Sometimes I miss President Bush

Check out this CNN article on a domestic speech he made yesterday in which he defended EITs:

BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) – Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney’s assertion that their enhanced interrogation program was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented future terrorist attacks.

In his largest domestic speech since leaving the White House in January, Bush told an audience in southwestern Michigan that after the September 11 attacks, “I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you.”

Although he did not specifically allude to the high-profile debate over President Obama’s decision to halt the use harsh interrogation techniques, and without referencing Cheney by name, Bush spoke in broad strokes about how he proceeded after the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in March 2003.

“The first thing you do is ask, what’s legal?” he said. “What do the lawyers say is possible? I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, ‘I’ve done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.’ I can tell you that the information we got saved lives.”

But Bush avoided the sharp tone favored by his former vice president in recent weeks, and went out of his way to stress that he does not want to disparage the new president.

“Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor,” Bush said. “There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it firsthand. I didn’t like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best.”

The former president was speaking to nearly 2,500 members the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan. The format of the speech was changed at the last minute when Bush decided to answer questions directly from the audience members, instead of responding to pre-submitted questions provided to a moderator.

Bush repeated his disclaimer about not passing judgment Obama later in the speech when asked about North Korea’s test of a nuclear weapon. Before answering, the 43rd president said that he is “in no way trying to shape my successor’s decisions or criticize them.”

“I know there are news people here, and they love conflict,” he said.

On the topic of how to respond to North Korea, Bush said diplomacy is impossible without leverage.

“A lot of times people want to give out the carrots,” he said. “My attitude is, you give out the carrots when the behavior changes.”

Yeah, I know he could irritate conservatives sometimes, and he didn’t always make the best decisions, but on the measures he took to keep our country safe – the most important job of any President, Bush was right on. And he continues to be.

Thanks, Mr. Prez.

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