Remember way back in 2004 when Kanye West said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a nationally televised Hurricane Katrina relief program? Six years later the former president is ready to share his thoughts on matter. In an interview with Matt Lauer promoting his book Decision Points, W. called the racist incident “was one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency.” He went on, “He called me a racist. And I didn’t appreciate it then. I don’t appreciate it now. It’s one thing to say, ‘I don’t appreciate the way he’s handled his business.’ It’s another thing to say, ‘This man’s a racist.’ I resent it, it’s not true.”
During the taped interviewed which airs November 8 on NBC, Lauer reads aloud from the upcoming book: ‘Five years later I can barely write those words without feeling disgust. I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn’t like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.’ Bush goes on to say that at the time this was the worst moment in his presidency. (Really now?) Final choice quotes. Lauer: “You’re not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You’re saying it was when someone insulted you because of that.” Bush: “No, and I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well. There’s a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple.”
One day after these quotes leaked Kanye called up a Houston radio station to bring things full circle. “I definitely can understand the way he feels, to be accused of being a racist in any way, because the same thing happened to me, where I got accused of being a racist,” Kanye said. “For both situations, it was basically a lack of compassion that America felt in that situation. With him, it was a lack of compassion of him not rushing, him not taking the time to rush down to New Orleans. For me, it was a lack of compassion of cutting someone off in their moment. But nonetheless, I think we’re all quick to pull a race card in America. And now I’m more open, and the poetic justice that I feel, to have went through the same thing that he went [through] — and now I really more connect with him on just a humanitarian level.”
There’s the new Kanye for ya. Having lived through the Taylor Swift incident has taught the rapper many lessons it looks like. Hop after the break to hear the Ye’ audio clip in full. I’m just glad this bizarre happenstance has finally been put to rest. Everybody, move on!
Update (11/11): Kanye West appeared on the Today Show and spoke with Matt Lauer about the recent revival of his racist remarks against Bush. Video after the break.