Bush defends presidency in final news conference

Bush defends presidency in final news conference

WASHINGTON (AP) – By turns wistful, aggressive and joking in the final news conference of his presidency, President George W. Bush vigorously defended his record Monday but also offered an extraordinary listing of his mistakes – including his optimistic Iraq speech before a giant “Mission Accomplished” banner in 2003.

After starting what he called “the ultimate exit interview” with a lengthy and personalized thank-you to the reporters in the room who have covered him over the eight years of his presidency, Bush showed anger at times when presented with some of the main criticisms of his time in office.

“I think it’s a good, strong record,” he said. “You know, presidents can try to avoid hard decisions and therefore avoid controversy. That’s just not my nature.”

He particularly became indignant when asked about America’s bruised image overseas.

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Bush defends presidency in final news conference

Well, everyone IS entitled to their own opinion, even George W. Bush. How he can defend his “good, strong record” is beyond me, but I was never that much of a Bush fan to begin with.

With the Iraq war in its sixth year, he most aggressively defended his decisions on that issue, which will define his presidency like no other. There have been over 4,000 U.S. deaths since the invasion and toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

But it was in that area that he also acknowledged mistakes. He said that “not finding weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment.” The accusation that Saddam had and was pursuing weapons of mass destruction was Bush’s main initial justification for going to war.

The heart-throb of the Bush Bots has openly admitted it. The WMDs that he was SO insistent on, the WMDs that he took this nation to war with Iraq FOR, those WMDs, were never found. Those WMDs, that to this very day, 6 years later, they still haven’t been found.

Still haven’t been found?? There were no WMDs folks, none that could threaten the USA at least. And here’s another little gem for you, Saddam’s real *WMDs*, such as they were, had been expended when he attacked and killed so many Kurds in Northern Iraq. All that was left were a few .155 Howitzer rounds that had chemical warheads filled with Sarin. Sarin that was so chemically depleted that you could pour it directly on the human skin with NO ill consequences.

Nuclear research?? Yes, the Iraqis were doing nuclear research. Yellow cake uranium?? UhHuh, not a doubt in ANY minds, they had *yellow cake*, what they didn’t have was a system to fully refine that yellow cake!! Also lacking was a *delivery system* to deploy those imminent nuclear and chemical attacks that Saddam was, according to Bush, so wanting to launch against the USA!! Looks like Bush struck out on that one too.

If nuclear and chemical research were being conducted, with the express intent being to build a thermonuclear device or chemical weapon, and mount that weapon on a reasonably accurate delivery system were such a high priority for the Bush administration, why are we not attacking Iran at this very moment?

Bush took this United States to war in Iraq for his own personal reasons, and those reasons had NOTHING to do with WMDs or freeing the Iraqi people. Over 4,200 U.S. troops have died because OF that folly. Untold BILLIONS of U.S. tax dollars have been spent, and wasted because OF that folly. And to the bitter end, the Moron in Chief is still trying to define his legacy and justify his actions to the people of this nation.