Nov. 11, 2010
BOOK REVIEW: 'Decision Points'
George W. Bush's Memoirs Recounts Major Turning Points in His Life, Political Career
Reviewed By David M. Kinchen
When President George W. Bush set out to write his memoirs, he relates in the introduction to "Decision Points" (Crown, 528 pages, $35.00; also available as an abridged 6 CD audio book read by the author, $35.00) he was advised to read the President Ulysses S. Grant's "Memoirs". Presidential historians told him that rather than following a chronological pattern, Grant used anecdotes of his experiences as a Civil War general to tell his story.
In his surprisingly readable book, which is amply illustrated with black and white and color photographs, the 43rd president divides his "decision points" into fourteen categories, starting with one he considers to be the most important one of all, quitting drinking in 1986 at the age of 40. Absent this decision, Bush doubts that he would have become a two-term Texas governor and he definitely wouldn't have served two terms as president. On Page 25 he provides for the first time details of the DUI on the Labor Day weekend of 1976 in Kennebunkport, Maine, when he was arrested by local policeman Calvin Bridges who thought it odd that Bush was driving about ten miles a hour with two wheels up on the curb. The revelation of his arrest during the 2000 campaign cost him at least 2 million votes, he estimates.
I can hear those opposed to Bush retort that they wished he had continued drinking and not made it to the White House, but even Americans who voted for his opponents can learn from reading "Decision Points." For the record, the fourteen "Decision Points" chapters in the book are: Quitting, Running, Personnel, Stem Cells, Day of Fire, War Footing, Afghanistan, Iraq, Leading, Katrina, Lazarus Effect, The Surge, Freedom Agenda, Financial Crisis, and a brief Epilogue. Bush says he has his father's eyes and his mother's mouth, alluding to Barbara Pierce Bush's often sharp tongue and tendency to show anger quickly. Fortunately, he writes that he inherited his sense of humor from both parents; the book has anecdotes aplenty with Bush deprecating his real or imagined faults, including his tendency to make bloopers that provided fodder for his critics. The online magazine Slate called them "Bushisms."
But, seriously, folks, most of "Decision Points" is serious business, with Bush readily admitting, for instance, that instead of flying over Louisiana, he should have flown to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, during Katrina, just as Lyndon Johnson visited Louisiana during a hurricane that struck the state during his administration. Bush says (Page 310) that the administration's response "was not only flawed...but unacceptable. The problem was not that I made the wrong decision. It was that I took too long to decide."
Of course, he has few good words for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. When he met them aboard Air Force One at the New Orleans Airport (Page 308) in the aftermath of flooding in New Orleans and asks "Who's in charge of security in New Orleans?" Blanco and Nagin point fingers at each other. He says his "heck of a job, Brownie" comment to FEMA Director Michael Brown was another error that was taken out of context. In fact, he writes, "Brownie" had done a great job managing the agency in 2004, the year before Katrina, when three major hurricanes slammed into Florida. There was more than enough blame to go around on the federal, state and local level, he writes.
Bush explains that the "Mission Accomplished" banner that served as a backdrop for him on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln was placed by his staff to honor the crew of the ship after their long deployment. (Page 257). It was a serious mistake, he admits, for him to appear with the banner behind him when the Iraq war was still in its early stages.
On Page 260 he says his comment "Bring 'em on" referring to insurgents in Iraq was a mistake that taught him better how to parse what he said about Iraq and think about the multiple audiences that were listening.
Much of "Decision Points" is devoted to Bush defending himself from his critics, for example, when he says on pages 446-448, that he wasn't the reckless spender who squandered the 2001 budget surplus and racked up huge deficits. He writes that his budgets provided the needed funds to protect the country while restraining non-security spending and attempting to rein in entitlement costs. Bush even supplies a table comparing his administration's level of spending, taxes and debts to those of his predecessors.
Bush is proud of his decision to support stem cell research, certainly not a comfortable position with many of his constituents, and on Page 106 shares a very personal letter from Nancy Reagan asking for his support of stem cell research. On Page 124 he describes how he used his first presidential veto to reject a bill overturning his stem cell policy and how his stance is vindicated by a scientific advance to create stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Some of Bush's early bonding friendships, didn't turn out; for instance his initial assessment of Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Others, however, worked out well as he talks about his friendship with U2's Bono with both humor ("Used to be married to Cher, didn't he?") and seriousness as they grew like-minded in their cause to help the poor and needy. Bush says (Page 348 that Bono's support of Bush's Millennium Challenge Account cost him George Soros's funding for his own charities. Bush's friendship with British Prime Minister Tony Blair is well known and is amply described in "Decision Points."
The Epilogue describes his last days in the White House with reflection and humor. One bit of humor comes when his dog Barney reminds him (Page 475) how much life has changed: "Shortly after we moved to Dallas, I took Barney for an early morning walk around our neighborhood. I hadn't done anything like that in more than a decade. Barney never had -- he'd spent his entire life at the White House, Camp David, and Crawford. Barney spotted our neighbor's lawn and promptly took care of his business. There I was, the former president of the United States, with a plastic bag in one hand, picking up that which I had been dodging for the past eight years."
Publisher's website: www.crownpublishing.com
George W. Bush Presidential Center website: www.georgebushcenter.com
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BOOK REVIEW: 'Decision Points'
George W. Bush's Memoirs Recounts Major Turning Points in His Life, Political Career
Reviewed By David M. Kinchen
When President George W. Bush set out to write his memoirs, he relates in the introduction to "Decision Points" (Crown, 528 pages, $35.00; also available as an abridged 6 CD audio book read by the author, $35.00) he was advised to read the President Ulysses S. Grant's "Memoirs". Presidential historians told him that rather than following a chronological pattern, Grant used anecdotes of his experiences as a Civil War general to tell his story.
In his surprisingly readable book, which is amply illustrated with black and white and color photographs, the 43rd president divides his "decision points" into fourteen categories, starting with one he considers to be the most important one of all, quitting drinking in 1986 at the age of 40. Absent this decision, Bush doubts that he would have become a two-term Texas governor and he definitely wouldn't have served two terms as president. On Page 25 he provides for the first time details of the DUI on the Labor Day weekend of 1976 in Kennebunkport, Maine, when he was arrested by local policeman Calvin Bridges who thought it odd that Bush was driving about ten miles a hour with two wheels up on the curb. The revelation of his arrest during the 2000 campaign cost him at least 2 million votes, he estimates.
I can hear those opposed to Bush retort that they wished he had continued drinking and not made it to the White House, but even Americans who voted for his opponents can learn from reading "Decision Points." For the record, the fourteen "Decision Points" chapters in the book are: Quitting, Running, Personnel, Stem Cells, Day of Fire, War Footing, Afghanistan, Iraq, Leading, Katrina, Lazarus Effect, The Surge, Freedom Agenda, Financial Crisis, and a brief Epilogue. Bush says he has his father's eyes and his mother's mouth, alluding to Barbara Pierce Bush's often sharp tongue and tendency to show anger quickly. Fortunately, he writes that he inherited his sense of humor from both parents; the book has anecdotes aplenty with Bush deprecating his real or imagined faults, including his tendency to make bloopers that provided fodder for his critics. The online magazine Slate called them "Bushisms."
But, seriously, folks, most of "Decision Points" is serious business, with Bush readily admitting, for instance, that instead of flying over Louisiana, he should have flown to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, during Katrina, just as Lyndon Johnson visited Louisiana during a hurricane that struck the state during his administration. Bush says (Page 310) that the administration's response "was not only flawed...but unacceptable. The problem was not that I made the wrong decision. It was that I took too long to decide."
Of course, he has few good words for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. When he met them aboard Air Force One at the New Orleans Airport (Page 308) in the aftermath of flooding in New Orleans and asks "Who's in charge of security in New Orleans?" Blanco and Nagin point fingers at each other. He says his "heck of a job, Brownie" comment to FEMA Director Michael Brown was another error that was taken out of context. In fact, he writes, "Brownie" had done a great job managing the agency in 2004, the year before Katrina, when three major hurricanes slammed into Florida. There was more than enough blame to go around on the federal, state and local level, he writes.
Bush explains that the "Mission Accomplished" banner that served as a backdrop for him on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln was placed by his staff to honor the crew of the ship after their long deployment. (Page 257). It was a serious mistake, he admits, for him to appear with the banner behind him when the Iraq war was still in its early stages.
On Page 260 he says his comment "Bring 'em on" referring to insurgents in Iraq was a mistake that taught him better how to parse what he said about Iraq and think about the multiple audiences that were listening.
Much of "Decision Points" is devoted to Bush defending himself from his critics, for example, when he says on pages 446-448, that he wasn't the reckless spender who squandered the 2001 budget surplus and racked up huge deficits. He writes that his budgets provided the needed funds to protect the country while restraining non-security spending and attempting to rein in entitlement costs. Bush even supplies a table comparing his administration's level of spending, taxes and debts to those of his predecessors.
Bush is proud of his decision to support stem cell research, certainly not a comfortable position with many of his constituents, and on Page 106 shares a very personal letter from Nancy Reagan asking for his support of stem cell research. On Page 124 he describes how he used his first presidential veto to reject a bill overturning his stem cell policy and how his stance is vindicated by a scientific advance to create stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Some of Bush's early bonding friendships, didn't turn out; for instance his initial assessment of Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Others, however, worked out well as he talks about his friendship with U2's Bono with both humor ("Used to be married to Cher, didn't he?") and seriousness as they grew like-minded in their cause to help the poor and needy. Bush says (Page 348 that Bono's support of Bush's Millennium Challenge Account cost him George Soros's funding for his own charities. Bush's friendship with British Prime Minister Tony Blair is well known and is amply described in "Decision Points."
The Epilogue describes his last days in the White House with reflection and humor. One bit of humor comes when his dog Barney reminds him (Page 475) how much life has changed: "Shortly after we moved to Dallas, I took Barney for an early morning walk around our neighborhood. I hadn't done anything like that in more than a decade. Barney never had -- he'd spent his entire life at the White House, Camp David, and Crawford. Barney spotted our neighbor's lawn and promptly took care of his business. There I was, the former president of the United States, with a plastic bag in one hand, picking up that which I had been dodging for the past eight years."
Publisher's website: www.crownpublishing.com
George W. Bush Presidential Center website: www.georgebushcenter.com
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