Bush Looks Back at Eight Years as President

Bush Looks Back at Eight Years as President, and Wishes Obama Well
'There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind,' he says in final speech to nation. Transcript of radio broadcast:
16 January 2009

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
George W. Bush leaves office on Tuesday after eight years as president of the United States. He gave his farewell speech to the American people Thursday night.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey we have traveled together and the future of our nation."

He noted that his first speech from the White House was on September eleventh, two thousand one, after the terrorist attacks that day.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did."

The forty-third president has been defending his record during his final days in office, and he did so again in his speech.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind."

He spoke about Iraq and the handling of his war on terror.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "There is a legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."

President Bush offered best wishes to Barack Obama, who will be the nation's first African-American president. His father was a black exchange student from Kenya; his mother was a white American.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our nation."

President Bush's farewell address was his last public event planned before the inauguration. He called his final news conference on Monday. He talked about progress in education and other areas, but especially in keeping the country safe. He said the most urgent threat that Barack Obama and other presidents after him will have to deal with is another attack.

The attacks in two thousand one took place during President Bush's first year in office. His presidency began after an election dispute. But after the attacks, nine out of ten Americans approved of the job he was doing, compared lately to about one in four. His presidency comes to a close at a time of economic crisis.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "Look, I inherited a recession and I am ending on a recession. In the meantime, there were fifty-two months of uninterrupted job growth."

The president said one of his greatest "disappointments" was the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Another disappointment, he said, was not finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He had warned of the threat of such weapons as he argued for military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

The war in Iraq and the handling of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans took attention from one of the president's biggest successes. In two thousand three, he launched a program to fight AIDS in Africa and elsewhere. That program has helped about ten million people.

By tradition, George and Laura Bush will leave Washington immediately after Barack Obama is sworn-in on Tuesday. They will return to their home state of Texas.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. Be a part of VOA's social networking site for the inauguration. Go to voaspecialenglish.com and click on USA Votes. I'm Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate
布什回顾了八年总统，并希望奥巴马井
'有些事情我会做不同的，如果有机会。然而，我一直担任的最佳利益考虑到我国，他说，在最后讲话中的国家。誊广播：
2009年1月16号

这是在新闻中美国之音特别英语。
美国总统布什离开白宫后，在周二八年美国总统。他把自己的告别演说向美国人民星期四晚上。

布什总统： “今晚，以感谢的心，我要求的最后机会分享一些想法的征途上，我们一起走过的未来和我们的国家。 ”

他指出，他的第一次演讲，白宫是在9月11日， 2000一，恐怖袭击之后，这一天。

布什总统： “随着岁月的推移，大多数美国人都能够返回的生活，因为它已经在9月11日。但我从来没有。 ”

第四十三届总统一直在捍卫他的纪录在他最后的日子里在办公室，他这样做再次在他的讲话。

布什总统： “有些事情我会做不同的，如果有机会。然而，我一直担任的最佳利益考虑到我们国家。 ”

他谈到了伊拉克和处理他的反恐战争。

布什总统： “我们是合法的辩论，许多这样的决定。但有一点可以辩论的结果。美国已经7年多来没有再恐怖袭击在我们的土地上。 ”

美国总统布什提供最良好的祝愿奥巴马，谁将会是全国第一个非洲裔总统。他的父亲是一名黑人留学生来自肯尼亚，母亲是美国白人。

布什总统： “常务委员会的步骤的国会将是一个男子的故事反映了持久的承诺，我们的土地。这是一个时刻，希望和自豪我们的国家。 ”

布什总统的告别演说是他最后一次公开活动计划之前，总统就职典礼。他呼吁他的最后新闻发布会上表示。他谈到进展教育和其他领域，尤其是在维持国家安全。他说，最紧迫的威胁，奥巴马和其他总统后，他将必须处理的另一个攻击。

这些攻击在2000一个发生在布什总统的第一年办公室。他担任主席的选举之后开始争端。但是，在袭击发生后， 9名美国人在10个核准的工作，他这样做，而最近的约四分之一。任期即将结束的时候，在经济危机。

布什总统： “你看，我继承了一个经济衰退，我结束的衰退。与此同时，有五十二个月不间断的就业增长。 ”

布什总统说，他的一个最大的“失望”是虐待囚犯在阿布格莱布监狱中的伊拉克。另一个令人失望的，他说，没有发现大规模杀伤性武器在伊拉克。他警告说，这种武器的威胁，他主张采取军事行动，消除萨达姆的权力。

在伊拉克战争和处理卡特里娜飓风在新奥尔良了注意力从一个总统的最大成就。在2000三年，他发起了一项计划，以防治艾滋病在非洲和其他地区。该计划已帮助约10万人。

按照传统，乔治和劳拉将离开华盛顿后立即宣誓就职奥巴马是在周二。他们将返回自己的家乡得克萨斯州。

这是新闻中美国之音特别英语撰写的Brianna布雷克。成为其中的一部分美国之音的社交网站的就职典礼。转到voaspecialenglish.com并单击美国票。我史蒂夫余烬。