NBC - West now says: "I would tell George Bush, in my moment of frustration, I didn't have the grounds to call him a racist. I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don't always choose the right words."

West made the above statement in a taped interview that aired on Wednesday's "Today" show. The statement was to apologize for a comment he made five years ago when he said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." West's comment was uttered over Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina. Since 2005, the former president has been highly criticized for only flying over New Orleans in Air Force One and for not landing and seeing the devastation on foot.

In his new book, Decision Points, Bush said the comment was a low point in his presidency.

Bush, shown the tape of West during his live "Today" interview, said he appreciated West's latest statement. Bush said: "I'm not a hater. I didn't hate Kanye West, but I was talking about an environment in which people are willing to say things that hurt. Nobody wants to be called a racist, if in your heart you believe in equality of race."

Bush opened his book tour on Tuesday by signing more than 1,300 copies of his book in Dallas, not far from his Preston Hollow home.