What’s your favourite BUSH moment?

[cynical lady]

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself."

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

 

BUSH: Well, I mean that a defeat in Iraq will embolden the enemy and will provide the enemy – more opportunity to train, plan, to attack us. That's what I mean. There – it's – you know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror. I believe it. As I told you, Osama bin Laden believes it. But the American people – have gotta understand that a defeat in Iraq – in other words, if this government there fails - the terrorists will be emboldened, the radicals will topple moderate governments.

 

I'm worried, Katie, strongly worried about a world if we – if – if we lose, you know, our confidence and don't help – defeat this ideology, I'm worried that 50 years from now they'll look back and say, "How come – Bush and everybody else didn't see the fact that these – this group of people would use oil to affect our economy?"

 

Or, "How come he didn't confront the Iranian threat and its nuclear ambitions?" Or, "Why didn't you support the moderate governments there in the region?" And – I – I truly believe this is the ideological struggle of the 21st century. And the consequences for not achieving success are – are dire.

 

COURIC: You've been saying that al-Qaeda's base of operation has been destroyed and many of the leaders caught or killed.

 

BUSH: Yeah.

 

COURIC: And yet now you're comparing Osama bin Laden to Hitler. So is this a shift in your views or perspective on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda?

 

BUSH: No, he's always been dangerous. He's always been dangerous. And, yeah, we disrupted their safe haven in Afghanistan, and they want it back. Just like they wanna have a safe haven in Iraq. That's the struggle. And – let me repeat to you what I said about Hitler, just to make sure we get it straight here, that – I said that when a – a person like Osama bin Laden speaks, we better be careful about what he says, listen, pay attention to his words. And that's what we didn't do to Adolph Hitler early on.

 

COURIC: Why hasn't he been caught five years later?

 

BUSH: Yeah, no, that's a good question. I mean, he's hiding. And – we're on the hunt, obviously.

CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

 

"I understand small business growth. I was one."

New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

 

"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."

Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

 

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?"

Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

 

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."

Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

 

[General Duke]

Bushisam is amazing. The man had a way with words..

On his father

 

"He was a great father before politics, a great father during politics and a great father after politics."

—On his father, George H.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

On Religion

 

"I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president."

—Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

"The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there's a lot of prayer—prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I'm one of them."

—Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 3, 2008

On the Economy:

 

"I've abandoned free market principles to save the free market system."

—Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2008

"We got plenty of money in Washington. What we need is more priority."

—Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

"Let's make sure that there is certainty during uncertain times in our economy."

—Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

On history & his enemies

 

"One of the things important about history is to remember the true history."

—Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008

 

"Should the Iranian regime—do they have the sovereign right to have civilian nuclear power? So, like, if I were you, that's what I'd ask me. And the answer is, yes, they do."

—Speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C., July 2, 2008

I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office."

—Washington, D.C., June 26, 2008

"And they have no disregard for human life."

—Describing the brutality of Afghan fighters, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008