Bush says he 'crawled out of the swamp' and isn't headed back in. Bush: '8 years was awesome'

In case there was any doubt, George W. Bush made it abundantly clear in a recent interview that although it was “awesome” being president for eight years, he doesn’t miss life in political office.

“Eight years was awesome and I was famous and I was powerful,” Bush told the Hoover Institute’s Peter Robinson. “But I have no desire for fame and power anymore. … I crawled out of the swamp and I’m not crawling back in.”


Bush also explained his reluctance to join the nation’s chorus of political voices.

“I think it’s bad for the presidency to have former presidents bloviating, opining, telling people how it ought to be done. … I don’t want to undermine our president — whoever’s president — and a former president can do that. … Either you’re in or out of politics, Peter, and I’ve chosen to be out. You can’t be halfway.” Bush did add that he hopes Mitt Romney wins the presidency this November.

Bush revealed that, even though he’s retired, he’s not unaware of what all the hip kids are up to. When asked what books were on his “bookstand,” Bush responded, “We don’t have bookstands anymore. We’ve got iPads. Please…” For the record, Bush says he’s reading “56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports,” and says “this is the year” when his Texas Rangers will win the World Series.

This article tagged under: George W. Bush