Bush, at Library Ceremony, Says He Stuck to Beliefs

Daily News Article   —   Posted on April 26, 2013

image883(by Colleen McCain Nelson, The Wall Street Journal) UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas – Former President George W. Bush, dedicating the library and museum that will house his presidential records, on Thursday said he stayed true to his core convictions during his time in the White House by lowering taxes, raising school standards and leaving foreign countries liberated from dictators.

[“My deepest conviction, the guiding principle of the administration, is that the United States of America must strive to expand the reach of freedom,” Bush said. “I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart.”]

The dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University [in Dallas] highlighted the 43rd president’s resolve after Sept. 11, his work in Africa and his good humor, with only passing references to the controversial decisions that marked his two terms in office.

Mr. Bush said that as president, his deepest-held conviction was that America must strive to expand the reach of freedom.

“One of the benefits of freedom is that people can disagree,” Mr. Bush said, adding that he created plenty of opportunities for people to exercise that right.

The opening of Mr. Bush’s library and museum has prompted an examination of his administration, as Bush allies have argued that with the benefit of time, many of the former president’s actions would be viewed more objectively and positively.

The library itself invites debate and discussion, with interactive displays and theater that allows visitors to walk through four key decision points that Mr. Bush faced and then weigh in with what they would do.

image882Thursday was the rare occasion that brought together five U.S. presidents: Mr. Bush; his father, George H.W. Bush; Barack Obama; Bill Clinton; and Jimmy Carter. The event also drew an array of leaders from around the world; members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio); several governors, including New Jersey’s Chris Christie; and a who’s who of Bush administration officials. [Also in attendance were former heads of state including former Prime Ministers Tony Blair of Britain, Ehud Olmert of Israel and Silvio Berlusconi of Italy as well as Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar.]

It was an emotional event for father and son as the two former presidents appeared on stage together, the elder Bush rising from his wheelchair to stand next to his son for a moment. The courtyard in the museum features statues of the two Bush presidents standing side by side.

“It is awesome that you are here today,” Mr. Bush said to his father.

The five living presidents had gathered only once before, at the White House in 2009 after Mr. Obama was elected. …On Thursday, they highlighted the positive and made light of their disagreements. …

President Obama has been among Mr. Bush’s most vocal and persistent critics, blaming his predecessor for the financial crisis he inherited. But on Thursday, he praised Mr. Bush’s willingness to reach across the aisle and his work to rewrite immigration laws – an effort that Mr. Obama vowed to complete.

“Every president gains a greater appreciation for all those who served before him, for the leaders from both parties who have taken on the momentous challenges and felt the enormous weight of a nation on their shoulders,” Mr. Obama said. “And for me, that appreciation very much extends to President Bush.”

Mr. Clinton didn’t hesitate to poke fun at Mr. Bush, joking about the 43rd president’s new hobby of painting…

Mr. Clinton also nodded in jest to the challenge every president faces in defending his legacy, calling the library the “latest, grandest example of the eternal struggle of former presidents to rewrite history.”

When it was Mr. Bush’s turn to speak, he said that “when future generations come to this library and study this administration, they’re going to find out that we stayed true to our convictions – that we expanded freedom at home by raising standards in schools and lowering taxes for everybody – that we liberated nations from dictatorship and freed people from AIDS and that when our freedom came under attack, we made the tough decisions required to keep the American people safe.”

Mr. Bush, who wiped tears from his eyes as he finished his remarks, called Thursday a happy day as he looked across the crowd of family and friends who came to celebrate his library.

“Beautiful building has my name above the door, but it belongs to you,” he said. “It honors the cause we serve and the country we share.”

[“I dedicate this library with an unshakable faith in the future of our country,” Bush said, noting that he had “the honor of a lifetime to lead a country as brave and as noble as the United States. Whatever challenges come before us, I will always believe our nation’s best days lie ahead. God bless.”]

Copyright 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. Visit the website at wsj.com.



Background

The Presidential Library system: