The video: Former President George W. Bush interrupted his book tour for a 25-minute on-air chat with conservative radio king Rush Limbaugh. (Listen to the interview below.) After joking that he wouldn't be lobbing "softball questions," a not-exactly-confrontational Limbaugh asked Bush if he's using a teleprompter on his tour. Bush took the opportunity to defend the TARP bank bailout, immigration reform, and his presidency, deny making derisive digs at Sarah Palin, and compliment Limbaugh on his golf game.
The reaction: If you're looking for "excessive flattery and deference and a complete lack of follow-up questions," says Ryan Colpaart in Double Dutch Politics, Limbaugh's "pathetic" interview of his golf buddy Bush is for you. I don't know, says Andrew Malcolm in the Los Angeles Times. The surprisingly "relaxed and comfortable" ex-president was actually quite revealing on the Iraq War. Why wouldn't he be comfortable? asks Steve Kornacki in Salon. "The closest Rush came to putting the former president on the spot" was immigration reform, and even then, RINO-killer Limbaugh showed that "the Bushes are one Republican establishment family he's willing to make excuses for." Listen to the first part of the interview:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA DraftSpeed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
-
Today's political cartoons - April 16, 2024Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - sleepyhead, little people, and more
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminderSpeed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion banSpeed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling BiblesSpeed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitnessIn Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
