Kettle meet Pot: Bush and Clinton speak in Toronto.

[Prometheus The Supremo]

Probably not much. They are former Presidents now. They do get their own secret service security details in retirement. I don't imagine they'd need much beyond that.

I don't why some are surprised that these two get along (reading the tone of some of the articles). I would figure that nothing would bond two individuals like having experienced the Presidency. After all, the only person could ever comprehend what a President went through would be another President. I can even see Obama being a lot more sympathetic to Bush in a few years.

 

[Hydrogen]

^That I might of paid 200 bucks for.

 

[AGTO]

I can even see Obama being a lot more sympathetic to Bush in a few years.

Like the sympathy one feels for the severly mentally incompetant?

 

[jade_lee]

LOL my feelings exactly

 

[kEiThZ]

Like the sympathy one feels for the severly mentally incompetant?

Oh please. Obama is quickly finding out how difficult it is to govern. This is not to excuse any of Bush's mistakes but there was a bit of over the top campaign rhetoric from Obama. Seems the saviour isn't any closer to delivering the US from the Iraq debacle than McCain would have been or even Bush (guess who pushed for the surge that's now actually delivering peace in Iraq, and guess who opposed it). Ditto for Guantanamo. The Bush administration too pledged to close Gitmo towards the end of its term. Now Obama is finding out how difficult that really is.

So yes I think the job of governing will provide a dose of sobering reality that might make him understand some of what Bush went through a little better.

When it comes to Canada though, I think time will show that the Bush administration was certainly better for Canada's interests than Obama will be. The thickening border and trade protectionism has already begun and he hasn't even been in office for 6 months.

 

[AGTO]

guess who pushed for the surge that's now actually delivering peace in Iraq

The guy who started the illegal war, that's who.
Just like the firefighter who sets fires so he can be a hero....

Your apolgies for Bush are pretty amusing.

 

[kEiThZ]

The guy who started the illegal war, that's who.
Just like the firefighter who sets fires so he can be a hero....

Your apolgies for Bush are pretty amusing.

If you read my post carefully, you will see that I didn't defend the Iraq war (it was the mistake I referred to). However, I for one, understand that empty rhetoric at this point is not going to bring stability to Iraq or bring the troops home any earlier. If the Obama plan for Iraq had been implemented, the Americans would not be planning a pull-out right now, nor would the Brits be leaving Basra. He fell prey to all the anti-war rhetoric on Iraq. Thankfully, he's done much better on Afghanistan.

 

[AGTO]

If you read my post carefully,

If you had read mine at all, maybe you would have responded to it, instead you just posted more rhetoric about how great Bush and his illegal, unjust war is.

 

[kEiThZ]

^ Great. Another jade_lee. Care to explain what from my post was Bush-loving rhetoric? Or does any criticism of Obama (who I think will be a great US prez btw) automatically make me a Bush-Cheney lover? Obama was right on the Iraq war but he was definitely wrong on the surge. My contention is that mistakes like that should hopefully give him some humility and perhaps some empathy for what his predecessors (not just Bush) have gone through. Till now he's had an easy ride as an armchair monday morning QB. It's a lot harder when you're in the hot seat. His reversal on major issues like the closure of Gitmo show that.

 

[jade_lee]

^ Great. Another jade_lee. Care to explain what from my post was Bush-loving rhetoric? Or does any criticism of Obama (who I think will be a great US prez btw) automatically make me a Bush-Cheney lover? Obama was right on the Iraq war but he was definitely wrong on the surge. My contention is that mistakes like that should hopefully give him some humility and perhaps some empathy for what his predecessors (not just Bush) have gone through. Till now he's had an easy ride as an armchair monday morning QB. It's a lot harder when you're in the hot seat. His reversal on major issues like the closure of Gitmo show that.

Obama is currently looking at the bigger picture and it's way too early in his presidency to evaluate what he has done with respect to the foolish wars started by Bush. No need to insult me just because I think totally differently about these invasions than you do. In fact I think differently about most things compared to you but then again I have lived much longer.

 

[kEiThZ]

Obama is currently looking at the bigger picture and it's way too early in his presidency to evaluate what he has done with respect to the foolish wars started by Bush.

Disregarding the advice of your military and intelligence professionals is exactly what Bush did. Obama playing politics with the surge is not all that far from that kind of behaviour. Thankfully the surge went through and there's now enough stability in Iraq to begin pulling out. Though it's an encouraging sign that he's learned from that mistake and actually started to listen to the military when it comes to the war in Afghanistan. That's a refreshing change from the Bush era.

No need to insult me just because I think totally differently about these invasions than you do.

I didn't support the invasion of Iraq. Does your statement mean you did?

And while Obama didn't support the war in Iraq, he most certainly supports the war in Afghanistan. The extra 3 brigades he deployed to Afghanistan wasn't just for fun. And I am with him on that one. I sooner give my life or the lives of my comrades than see a subway bombing at Yonge and Bloor during rush hour.

In fact I think differently about most things compared to you but then again I have lived much longer.

Is it your advanced age that has made you so stubborn about your bigotry? Has it also robbed you of the humility necessary to admit you were wrong? Notice that the new Conservative ad campaign is pretty much using your logic to claim that Ignatieff isn't Canadian enough. Indeed given that I have spent a greater proportion of my life as a resident in Canada compared to Iggy, I can only guess what you must think of the Liberal leader. Guess we know what kind of people that ad is being aimed towards.