George W. Bush: In His Own Words

The Republican Presidential candidate opens up to TV's Charlie Rose on his life, his character and where he wants to take us.

More On:

•  

The Decision to Run

Charlie Rose: Tell me what you needed to come to terms with before deciding to run.
George W. Bush: One, could my family endure this? Was the love between my wife and I strong enough? I came to the conclusion that our marriage would be even stronger as a result of a joint effort of running for President. The girls are off to college -- one to Yale, one to University of Texas -- and I just pray they'll have as normal a life as possible. That's my one real worry about being President.

Secondly, I had to answer the question as to whether or not an Administration could flush the poison out of Washington so that we can get things done. And I came to the conclusion that with the right leadership, the right motivation and the right management structure, we could change the tone of Washington.

Rose: What's wrong with Washington? What do you do to set that tone?
Bush: What's wrong is the partisan bitterness, the zero-sum politics where we can't possibly go forward, because you may win and I may lose. I lay the blame for that at the President's feet, because the President can set the tone, but sometimes my party is to blame as well.

I reached out to [Sen.] Bob Kerrey [D., Neb.] and talked about Social Security reform. This wasn't a political meeting, 'cause I totally understand he's a loyal Democrat, but it was a chance for me to assure him that I was coming with a reform package with a broad set of guidelines to which he could agree.

• Standing His Ground
• President Bush is unyielding in his vision for America. To voters, that's either high praise or a huge problem.
• 
• George W. Bush On the Record
• President Bush discusses his plans for his second term.
• 
• Laura Bush: A Second Look at the First Lady
• A new term and Laura Bush is thinking big. Take a second look at the First Lady.
• 
• Hail to the Chef
• The first woman to run the White House kitchen is ready to take the heat.
• 
• How to Win in Iraq
• Two Senators give their plans for victory.
• 
• Outrageous! Statistically False
• The more we believe the twisted numbers, the dumber we get.
• 
• Outrageous! Let's Shut Them Down
• These websites are an invitation to terrorists.
• 

Sponsored Links