Love him or hate him, Republican or Democrat, voted for him or wanted him impeached, George W. Bush’s memoir “Decision Points” is a political and historical must-read.
The former president uses a unique format to describe and explain the most important decisions of his presidency. The most major decisions of his eight years in office are explained in their own chapter titled with the decision.
He describes the day of Sept. 11, 2001 in what he calls “Day of fire” – from the moment Chief of Staff Andy Card whispered in his ear “America is under attack,” to the end of the night when he and first lady Laura were rushed out of bed to the bunker below the White House in fear of another attack.
He explains the process in appointing key personnel, as well as his two lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito.
He tells of the emotions he felt when Afghanistan and Iraq became liberated. He describes the moment Saddam Hussein was captured and the remark from the solider that pulled him from the hole.
“My name is Saddam Hussein, I am the President of Iraq and I want to negotiate,” Saddam said.
“Regards from President Bush,” the solider replied.
He said his lowest point in office came when some people claimed that race played a role in the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. His proudest achievement was keeping America safe for the final seven and a half years of his presidency.
He also goes into detail about his efforts to reform Social Security, Medicare and immigration, as well as his handling of the financial crisis. He also adds chapters about his Freedom Agenda, Quitting, Stem cells, the Lazarus Effect, and the troop surge.
The book is a great read for supporters of both political parties.
Republicans will be inspired by the man who rallied the nation after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Democrats will learn facts that their politicians don’t want them to know.
History fanatics will also find value in Decision Points, as a former president wrote the history of his eight years in office from his eyes.
