George Bush's Farewell Address

By: Peter Maer
Topics: Republicans

Peter Maer is a CBS News White House Correspondent.

Tonight's farewell address will be George W. Bush's final opportunity to put his own imprint on his legacy before he leaves office. The White House says it will be his last major appearance before power transfers to Barack Obama on Inauguration Day.

(CBS)

In the nation's the first farewell address (actually a written message published in newspapers) George Washington issued "warnings from a parting friend." George W. Bush has already offered cautionary advice to Barack Obama. Mr. Bush said, "The most urgent threat he will have to deal with and other presidents will have to deal with is an attack on our homeland."

The nation and the world have changed dramatically since President Washington's 1796 call for "a careful foreign policy of friendly neutrality that would avoid creating implacable enemies or international friendships of dubious value..."

While Mr. Bush has repeatedly said historians will have to define his years in office, he has clearly tried to shape the retrospective with his final news conference, speeches and a series of interviews conducted in the closing days of his White House tenure. He has boasted of keeping the country safe from terror attacks since 9-11. He is proud of cutting taxes. Despite the worst economy in decades, he has pointed with pride to 52 months of job growth while he was in office. While he has admitted to mistakes and disappointments, his own list of accomplishments includes freeing the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critics of course have a different view. They believe the moment the U.S. invaded Iraq, Mr. Bush lost the international goodwill and sympathy that was generated by the 9-11 attacks. On the home front, there are strong memories of the botched federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

Veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins told the CBS News Early Show that through the years Mr. Bush has been "overly confident about a lot of things." The former Reagan advisor said, " There was no humility" as Mr. Bush appeared as a "conquering hero" when he wore a pilot's outfit on a flight to the carrier Abraham Lincoln where he stood under the banner that read " Mission Accomplished" long before major combat ended in Iraq. The president has since admitted that placing that banner was "a mistake."

Mr. Bush will certainly voice self confidence tonight. He recently told reporters, "I leave town with a great sense of accomplishment and my head held high."

CBS News will provide live radio and television coverage of the Bush speech at 8:00p.m.eastern time.

Peter Maer
Peter Maer is a CBS News White House Correspondent.
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by treknutz January 16, 2009 8:27 PM EST: Now Boys and Girls, it''''s time for a story!

Once upon a time, on a planet in a distant solar system, there lived an Evil Emporer Warlord whose plan was to destroy the resistance. The Evil Warlord had an assistant whose name was Darth Cheney. But the force was not with them, and after 8 years,they were blown up by the forces of the resistance who fired explosive Hushpuppy shoes at them.....

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Posted by raflin0010

And may the Schwartz be with you!; Reply to this comment


by treknutz January 16, 2009 8:24 PM EST: I will speak my mind briefly.

Posted by jlayneca

Speaking your mind doesn''t equate to any factual record. Just more hearsay and conjecture on your part. Either put up the source of the FACTS or shut up. Bush was a complete and total sociopath in office who is in complete denial about his so called greatness. The man needs some real medication other than Jim Beam or Boone''s Farm Strawberry Hill.; Reply to this comment


by jlayneca January 16, 2009 6:30 PM EST: My main point is that there is plenty of blame to go around for the mess that this country is in. That blame belongs to Democrats and Republicans. However, a disproportionate amount of it is being aimed at the President simply for the fact that he is one man in charge of a whole branch of government. He is the face that people see most often on the news. He is the one who, fairly or not, gets the blame when things go wrong.

Liberals are blaming tons of stuff on Bush that he had nothing to do with or even tried to prevent. An example is the whole bank melt down. Bush warned Congress (starting in 2001 under the Republicans) that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac needed more regulation to prevent a crisis. He was ignored. The Democrats even held hearings wherein they ridiculed the suggestion that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac needed more regulation. But oh yeah, it''s the President''s fault? I don''t think so.; Reply to this comment


by jlayneca January 16, 2009 6:26 PM EST: For Hakori:

You wrote: "AverageAmer1, oh..one more thing. We liberals were right about bush from day one. Why is it that we''''re ALWAYS ahead of the crurve? I think I know the answer...we think rationally."

What a bunch of nonsense. 95% of the statements by liberals in the comments for this story are so irrational that they make you look foolish. And I would say that a similar percentage of attacks on the President have been unfair.

Bush''s Presidency is not nearly as bad as his critics argue. Many of the things that they blame him for were out of his control as President. For example, the fact that the economy is collapsing has little, if anything, to do with Bush''s policies. There are much deeper factors at work.

Iraq liberals blame Bush for, and that''s one he deserves, and yet it is a mix of good and bad (mainly, I think, bad).

But no, the discourse from the liberals has not been very rational in the past eight years. It has been vocal, rash, ad hominem and extremely disrespectful.; Reply to this comment


by enviro_wacko January 16, 2009 5:23 AM EST: "Bush seeks to reshape his legacy."

Right now, it''s the shape of a_penis.; Reply to this comment


by hillarynow January 16, 2009 4:06 AM EST: Stupid people obsessed with guns did this, stupid people obsessed with war did this, stupid people with the "sit down and have beer with him" mentality did this, stupid people obsessed with abortion did this, stupid people who hate people of color, ***, foreigners and peaceful thinking people did this, stupid people who think putting the USA 10 trillion dollars in debt to China and the Arabs somehow empowers America did this, stupid people who think protecting the natural environment around us is not important did this, stupid people who voted for him did this.. it''s up to the rest of the intelligent people in this world to make sure it never happens again.

Good Riddance President Idiot, you did not keep us safe, you endangered our lives and crippled our nation and our people while you wasted our money on your greedy self and wife, lived in style in our White House on our money while you let America fall into poverty and then patted yourself on the back for it all, and that is how you will be remembered.; Reply to this comment


by johngress January 15, 2009 10:16 PM EST: Legacy
It is apparent that the intelligence leading up to the war was cherry picked, spun and selectively chosen to support the basis for war. Based on statements made recently by the President it is clear that he planned on attacking Iraq regardless of the intelligence. Yes, congress and the senate voted for it, but the vote was based on the before mentioned erroneous intelligence.

Over four thousand American soldiers have been killed, thousands more wounded, tens of thousands of Iraqi%u201Ds have died. And by the time it is all said and done, it is estimated 3 TRILLION dollars will be spent on the war, replacing military hardware and short and long term health care costs for the Veterans. THIS WAS A BUSH LED WAR OF CHOICE.

Look at his appointments to important jobs such as the head of FEMA to see how asleep at the switch he truly was. In 2003, Bush nominated, and the Republican led Senate confirmed, Michael Brown to be director of FEMA. This was even though he had no experience in disaster relief, but was previously the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association. Giddy Up. Another words, he was a disaster waiting to happen, and happen it did.

Bush was flying around New Orleans, proudly proclaiming "Brownie, you''re doing a heck of a job." All while thousands were going without food, and water due to the failure of Bush/FEMA to comprehend the totality of the situation.

Bushy, you have got a heck of a Legacy; Reply to this comment


by johngress January 15, 2009 10:09 PM EST: One thing the Bush Administration can always find peace in, his approval ratings are much better than the Democrat Controlled Congress! Those are the true idiots who need to be tarred and feathered!

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Posted by AverageAmer1 at 05:48 PM : Jan 15, 2009

It is that the Republicans have had both houses for 75% of his term. And lest you forget that they still make up a significant portion of those so called "True Idiots"; Reply to this comment


by bmlott27 January 15, 2009 8:49 PM EST: I saw on a recent episode of "Mythbusters" that it is in fact possible to polish a ***.

Do you think Bush will be able to polish this ***? (I doubt it...); Reply to this comment


by AverageAmerican January 15, 2009 8:48 PM EST: One thing the Bush Administration can always find peace in, his approval ratings are much better than the Democrat Controlled Congress! Those are the true idiots who need to be tarred and feathered!; Reply to this comment