CNN

Dubya, 43 is advising Hillary, 44 on his terms of support!

How did he become 43? First rigging the Supreme Court in 2000 then rigging OHIO in 2004!!

This idiot has the audacity to ADVISE!!
Was that a response to a question or just plain unsolicited advice?

The history books will record in posterity how Bush cheated Al Gore in 2000 and then cheated War decorated Kerry through SWIFT BOATING!! Its a dictionary "verb" now for posterity to record the Dubya "victory' of 2004.

In spite of his cheating record Bush has the audacity to preach the "... way forward...". Does he mean the IRAQ War because he does not believe in polls and focus groups.

Maybe he will believe in HISTORIANS when they write his obituaries 50 years from now in 2057 AD!!! Thank you Mr. "President" for your sound advice! But no thanks.

The CLINTONS are coming in 2009! Bush Sr, 41 does not want to go on a tour so be it. Bill, 42 just was being polite.

Go Hillary44 08! http://hillaryis44.org/

It's one thing to "have your principles"; it's quite another to force others to live by yours. You will not be missed, Mr. Presidebt.

he needs to ask himself the same two questions. although he knows the few people who give him "his" unvarnished oppinion, he should ask them again. so he knows why theres problems in America

Words of "wisdom" coming from Bush! Bush wants to be able to say "I told you so" to the next president while not taking responsibility for the mess he made. Another attempt to change his legacy as the worst president in history.

Lets see, what Bush is telling me, is that he wants a Presiden, to be set in his opinions, uninterested in what the voters want and are concerned with, surrounded by a close knit group of advisors that can provide advise on promoting their adgenda and backing his own opinion. From what I have heard about unvarnished truth in this White House is that the unvarnished truth parriots what the President wants or you are out.

What this nation needs in a President, an individual that is open minded, willing to listen to the people and interests groups, with the ability to listen, understand, weigh and finally make the decision based upon the facts as presented. This means in many cases going against their own initial gut reaction. This also means not only getting input from individuals that have been selected because they say what you want to hear but from individuals that tell it like it is even if it is something you don't want to hear.

Thank God, Lame Duck, only a little over 12 more months of this arrogant fool.

J.Holliday Greer, SC

Respect has to be earned. You can't buy it and you don't inherit it. It dosn't and shouldn't come automatically. And besides that, the guy looks and acts like a freakin' chimp.

This is something my husband noticed yesterday during President Bush's press conference. None of the media/reporters addressed President Bush by standing up to ask their question. It's just a form of respect to address our President (whether you like him or not) by standing when addressed. We just found it very disrespectful.

Very sound advise to one who fills the office after him.

People who call Bush the worst president ever clearly have no sense of history. Furthermore, I wouldn't want anyone leading on the basis of "what the country wants." This country doesn't know what it wants, or what it needs. Iraq is calming down, more than 6 years after September 11th we havn't had another terrorist attack, and we have gone through all that without suffering a major recession. I don't agree with everything the guy says or does, but I think history will prove kinder to Geroge W. Bush than people think. It will certainly be kinder than liberal hippies who live by the hyperbole.

Oh my! Does Dubya know how to spell H-A-L-I-B-U-R-T-O-N? Bless his heart, bless his heart. He honestly does not have a clue.

I think Bush has A.D.D? His version about what is happening in Iraq is just plain wishful thinking. The reason the WAR has been extended, since his famous mission accomplished statement is because he did not set any goals. Also if you investigate there wasn't any Al Queda Terrorist living in Iraq either... How about his perception on the subprime bank loans, real superficial knowledge,Huh? As for his advise to the next President about sound PRINCIPLES, its like asking osama Bin Ladin on how to pray for wisdom? Huh? I just hope and pray that his Family's personal belongings are already packed and on thier way to crayfish Texas. The delusion ends here. I'mmm out !

Hey Bush would like to appoint the next president like the president of Russian Vladimir Putin did, no thanks.

Wow – his statement about "unvarnished opinion" tells you everything we've suspected all along about Bush – he immerses himself in a bubble and truly perceives the world through a warped prism.

The blind cronyism, the deep corruption, the two stolen elections, the lies upon lies, the torture – What happened to my country?!?

Considering the Cost of U.S. Retaliation to 9/11/2001 Attacks, is Bush qualified to recommend what Principles or Ethical standards a Candidate should possess to insure global freedoms & tranquility ?

Consider his Legacy...

19 total people effectively attacked the United States, 9/11/2001. 19 Terrorists sustained Fatal Injuries, 1 Terrorist is detained with direct links to 9/11/2001 action as intended actor/participant.

550 Suspected Al Qaeda Operatives detained by US at Guantanamo Bay.
Osama Bin Laden still eludes the coalition.

Keywords: Taliban & Iraqi Insurgents replace Al Qaeda as targeted Terrorist organizations in theaters of operation.

Iraqi/Afghani war efforts offer no significant advantage to US domestic security, however aggravate middle eastern immigrants & pose ongoing threats through dynamic dissident factors as a result of the bloodshed.

The wars in Afghanistan & Iraq have been & are being conducted based upon the premise that the USA is under sustained ongoing significant terrorist threats, both foreign & domestic. Through effective handling, no successful significant domestic attacks have been recorded since the
9/11/2001 domestic attack yet Coalition Casualties continue to mount, overseas with no viable effect on US domestic security.

Total American Domestic Casualties, to date – 9/11/2001 Attack = 2,973 people.
Total Terrorist Domestic Casualties – Post 9/11/2001 Attack = Undisclosed.

Total American deaths – Iraq War – 3,895.
Total Non-Fatal American Casualties =
24,965 from hostile actions – 25,406 from non-hostile activities.
Total American lives exhausted in retaliation to 9/11/2001 attack – Iraq = 54,266.
Total Estimated Iraqi Civilian Casualties to date – Wartime = 78,743 to 85,813 dead.

Total American deaths – Afghanistan War = 398.
Total Non-Fatal American Casualties = 1,840.
Total American lives exhausted in retaliation to 9/11/2001 attack – Afghanistan = 2,238.
Total Estimated Afghani Civilian Casualties to date – Wartime = 3,000 – 3,400 dead.

Total Friendly Casualties Iraq/Afghanistan wars in retaliation to 9/11/2001 attack = 145,717.
Total Friendly War Casualty per victim of 9/11/2001 domestic attack in Iraq/Afghanistan = 49.

For each victim of the 9/11/2001 attack, 49 innocent people either lost their lives or were permanently disabled in retaliation to the attack bringing the total of American Casualties as a result of the 9/11/2001 attack to 59,477 of which 56,504 casualties were a direct effect of the US retaliation led by President Bush & Vice-President Cheney with a average policy approval rating of less than 40% by the American People during the course of the wars durations through
December, 2007.

In addition, combined estimates of Iraqi/Afghani Civilian fatalities have reached upwards to 89,213 since President Bush and Vice-President Cheney established Iraq and Afghanistan as the sole military battlefields in the War on Terror, to date. Although Saddam Hussein is now dead, Al Qaeda, the principle threat targeted, has been all but dismissed from engagement while combat continues in Iraq & Afghanistan against their respective indigenous populations, reminiscent of Vietnam & the progressive escalation of engagements with the Viet Cong. (Vietnamese Provincial Police)

$9.1 Trillion Dollars Deficit, tripled since President Bush Inauguration. War spending continues unabated with no end in sight. Disposition: Indefinite. As private industry wanes economically,
short of the Military Industrial Complex & the oil industry, American government faces bankruptcy and the American Taxpayer faces escalating taxes to bail out the government & finance the war.

Dubya, 43 is advising Hillary, 44 on terms of support!

How did he become 43? First rigging the Supreme Court in 2000 then rigging OHIO in 2004!!

This idiot has the audacity to ADVISE!!
Was that a response to a question or just plain unsolicited advice?

The history books will record in posterity how Bush cheated Al Gore in 2000 and War decorated Kerry through SWIFT BOATING!! Its a dictionary verb now for posterity to record the Dubya victory.

In spite of his cheating record Bush has the audacity to preach the "... way forward...". Does he mean the IRAQ War because he does not believe in polls and focus groups.

Maybe he will believe in HISTORIANS when they write his obituaries 50 years from now in 2057 AD!!! Thank you Mr. President for your sound advice! But no thanks.

The CLINTONS are coming! Bush Sr, 41 does not want to go on a tour so be it. Bill, 42 just was being polite.

Go Hillary44 08!

aj that was brillant! Now think for
yourself, when you do you will have
the freedom from your own rhetoric
of reich-wing talking points.

Okay back to laughing non-stop!

Bush's "firm set of principles" seem to be
1. Don't pursue the 911 terrorists into Pakistan- you might catch them and then it's hard to use fear to manipulate the public and convince them that it is a really good idea to invade a totally different country (after all they are brown and Muslim)and then collect some really sweet Halliburton and KBR kickbacks in retirement.

Setting off a worldwide religious war and becoming the greatest terrorist recruiting TOOL ever. Priceless.

When are we going to start chiseling this guy's visage onto Mt. Rushmore. Lets get rid of Lincoln.

Please quit asking him questions!!..please.

Mario..I think it's PRETTY CLEAR Bush won't be supporting Hillary Clinton. It's not a HIDDEN MESSAGE.

What's he saying I think is that you have to know your President-elect through his principles. It's not too hard to figure out where these people are coming from, is it?

We know a rough outline of the two parties' priorities-

Democrats want to raise taxes – no matter what they WILL raise taxes.
Republicans want to lower taxes not just for middle class people but for all income levels.

Democrats want to cut and run out of Iraq before we have finished .
Republicans want to stay the course.

Democrats want to grant amnesty to illegals and open the border.
Republicans want to secure the border and fine those who have broken federal laws.

Democrats want universal health care, taken over by Washington.
Republicans want a free-market solution through competition, with most health care remaining privatized.

Democrats think that raising taxes will help the economy.
republicans know that raising taxes doesn't help the economy.

Democrats want to force Americans into altering their personal habits with regard to gasoline and energy consumption, at the same time hitting oil companies with penalties and tax increases.
Republicans want to address the supply of oil, not grab more money for Washington from profitable companies and will look for American solutions right here in our backyard including increased nuclear energy production.

Democrats don't like profitable companies and seek to punish them. They do however like to subsidize badly-run companies with taxpayer money. Republicans think you should buy stock in a company that's successful and reap your own benefits. And of course, republicans would never punish a profitable company, but would encourage other businesses to emulate them so that we can make all businesses profitable.

All of you people are missing the message! There is a hidden message. He is saying that he will not be supporting the Clintons. Go back and read his statements again (go ahead i'll wait)........... now, do you get it?

Dear George Bush, You are 7 years late in asking how to get an "Unvarnished opinion"......Listening to PNAC and other Neoconservatives is unvarnished? Bush, the President known for having the most closed circle of advisors in history offering advice on getting "unvarnished opinions" How many days left till Jan 20, 2009?

Given your track recors, Mr. President, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.

Still waiting CNN

Although I did not vote for Mr. Bush, I believe his advice is solid and sound and should be taken seriously by candidates from either (or any) party.

As you have been such a success at being president, you are indeed the one to instruct on being a president!

This is the reason that President Bush will always be my favorite President of all time, Dam the topedos, hell or high water. This is the way I see it like it or not that is what I am going to do. He never needed anyone's approvel to make a decision.

Really. What does he know about being a successful President of the United states? He's made a mockery of the position.

Bush, er, oops, dumbya giving advice to Presidential contenders would be akin to Madalyn Murray O'Hair giving advice to God about how to run the Universe.
You can turn it inside out and upside down but the comments from the mule-headed person who got us into Iraq with the BIG LIE just doesn't wash.
When he comes back to Texas (that's not home – he was born in Connect te Kut, not Midland) we'll all get together and throw him a great big wienie roast because if there was ever a hot dog, he's it.

Bob

"the President said he would investigate how a candidate intends to get the “unvarnished opinion” of his circle of advisers if elected."

... now he starts thinking about unvarnished opinions – too little & too late: Bush fired the general who stated the trillions of dollars and years it would take to even break even in Iraq. Bush surrounds himself with "yes, sir!" men and Condi, gazing adorningly into his face.

This guy can't even function as a president! Now he wants to be a pundit?!

This man is not qualified to give advice on how to be President.

"He said he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”"

Hm.... focus groups as in the crazy evangelical conservative group? Maybe the president should consider taking his own advice.

What a joke. Bush is one of the worst informed decision makers in the history of the Whitehouse who also has very few upstanding principles. If he wasn't directly involved in the misinformation that got us into the Iraq war, then he should have gotten rid of his inner circle who certainly were involved. I think he was involved (demonstrating a lack of integrity and principles) and he thought a back-of-the-envelope plan would work (showing bad judgement and insufficient intelligence).

I do not see/hear one GOP candidate using George W Bush ideas , talent , experience, or project from his last seven years as a stepping stone or a crutch to assist them in any way shape or form to further there ambitions to success in there quest to take his place.

That's incredible because he certainly would not have been elected if the voters has asked the same set of questions about him before he was elected.

We all may not like him, but the truth is the truth, even when it's told by someome we all hate to love. he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”

Hillary Clinton will not like this one

But you rely on a "focus group." The conservative fundamentalists, remember, George? You even have "faith based" organizations when there's a pretty clear policy of separating church and state - oh, and let's not forget, the faith based organizations have to be of a "specific" faith too.

Then there's your "focus group" know as your advisors and cabinet. Need I bring up the recent history? Including how many have left in disgrace?

What a joke. George Bush telling prospective presidents how to make decisions. You can't make this stuff up. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Stop it, you're killing me.

Once again our President seems to have the role of our government very, very confused.

In fact, any leader who solely relies on his personal set of principles to guide policy decisions is not acting under the true intentions of the American democracy.

For that matter, any President who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to "define a way forward", is doing nothing more than considering the will of the American citizens before making decisions that ultimately affect everyone in this country.

When will our government realize that they are here to serve the people and our interests, and not the other way around???

"He said he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”"

This is the main reason he is a tool...

lets continue NOT listening to the people of america and do things the way we want – even if it means spending billions on a war no one wants, or denying basic human rights to those we take as "prisoners"

this turd is so far from reality know that im not even sure he realizes it...

and what do we do with turds like that?

we flush em

You tell them George. God forbid you should listen to the people who elected you. You are such an arrogant idiot. The country would be a hell of lot better off if you had cared about what the people wanted. But your "principals" lead us right into a war and immigration is out of control, the dollar is sagging and we are in more debt than we could ever get out of.. We have accomplished nothing under your leadership except make most of the free world hate us. I am sure the new President will want to chat with you.

endorse clinton yesterday and today hit her below the belt...Who ever said G.W. Bush is retarded...I am wondering who the focus groups jab was for though?

"He said he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”".

Translate that to "the opinion of the American public who elected me (well, sort of) to this office means nothing".

"Second, the President said he would investigate how a candidate intends to get the “unvarnished opinion” of his circle of advisers if elected."

Translated to "I don't have to tell the American public anything that has been said in my administration that might pertain to all the illegal activities we have going on here"

Really George? That is how you would vet the next prez? Please, you continue to take the american public for idiots. what a self-serving answer.

Well, I guess the queen of polls is out.

How very amusing, annoying,and disturbing...
The absolute worst president in the history of the U.S. offering unsolicited advice to his successor...?
King George really needs a reality check!

Sounds like Bush is hinting at the two lead DEM candidates for US President: Obama and Clinton, with these two questions.

Obama and Edwards 08
Edwards and Obama 08

either way (OE or EO), these two gentlemen make the most powerful Pres and VP combination to turn this country around and in the most positive way imaginable.

I wasnt aware that he got to "vet" his successor. As for a guiding set of principals in decision making, well, I dont think this chimp knows what principals are. He has treated the office of the Presidency and the nation like his own personal playground. He has lied and cheated to get what he wanted.
His term can't end fast enough.
Good riddance to stinking rubbish.

Gosh, this guy is clueless. He's been living life in his bubble for too long.

"Second, the President said he would investigate how a candidate intends to get the “unvarnished opinion” of his circle of advisers if elected."

I think I'll bust a gut laughing at this quote – Could he be any more delusional?

He really does think that his "circle of advisers and friends" have been telling him the unvarnished truth for the last 7 years?

What a moron...

He said he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”

As opposed to someone like himself who merely does what Dich Cheney and halliburton tell him to do...

Th GOP candidates would have been wise to get more advice from President Bush as he has been a proven winner time and time again, not just in elections but also governance. Probably 2007 is his latest and finest example. Despite having a Dem. Congress to go up against and teh political pundits writing him off as a lame-duck, he outwitted the Dems and stood firm on his most key positions and came up a winner. People make a big deal about President Clinton's advice but really Clinton never really won any difficult races-he had 2 cakewalks (perot made that possible in 92 and Dole in 96 was no concern). And Clinton has never been successful at helping to get others elected whereas President Bush has.

Bush would inquire about “the principles by which people make decisions”: “You can’t be the president unless you have a firm set of principles to guide you as you sort through all of the problems the world faces,” the president explained. He said he would be “very hesitant to support someone who relies on opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward.”

Oh Boy! I hate to say it! I agree with this guy!

Already he has the insight of a seasoned veteran of the office, just like someone who has had some time away from the daily decisions and events.

I love this...it reads like a preview of his post-presidential autobiography: " If I'd only Known Then What I know Now".....

With all due respect, you should have practiced what you preach.