Michelle Obama: GWB is a "beautiful, funny, kind, sweet man"

[crazytown]

Source: CNN Wire / wtvr.com

“Former first lady Michelle Obama said that her oft-admired friendship with former President George W. Bush serves as a reminder of how relationships should be during a time when America only sees all the “nasty parts” of political discourse.”

““I’d love if we as a country could get back to the place where we didn’t demonize people who disagreed with us,” she added.”

“Although Obama and Bush don’t always agree on things, Obama said, she still considered the former president a “beautiful, funny, kind, sweet man.””

https://wtvr.com/2018/11/17/michelle-obama-opens-up-about-her-friendship-with-george-w-bush/


I can hear Barack saying we can disagree without being disagreeable. Well, I guess the million or so people GWB killed don’t disagree, they were silenced forever. Michelle is well advised to stay clear of politics. These remarks are up there with GWB’s comments about Putin’s soul.

[Just a Weirdo]

1. Unmmmm... I seriously don't have anything

Good to say about this in public.

[Fullduplexxx]

2. "Nope no wmds under here ...he he he" wasnt that wonderful and sweet

[awesomerwb1]

3. Yeah, no.

[RockRaven]

4. He called GOP Senators to lobby them to confirm Kavanaugh. So he's also an asshole. Still.

Weird how you can be nice to the elites you interact with and a moral monster when it comes to the faceless masses, huh? Well, no, that's entirely normal and common.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

74. Does make wonder about certain people's judgment.

[Fullduplexxx]

5. Gwb when faced with the fact that his contractor buddy's body armor is inferior to dragonskin

Which the parents of the troops were sending to their kids said any troop who dies and is not in the inferior body armor will not get the death benefits .
How understanding and sweet.

[jmowreader]

69. Dude, stop with the Dragonskin armor

The product is glued together. The glue fails when exposed to 120 degree heat or diesel fuel. When the glue fails, all the little discs fall to the bottom of the carrier.

[Fullduplexxx]

96. You may subtitute a body armor of your choosing for dragonskin

The brand doesnt matter the policy is the same and you completely missed the point

[ProfessorGAC]

7. You Don't Make A Distinction. . .

. . .between those who became wealthy of their own initiative and those that would have been rich had they done nothing at all?

[Fullduplexxx]

11. Irrelevant

[LanternWaste]

37. As irrelevant as maintaining the pretense her comments were predicated on income.

But there you go doing it anyways...

[Fullduplexxx]

94. I dont believe it is

[ProfessorGAC]

46. A Disturbingly Limited Vision

I feel sorry you are so bitter.

[Mike Rows His Boat]

27. Sounds like the repug lament over O's "you didn't build it" infrastructure speech. eom

[leftynyc]

77. No, they don't

Plenty of the wealthy are good Democrats who fight for all the same things we do. You sound bitter and jealous.

[Act_of_Reparation]

83. #NotAllRichPeople?

Boo hoo. Spare us.

[Act_of_Reparation]

108. Most rich people don't most easily identify with people most like themselves?

Fascinating. I assume you have more than unqualified anecdote to support this stark contradiction of conventional social psychology?

Oh, and how much do you make?

[Fullduplexxx]

97. Yea my bad we should rejoice in michelle gettin all snuggly with george bush and telling us he's a

Wonderful person . Let's just forget the things this wonderful thoughtful man did .. oops there i go being all needlessly bitter again. How soon we forget

[leftynyc]

105. Post said ALL rich people

Not only Michelle. I can't help it that you can't see beyond jealously and bitterness.

[choie]

134. He's a goddamn criminal! Who cares if he's rich

They're in a club. Both Obamas should have a stronger ethical compass.

[Autumn]

8. Powerful people are an exclusive club. Bill and the Bush's are close too. Hillary has a

friendship with Henry Kissenger.

[Mr. Quackers]

9. I wonder if it means that politics is all just theater

meant to distract and divide those of us for whom $100 is like $1000 instead of $.01?

[handmade34]

57. duh, ya think?

our system needs a complete do over

[JHan]

61. I think that's a very limited take, as if it's just about rich people. It actually isn't.

Former officials tend to have some kind of relationship with Kissinger, the man was a big player in Washington. As for Presidents, Truman bemoaned how lonely and isolating the Presidency is, Clinton remarked the same.

It is typical for presidents to reach out to their predecessors especially in the first year. Obama would frequently contact Bush JR in his first year, both for advice and a heart to heart talk. By the second term, Presidents begin to feel even more isolated.

It actually exposes just how frail leadership is , and how *human* it is, that people from differing parties and ideologies would reach out to each other. It doesn't negate their ideological differences. It's just a more nuanced take than "oh it's just rich people liking each other".

I think one of the reasons Trump is in such a psychological state is because he cannot reach out to anyone.

[Autumn]

72. I didn't say "oh it's just rich people liking each other". They have served in positions of power.

and I think that makes the difference Trump will wander around his golf courses. I can't see people like the Obama's and the Bush's hanging around with him or his spawn. Bill and Hillary were friendly with the Trumps back in the day, before Obama's existence drove him insane but I don't see that ever coming back.

[JHan]

87. Bill used Trump for his golf course, you might have a point about access there -

.. that is a rich people argument thing because rich people love golf. But Trump was a player in New York and invited them (clintons) to their wedding, he invited lots of New York bigwigs. It doesn't suggest some undercurrent of genuine love, just that he liked to be around people of influence, from rappers to artists and musicians and politicians and the like.

You mentioned the Bush's and the Clintons and the Obama's and their relationships, it's not disturbing that people in power reach out to each for commiseration. It's not nefarious, it not "dirty". It just happens. I just find the slant I'm reading in the thread weird, Michelle's comments don't surprise me at all.

[Autumn]

92. Trump was a generous donor to the Clinton foundation and the Democratic party

before he went crazy. He wanted to be a part of that circle. I remember at an event in Aspen just before his affair with Marla became public. He crashed it because he wanted to have pictures taken with some of the stars. . It's not like people who have served in powerful positions are going to go to dog parks or neighborhood BBQs to meet their neighbors and make new friends.

[JHan]

95. Yes he contributed to them and Democrats on a whole. lol I remember the crashing.

fuck now i'm laughing rofl. craziest shit I ever read.

[Autumn]

98. He was a groupie. Wait till he sees how the Republicans treat him after he's out of office,

they despise him Can you imagine Republican fastidious health nut Paul Ryan wanting to hang with him? I doubt even Lindsey will tolerate his golf cheating after he's out.

[JHan]

100. Know what's sad? I actually think they like him. I know we say no one's gonna go to his funeral..

but I think they will.

This is how far gone Republicans are, his rhetoric gets them high. so fucked up. Made all the more ridiculous given his pathetic behavior.

As for Lindsey, where to begin.. another laughathon.

[Autumn]

102. I think he's their useful idiot good only to get their agenda done. His supporters will stick

with him because they like his angry rhetoric and respond to his racist dog whistles but leadership and elected Republicans will find he can do nothing for them after he's out of office.

[LakeArenal]

10. Thank you Michelle. You are a true human being.

If this is the most disappointing thing to the public you’ve ever said or done good on you.

Loyal, beautiful, smart, accepting.

[crazytown]

12. Never mind the Gold Star families.

Because you were not too badly hurt by GWB’s administration doesn’t make Michelle’s comments any less hurtful to those who were.

[LanternWaste]

32. So you've got an either/or position with little to no nuance or context to district you.

It's certainly a convenient manner of thought, if not the most rational.

(who in fact, argued the comments were any less hurtful? No one? No one. Hence, irrational...)

[crazytown]

35. No I am saying Michelle's comments are hurtful

to those devasted by GWB’s wars.

“If this is the most disappointing thing to the public you’ve ever said or done good on you. “

Good on you? No. Nope. No way.

[LanternWaste]

39. Post 12 neither said, nor implied anything of the sort.

Why reimagine your own statements in the middle of a discussion?

[crazytown]

42. "Good on you" ?

Fail

[Hassin Bin Sober]

43. The nuanced position would be acting cordial to the guy in public. That's it.

[Power 2 the People]

123. +1000

[LakeArenal]

68. Looking for an arguement. Not interested.

Have a nice “rational” Thanksgiving.

[Mr. Quackers]

13. Hitler was a vegetarian who loved animals

I suppose you can find the good in practically anyone if you strain hard enough.

[LanternWaste]

34. One imagines the corollary is true as well.

"I suppose you can find the bad in practically anyone if you strain hard enough."

Six of one, half a dozen of the other... and each as petulant and without content as the other.

[Mr. Quackers]

78. Evil is evil, it's best to never condone it.

evil is evil, it's best to never condone it.

Dubya is an evil person. His soul is stained in the blood of so many.

"Now watch this drive."

[Mosby]

99. was freeing Afganistan from the taliban a bad thing?

[Mr. Quackers]

115. Are they free?

Are the troops home?

Everything is sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn farts in that part of the world?

How much has this already cost us? How much does it still cost?

The Taliban hasn't been eradicated. In fact, they still control areas that contain at least 15 million people in Afghanistan.

[JonLP24]

131. Taliban has more area than they did in 2015

Though the US should have never supported them in the first place.

[Mosby]

142. I support the efforts against al qaeda and the taliban

But I'm well aware Afghanistan is a mess.

[JonLP24]

143. I support efforts too

As long as it includes taking the Saudi out of Saudi Arabia as well.

[Tipperary]

138. Omg, you believe this?

[demmiblue]

14. Nope.

[saidsimplesimon]

15. sorry Michele

I admire you.

I will never forget the stolen 2000 election, Florida, nor the swift boating of John Kerry. He destroyed Dan Rather's career for trying to expose his dismal military record and drug abuse.

[Big Blue Marble]

58. The racist attack

on John McCain's child in the 2000 South Carolina primary.

Oh and over 500,000 dead in the wake of the Iraq War. Thousand of American military lives destroyed by
IUD's and the trillions of dollars added to our national debt.

And remember he chose Cheney to be his vice-president.

[borgesian]

16. maybe going a bit too high with this one

[frazzled]

17. Sort of like what you would say about a small child

Let's cut Michelle some slack. She's trying to find something nice to say about the man; not his policies or his administration. It's kind of backhanded, though ... as I said, like what you would tell a parent about their dim child.

[GeorgeGist]

112. Not even close.

[3Hotdogs]

18. I think the Commission at The Hague ought to invite him for a special

"comedian of the year" award.

[violetpastille]

51. +1 So much this!

[NewJeffCT]

19. I don't think this is a big deal

I think Bush might a decent guy if you met him in person and he knows you personally, but his politics and his policies were horrible.

She is not endorsing his politics.

[crazytown]

20. I will say one thing in Michelle's defense

GWB respects strong women. Condi was his closest confident during his Presidency. The again, if Babs was your mother, being disagreeable was not an option.

[NewJeffCT]

125. What I've said about Bush

is that unlike Trump, where most of his cabinet and advisers are corrupt and incompetent white men, Bush was able to find corrupt & incompetent people of all races, male or female - not just Condi, but Colin Powell, Alberto Gonzalez, Karen Hughes, Harriet Miers, Elaine Chao, Rod Paige, etc.

[secondwind]

33. hear, hear... We must never let go of our human kindness and our ability to love one another.

[Docreed2003]

64. This...

I saw the man, personally, amongst wounded soldiers greeting them on a human level, not from a distance or as props as some politicians might. Bush was a terrible president and I have many issues with the guy but seeing him in moments like that changed some opinions I had. I'm on Michelle's side in this.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

67. Same here and I agree with the sentiment

It would be nice if Americans could get back to treating each other with respect and remembering we're all human. The problem is the right has done too much to demonize the left. People on the left are just reacting to the the shitty treatment. Sucks... the right wingers need an attitude adjustment.

[GeorgeGist]

113. Oh bushit

[grantcart]

120. Fair point. I would add that the Obama's stood up against the Iraq war

When too many were silent

[rockfordfile]

127. Bush is a war criminal.

People died because of him. Americans have lost their arms ans legs because of him.

[NewJeffCT]

135. and

FDR put Japanese Americans in internment camps
Truman nuked Japan twice
Eisienhower started what would become the Vietnam War
JFK and LBJ escalated the Vietnam War
Nixon did a lot of horrible things with Vietnam and a few surrounding countries
...

[JonLP24]

139. And none of them should get any praise for that

[UniteFightBack]

148. People can't seem to grasp this very simple concept. This responses in this thread are

pathetic and very broken record-ish. Sigh.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

21. Boy, you start one little pointless war somewhere

and a million end up dead and people never let you forget. I suppose you never started a pointless war somewhere and a million ended up dead. I think it's nice how she is giving him a big hug like you would give a poor old guy who doesn't know where he is or who he is. My Blood-Drenched Republican Pet.

[crazytown]

23. I loathe GWB but I think that was uncalled for nt

[A-Schwarzenegger]

25. well!

[crazytown]

28. K

[A-Schwarzenegger]

36. Are you old enough to remember Jack Benny?

That was his killer line when he was affronted by a devastating remark: "Well!"

[jberryhill]

56. .

[A-Schwarzenegger]

59. That's it, thanks.

I use it all the time. It works on anything. Well!

[sammythecat]

119. A sarcastic take on a real life horror

that gwb and his cronies were responsible for. That remark was not uncalled for. GWB's actions were, to say the very least.

[QC]

91. +1

[old guy]

22. Totally disagree Michelle,

but that's just me.

[Basement Beat]

24. This is frankly, kind of disgusting.

And quite disappointing. But whatever. *sigh*

[StarryNite]

26. Shrub was a puppet.

If Michelle starts saying nice things about Cheney then that will be a whole different level of WTF?

[redstateblues]

152. I agree. Cheney is evil.

[Renew Deal]

29. Unfortunately this was an issue in 2000

The whole beer thing...

[Botany]

30. w stole 2 elections, missed 70 warnings prior to 9/11, and lied to start an unneeded war in Iraq

n/t

[secondwind]

31. As a woman, I understand perfectly what she is saying.. and I agree.

[uponit7771]

38. Love you like a play cousin Michelle but disagree

[PCIntern]

40. This is why we lose every Fucking time it matters

We go high.

They drop hand grenades

[LanternWaste]

41. She's not running

Hence, losses or victories are irrelevant.

But hey... if it feeds your narrative those delicious but empty calories, go for it.

[A HERETIC I AM]

44. ...

[MoonRiver]

45. Love you Michelle, but we'll have to agree to disagree about that man.

[Bfd]

47. Just proves GW was a useful tool for tptb

He was no more capable of leading a country than Trump is.

GW was simply selected to be the distraction while the public would be shielded from the big business deals of global players & the power grab that took place behind the facade.

Exactly what is going on with Trump.

It happened in 2000, 2016 & the necessary parts are being set in place to repeat again in 2020.

[Kaleva]

48. Freepers are also very upset by this.

there are several threads over at FR about this. Below are some posts from those threads:


"Oh please! And here I just had breakfast.
Everytime I see a photo of W. grinnin’ like a GD Cheshire Cat while hugging (?!) Michelle, I’m reminded of how wrong I can be about admiring certain presidents.
The way she has spoken about him and his presidency,
And still, he just ‘luvs’ her to bits!

The word Masochist is in the dictionary for a reason."

"It was once said: Differences between the Clintons. Bushes and Obama’s are by degrees, not by kind"

"“He (George W) is my partner in crime at every major thing”

I’ll bet he is.

I’ll bet he is."

"Remember that none of the Bushes ever said a negative word during the Obama Regime.

Then Trump is elected - and they all let loose with criticisms."

"They discovered they basically have mutual goals.

And besties in the Clintons."

"The KKKlintons and the Obamas love the Bush family because they are naive SAPs who are easily taken advantage of. We really dodged the bullet with JEB!"

"The Bushes will adopt the Obamas same as they did the Clintons. Tell me everyone in DC isn’t in cahoots with everyone else."

"Horrible people, sticking together.
"

[crazytown]

50. That I like nt

[Kaleva]

55. Progressives shouldn't be agreeing with Freepers on most any subject.

[crazytown]

70. Oh I don't agree with them,

but trashing Bush’s presidency from the Right, ex post facto like lemmings

[Bucky]

49. And this, my friends, is why a democracy needs rotation in office

As much as I admire Michelle Obama, I gotta conclude that she is only able to see Dubya this way because she keeps on running into him in polite social settings. That's the experience the people at the top of the heap in a democracy have. That's great if your goal is to get along and manage the government.

The people that she does not run into socially on the regular include people whose children were killed or maimed being sent off to the vanity war which that "beautiful, funny, kind, sweet man" started so he could get his buddies a tax cut and himself reelected.

As the teacher of two young men who were killed in Iraq, I can never turn a blind eye to what that horrible man did to our country or to the Middle East. Democracy doesn't depend on people like Michelle Obama seeing the blood on George W Bush's hands. But it does depend on putting new people in office who aren't that cozy with the rich and powerful.

[PatSeg]

53. I love Michelle

but on this one, I cannot agree with her. People don't demonize George Bush just because they disagree with him, they demonize him because of all the pain and loss he caused. I can disagree with someone and still like them. I don't like Bush for all the devastation he brought about.

Bush tanked the economy and many people never recuperated. He was responsible for invading a sovereign nation, black sites, and torture, not to mention the deaths of more people than we will probably ever know. Not exactly funny and sweet.

[malchickiwick]

54. He is about the cutest and cuddliest war criminal since Reginald Dyer ...

... but he's still a war criminal. Sorry Michelle.

[handmade34]

60. as a man... I believe that is probably true

as a President, he was unfit and disgusting

[apnu]

63. This.

Everybody I've read who have met W Bush have said what a charming and pleasant man he is.

But as POTUS he was a terrible human being. All the blood and money lost in his Iraq mis-adventure, crashing the Economy, bungling Katrina, and the current credit over-leveraging for college students that is holding us back right now.

W, until Trump, was the worst. Now he's the 2nd worst.

Michelle must be ignoring a lot to be so publicly endearing to this terrible human being.

[cilla4progress]

62. A bit

much.

Maybe in contrast to trump.

[GoCubsGo]

65. Love you, Michelle, but with all due respect,

that son of a bitch didn't ruin you the way he did millions of us. I'm one of them. I will never recover financially, having lost my job directly due to the actions of his administration. My career, for which I worked my ass off, often under hellish conditions, is dead. I will probably much die earlier than I might have, had I not gotten laid off and lost my health insurance years ago. He might be "kind and sweet to you", but he was a fucking monster to the rest of us.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

79. So right... don't get it.

[matt819]

66. Oh my. . .

Well, you sort of have to overlook the whole 9/11 thing and the actions that have resulted in the expenditure of more than $6 trillion in senseless wars, the shame of Guantanamo Bay, the destruction of entire nations, and millions dead.

Apart from that, he's a great guy.

Sorry, Michelle, gotta disagree with you on this one.

Though I can't help but wonder about the RW extremists' response to this. Heads exploding??

[not_the_one]

71. Michelle

We will just have to agree to disagree....

Prior to turdface, GWB had defined the bottom of the barrel. (And before that, St. Reagan. And before that Dick Nixon. Strange, they are ALL repukes.)

[lpbk2713]

73. " ... but dumb as a stump."

[crazytown]

82. I'm with Stupid

(Tony Blair) “You grin. I pose. It’s not about sincerity. Everybody knows. I’m with stupid@

[Buckeyeblue]

75. Remember they come from a different point of view

Once you've lived that life, I think you get comfort from others who have done the same. Remember, the Bush's were similar to the Obama's in that they had two daughters. When Michelle says W is a kind and funny man, he probably is. She is not saying she endorses his policies or even thinks he was a good president. She is saying in her personal experience with him, he has been kind to her.

This is not a big deal.

[bigtree]

76. it's not just that we disagree

...he's unrepentant about his war crimes (renditions, assassinations, lying nation into war in Iraq), anti-constitutional power grab after the 9-11 attack on our nation, attack on our social safety net, theft of our Treasury for tax cuts for his rich friends, tortures and cover-up...

He's a fairly awful person.

[Mosby]

101. obama droned more people than bush

FYI.

Is he a war criminal?

[JonLP24]

130. I disagree with the droning

Bush used a made up conspiracy theory (how come nobody called Bush a truther for suggesting Saddam had something to do with 9/11?) To get us into Iraq.

[bigtree]

145. we'll have to disagree on equalizing Barack Obama and George Bush

...Bush's crimes far exceed the issue of the use of drones.

[Bettie]

80. She's being nice to the slow-witted kid

and, he may be a charming person. Doesn't make what he has done less evil.

[Doodley]

81. Did she say this to troll Trump? Trump must be fuming that nobody says that of him.

[Kaleva]

84. I think Michelle despises Trump

[LisaM]

85. Stealing an election from one of our potentially finest presidents was not a sweet thing to do.

I'm still bitter. That election changed me, and not in the best way.

[democrank]

86. That "sweet man" is responsible for

the deaths and maiming of thousands and thousands of people....for rampant PTSD....for horrific trauma....for lying about WMDs. Not very "sweet" and not too "funny" to me. Decorum and civility is one thing, but praise for George W. Bush is quite another.

[FiveGoodMen]

149. Yeah, why would anyone hold THIS against him?

[democrank]

88. How many sweet men approve the use of torture?

Just curious....

[empedocles]

89. Possibly a coded jest at Barack?

[Stinky The Clown]

90. Off with her damned head right fucking now!

I also wish to see a return to political civility. I think she is modeling that in a positive way.

[underthematrix]

104. I like George and Laura Bush

And I love the twins.

[Rorey]

106. I adore Michelle Obama.............but

I can't agree with her on this.

[bdamomma]

107. I love Michelle

but no so much on this subject, geez he went into a country to settle his daddy's score (no weapons of mass destruction) and people were killed including our own troops.

[Demsrule86]

109. George Bush caused two wars that have killed thousands of Americans. It was

on his watch that the towers fell...Bush can fuck himself...oh and what about the 08 crash? Double fuck him. Michelle I love you but do not agree at all...we should not tolerate the right and let them destroy this country because they act "nice".

[GeorgeGist]

110. Sorry to hear...

she drank the koolaid.

[FiveGoodMen]

111. I only admire people who fight for the good

Those who want to get along with everyone end up being the sell-outs.

[Celerity]

114. I have to say I am profoundly disappointed and disagree to the core of my being

That entire Bush family, starting with Brown Brothers Harriman Nazi bagman Prescott down the the son Poppy Bush, and then grandson Bush the lesser has done such horrific damage worldwide I could never, ever admire them or say good things about them. They were a pestilence upon the planet. Epitome of American evil.

[Downtown Hound]

116. I get it, politics makes for strange bedfellows

We'll just agree to disagree on that Michelle.

[Cha]

117. Sorry, Michelle.. We part ways on this particular

subject.

[shanny]

118. A lovable war criminal. How nice.

[eleny]

121. How many died so he could be a war president?

So he could catapult his agenda of privatizing Social Security.

Kind and lovable? Not in my book.

[gldstwmn]

122. Who was a really shitty president.

That's the second part of the sentence right?

[LenaBaby61]

124. Michelle bae ....

You're welcome to him though.

[USALiberal]

126. Well, lets just say we disagree on this topic! Nt

[rockfordfile]

128. No way in hell

[JimGinPA]

129. Your Clever Attempt At Disparaging Michelle Obama Is A Big FAIL

[Mike Nelson]

132. I still like Michelle...

… I guess I can understand what she's doing, but I don't agree with her this time.

[choie]

133. So what if he's a WAR CRIMINAL?

[Sunsky]

136. Nah

I can't act as if I was asleep for 8 years of terror, lies and wars which lead to an economic disaster. This is the same guy who joked about being a dictator, and joked about his friends- the haves and the have mores.
I'll pass on this one Michelle. Love you though.

[John Fante]

137. Proof that cognitive dissonance can affect even the brightest among us.

Michelle Obama is my queen, but she's either consciously or subconsciously ignoring the many heinous policies this man signed off on (torture FFS!) because he's sweet and jovial in social settings. It's disconcerting to see.

[malaise]

140. I'm still buying her book

So there

[JonLP24]

141. George Carlin "It's a big club and you ain't in it"

[3catwoman3]

144. "Tis a puzzlement," for sure.

Much as I shake my head every day now over the current occupant of the White House, I was similarly incredulous over GWB being inflicted upon us TWICE!

[dalton99a]

146. That motherfucker belongs in prison.

[UniteFightBack]

147. It's harder to hate up close. Well done Michelle. nt

[jalan48]

150. I like Michelle but Bush is a war criminal who approved the use torture. Just because he gave her

a mint at McCain's funeral doesn't make him a good man.

[guillaumeb]

151. Bush is responsible for thousands of deaths, and trillions wasted.

He should have been tried by the World Court.