NBC’s Matt Lauer also asked President Bush about Hurricane Katrina.

Lauer: “About a week after the storm hit, NBC aired a telethon.”

Bush: “Yes.”

Lauer: “Asking for help for the victims of Katrina. We had celebrities coming in to ask for money, and I remember it vividly because I hosted it. And at one part of the evening, I introduced Kanye West. Were you watching?”

Bush: “No.”

Lauer: “Do you remember what he said?”

Bush: “Yes, I do.”

Kanye West: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

Bush: “Called me a racist.”

Lauer: “Well, what he said was, 'George Bush doesn't care about black people.’”

Bush: “That’s [inaudible] ’he’s a racist.’ I didn’t appreciate it then. I don’t appreciate it now. It’s one thing to say, you know, 'I don't appreciate the way he’s handled his business.’ It’s another thing to say, 'this man's a racist.’ I resent it. It’s not true. And it was one of the most disgusting moments of my presidency.”

Lauer: “This from the book: 'I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn't like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.’”

Bush: “Yeah, still feel that way as you read those words. Felt them when I heard them. Felt them when I wrote them. And I felt them when I’m listening to them.”

Lauer: “You say you told Laura at the time it was the worst moment of your presidency.”

Bush: “Yes.”

Lauer: “I wonder if some people are going to read that, and they might give you some heat for that. And the reason is this.”

Bush: “I don’t care.”

Lauer: “Well, here’s the reason. You’re not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You’re saying it was when someone insulted you because of that.”

Bush: “No. And I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply, as well. There’s a lot of tough moments in the book, and it is a disgusting moment, pure and simple.”

President Bush speaking last night on NBC. In his new memoir, Bush also writes that he was “shocked” when he discovered Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. He writes, “No one was more shocked or angry than I was when we didn’t find the weapons. I had a sickening feeling every time I thought about it. I still do.”