President Bush Reflects on His Presidency and President-elect Obama
"The election of Barack Obama is an historic moment for our country. There are a lot of people in America who did not believe they would ever see this day. I really do wish him all the best...and it is good for our country that the president succeeds."
(Washington, DC)—In a candid and "reflective" CNN interview with President Bush this week, the president shared various regrets he had during his eight year administration as well as things he is proud of accomplishing during his tenure in office.
"I am proud to be the commander in chief of people who are so selfless and so courageous that they would volunteer to serve our country in a time of war," he said. "I'm proud when I see people feed the hungry. I'm proud when I'm in Africa and see volunteers helping those citizens dying of HIV/AIDS." (Photo: CNN)
He also reportedly discussed his recent meeting with President-elect Barack Obama, comparing it to the time he met with then President Clinton eight years ago. "I remember the conversation I had with my predecessor Bill Clinton," said President Bush. "As a matter of fact, [I] called him yesterday and said, 'Bill, I'm getting ready to meet with the new president, and I remember how gracious you were to me. I hope I can be as gracious to President-elect Obama as you were to me.' ''
Of his meeting with Obama, the president said: "It was interesting to watch him go upstairs. He wanted to see where his little girls were going to sleep. Clearly, this guy is going to bring a sense of family to the White House, and I hope Laura and I did the same thing. But I believe he will, and I know his girls are on his mind and he wants to make sure that first and foremost, he is a good dad. And I think that's going to be an important part of his presidency."
Commenting on the recent election, the president was quoted as saying although he regretted that John McCain did not win, he called Obama's election "good for our country."
"The election of Barack Obama is an historic moment for our country. There are a lot of people in America who did not believe they would ever see this day," he said. "I really do wish him all the best. I am just as American as he is American, and it is good for our country that the president succeeds."
