Bush, Manson, and the Media Blackout - Bugliosi Interview Part 2

Vincent Bugliosi (VB):  I've prosecuted a lot of murderers, and it was never personal with me.  By that I mean I wasn't emotionally involved.  Certainly the survivors of the murder victims, it was personal with them.  They were emotionally involved, but prosecutors are not supposed to get personal.  They're not supposed to get emotional, because the sense is that it could cloud your vision.

Michael Collins (MC):  Right.

VB:  With Manson, as an example, because he's the most well known, by far, of all my murder defendants, I simply viewed him as an extremely evil person who had committed horrendous murders and therefore forfeited his right to live.  He deserved the death penalty, and I told the jury, "If this is not a proper case of imposition of the death penalty, no case ever would be."  I even challenged the jury.  I said, "If you're not willing to come back with a verdict of death in this case, then we should abolish the death penalty in the state of California.  How many people would you have to kill to get the death penalty?"  And they did come back with a verdict of death.

I also looked upon Manson as someone who, if he walked out of court, was going to continue to kill.

But let me tell you this:  For the first time in my career, it's very personal with George Bush, and I'll tell you why.  If I prosecuted him and Cheney and Rice or whoever else, Cheney and Rice it would not be personal.  I would seek the death penalty against them, for sure.  They deserve to suffer the ultimate penalty for what they did, no question about it.  But it would not be personal.  I'll tell you why it's personal with George Bush -- because the evidence is overwhelming, overwhelming.  It cannot be disputed.

If anyone tries to dispute it, they're going to make a fool out of themselves if I have time to rebut what they're saying.  The evidence is overwhelming that while young American soldiers -- I'm talking about 18, 19 year old kids who never had a chance to live out their dreams -- are being blown to pieces by roadside bombs in Iraq, this guy, George Bush, was having a lot of fun playing, joking, laughing on a day to day basis and enjoying himself to the very utmost.  The evidence is overwhelming to that, and that's what's made it personal with me, the fact that he could do what he did, this monstrous individual, and still have fun on a daily basis when kids are being blown up, and you see Bush and he's smiling and laughing and joking and tap dancing.  It's unbelievable.

"I'm feeling pretty good about life."
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MC:  The pictures in your book were compelling, especially those with him laughing.  Of the 21 or so individuals that you've successfully prosecuted for murder, where does Bush rank?

VB:  Well, he's -- let me -- you've asked a different type of question.  Manson was very evil.  I wouldn't say Bush is evil in that he doesn't want to kill people.  But I will call him a despicable human being who's extremely coldhearted and couldn't care less, couldn't possibly care less that thousands upon thousands of people are dying horrible, violent deaths because of what he did, couldn't possibly care less.  How could he care less if he has done what he has done, enjoyed life the way he has and said the things that he did?  He's extremely arrogant and extremely self centered.  I don't think he has any redeeming human characteristics.  He's a despicable human being.  But I don't think he wants to kill anyone.  He just doesn't care.

MC:  He doesn't care.

VB:  Whereas Manson, if he had a chance, he was going to kill as many people as he could.  You know, Bush, he has shown no hesitancy in saying things like this over and over again, and I've said this before and I'll repeat it now.  Try to imagine Roosevelt, Truman, LBJ, Nixon during their respective wars saying things like this.  They would never do it.  It would not happen.  You see photographs of their face during war, and those photographs reflect -- the photographs of their face reflect the grimness of the war.  It's a very serious time.  It's not time for fun and laughter.

Also, as I'm uttering these words, try to keep in your mind that at the very moment I'm uttering these -- at the very moment that George Bush said these words, think about the death and the horror and the suffering and the sea of blood and the screams and the mutilations of the body, the beheadings going on in Iraq as he is saying these words.  These are some of the quotes:  "Laura and I are having the time of our lives."  "I'm in a great mood."  "I'm feeling pretty good about life."  "It's going to be a perfect day."  Now, that remark that he made, "I'm feeling pretty good about life," that was at a December 2007 press conference.

Here's someone who has taken this nation to a war that has cost us over one trillion dollars so far with no end in sight.  He's virtually destroyed an entire country, the country of Iraq, and most of all and most importantly by far, and it bears repeating, he's criminally responsible for over 100,000 people dying horrible, violent deaths.  And he says he's feeling pretty good about life.  It's mind boggling.  It's incomprehensible.  And there's no question that this man is enjoying life

(His media strategist) Mark McKinnon told the New York Times in 2005 right in the midst of this horrible war that he couldn't recall ever seeing Bush more calm, relaxed and happy, words to that effect.   Bush, right in the midst of all this horror and death, told reporters at the ranch, after a hearty breakfast, what his plans were for the rest of the day, and he said, "I'm going to have lunch with Secretary of State Rice, talk a little business, take a little nap.  I'm reading an Elmore Leonard book right now.  Knock off a little Elmore Leonard this afternoon, go fishing with my man, Barney," Bush's dog, "have a light dinner and then head for the ballgame -- " or, "head to the ballgame, so it's a perfect day."

MC:  A perfect day?

VB:  "So it's a perfect day," he said.  And when I read those last words by Bush, I said to myself, I said, "No, you son of a b----, if I may call you that, Mr. President, you're not going to have a perfect day, or I should say you're not going to have another perfect day for as long as you live, if I have anything to say about it, because I'm going to put a thought in your mind (of prosecution)  that you're going to take with you to your grave.  It's the least I can do for the thousands of young American soldiers that came back from your war in a box or a jar of ashes and for the thousands upon thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women, children and babies who died horrible deaths because of your war.  That's the least I can do."  I almost said those exact words to myself when I heard him say that he's going to have a perfect day.  About putting a thought in Bush's mind, I'm referring, of course, to my proposed prosecution of Bush for murder and the fact that there's no statue of limitations for the crime of murder.

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