Former president George H.W. Bush admits in his upcoming biography that he disagreed with how his son’s administration reacted to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 91-year-old patriarch pulled no punches when he divulged to biographer Jon Meacham what he thinks of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for walking all over George W. Bush, according to a preview from the book.
The senior Bush said both administration officials embraced hostile attitudes that affected how influenced America’s foreign policy and the U.S. response to Saddam Hussein.
Cheney used forced to get his way on the Middle East, claimed Bush. He called the move “iron ass,” but the critique did not stop there.
Cheney claimed the statements do not offend him and that he was fascinated to see how Bush viewed key moments in his career. “We smile about it, we laugh about it,” he told Fox News.
On Rumsfeld, Bush said, “There’s a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the other guy thinks. He’s more kick ass and take names, take numbers. I think he paid a price for that. Rumsfeld was an arrogant fellow.”
Rumsfeld declined to respond to Bush’s characterization of him, but George W. Bush released a statement Thursday praising his former colleagues.
The biography, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,” will be released next week.
