George and Laura Bush: 'Silly Name-Calling'

Transcript

LARRY KING, HOST: Are you going to miss it, Laura?

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I am going to miss it. I'm going to miss this beautiful house and all the people that work here. We're going to miss the people especially.

KING: Are you anxious to go, Mr. President?

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Anxious is a -- I don't know if it's the right word. I am -- I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to feel like on January the 21st. I've been, you know, I've had security briefings -- intelligence briefings nearly every morning for the last eight years. And I'll wake up and...

KING: You're not going to get it.

G. BUSH: ...not have a briefing and realize the responsibility is not on my shoulders anymore.

KING: Is there ambivalent feelings?

G. BUSH: No. I don't think you can be ambivalent. First of all, I am -- I've been looking forward to the inauguration of Barack Obama. I'll have a front row seat in what is an historic moment for the country.

KING: Do you like him?

G. BUSH: I do. Yes, I do like him. And you'd like him, too.

KING: Oh, I know him. He was -- but he was so critical of you.

Do you take that personally or you don't?

L. BUSH: I did.

KING: You did?

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Were you -- were you angry at it?

L. BUSH: Yes, sort of. George didn't even really know about it because he didn't watch it that much, I don't think.

G. BUSH: Yes, so what's new?

I mean what...

L. BUSH: Yes, exactly.

G. BUSH: When you make big decisions and tough calls, you're going to get criticized. Yes, I -- during the course of this presidency, of course, I've been disappointed at times by the silly name-calling that goes on in Washington. It's really not necessary that it happened. But I've done my best, though, to make sure I didn't bring the presidency down to that level.

I think Laura Bush's anger is completely justified.

The utter lack of respect shown to President Bush has been disgraceful.

We've had eight years of "silly name-calling."

It's possible to disagree without being disagreeable. I have absolutely no problem with vigorous and impassioned debate. I do have a major problem with the way so many of President Bush's opponents have conducted themselves, including those in elected office, those seeking the presidency, and those in the media. They've acted like bratty children, bullies, thugs. They should be embarrassed.

I'm sure they're not.

As President Bush said, "It's really not necessary that it happened. But I've done my best, though, to make sure I didn't bring the presidency down to that level."

History will judge President Bush. History will also judge his opposition.

The legacy of the opposition is not a proud one.