Cheira-me que George W. Bush vai ser o ex-Presidente vivo menos ouvido da história recente da América.
Carter lançou uma fundação e participa em processos de paz e em fiscalizações de eleições; Clinton tem a Global Initiative e, não fosse Hillary ser agora secretária de Estado, seria uma forte hipótese para futuro secretário-geral da ONU.
Bush pai consegue aliar uma presença em negócios com o petróleo árabe e uma respeitabilidade de quem, apesar de ter falhado a reeleição, foi capaz de vencer a primeira Guerra do Golfo e manteve na sua Administração um certo «realismo» que, de algum modo, tem parelelismos com o que Obama quer recuperar para a política externa.
E W. Bush? O melhor mesmo é ficar no seu rancho no Texas, não acham?
A avaliar por este artigo de Dawn Walton, no Globe and Mail, W. continua a não ser capaz de debitar mais do que banalidades sobre o facto de «amar o seu país» e... insiste na guerra do Iraque:
Calgary — Calling it his "maiden voyage" into the post-presidential world, George W. Bush fittingly chose the comfy embrace of conservative Calgary yesterday, a city built on the same beef and oil foundation as his native Texas, for his first public address since leaving the White House.
The 43rd president of the United States was warmly received by more than 1,500 invited guests as he shared his hope that the free markets will salvage the economy, defended the war in Iraq, thanked Canada for being his country's "major supplier" of energy, and took time to wish his successor, Barack Obama, good luck.
"He was not my first choice for president, but, when he won, I thought it was good for the United States of America," Mr. Bush said.
"I want the President to succeed," he added, "I love my country a lot more than I love politics."
"I'm not going to spend my time criticizing him. There are plenty of critics in that arena," he continued.
Just this week, his former vice-president, Dick Cheney, took a swipe at Mr. Obama's national security policies, and one of the Republican Party's biggest boosters, radio host Rush Limbaugh, actually said he hoped Mr. Obama fails as leader.
"[Mr. Obama] deserves my silence and if he wants my help he can pick up the phone and call me," Mr. Bush said.
As those in attendance who made it through the security gauntlet and paid $4,000 a table to dine on spinach salad, chicken with roast potatoes, a light cake for dessert, and wine listened, Mr. Bush spent 43 minutes taking them through his eight years in the Oval Office, including his attempts in the waning days of his administration to fix an economy bound for what his advisers called a situation worse than the Great Depression.
"Oh man," he recalled thinking. "Wall Street got drunk and we got the hangover."
Mr. Bush reflected on the flailing U.S. economy and how he, a "free-market guy," had no choice but to "go against his nature" to step in with a bailout package.
He warned against policies of protectionism. Government, he added, cannot act alone.
"It's the risk-takers, not the government, that is going to pull us out of this recession," he said to an appreciative collection of entrepreneurs, executives and politicians.
He did not shy away from what many consider a failed foray into Iraq, defending his decision to oust Saddam Hussein, something his father, George H.W. Bush, did not accomplish during the Desert Storm campaign of his presidency in 1991.
"The world is better off, and the Iraqis are better off with out Saddam Hussein, no ifs, ands or buts," he said.
During a 30-minute question and answer session, Frank McKenna, former New Brunswick premier and Canadian ambassador to the United States, pushed Mr. Bush on whether the war in Iraq has left efforts in Afghanistan - where Canada is heavily involved - in the lurch.
Mr. Bush disagreed, suggesting the situation in the Middle East would be much more tumultuous if not for the U.S.-led invasion.
"It's a spurious argument as far as I'm concerned," he said.
Mr. Bush thanked Canada for being a reliable supplier of energy and a friend to the United States.
"We need oil and gas, and it's politically incorrect to say these days, but it's the truth." Often animated and self-deprecating, Mr. Bush delighted the audience with stories about life as commander in chief and now as a civilian.
He joked about suddenly having a mortgage at a home in Dallas, but that he's "going to get used to this paid speech business."
He has a dozen or so lined up this year, and got in the neighbourhood of $200,000 to speak in Calgary, although organizers demurred when pressed for details about their coup.»
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