Former chief of staff to George W. Bush Andy Card held a C-SPAN interview on April 7 with political editor Steve Scully and students from George Mason University, Purdue University and the University of Denver.
Card spoke openly with the group of students and shared stories that gave insights to his duties when working with the Bush administration, an administration Card described as misunderstood.
“He made the tough decisions,” said Card about President Bush, “He had presidential courage.”
Card used the attacks on 9-11 to demonstrate pressure he dealt with during his time with Bush. He recalled when the attacks happened his dilemma whether or not to interrupt the President in a conference.
“After the second plane hit I knew it was Osama but I didn’t know if I should tell the President initially.” Card recalled. “But the main job of the chief of staff is to tell the President everything he needs to know not everything he wants.”
The next few days were very emotional. “My most memorable days at the Whitehouse,” is how Andy Card described the following days after the attacks. These days were marked by speeches by Bush, in churches, on television and on ground zero.
Card ended by stating that history will be kind to George Bush after realizing the challenges he overcame.