Before I even begin, I realize that writing a blog about George W. Bush could be a very polarizing topic.Here's what I would recommend- save the anti-Bush rhetoric for a different forum. This blog isn't about his policies or being a republican. Its about the interview from last night.
Last night, Matt Lauer interviewed President Bush about his new book "Decision Points" for about an hour, and it was a very interesting interview. I like the office of the President, I always have. Regardless of the political office, the history of the Presidency is a great history of our nation. Last night was no different.
President Bush is not without his detractors. First there was the hanging chads, then 9-11, then Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina,the bank bail-outs, and "tax cuts for the rich". Talk to anyone and they have an opinion on W.
In the interview, Matt Lauer hit on all of those points directly. He asked Him if he would have done stuff differently. He asked him if he thought the intelligence was flawed, if Katrina was handled correctly. He asked President Bush how he thought about the bank bailouts and how it reflected the principles of a free market economy.
Here's what I saw and what I loved. Right or wrong, President Bush owned every last thing that he did in his Presidency. He didn't pass the buck. He didn't criticize. He didn't blame someone else. He didn't say 'the previous administration'. He didn't hide behind his words. His message was clear- what happened while he was President was his doing. He made the decisions and he stood by them.
I respect that a lot.
President or not, there are a ton of people today that refuse to own up to what they did, or take responsibility for their actions. Its always someone elses fault, and never their own. They live in a world of circumstance where they are powerless to affect the situations around them. Frustrates me. I like it when people take responsibility for their actions.
It made me think of what Jesus said in the 12th chapter of Matthew. "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Words say it all. Its all we've got. We all make decisions every day, and when faced with them, we make a choice on whom we are going to place the responsibility of our actions and words.
Do you pass the buck? Do you blame others? When faced with a bad situation, do you grab a mental list of who to blame, or a mirror? Think about that today. Don't blame others when faced with the decisions you have made. Own up to them. Sure, you're no President, and Bush isn't perfect, but we all can own up to what we do and say.
Be blessed
pastor matt
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