Walters Aggressive with Bush in ‘01, Tosses Softballs to Obama

In the interview for Wednesday's Barbara Walters Special on ABC with Barack and Michelle Obama, Walters asked few questions that put the Obamas on the defensive, in contrast with her January 2001 interview with then-President-elect Bush in which she challenged him on a number of fronts. Most notably, she chided Bush for choosing John Ashcroft as Attorney General because he "openly opposes abortion," and claimed that Ashcroft was "not considered a friend to civil rights." She asked Bush about reports that, as governor of Texas, he "spent relatively little time studying specific issues," and "only does a few hours of work" a day. The ABC host also challenged Bush from the left on the trade embargo against Cuba, and even asked Laura Bush if her more "traditional" plans for her time as First Lady would be a "setback for women." It is also noteworthy that Walters asked Bush about his plans for dealing with Saddam Hussein and cited "people in the know" who contended that the Iraqi dictator was "stronger than ever."