George W Bush: I'm comfortable with my legacy
George W Bush has said he has no regrets with his presidency, 10 years after the invasion of Iraq, declaring that he is "comfortable" with his legacy.
Former President George W. Bush with his wife Laura Photo: AP
By Chris Irvine 10:53AM BST 15 Apr 2013
In a very rare interview, the former US president, 66, who has largely shied away from the public eye since leaving office, said that he was "confident the decisions were made the right way", as he reiterated his support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Speaking ahead of the opening of the George W Bush Presidential Centre next week, Mr Bush told the Dallas Morning News (subscription) that he reflected on the "realities of the situation 10 years ago" – that the invasion of Iraq had cross-party support.
"It's easy to forget what life was like when the decision was made," he said.
Mr Bush, when asked what he might have done differently during his eight years, said he regretted his failure to overhaul Social Security and immigration policy. He added however that his presidency was "defined by things that you didn't necessarily want to have happen", such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
Despite the constant criticism since leaving office, especially from his successor Barack Obama, Mr Bush said he is not interested in "self pity".
"I'm comfortable with what I did. I'm comfortable with who I am," he declared. In the interview, he shied away from Mr Obama's claims that he inherited a mess of an economy from his predecessor. "My only point is that when there's an objective analysis of our fiscal record, people will say, 'Well, that's different than I thought.'"
The former president, who now lives in Dallas with his wife Laura and became a grandfather for the first time at the weekend, also called on his Republican party to revert to the "compassionate conservatism" by which he claims to have been guided, as well as address with the immigration debate with a "benevolent spirit".
Nonetheless, he said he has "no burning desire" to re-enter the day-to-day political scene.
"People ask me, 'What about the economy?'" he said. "My answer is, 'Why don't you go hire an economist?"
He said he is enjoying his retirement, spending his days mountain biking, as well as painting.
“People are surprised,” he said. “Of course, some people are surprised I can even read.”
The George W Bush Presidential Centre will be dedicated on April 25 on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
