PITTSBURGH – For George W. Bush, life after the presidency suits him just fine. He says he doesn’t miss Washington and doesn’t miss being president. However, “It was inconvenient to stop at the stoplights coming in today,” he quipped while addressing delegates at Hart Energy’s DUG East conference recently.

Bush recounted tales – dashed with a snappy sense of humor – from his eight years in the Oval Office. While he can easily live without the pressure-packed days in the White House, he said that he does miss being commander in chief.

“This is a remarkable country that produces men and women who volunteer in the face of danger. Being able to salute those men and women was a huge honor. I miss that aspect of the presidency, and I really think it’s important for our country to strongly support our vets. I remember when the Vietnam era vets came home and were treated poorly by the country. The mood has changed significantly now. Whether or not you agree with the decision to put the soldiers in combat like I had to do, the country is unified in making sure the vets are well supported and well received, and I’m very grateful for that,” he said.

The decision to send troops into combat should be seriously weighed, he said, adding that all options should be exhausted. “But once you’re in it, you should offer your support.”

Delivering one of several one-liners, Bush said, “If you really want to understand the decision-making process of war, buy my book. It’s a little bit of a shock to people that I can write much less read.”

Regarding the situation of seemingly endless unrest in the Middle East, the 43rd president said, “People want to be free. They’re tired of governments that don’t listen to them. And the classic case is Egypt. Kids came to Tahrir Square and said ‘we want to be heard.’ I’m hopeful that this is the beginning of democracy in which human rights and different religions are respected.”

Washington may be awash with division these days: Blue vs. Red, Democrat vs. Republican, liberal vs. conservative. Bush, however, made it clear that he no longer wants to be part of that routine. “I have no intention whatsoever to second guess the current president of the United States. I think it’s bad for the country if former presidents are out there undermining the current president.”

Bush talked about the current Washington logjam and why comprise in Congress is almost impossible. “It takes a desire by leaders in Washington to set aside party and focus on the common good, that’s what it takes. Look, I understand this Congress can’t lead. Congress is basically made up of risk-adverse people who have a two-year time license. Most Congressmen don’t face general elections. They’re only worried about their primaries because congressional districts are safe,” he said.

Regarding gerrymandered districts, Bush commented, “Most Congressmen lobby their state reps to make their district safer, not more competitive. And therefore you only have to worry about your primary. You worry about the left flank if you’re a Democrat and the right flank if you’re a Republican, which tends to polarize the debate.”

Until there’s a “more sane method for redistricting,” cooperation is unlikely, he added.

During his administration, Bush unsuccessfully pushed for immigration reform. He spoke passionately about the subject during his talk to oil and gas employees.

“The system’s broken and it needs to be fixed, and if you want to kill it, politically scream amnesty. That scares people – amnesty. Nobody’s for amnesty in the reform process. But those who are against immigration reform scream amnesty. I’m really not surprised. Populism can really make the issue difficult. There are a lot of outlets in the media and on the Internet trying to get your attention. Sometimes people say outrageous things in order to get market share. The immigration issue is an easy issue to frighten people. I think we’ll get it fixed, but I’m not sure when the timetable will be. It’s a very complex issue to get done and therefore it needs to be the primary focus of Congress and the president. It can’t be a secondary objective.”

Bush said it is important for Americans to realize that immigrants will do work that Americans aren’t willing to do. “You go down to Texas and people are building apartment complexes in some of these booming cities, and they’re laying tar in August. You can pretty well rest assured that they’re coming from a part of the world in which you can’t make a living. They’ve got mouths to feed. In other words, they’re willing to do jobs that Americans won’t do.

“I think there ought to be a legal way for them to do so with a tamper-proof identification card so all of the fraud that takes place ends. So right now there’s not an orderly system. People sneak in, sometimes in the back of 18-wheelers, to work. Somebody provides them with false documents, so the employer on site doesn’t know if they’re here (legally) or not. It’s a system begging for reform, and if you want to take pressure off the border at least enable people who are coming across to work to come across in an orderly fashion.”

Bush emphasized that immigrants should have a path to citizenship, an idea that many Republicans oppose. “If you’ve been here for a while, you pay your taxes, you haven’t been put in jail, your kids go to school, you work hard, you ought to be given a chance to be a citizen. I don’t think you ought to automatically be a citizen, but you ought to get a chance to get in line like everybody else who has applied.”

The National Security Agency, which has come under fire for its surveillance practices, was established during the Bush administration. Bush firmly defended the creation of the agency, saying, “I put it in place to protect the American people, and I think there are plenty of civil-liberty guarantees. After 9/11, memories fade. The farther we get away from 9/11, the less people remember the lessons of 9/11. But I happen to believe that the security measures we put in place are necessary for protecting our country.”

Regarding the economy, Bush said he thinks the country is underperforming. “I think the reason why is because there’s not enough focus on private-sector growth. I think the goal of the country ought to be (growing) the private sector. That ought to be the laser focus of any administration. And therefore, once it’s a goal, an issue like the Keystone Pipeline is a no-brainer. If the Keystone Pipeline creates 20,000 private-sector jobs, build the damn thing.”

On the subject of Afghanistan, Bush offered this observation: “Here’s the question, do we care if young girls and women suffer? Because they will if the United States abandons Afghanistan. It’s really a fundamental question, isn’t it, about our character and our nation.

“The goal of Afghanistan initially was to deny Al-Qaeda a safe haven and help a young democracy get on its feet and realize a better economy. And it’s happening. The question is ‘is it happening as fast as an impatient America wants?’ Probably not, and therefore what should we do about it? In my judgment, we should be patient and understand that what happens overseas matters to our security. The problem is that with the economy underperforming, it makes it less likely that Americans are going to care about whether women and children suffer in Afghanistan.”

Bush offered a brief insight into U.S.-Russia relations by telling an unforgettable tale. “Here’s a true story about (Russian president Vladimir) Putin. I introduced him to my dog Barney. Barney’s a Scottish terrier. Scottish terriers have tiny little legs. They’re not very fast runners. Their skill set is putting their long snouts in holes and finding varmints. And so I say, ‘This is my dog Barney.’ And Putin kind of looks at it like ‘you call that a dog?’ He didn’t say that but his body language clearly said it. And, you know, I’m kind of irritated. I’m the president of the United States, but I can’t show my irritation so I kind of blew it off.

“A year later, I’m in Russia and I had forgotten about the Barney deal. Putin says, ‘You want to meet my dog?’ I said yeah, and out bounces Koni, a huge Russian hound with great big long legs bounding across this lawn. (Putin) looks at me and says, ‘Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney.’ “

Finally, Bush talked about his newly found interest, painting. “It’s been an eye-opening experience. I think one of the lessons of life is to never stop learning. What may seem impossible – give it a shot. It may work, it may not. For me, it’s been a fantastic experience.”