Bush going to add to his coffers

[Kaj]

Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

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Roundtable on President Bush Book

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.

President Bush offered a glimpse into what he will do after his term ends, when he told author Robert Draper, who was just on HARDBALL -- quote -- "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money" -- those all quotes from the president.

Well, should President Bush be talking about how much money he’s going to make on the lecture circuit when he leaves office, especially when we’re at a time of war? That’s the HARDBALL debate tonight.

Ron Christie served as -- we have had him on many times -- as special assistant to President Bush. And Jon Soltz is an Iraq War veteran now with an organization called VoteVets.org.

Ron Christie, any problem with the president talking to an author of a book about him about how much money he’s going to make after he leaves giving speeches?

RON CHRISTIE, FORMER ADVISER TO VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: No, Chris.


It’s interesting. If you listen to the -- the interview that you had with Robert Draper just a few moments ago, Draper admits that he asked the president, what are you going to do once you leave office, not the president sitting around and saying...

MATTHEWS: Right.

CHRISTIE: ... boy, I’m just going to go out and cash out.

If you look at the prologue of the book, rather than the epilogue, where this quote is, Chris, the president talks in great detail about the solemn responsibility of sending men and women into battle and dying.

MATTHEWS: Right.

CHRISTIE: And the president talks at great length about the decisions that the commander in chief has to make.

So, I do not have a problem with the president musing about what he might do. He also mentions he’s going to start a Freedom Institute once he leaves the White House, to talk about giving speeches. I don’t have a problem with that.

MATTHEWS: Jon Soltz, your view of the president’s words this weekend that got out?

JON SOLTZ, CO-FOUNDER, VOTEVETS.ORG: Well, as a soldier who fought on the ground in Iraq, and as the chairman of the largest political organization of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, I find it absolutely offensive he would use these words.

I mean, how about taking care of the soldiers you sent to war? How about post-traumatic -- PTSD research? How about traumatic brain injury research?

You’re going to pad your coffers? I mean, come on, 50,000 bucks a speech? You could send a soldier to Iraq for two years, and they won’t come home with that kind of money. This is the commander in chief. And this is just more evidence that he doesn’t understand his responsibility in leading the armed forces of the United States.

Could you imagine General Petraeus saying he’s going to cash out to write a book for a couple million dollars right now?

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: What about our soldiers going back to Iraq?

CHRISTIE: Quite to the contrary.

SOLTZ: It’s bad for morale, absolutely bad for morale.

CHRISTIE: Jon, quite to the contrary.

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: But, see, I’m a soldier.

CHRISTIE: I’m not going to -- Jon...

SOLTZ: And, so, I have served there. And I don’t need to be lectured by some person who’s never worn the uniform. It’s absolutely offensive...

(CROSSTALK)

CHRISTIE: Excuse me.

MATTHEWS: Well, I invited Ron Christie on to debate you, so he has the right to debate you.

(CROSSTALK)

SOLTZ: ... people who have served on the ground to have their commander in chief talking about...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Ron has the right to debate you. He is here.

Go ahead, Ron.

CHRISTIE: Excuse me.

I do have the right to debate you. And I am very pleased and honored by the fact that you chose to wear the uniform of this country.

But I also chose to serve this country. And I have been involved in public service, serving the United States and the American people, for most of my professional career. So, I do have the ability to judge the president, not only as one who is a very strong man and one who knows exactly what he’s doing.

But, unlike you, Jon, I have actually sat in the Oval Office. I have sat in the Cabinet Room and listened to the president talk about the solemn responsibility that he and he alone must bear as the commander in chief, who you reported to as a soldier, and recognize that he knows exactly what’s at stake. He knows exactly what the consequences are for sending men and women in battle.

So for you to suggest that the president is only trying to cash out, he knows and that’s why he was outraged by what happened at Walter Reed.

(CROSS TALK)

SOLTZ: We haven’t even implemented the recommendations of the Dole/Shalala Commission. It’s going to be become like the 9/11 Commission report. This is a president who threatened to veto a 3.5 percent pay increase for the men and women in uniform. That’s absolutely ridiculous behavior. This is a president I listened to when he said there are weapons of mass destruction, when he said our military’s not over-extended, when he said that we’re not going to break our military.

This is a president that less committed to beating al Qaeda than his obsession with his legacy and, more importantly, this is a man after his administration, cares more about cashing out than taking care of the people he sent to war. Let me tell you --

(CROSS TALK)

CHRISTIE: You can end your filibuster. Let me tell you something. This is a man who takes his responsibility his -- again, as I said, his responsibility as commander in chief far more seriously than you can imagine when you’ve never had the opportunity to talk to him and see exactly the deliberation that he goes through.

Let me take that a step further. For you to suggest without knowing what the commander in chief looks at, by way of intelligence -- let’s go back to the Clinton administration, let’s go back to the previous administrations, people who were convinced that there were weapons of mass destruction, and, in fact, Senator Clinton, many others in the Democrat side of the aisle, believed that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. The reality --

(CROSS TALK)

MATTHEWS: Let me go back to a fact here before we continue. Robert Draper, as you know, he did ask the question of what are you going to do after you leave the White House. You’re correct in that, Ron. But he told me on the air -- and you heard it -- he was surprised the president answered in the way he did. He was amazed that the president so openly discussed money and how much he’s going to make as a windfall to having been president at the time he’s serving as commander of a war.

He is surprised. He also told me when he got off the air the White House isn’t happy about this. They don’t like the fact that the president is perceived a guy whose out to money grub, having led men and women into battle. So you’re defending what the president finds a bit shameful, that he’s now being portrayed by his own words. You don’t find his words offensive, but apparently the president embarrassed by his own words, as they’ve appeared in print now.

CHRISTIE: Listening to you off line and to the segment, the president -- his aides -- what Mr. Draper perceived was that he would be perceived as being upset by that. We don’t know what the president is going to say, because neither you nor I have talked to the president about this. What I am defending is the fact that this president of the United States has taken his solemn responsibility as commander in chief and done everything he can --

SOLTZ: I’m glad you feel that way as a neo-conservative political pundit. Those of us who fought on ground.

CHRISTIE: Stop cutting me off.

MATTHEWS: You’re a gold star mother -- imagine your gold star mother to be in the next couple of weeks. You lose a son or daughter and you have in your mind, oh, by the way, the commander in chief has been talking to a reporter -- an author how much money he’s going to make after he leaves the White House. Ron, your reaction if you’re a gold star mother today.

CHRISTIE: If I’m a gold star mother, I know for a fact from listening to the president say this in my presence, that he talks to people who have lost a loved one and he understands the solemn sacrifice that that son or that daughter has made giving their life in service to this country.

The president of the United States understands that he’s going to leave office soon. For those to suggest that he’s only trying to cash out or using his presidency to make money is absurd. You know it and I know it and John knows it.

MATTHEWS: That he’s openly bragging about a windfall.

CHRISTIE: Chris, he’s not bragging.

MATTHEWS: Go ahead John, because I read it. That’s what the author thought. What do you think?

SOLTZ: I think this is a joke. We’ve got guys who are fighting in combat every day, trying to win a war, and you’ve got a commander in chief that, as the commander of our Armed Forces of the United States, is distracted by how much money he’s going to make at a speech. I couldn’t imagine if my commander in Iraq stood up and said hey guys, I can’t wait to retire so I can get a big fat paycheck.

MATTHEWS: All I know is some people are on their fifth deployment over there and the president is talking about how it’s been good to him financially. Thank you Ron Christie. Thank you John Soltz. Up next our HARDBALL round table on all of today’s news. This is HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

--------------------------------------

and why would that be?

[Kaj]

[ QUOTE ]
Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

--------------------------------------

and why would that be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Notice the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about doing anything good in the world with his position as former President, just what's good for himself. His staff is already spinning it to say he meant he was going to give speeches in support of some Freedom Institute (lol) or something he's going to start. But Bush already gave away his real motives.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

--------------------------------------

and why would that be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Notice the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about doing anything good in the world with his position as former President, just what's good for himself. His staff is already spinning it to say he meant he was going to give speeches in support of some Freedom Institute (lol) or something he's going to start. But Bush already gave away his real motives.

[/ QUOTE ]

It wasnt the first thing out of his mouth, it was the first thing out of Chris Mathews' mouth. Ex-Presidents have done a lot of good after their terms, havent they. Carter and Clinton were the most active and the most destructive to US interests. Ex-Presidents should do exactly what youre criticizing, stfu and make a few bucks.

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

--------------------------------------

and why would that be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Notice the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about doing anything good in the world with his position as former President, just what's good for himself. His staff is already spinning it to say he meant he was going to give speeches in support of some Freedom Institute (lol) or something he's going to start. But Bush already gave away his real motives.

[/ QUOTE ]

It wasnt the first thing out of his mouth, it was the first thing out of Chris Mathews' mouth. Ex-Presidents have done a lot of good after their terms, havent they. Carter and Clinton were the most active and the most destructive to US interests. Ex-Presidents should do exactly what youre criticizing, stfu and make a few bucks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah dude, when Bush I and Clinton got together to raise money for Katrina I was all like "dude wtf, you're out of office go away forever you can't do any good anymore!!!"

Then Carter keeps making homes for poor people and insisting that people pay attention to him for it. These guys are such clowns, all they ever want is media attention for themselves.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bush on his post-Pres life: "I will give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers. I don’t know what my dad gets. It’s more than $50,000, $75,000. Clinton’s making a lot of money."

I'll leave it for you to decide if this is a dumb thing for a wartime President to say.

--------------------------------------

and why would that be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Notice the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about doing anything good in the world with his position as former President, just what's good for himself. His staff is already spinning it to say he meant he was going to give speeches in support of some Freedom Institute (lol) or something he's going to start. But Bush already gave away his real motives.

[/ QUOTE ]

It wasnt the first thing out of his mouth, it was the first thing out of Chris Mathews' mouth. Ex-Presidents have done a lot of good after their terms, havent they. Carter and Clinton were the most active and the most destructive to US interests. Ex-Presidents should do exactly what youre criticizing, stfu and make a few bucks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah dude, when Bush I and Clinton got together to raise money for Katrina I was all like "dude wtf, you're out of office go away forever you can't do any good anymore!!!"

Then Carter keeps making homes for poor people and insisting that people pay attention to him for it. These guys are such clowns, all they ever want is media attention for themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bush I and Clinton got together because Bush II asked them to, and they weren't interfering with the current administration.

If you aren't familiar with Carter's damage to the US and his travesty of a Nobel Prize then do some reading.

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]

If you aren't familiar with Carter's damage to the US and his travesty of a Nobel Prize then do some reading.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought he was in office for that whole thing.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

If you aren't familiar with Carter's damage to the US and his travesty of a Nobel Prize then do some reading.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought he was in office for that whole thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

His main damage in office was domestic, although his impotence in the Iran crisis was embarassing.

[anatta]

In Bush's defense, the first thing out of his mouth had to do with his Freedom Institute in Texas. Then he said the fill the coffers remarks, which I agree is pretty tasteless given that we are at War. Keep in mind this is a guy who mocked a woman on death row. He should give his speech money to the families of the Vets who died because of this senseless and mismanaged war. One speech = 2x annual income of a solider.

[Felix_Nietzsche]

[ QUOTE ]
Notice the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about doing anything good in the world with his position as former President, just what's good for himself. His staff is already spinning it to say he meant he was going to give speeches in support of some Freedom Institute (lol) or something he's going to start. But Bush already gave away his real motives.

[/ QUOTE ]
Bill Clinton has become a multi-multi millionaire in his speeches. When it comes to selfishly using the office for financial gains......Bill Clinton is the standard.

And yet Bush who has not given one speech for personal financial gain is the target of your criticism? In addition, the information you have is hearsay....do you not have anything directly from Bush's mouth. Do you? You suffer from Bush derangement syndrome. Just like Chris Matthews....

I don't care for Bush. He has caused great harm to the republican party and the country. But I don't see conspiracies under every rock like you do....