PAUL MORSE/ COURTESY OF THE BUSH CENTER
BUSH
AT PEACE
described being out of the spotlight, and out of power, as something of a cleansing experience.
“Fame can become very addictive. And I’ve had all the fame a
man could want,” he said.
I asked him if he had enjoyed
the fame.
“Yeah, to a certain extent. I
mean, it wasn’t my life. It wasn’t
the center of my life. But I mean,
when you’re — let me rephrase
that. I enjoyed being president.
And when you’re president, you’re
famous. Now whether I enjoyed
fame itself, I just, you know, you’d
have to get the psychoanalyst on
me,” he said.
Bush has been loath to talk
about himself since leaving of-
HUFFINGTON
06.16.13
“I don’t feel sorry for [wounded
veterans], because they don’t
feel sorry for themselves.”
fice and has often mocked questions about his motivations as
“navel-gazing.” Even out of office, it’s difficult to get him to admit weakness, because he is not
second-guessing the decisions he
made and doesn’t want to give
the impression that he is. But on
his home turf, after three days of
cycling, he offered a rare glimpse
into how he felt the presidency
had changed him and why he is
glad he’s no longer in office.
“I don’t long for [fame]. Nor do
I long for power. I’ve come to real-
Of the 75
riders at
the Warrior
100K, 13
were veterans
who had been
seriously
wounded
during their
military
service.