G.W. Bush is on Ellen. He's making me smile. I feel like

[sinkingfeeling]

I'm betraying myself, but he's taken a couple of subtle shots at 45*

[JenniferJuniper]

1. Trump has allowed him to come out of hiding;

he knows he'll never again be considered Worst President Ever.

[Cha]

5. Too true

[flygal]

11. Ah that's what it is!!

I think you are right.

[StevieM]

22. Trump actually has a shot of giving James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson a run for their money.

That's no easy task.

I actually thought that Reagan was worse than George W. Bush.

[loyalsister]

51. And his pre presidency subtly resembles the post presidency of John Tyler

who died before he could be tried for treason. In that case it was truly undeniable treason when he served in the confederate congress whose stated goal was to destroy the US.

[StevieM]

60. Agreed. Tyler was a traitor.

"Tyler's death was the only one in presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington, because of his allegiance to the Confederacy. He had requested a simple burial, but Confederate President Jefferson Davis devised a grand, politically pointed funeral, painting Tyler as a hero to the new nation. Accordingly, at his funeral, the coffin of the tenth president of the United States was draped with a Confederate flag; he remains the only U.S. president ever laid to rest under a foreign flag."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyler#Death

[wordpix]

29. saw him on a diff interview--he was endearing, saying the media is essential

to a strong democracy.

[bravenak]

45. Yep. Sad.

[AgadorSparticus]

94. YEP!! He is practically grinning ear to ear in his debut.

[mindfulNJ]

2. He's like your old drunk uncle

that you feel sorry for.

[MyOwnPeace]

34. There you go!

THAT'S the best way to explain it!!

[meadowlander]

35. Yes,

and he's actually a bit funny and endearing as long as he isn't driving and doesn't have access to your credit cards.

[jrthin]

53. And he's not lying

you into a war that will killed half a million people, further destabilize the Middle East, and not be swift enough to alleviate the tragedy that was Katrina. Yeah, I guess he can be kind of endearing. *sarcasm*

[meadowlander]

67. Only seeing him once every four or five years helps too.

[SecularMotion]

69. You should seek help for your short-term memory loss.

[meadowlander]

72. I'm talking about my old drunk uncle.

I don't forgive or forget what GWB did to this country.

But I think it's interesting, in the context of Trump and a separation of eight years, that I can better see the person GWB is behind the politician. Nobody is 100% good or bad. And while he seemed like evil incarnate 15 years ago, now he's like a puppet with the strings cut.

I don't think it's "short-term memory loss" to acknowledge that, stripped of any power to hurt us or anyone else, GWB has a few good qualities that can be enjoyed in very small doses.

[SecularMotion]

75. This GW Bush rehabilitation campaign does not belong on DU.

[meadowlander]

88. It's an observation, not a campaign.

You're welcome to disagree with the observation, but you're not really the arbiter of what does or does not belong on DU. Alert if you think it violates the terms of service.

[loyalsister]

73. Recency and proximity are relevant

The time distance and distance from what he could do to influence our lives influences my view. But really, I'll take anything useful he can give because what is happening at this moment to influence my daily life is much more relevant right now.

[lpbk2713]

3. Smirky doesn't have to play the game any longer.

He has all the money he wants and he has no future political aspirations.

[wryter2000]

6. Bingo

He's not trying to gain and hold onto power. The whole Iraq war was so he could be a war president and win in 2004.

Plus, Cheney's no longer pulling his strings.

Still, I'll take his digs at the Orange Abomination. They might wake a few "conservatives" up.

[meow2u3]

13. MIGHT wake up a few "conservatives"

Trumpanzees would more likely than not call Chimpy a "cuckservative" and cling to Chump even more.

[wryter2000]

17. I meant the kind of conservative who held their nose to vote for him.

I know one woman at church voted for him because she hated Hillary. I haven't spoken to her about it, but I overheard her husband talking to someone else about how awful Cheetolini is.

[spooky3]

52. and Trump is making him look good by comparison.

[hlthe2b]

4. I would never have guessed I could soften at all towards GWB, but I have

It only goes to show how horrendous the current comparison is. While I think Cheney is as evil as any of the current pack, I don't quite see GWB ever being in their league.


I am and remain thoroughly horrified...

[renate]

14. at the time I thought I couldn't loathe him any more than I did

But in retrospect I think he was just entitled and dim, and easily led by father figures like Cheney. But he wasn't mean for the sake of being mean.

[salin]

21. me, too.

[dalton99a]

7. W. was very gracious and human. You'd never see Trump laugh and cut up like W. did today.

[loyalsister]

62. I remember making fun him relentlessly

His laugh, his smile his "lack of intellect," having no clue what it would mean to have a president who didn't smile much less laugh. Or that it was possible to actually have a proudly inarticulate and ignorant, entitled and hateful individual as president.

So much of what I thought about him seems like hyperbole in retrospect. My cynical interpretation of the fact that he spoke spanish was way off base. I didn't buy his self depracating humor at the WH correspondants dinner.

I always thought he was in over his head and essentially following orders. But I now see much of the fear and anxiety I had then as typical partisan worry. I blame him and his administration for the hyperpartisanship promoted by his administration and participating in starting wars. But, I don't see him as truly cold blooded. It seems like he truly regrets and takes responsibility for the wars.

The fact that he has been making media rounds an getting in digs at the administration is pretty revealing and actually gutsy. I appreciate that he's doing it.

[dalton99a]

86. I blame Rove and Cheney

for the fact that W was a war criminal puppet - which no one should forget. Having said that, W was a gentleman and a scholar compared to the Crazy Asshole From Hell.

[northoftheborder]

87. Agree, and...

Next to 45 he appears to be just a mischievous, slightly dim, elf.

[loyalsister]

90. The damage he did is lasting and should not be forgotten

I agree that Rove and Chenney were pulling the strings. I also think he was pretty arrogant at that time though.

W seems surprisingly humble now, talking about the media as a force to hold "people like me" accountable. I can't decide if it's overconfidence or modest courage that is driving him to show these paintings, but I know how brutal it can be to receive negative criticism of creative work. It's a pretty big risk to the ego.

I've been seeing some conservative friends being transformed by their liberal kids.

This is all very interesting.

[OldHippieChick]

8. I'm kicking myself as I say this, but W is at least a

patriot. Stupid and wrong, but still a patriot. Chump doesn't have a clue what that means and W is ashamed along w/ many of us

[msongs]

10. the popular vote loser only loves $$ no matter how evil he has to be to get it nt

[Skittles]

37. W T EVERLOVING FUCK

HE IS NO SUCH THING

GAWD, the man STOLE the presidency, allowed the biggest terrorist attack in American history, started a war based on LIES, drowned a city with his INCOMPETENCE, crashed the economy - and you call him a PATRIOT? HELL FUCKING NO.

[CountAllVotes]

41. +1,000,000

No fucking kidding!!!!!

This is who 9/11 began with, aka the End of America as many once knew it!



We Shall Not Forget eh?

[OldHippieChick]

43. Okay. No need to yell

Exception noted

[Skittles]

57. AGAIN, SOMEONE UPSET WITH ME YELLING?

I WILL SHOUT AT *ANYONE* GOING SOFT ON THAT EVIL BASTARD GEORGE W. BUSH

[OldHippieChick]

65. Sorry, I'm old but not hard of hearing

I absolutely agree with you and admit to having a bit of compassion based on the picture of Michelle actually giving the GWeaselB a hug. My apologies. I truly am ashamed that I ascribed his recent behavior any credence. Guess I was just glad he spoke against Cheetohead. I promise to never, ever be soft of the asshole again.

[Skittles]

79. Michelle is a caring, decent human being

I'll give her points for diplomacy, but she was not condoning his presidency....no one should, nor do I think the Obamas will be hanging out with the Bushes.

I think Trump is so hideously awful, he rubs even a rat bastard like Dubya the wrong way

[OldHippieChick]

82. Duly noted and again

I'm sorry and ashamed if anyone thought I was forgiving this ratbastard for what he has done. Perhaps it's because it's Lent or because I'm trying to quit smoking. Am in need of a good excuse!! Not successful. Balance between my faith and basic anger.

[demmiblue]

66. Amazing, isn't it?! SHOUT AWAY, Skittles!

[Skittles]

78. I AM SICK OF THESE FUCKING APOLOGISTS

SERIOUSLY, WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Agschmid]

48. Thank you.

[demmiblue]

9. Indescribable torture, countless deaths, hundreds of thousands maimed and displaced...

female troops unable to use the restroom for fear of being raped, infrastructure destroyed, Guantanamo, America in massive debt, lining the pockets of Halliburton (who cut corners, which resulted in the death of troops), the creation of a new generation of terrorists, etc.

That G.W. Bush?

[GoCubsGo]

20. Yes. That one.

It just goes to show you how bad things are now, when he comes off as a somewhat sympathetic, decent character.

[Skittles]

39. HE DOESN'T COME OFF THAT WAY TO ME

I SEE THROUGH TRUMP AND I HAVE ALWAYS SEEN THROUGH THAT RAT BASTARD DUBYA

[GoCubsGo]

49. No need to shout at me. n/t

[Skittles]

55. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS

&quot George W. Bush) comes off as a somewhat sympathetic, decent character" - YES I AM GOING TO FUCKING SHOUT AT THEM

[Skittles]

59. LOLOLOL

it is AMAZING what offends you and what DOES NOT

OVER and *OUT*

[liquid diamond]

71. Get a grip.

Your hatred only hurts you. W could give a fuck about how you feel about him. I disagreed with most of his actions and policies, but compared to Trump, Bush is at least personable.

[Skittles]

77. OMG

do you not understand it is not about ME or MY FEELINGS? Or Dubya and HIS FEELINGS?

*****THIS IS ABOUT HIS VICTIMS****

I do not find that lying, thieving, warmongering bastard "PERSONABLE" - he makes me SICK

*YOU* GET A FUCKING GRIP

[mvd]

81. Exactly, Skittles

I don't understand why people are getting on you for this. Even his "personability" is phony. He has this aw shucks demeanor trying to hide the fact he is a rich asshole.

[kskiska]

25. And now he rides bikes

with the soldiers whose arms and legs were blown off in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[loyalsister]

70. Rather than make fun of them or exploit them to make a point about someone else

He was a shit. He went along with doing the damage. It's a low bar, but reasonable to appreciate that he is not afraid to respectfully interact with those soldiers. Particularly after he has taken responsibility for the damage he did.

I won't forget that his father signed the ADA and he signed amendments to undo damge courts had done to the original law. He also tried to implement a decent immigration policy. Those are diffirences that matter when evaluating character.

The white supremacy embedded in the response to Katrina is still infuriating. As is the white supremacy embedded in every single presidency prior.

[lunatica]

32. Thanks for posting that

It's like the wife who misses her abusive first husband because her second one could be worse.

F**k that shit!

[NYC Liberal]

68. Also the one who joked about lynching MLK Jr - I'll never forget that.

He also told the mother of a soldier who had been killed, "How do you know his life would've been good?"

He mocked a blind reporter for wearing sunglasses.

Told a reporter he had a "face for radio."

He wasn't just a war criminal, he is a complete asshole as a person.

[RoadhogRidesAgain]

12. I heavily disliked dubyas policies

That's the difference. I hated his policies but I didn't hate him on a personal level like I do with Trump.

[wryter2000]

18. I dunno

I see your point, but I could hate a man who started a war for no good reason and approved torture.

Welcome to DU.

[Skittles]

40. I FUCKING DESPISE THE SON OF A BITCH

people are STILL DYING because of George Fucking W Bush

[Crunchy Frog]

64. I did, and do, hate him. Intensly, and on a visceral level. That being said,

I still find Dump to be orders of magnitude worse.

[liquid diamond]

74. My sentiments exactly.

[spanone]

15. he's free of the burden of 'dumbest fucking president of all time' monicker

[old guy]

16. He is a lying war criminal and nothing else.

[sellitman]

19. Finally

Bush is a war criminal. He should be making licence plates. How many died because of that rat. Fuck him!

[AwakeAtLast]

23. He got away with War Crimes

That's the source of his joviality. He hasn't set foot outside of the United States. For a reason.

As the wife of an Iraq War Vet, I find nothing about W funny.

That being said, the fact that HE is speaking out about Trump should speak volumes....

[LaydeeBug]

24. Sociopaths are charming. nt

[Starry Messenger]

26. At least he didn't make me scared about nukes

But that's about it. He opened the door to Trumpism. Would I prefer him now to Trump? Yes. But a lot of his ideology led to the partisan divide we operate under today, which has just gotten worse.

[Initech]

27. What's the saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

[Skittles]

80. Dubya needs to crawl back under the rock he came from

fuck him, and his fucking opinions

[Initech]

83. He's still an asshole, don't get me wrong!

[lunatica]

28. He's happy not to be the "Worst President Ever"!

[LisaM]

30. HE CREATED 45.

HE stole an election from Gore. HE slept while 9/11 happened and created the Department of "Homeland" Security. HE appointed Alito and Roberts, which in turn led to Citizens United and the overturning of the Voting Rights Act. Without that chicanery, all those voter suppression laws wouldn't have sprung up.

He can wink and smile all he wants, but I have a long memory. Bad cess to Ellen.

[Renew Deal]

85. People seem to forget

There would be no Trump without Bush. Of course, there probably wouldn't be an Obama with the same legacy without him either.

But for Bush, he must be happy. He's no longer the worst. It's just a matter of time before Trump tanks the economy.

[LisaM]

89. Obama could have built a way better legacy on whatever Gore did.

And Hillary after that. I don't understand why people don't want to live in a country that they could have created.

Imagine Hillary stepping into office as a continuation from Gore and Obama.

[Renew Deal]

91. It's hard to know how things would have played out in 2004

With or without 9/11

[SecularMotion]

31. Fuck him and Fuck Ellen for giving audience to a war criminal.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

33. Time infinity!

[Skittles]

36. ENOUGH OF THIS SHYTE

DUBYA IS WARMONGERING ASSHOLE - PEOPLE ARE STILL *DYING* BECAUSE OF HIM

[HughBeaumont]

38. Bright-siding the Failure Fuhrer helps no one.

He nearly destroyed this country and two others.

I never thought it was possible for a presidency to have TWO recessions.

[BigDemVoter]

42. I STILL hate that motherfucker.

He smirked while having our kids killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. I HATE him.

However, I can enjoy some digs at Pussy Grabber, but GWB is still a slimy piece of shit.

[tandem5]

44. The person on this charm offensive is the same person that...

used the solidarity of 9-11 to push us into a fabricated war with Iraq. This introduced Al Qaeda into Iraq which contributed to the insurgency that lead to a long and drawn-out conflict. This bred resentment and hatred which played a part in the creation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS extremism spread across the Middle East playing a role in the refugee crisis. Refugees trying to escape this extremism sought shelter, mainly in Europe. ISIS planned or inspired attacks across the world stoked fear and xenophobia. Russian and nationalist groups prayed upon that fear to spread propaganda in order to divide international coalitions and to elect people allied to their agenda.

This is not, of course, a complete picture. It's a broad stroke, but it paints an uninterrupted line between Trump and person sitting across from Ellen.

[bravenak]

46. I blame him for Trump

[Mike Nelson]

47. He should...

...never have been President. I know the Obamas and Clintons are nice to the Bushes - that's a very high standard of civility and graciousness.

[mvd]

50. I'm glad he is speaking out against Trump sometimes

But I just can't feel anything warm towards George W. So many lost their lives in the Iraq invasion. We are still paying for that invasion. 9/11 should have been prevented and may have been LIHOP/MIHOP. He caused what was really a depression - more than a Great Recession. Yes, Trump is more of a threat to our Democracy. But Bush did a lot of bad.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

54. He's a first rate dickhead, nothing funny about the idiot son - 2 wars, thousand of lives destroyed,

4 trillion plus wasted, the Great Recession, Middle East destabilized, ISIS, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, torture and corruption at the highest level for 8 years - so there is nothing cute, cleaver or real about the ASS-WIPE.

[mvd]

56. I forgot Afghanistan. He messed that up also

I agree with you.

[edhopper]

61. and a drowned American city

fuck him.

[Warpy]

63. He was a post turtle who should never have been in office

and ended up getting far too many people killed while he was there.

Still, he wasn't a traitor and he wasn't coopted by the mob. That looks refreshing after the last 6 weeks.

[SoCalDem]

76. George never wanted to be pres.. It was supposed to have been Jebbie

but he lost that governor's election...and when the time to choose a nominee came up, it was George . not Jeb who was properly placed..

He was an empty vessel, that was filled up by Cheney & poppy bush's other henchmen he was "urged" to bring (since he was so unprepared)//


George was never really more than a "good ole boy"...a lightweight..who had enough family money so he never really had to work hard..

If 911 had never happened on his watch, his presidency would have been very much like the one we will soon see.. Whatever the ones in the know want, the president will sign what's needed....and then happily go off & cut brush/play golf..whatever

[bathroommonkey76]

93. "If 911..."

You're projecting with that statement.

We all witnessed the bump in Dubya's numbers after that attack-- Remember it could happen again. I wouldn't put anything past this current administration.

[Bettie]

95. Nostalgia for a president who was simply bad at his job

and wasn't actively trying to destroy the entire country on orders from a hostile foreign government.

Seriously, compared to the current guy...