Support NeoGAF

[Oddduck]

Former president George H.W. Bush broke his silence about some of the key figures in his son’s administration, issuing critiques of Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

In the new Jon Meacham biography, "Destiny And Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush," the 41st president was critical of some of the actions of his son's administration.

George H.W. Bush criticizes Dick Cheney...

In particular, he objects to how Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld reacted to 9/11. He feels they were too hawkish, taking a harsh, inflexible stance that tarnished America's reputation around the world.

"I don't know, he just became very hard-line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with," Bush told Meacham. "The reaction [to 9/11], what to do about the Middle East. Just iron-ass. His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East ..."

The elder Bush believes Cheney -- who had been his own defense secretary back when he held the White House -- acted too independently of his son. "The big mistake that was made was letting Cheney bring in kind of his own State Department," Bush said, apparently referring to the national security team that the vice president assembled in his office.

“[Cheney] had his own empire there and marched to his own drummer,” Mr. Bush said. “It just showed me that you cannot do it that way. The president should not have that worry.”

George H.W. Bush criticizes Donald Rumsfeld...

The elder Bush is even harder on Rumsfeld, saying, "I don't like what he did, and I think it hurt the President" -- his son, that is. "I've never been that close to him anyway. There's a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the other guy thinks. He's more kick ass and take names, take numbers. I think he paid a price for that. Rumsfeld was an arrogant fellow ..."

George H.W. Bush on same sex marriage...

While Bush still believes in traditional marriage, he claims to have "mellowed" on same-sex marriage, stating people have a right to be happy without discrimination. It's a stance that will no doubt please many Republicans but have others wishing he'd continue to maintain his respectful silence.

Source: Fox News, New York Times

 

[Piston Hyundai]

good ol' Dick "Iron Ass" Cheney

 

[Tesseract]

that's nice and all, but george was the boss.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

Well, he was clever enough to not occupy Bagdad after the Desert Storm operation.

 

[Spinifex]

Good memoirs. Good, not great.

 

[ratcliffja]

He wants to dump all the bad stuff on everybody but his son to clear the Bush name. The timing of this is pretty suspicious with Jeb struggling. With that said, I've always thought Cheney was behind a lot of the war mongering and always seemed like a horrifying person.

 

[Funky Papa]

"I don't know, he just became very hard-line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with,"

Revisionism at its worst.

Somebody read on what that cunt was up to during the 80's and 90's. Particularly his role in the privatization of the army, which led to much of the damage and economic fuckery that ensued after the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also:

In 1986, after President Ronald Reagan vetoed a bill to impose economic sanctions on South Africa for its policy of apartheid, Cheney was one of 83 Representatives to vote against overriding Reagan's veto.[37] In later years, he articulated his opposition to unilateral sanctions against many different countries, stating "they almost never work"[38] and that in that case they might have ended up hurting the people instead.[39]

In 1986, Cheney, along with 145 Republicans and 31 Democrats, voted against a non-binding Congressional resolution calling on the South African government to release Nelson Mandela from prison, after the Democrats defeated proposed amendments that would have required Mandela to renounce violence sponsored by the African National Congress (ANC) and requiring it to oust the communist faction from its leadership; the resolution was defeated. Appearing on CNN, Cheney addressed criticism for this, saying he opposed the resolution because the ANC "at the time was viewed as a terrorist organization and had a number of interests that were fundamentally inimical to the United States."[40]

 

[Kyou]

Good memoirs. Good, not great.

I appreciate this.

 

[Tesseract]

urgh we fucked up because we oh my look at the time i'm older than dirt and don't care anymore someone give me more fentanyl ogh yiss look at my socks

 

[Piston Hyundai]

urgh we fucked up because we oh my look at the time i'm older than dirt and don't care anymore someone give me more fentanyl ogh yiss look at my socks

are you okay

 

[Aaron]

are you okay

He's being harrassed by the man and his boy from across the street. The boy is named Bart. He doesn't know the name of the man.

 

[Tesseract]

are you okay

i'm george senior, c'mon son

 

[HazySaiyan]

Maybe he should have brought this up at the time with, you know, his son? That might have been useful.

Good memoirs. Good, not great.

Hellooooooooooo Mr. Bush!

 

[darkinstinct]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

 

[Piston Hyundai]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

the Royals' first base coach is Rusty Kuntz

 

[ratcliffja]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

It's usually short for Richard. The real question is why so many Richards call themselves Dick.

 

[Gnome]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

It's short for Richard. I don't get it either.

 

[numble]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

His name is not actually Dick.

 

[Dead Man]

Can you imagine how embarrassed he must have been during his sons presidency?. Poor bastard.

 

[Screaming Meat]

It's usually short for Richard. The real question is why so many Richards call themselves Dick.

I guess they prefer Dick.

 

[bomma_man]

Good memoirs. Good, not great.

He's being harrassed by the man and his boy from across the street. The boy is named Bart. He doesn't know the name of the man.

 

[HazySaiyan]

 

[ponpo]

They weren't receptive to Bush's threats to Gog and Magog

 

[linsivvi]

Can you imagine how embarrassed he must have been during his sons presidency?. Poor bastard.

Well, no. But I can imagine how embarrassed he must be right now when his other son is being ridiculed by Trump on a daily basis and is down a gazillion points to Ben Carson.

 

[borborygmus]

Im still baffled that Dick is actually a name in the US. Who would call his son Dick?

I don't get why John Ellis Bush goes by "Jeb." What a dumb nickname. What's wrong with John?

 

[Wiz]

I don't get why John Ellis Bush goes by "Jeb." What a dumb nickname. What's wrong with John?

Wait. Just realized.

John Ellis Bush...

J...E...B....!!

 

[borborygmus]

Wait. Just realized.

John Ellis Bush...

J...E...B....!!

Yeah. I'm not baffled that his nickname is an acronym, just that he uses it. It's terrible!

John -> Jeb / Jebediah (which is what I used to think his name was) is a hell of a downgrade.

 

[funkypie]

I don't get why John Ellis Bush goes by "Jeb." What a dumb nickname. What's wrong with John?

I think it is an American thing. Always Americans coming up with dumb nicknames or names for their er... name.

 

[Blader]

If they don't think George Bush will go into the sewer, then they don't know George Bush.

 

[Hyun Sai]

I think it is an American thing. Always Americans coming up with dumb nicknames or names for their er... name.

I can agree. Mike "Mike Ross" Ross is the best dumb nickname ever. Genius.

 

[giga]

I think it is an American thing. Always Americans coming up with dumb nicknames or names for their er... name.

That's rude, funkypie.

 

[VendettaRed07]

I don't get why John Ellis Bush goes by "Jeb." What a dumb nickname. What's wrong with John?

It's so he can be identified with a name without using his last name, I.e.

"Jeb!"

Ok I get who that is

"John!"

Um who? You're gonna have to be more specific there's like 40 million of you

 

[JustenP88]

urgh we fucked up because we oh my look at the time i'm older than dirt and don't care anymore someone give me more fentanyl ogh yiss look at my socks

They're beautiful socks, Mr. President.