I never thought I’d see the day when I’d applaud George W. Bush for taking a stand for decency and democracy. But these are indeed strange times with strange bedfellows.
Raw Story explains what happened:
As the former presidents were seated at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, a CBS panel noted that Bush snubbed the president-elect.
“This is an extraordinary moment as the president-elect is sitting next to Barack Obama,” anchor Norah O’Donnell said.
“There’s former president George W. Bush,” correspondent Robert Costa announced as the former Republican president was seated.
“[Who] did not shake Trump’s hand,” O’Donnell pointed out. “And look how appropriately former President George W. Bush stands to welcome former First Lady Hillary Clinton and President Clinton.
“But this is the way it’s supposed to be,” CBS’ Bob Schieffer said afterward. “This is the way America operates. One president’s elected and then another and they go on and move forward.”
I’m sorry, CBS pundits, but this is not the certification of an election or a transition of power. The felonious, sexual assaulter, fraudster and coup plotter who has publicly confessed to violating the Constitution and whom the majority of Americans did not vote for is not the kind of president America is supposed to have.
It’s not democracy to pretend Trump deserves respect, it’s appeasement. Worse, it sends a signal that our democracy and our democratic institutions – which Trump and President-Unelect Elon Musk are hellbent on destroying – are not important and not worth fighting for.
Kudos to W.
And, by the way, check out how warmly Karen Pence greeted Bush in the video above, at about :50, compared to her deliberate snub of Trump.
