Posted by SamTheMan at 1/14/09 2:20 p.m.

That last interview was strange, even by low bush standards. He used the word 'disappointment' 14 times in that short time... pretty telling. It's probably the word that sums up his 'legacy', if one is being kind, that is.

Posted by Cogito, Sum at 1/14/09 3:02 p.m.

Those who have lost loved ones in false wars will not soon forget Mr. Bush or his administration.

Those who have been tortured, renditioned, deprived of liberty and due process will not soon forget Mr. Bush or his administration (or America).

Those who suffered while the heck’va job, freedom medal awarding, pseudo patriots stood idly by during Katrina will not soon forget Mr. Bush or his administration.

Those who have seen trillion$ squandered, cronyism rampant, our nation financially crippled while our citizens were denied ever increasing support mechanisms, loss of future, and even of home will not forget Mr. Bush and his administration.

Those for whom the Constitution is more than a piece of paper; for whom justice, honor, tradition, and obligation to ourselves and our progeny and their inheritance are more than mere words - they will not forget Mr. Bush and his administration.

Bizarre Bushisms be d@mned, Mr. Bush has ensured a lasting impact of far greater import that is NOT almost done! One he and his administration will not be forgotten for.

Posted by citizen at 1/14/09 4:05 p.m.

Cogito, Sum, WELL SAID!!!!

Posted by gusonweb at 1/14/09 4:10 p.m.

Bush's use of the word "klieglights" here quoted is as revealing as any Bushism. For this is a type of light used in theaters & filmmaking.

Bush sees himself as a performer. Everything is for show. An intensely self-conscious man, he cannot walk naturally & swings his arms deliberately but, as we can't help noticing, "out of sync."

He exists most fully in his own sense that people are paying attention. His antennas are in the extravert mode searching for incoming pulses.

When Bush is alone in a room, nobod's there.

Posted by greenlantern at 1/14/09 5:15 p.m.

Excellent points made by the posts preceeding mine. What needs to be said is that Bush is not a good guy who tried to do his best and somehow failed, and he is not the kind of person you want to share a beer with, as has been widely reported.

Bush is a guy who had all the privileges of growing up rich: education, family connections, someone of his family to bail him out when in trouble, and always available sycophants ready to praise him, and to keep him away from anyone or anything that could disturb him, or give him a contrary view or opinion.

His farewell tour is marked by lies, distortions, and a "poor me" attitude more suitable to a pity party, then someone with a realistic appreciation of what he has done in eight years. He claims to have inherited the economic problems currently affecting the nation. How delusional can one person be?

This mediocre man has inflicted great harm on the nation, and the world, and has not a scintilla of regret or understanding of his role. It is not only his bizarre "bushisms" and his inability to put two sentences together while speaking that will not be missed, but Bush "the man" directed a disasterous regime of eight years that will take generations to overcome. If we could only have a "do over".

Posted by tosch at 1/14/09 5:38 p.m.

No doubt Bush will be remembered as a dunce that cost us our future, Cheney as evil and Rumsfield as a leftover from Nixon but lets remember who voted these morons into office.
The legacy of a generation that would rather be "patriotic" than informed.
Lets never let this happen again.
Turn off the TV, use the head God gave you and know the answer is in our own homes.

Posted by WOW ! at 1/14/09 5:43 p.m.

"Those who have lost loved ones in false wars will not soon forget Mr. Bush or his administration." - wars ? Just so I have some context here - aside from Iraq what other war are you blaming on Bush ? Bad news for you kids - there will be a worse president than Bush. Like the one who has to use atomic weapons or the one that has to deal with another major terroist attack. I hope President Obama is not that guy but he could be. Remember no matter what your circumstances are - things could be the same, better or worse. Al Gore or John Kerry fall into one of those categories.

Posted by Boing!!! at 1/14/09 6:04 p.m.

Bush is America's idiot Caligula.

Posted by PacificGatePost at 1/14/09 6:46 p.m.

WHILE BUSH REWRITES HISTORY, SHOULD OBAMA BE LOOKING BACK?

Obama can be given a pass for not wishing to look backward. The rest of the country, however, should do so.
-
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-obama-right-to-ignore-bush.html
-
Too many pieces of the system need fixing to let things slide.

Posted by it'snotjustme at 1/14/09 6:55 p.m.

...Where's OUR truth and reconciliation committee?....

Posted by voiceofreason1950 at 1/14/09 9:52 p.m.

helen, you will never quit with the bushism's, your party of hate is addicted to them.

Posted by Mtnlib at 1/15/09 12:17 a.m.

Thank God Bushisms will disappear faster than a snowflake in hell.
A couple days ago I had a thought that the only thing Bush was good at was not missing a photo op. But as gusonweb says, he dangled from the strings clumsily.

Posted by joexmd at 1/15/09 5:13 a.m.

Everybody needs to remember, at least bush didn't have sex with a willing intern. That sure brought dignity back to the ovel office! As far as the party of hate, don't people remember how the republicans did nothing but critisize and make fun of clinton; when bush was put into office they pretty much gave the finger to any idea that wasn't theirs; and now that their numbers are being voted out they want to be bipartisan. I will never forget or forgive what they did to our country.

Posted by abetteridea at 1/15/09 5:40 a.m.

What about the coming Obamisms, will you be writing countless editorials on them? People think Bush is an idiot for the way he speaks and the dumb things he says, Obama is an idiot for what he believes is good for the country.

Posted by dennisl59 at 1/15/09 6:11 a.m.

OK, with Bush and all the people in the administration(those that were appointed) leaving(note the real problem are the career idiots)...now what are the media's pathological lying sociopaths going to complain about?. The people that are so OBSESSED with Bush will probably go into a corner and suck their thumbs, and up their meds, since their "industry" has collapsed, just like the real job market. I am waiting to see how many hit pieces there are from the usual suspects after the B.Hussein Obama is President. No wait, nothing will be his fault!...The usual suspects will keep blaming Bush. MORONS. In my opinion. Thank You.

Posted by libluv at 1/15/09 6:18 a.m.

Imagine your first view of the day is Helen’s face on the pillow next to yours. That’ll turn your stomach!

Posted by Susan75 at 1/15/09 6:25 a.m.

Hellen when will you exit stage right so that we stop receiving the kind of trash you write with blinders on?

P.S.lose that lipstick it as everytime I see you I realize that you people actually do put lipstick on a pig.

Posted by SamTheMan at 1/15/09 6:29 a.m.

We can't forget that bush sure didn't do it by himself - he was enabled all the way by the neoconGOP - some of whom still hold office. We can't forget that going forward.

Posted by MildlyAmused1 at 1/15/09 6:32 a.m.

It is no secret that Helen Thomas is a very liberal and agenda driven operative for the Democratic Party and its interests. She is not and has never ben a journalist. Her pathological hatred for Bush has been obvious for years. Ms. Thomas chooses to waste ink in a dying a paper by writing about "Bushisms?" How about a discussion on Bush's unprecedented support for the continent of Africa and his incredible record of helping to fight AIDS world wide (better by far than Clinton's or any other President). Malignant tumors like Ms. Thomas are totally incapable of giving credit to Bush for anything. Did Bush make mistakes? Sure. Lots of them. However, by taking the fight to the terrorists and choosing to confront the network of evil Islamo-fascists on their home courts, Bush has kept the United States free of a terrorist attack for over 7 years. No one thought that was possible in the aftermath of 9-11. I thank Bush for the countless innocent lives that he has saved around the world and the people he has freed by aggressively confronting and killing thousands of evil terrorists and terrorist abetters like Saddam Hussein. Hell is more crowded these days thanks to Bush.

Posted by no one right way at 1/15/09 6:33 a.m.

libluv & Susan75: what does appearance have to do with it? You may not like what she says, but her brain--like it or not--is active and sharp.

Posted by Buford Julip at 1/15/09 6:41 a.m.

Posted by MildlyAmused1 at 1/15/09 6:32 a.m.

I thank Bush for the countless innocent lives that he has saved around the world

Everyone has a right to an opinion, but the evidence does not support this position. The sheer number of innocent civilians whom have died as a direct result of Bush's mistaken war in Iraq renders your opinion false to all whom still have two brain cells to rub together.

Posted by stam at 1/15/09 6:42 a.m.

Helen Thomas was even tougher on Democratic Presidents
(according to George Stephanopolous) going back to JFK.
It's just that Little Bush has made things so easy for the White House press corps that it seems that she has a special place for his butt in her brief case.

It's easy to attack her looks when there is nothing but truth in what she says, but Bush would'nt be cemented in the cellar of history if he'd listened to his old man. Even Nixon had a COUPLE in the win column.

Posted by stam at 1/15/09 6:46 a.m.

I might add that Stephanopolous had to endure her attacks at press conferences for years.

Posted by jsowardman at 1/15/09 6:54 a.m.

Helen, hindsight is 20/20 President Bush should have just asked you if Irag had weapons of mass destruction. Then all of our politicians[ democrat & republican] who were in posession of the same intelligence as the administration would have been off the hook !
It is clear that the toughest decision you have to make on a give day is where to have lunch. I am sure you will spend the rest of your life blaming George Bush for everyting that you think is wrong with this country.I for one am glad we had him in office after 9/11 to keep the country safe from further attack. While I didn't vote for Obama I hope he is just as fortunate in that regard. But I think he, and you, need to realize that it wasn't left to chance.

Posted by MildlyAmused1 at 1/15/09 7:04 a.m.

Every one laments the loss of innocent lives in war. We could spend all day discussing whether or not the war against Iraq was a mistake or not. I can see both sides of the argument. However, what is not arguable is that it only takes a few, motivated terrorists to kill thousands. Since 9-11 we have seen thousands killed in Madrid and now in Mumbai. Imagine that these terrorists had been given chemical or, God forbid, nuclear weapons by a Middle Eastern dictator flush with oil money and access to such weapons? How many millions might be killed under such a scenario? The Islamo-fascists have made NO mistake that this is EXACTLY their intention. Now let's suppose that Bush, faced with the intelligence reports (flawed or not) that he and other governments had at the time, had done nothing and Al Queda sets off a tactical nuke in downtown Seattle. It turns out that nuke was purchased with oil money given to Al Queda by Saddam Hussein through the various terrorist groups he supported over the years. The very same people who are criticizing Bush for his "false war" now would be crucifying him for not taking action on the intelligence information he had. They would be saying correctly that "Hillary and Bill Clinton, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy ALL warned you about Saddam Hussein and told you what a growing threat that Hussein was that needed to be acted upon and you, Bush, didn't do anything to protect us!" That is why it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback with no actual decision making responsibilities. You can sit back and criticize your opponent no matter what his decision might be all for the jaded purpose of making political points.

Posted by Go_Figure at 1/15/09 7:19 a.m.

Helen's bizarre and unhinged hatred of Bush shows as she completely disregards Hussein's history of ...drum roll please... use of weapons of mass destruction. Check with any Kurdish child that managed to survive the nerve gas Saddam allowed to be dropped on those civilians. Perhaps Helen could take a little toke to get a feel of what nerve gas is like and maybe report on it in her next column. Bush and particularly the people who fought in Iraq are heroes who deserve our nation's gratitude. A monster, yes, a true to life monster has been taken out and every American has George W. Bush to thank for it.

Posted by Wemedge3 at 1/15/09 7:20 a.m.

From an article in the online-only newspaper New York Times, published on January 1, 2090.

It’s hard to imagine this now, but while he was in office, George W. Bush was considered by many of his critics the worst United States President in history. The 44th US President, liberator of 60 million citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan, focal point of a unique dual-nation national holiday on Bush’s birthday, and the man responsible for the birth of democratic ideals which have now spread throughout the Middle and Near east, suffered abuse from critics in the media comparable only to that suffered by America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Although their leadership styles where vastly different, and they were two very different kinds of men, they shared similar circumstances in that they presided over wars that were initially backed by large majorities of the American public who then turned upon them both with unprecedented savagery when the wars dragged on inconclusively for several years. Virtually alone, both men prosecuted their wars to ultimate victory, with enormous long-term successful consequences for all three nations.

Lincoln, of course, had much the harder job. The American Civil War ultimately cost the nation 650,000 lives, 2% of her population, an equivalent of 8 million lives today. The total American deaths in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan stood at just over 5,000 at the close of major hostilities in 2009. It became public knowledge at the end of his term in office that Bush personally visited with the families of fully a quarter of the war’s fatalities, personally composed and signed letters of condolence to the families of each soldier lost, and quietly visited the wounded in military hospitals hundreds of times. This exacted an enormous emotional toll on the 44th president, and almost certainly contributed to his death of heart disease three years into the one term-presidency of his successor, Barack Obama.

The addition of Bush’s visage on Mt. Rushmore to that of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan is expected to be completed in time for the celebration of Bush’s 150th birthday on July 6th, 2096.

Posted by cantweallgetalong at 1/15/09 7:46 a.m.

Living proof that if you repeat a lie long enough, someone will eventually believe it.

Posted by plaasjaapie at 1/15/09 7:48 a.m.

It's more than ironic that Helen, vile old harpy that she is, publishes this kind of screed in a newspaper due to either be sold, unlikely, or closed in a very few weeks. Helen is a perfect example of the sort of disgusting journalism that began with Watergate and culminated in the election coverage of the Presidential campaign last fall.

It's the end of an era and my reaction can be summed up in one word, "FINALLY!" :-D

Posted by robmac at 1/15/09 8:15 a.m.

The real question should be when will we be done with this out-of-touch old bag and dopey liberal quibbling about the meaning of things? I suspect it won't be until we're attacked again; of course then this prima donna and the rest of the spolied brats on the left will try to quibble their way into blaming that on Bush as well. My only regret about his press conference is that he didn't take the time to tell these dopes off.

Posted by Torked at 1/15/09 8:22 a.m.

ah, er, well We are um looking er for a new Puppy er the ah Whitehouse. AH looking er for aaa new puppy is a er harder that uh looking er uh for a new uh Commerce uh Secretary.

uh All that er Speechafing uh is pretty hard uh er to er understand er when every ah third word is uh stutter.

Keep beating that dead horse it is not going to move again. King County should be after the knotheads who whine about Bushisms. It has been his way of speaking longer than he's been in Office.

Now we all are going to listen to a er uh um aaa President that verbally stumbles around for every word he uses. Yah it's irritating but then again Obama knows every word he utters is under scrutiny..

One talks easily with a funny way of saying things, the other struggles groping for every word.

IT is NOTHING more that an individual idocrinsicy.

Dumb posts only serve to prove the far left Liberals will continue to spend the next four years looking backward and whinning. Just like they've done for the last four years.

LOL... Both the Governor and President (both Democrats) have stated "unity", "working together",etc,etc,etc,, but the radical left refuses to pay attention to their leaders. Sooooooooo much better beating that dead horse for the NEXT four years !! lol....

Posted by Seatawk at 1/15/09 8:34 a.m.

"Thomas: Almost done with bizarre Bushisms"

Somehow I have a feeling that Helen will never be done with her hate fueled Bush hit pieces. Hopefully she'll come up with something she hasn't said over & over & over.

Until then, we get it. Bush bad. Helen good.

Posted by Fool injector at 1/15/09 8:43 a.m.

"Send him back to Texas, Make him work on his ranch." Country Joe McDonald, 1967, in Super Bird. (album, Electric Music for the Mind and Body) Different president, different party, different war, same old privileged executive rapaciousness.

Posted by cognomen at 1/15/09 8:47 a.m.

Bush: "I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not."

No we don't.

We recognize all your actions as premeditated policies.

You and your Nixonite staff wanted a war in Iraq. You knew you believed in an imperial "Unitary Executive" presidency even though you failed to mention the phrase once during your 2000 campaign.

The Bush zombie cult can try to insult Thomas' physical appearance all they want. They can disparage the looks of liberal women -- as one poster, who probably thinks Ann Coulter is foxy -- does above. But insults don't change the basic facts of your fascist tendencies.

Happy Hague to everyone!

Posted by Sasha7 at 1/15/09 8:49 a.m.

Posted by plaasjaapie:

It's more than ironic that Helen, vile old harpy that she is, publishes this kind of screed in a newspaper due to either be sold, unlikely, or closed in a very few weeks.

plaas, read the attribution a little closer next time. Helen writes for the Hearst newspaper conglomerate as a whole, not for one little paper in the PNW.