Bush: I Didn't Compromise My Soul To Be Popular

WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush knows he's unpopular. But here's what matters, he says: "I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy." In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News Channel, Bush also praised the national security team assembled by President-elect Barack Obama, offered hope to U.S. automakers seeking government assistance and said the people of Illinois will have to sort out allegations that Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought kickbacks in choosing a successor for Obama's Senate seat.

Bush said presidents fail when they make decisions based on opinion polls.

"Look, everybody likes to be popular," said Bush.

"What do you expect? We've got a major economic problem and I'm the president during the major economic problem. I mean, do people approve of the economy? No. I don't approve of the economy. ... I've been a wartime president. I've dealt with two economic recessions now. I've had, hell, a lot of serious challenges. What matters to me is I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy."

An Associated Press-GFK poll last week showed just 28 percent of the public approving of the job Bush is doing, about where he has been all fall. Among Republicans, 54 percent approve, a low figure from members of a president's own political party.

Bush said he didn't think he would be viewed as the 21st century's Herbert Hoover, who was president during the Great Depression. He said he worked to keep the economy from collapsing.

"I'm a free market guy," Bush said. "But I'm not going to let this economy crater in order to preserve the free market system. So we made a lot of very strong moves and it's been painful for a lot of people, particularly because, you know, this _ the excesses of the past have caused a lot of folks to hurt when it comes to, like, their 401(k)'s or, you know, their jobs."

He said his administration is continuing to look at options for helping the Big Three automakers and that it needs to get done "relatively soon." He said a "disorganized bankruptcy" of one or more of the automakers could cause great harm to the economy "beyond that which we're now witnessing."

"That concerns me," he said. "And the other point is that I _ I'm not interested in _ in really putting good money after bad."

On other subjects:

_ Bush called Obama's national security team "solid," especially praising his own Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will continue in the post in Obama's administration.

"I think the incoming administration's going to have to fully analyze the risks and the tools and _ come to their own conclusion," he said. "But one thing's for certain. I'm confident that President-elect Obama knows that one of his most solemn duties is to protect the American people."

_ Bush avoided discussing Blagojevich.

"They're going to have to sort it through in Illinois," Bush said. "Obviously anytime anybody allegedly betrays the public trust there's got to be great concern because, you know, democracy really is, you know, really rests on the trust of the people. It's a system of people and by people and for people. And, therefore, the public trust is important."

Comments

[KareninSac]

Hey, George, quit acting like a victim here. It's BECAUSE of your leadership (or lack thereof) that our country is in the toilet. That's why you're so unpopular. I guess if you had a brain you'd already know that.

[RTIII]

"I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy."

OK, then, why DID you compromise your soul (presuming you have one)?
.

[johninoregon]

Bush is right. He's no Herbert Hoover. Despite his blind spot about the need to limit government's role in combatting the Depression, Hoover was a compassionate guy who administered a massive food distribution program for people in Europe affected by World War I. Needless to say, compassion in not W's strong suit.

[julianne]

ok

[gnorrfa]

nixon got drunk and wandered around the white house talking to presidential portraits. bush wanders around lying to the media, which listens politely. the u.s. economy is up to its neck in the big muddy, the country is deeply in debt and roundly despised throughout the world because of this organism with manly aspirations and he refuses to accept responsibility. you'd like to have a beer with this guy? i wouldn't give him the end product.

[PierreLeClerke]

Nicely done!

[chappelforpres]

Bush has always confused pragmaticism and compromise with "pig-headed inflexibility"

[trying-to-be-objective]

No, he didn't compromise his soul to be popular. He compromised it for power and oil money.

[glimmerofhope]

He may think he's not compromising his soul, but he showed us the other day he can certainly duck one thrown at him!

[Savanna]

It is sad when one has so little understanding of the nature of the country that he is elected to serve that one has no idea what he could have done to harm his country and his post. What a pity for him and for us.

[oilcan905]

Bush attempted to spread democracy abroad at the ultimate price : democracy at home.
he shall be remembered as the president that pissed on the rule of law and the freedoms that formed the basis of this great republic.
re his lack of popularity, most war criminals are similarly situated. if only the iraqi reporter had 10 feet and a better arm.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

No, he compromised both our strategic and economic security. What Bush never realized is that his soul, if has one, or ideology are not important, the good of the nation is. He was obligated to leave the country as least in the shape he found it, not in his image and likeness, the country is not Texas. Bush won reelection by the smallest margin possible and his numbers went down hill from there. Only 18% polled are going to miss him, so did he compromise 82% of us ?

[swellsoire]

Hoover could speak the English language. New-cue-lur!

[xansam]

you have to have a soul in order to compromise it, george!

[Matt2sacs]

Soul? If you had one, you wouldn't become selfish and almost be pleased that this recession occured while YOU were in office. Truth is - this latest recession is simply an official summary of what your tenure has produced and what the next administration will have to get us out of. I wouldn't even discuss popularity - as far as I know, they probably won't even let you enter foreign countries out of fear that your mere presence might just give them bad luck. Just go back to texas and your hundred-acre ranch and sit there in isolation with your family's $, you spoiled idot. If anything, we can thank you for truly letting the world know that ANYONE can become president. (I believe Palin was inspired)

[Wender]

Bush is worse than Hoover. The fact that he is not in jail YET speaks volumes about how corrupt my Democratic party is.

[nirek]

I must agree, bush is far worse than Hoover , and he DOES belong in jail along with cheney, rummy and rove. ( note: lower case first letters out of disrespect for these crooks)