George W. Bush took a break from painting to give a speech in the United Arab Emirates, touching on a wide array of topics, especially Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. From AP News:
“There’s pretty clear evidence that the Russians meddled,” Bush said at a talk in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. “Whether they affected the outcome is another question.”
Bush also said that “it’s problematic that a foreign nation is involved in our election system. Our democracy is only as good as people trust the results.”
And while the end result really isn’t in question, it is increasingly understandable why people remain skeptical when day-by-day we are getting new information, like confirmation from the Department of Homeland Security that the Russians successfully hacked the voting rolls in several U.S. states in 2016. In other words, this has to be investigated to the fullest and stopped for the future. Today. Yesterday. Republicans control the White House, the Senate and Congress. Thus far, the Trump administration doesn’t appear to have lifted a finger to ensure Russians are unable to influence the 2018 election. As to Putin’s motives? It’s all about making the USSR great again:
“He’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Bush said of Putin. “The reason he does is because of the demise of the Soviet Union troubles him. Therefore, much of his moves (are) to regain Soviet hegemony.”
One last notable moment from the speech when George W. Bush referenced the DREAMers and said we absolutely, positively need to find a path to citizenship, saying “America is their home.”
“There are people willing to do jobs that Americans won’t do,” he said. “Americans don’t want to pick cotton at 105 degrees (Fahrenheit), but there are people who want put food on their family’s tables and are willing to do that. We ought to say thank you and welcome them.”
