in the inner cities riot after his loss in 2012 and have to be put down by the national guard don't say your weren't warned. So for now bury your head in the sand and spend your hope and change until it evaporates like so much cotton candy. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, no possible way.

[Barry Hussein the fool I am not]

Barry Hussein , you one funny guy. Looks like I not only struck a raw nerve, I sliced it open it hurt you so much. The only people fool enough to challenge President Obama are the fringe candidates such as Ron Paul and Newt. Romney will declare but no self-respecting republicant (they can't ever do what's right for people, only corporations), including you, will vote for him because Obama's health care law is modeled after Romney's. As long as the unemployment numbers come down, the stronger Obama's chances of re-election, and since those numbers are on a steady downward trend all the way to November 2012, it's all but assured. And it's typical of your ilk to state that those documents released are counterfeit. "WHERE'S THE PROOF?!" you state. The point is, no matter what document is released, including Obama's' just-released long birth record, you'll always scream "IT'S COUNTERFEIT!!!!!!" And get your head out of the 60s, this is 2011. Yeah, sure, riots. You wouldn't even make a good science fiction writer, a rejection slip from every publisher if you try to pedal that book. But go ahead, play the part of the fool, the tea party and republicants will always have a place for brownshirts like you who dream day and night about Amerika, not the America I live in and revere.

[telling it like it is]

Look, this is the way it is like it or not...Bush was the WORST President we have ever had...He will go down in history and in the history books as so. Our cool President out mastermind the so called mastermind Bin Laden...I will be voting again for Obama and let me clue you in HE WILL BE PRESIDENT AGAIN!!!!!!!!

[chris]

I am wondering why all the fuss about a rapper going to the White House...Didnt Easy-E go and have dinner with Bush in the White house

[millio2001]

Irregardless of anything else if osamabendover were alive he wld be all over the media denouncing the infidels as liars and masters of propaganda. The only thing they shld have done but did not do out of DECENCY and CLASS, was they shld have obliterated the women & the children too. After all bendover and the bendettes certainly did not show any discretion when they did us. Personally I think there is enough credit to go around,that wld include the foundation Bush & Co. laid & the follow thru Obama & Co. exercised.

[You need a history book]

President George W. Bush The worst ever? Tell it like it is, you need to research American history!

[Jay]

Lets get the facts straight here. George Bush used 9/11 to go after Sadaam, a enemy his daddy couldn't get. We found NO weapons of mass destruction and Sadaam wasn't behind the attacks. He did need justice brought to him like he had but Osama bin Laden was the behind all the attacks. Obama took office and was the one who took the majority of troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan which led to our asset finding Osama and SEAL Team Six killing him. The SEAL team tried to bring him in alive but that coward hides behind his wife and pushed another woman toward the SEAL and a fire fight broke out it was obvious Osama had to be killed.

I am a former Navy SEAL so I have an idea of what I am talking about. Don't make this political I beg you. Obama did the right thing and should be recognized for that. The real heroes are the asset and SEAL TEAM 6, which we will never know their names for safety reason. Lets quit this bickering about Bush/Obama and politcal crap and praise the real heroes!

[millio2001]

ol'sammy got better than he deserved.
The only thing they didn't do (due to "DECENCY & CLASS" ) was obliterate the wives & children, too.
Aside from being a coward and a heathen ol'sammy was also a PEDOPHILE (his last wife was a "gift @ 15). His 1st wife was his 1st cousin which is "inbreeding" EWE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If o'sammy were alive, you can believe he wld be all over the media denouncing the "infidels" as liars and masters of propaganda. Instead his ilk avegened his death, by killing even more innocent people (their own people, yet again.)

[Helmut Polisher]

Bush probably built that compound for Bin Laden

[Jake James]

Look, the guy is dead. What more do you all want?

[Barry Hussein]

Fool, the only nerve you struck was my funny bone. Your writings reveal you as a smug, self satisfied, pseudo intellectual elitist. Your unwillingness to actually address the issues with anything more than insults shows your fear of confronting the reality of the abject failure of this current administration and the willingness to conveniently ignore the troubling issues surrounding this administration. I can only assume that you don't remember the 1992 LA riots and are unable to see that the same conditions that created that powder keg are still present in 2011 and are ready to be lit by a race baiting administration eager to do anything to maintain its grip on power. After Obozo loses in 2012 and the inner city riots erupt, try to remember that one of those TEA Party fringe dwellers got the jump on you and revealed your crystal ball to be full of manure.

[Dr. Harlan A. Hanna, Ph.D., ANS, AFIO, FORNL]

I am a retired? professional, and we (the U.S.) and our allies have been after
Osama bin Laden and his "lieutenants" forever (+10 yrs.). America achieved
what it set out to do through it's military. Bin Laden got what he deserved,
was responsible for killing way too many innocent people, incl. own family
members. Our Spec. Opns. teams also got Saddam Hussein--plus the pirates.
Our allies and Americans s/b very grateful. We are only defending
ourselves. Any other view is not even responsible or common sense.
Thank you. A decorated Vietnam Veteran who remembers.

[Bill]

They killed Bhutto, let the terrorists run wild behind their borders, and continue to soak us for billions of dollars... and those were George W.'s pals! At least Obama went around them to do what needed doing. Who cares, besides Republicans too young to remember Reagan, what George W. Bush thinks about anything??? Now Obama should stop all aid to these fools, stop calling them allies, and start sending India the help they need to get rid of them! As a matter of fact, it should become a part of standard U.S. policy....

[Mary]

Critics cannot ignore the fact that President Bush kept the promise he made to Americans (of ALL political preference) on 9/11. A promise we should all remember and be thankful for, since it is what we clung to as we saw our country under attack. America would hunt down and bring those responsible to justice. This is a victory for all Americans and for George Bush. He kept his word. Mission accomplished - a mission HE started! Obama's first and only visit to Ground Zero was only prompted by his desire to soak up the glory - so typical. I pray he does not get re-elected. Our country can't afford it!

[garyguthery]

I also would like to state how rude and smart ellic ...ptty-mouthed my fellow americans are to each other online.....no wonder they call us the ugly americans.....you dont have any manners or respect and thats why your lil squirts....must be getting obnoxious lessons at home from the likes of all of you.....grow the %$#$%$ up.....

[iyobosa]

I BELIVEV THAT GEORGE W. BUSH WAS HAPPY OR NOT HAPPY ABOUT OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD.
THIS ARE THE FOLLOWING REASONS ARE
1 PRESIDEN OBAMA IS A MAN
2 HE IS A DEMOCRAT PARTY NOT REPUBLICAN party
3 GEORGE W. BUSH WAS NUABLE TO KILL OSAMA BIN LADEN.
BUSH IMAGINE WHAT HE CANNOT DO ABOUT 8 YEAR THIS YOUNG BLACK PREASIDEN DID WITHIN 3 YEAR. THEREFORE, I WILL NOT PRAISE HIM TO for killing bin laden.

[hoday]

Ideologues. Ideologues with hatred toward anyone who has a different opinion than you do. Gary is right when he noted the lack of courtesy we show toward one another online. Anonimity emboldens us to be rude. Now my comments - First, for those of you criticizing the GW quote about kicking butt HELLO - we suspected OBL to be in Pakistan for years! GW met the SEAL team while in Afghanistan as President! (I'm sure he hasn't been there since leaving office.) They made that comment to him while he was President! It has nothing to do with the military being "mostly republican" or not recognizing BO as President. Talk about seeing what you want to see. Second, this was not an official statement from GW. He was at a Vegas conference. Like him or not, you have to agree that GW has kept himself almost entirely out of the political realm/public spotlight since leaving office. He has acted with extraordinary dignity and class in the face of almost constant blame and ridicule, whether you believe it warranted or not. (Only the Devil is blamed more than GW. ) I know I couldn't have kept my mouth shut if I were in a similar circumstance and I will argue that most of you couldn't either ;) Remember, there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

[Ted]

Obama is not Black. He is white. Lets argue that.

[DurkaDurkaDurka]

I love how all the naive people plan to vote for obummer again because "HE out smarted osama" Lets take a minute and let that sink in, someone actually thinks it was president obummer who got osama.......... The only thing he did was give the ok to go ahead and do the mission..

[jscottu]

The media loves to read so much into someone's reaction...was Bush "joyful" was he "envious". I'm glad Bin Ladin is dead and I don't care if Obama gets 100 percent of the credit (Reagan had something to say about not worrying who gets the credit). But what has Obama done TODAY about the $14.3 TRILLION debt (and rising...and rising...and rising...).

[winniegon]

I am so tired of hearing people bash the presidents. I did not vote for Obama and I will not vote for him again but I WILL give him the respect he deserves as our president. I don't agree with all of his policies but I do know that he is giving 4 years of his life to help lead the American people. I did vote for George W. Bush. I didn't agree with all of his policies either. Bush gave 8 years of his life to lead the American people. He was ridiculed and basically spat upon by the news media. Yet, he had class about it. He has tried to stay out of the public eye and let Obama do his thing.
Let's give these men some credit and respect.
On a side note...Obama is already president. Why constantly bring up the race card?? I make my voting decisions based on what the candidates STAND FOR not the color of their skin. Can you same the same for yourself if race is the constant topic of choice?

[DumDems]

@melek You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. W destroyed "the best economy we ever had". First of all you need to even understand where you are coming from with this. If you are referring to Bill CLintons Presidency and some sort of surplus being his doing then we can laugh at that. He happened to have the good fortune of being President during the .com boom and a huge amount of welath and jobs were injected into to the workplace. If you want to give President Clinton credit for the .com boom then you probably also think Al Gore invented the Internet.In terms of spending, yes, W. did spend a giant amount. So is President Obama. Now the real difference is that the economy was moving when W. was spending. When W. left office the national debt was at a point of 67% of GDP. The problem now is the economy is not moving at the rate which it was and Obama is spending as if it is and we are now approaching our national debt being 100% of GDP. Getting towards Greece levels. The only explanation why this is acceptable in Obama's mond is that the Obama admin "assumes" rising GDP at the rate of 3% per year for the next ten years. You think Obama had to clean up a mess after Bush. Wait and see the mess that is left when someone takes over after Obama.

[Jon]

We need your permission to go into Pakistan and kick ass,'

Sounds to me like they are using this as just another excuse to invade yet another country illegally? wakey wakey people :)

[John W. Flores]

Why isn't this war criminal--with business ties to the Bin Laden family--serving time in Guantanamo Bay as a war criminal? There is no justice.
Osama was the fall guy, like Lee Harvey Oswald. Otherwise, Bush would have had him found and killed. They knew where he was all along. The American people as a whole are just mindless sheep. The media are accessories, accomplices, to the death of the American spirit.

[Carrie H]

First of all, Obama is MIXED. It is not fair to just label him as one race and deny the race of his mother. Secondly, our troops found him. The commander in chief is Obama. Who cares about getting credit? Osama, the leader for the deaths of thousands, still got the easy way out. However, his death brings relief to thousands of families directly linked to those who died at his mercy. Is this the end? No, I doubt it. I feel that Osama has taught hundreds or maybe even thousands of his plans to continue human suffering. I don't feel that things are over. There's only 2 results from this. 1) Terrorism will re-ignite bigger than ever or 2)Terrorism will deteriorate (but not completely). So, the racial card being pulled on these comments/blogs are over powering the actual reality that Bin Laden is dead bringing a little closure to millions of people.

[Kevin]

He is a joke. He was a disgrace as a president it shows his imcompentance as it took Obama two years to get bin Laden

[Lori]

Why does Obama need to release his birth certificate and other records, when dumb Bush did not have to and we all know what he only got in to Yale because of his father. He was a C student and it showed how he destroyed this country

[Big Al]

Its not me vs you... it is white america vs arabs!!! Wake up ARABS HATE AMERICA and all it stands for!

[dva]

Question this was a risky mission for our government and SEAL's that turned out to be successful. If things would have went the other way and we did not get bin laden or worse lost some of our men who would have gotten the BLAME????? I promise you none of you would have been saying a word about Bush. President Obama would have taken all the heat and blame but for some reason he can't get any of the credit. You can say" get over racism it's been 250 years" but unless you have experienced it...don't comment. Maybe it doesn't exist for YOU but it does for some. We have not had a president that gets as little respect as our current president but you are going to tell me this has nothing to do with his race. Before he became president if you saw him walking down the street you would have seen a BLACK man. Since he runs this country now he is biracial.

[Aaron]

There go the racist people putting race into things again. How bout its because I don't like his foreign policies and he's a democrat. I'd vote for Colin Powell for President, Cain, or Rice. Drop the racist crutch at the door, not everyone who dislikes him is.

- White guy

[Renee]

GWB not being joyful is not surprising. I feel partly because he could not take full credit for it. I personally do not feel like we won anything by killing Bin Ladin its only causing his follower to try to get revenge. And trust me they will get it one way or another. I do agree that we need to stop focusing on our President's race. If we should refer to him as anything it should be our first bi-racial president. But until there are people that stop asking him to prove petty things that we never asked any other president like his citizenship or how he paid for school(which btw is the most ignorant thing Ive heard said about him) and downplaying his every achievement then race will always be an issue. Last but not least a little advice to the tea party members if youre not a racist maybe you should start or join another political group because your leaders (ie Palin, Beck) are making yall look like a group of racist jerks

[Raymond]

I don`t think he was to thrill about the death of the terrorist cause he never did anything about it . His policy was a total failure during his administration .and never accomplish anything . now that Obama capture and kill the terrorist He`ll be reelected with no doubt .

[Mikey]

It's a pity that people like Mary who praise Bush for getting Osama can't see past their noses. Some one should tell her the reason Bush didn't get Osama is because he hold shares in the oil company with the Ben laden Family. They were partners you dumb asses. They sit around the same corporate round table and plan strategy on how to keep Gas Prices high to make bigger Profits. Mission accomplished is rite, he is making millions with them at our expense.

Mikey