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Regrets? Too few to mention, says Bush
Paul Thompson in Miami16 Jan 2009
President Bush last night delivered an impassioned defence of his eight years in office, saying the decisions that he had made had kept the country safe from another terrorist attack.
In a final live TV address to the nation, he warned that another attack was still the "gravest threat" facing America.
While acknowledging he would have done some things differently, he said that he had always acted with the country's best interests at heart.
"Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks," Mr Bush said. "There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind.
"I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
He said that America still faced "danger and trial ahead" and, even though there has not been a terror attack since the events of 11 September, the threat was still very real. "We have faced danger and trial, and there's more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter and never fail," Mr Bush said.
"I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe. And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
The events of 11 September 2001, unsurprisingly, played a key part in his final speech from the East Room of the White House. The attacks on New York and the Pentagon have defined his presidency, leading to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the fight against the "war on terror".
The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and events at home, with America facing its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, have left Mr Bush with the worst popularity rating of any US president in more than 30 years.
He added that the events of 9/11, when almost 3,000 people died in the worst terror attack on US soil, changed his presidency.
"As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did," he said.
"Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
However, he warned Americans that "our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again".
Mr Bush began his 15-minute farewell address by praising his successor - "a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land". He said: "This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to president-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls." Mr Bush said his "highest honour" had been to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, adding that America owed them a "debt of gratitude". He listed better standards in schools and health care and lower taxes among his domestic achievements.
The inauguration of Mr Obama takes place in Washington on Tuesday.
Reader views (7)
What I liked about Presidend Bush is he didn't change his policies to court popularity. Terrorists never came back to attack USA because arab countries knew that if they allowed terrorists to operate from their territory he would have destroyed them irrespective of UN.
- Frank, ex-England, 18/01/2009 11:39
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Why he was ever elected again has been a source of embarassment and mystery to me and still does. I consider him to have single-handledly brought this country down to a level to which we might never recover.
Make our country safe? Yeah--by stealthily taking away our legal rights which have been in place for the last 200-odd years. Way to go, Bush.
- Melissa Snow, San Antonio, USA, 18/01/2009 04:30
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this family,father and sons,should be excluded from holding any type of public office again,as they have shown themselves to be incompotent,over and over again.
- donagh muldoon, Dublin,Eire., 17/01/2009 03:16
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love him or hate him you will never hear him say he was wrong
- Liberal Thinker, UK, 16/01/2009 14:09
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Is there someone hidden in the wings shouting "Encore!" or something? Your Act's over, George: LEAVE!
- Roz, Chamonix, France, 16/01/2009 13:27
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Tuesday won't be so much a celebration of Obama's arrival as George bush's departure.
- Cuddly Duddly, Cuffley, UK, 16/01/2009 13:23
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George Dubya Bush believed that he was guided by God and so he cannot countenance the suggestion that he ever did anything wrong. Somebody ought to point out that Dick Cheney was a very successful stage ventriloquist before he became a politician.
- L Bayliss, Farnham England, 16/01/2009 11:18
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