Bush defends policies, speaks out against Obama Administration

Former President George W. Bush spoke out on the Obama administration Wednesday for the first time since leaving office.

In an hour long speech and question and answer session, the former president defended his stance on interrogation tactics and indirectly criticized the current president's economic approach reports the Washington Times. "I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," said Bush, who left office in January, a subtle but substantial objection to President Obama's government spending and intervention, which have been criticized by conservatives. Until this point, President Bush had been quiet on most issues. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former First Lady Laura Bush, however, had spoken out in defense of Bush Administration policies. The starkest contrast between the two administrations is their stance on interrogation tactics and the War on Terror. The former President said he addressed the problem by doing everything he could. "The way I decided to address the problem was twofold: One, use every technique and tool within the law to bring terrorists to justice before they strike again," he said. President Obama called these policies "off course." Jabs from the forty-third president were soft, however. Bush said repeatedly he was "not going to criticize" his successor.