hello everyone

I hope we aren’t being taken for another sky hi ride tonite. Who’s in the pilot’s seat these days? Happy landings all

Good Evening,

Today, W tried to defend the governments actions or should I say in-actions during Katrina. Less than eight days to ….

Hellooo Anderson, Erica and best bloggers!!!!
Hope you have great weekend…….. 80)
Wow! That is not good day for police….. the pilot already vanished or missing somewhere…… I hope investigators will find him right now!

Evening Anderson, Erica, and all!

Hello Bloggers and Anderson and Erica

Good evening Cooper, Hill, AC360 staff, contributers, and my favorite bloggers.

Ah, the last Bush press conference. Comics all over the world wept today…but I don’t know how he can deny responsibility for Katrina still sleep at night. He must have one amazing prescription.

I hate to say it, but Bush looked drunk at the press conference today.

Good Evening Anderson, Erica and Bloggers! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Goodevening all.

hey anderson good evening i KNOW you’ve got something to say about Bush’s last press conference so we missed on you on the live blog very much success did you watch?

This is teririble Pilot missing Makes you think about flying . I don’t want to fly

I can’t wait see Obama back to White House after he oath!

Bush’s final press conference. There is something about the words “final” and “Bush” in a sentence that makes me happy.

presdient Bush allways looks drunk or just not with it is that for real?

@Jo Ann- i agree! he did look a bit intoxicated…

@Jo Ann

My local radio station said the same thing! That Bush sounded drunk.

I very much doubt it, but it is an amusing thought.

i think Bush really wants Obama to do a great job. I think he is excited for him.

Hello everyone. Bush, Bush, Bush … That news conference …w hat can I say …

Hello Everyone…Jo Ann to me he looks lik that all the time!

JoAnn…you aren’t the only one! I thought he looked a little tipsy too! And Ashley, I completely agree…not only did he deny responsibility but he defended what little action he did take.

There was one point where Bush’s demeanor seemed to change, when he really seemed to get angry.

I have to say I’m impressed that the police immediately made the link regarding the “canoer” and the “pilot”… if it is indeed the same person. 200 miles’ distance afoot is no easy distance to cover.

Good Monday evening. I sure hope the other 350 billion is not lost in space like the first half. It’s just not acceptable, to not have a firm grasp of where it’s going.

If this isn’t a sign that times are tough, I don’t know what is.

I hate to say it, but Bush looked drunk at the press conference today.

JoAnn…
I agree with you…… he is!!!

I don’t think I can handle any more farewell views of G Bush!

Bush just isn’t smart. That’s all there is to it. Silver Spoon.

Gee, it only took 2 months for all the Democratic unity to go south.

Jo Ann~ He may be hitting the sauce about right now~Can u imagine?

I think that part of the reason the Democrats wanted Obama as president in the first place was because they thought he could be easily manipulated and it looks like they are wasting no time testing that theory.

Happy Mon to all.

I am tired of Bush, what he have done for us…….. I am so disappoint with him!

I agree Jo Ann. Obama is going to have more trouble with Reid and Pelosi than with Republicans.

1 in 4 that is much higher than my expectations!,,, A liitle defnsive I see…

Some of his rhetoric has been a mistake?…I think that is a bit of an understatement!

Good evening Anderson and Erica and all Bloggers. Gonna be an interesting show tonight.

I agree with Crowley. We saw the angry Bush, goofy Bush, demanding Bush, defiant Bush, convinced Bush, and the nostalgic Bush.

I think one of the major problems with the last few Presidential Administrations is that the Presidents seem to forget that THEY work for US. That WE hired THEM. They think they’re the top of the pyramid – and someone needs to remember that without the bottom of the pyramid there isn’t a top.

@ tompan – as long as there aren’t anymore hello views from him , i think we’ll be alright

Boy, all of a sudden Bush has lots and lots to say. Just alittle late I’d say, plus I don’t want to hear him! Its done – go away!

i agree with Bush about taking needed resources from more important duties had airforce 1 landed after katrina.

Imani, You could be right! At least that would be an excuse for all the mistakes he made.

I think Bush doesn’t care at this point what he says he figures I’m outa here but he certainly looked tipsy some of his comments were preposterous

WOW GWB acted like he was a bit tipsy today in the press room. He seemed to be bitter. Sad sad sad.

What angers me most about Bush is how he hides behind the military all the time. If you attack him, you are attacking the military. Those guys have to bust their butts for him only to have him constantly wrapping himself in their uniforms. Our soldiiers do a great job in spite of the government’s poor planning and poor direction. They deserve better.

JoAnn…
I agree with you…… he is!!!

The Coast Guard saved 30,000 people, not his administration. I’d say more, but I don’t think it’d get past the mod.

Mike, They had it all planned out, but Obama is going to show them who is really boss.

I was alternately fascinated and appalled with President Bush’s statements in his news conference today.

His self-justifying posture was an example of what we in Alcoholics Anonymous call being a “dry drunk.” That means someone who has put down the drink/drug but doesn’t do the introspective self-analysis needed for real recovery. They act like active alcoholics without drinking: impulsive, stubborn, defensive, and unable to admit the disastrous consequences of their actions.

At moments, I pitied the man for his earnest desire to be judged as a good and effective leader, but then he would say something so completely insensitive that it took my breath away. What I found most offensive was his comment that landing Air Force One in Baton Rouge was what he should have done to help in the aftermath of Katrina.

He is so clueless he doesn’t even know that he doesn’t get it.

I guess history will judge President Bush. Time will bring out more facts. It always does.

16 months of looking for a job with a BA, 11 months after mom’s death leaving me alone. I’m beginning to feel like doing the right thing by putting my life on hold to take care of my parents was the wrong thing. Now I’m going to lose everything and end up living on the streets. The HOPE program even turned me down so what do I have, not hope.

Ashley, I stand and applaud your comment as usual.

Prince Harry: I think I saw 2600 news items listed by Google today! Gotta watch the P’s and Q’s

George Bush is probably the only person now who can possibly defend what he’s “accomplished” as president–we are fortunate that the American people and most people around the world saw his incompetence and arrogance exactly as it was.

Everyone says that President Bush is an idiot or isn’t smart. Yes, he was born with the silver spoon and drank his way through college. But it isn’t that he’s unintelligent that bothers me. What bothers me is that he talks to the American people like they/we are all stupid. That is what is degrading and inappropriate.

I’ve tried to calm my dislike for Bush in these recent weeks because I’m so excited for Obama, but I forgot that when that man opens his mouth… I absolutely see red. What he said about the response to Katrina was a total lie. And that mocking tone? Unacceptable.

I am SO thrilled to be seeing the END of the horrible reign of George
Bush. I agree with the 3 of 4 people who thinks he was a DISASTER.

Maybe, someome should show the daily pictures of Bush celebrating with McCain, and criss crossing the U.S. while 100k people lived in filth for over a week in the domes, while dead bodies littered the sidewalks and streets. He makes me sick !

Good evening old-man, Cooper, Erica, my fellow bloggers!

Someone taught George W. Bush a new word. “Differently” was spattered all over his remarks today in the place of his usual “Differnt.” It was used as an adjective and an adverb. No one is buying this final spin.

Good Evening Anderson, Erica and Bloggers!

An interesting news day that is for sure.
You are right – GW does look a little ‘tipsy’!

I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush is trying to make a good “final impression” on the public so that he ends up being fondly remembered. To that I say: fat chance. And I’m not even American! :S

thoose are some dute pups!
HOWEVER I am 100% w Erica Hil; I really seriously hope the Obama family realizes the example they are setting and ADOPTS

I was glad to see Bush defend himself. The world spent way too much time listening to the Rosie O’Donnells of the world. Bush protected us at the risk of his own legacy.

Bush made reference to the job not being a popularity contest, and yet wasn’t it the popular vote that put him in office….. again….

George Bush has never spent one day in his life being a normal person. He always had money, always had whatever he wanted. He never, ever had to worry about paying the power bill. So to him, it’s easy to live in America. It is all about perspective, and GW’s is messed up!

Good evening Anderson, Erica, and fellow bloggers. (Hope you got to relax over the weekend, Anderson.)

Bush’s comments continue to baffle me. Revisionist history at its best, especially regarding Katrina. Katrina, the war, his legacy. What country has this man been living in?

Federal response was slow…. Anderson was there!!

Isn’t it weird that Bush and Cooper went to the same university?

Obviously our Anderson Cooper actually paid attention in class.

Yeah, Stacy. Bush wraps himself in a military uniform every time he’s attacked. It dishonors our troops.

Bush,
LEAVE already. And please, DO let the door hit you in the back on the way out. GAWD!!! Good riddance!!!

quick gov’t response to katrina? i think bush needs to read dispatches from the edge…among other reports…

if people think the president has done such a bad job, why dont they take a look and see that since sept. 11 our country has not again been attacked?!

Although I typically disagree with many of G.W.’s administrative decisions, I was pleased with his transparency today. I wish he would have spoke his mind like that in previous press conferences. I can only hope Obama continues to be as open as possible with the American people.

I thought I was watching Saturday Night LIVE!

I agree that Obama is going to have trouble with Reid and Pelosi. Problem is that each of them feel like they are all powerful. I hope they realize that while they may not work for PE Obama, they do work for us and if they cause more problems they will go out on their ears too for new people.

I have long wondered how President Bush could make so many decisions that cost our country dearly and with each decision, he seemingly was unaware of its impact on the American people and the world at large. I received my answer when I listened to today’s press conference. It’s really all about him. I’m looking forward to next Tuesday.

No kidding you were wrong David G! : )

I think you will find President Bush in the years to come his legacy will show a great leader.

Good evening Anderson…G.W.still speaks before he thinks.

I like how Bush tries to spin Katrina as if he was on top of the situation.. we can send aid to Israel within hours, but it takes a week to help those in our own country…then he talks about whether or not he should have landed air force one as if that was what the problem was.. what an idiot

The warmest feeling I have for that man is finally seeing him leave!

In case anyone forgot why the president is regarded as a fool, he reminded us with this press conference.

I’m not a big fan of the legacy of George W BUSH , but overall , I think as citizen of this great nation , that we should give all the respect and honor to our president!

I just heard Bush’s comments at his press conference and I can’t believe the way he didn’t take full responsibility for the slow response of the federal government after Katrina.
It is shameful, and that I think will be his legacy!

From the CNN website:
“The National Guard began moving large quantities of food, water and ice into New Orleans and other damaged areas of southeast Louisiana on Wednesday, two days after the hurricane struck and a day before the Red Cross made its request to go in, Mayeaux said.”

I was DOWN there in New Orleans. I saw with my own eyes the destruction and the pain and the loss. I helped to rebuild a house that had been flooded and was filled with cockroaches and dead rats.

It’s the volunteer work that is rebuilding that entire city. The government saved the lives, but we have our own third world area right down in New Orleans. And it shouldn’t be that way in America. There’s no excuse. Especially when we’re rebuilding an entire Middle Eastern country – or trying to. How can our government turn a blind eye to a major city?

It’s unfathomable.

David Gergen, you were wrong. I’ve been looking forward to this jerk leaving office for a long time.

Ashley – Hamlin, NY, Many politicians speak to the American people that way not just Bush. They always seem to know what is best for us, but most of the time they are wrong.

Bush (or Shrub as I call him) said that he enjoyed every day he was in office. Unfortunately, many of us didn’t. I don’t know how he gave his “last speech” (please God) without giving up ANY feelings at all about the men and women who lost their lives in this ill conceived war. I’m ashamed of him for, if nothing else, not even being ashamed of himself.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Obama can do and I believe he will be one of the best Presidents we have ever had in this country. I hope so, I’d hate to eat my words. dg

@ Sharon – hang in there!
It is never a wrong decision to take care of your ill parent.
I have faith that you will find something soon!

Hi Anderson, Erica, everyone. I don’t know why, but I was surprised that the President Elect was asking for the 2nd part of the bank bailout, but it make sense, he needs something he can immediately implement if needed once he’s in office. Congress as well as the President Elect are already acting quickly on a several fronts.

Oucch!!!!! I heard that Bush have problem slow respond on Katrina in Louisana…………. I agree with David’s comment!!! I am so sad for people who lost homes and business!

Bush has to be the worst President in my lifetime. What he should have said was I’ve runthe country into the ground, my 8 years are up I’m bailing! Good Luck America

Sharon – please continue to visualize the outcome you want, in the most positive way possible. As long as what you did for your parents was out of the goodness of your heart, you did the right thing. Respect and honour to one’s parents is something that seems to be rarer and rarer in this world of nursing homes and elderly patients with only the rare visitor. Best of luck to you! You’re in my thoughts.

uh oh – Anderson is getting all worked up. I love it.

I think it was a much lower # of people rescued from rooftops, perhaps 30,000 were rescued in total but not all of those were actual Coast Guard rescues.

Ah Mr. Rres. don’t you talk about Katrina. You’re getting my Anderson angry! He was the man in New Orleans!

I would respect Mr. Bush more if he agrees that his leadership is a big FAILURE. I am surprised nobody throws any shoes on him at the conference of today…

Watching Pres. Bush today was like watching that third string player take the game winning shot and coming up short. As much as I never thought he had any business running the country or that he had any talent, I felt sorry for the guy, but I knew from the very beginning it would end up this way. What were people thinking when they voted for him?

I’m sure the families of the victims whose bodies were found floating in the flood waters of Katrina will be reassured by Bush claiming 30,000 were pulled from roof tops. Does this man have any capability of accepting responsibility?

I watched this press conference this morning and my take on this man is that he truly truly believes he was acting in the best interests for this country. He lives in OZ…

President Bush made obvious mistakes. One thing he did not waiver on was his committment to protect our country. Like he said, it is not a popularity contest. Have you ever wondered why all the foreign countries were so happy Obama got elected???? I for one appreciate what he did and tried to do for our county and I wish Obama the best and pray for his success as well.

As bad a legacy George Bush may leave, at least we do not have double digit interest rates, and nowhere in the world did we have our people held for 444 days by a foreign government.

Mr. Cooper looks a little bit angry…I’m with you Anderson I thought his comments today about Hurricane Katrina were absolutely appalling!

Hello Mr. Cooper and the 360 crew;
I remember when Clinton left office and even though he had his nasty scandel the media seemed to not want to let him go. Almost seemed to overshadow Bush’s inauguation. So what will we see next tuesday? Will it be good riddance to the Bush’s?

Katrina – the GOVERNOR OF THE STATE said “we don’t need Federal help”, and didn’t ask for it until it was too late. That is where the LEADERSHIP FAILURE occurred. Notice – she is NOT the governor now. Coincedence?

Preach it, brother Anderson! I totally agree with you about Katrina and the Federal Government.

Ravi – I agree… he needs to read at least one book…

Good riddance to Bush. What a quagmire he’s left us with. Katrina, Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy… all failures that were his responsibility. The buck stops with Bush, and in my opinion, his departure is long overdue.

If Bush gets away without at least a life sentence in jail (I prefer hanging televised to the world) then “WE THE PEOPLE” are fools and deserve whatever we get from any person that becomes president. I personally want him executed for war crimes along with most of his cabinet.

As far as Katrina they pulled 30,000 people off the roof after the storm passed!!!!

Hey everyone, I want to get saved before the storm hits, ya know like Clinton did it and and Obama will.

Shame on anyone that voted for him, you are the real cause of our problems.

George Bush was eight years waste of our lives who are still living and 40, 60, 80 or 100 years waste of lives for those young men and women who lost their lives in this pointless war of Iraq.

Good Evening.

Our current president, Mr. Bush, will never be able to take responsibility for all of his actions.Of what he should of done, or could of done. To apologize for all of his mistakes.

We bid you farewell, Mr. Bush.

Anderson-

One of the greatest things about being human is the chance to grow!I believe Mr. Bush needs to be afforded the same ability that we wish for others to show to us.

Miranda

For all the horrid decisions made by President Bush I believe that he always did what he thought was right and really wanted to protect the American people. Methods were not always popular (or right unfortunately), but another 9/11 did not occur during the rest of his stay. I think he sincerely wishes Obama the best, as all Americans do.

It’s time for President Bush to give it up and close the book. We are a nation that seriously wanted and need a new life without Bush. His press conference was like chalk on the board.

history will judge “the Bush ERA” for what it is, “the Bush ERROR”!
NO job would have been better than the job Bush did!

All I really want to know is, is it OK to throw my shows at him NOW?

Anderson I thought W did well you watch Obama will use alot of Bushs policy.

It is long over due that Bush leave office, he should never have been elected, but thats too long a comment. He should not have the right to speak on tv this week, considering he has been ignoring the public for eight years!!!

I`m sure Hanity and Bush backers will contribute flowering
comments on this speech. He is still the same pinhead
egotistical spoiled brat he was when he was given the job.
He has no conciousness about how inept he is. Born again
my butt. Get the ignorant believers vote is all that was about.

I wonder if Mr. Bush will be blamed for the next Hurricane that swamps New Orleans. I wonder if the media will blame him for allowing a city to be semi resettled knowing, KNOWING that it sits at least 3 feet BELOW the water table?

You can sure tell when Anderson is passionate about a subject like Katrina – very animated over on the webcam.

People will look back on the last 8 years as America’s darkest hours. It will be a tremendous relief when Bush leaves the oval office. I struggle to think of anything positive that has come from his presidency and the damage he has done to our reputation around the world is almost irreparable. I for one am counting down to 1/20.09 with a huge sense of relief. Even in this awful economy things can only get better with a global minded leader at the helm of our country.

Dear Anderson, Please give up this man (Bush) never gets it.

Sharon,

Hang in there. We’ll hang on there together.

President Bush did NOT look “tipsy”. He looked exhausted from dealing with the media, the lies and then of course the not so easy task of keeping Americans safe. We will never fully appreciate his efforts and courage to take the stand he did/does against terrorists.

Emily – though, arguably, we could say that of many a president (Bush was the first who saw the US attacked on home soil since perhaps Pearl Harbor), some would argue Bush’s administration weren’t able to _prevent_ 9/11.

My first impression of this George Bush Press Conference was that of when I viewed LIVE – Richard Nixon performing his :

” .. I am not a Crook.. The American People need to know their President isn’t a Crook…”

It is my Sincere Hope that Mr. Bush does not issue any Presidential Pardons – other than for the two incarcerated Border Guards still in Prison – and that our Justice System finally undertakes investigating this Administration for the many many LAWS both Mr. Bush & Cheney sneered .

I can’t believe Bush made that comment about Katrina! He should be run outa the office on a rail. What about the 1,800 people who died. What about the fact that the first authorities to arrive were Canadian Mounties?

If Bush were on fire I wouldn’t was the spit.

Nuts! The Federal response was swift, efficient and impressive. THAT was a huge storm that impacted a large swath of land that took a little while to assess. They did just fine w/ Katrina. Louisiana and America is the wall who placed black people in such situations. Otherwise, my complaint with Mr. Bush is the same as his comment, “rhetoric” with Arab populations. I’ve complained often with that very word. A different approach could have detoured so many transfusions.

Andy of Sierra Vista, Arizona

Emily

I think the reason we haven’t been attacked is because of the damage we do to ourselves.

Wow! President Bush’s arrogance continues to amaze me. I’m at a complete loss for words.

Heck of a job, Lame W. Duck. How in the world did “we” re-elect him after having observed his act for 4 years?

@Bryan: Why? Bush has done nothing but hurt this great nation. Good riddance.

A simple “I am sorry” would have left me with alot more respect for President Bush…I am not sure if i really want to watch his final address!

Anderson- you wanted to know how we felt about Bush? Well I think he did pretty well since me and my family is sleeping safely tonight. People can complain about economy, katrina and whatever else they want. If we had an attack on our soil noone would care about a lot of those things. Was he perfect no way but history will show better toward this man.

As happy as I am to see him go, he has made us all laugh from time to time. Sad laughs but laughs nonetheless.

President Bush did a fantastic job. He kept the country safe since 9/11. The economy did not tank until the democrats took control of Congress. CNN still doesn’t get it. Your partisanship will destroy this country.

How can creating 4 million jobs that depend on tax payers money for salaries be considered a viable option for Americans and the economy? Unless those who don’t pay taxes are ones getting the jobs. Unless these jobs are created in the private sector.

Mr. Bush looks as if he has been in a 15 round heavyweight bout with a young Ali, and Jan 20 can’t come soon enough. A brutal ending to a brutal presidency; maybe time will be kind to him.

We have not had a president in office for 8 years. It will take a bit for us to relearn that means. Some of us are young enough to not even know we can have expectations of our president. We can expect him / her to be sober, we can expect intelligence, we can expect someone who is in touch with and cares about the people – all the people -in this country.

Yes, David from Clemson, I think he finally said what he has been thinking for a while.

Bush protected our nation, i think it is completley unfair for every problem with government to be put on his shoulders. He made a lot of mistakes but, who doesn’t. Just because he is the president doesn’t make him incapable of mistakes. Americans just use Bush as a skapegoat and its sad.

i think Anderson has a right to get worked up EJ… He’s seen what Katrina did and how badly it was handled firsthand.

I think the president has done the best he could under the circumstances of his presidency. One man is not to blame for the economy.

I personally always felt that that was THE biggest problem with Bush. He went into POTUS with a huge daddy complex or envy or something. I feel that is NOT a reason to become president. It is why I have great hope for Obama. Reading his books there is an overwhelming feeling that he wants to make life better for all people and he maneuvered himself into the best position to try to do that in jig time. It’s not the be all end all, but it’s a lot better beginning than “I want to make my dad proud”.

coast guard drivers?? helicopter drivers? uh the word is pilot – he should know that, but i guess he really didn’t attend the coast guard reserve to avoid vietnam. he is a delusional, arrogant, lying, piece of texas dirt. i want him arrested for war crimes.

I don’t think Guantanamo is the biggest issue, it is real in the sense that it is in the public eye. I just can’t get over how bush puts himself in the limelight by what he still says… or doesn’t say.

Hurricane Katrina was such a devastating storm, the failure of the levee system is what caused most of the devastation, the flooding, this was not expected. I think our local leaders should have requested assistance sooner, FEMA has always fallen short when it comes to helping hurricane victims, that is no surprise to most of us who live in the hurricane areas.

the full blame of the lack of response to Katrina does not fall solely on Pres. Bush.

Please folks, don’t forget one thing: There have been no more 9-11s.

Oh boy, Just woke up from a baaaad dream, seems that dream lasted 8 years. thank God it’s just a dream … OR WAS IT?

January 20th cannot come soon enough! 7.5 days and counting!

Someone should remind all of your viewers and talking heads that many of the problems President Bush had in the last 8 years were caused by Democrats in Congress blocking him.

My 11 year old..Hell! any 11 year old could do better. Good bye Mr.Bush. Maybe the world will look at the USA a little differently now. We should now honor all the promises we made to all the countries who entered Iraq with us..starting with Poland.

Bush was not qualified for the office of the president. It’s suggested that he stole the election. As far as the 2nd election, he made a lot of promises that he had no intention of fulfilling.
Also, rarely does the country change presidents when there’s a war in process.
Everyone suspects the war was over oil and not weapons of mass destruction. That’s why a lot of his appointments abandoned him in his 2nd terms.
He wasn’t qualified but his daddy wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps. Watch out for Jed in the future!
Given the position he was forced into (althought he did want it), it’s only natural that he thinks he did a good job and won’t take responsibility for anything that went wrong.

I wish more people would get angry like Cooper is. I think New Orleans post-Katrina is something you have to see, feel, smell, and hear to be truly empathetic with it.

You hear these people’s stories and you don’t understand how they keep living after they lost virtually everything. Your own life is shoved into perspective, and I still can’t believe how royally the government has failed in New Orleans.

Good Riddance George Dubya! Hi Anderson! I heart D. Gergen!

Nigel, America has been though much worse than the last 8 years, like the Civil War, the Depression and two World Wars.

Anderson,
Hi! Happy Monday.
It’s strange that this is the last week of Bush’s Presidency. Other than the tragedy of 9/11–and later of Hurricane Katrina–the war in Iraq has dominated his time in office–everything else has seemed to just revolve around it. His focus throughout–still–has remained on the war.

President Bush was so out of touch for 8 years and he continues to be out of touch. I mean what glasses is he wearing as he looks back on the last 8 years that he sees a legacy when every other person sees a disaster? He is an arrogant pompous clueless ass. That press conference today is a joke. It’s like watching a character from a tv comedy only it’s not funny when you really think about it.
I pray to God the networks don’t give him one minute of network time to say farewell. He should just pack his bags and go quietly. No one cares about this man. No one.

I disagree with your guess the pres has kept us safe he number 1 job
9/11, storms, fires,wall streets decline,2 wars, etc etc. We have been blessed to have him in office durning such hard times.I did not vote for Obama but i do wish him luck and God speed when he takes office
his plate is also very full like pres Bush was let us see how he dose

Robert

Mr. Gergen,
I remember your “warmth” comment last week and at the time thought, ‘hmm, we’ll see how that pans out. I know I’ll feel warm and comfy when he’s gone.’
I’m so impressed you remembered and revised your comments. Any other pundit would have pretended he never said any such thing. I certainly wish you were right the first time, but I appreciate so much what you’ve said tonight.
And Anderson- if you ever get an interview with Bush, I hope you grill him on Katrina like nothing we’ve ever seen.

George Bush should hide his head in shame for the way he has run our country into the ground, a useless war, and economy in a free fall, the pitiful way he handle the Katrina victims and the list goes on and on

Bush sounds defensive about his mistakes during his presidency – calling his reaction to Katrina “fast”….really?

After watching your broadcast of President Bush’s last press conference today, there is no way I could NOT respond.

As a resident of Louisiana, I found the president’s comments about the Federal government’s response to hurricane Katrina extremely offensive. As the president said, yes…there were 30,000 people removed from the roofs of buildings immediately following the storm. But the truth is, it was the good people of Louisiana who did not sit idly by and watch our citizens die. Our much-maligned governor did the best she could to facilitate the rescue of as many people as possible, all the while calling Washington D.C. adamantly requesting help, which was not forthcoming.

I suppose President Bush’s comments truly strike a nerve within me because unfortunately I supported him and voted for him…twice. Even as I began to doubt his motives for the poor decisions he made in office, I still had hope that he was doing the best he could.

Watching his comments about New Orleans today finally convinced me how untruthful Mr. Bush can be…and how gullible I was for believing in him!

President Bush has done an exceptional job!

Those who disagree are simply ignoring the truth and are unaware of the information our intelligence agencies have.

For those who are interrested, find out how many times we were bombed during the Clinton Administration — 13 to 20 times in all.

Clinton had 13 opportunities to kill Bin Laden, but stopped our special ops from doing so every time.

It is truely time for Mr Bush to go.

If they think the Republicans are going to give Obama a rough time wait until the Democrats start fighting amongst themselves.

I am glad Bush is gone.He ruined North America with his Forgein policies starting with Iraq and from there it went down hill.God Bless Obama..PS.My wife loves your show.

It’s amazing how idefiant and in denial Bush was in his farewell speech…No WMD’s? He was told ahad of time. Levies and katrina ..He was forewarned. Attacks on WTC? he was warned. The economy. He was also warned. yet he stood in denial proclaiming everythignwas fine yet after the disaster blamed everyone but himself

It would not be surprising to see those who have consistently thrown partisan critical remarks at Bush would react negatively to his comments today.

Regarding President Bush and Hurricane Katrina, does anyone remember the insensitive comment his mother, Barbara Bush made after visiting Hurricane Katrina victims in the Houston Astro Dome? She said (paraphrased), “I think this (the Astro Dome) is an improvement for many of these people.” As an African American, I viewed her comment as a highly racially insensitive comment since most of the victims in the Astro Dome appeared to be poor African-Americans. So, why did we expect any different reaction from her son today during the press conference?

President Bush appears to be incapable of genuine self-reflection and it’s hard to imagine that he even has a conscience.

There is still so much that needs to be rebuilt in LA and MS…I went back in 2007 and our church still goes twice a year to help build/fix homes.
What bothers me most about Bush is that he is so defensive….if he would be more humble and admit mistakes, to me, this shows the measure of a person.
Obama will not be perfect either, but I think he is more willing to listen and take advice from others which makes a good leader.

Hey Anderson –

President Bush needs to go back to Texas and HUSH UP!!!!! He has been a horrible president and does not deserve any services from the government – no secret service, no post presidential pay – NOTHING – hell we can’t afford to pay for it. And Dick Cheney is a modern gangster! They both have profited off of the Iraq War and what do the American people have left – 4,000+ soliders dead, a country with 1,000,000+ people out of work and folks damn near homeless!

George and Dick need to go back to their homes and see if an employer would hire them – better yet, can they stand on the unemployment line! The world is ready for both of them to go.

Obama and Biden has a hot mess thanks to George Bush. But time will equaliize all of this and God will make sure his people are taken care of.

I’m listening to the commentary on Katrina and I seriously cannot believe so-called educated men can actually speak the words coming from their mouths. There are several points to be made but most importantly is that , the so called victims, were SHOOTING at the help. Other things: the mad looting, the rapes and murder. What all of you “educated” people need to do is take a closer look at the aftermath of RITA and see how civilized people behave; those who can, help their neighbors. Victims take care of themselves and don’t wait on the government to rescue them….I could go on. Jeez….when are people going to stop blaming the government (or their parents, or their up-bringing) and take responsibility for themselves????????

Hi just wanted to say goodbye to Pres. Bush and good riddance as he has ruined our country. You cannot get out of town soon enough Mr.
Bush —your last press conference was a joke

I really agree with the comments on tonights show. I am a
republician but I believe that Pres. Bush has been a very poor president. Things seem to be out of control in Washington.

R. Williams

I will miss President Bush tremendously. A president has one primary responsibly: keep the nation safe. President Bush has a perfect record. Everything he’s done has been for this purpose. I still support the Gitmo detentions, wiretapping, and extreme measures with prisoners (waterboarding is NOT torture). Did everyone forget that we’re at war??? God bless you, President Bush.

Oh Please STOP the Katrina blame game. Where is the self responsibility for the residents and local government who failed to listen to warnings, failed to re-build with the BILLions of federal tax payer funds. We don’t hear the same whining from Florida, TX, or MO. And I’m curioous is David Gergen up for a new contract with the Bush Bashing rhetoric. Please, the election is over, now liberals (including David) start coming up with real solutions instead of the endless Bush blaming. I Too will be glad when the inauguration occurs ONLY because then the media will start focusing on all the good in our society (and give Obama credit) and stop focs=using on all the Bad (as they have for the past 8 years of Bush bashing).

If you want to blame any one group for Bush’s failure in office, then blame American’s in general for their complacency. When we tried to vote in a President (Gore) who would have had a better handle on the world at hand, WE allowed Bush to be re-elected ! Shame on us!!

The Federal government is a VERY large bureaucracy, and to expect Bush to micromanage every department is too much to ask. If you want to blame people, then blame the department heads. Blame FEMA, blame Homeland Security, etc…not just Bush.

Bush has mades some mistakes, but to blame him for everything is just too assumptive of anyone.

If I were Mr. Bush, I would simply go home quietly and hide my shame. The more he continues to defend his ignorance the more he makes the American people look foolish for having elected him as president.

Ashley — Thanks for your hard work. I build for Habitat too! Somehow the volunteers can get the job done at the most adverse times. And, they were definitely there for Katrina. I Worked with the American Red Cross and we processed almost 500 families in Charleston. FEMA seemed totally ineffective because they never got any directions, so they sat and waited and we fed, clothed and found shelter for these poor people.

George W. Bush should be taken from the White House in hand-cuffs and shackles for the crimes he has inflicted on the world. Shame on you George Bush, and all your criminal friends.

I don’t understand Harry Reid’s pompous stance that he doesn’t “work” for the President-elect. I believe that Mr Reid should be reminded that he was elected by the people of ONE state. Barack Obama was elected by the people of 50 states and also US Territories as the President of the United States! I’d say that Barack Obama’s victory shows support of the American people, not the people of one state. Get back in line, Harry!! You work for all of us.

I am not a Bush fan, but I feel that today we heard a sincere message from a Man who had the most difficult job in the World. A man who I believe truly in his heart had the best intentions for all of us.

what the heck is the president thinking by saying the federal govt.’s response during Katrina was quick. Where was the president when people were left without bottles of water and in the hot sun for more than two days before anything was done about their plight?

@Eitan and Gary – while it’s true that Bush is human and humans make mistakes, you have to remember that he was supposed to be a leader in times of crisis. he didn’t do his job very well.

It would be interesting to go into the future read the history books of my grandchildren. Not that I agree with him or VP Cheney, but I believe History will be kind to their administration.

Bush, is gone. Get over it. Let’s pray for Obama, that he can quickly turn things around.

People seem to forget that until about 18 months ago the economy grew under Bush, and unemployment was around it’s historical average of 4%.

Wow, I’m astonished by some of the pro-Bush comments. This president has done nothing but hurt this country. Yes, there has been no terrorist attack. That’s true. But our country and it’s people have been hurt deeply by its own government. This administration has done damage that will take decades to repair. Some may be sleeping safely but many are grinding their teeth at night worrying where there next meal will come from.

Hey all love the show Amderson lenjoy it evertime ,only promblem when we get to see it on tv in swiss its 4 am in the morning

I don’t think President Bush can rebut every criticism of his admin even in a 45 minute press conference. Also, he needed to work on communication more. I feel his good will for PE Obama is genuine.

How come none of the CNN pundits speak about the total ineptitude of the Democratic state and city leadership during Hurricane Katrina? They are the FIRST line of defense and relief in a situation like that and plain and simple, they blew it BIG TIME!

As for me, Bush’s departure can’t come quick enough. It’s time to rebuild what he’s broken.

hi, everyone – hope you had a good wkd

Melissa , interesting perspective. thanks.

I believe that President Bush has gotten a bad rap. 71/2 months after taking office our country was attacked. Most of the people in our country was terrified . I believe he tried his best to protect us.as for Katrina , I don’t think that people realize how long it takes to mobilize for a catastrophe of this magnitutude.Give the man a break

Bush is flat out the worst president this country has ever seen. He’s a war criminal. So many innocent people have died because of his incompetence. He has done so much damage to the idea of liberal democracy it isn’t funny. I don’t think well see another Republican president for 20 years. Thank God!

Bush was faced with incredible trials during his presidency…he is a Godly man and was defintiely tested on many fronts by the evil forces of the world as well as the liberal press. Back off and let the man leave office with some ounce of respect…enough is enough!

Anderson,
I agree with you……. I was so angry at Bush that was so bad slow response on Katrina….. I know you were so angry too!!!!!!

It drives me crazy that the last 8 years are solely placed on the shoulders of Bush. Yes, he was President for those years. Yes, he did a bad job. No, he was not the only person making decisions and creating the problems we have to deal with today. He isn’t a dictator who speaks law into existence. I guess its just easier for people to blame one man rather than a group of people.

I was starting to feel sorry for Bush whom I have had total contempt. NOW! This man outrages me yet again! What is wrong with his brain? 1 and 4 Americans think he “did a heck of a job”…

I have never looked forward more in my 60 years to a President leaving! Good riddens! Go away please. I am certainly not going to listen or see him on Thursday. What else can he say that won’t be absolutely stupid?! or ludicrous.

By the way, I am from Louisiana…2 hrs from New Orleans. There are “help wanted” signs all over New Orleans….but people don’t want to work, they want a HAND OUT from the government. I was right in the middle of the Rita aftermath…had some moderate damage but nothing compared to my people on the coast who lost everything THEY WORKED for….not what the government GAVE them!

President Bush’s press conference was a sad and frighteneing experience. That he is so out of touch with the reality of his situation is remarkable. But then again what do we expect from a man who was never intellectually or emotionally equipped for the responsbilities he was deluded into assuming. Bush’s presidency is a cautionary tale for us all. Power and money are no substitute for intelligence, curiosity, logical thinking. Bush inherited his position and shame on all of us who allowed him to become the leader of the free world.

Hi Erica!
I went to a waterford and Royal Doulton store to stock up on my pattern because they filed bankrupsy.
U?

Angelo, it was the job of the mayor and governor to ’save’ the people before the storm hit by evacuating them. They failed in that. There should have been a mandatory evacuation.

Humility is not Bush’s strong suit. It takes strength to admit your own errors or failings. I am glad his time in the White House is over.

The UN Cease File seems to be a meaningless effort to stop this war, even though leaders around the war supported efforts to cease fire. Has anyone that I just have not heard about, offered to remove innocent women, children and men as well as injured out of there so they can be safe and cared for? dg

very remarquable news conference. I’m no George Bush fan but he said something today that i think obama administration should take into consideration: those debates about torture of detainees won’t matter if there is another attack in the homeland.

As happy as I am to see him go, he has made us all laugh from time to time.

And he’s made many others around the world laugh at us too.

President George W. Bush nd Vice-President Cheney both should have been impeached for their collective crimes and incompetence!! Since impeachment is no longer an option, these two “dregs” both need to be held accountable, and serve some serious jail time for the damage that they did to this country!!

I wonder if George Bush attended the same news conference that we watched when he talked to the press? He seems to express pride in the positive outcome he believes his administration has been responsible for. We see a President out of touch with reality, minimizing the destruction he and his administration has been responsible for. Drunk or delusional? It makes one wonder and reinforces my impression of a failed administration that has been led by a detached, uninformed, unfeeling man who cares not one bit for the destruction he has left in his wake as he runs for the exit. Perhaps I am wrong but I have not been convinced otherwise.

Those who disagree are simply ignoring the truth and are unaware of the information our intelligence agencies have.

****************************************************************************
you must be part of the 23% approval rating that bush has left….

Bush was right today when he said there is an enemy out there. Does everyone forget what they did on 9/11?
What should have Bush have done, said “oh well”?

There have been no more 9-11s.

But the Bush Administration should’ve done more to prevent 9/11 from happening in the first place–it is well documented that they practically discounted important intelligence information that they were presented with.

After 17 days of the offensive in Gaza seems less the hope for peace. May God help us!

Anderson,
The crisis in Gaza is genocide against the Palestinian people. We need to condemn Israel’s actions, and the U.S needs to step up instead of wagging its tail behind the Israelis – enough is enough!

Bush refuted the slowness of the Hurricane Katrina response by referencing the success with which the Coast Guard rescued thirty thousand people. The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that does not operate under the pentagon. They act on the orders of their Commandant, Thad Allen. Their rescue operations were coordinated and executed completely independent of both FEMA and the Bush Administration. Bush, taking credit for their success, is an insult to the Coast Guard, to the victims and to the intelligence of the nation.

There are millions of people who do not agree with the people on this web site.

As for the economic crisis we are dealing with now, I place that clearly at the feet of the Democrats…especially Bill Clinton and more recently the House Banking committee.

EDIT:
And by “I wish [Gergen] were right about Bush” in his “warmth” comment, I mean for a whole reversal of history, here. I don’t want people just to like Bush for the sake of “oh, he’s our president!” No. He failed this nation. I only *wish* we could feel warm if he’d done a better job as president, and made completely different choices. Because, yeah- I don’t like feeling embarrassed and ashamed to be a citizen of this country.
So for all purposes, I wish we’d had Mr. T as a president.

What really bugs me about Bush is that he hasn’t really admitted to any mistakes…yes he’s admitted to little things like the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner was a bad idea…but none of the big things. There are still so many angry people out there and even if Bush would simply apologize some Americans might be able to find it is there hearts to be a little excited about his exit.

I’m not a Bush fan at all, but you do have to give him props in keeping the U.S. safe,,,now lets see what Obama can do, as he will be tested !! and soon…

Dear Anderson,

My thanks to all the humanitarian relief efforts and I hope to see a peaceful resolution.

I did enjoy reading your book “Dispatches from the Edge”, it has help change the way I am seeing and doing things.

Sincerely,

Lisa L
Sydney, Australia

Bush’s tone, defensiveness, and grandiosity are classic personality traits in any or all “dry-drunks” who have not entered any type of therapy to heal and make sense out of all of the time spent “numbed” and running from reality. Amazing he made it through eight years. If he didn’t have a few drinks before the press conference he certainly should have … it wouldn’t have made a difference. His “alcoholic grandiosity” was in over-drive today. Such a damaged man.

Hi, Erica!

One man cannot do the job.
Bush was only the front man he really made no decisions.
Money is what makes the decisions in this country.

As far as the economy goes for this country, bring the manufacturing back to this country and we will see it flurish.

Let good old fashion small business bring the economy back and start with getting rid of some of the rediculis rules and regulations.

Hi Erica! I had a great weekend. and i truly enjoyed the GG blog!

i’d like to clarify… i’m not pro-Bush, but i don’t think he’s a complete idiot or the only one to blame for everything wrong in this country. for all i know he’s probably a nice guy. i just don’t think he’s a good President of the United States.

How come none of the CNN pundits speak about the total ineptitude of the Democratic state and city leadership during Hurricane Katrina?

Because they were not the ones giving a news conference today defending the response…

Anderson,
nobody should live that way in the Middle East! It is not acceptable!

President Bush did NOT look tipsy. He was finally able to say some things that he should have said a long time ago but I am sure he knew the comments he would get from the media so he just waited until the end of his term when it doesn’t really matter to him what the unfair media has to say about him!!! I wish him and his family a happy life and I thank him for protecting me and my family for 8 years.

I really wanted to give Bush another chance and try to like him in his last press conf. Well, I was back to my usual complete displeasure after hearing just a bit of his statements this morning. Irrespective of how he feels, he should know by now, how to address the press and realize that he’s speaking to the American public when he does so. He’s confontational, harsh, rude, and everything a Presidential speaker should not be. I’m so glad I don’t have to look at his face any more after next week. Good riddance Bush! Yea Obama!

Wow! So much love for Bush tonight on the blog. I can say that i’m glad to see him go.

I think the last thing we owe President Bush is time on the networks detailing the accomplishment so his presidency.

If the “no terrorist attack” thing is the way we are measuring the success of the presidency then I think we are all in big big trouble.

Oh – and – that would mean Bush failed miserably just based on that measure alone.

Bush did what any president would have done during an epic disaster like Katrina. Lets not forget the mayor and what he did. The reality is there was a lot of people who did not take self responsibility and wanted the government to not only take care of them after the storm (which we should have) but wanted the geovernment to change the outcome of their lives.

I hope Gaza and Israel will ceasefire soon…… my heart breaking for 300 children killed….. I am so sad for them!!!!!

Bush legacy…what a joke. He ran as a compassionate conservative, uniter, even pro-environment (or was that pro-oil?). The stubborn, know it all, liar should be impreached or jailed. One positive thing he did was greatly enhance his father’s legacy. I think much more highly of George Bush Sr. He was smart enough not to go into Iraq. The icing on the cake of George Jr, that supported only the greedy rich that took millions in compensation, was the financial collapse where most of us lost nearly half our retirement. Good bye George. You even make the legacy of Richard Nixon look good.

The White House Press Conference today was an audaceous display of haughty obstinance. He has the chutzpah to defend the Katrina debacle! This man we call our president is a weapon of mass deceit. His policies were inundaded with follies and subliminal conspiracies within a structured framework. His plans were preconceived with long lasting inward rubric and personal bias. He caved into special interests, lobbyists, and the casino royale atmosphere in wall street. A visible melancholy and distraught overture proliferated out of the press room. His whimsical ideologies were tailored to narrow minded corporate agendas, where kick backs and isolated talking heads ultimately corrupted his executive decision making. A mismanagedand unguided blubbering mess was reflected in a senseless travesty aiming at justifying irresponsible and criminal neglect. A disappointment and a mockery of the most chivalrous position. A cavalcade of insolence to the highest degree. Never in my wildest imagination would I ever envision an individual feebly disregared and embarass the position of president of the United States. Todays press conference was the encore and takes the cake.

2 thoughts:

Hans Blix searched for several months before the invasion and found no WMD, but we invaded anyway-obviously Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld were going to invade no matter what.

In regard to stopping further attacks (alluded to by Bush today) – if you continually throw stones at your neighbor’s house (or invade their country), they will continue to be angry at you – if you talk to them and work out your differences and understand your differences, you might come to an understanding and stop the anger.

i never really though Bush was funny. being President is very serious and i think the job deserves more respect. he should have given them some one to respect and view as a leader, not one more politician to laugh at.

It’s ridiculous to defend Bush by saying there have been no more 911’s . The day before 911 there were no 911s at all. The day before the next 911 it can be said there have been no 911s since the last 911. It takes years to plan a significant terror attack. There is no evidence that his policies have made us safer. Zero.

I think many are giving one man too much ‘credit’ for everything that went wrong in the universe the last 8 years. I hope you are just as quick to blame Obama when he doesn’t turn things around for years.

I’m a little sad for George Bush during his last days as President. He seems so sad, angry, and defeated at this point.

I would liken his presidency to that of Ulysses S. Grant, who had way too much toleration for corruption in his administration. Many other individuals (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove) ran the show, in my opinion, while George just played the face to the administration. Almost the tragic hero in the typical Shakespeare play. The character’s intentions are noble, but errors in actions only lead to a downfall.

Let’ hope our new President { I am an American living in Canada} can turn our country around ,He has his work cut out for him.
Thanks CNN

Bush in my opinion is a narrasistic , still addictive personality. I did not hear “I’m sorry” and that he still backs up his ovious mistakes relates to his peronality traits. Not falling too far from the family tree, reading quotes of his Mother’s, I understand the why, but there is no should be no one above punishment for the many crimes committed. Life has a way of balancing things out, so I’ll take a wait and see additude.
Too late the nation has waken up to the shams,which I think will be ever more revealed in the near future.

Dan,

I am former military and while a lot of people have been killed a whole lot have also been saved by President Bush’s policies here at home. As he leaves I find it interesting that a lot of the projects the company my wife works for (a Defense Contractor) are no longer defensive but instead reactive as Bush leaves office. She has told me that in these closing months the projects they have been assigned by the military are mean to assist the military in being better prepared in their response to terror attacks on the Home Land. These are the first reactive projects she has personally seen since 9/11 and they did not begin to appear prior to these past few months. This tells me that at least Bush has succeeded in one area – keeping any further attacks from happening in the US. This is something no one would have believed to be possible when we were struck on 9/11.

The 9-11 attacks could have been avoided.Bush was warned ahead of time and took no action at all. Then he invaded Iraq, a country that no involvement with 9-11. After all, the majority of the hijackers were Saudi’s. Not one of the hijackers were from Iraq. As far as supporting wiretapping as Ben Franklin once said ‘those who give up liberty for security deserve niether”

Erica, cat allergies are to the saliva too. Proteins are deposited on the fur and that is what people are allergic too. Washing the pet, washing your hands, keeping them out of the bedroom, help tremendously. Also not all proteins in the saliva will always trigger allergies (each cat is different), so sometimes, you may be allergic to one cat and not another. I would suspect it is the same with dogs.

Give him a break. He was elected and he has served his time. I do not believe there is any man or woman who could have faced the challenges that confronted GW without some shortcomings. Our economic troubles were seeded years ago, Saddam needed to go, Katrina was a disaster (no one deals with disaster well), the Space Shuttle was a national loss, and September 11th should never be pinned on anyone other than the terrorists and their supporters.

No other president in my live has been confronted with as many horrific events during their service to the country. What’s done is done! Let’s all move on and do our part to get the economy, education system and the American Way of Life back on track.

The defensive nature of Bush does not serve him well at all. The true measure of a person is their willingness to admit when they are wrong…
Obama will not be perfect either but I feel he knows his limits and is strong enough to ask for help when needed.

We the people can’t point the finger solely at Mr.Bush, don’t forget we voted him in twice; aside from that snafu in FL back in 2000. I personally like the man, at least he stuck to his guns!!

I’m really disappointed that you have only negative things to say about our President. No President in history had to deal with the things that George Bush had on his watch. After inheriting some of Bill Clinton’s messes, more natural disasters in american history, and our own country getting attacked on 9/11, and terrorism across the world……and that’s just for starters.
He has kept our country safe since that day, didn’t have an affair with an intern, and got elected twice….so give the guy some credit.
By the way….what President didn’t make a few mistakes. It’s going to be real interesting when Mr. Cooper’s savior Obamba starts making mistakes….Are you going to get an all-biased panel against him?

Anderson, I was happy to hear you ask how the three-hour cease-fires to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza are working out, but disappointed that the response you received didn’t include how it’s working out for the residents of Southern Israel” The IDF is indeed holding back to ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza, but even as they do so, Hamas continues to launch rockets. Two hit homes during today’s pause (in Sderot and in Ashdod, if I am not mistaken). You are doing a great job trying to present a balanced picture, Anderson (See Gitell.com for some well-deserved praise, if you haven’t already). Please keep up the good work.

Erica,

I have to agree with Jack Gray. I’m not a big fan of the Labradoodle, either. I’m rooting for a Portugese Water Dog, they’re a sporting-type dog.

I can understand the appeal of a Labradoodle to the Obama girls, though. They’re pretty cute.

People seem to forget that 911 did happen on Bush’s watch.

this missing pilot story is so crazy.

as the wires were updating on my blackberry today, each detail seemed more unbelievable…what a tale

Does this guy in the plane not realize investigators are a little to smart to fall for this stupid ploy. Who is the masked man…really?

Hello everyone — Thanks for your comments tonight. Anderson had every reason to bet angry tonight, as he was there on the scene in New Orleans and saw how slow the government’s response was, especially for the poorest of the city’s people.

Pleased that Bush will present a farewell speech Thurday night and we will have more of a chance to assess his presidency. Right now, I would have to say that historians would rate him among America’s worst presidents, not only for what he did (Iraq, economic policies, Katrina, etc.) but what he failed to do (e.g., take global warming seriously).

Surprised to see so many of you thought he was tipsy today.,

Polly from Ohio, thanks for your kind words.

faking your own death to avoid a lawsuit and divorce? sounds like the plot of some novel i’d forget to read…

Many of you bash Bush for the job he has done, during one of the worst times in U.S. history. In the same thought, you have such high expectations of Obama. Why do you expect these things from him when he is already reneging on many of his campaign promises, when hasn’t even made it to inauguration day? The more I hear, the more I truly believe that he made all the “Change” hype just to get votes.

I am so glad and proud that President Bush stood up today and told us about his feelings. He didn’t whine, he can go home with pride.

30,000 people saved? Why should have even one person died at Federal government’s watch? I think Bush should be impeached. May be then, he will get it.

@Fay, the intelligence ahead of 9/11 say something was going to happen somewhere. How do you stop that? There were no specifics and the 9/11 commision verified that.

The money that was wasted looking for that pilot – amazing someone would pull a stunt like that.

Erica: Per your webcast, Jack Gray is mocking Obama’s dog picks now? Shame Shame. I agree, there is no such thing as an hypoallergenic dog but if the Obama’s pick a Labradoodle or a Portuquese Water Dog, they will be great choices!

to boost economy, i think we should stop offshore jobs

I don’t know what qualifies as “safe”. I and my family sleep soundly as well: does that mean our prime minister kept us safe? Some systems (military, etc.) are in place way before a world leader steps on the platform. If you want to give Bush credit for it: so be it. If others want to criticize, so be it. I remember being disappointed when Bush was first elected, then when he was re-elected, and rarely (if even) were my disappointments soothed over. But that’s just me, and we’ve all a right to our own opinion.

What rock is President Bush living under? While there may be some merit to the assertion that he can be partially credited for keeping this country safe from domestic attacks since 9/11, there is no way that he can gloss over his slowed reaction/inaction to alleviate the suffering of those who had to endure Hurricane Katrina. This may seem like a small point in the whole equation of things, but as a Louisiana native I was thoroughly disgusted and angered when our president flew from Crawford, Texas to Washington without so much as touching down immediately after the hurricane. I know he claims that he didn’t want to hamper the efforts of the Coast Guard and other relief agencies, but in times of crisis, the American people need to know that their leader is right there with them in the trenches. Sometimes, all it takes to allay fears is for a leader to be physically present right in the midst of a crisis, not weeks afterwards, to offer comforting words. The symbolic gesture can go a long way at times. It is unfortunate that Hurricane Katrina, among other things, will leave a permanent stain on Bush’s presidency.

@ Gary Gibbons ” I was glad to see Bush defend himself. The world spent way too much time listening to the Rosie O’Donnells of the world…..” Are you kidding do you read the paper? Someone wanted to spread Democrecy around the world. Like Iraq, West Bank, and Russia. Are Enemies have made 100’s of billions of dollars from oil that fund terrorist. Why is it that Afganistan produces more Opium now than they did before we invaded. We should of gotten rid of the Osama ,but why not the Poppies? So much more the list but I’m tired…

Haha, good luck redirecting this convo, Erica

Yes, I agree. Talk about resourceful… Wonder if they’ll actually find him.

It is just mind boggling to watch George Bush say that the response to Katrina was fast. If he were any kind of a man he would admit his mistakes, that being one of his biggest ones.

@ Gary Gibbons ” I was glad to see Bush defend himself. The world spent way too much time listening to the Rosie O’Donnells of the world…..”

Are you kidding do you read the paper? Someone wanted to spread Democrecy around the world. Like Iraq, West Bank, and Russia. Are Enemies have made 100’s of billions of dollars from oil that fund terrorist. Why is it that Afganistan produces more Opium now than they did before we invaded. We should of gotten rid of the Osama ,but why not the Poppies? So much more the list but I’m tired…

YOWZA how dumb can you be trying to fake your own death! He’s been watching too much CSI lol

I cannot believe the judge did not revoke Madoff’s bail!!! This man gets to live in the life of luxury still while so many have lost so much! Outrageous!! When will we start having more strict punishments for white collar crimes!

President Bush’s speech is nothing more than revisionist history & damage control. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s the most unqualified, inept, incompetent & moronic president this country has ever had. He uses the 9/11/01 attack & his response to prove his competence. IT DOESN’T, 7 years later, due to his incompetence, this country has a housing, consumer & financial meltdownn at the same time. In additon, we had lead poisoning in children’s toys, melanine poisoning, salmonella poisoning, decimation of EPA, Fed/OSHA, CDC, SEC, Interior, CIA, FBI, DOE, FAA, DEA, Education, FEMA, Clean Air Act, coal mining accidents, Americans who fly have to go through security including taking off shoes, however, cargo is still not screened & President Bush said in today’s news conference that we’ll be attacked again, Defense(even though he claims he provided all the necessary equipment to our troops which was a gigantic lie), etc. This is causing all sort of problems that the States do not have the resources to combat. The sooner he returns to Texas & out of the public forum the better.

Erica and Anderson~Let’s keep pushing Obama to rescue a pup!

I am very aware of tthe effects of racism, but I also have two brothers who were in the Marine Corp. (I can only imagine the conversations they had in Saudi ) If a soldier can’t handle rude or offensive language, how could they handle being put in position to kill someone? I guess the British are only proud of Harry if shoots someone without offending them.

Erica, I love dogs too, but I’m not overly wowed by the two dog choices. I think I’d opt for a fish, if those were my choices.

@Ashley – Hamlin, NY–now America and the world just needs to see a gone Bush…but will he ever really be gone, his mess of 8 years will haunt for years to come

regarding Prince Harry:
I know his Mama didn’t teach him to think & talk this way
first the Nazi comment (which I personally was willing to let go)
now Raisist comments; I do believe Princess Diana would be very disapointed in her boy

After reading these posts, I can see many people giving Obama the same kind of respect that many of these posters gave President Bush.

People need to cut Prince Harry some slack, if you’ve ever spent the day around military personnel you know the language isn’t exactly politically correct. These are words, people need to get over it.

Don’t be too hard on Harry!

Look what his Grandpa (Prince Phillip) has said in the past!

Just to clarify……I was a registered democrat for years. Now, I believe in voting for the best person and don’t care about the party he represents. Again, after 9/11 happened, I think any president would have had to take action…… I know our country is in a dire state right now, but I don’t think George Bush is completely to blame. He HAS done some things right – like doing whatever it took to keep us safe on our soil……

Ooooh, Mike from Syracuse, don’t you worry. Not only will Obama be blamed for everything wrong, but he’s already getting blamed for everything wrong.

What is with the royals and their inability to watch what they say? Prince Phillip has had his moments of making racially insensitive remarks.

Hill – I know! I would think that there would be easier ways to disappear…

Ah, Prince Harry. It was in 2006, people. Was it tasteful, no. But I’ve heard our own congressman and senators say things a million times worse. He is young, powerful, and with a band of men who are putting their lives on the line.

The crown’s effort to play down Harry’s comment was just poor PR. His comment likely reflects a problem with military attitudes toward such language.

I know that Prince Harry is a young man and he may have been joking around with friends but I still believe he made a foolish mistake with the racist remarks!! He is royalty no matter what and he should know better!

Prince Harry is in the news again? I thought the Royals were supposed to be well-behaved.

odd… my dad’s side of the family (tha pakistani side) seems to use the terms paki or paki-politics in conversation a lot.. i didn’t realize it was a racial slur……

Prince Harry had to agree to life.
Using Nazi swastika at a costume party to make comments and preconcetuosos not fell well for a real prince.

You learn something new every day on the slurs. Thanks 360.

I dont think anyone should have released Prince Harry saying anything like that. All this tape shows is he is human: we all say
words like that… ALL OF US do, and those that dont are liars.

All’s fair in love and war. That includes a little name calling.
People treat each other like chit, they are sent to war to KILL people, and civilized society is miffed at a few words?

And he also failed to promptly, and agressivly Seek out the true culprits of 9/11 this greatly undermined the Integrity of the Great USA and perception will be generations untill it is restored

@Kim. I assume your brothers didn’t belong to a group that woudl be the target of such language or historical discrimination. . Easy for you to say.

George W. Bush is a person that did not grow up like regular or most Americans do, he was brought up with a silver spoon, so I could anyone expect him to feel the pain or horror that regular people feel about the woeful recession or hurricane Katrina?

Hello. Was just wondering what happened to our emotions of despair, outrage, and grief if those Moslems, the men and women, that danced and partied for joy when 9/11 happened ……..and the rest of the world wept ?? We forgot? The lives lost….the attack on America? And George W Bush….who spared nothing but went all out to find enemy. He may have his faults, but he was the leader of the country that was attacked, and all his actions thereafter, were concentrated on protecting the people he had sworn to protect.

Ok, young people always say something they regret so give Prince Harry a break, at least he apologized. He is quite the spitfire though isn’t he?

Prince Harry step away from the mic,,, Talk about a silver spoon life….

Unfortunately our royal family has a history of making such stupid racist comments – Prince Phillip was the worst with his comments about Indians .

How lucky Bernie Madoff is to be under house arrest in his fancy Manhattan apartment!! Some guys have all the luck!!

who cares about the Royals

Just a Note:

Leave the Prience Harry alone he is young.

Prince Henry … it is not okay to speak in the way he did about or to others, but it is just as wrong to repeat what he said to a larger audience.

No more Joe!!! please??? i’ll beg if i have to…

This whole Joe the Plumber over in Israel pretending to be a ‘journalist’ is so ridiculous and mocks the true journalists, like Anderson and others,….
AC should not even give this guy the time of day on tv anymore…

when will these neighbours in the middle east ever live in peace with each other.

I hope the British army does not show the Prince special treatment
Muslim ESPECIALLY those who serve to protect the innocent need to be shown respect and equality; shameful

Hey Gergen. Thanks for your great insight as always. I think I need to log off soon – all this love for Bush’s response to Katrina is giving me a headache.

It overwhelms you with awe when you look down the street in New Orleans and see home and home destroyed – with baby pictures and family albums and tossed waterlogged on the floor.

And Joe the Plumber needs to go back fixing pipes. He’s completely disgracing the journalism community. Although it’s providing a nice laugh.

Congrats Pamela! Ignore Cooper’s slowness.

Anderson,

No comment on Joe who??

I found it interesting that Joe the Plumber is supposed to be interviewing people in Israel and ends up being the one interviewed! Unbelievable….

Will you please stop giving airtime to Joe the Plumber? I know he’s an idiot, but do we have to encourage him?

Joe the Plumber as a war correspondant!
That is funny!

Fer petes sake!
What is the world coming to?

There’s no way Joe the Unlicensed Plumber can possibly be a real person. You think the words coming out of his mouth can’t get any crazier, but oh, they do.

I think Prince Harry needs a good spanking…Nazi costume..racial remarks..sorry only goes so far for so long. I can understand mistakes made but he has been trained in dicipline, he hasn’t been showing much discipline.

Kim, I agree. It’s almost a double standard to kill but not offend.
Does anyone know where Prince Henry is now? Still in Afghanistan or home?

I think Harry just wants to be a kid.

I can’t believe the ignorance our current president has shown over the last 8 years and I want to know why HE hasn’t been charged with war crimes?? There’s going to be a party at our house next Tuesday when Obama is sworn in and Bush goes home.

jacqui, while the racist comments werent right it was 3 yrs ago, let it go already.

Good evening..Mr.Cooper,Ms.Hill and Mr.Gergen..
I got to see u on the blog today Mr.Gergen!!You are a wise man!

Hi AC and AC360 crew,

Among many accomplishments under President Bush, Katrina was the least. To begin with, the federal government failed to attempt preventive procedure before the storm hit, There was not a solid plan for sheltering, then the devastating aftermath, people seem to forget that there were dead bodies lying on streets, left in their house for days which local authoritives identified them later (no federal authorities at this point either, what is that?)

I know, Mr Cooper, your have your ethical obligation not to voice your opinion which is great, still, I am curious to hear what you have to say, since you experienced firsthand after Katrina hit.

I didn’t realize/think “Paki” was so offensive and controversial either.

Bush has never run a successful business in his spoiled over indulged life. What made anyone think he could run a country.

Betty – I second that!

As for Harry, this is becoming a pattern. It’s embarrassing to the royal family, and I hope appropriate action is taken. I don’t think we should “leave him alone” simply because he is a young adult. He is just that, an adult.

I feel some things, the Katrina response, the slowness to deal with mortgage market troubles for example, stem to some extent from the need to pay attention to events in Iraq and Afganistan. I don’t know if there’s any way out of that.

I don’t know much about munitions, but those flare have be incredibly intense to light up that much. And that was the important thing about Nic Robertson’s report to me, what about the 3000 people who have been injured? What are the extent of those injuries? There truly needs to be a cease fire in Gaza.

So Madoff isn’t going to jail for now? And Bush doesn’t have to admit mistakes he has made over the last 8 years? And Prince Harry has apologized and all is good? Whatever happened to taking responsibility for one’s actions?

What is with the royals and their inability to watch what they say? Prince Phillip has had his moments of making racially insensitive remarks.

yep, everyday folks really know how to govern their tongues!

ummm, they are human TOO

I’ve heard worst on the subway…Puh-leeze…

Bush can go home with pride? For what? That he waged an necessary war on a sovereign country that had no WMD’s and was not involved in 9-11? That he violated so many of our constitutional rights under the auspices of fighting terrorism? That he put the country in financial shambles because of his tax cuts to the rich and his war in Iraq and his trade polcies ? Look at how much money went unaccounted for Halliburton and Blackwater(no bid contracts).and the white collar WallStreet thugs. Bush did to the Us what Kenny Lay did to Enron

Erica and Anderson….
That poodle dog is so cute!!!!!! I am so exciting for Obama get dog for girls in White House!!!!

All Prince Harry proved as a teenager is that he’s a typical teen. Even though he’s a royal that doesn’t convey magical maturity.

What in the world are the chances of those dogs being found in a shelter and also suitable for that family. Sounds ridiculous to me. Give up the search.

You don’t have to be pro Israel to understand that until Hamas stops the attacks on Israel, there will not be peace. The world needs to stand up and tell Hamas to stop the violence, and until they do, Israel has a right to defend itself. As an old retired Fire Chief, I think the old saying applies to Hamas, ” If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the fire.” It’s just a shame that the Palestinian people are the ones to suffer for the deeds of a bunch of terrorists.

Haha, I bet Erica Hill hated doing that story. The puppies are adorable!

um.. i think i vote labradoodle

Labradoodles are very popular as Guide Dogs. In fact, I think they were bread for this purpose, initially.

I can just see the dog running wild and knocking down everything in the White House…Oops, there goes vases and lamps….:)

awwwwww!

what cute dogs.

I’ll go with the Labradoodle!! How cute!

I’m so glad the Obama gals can give the nation more of a human interest perspective.

Erica,

Ever hear of a dog allergic to grass and fleas??? my best friend has one. lol

Erica, I don’t even want to know how you found out that one can be allergic to dog saliva. I know you love your dog, but girl ….

Being in the public eye is tough… Hasn;t anyone done something similar as Harry?…

Erica: Enjoyed your report on the Obama dog picks! Looks like you had fun! Loved the “bacon” tip. However, with my dog, it’s cheese!

My money is on the Labrdoodle!!! it’s a Hybrid

I vote for a rescued DoG! THaNks~

wow I wonder who came up w the trash bag idea;that’s awesome

To Corey – Lancaster PA,
Bush doesn’t have a perfect record. Remember 9/11?

Using Nazi Swastika at a costume party and to make prejudiced comments did not fall well for a real prince.
Prince Harry chord for life.

Hello David Gergen!!!!!!
I agree with you….. it was so bad slow response on Katrina…. I hope that Bush will tell people his apology………

Well, Joe wasn’t really a plumber either. You think he’ll do as good a job of reporting as he did at plumbing? Go,Joe the ?!

Sorry Anderson, I forgot to change the channel and over-heard your comments following the Prince story. You have to admit that it wasn’t to bright to say about the bad timing associated with his remark when “…the British military is trying to recruit members of Muslim descent.” But I’m not surprised by someone that got employment based on celebrity descent.

Thank Goodness Bush didn’t get to privatize social security….That would have been another disaster….Guess he took toomany vacations to ge that done

You’re asking if Prince Harry should be punished for his stupid, racist comments while making an immature, macho/jock, soldier-boy video of his fellow soldier buddies? Meanwhile, back to Bush’s press conference, you ignored or failed to cover his telling the whole world that he gave the command to torture prisoners of war (a WAR CRIME, for crying out loud!) after getting legal opinions on how to get information from those being held. With his own words today, Bush gave the World Court the crime he and Cheney can and should be charged with. Man, is he stupid.

rescue dogs rule.

Happy 50th Motown! Thanks for the GREAT music.

Karen Young- The Bush Administration knew Al Queda was determined to attack. Bill Clinton’s intelligence team had verifiable and corrobative evidence. The Phoenix Memo clearly stated: Osama Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States of America. Bush’s advisors and counterterroism agences ignored the warning and the intelligence and turned a blind eye and deaf to world affairs that year. Buddy Boy already had his agenda and long term foreign policy stubbornly protracted out. He had personal vendetta with Captain Insano and used the Al Queda attacks as leverage to facilitate an unmandated invasion of the sovereign state of Iraq.

FLDS make me sick! That is just pedophile behavior!

I live in Houston. Having a hurricane hit your home is not fun. Just ask Ike. I volunteered to assist the Katrina evacuees immediately afterward. It is amazing to see the reaction here after Ike versus the reaction after Katrina. We will not see Galveston rebuilt for years either but not because of President Bush or any government. It is because of the magnitude of the disaster. Quit depending on your government and have some PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I think freedom of religion shouldn’t allow a church to brainwash children. I can’t believe how easily influenced and swept up people become in these cults.

Interesting. Suppose the alleged sexual abuse had been against boys in LDF. What result re taking them away?

Man, this whole thing with the FLDS kids is just ridiculous. I can’t believe what these kids had to go through.

It is scary the way we all can be fooled/cheated/etc and only know/complain after the fact… Maddoff swindles investors of $50B, the mortgage brokers bring the financial system down and coerce us to buy houses we cannot afford, Bush “single handedly” brings our economy down and fails to save people from Katrina, we are all but Victims…. hopefully the next person does not wipe us from the surface of the earth… Time for all of us to get real, and watch out for ourselves, except, ofcourse, if we trust the next administration so much that we KNOW they will just do the right thing.

All that work to break up the Flds Compound and they all were returned? I can’t say I’m surprised. It looked like it would end this way.

I’m going with the Labrdoodle.

Man Joe the plumber is REALLY milking it~

No attack since 9-11— Why is Bush given a pass for 9-11? He was clearing brush at the ranch instead of paying attention to the intelligence which said OBL & Co. Heck of a job, Bushie.

after watching the segment regarding the new white house dog, i have to disagree that there does not exist any hypoallergenic dogs. i own two shitzus and a poodle; all three have real hair rather than fur. Dogs with real hair are less likely to carry allergens on their coats. Llaso apso also fall into this category. And yes, one can be allergic to dog or cat saliva, totally different from fur vs. real hair.

theres something about people who dress like that,—- i find so alien.

Dear Anderson, great coverage on stories tonight. On the Prince Harry story, the phrase “people of Muslim descent”, used twice on tonight’s broadcast, has no meaning. Islam is a faith, not a race or ethnicity, just as Christianity is a faith, made up of people of European, Middle Eastern, Asian, etc. descent. Prince Harry’s comments are certainly offensive to all people of Arab and Pakistani descent. However, saying that the racial epithets “raghead” and “paki” are insulting to Muslims is akin to using another racial epithet, “spic” to refer to a person of Hispanic descent, and saying that this is somehow insulting to people of the Christian faith.

How can he be accused of bigamy if the second union wasn’t registered under any state law.

Good night,
Sleep tight,
Everything will be alright.
Don’t pine,
Sunshine,
It’ll be better in 2009.
X)

Hi a.c. 360 team,

You all do such a great job, very professional and informative.

I think Barrack Obama will be one of the most extraordinary presidents this nation has ever had.
I expect his adminstration to face and address, genocide, Darfur/Sudan, Gaza/Israel, Guat. Bay, Cuba; this was one of the reasons I voted for him.
If the human condition does not have human rights, we have nothing.

Re – missing pilot
is this a sign a the times?

I wanna doggie, too.

goodnite all.

Those shots were very amazing. the creativity of the recyclists is far from a gutter ball. thanx

Freedom of Religion..but you have to be old enough to make up your own mind.

Why do you think OBL is still at large.

Anderson, I am not going to go to sleep now! Don’t forget that we on the west coast watch you at SEVEN pm.

Carla

Night all. Blizzard warnings for us tonight. I’m betting both dogs will be in the bed and I’ll be taking my allergy meds!

I will believe in the concept of polygamy when the FLDS allows a woman to marry mulitple men!

Gary always does a great job! He has put so much work into this story!

I am impressed that he is familiar with Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.” Good for you Gary!

Honestly, we’re concerned that a young man in a war zone, against islamist terrorists used the epithet “towel head” ? And you had to warn viewers that they will hear offensive launguege. How, with everything that is going on in the world, is “that” news ? Stop trying to scrub honest humen behavior.

I wholeheartedly agree with Don. Motown rules! Looking forward when the lessons taught by Motown (groove, funk, heart, beat, and soul) are brought back to the charts in a fresh way. No, it is not really there right now.

Apparently, Erica was already half-way out the door ready to go home!! Those sculptures are waaaay cool! Thank you 360 and bloggers! Have a good evening.

The dresses the stars are lent to them by the designer. When the say who they are wearing, it’s free advertising for the designer.

wow
those bag creatures are awesome!
i really like them
very cool

good night everyone

That is so cool….people have time on their hand to think up stuff like that…Did you see the guy who did Dance Dance Revolution has another video?
Night everyone…sleep well…

Anderson,

Mr. President outgoing seemed a bit bitter at his going Away address. Have not seemed him that worked up since well never.

It may be “cool, ” but it more a gimmick than art.

You New Yorkers really expect strange things. (re: the trash ‘monsters’)

Monday’s Shot. Plastic animals? I think the Obamas just found their hypoallergenic pet. No fur, No sniffles..Problem solved. Night all

Good night Anderson, Erica, David Gergen, Brandi and best bloggers!!!!!
Have a great night and sleep tight!!!!
See you tomorrow night!!!!!
Anderson,
Get sleep at home after work!!!!!

Good Night Anderson, Erica and bloggers! Have a great night! Stay warm! That is very cool! Awesome shot of the day!

Thats a fun idea…

The “Shot” was pretty cool! It’s amazing how creative people can get, especially with garbage bags!

Great discussion and topics tonight. Nite all!

That is so cool….people have time on their hand to think up stuff like that… Night everyone…sleep well…

@ Jules: Part of the Geneva Convention rules is that nations respect each other’s POA’s. IE: The soliders must be wearing a uniform of their respective country. Humm…last time I checked terrorists did not wear uniforms or represent a country.

You’re right Anderson with the shot. How cool! Very creative! Why didn’t I think of that?! Thanks for a great show! Good night!

It’s always reassuring to know that art still thrives and exists…even when garbage is the only thing plentiful in this economy. Creativitiy never ceases to amaze me.

Thanks for a great show tonight AC360 group. I appreciate the hard work you all had to put in on an Monday night. Stay safe!

Those things are cool. But if that huge trash sculpture unexpectedly “came to life” while I was walking by….

Great show tonight Anderson and Erica but I gotta tell ya that one woman is more than enough for me. Good night to you all and to all Bloggers. See you tomorrow night.

I hope that guy who intentionally crushed his aircraft does not end up killing himself. It is not the end of the world, man.
goodnight everyone and Anderson I hope you blog tomorrow.

GN Erica, Andy, DG, 360 staff and bloggers

8 more days till a brighter tom

Well, on such a musical note, goodnight Anderson, Erica, CNN and all the bloggers here. Peace

Joe the journalist ? About as bizzare as Sarah Palin the vice-presidential candidate. But don’t underestimate the American public. They elected “W” twice.

night anderson & erica

hope those trash figures don’t give u both bad dreams!