5 years after Kanye
went on national TV and aired out the President during a Hurrican Katrina telethon, W has seen fit to speak on the incident. During an interview with Matt Lauer in support of his new book
Decison Points, Bush states that Kanye’s announcement was “one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency”.
“He called me a racist,” Bush tells Lauer. “And I didn’t appreciate it then. I don’t appreciate it now. It’s one thing to say, ‘I don’t appreciate the way he’s handled his business.’ It’s another thing to say, ‘This man’s a racist.’ I resent it, it’s not true.”
So it wasn’t the moment that you realized the Iraq war was a huge waste of time, money and human life? And I guess the sight of bodies floating around the streets of New Orleans didn’t move you? No, it was a rapper going on TV and calling you out for what you are. Read some more excerpts from the interview, courtesy of
Entertainment Weekly, after the jump.
Lauer quotes from Bush’s new book: “Five years later I can barely write those words without feeling disgust.” Lauer adds, “You go on: ‘I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn’t like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.’
President Bush responds: “Yeah. I still feel that way as you read those words. I felt ‘em when I heard ‘em, felt ‘em when I wrote ‘em, and I felt ‘em when I’m listening to ‘em.
Lauer: “You say you told Laura at the time it was the worst moment of your presidency?”
Bush: “Yes. My record was strong, I felt, when it came to race relations and giving people a chance. And it was a disgusting moment.”
Lauer: “I wonder if some people are going to read that, now that you’ve written it, and they might give you some heat for that. And the reason is this — “
Bush [interrupting]: “Don’t care.”
Lauer: “Well, here’s the reason. You’re not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You’re saying it was when someone insulted you because of that.”
Bush: “No, and I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well. There’s a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple.”
The full interview will air on
Matt Lauer Reports on November 8th. In other news about former leaders of the free world speaking on rappers, Bill Clinton recently commented on Lil Wayne and his impending release from prison. Miss Info
has the full story.
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