‘I have always followed my conscience’

UNPOPULAR but unbowed, President George W Bush defended his tumultuous two terms in a farewell address to the nation on Thursday night, claiming a hard-won record of achievement.

Reaching back to the September 11 attacks, when the public rallied behind him, Bush declared the United States will “never tire, never falter and never fail”.

Leaving office with the highest disapproval rating since Richard Nixon, Bush said: “You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.”