In 2006, after 10 minutes of hilarious self-deprecating humor, President George W. Bush ended his remarks at the White House Correspondents Dinner by thanking his side-kick, comedian Steve Bridges, and the dinner attendees with these words: “I want to thank Steve for being part of this fun evening. As most of my predecessors have known, it’s really important to be able to laugh in this job, and I thank you for giving us the chance to laugh with you tonight.”
“It’s kind of hard to tell others to have an independent free press when we’re not willing to have one ourselves.” -President George W. Bush (February 27, 2017)
Former President George W. Bush sat down with Matt Lauer on the “Today Show” on Monday, and answered some tough questions head-on. For a president who stays in the background and refuses to be critical of current or past presidents, this time he was frankly honest as he responded to issues currently plaguing the Donald Trump administration.
Even as Trump’s war on the media continues and even ramps up, the video above reminds of the self-deprecating humor of George W. Bush during his years in the White House. As he noted in the video, “As most of my predecessors have known, it’s really important to be able to laugh in this job, and I thank you for giving us the chance to laugh with you tonight.” This was after he had been excoriated by the press and Democrats for six years; yet, he did not stay away from the correspondents’ annual dinner or stand them up. He played along, and was hilarious while doing so.
Here, in a nut shell, are the subjects touched on with Matt Lauer, as compiled by my journalist sister.
On the questions of RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE in the presidential election last year and Trump team contacts:
“I think we all need answers … I’m not sure the right avenue to take. I am sure, though, that that question needs to be answered.”
On the TRAVEL BAN:
“I think it’s very important for all of us to recognize one of our great strengths is for people to be able to worship the way they want to or to not worship at all. A bedrock of our freedom is the right to worship freely.
“I understood right off the bat that this was an ideological conflict and people who murder the innocent are not religious people — they want to advance an ideology and we have faced those kinds of ideologues in the past.
“I am for an immigration policy that’s welcoming and upholds the law.”
On Trump attacks on the FREE PRESS:
“I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need an independent media to hold people like me to account… Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive and it’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse power, whether it be here or elsewhere… It’s kind of hard to tell others to have an independent free press when we’re not willing to have one ourselves.”
LynnRMitchell.com 
This video demonstrates the contrast between two presidents’ style and character, who both won contested elections, but the vast difference between the two victories is that in Bush’s case, the media and dems despised Bush’s policies, but accepted the man. In Trump’s case they despise both the man and the man’s policies. In both cases the two men attempted to do what was right and best for the country, but the last 8 years of Obama rule so fatally roiled the past generational concept of honesty, integrity, and love of country, that it is going to take a generation or more to repair that damage – if possible. Trump realized that if he attended that dinner in today’s world, he could stand before that crowd in the most self-deprecating, humorous manner with zero results. By next year, if there is still a Correspondents Dinner, the public may have accepted the honesty and compassion of the efforts Trump will have made to literally reverse the leftist disastrous course of our country and restore America’s true place in the world, as God’s emissary in again Blessing America. Paul (Saul) didn’t have an easy time of it either, but his results are astounding. Never say never!!