Bush’s Gracious and Cooperative Attitude Toward Obama

In the final days of his presidency, Bush’s conciliatory attitude is a reminder of what might have been.

By Kenneth T. Walsh

My reaction: I’m sure Bush could’ve done more to reach across the aisle, but remember that he did make early efforts (such as No Child Left Behind) and was attacked mercilessly anyway. Unlike Obama, Bush enjoyed no post-election honeymoon or peaceful transition, as his victory was bitterly challenged by Al Gore and company ’til right before inauguration day.

This article makes it seem as if the lack of comity is all W’s fault. Get real. It was not he who politicized national security, who trumped up the Valerie Plame nonscandal, and who was relentlessly mocked by the other side.

Sure, most presidents want to win against the opposing party, but I don’t recall U.S. News wistfully wishing Bill Clinton had reached out to the Republicans. Bush’s actions toward the president-elect are genuine reflections of his basic personal decency. He is neither the buffoon nor the evil mastermind that the Left has depicted him as, but a flawed human being who tried to do the best he could for the country in a time of national crisis and got precious little help from Democrats such as Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Let’s hope Republicans show more class with Obama than the Democrats did with
Bush.

About Stan Guthrie

Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers. Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's €œTell Me More,€ WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio'€™s €œNew Day Florida.€ A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
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