President Barack Obama said President George H.W. Bush "was one of the more underrated presidents" the U.S. has had in modern history.
“He had principles, but he also had common sense," Obama told Fox News. "And when you look at both how he managed foreign policy and when you think about how he handled domestic policy in each case he was thoughtful, restrained, and made good decisions. And I think that ultimately he was one of the more underrated presidents that we've ever had certainly in modern times.”
Obama's comments come after a new biography on the 41st president revealed Bush's more candid thoughts on former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. According to biographer Jon Meacham, Bush called Cheney "iron-ass," something the former VP told Fox News he took as a compliment.
Bush labeled Rumsfeld an "arrogant fellow" in the book. Rumsfeld responded to the comments by telling NBC Bush 41 is "getting up in years and misjudges Bush 43, who I found made his own decisions."
Both former President George W. Bush and Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush have responded to their father's comments by standing up for Cheney.
"Dick Cheney did a superb job as Vice President, and I was fortunate to have him by my side throughout my presidency," George W. Bush said in a statement.
The former Florida governor said Cheney "served my brother well."
The biography, "Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush," will hit shelves Nov. 10.
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