Bush new Book: I cry a lot
(CNN) – A new book about President George W. Bush claims former deputy chief of staff Karl Rove discouraged the president from naming Dick Cheney as his running mate, and suggests Rove objected to nominating former White House counsel Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the book, “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush,” to be released Tuesday, journalist Robert Draper describes dissent among some of the President’s closest advisers even before Bush reached the White House. CNN was able to purchase a copy of the book on Monday.
On selecting Cheney as the vice presidential running mate in 2000, Draper, paraphrasing Rove’s thinking, writes, “Selecting Daddy’s top foreign-policy guy ran counter to message. It was worse than a safe pick – it was needy.” But, Draper writes, “Bush didn’t care. He was comfortable with Cheney.”
… In researching the book, Draper interviewed President Bush six times. He includes some very intimate details about the president’s life. Bush is quoted as saying that “self-pity is the worst thing that can happen to a presidency.” But the president is quoted as saying first lady Laura Bush reminds him that “‘I decided to do this.’”
Draper says President Bush also admits that he cries. “I’ve got God’s shoulder to cry on. And I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I’ll bet I’ve shed more tears than you can count, as president,” Bush told Draper.
After he leaves office, President Bush is quoted as telling Draper that he wants to build what he calls a “Fantastic Freedom Institute” in Dallas. He describes it as being a place where young leaders can come, write and lecture.
But first, Bush tells Draper, he wants to make some money to “replenish the ol’ coffers,” noting he can make “ridiculous” money on the lecture circuit.
“I don’t know what my dad gets. But it’s more than 50, 75 [thousand] … Clinton’s making a lot of money,” the president is quoted as saying.
Editorial Review
In this ambitious work of political narrative, Robert Draper takes us inside the Bush White House and delivers an intimate portrait of a tumultuous decade and a beleaguered administration. Virtually every page of this book crackles with scenes, anecdotes, and dialogue that will surprise even long-time observers of George W. Bush.
With unprecedented access to all the key figures of this administration — from six one-on-one sessions with the president, to Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, Karl Rove, and perhaps 200 other players, some well known, some not — Draper has achieved what no other journalist or contemporary historian has done thus far: He has told the story of the Bush White House form the inside, with a special emphasis on how the very personality of this strong-willed president has affected the outcome of events.
-MORE-
UPDATE: ‘Wash Post’ and ‘NYT’ Excerpts
eÆsthete
Q: What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Leave a Reply