Bush on Bush

last updated 8 January 2015

United States

A new book by journalist Robert Draper gives a rare glimpse inside the Bush White House and into the mind of the president. Dead Certain: The Presidency of George Bush, published this week, includes the revelation that political advisor Karl Rove opposed the choice of Dick Cheney for vice president and of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. In both cases, Rove, reputed to have a Svengali-like hold over the president, was overruled. Draper interviewed Bush for several hours, eliciting the confession that “I’ve got God’s shoulder to cry on, and I cry a lot.” Bush told Draper he plans to “replenish the ol’ coffers” by giving speeches after he leaves office. “I don’t know what my dad gets—it’s more than 50–75” thousand dollars per speech, “and Clinton’s making a lot of money.”