Dick Cheney: History "Beginning to Come Around" on Bush

Condoleezza Rice, George W. Bush, Laura Bush and Dick Cheney at a groundbreaking for the George W. Bush Presidential Center, November 16, 2010.

/ CBS

At groundbreaking ceremony in Dallas for the George W. Bush Presidential Center today, former Vice President Dick Cheney said "history is beginning to come around" to a more positive view of former President George W. Bush.

Cheney said that Mr. Bush, whose approval rating upon leaving office was just 22 percent, always understood that "judgments are a little more measured" with the passage of time. He added that Americans "can tell a decent, goodhearted stand up guy when they see him."

Cheney lauded Mr. Bush as a president who refused "to put on airs," stating that he was thrilled to find that the most powerful person he knew was "among the least pretentious." He said Mr. Bush was someone who could "walk with kings, yet keep the common touch," adding that "there were no affectations about him at all - he treats everyone as an equal."

He spoke admiringly of Mr. Bush's actions in the wake of the Sept. 11th attacks, telling the former president that "because you were determined to throw back the enemy, we did not suffer another 9/11 or something even worse."

Cheney, who (unlike Mr. Bush) has been a vocal critic of President Obama, also took a shot at the current administration.

Speaking of his expectation that construction would move quickly on the presidential center following the groundbreaking, Cheney quipped that "this may be the only shovel ready project in America." The reference was to the Obama-supported stimulus package that Republicans have criticized as ineffective.

Mr. Bush, dressed in a suit affixed with an American flag pin and a blue tie, followed Cheney to the podium. The former president said Cheney had been "the right pick" for vice president in 2000 and told an enthusiastic audience that he is "proud to call him friend." (In his book, Mr. Bush writes that he considered replacing Cheney in 2004.)

Mr. Bush, who noted he has been doing interviews to "peddle my book," spoke of the accomplishments of his presidency, among them helping AIDS patients, aiding struggling societies and assisting storm victims..

(at left, watch George and Laura Bush interviewed on CBS' "Sunday Morning")

He said he could "remember vividly young girls going to school in Afghanistan and voters waving purple fingers in the air," and said his decisions in office were guided in part by the belief that "freedom is universal."

Mr. Bush also lauded the power of free markets, and drew particular applause when he said "we believe you can spend your money better than the United States government can spend your money."

He added that he supports "engagement in the world" on the part of the United States and said that leaders have a responsibility to "do what is necessary and right" even if it isn't popular.

"I really don't miss much about Washington, but I do miss being your commander in chief," the former president said.

Among the other speakers at the groundbreaking for presidential center, which is located on the campus of Southern Methodist University, were Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush. The audience included soldiers from nearby Fort Hood, donors to the center and former Bush administration officials including Ari Fleisher, Josh Bolten, Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett.

George W. Bush Content with His Decisions and New Low-Key Life

The presidential center, which the former president said will be guided by his core principles, will have three components: An archive, museum, and the policy institute.

The archive will include the documents and records of Mr. Bush's time in office, and will house millions of documents, thousands of boxes of documents and hundreds of millions of emails, as Mr. Bush explained in November.

The museum, he said at the time, will tell the story of the Bush presidency "through my most consequential decisions."

"Visitors will see the bullhorn I used in my first visit to Ground Zero, a replica of my Oval Office, and our very own 'Texas Rose Garden,'" he said.

The policy institute, which will be called the George W. Bush Institute, will be "a vibrant hub of principled thought and practical action," the former president added. The institute has already begun work, and one of its focuses has been a Laura Bush-led initiative to empower women and girls around the world.

Mr. Bush said today that the $300 million center, which is planned to be 225,000 square feet, is already fully paid for via donations. It is scheduled to open by 2013.

More Coverage of President Bush:

George and Laura Bush: "There's No Do-Overs"
Bill Clinton: I'm a Fan of George Bush's Memoir
Bush Lying in Memoir, Says Ex-German Leader
Bush: "The Wolves of Washington" and the Roberts/Miers/Alito Nominations
ACLU: Investigate Bush for Waterboarding Admissions
George W. Bush and Kanye West Make Peace
Bush Calls Handling of Katrina a "Mistake"
Bush Regrets Few Decisions from Presidency
George W. Bush: Dick Cheney Was Angry I Didn't Pardon Scooter Libby

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Brian Montopoli is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of his posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[exceptionally_fun]

Gee. I've heard a lot of people say they wished that Bush was president again. Yet, he doubled the national debt, unemployment doubled over his eight years and he was the first two-term US president in our history to have a net-loss of jobs over his eight years. GDP growth after inflation went from 3.0% under Clinton to 1.3% over Bush's eight years, much worse than the GDP growth that we are having with the current administration. From where I'm sitting, how can we afford another George Bush?

[Overruled1]

The former G.W.Bush administration was the absolute most corrupted, treasonous, warmongering, destructive force America has EVER had to endure.
Let it be known at every opportunity this fact.
Clinton created 23,000,000 jobs in his 8 years, left office with a balanced budget, left the nation with a surplus at a 39% tax rate on the rich, and was impeached for having an affair with Monica (who keeps *** stained clothes for souvenirs?)and lieing about it.
Bush, left us with 2 wars of agression based on false circumstances as we were mislead in the past with Viet Nam, WW1 and WW2, millions of Iraqi homeless, at least 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians, several thousand dead americans, and the economy in a shambles....and China is booming.
This is nothing less than treason.
The soup kitchens are booming.
The Gore plan would have had us out of the national debt by now.
The fact is the VP was somehow given authority not given in the constitution. It was his office that leaked Valerie Plame's CIA identity for being married to an ambassador that didn't agree with falsified policy.
Cheney himself had an office placed in CIA headquarters to mislead the Congress with false Intelligence Reports...fact.
Al Gonzales took his ques from Ronald Reagan (I don't recall) when questioned by Congress.

[noloyalisti]

Hopefully history will come around and remember the Nuremburg Trials to try people like Bush and Cheney for war crimes. These include murder, terrorism, use of illegal chemical weapons. torturing and lying to America, the world and the UN in violation of treaties we have signed.

[jackpenn]

They should be erecting a "War Museum" in honor of George W. Bush's unnecessary wars, where he managed to keep his entire family and friends from having to serve in them. The only reason Cheney can even come out in public without a bullet proof vest on, is because he can no longer do any more harm to America, that him and Bush have done enough already. What a combination of tyranny they make, and I hope History gives both of them their deserved recognition for being the worst leadership this country has ever managed to endure.

[superdem1]

Whatever Cheney's been smoking, I want some. It's obviously the best ever, changing the ugliest realities into sweet dreams.

[Bellwether4u]

BOTH SHOULD BEE TRIED & LOCKED UP...@ LEAST RNMMIE HAS THE BRAIN$ TO LAY LOW...ty

[roth5101]

Bring Bush around is right. Only to remind us of the mess we're in because of both Bush and Cheney. Cheney should be ashamed for even mentioning such a thing.

[JustYourAverageReader]

To all you Jerry-Springer-Guest wannabees who spew hatred, your dreadful style has infected congress to some extent. We need a congress that will work together - not one which embraces your dysfunction. Perhaps you should pack up and leave the USA. N. Korea would be happy to have you as they teach hatred to the very young children in their schools. I understand they need more teachers. I will help pay for your 1-way airline ticket.

[slmbro]

The comments by you (justYouraveragereader) sound very hateful and very prejudicial maybe you should go to North Korea too, oh and save your money you might need it.

[MohatmaJeebus]

Can I go to Hawaii?

[steeepe]

Cheney is a fool and both he and Bush are war criminals who nearly destroyed the country. He should crawl back under the slimy rock where he lives.

[jeannettelj]

Some folks may "come around" to Bush but they will never come around to you, Cheney. You are bas**** and a war criminal.

[MohatmaJeebus]

He is guilty of treason for selling our energy policy to the oil corporations behind closed doors against the best interests of the American people. He is guilty of promoting a war in Iraq based on false intelligence for no grander motive that profit. He is guilty of breaking the espionage act by outing Valerie Plame. Cheney is guilty of spying on American citizens and instituting a policy of torture contrary to the constitution.