"I came with the idea of changing the tone in Washington, and frankly didn't do a very good job of it."

"You know, war brings out a lot of heated rhetoric and a lot of emotion. I fully understand that."



"Reflections by a guy who’s headed out of town... An old sage at 62 ... headed to retirement."

He looks utterly depleted and sad. Look how he slumps in the chair -- drained even of the vanity that it would take to make the slight effort it would take to hide his pot belly.

ADDED: Bush has many defenders in the comments, including people who are chiding me for criticizing him for slumping in a manner that is unflattering to his physique. And I thought I'd written a pretty sympathetic post.

AND: Here's the whole transcript. Excerpts:

I have found that in order to have good decision-making and a White House that functions well, that the President needs to articulate a set of principles from which he will not defer. In other words, a set of principles that are inviolate -- such as the universality of freedom....

Part of the presidency is the willingness to say, no matter how tough the issue may look, if it requires solution, go after it. And we did....

[QUESTION] What advice do you have for political conservatives in the years ahead?

[I]t's important to recruit good candidates who stand on principle. Most Americans believe what we believe -- that government ought to be limited and wise, that taxes ought to be low, that we ought to encourage entrepreneurship and small businesses, and that we ought to have a strong national defense....