Bush calls NYT review of book about his father ‘psychobabble’

Former President George W. Bush used one of his favorite words Sunday to dismiss speculation in a New York Times book review that he’s in competition with his father, calling it “psychobabble.”

“I think it’s typically psychobabble of somebody who has no clue what he’s talking about,” Mr. Bush said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

He was referring to a New York Times review of his book, “41: A Portrait of My Father,” his recently released book about his father, former President George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States.

The Nov. 19 review says that Mr. Bush does not reflect in his book on a “lifetime of efforts to prove himself by following in his father’s footsteps” nor “any frustrations in trying to measure up.”

Mr. Bush insisted that he feels no such frustrations. “One reason I wrote the book is that — as I understand it, a lot of people are saying, ’Well, he’s in stiff competition with his father,’” he said.

“Stiff competition is overstated. If you love somebody as much as I love my dad and my brothers love my dad and my sister loves my dad, there’s no need to compete,” Mr. Bush said. “I think people are going to write what they want to write.”

Mr. Bush also described his book, which has been favorably reviewed, as a love story to his father, who’s 90.

“I wanted to be one of the first people out in the evaluation of George H.W Bush. And it’s a love story,” Mr. Bush said. “I’m not the least bit ashamed to say it’s not very objective. I also happen to think it’s a handbook on fatherhood. If somebody’s interested in how a person was a great father, even though he’s very busy, this book is such an example.”