美国前第一夫人Laura Bush访谈

When they are working or planning the George W. Bush Presidential Library, Mrs.Bush says the former first couple is trying to enjoy life as ordinary citizens.

-Have you noticed the change in President Bush since he left the White House?

-I think we are both a lot more relaxed.

-Do you and President Bush watch the news together?

-We watch the news. We do a little bit. We talk about the news. Now we both have blackberries, maybe people will be surprised about that.

-Does he ever watch the stories about the economy or the wars say...

-Sure, absolutely, of course.

-Does he ever say 'I'm so glad that's not my problems any more'?

-I never heard him say that.

-Do you think he feels that way, relieved the pressures on...

-You know, it's a great relief, believe me, when you leave the White House after serving there for eight years. That's a lot responsibility.

-The current administration dismisses and says a lot of things about your husband's administration that are negative.

(It took many years and many failures to lead us here, and it will take many months and many different solutions to lead us out.)

-Why doesn't Mr. Bush say anything in response?

-He just thinks that it isn't his role and he didn't want to second guess the president.

(What I reject is when some folks say we should go back to the past policies when it was those very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.)

-And I can tell you I don't like that very much...

-You don't like what?

-...that he would say that about, you know, everything on George. But I think that really the president of the United States needs to remember the duty that he has and the obligation he has, the responsibility he has to the office.

-Which is?

-Well, which is, of course, to treat it with respect and with dignity.

-Do you think that when you say negative things about a former president that it's not dignified?

-I think that's probably not a really, you know, great thing to do, especially this is coming from the wife of the former president. So surely, you understand, Meggie.

-Dick Cheney has been very vocal about his opposition to the new policies in Washington. Do you think it's in his right to speak out?

-Absolutely. Of course. I mean this is a free country and I think it's important for people to express what they think.