DECISIONPOINTS＿GEORGEW.BUSHCROWNPUBLISHERSNewYork鸯Tothelovesofmylife:Laura,Barbara,andJennaINTRODUCTION1Quitting2Running3Personnel4StemCells5DayofFire6WarFooting7Afghanistan8Iraq9Leading10Katrina11LazarusEffect12Surge13FreedomAgenda14FinancialCrisisEPILOGUEACKNOWLEDGMENTSINDEXnthefinalyearofmypresidency,Ibegantothinkseriouslyaboutwritingmymemoirs.OntherecommendationofKarlRove,Imetwithmorethanadozendistinguishedhistorians.Toaperson,theytoldmeIhadanobligationtowrite.TheyfeltitwasimportantthatIrecordmyperspectiveonthepresidency,inmyownwords.“HaveyoueverseenthemovieApollo13?”thehistorianJayWinikasked.“Everyoneknowstheastronautsmakeithomeintheend.Butyou’reontheedgeofyourseatwonderinghowtheydoit.”NearlyallthehistorianssuggestedthatIreadMemoirsbyPresidentUlyssesS.Grant,whichIdid.Thebookcaptureshisdistinctivevoice.Heusesanecdotestore-createhisexperienceduringtheCivilWar.Icouldseewhyhisworkhadendured.LikeGrant,Idecidednottowriteanexhaustiveaccountofmylifeorpresidency.InsteadIhavetoldthestoryofmytimeintheWhiteHousebyfocusingonthemostimportantpartofthejob:makingdecisions.Eachchapterisbasedonamajordecisionoraseriesofrelateddecisions.Asaresult,thebookflowsthematically,notinaday-by-daychronology.Idonotcoveralloftheimportantissuesthatcrossedmydesk.ManydevotedmembersofmyCabinetandstaffarementionedbrieflyornotatall.Ivaluetheirservice,andIwillalwaysbegratefulfortheircontributions.Mygoalsinwritingthisbookaretwofold.First,Ihopetopaintapictureofwhatitwasliketoserveaspresidentforeightconsequentialyears.Ibelieveitwillbeimpossibletoreachdefinitiveconclusionsaboutmypresidency—oranyrecentpresidency,forthatmatter—forseveraldecades.Thepassageoftimeallowspassionstocool,resultstoclarify,andscholarstocomparedifferentapproaches.MyhopeisthatthisbookwillserveasaresourceforanyonestudyingthisperiodinAmericanhistory.Second,Iwritetogivereadersaperspectiveondecisionmakinginacomplexenvironment.Manyofthedecisionsthatreachthepresident’sdeskaretoughcalls,withstrongargumentsonbothsides.Throughoutthebook,IdescribetheoptionsIweighedandtheprinciplesIfollowed.IhopethiswillgiveyouabettersenseofwhyImadethedecisionsIdid.Perhapsitwillevenproveusefulasyoumakechoicesinyourownlife.DecisionPointsisbasedprimarilyonmyrecollections.Withhelpfromresearchers,Ihaveconfirmedmyaccountwithgovernmentdocuments,contemporaneousnotes,personalinterviews,newsreports,andothersources,someofwhichremainclassified.TherewereinstancesinwhichIhadtorelyonmymemoryalone.Ifthereareinaccuraciesinthisbook,theresponsibilityismine.Inthepagesthatfollow,IhavedonemybesttowriteaboutthedecisionsIgotright,thoseIgotwrong,andwhatIwoulddodifferentlyifgiventhechance.Ofcourse,inthepresidency,therearenodo-overs.Youhavetodowhatyoubelieveisrightandaccepttheconsequences.Itriedtodothateverydayofmyeightyearsinoffice.Servingaspresidentwasthehonorofalifetime,andIappreciateyourgivingmeanopportunitytosharemystory.twasasimplequestion.“Canyourememberthelastdayyoudidn’thaveadrink?”Lauraaskedinhercalm,soothingvoice.Shewasn’tthreateningornagging.Shedidexpectananswer.Mywifeisthekindofpersonwhopickshermoments.Thiswasoneofthem.“OfcourseIcan,”camemyindignantresponse.ThenIthoughtbackoverthepreviousweek.I’dhadafewbeerswiththeguysonMondaynight.OnTuesdayI’dfixedmyselfmyfavoriteafter-dinnerdrink:B&B,Benedictineandbrandy.I’dhadacoupleofbourbonandSevensafterIputBarbaraandJen...
