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From the NewsMax.com Staff
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For the story behind the story...
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Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005 1:04 p.m. EST
Bush: 'Man, I Look Old'
With his first term as president history, George Bush thinks he has accomplished one thing: He looks older.
USA Today Reports that when Bush was shown his photo in Time's Person of the Year edition, he yelped, "Man, I look old."
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The only president to have aged little despite the tremendous strain of office was Ronald Reagan.
But Sept. 11 has taken its toll on the much younger Bush.
In addition to grayer hair and more facial lines, friends also say Bush has matured in office. "The ordeals of the past four years, especially the September 11 attacks, have made him more deliberate and focused than he was when he came to Washington," the paper reports.
"I think he's more serious than he was, really,” Laura Bush says of her husband. "He still has a great sense of humor, and he's still funny, but the consequences of decisions that a president makes are huge, and he knows that."
Bush apparently doesn't like the observation and prefers to see himself as the same good ol' Texas boy he once was.
Asked about the changes, he laughs: "Ask Laura. I don't know."
Other changes those close to him noted to USA Today:
He is more confident, especially when he's dealing with foreign leaders.
He is more careful of what he says.
He now accepts the loss of much of his private life.
He is a more patient boss.
He is more decisive.
His marriage is even stronger.
But some worry that Bush has not changed his tendency not to listen to critics. "I'm a little worried about that right now,” Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi told USA Today. He says Bush needs to avoid his tendency "not to listen to people" who aren't part of his inner circle.
"The White House can become a cocoon. The president and vice president have to make sure they reach out and listen to a variety of voices," Lott warns.
Editor's note:
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Dan Rather Shocked by Bush Map – Reds Are Growing – Click Here Now.
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