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Bush Tells British Paper He Regrets War Legacy

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June 10, 2008 8:01 PM

ABC News' Tahman Bradley Reports: Across the pond for a Europe farewell tour, President Bush spoke candidly about his legacy, acknowledging mistakes in handling the Iraq war. Bush told the British newspaper, The Times, he regrets the bitter division over the Iraq war and -- rather remarkably -- admitted his words in the lead up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq did not help unite the country behind the effort.

The paper writes that the president "expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood."

Bush told the paper, "I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric." Bush also admitted that some of his strong phrases like "bring them on" or in general his "Cowboy Talk" -- as he once referred to it in an ABC News' interview with George Stephanopoulos -- affected the perception of the U.S. around the world. Those phrases, Bush said, according to the paper," indicated to people that I was, you know not a man of peace."

Read the complete "Times" story HERE.

On presidential politics, as he has done before, Bush acknowledged to the Times that Sen. Barack Obama's nomination for president by the Democratic Party is statement of how far American has come. Warm feeling aside, Bush subtly went after Obama on trade. The Illinois Senator supports renegotiating NAFTA and opposes free trade agreements with Colombia and Korea.

Said Bush,"There is concern about protectionism and economic nationalism. " He added,"Leaders recognize now is the time to get ahead of this issue before it becomes engrained in the political systems of our respective countries." Bush also shared concern that Obama would be soft in challenging Iran's nuclear ambitions

June 10, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (113)

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Acknowledging mistakes in handling the Iraq war? You mean like starting it in the first place?

Posted by: Paul | Jun 10, 2008 8:04:09 PM

Kevin - you advocate us invading every country that isn't run by "a great man who should stay in power?"

I think that's nuts.

That aside, I do think we'd be better off with Hussein still there. It certainly would be costing less American lives and dollars - and that used to be the bottom line for conservatives with regard to foreign policy, back when people knew what the word conservative means.

Posted by: Paul | Jun 10, 2008 8:21:43 PM

And let's not forget that while Hussein was a brutal two-bit dictator, he was "our" brutal two-bit dictator.

The whole Iraq mess we now find ourselves in really started the morning when Hussein opened his newspaper over coffee and realized his "friends" were selling arms to his wartime enemies.

We started losing our hold on him that morning.

Posted by: Paul | Jun 10, 2008 8:25:28 PM

But the real question is why are Republicans so scared of two-bit dictators?

Its a dangerous world. It always has been, and it always will be. Granted, weapons of mass destruction up the ante some, but still, cowardice isn't part of the American character.

You guys are like the wimpy townsfolk in a Western movie, trying to hire a gunslinger to slay the local badman.

Posted by: Paul | Jun 10, 2008 8:29:10 PM

WBush has made several mistakes in his 2 terms, McSame wanted to continue the same approach, therefore if America has to get back its leadership in the world and get back its economic prosperity then there is only one choice: Obama

Posted by: BKMC | Jun 10, 2008 8:29:37 PM

Wow. For a moment i almost felt sorry for the guy. But then I remembered the graveness of his mistakes. His war of choice based on distorted intelligence. His embrace of torture, his spitting on international law and human rights. He has poured enough gasoline on the anti-american hate-fire to make it last another generation.

Such a pity when you know how great America CAN be.

Posted by: El_Pajaro | Jun 10, 2008 8:56:07 PM

Since the war is partially responsible for driving up gas prices, destroying our reputation around the world, making us less safe, and wreaking havoc on our economy, increasing Iranian power in the middle east, shouldn't Bush just admit that the war was a bad move?

Posted by: Huh | Jun 10, 2008 9:12:46 PM

Yeah, Bushie, we don't care for your vacations, your lies, or your double-talk. We are swimming in debt, the economy is on the rocks, you have done nothing to help prepare our Nation for the energy crunch in which we find ourselves, and what are you doing? Taking a vacation in Europe, trying to bolster YOUR legacy. We don't give two hoots about your legacy. It is irrelevent.

Posted by: therockofages | Jun 10, 2008 9:15:53 PM

Rhetoric is not the issue here. We are talking about deceiving the country into waging a war for oil. God help those who still believe that we went in there to restore democracy.

Posted by: worldsam | Jun 10, 2008 9:18:56 PM

david g, we ... the world wasn't leaving Saddam alone.

Posted by: newz4i | Jun 10, 2008 9:32:53 PM

Hating ... disliking Bush and supporting our troops ... the two are not synonymous.

Posted by: newz4i | Jun 10, 2008 9:50:59 PM

Cowboy Bush+Cheney spun the media into war, talk big on opposing global warming so he + Cheney can get rich in oil. He must be so proud and sleep well at night knowingly the economy in shambles and US soldiers are dying in Iraq on his watch. I pity the next President of USA. Is going to be John McBush or Barack Obama?

Posted by: John Lee | Jun 10, 2008 10:07:30 PM

All of a sudden he is worried his legacy. It's too late it is what it is and is bad! You are going down as the worst president of the US ever! Pretty bad when you are worse than Jimmy Carter.

Posted by: rockthebleachers | Jun 10, 2008 10:09:04 PM

"He Regrets War Legacy", we regret ever having heard of him.

Posted by: JR | Jun 10, 2008 10:09:59 PM

His regret was not 4,000 american lives or the suffering and death and destruction of millions of Iraqis.

His regrets were that he should have used a "different rhetoric" to sell the war, and he feels sorry for himself that he is percieved as "not a man of peace".

IMPEACH THIS CRIMINAL!!!

Posted by: CMB | Jun 10, 2008 10:15:56 PM

It's interesting that he won't say these admissions when he's home in the US.

Posted by: Don | Jun 10, 2008 10:17:18 PM

Bush looks increasingly aged and elderly and out of touch.

Posted by: Danny | Jun 10, 2008 10:20:18 PM

FreaknHotNBoston: Even know these laws exist in this country...there are millions of homes still in the US that have lead paint on their walls, pealing and waiting for unsuspecting kids to eat. Even if you don't hear about it, I am sure there is some form of environmental disaster lurking just around the corner. Just because we have these laws doesn't mean we are protected, because it requires each individual to follow said laws. As it was stated before, our greatest asset is individualism, which in turn will be our biggest downfall.

Posted by: crazy_delco | Jun 10, 2008 10:26:15 PM

Greg--There is no impeachment movement in Congress, that is why its not news. Pelosi herself stated there would be no action taken on Congressman K's attempt to impeach Bush and any suggestion has been quashed.

Posted by: Morreijac | Jun 10, 2008 10:26:28 PM

It is funny how Bill Clinton nearly got impeached for having sex with an intern in the White House but not impeach a president who's war is causing an economic downturn in the U.S. and also the lives of soldiers who were told to fight a country who "had" weapons of mass destruction.

Posted by: Chris | Jun 10, 2008 10:29:06 PM

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