At the same time we appropriately say “Welcome, President Obama,” we say: “Thank you, President Bush.” Thank you for what? Some who praised me for the Welcome last week would now ask this and would despise today’s Thank You. Sufficient it is just to thank one for serving our nation as president. When a president leaves office, it is time to lighten up on failures, celebrate accomplishments, and express gratitude for public service. History will sort everything out eventually, and final conclusions cannot be reached now.

I was proud of our nation, — and not for the first time — that the transition of administrations was peaceful and honorable. Three individuals especially deserve credit and appreciation: President Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Both winner and loser in the recent elections commented kindly and graciously about the other. The former stepped up confidently, and the latter stepped back politely.

President Bush oiled the transition with grace, and his staff handed over the keys with decorum. (Unlike when President Bill Clinton left, the office equipment was found to be in working condition.) They made it easy for the new team to hit the ground running—and did they.

I cannot praise every aspect of the inaugural events, however, because a disappointingly un-American attitude was betrayed, at least momentarily, by a number of Obama partisans. I allow them their personal opinions of the out-going administration, but the inaugural was neither the time nor place to exhibit and project them, as did happen. When President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney entered the platform, a number of Obama people let out a clearly audible murmur of contempt. Happily, the Bush people did not retaliate or even react or this could easily have become an ugly scene.

When the large screens on the mall showed the Bushes leaving, hooting and angry shouts erupted within the crowd. Minnesota’s Garrison Keillor, a wonderfully competent wordsmith whose ability I much admire, betrayed himself by dismissing this gratuitously as “polite booing.” Booing, by definition, is at least impolite.

I submit we need to recognize George Bush as a good and decent man. I recognize this not only from his public appearances but, more convincingly, from personal reports of those who had opportunity to get close to him. I value his tears, for instance, in thanking the families of those who have lost their lives in the war in which he was convinced we needed to become engaged. To me, it is no small thing that his personal behavior has been above reproach, Laura never having to protest she was forced by scandal to “stand by my man.”

I truly cannot believe any person in office on 9/11 could have acted much more wisely and successfully than President Bush did. An impossible situation confronted him, and he had to do something. No one then or since has suggested a better alternative. He did as best he could with what he knew at the time. That it finally appears there were no WMDs in Iraq is not at all the point. The point is there certainly appeared to be, and not only America but the world could take no chances. Hussein worked hard and successfully to convince the world he had plenty. He fooled his populace and even most of his generals. I think Bush can be forgiven for also being fooled.

George W. Bush made many mistakes, and we haven’t yet learned them all.

The mistakes he made, however, are more tolerable than those he would have made if he had failed to act. They are less than the mistakes of many others who presume they would have made a better president.

It is far too soon to make final judgment on the overall value of Bush’s presidency. Far too many facts are not yet known, and even the wisest among us haven’t been able to think through everything that must be factored into judgment.

It is no easy thing to tolerate the office of president and harder yet to succeed. President George W. Bush served us sincerely and earnestly, if not perfectly.

For at least this, we are logically obliged and reasonably pleased to say: Thank you, President Bush.