Bush at U.T. Tyler
Posted/updated on: October 21, 2010 at 2:27 am
TYLER — A sold out crowd greeted former President George W Bush in Tyler Tuesday night. He spoke at the Distinguished Lecture series at the University of Texas at Tyler. With candor and humor he gave the group a glimpse of life in the oval office. He received several standing ovations throughout the presentation.
While there are some aspects of the presidency he misses, he does not miss being in the lime light. He said it was his faith, family and friends that sustained him while he served the nation. On the principles that formed the foundation for much of his foreign and domestic policies, Bush said he believes there is a God and one of the gifts of God is for everyone to know freedom. It’s this belief that helped him stay the course in Iraq.
On the economy, he recalled sitting in the White House with economic advisors Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke three weeks into the economic downturn. He said Bernanke told him, “If you don’t do something significant, you’re likely to see a depression greater than the Great Depression.” “Depression, no depression,” Bush said. “It wasn’t that hard for me, just so you know. I made the decision to use your money to prevent the collapse from happening.”
Bush thanked the crowd for their roles in electing him both as governor of Texas and president of the United States. He said he tried to leave the presidency better than it was when he started, or at least equal to how he found it.
He also took time to mention his new book, “Decision Points,” which is due out next month. Bush quipped, “This will come as a shock to some people in our country who didn’t think I could read a book, much less write one.”
The lecture, and the dinner that preceded it, help raise funds for U.T. Tyler scholarships. School president Dr. Rodney Mabry announced that over $200,000 were generated by the events.
