The real Time Man of the Year

“NEW YORK (CNN) -- George W. Bush, who rallied his country after the September 11 terrorist attacks and helped nurture its recovery, said he is honored to be selected Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2001.

But he said the distinction is simply an acknowledgment of the incomparable spirit of fighting evil in the aftermath of the attacks.

"I want to say that I was very humbled and very moved by the selection by Time magazine," Bush said. "I want to express my appreciation, not only personal, for the people of the USA because I believe I wasn't selected.

"I believe the people of the USA were selected as the people of the year, because of the very brave and heroic way in which they responded from the first moment to the worst attack on the United States ever in our history."

There had been wide speculation that Giuliani would be named Person of the Year, a designation not meant as an award but to mark the person or persons who most affected the news of the year.

"Though we spent hours debating the pros and cons of naming Giuliani, it ultimately became easy to dismiss him," said managing editor Jim Kelly. "He is not a larger-than-life figure with broad historical sweep ... he is smaller than life, a garden-variety mayor beyond his highest hopes."”