Bush Hands Out His Last, Heartfelt Medals of Freedom

President George W. Bush handed out his last and perhaps most heartfelt batch of Presidential Medals of Freedom, honoring three of his staunchest allies – former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Australian PM John Howard, and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

“Each of these gentlemen we honor today has his own style and personality, and each has amassed distinctions and achievements that belong to him alone,” Bush said, in an East Room ceremony. “Yet all of them have shown a firm adherence to the principles of freedom and democratic values, and a willingness to face problems squarely instead of passing them on to others. They’re the sort of guys who look you in the eye and tell you the truth and keep their word. In lengthy service they proved to be leaders of character and fortitude. They are warm friends of the United States of America. The opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great satisfactions of my time as President. I respect them and I admire them.”

Of Blair, he said, “My friend was there, indeed, after America was attacked on September the 11th, 2001…. At his very center, this man believes in freedom – freedom from oppression, freedom from hunger, freedom from disease, and freedom from fear and despair.”

Of Howard, Bush said, “He’s a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can defend it, and he stands his ground. That’s why I called him a Man of Steel. In the character of John Winston Howard we see that fine Australian spirit of `standing by your mates.’”

Of Uribe, Bush said, “By refusing to allow the land he loves to be destroyed by an enemy within, by proving that terror can be opposed and defeated, President Uribe has reawakened the hopes of his countrymen and shown a model of leadership to a watching world.”

The Medal of Freedom was begun by President Harry S. Truman after World War II, to reward heads of state and other high-ranking allies. It fell into disuse but then was revived by President John F. Kennedy in an expanded form that opened the medal up to artists, scientists, activists, religious leaders, businesspeople, and media figures. In effect, it made the U.S. president an arbiter of culture. Among Bush’s numerous choices, he has previously honored such diverse figures as B.B. King, the blues guitarist; Vaclav Havel, the Czech playwright and political leader; Paul Ruse, the Kigali hotel manager who’s portrayed in “Hotel Rwanda”; Roberto Clemente, the late baseball hero; former First Lady Nancy Reagan; and former GM Chairman Roger Smith.