Finally, with George W. Bush beginning to brief Barack Obama on the transition of the presidency, the AP suddenly notices the extraordinary grace that has characterized George W. Bush's entire presidency:
No matter how people remember President Bush's time in office, let there be no doubt about how he wants to end it: gracefully.
Never mind that Democrat Barack Obama spent all that time deriding Bush for "failed policies," or mocking him for hiding in an "undisclosed location" because he was too unpopular to show up with his party's own candidate, John McCain. This is transition time. Outgoing presidents support the new guy.
And on that front, Bush is going well beyond the minimum. He has embraced the role of statesman with such gusto that it has been hard to miss.
The result is that Bush's last image at the White House will be one of a magnanimous leader. Whether it will improve his legacy is another matter.
"This has been a very good moment late in his presidency, and, I think it's fair to say, much appreciated by the nation," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, the home of Bush's planned presidential library.
On Monday at the White House, Bush warmly welcomed Obama, whose dominant win last week was largely seen as a referendum on the Bush years.
The two leaders spent more than an hour discussing domestic and foreign policy in the Oval Office. And then Bush gave Obama a personal tour all around.
The world saw video images that were replayed all day and night: Bush and first lady Laura Bushgreeting Obama and his wife, Michelle, as if they were old friends; Bush strolling with the president-elect along the famous Colonnade adjacent to the Rose Garden, both men waving and smiling.
Translation: Smooth transition.
The scene was the latest in a flurry of moves by Bush, all designed to show he is serious about making Obama's start a success on Jan. 20.
Mere hours after Obama handily ended eight years of Republican rule, Bush commended Americans for making history. "They chose a president whose journey represents a triumph of the American story — a testament to hard work, optimism and faith in the enduring promise of our nation," Bush said.
If that effusiveness wasn't enough, he called Obama's win an inspiring moment and said it will be a "stirring sight" when the whole Obama family arrives.
Then Bush called together about 1,000 employees on the South Lawn and told them to embrace the transition earnestly. This could have been handled in a press release, or even an internal memo to staff. Instead, it was a big, showy expression of support for Obama, with Bush's Cabinet standing behind him.
"The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of a true democracy," Bush said. "And ensuring that this transition is as smooth as possible is a priority for the rest of my presidency."
In case anyone missed the point, Bush underscored it in his Saturday radio address. He pledged an "unprecedented effort" to help Obama take power.
Obama's team is noticing. "So far, cooperation has been excellent," said transition chief John Podesta, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House.
The AP goes on suggest or hint at various theories about why Bush is being so nice. Maybe it's because Obama is so special! Maybe it's because the Bushes have the presidency in their blood. Maybe it's because Bush knows the whole world is watching. Maybe it's because the economy is so bad right now.
It's not any of these. As I've pointed out before, Bush has shown the same beyond-the-call-of-duty grace toward his fiercest critics throughout his presidency. He showed it when he had the difficult task of dedicating portraits of the Clintons as the White House:
Despite the Clintons' numerous hateful political attacks on President Bush and his family and the way that the Clintons utterly disgraced the White House through the Lewinsky scandal and other scandals, there was not a hint of malice in President George Bush's speech. Nor was he studiously indifferent. He obviously instructed his speech writers to be as generous and magnanimous as humanly possible without lying, and they came through with lines like these:
"President Clinton and Senator Clinton, welcome home."
"And so beginning today, the likenesses of President William Jefferson Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will take their place in a line that began with George and Martha Washington."
"It's good to see so many who served our nation so ably in the Clinton administration. Thank you all for coming back. Thanks for your service to the country, and welcome back to the White House." (Recall that the Clinton Administration reportedly trashed parts of the White House on the way out. There was no mention or hint of that by the gentlemanly George Bush.)
"As a candidate for any office, whether it be the state attorney general or the President, Bill Clinton showed incredible energy and great personal appeal." (This line referring to "incredible energy and great personal appeal" is actually humorous when you think about the Lewinsky scandal, but Bush delivered it with a straight face and in a gentlemanly fashion.)
"As chief executive, he showed a deep and far-ranging knowledge of public policy, a great compassion for people in need, and the forward-looking spirit the Americans like in a President. Bill Clinton could always see a better day ahead -- and Americans knew he was working hard to bring that day closer." (Bush didn't have to lay it on this thick in praise of a direct political rival. He chose to do so to honor the occasion.)
"Over eight years, it was clear that Bill Clinton loved the job of the presidency. He filled this house with energy and joy." (Oh, yeah. Bill Clinton sure did fill the White House with "energy" and "joy." Again, however, Bush delivered this line graciously, allowing all present for the unveiling of the portraits to focus on the positive side of Bill Clinton, such as it is.)
"People in Bill Clinton's life have always expected him to succeed -- and, more than that, they wanted him to succeed. And meeting those expectations took more than charm and intellect -- it took hard work and drive and determination and optimism." (Again, more generous than was absolutely required.)
"At every stage in the extraordinary rise of Bill Clinton, from the little ranch house on Scully Street to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he and Roger had a wonderful, loving mother. And I am certain that Virginia Kelley would be filled with incredible pride this morning."
"And so would Hugh Rodham, Senior. Mr. Rodham did have the joy of seeing his only daughter become America's First Lady. And I know he would not be surprised to see her as she is today, an elected United States Senator, and a woman greatly admired in our country. From the earliest days of her youth in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary Rodham impressed her family and friends as a person of great ability and serious purpose."
"It takes an extraordinary person to campaign and win the United States Senate. She has proven herself more equal to the challenge. And she takes an interesting spot on American history today, for she is the only sitting senator whose portrait hangs in the White House." (Yes, Hilary does take an "interesting" spot in American history.)
There's more, but you get the idea. Unlike too many on the left, George Bush actually tries to live by the Golden Rule. George Bush set aside his personal feelings and political wounds and spoke of the Clintons with the same generosity of spirit that he would want a political rival to show to him. That doesn't mean that Bush's generosity of spirit will likely be repaid someday. Bush knows that too. He was generous because simply it was the right thing to do.
So, too, did President Bush demonstrate graciousness upon the death of Ann Richards, another prominent Bush family critic. As I wrote at the time:
This note is intended for the anti-religious left.
What would you say, what would you do, and what would you write, if you found out that Karl Rove was dead?
Or if you found out that George Bush was dead?
Judging from what I've seen posted on the internet by the left, I'm pretty sure I know. It would not be pretty.
That's why I want to draw your attention to an example of what a Christian president of the United States of America says when his own political enemy dies: Every kind word he can think of, and none of the unkind ones.
Mind you, Ann Richards is best known nationally for her aggressive attacks on both President Bush and his father. While still serving as Texas' state treasurer, she gave the keynote address at the Democratic party's 1988 national convention, attacking then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. She said, among other things, "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
Notice that in President George Bush's remarks on Ann Richards' passing (more are here), there is not a hint of vitriol. There is only kindness and a determined effort to honor Richards' memory.
The Bible teaches Christians:
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28)
Christians don't always achieve this standard. But when we do love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, or pray for those who mistreat us, you can bet that this is the source.
Let me give you another another example . . . . [W]hen portraits of the Clintons were unveiled at the White House . . . Bush didn't just utter a sentence or two, shake hands with the Clintons, and leave. Nor did he even hint about his political differences with the Clintons. No, he had the common decency to speak for a reasonable amount of time, and he said every possible positive thing he could about the Clintons.
It shouldn't be necessary to point out that there are advantages to having a Christian president in America, and yet with broadsides being launched at Christianity from the left (Rosie O'Donnell's claim that "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam" is one example), I think it is necessary.
As Texans and Americans remember Ann Richards, let them also remember that George Bush offered generous, kind words in memory of Ann Richards. He didn't do that because Ann Richards was great. Perhaps she was; maybe not. George Bush spoke kindly about Ann Richards on the occasion of her death because he is a decent man and a Christian.
Has Bush's decency been reciprocated? Not even close. He has been gracelessly insulted to his face at events like the funeral of Coretta Scott King:
"The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers." (Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength to Love," 1963) DrudgeReport says that the memorial service for Martin Luther King's widow Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly bare-knuckles political when a black pastor, Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech ostensibly about Mrs. King.
Mr. Lowery reportedly said of Mrs. King: "She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there."
The mostly black crowd reportedly applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation. According to the report, closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.
"But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.
According to Drudge, former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." (Carter did not mention that this wire-tapping was conducted under Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, and was originally ordered by Attorney General Robert Kennedy, another Democrat.) The crowd cheered as Bush again smiled weakly. Later, Carter reportedly said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America.Let's keep in mind that Jimmy Carter somehow finds room in his big, magnanimous heart to say nice things in defense of terrorist organizations like Hamas. Carter knows what he's doing when he waves the Hurricane Katrina red flag in light of how the hurricane aftermath devolved into a series of partisan political attacks on the current president. He knows what he's doing when he injects political red flags into his speech and then allows the crowd to use his statement as a springboard for partisan cheers clearly attacking the sitting president in attendance.
Even assuming for sake of discussion that these speeches by Lowery and Carter accurately reflected what Coretta Scott King believed, to inject these remarks into Mrs. King's funeral was tasteless and deliberately offensive.
Compare this to the best of Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy -- winning hearts and minds through peaceful, nonviolent resistance and finding what people have in common, rather than what separates them. . . . .
Let it be remembered that in yet in another moment in world history that called for grace and dignity, and in a moment when grace and dignity were incredibly easy to come by simply by focusing on the legacy of Coretta Scott King, the following people went out of their way to show gracelessness for temporary partisan political advantage:
1. Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference
2. All those present at the funeral who deliberately applauded for two minutes Lowery's graceless attack on President Bush.
3. Former president Jimmy Carter.
Entrusted with the responsibility to let Coretta Scott King's good and beautiful light shine in her memory and honor, these people deliberately blew it.
The AP and the left just can't begin to understand a man who shows grace and dignity to his enemies in situations that call for it. Prior to the White House meeting between President Bush and president-elect Obama, the New York Times ran this graceless headline: "Obama Will Visit Bush, Watching Out for Tacks on Chairs in Oval Office"
Right. Keep it classy, AP. And even in its post-meeting story acknowledging Bush's extraordinary grace (which the AP doesn't realize or won't admit is routine for Bush), the AP can't resist scrouging someone up to take a few more graceless parting shots at Bush:
But it won't be enough to alter Bush's legacy, said [Stephen] Hess [author and fellow of The Brookings Institution], who worked in the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations and advised presidents Ford and Carter.
"The encyclopedia is still going to read: `George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, who created a war in Iraq' or `who let the country be flooded by Katrina,'" Hess said. "It's not going to be, `George W. Bush, who left the office gracefully.'"
You're wrong, Mr. Hess. When you're long forgotten, George W. Bush will still be remembered fondly for his grace under fire.
And you want to talk about Katrina and Iraq? Really? Shall we discuss how a Democrat-controlled New Orleans boggled a hurricane evacuation, how a Democrat-controlled Congress tried to undermine America's success in Iraq, and how Democrats in Congress drove the economy into the ground by ignoring Bush's repeated calls to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Yes, that will also be remembered. Isn't it odd that Bush's greatest "failures" all have Democrat fingerprints all over them?
We've been blessed with an extraordinary president in a difficult time in America's history. He has turned the other cheek again and again, and his critics have taken that as a sign of weakness. They simply don't understand that there are some things more important than political domination -- that not everything in life revolves around the raw acquisition of power. For their sakes, I hope the next few years give them a chance to learn important lessons like these that they somehow seem to have missed.
Great post!!
Would you like a Link Exchange with our new blog COMMON CENTS where we blog about the issues of the day??
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
Posted by: Steve | November 11, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Yes, he can be graceful and gracious, but he has also called patriots terrorists, or supporters of terrorists. He has authorized secret detentions and torture, under which dozens died (not much use to interrogate a dead body, is there?), he has libeled his own party when they crossed him on "Comprehensive Immigration Reform." I'm sure he was gracious when authorizing warrantless wiretapping, too.
I'm sorry, Gina, I'm of the actions louder than words school of character interpretation. This falls into the category of supposed to. He's supposed to be gracious to the President-Elect. I'm sure there have been ungracious characters slinking out of the White House all through our history, but he's supposed to be gracious. I'm sure if I were to meet the Inquisitor in Chief, I'd be gracious, too, because that's how my mother raised. But she also didn't raise fools.
[Gina Cobb responds: George Bush has not been gracious toward terrorists -- I'll grant you that. I consider that a major plus. As far as calling patriots terrorists, who are you talking about? "Supporters of terrorists" -- that I believe. The left has spent much of the past two years demanding that America spring battlefield combatants from Guantanamo. "Secret detentions and torture, under which dozens died." Strange wording, that -- "under which dozens died." How exactly did they die? I'll bet you're including the four terrorists at Guantanamo who hung themselves in order to try to trigger liberal guilt. That's part of their war strategy. I'm sure there have been at least a few deaths in detention just as there are more than a few deaths in Chicago or Washington D.C. every day.]
Posted by: bluespapa | November 11, 2008 at 04:44 PM
Very nice post. We've all seen the 'bad' side of Bush, it's nice to hear about the good things he's done too.
Posted by: Adam | January 22, 2009 at 02:09 AM