Unapologetic George W. Bush: Fame Is Addictive; Doesn't `Feel Sorry'

For George W. Bush, fame is addictive. The most unpopular living American ex-president, George W. Bush, admits fame can “dim your vision” but made no apologies for getting carried away with it.

George W. Bush’s fame came at a price. Bush’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killed 6,471 U.S. troops, injured 32,000 American soldiers in Iraq and 18,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan. George W. Bush’s fame also killed more than 132,000 civilians in the two wars.

Speaking about the injured soldiers at the third annual Warrior 100K challenge, a three-day mountain bike ride hosted at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Bush said he doesn't “feel sorry for them” because they were “volunteers” in war. He added “they don’t feel sorry for themselves.”

The bike ride was attended by several injured veterans. Of the 75 riders who took part in the ride, 13 were veterans who have been physically or psychologically wounded during their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. Asked if he felt responsible for their injuries, Bush said, “Well, to a certain extent you can’t help it, because had I not made decisions I made, they wouldn’t have been in combat. On the other hand, every one of these men were volunteers. None of them are angry. They don’t blame anybody. And so I believe strongly that the decisions I made were the right decisions.”

Bush, who served two terms as president, said, “I've come to realize power can be corrosive” if you hold on to it too long. He said, “I’ve had all the fame a man could want. I don’t long for [fame]. Nor do I long for power. I’ve come to realize that power can be corrosive if you’ve had it for too long. It can dim your vision. And so I came to the conclusion that, you know, I don’t long for fame.”

A poll last year found that 54 percent of Americans still hold a unfavorable view of Bush, making him the most unpopular living president. Bush said that since leaving the White House, he deliberately avoids the spotlight.

by Tony Sokol