Never saying you're sorry

I suspect that if you pressed President George W. Bush to offer one piece of moral advice to the youth of America, he would counsel, “You need to take responsibility for your actions.” The phrase is Bush’s verbal factotum. He uses it all the time.

In his days as governor of Texas, when death-penalty appeals from the Pardons Board crossed his desk, Bush would wash his hands, and explain that everyone has to take responsibility for...

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