60 Minutes Bush Interview

Scott Pelley's interview with President Bush on 60 Minutes tonight didn't reveal anything that I didn't already know.

Pelley wasn't a creepy, wild-eyed attack dog, like Tim Russert, but he was tough.

There were the petty lib jibes.

For example, some of the interview took place at Camp David. Pelley noted that it was Bush's 365th day at Camp David, a full year of his presidency.

How lame!

Pelley made it sound like he was vacationing there.

Really, really lame!

Most likely, Bush did the interview to help sell his Iraq plan to the American people, a prime time chance to connect.

I don't know how many Americans actually bothered to watch it. I suppose that 60 Minutes may lose to FOX's new season of 24. That's tough competition. Whatever.

As I said before, the interview didn't tell me anything I didn't already know; but it did clarify something.

I know what Bush's presidential legacy is.

The Bush legacy is an important one. It's a characteristic that all true leaders should have.

Bush's legacy is that he really doesn't care about his legacy.

He said that he didn't want others blaming the military for things not going well in Iraq. He said that if someone is looking for a scapegoat, he's willing to play the part.

He sincerely doesn't care about his place in history. I believe that he cares about the country and our future. I believe the deaths of Americans in Iraq as a front in the War on Terror, both civilian and military, pain him deeply.

But after 9/11, one thing mattered -- to protect the American people, to take action against an enemy willing to kill thousands on our soil.

He's done that.

In hindsight, it's easy to see that mistakes were made. But given what he and those in his administration believed at the time, given what the world believed to be the case, given what the Clinton administration and the Dems believed about Iraq, there's little to regret.

Now, it's important to go forward and quit all the finger-pointing.

We know where Bush stands.

The question is: What do the Dems and the American people want?

Victory or defeat?

I know what the Dems want, but I'm not convinced yet that the American people want defeat.