WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2008
Bush Lauds Obama, Promises Transition Help
In A Brief Speech, The President Congratulated Obama For His "Impressive Victory"
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Play CBS Video Video Bush On Transition Of Office "CBS News RAW": President Bush speaks from the White House to congrat Sen. Barack Obama and assure the U.S. of a smooth transition of office.
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President Bush makes a statement congratulating President-elect Barack Obama and calling for a smooth transition, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
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Interactive Election Day 2008 Images, results and reaction from the historic election.
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Mr. Bush promised Obama his "complete cooperation" during the Democrat's 76-day transition to the White House. The president said he would keep Obama informed on all his decisions between now and Jan. 20, and said he looked forward to the day - soon, he hopes - that Obama and his family would take him up on his offer of pre-inauguration White House visit.
But perhaps most striking about the Republican's brief remarks was the stream of compliments he paid to Obama and the repeated nods to the history-making aspect of his ascension. He called Obama's win an "impressive victory," said it represented strides "toward a more perfect union" and said the choice of Obama was "a triumph of the American story, a testament to hard work, optimism and faith in the enduring promise of our nation."
The defeated leader of his own party, John McCain, won accolades not nearly so glowing.
"The American people will always be grateful for the lifetime of service John McCain has devoted to this nation, and I know he'll continue to make tremendous contributions to our country," Mr. Bush said.
To a country with monumental civil rights battles in its past, Mr. Bush said: "All American can be proud of the history that was made yesterday."
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He recalled the millions of blacks who turned out to vote for one of their own, saying he realizes many never fully believed they would live to see this day. But he also hinted that he has personal feelings of high emotion at this moment, representing the end of a controversial eight years in the Oval Office during which he tried, but failed, to attract more blacks to his party.All American can be proud of the history that was made yesterday.
President Bush"It will be a stirring sight to see President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," the president said. "I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited so long."
By Associated Press writer Deb RiechmannŠ MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- It seems like after reading these posts that if Bush could of ran for another term there''s some idiots that would of voted for him. Unbelievable.
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- Stones'' movie descrbed Bush as reading Goldwaters book-did it show he did not understand it-like all else he was exposed to ?
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- Oh, good Lord!! The idoicy of many of the above posts leave me wondering what kind of people our next President has to lead??? The President-Elect (even had it been McCain instead of Obama) has a daunting task ahead of him. He will not be able to do it if we as American citizens don''''t embrace the process. Neither Obama nor McCain, were running for the position of the Next Messiah ... they were running to "lead" a nation. The very term "lead" implies that their "team" (the American Public) will do their part to ensure the continuation of the America our forefathers envisioned. While I do not feel that President Bush has done an effective job, I applaud the fact that he has expressed support for President-Elect Obama, as well as acknowledging the historic aspect of his election. Come on, everybody, get on board ... let''''s take America forward!
C Joie Austin Tx
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You said it! America will never go forward like this! Frankly, I''m a bit surprised to be reading so many examples of a total lack of grace... considering that the man many of them seem to have voted for is supposed to represent hope, change, and "one worldism." Additionally, I''ve heard Mr. Obama referred to as everything from "the new Moses" to the man who God sent to "save the world." Last I looked, that was Jesus Christ. I certainly don''t envy Mr. Obama his task of living up to those ridiculous descriptions. - Reply to this comment
- Posted by michaelt302 at 10:05 AM : Nov 06, 2008
Um micheal,,I copied and pasted a post by sandy, that was her Idea, not mine.
And my rebuttal to her was a sarcastic satire. I don''t really believe that all criminals should be set free.
Nor do I believe Bush escape justice under some guise that it would be better for the country, if we just swept everything under the rug either.
As the last line of my post indicates, is how I really feel is what should happen to Bush, and his henchmen.
Just jail the whole administration....
Sorry I confused you....... - Reply to this comment
- I think it would be best if Obama gave Bush and Cheney a blanket pardon so that all the truth can come out, we can learn from it, and we will not be tied up in investigations for years to come.
History will be the vindicator.
Do not be small - fellow citizens.
This country needs to pull together behind our new administration.
Posted by sandy19731 at 06:42 PM : Nov 05, 2008
Well there''s a novel idea!
And while we''re at it, let all the criminals go too. Just because it might be too hard to get to the truth.
Sheesh.......Jail the entire administration...... - Reply to this comment
- If I was Obama the first thing after 1/20/09 would be to have an independent contractor sweep the WHite House for bugs--the technical listening kind and the pest kind and exterminate both. Then rotate every person currently in the White House out and replace them with newly vetted people who have no connections to Bush or the Republican party in any way.
Posted by HROAMS at 08:29 PM : Nov 05, 2008
Amen to that!
Don''t trust a Bu$h, period! - Reply to this comment
- All my life I have heard about the NEW south. Sure looked like the old south last night.
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- I see Bush making a visit with Darth Cheney to Saudi Arabia to hunt sand snipe and never returning. We dont have an extradition agreement with them.
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- I think it would be best if Obama gave Bush and Cheney a blanket pardon so that all the truth can come out, we can learn from it, and we will not be tied up in investigations for years to come.
History will be the vindicator.
Do not be small - fellow citizens.
This country needs to pull together behind our new administration.
Posted by sandy19731 at 06:42 PM : Nov 05, 2008
If Bush, Cheney, Mulkasey, Gonzales etc all had full pardons why do you think they would tell the truth, they would incriminate so many politicians, CEO''s etc that they need to help them make the big bucks when out of office. There would be no incentive to tell the truth, the only incentive is the day when they are indicted, then you can get a little truth. - Reply to this comment
- If I was Obama the first thing after 1/20/09 would be to have an independent contractor sweep the WHite House for bugs--the technical listening kind and the pest kind and exterminate both. Then rotate every person currently in the White House out and replace them with newly vetted people who have no connections to Bush or the Republican party in any way.
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- HROAMS: Bush wasn''t on the ballot.
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- I think it would be best if Obama gave Bush and Cheney a blanket pardon so that all the truth can come out, we can learn from it, and we will not be tied up in investigations for years to come.
History will be the vindicator.
Do not be small - fellow citizens.
This country needs to pull together behind our new administration. - Reply to this comment
- THANK U LORD. NOW U PEOPLE THAT HATE BLACKS, OR ANY OTHER COLORS JUST LEAVE. RUSSIA GOT ROOM FOR HATERS. TO EVERYONE THAT BELIVE IN REAL CHANGE, THANK U. GOD BLESS THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!
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- When Obama moves into the white house they will most likely have to replace all of the door ***, commode seats, telephones, electrical plugs etc. Thats what people do most of the time when they are evicted from a house.
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- But he also hinted that he has personal feelings of high emotion at this moment, representing the end of a controversial eight years in the Oval Office during which he tried, but failed, to attract more blacks to his party.
Why would the black folks of America want to join up with a bunch of bigots who would begrudge them a job mopping floors. Bush treated people of color that he appointed to positions like they absolutely no authority or responsibilty at all, look at Powell as Sec Of State, Rice is used as an errand boy, Gonzales was Bush''s boy and was treated accordingly, women are second class citizens in his world, his own wife except that she doesn''t wear a sheet over her head is just like the Muslim women in the radical Islamic world of Saudi Arabia.
Why would any people of color want to even talk to him, he was invited 6 yrs in a row to address the NAACP and refused every time. That for a man claiming to be open and unprejudiced was absolute stupid. He never turned down any opportunities to meet with his good old white boys parties. - Reply to this comment
Bu$h is running thru the White House stealing dubyas off the keyboards...- Reply to this comment
- Bush and McCain are a pair of elite spoiled brats that never worked a day in their life. McCain only drew a paycheck from the US taxpayer his whole life, his wife''s company had him on a payroll for a very few months then back on the taxpayer!! Bush always worked for people who set up dummy companies to please daddy and paid him just to be a name on the door.
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- Obama got move votes than Bush and W had the supreme court voting for him tooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- The Bu$h Presidency was a disaster-except for a handful of billionaires. Repub fascists like you love to pass the buck on repub responsibility for *** up this country over the last eight years
BTW,YOU have no credibility......
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The Dems will always blame the Repubs, even though they have filth on their hands and are guilty of malfeasance like this.
Posted by Credibility2 - Reply to this comment
- This only reason W is sucking up to Obama is he''s hoping for a pardon for him, Darth Cheney, Carl Rove and possibly Al Gonzales, because Gonzales pretty dumb, but is aware and participated in a lot of things Bush did, he does not want Al testifying in front of an agressive prosecutor in front of a federal grand jury.
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