18 Facts About George W

1. George W has painted self-portraits and portraits of world leaders, including Vladimir Putin and Tony Blair.

2. George W added that people had said during his presidency that he should withdraw American troops from Iraq, but he chose the opposite, sending 30,000 more troops in order to defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq, and that Al Qaeda in Iraq was defeated.

3. George W presented the book at the Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

4. George W made news defending his administration's enhanced interrogation techniques, specifically the waterboarding of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, saying, "I'd do it again to save lives.

5. George W said that "the United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.

6. George W praised the Iraqis' legislative achievements, including a pension law, a revised de-Baathification law, a new budget, an amnesty law, and a provincial powers measure that, he said, set the stage for the Iraqi elections.

7. George W said he would carefully weigh recommendations from his commanding General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker about how to proceed after the end of the military buildup in the summer of 2008.

8. George W specifically thanked UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for traveling to Washington to show "unity of purpose with America", and said "America has no truer friend than Great Britain.

9. George W appointed long-time adviser Karen Hughes to oversee a global public relations campaign.

10. George W authorized the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to manage the disaster, but his announcement failed to spur these agencies to action.

11. George W appointed Ken Mehlman as campaign manager, and Karl Rove devised a political strategy.

12. George W campaigned on a platform that included bringing integrity and honor back to the White House, increasing the size of the United States Armed Forces, cutting taxes, improving education, and aiding minorities.

13. George W proclaimed June 10, 2000, to be Jesus Day in Texas, a day on which he "urge[d] all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need".

14. George W became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to two consecutive four-year terms.

15. George W was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserve on November 21, 1974.

16. George W had moved to Montgomery, Alabama, to work on the unsuccessful US Senate campaign of Republican Winton M Blount.

17. George W was cited for DUI, fined $150, and got his Maine driver's license briefly suspended.

18. George W attended Yale University from 1964 to 1968, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.