President Bush Remembers 9/11 in Farewell Address

Photograph of President Bush during his farewell address by Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Though somewhat overshadowed by the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River, President Bush gave his farewell address to the American public last night. He said, "Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I've always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."

Bush also harkened back to the event that defined his presidency: September 11, 2001.

This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house -- September the 11th, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon, and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93. I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge.

As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe....There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil.

The Washington Post notes, "The address capped a two-month public relations effort by Bush, who saw his popularity reach record highs after the 2001 terrorist attacks before plunging to historic lows as the Iraq war dragged on, Hurricane Katrina struck and the nation's economy crumbled. Although Bush's approval numbers have improved slightly as he prepares to leave office, he remains one of the most consistently unpopular presidents since the advent of modern polling."