George W. Bush Library at SMU

[freedombecki]

I've always found the idea of presidential libraries to be a bit ridiculous. I think presidents are given too much respect, or credit, I'm not sure what the best word to use is, outside of their accomplishments. In other words, simply having been president is not enough in my mind to make one worth building a library for; I would want it to be based on a president having done such an excellent job.

But, as long as these things are privately funded, build away.

Many of them are placed on campuses and bring money and new students to the area they are built upon.

 

[freedombecki]

The George W. Bush Library under Construction:

[ame=http://youtu.be/lZvVPYa5d7s]George W Bush Library SMU Construction Dallas Texas - YouTube[/ame]

 

[freedombecki]

Groundbreaking Ceremonies of the Bush Library:

[ame=http://youtu.be/Pf_KAOS2Tsg]Highlights from the George W. Bush Center Groundbreaking - YouTube[/ame]

 

[freedombecki]

A Quick driveby of the George W. Bush Library about 9 months ago:

[ame=http://youtu.be/FSTjTa8foEM]Driving by the new George W Bush Library - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Franticfrank]

I think most presidents will have something like this dedicated to them, even if they have performed poorly. Bush is such a controversial figure however, that it would be wise to invest in some heavy security for this library to deter potential vandalism.

 

[Underhill]

This is a very interesting interview of President Bush.... it shows a lot about the man and who he is and has always been. He took the office of the Presidency very seriously and handled the intense pressures that faced him with class and determination. There are those that will always think of him as an idiot, that opinion says a lot more about them than him. I feel very certain that in a real debate, he could hold his own with any other President including the present one.

I challenge any of you that think you know the man, to watch this very candid one hour video and find out if your opinion is a valid one.


Uncommon Knowledge: George W. Bush - YouTube

I wouldn't call him an idiot. But I do see him as a mixed bag with more bad than good.

The funny part is, many of the same people who complain insistently about Obama spending, supported Bush and his spending. Which was even more egregious in many ways.

 

[midcan5]

I was surprised to hear that George W. Bush's favorite literature is the same as the books I read to my granddaughter. 'Where's Spot?,' 'Spot: Night-Night, Spot,' and 'Spot Goes to School,' are among George's favorites. Laura reads him Night Night Spot every evening before bed. The library will be a great place to take the children, I've heard they even play 'where'd those wmds go?' a sorta hide and seek in which nothing is found, but it's still great fun.

 

[Katzndogz]

I'm a bit shocked that liberals having burned it to the ground by now.

 

[Dragonlady]

I personally would like to see Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld charged with war crimes and with war profiteering, and tried under international law for their conduct of the war in Iraq. I know it's not going to happen, but if there is any justice left in this world, they should.

 

[Katzndogz]

I would personally like to see obama leave the white house in handcuffs and leg shackles with his evil cohort Eric Holder chain ganged right behind him. Biden needs to be in a nice hospital where the staff calls him Mr. President.

The whole staff needs to be perp walked into wagons.

 

[Katzndogz]

I will settle for North Korea and Iran taking care of business. China will help.

 

[martybegan]

I was surprised to hear that George W. Bush's favorite literature is the same as the books I read to my granddaughter. 'Where's Spot?,' 'Spot: Night-Night, Spot,' and 'Spot Goes to School,' are among George's favorites. Laura reads him Night Night Spot every evening before bed. The library will be a great place to take the children, I've heard they even play 'where'd those wmds go?' a sorta hide and seek in which nothing is found, but it's still great fun.

As usual for progressives, snark instead of substance.

Bush is the boogey man that hides in liberals closets, with Sarah Palin playing the monster under the bed.

 

[Foxfyre]

It simply is not true that conservatives did not criticize President Bush and the Republican congress for their excesses in spending and over reach in the expansion of government. It was us, after all, that voted the Republican Party out of power in 2006. Unfortunately we replaced a devil we did know with one far worse at that time, but hindsight is 20 20 and all that.

It is equally unfortunate that more than four years later, President Bush is still the bogey man to the left, and they refuse to see or acknowledge any of the sins or excesses of the current administration and continue to blame Bush for everything. They also refuse to see anything positive that the Bush administration accomplished.

Yes, Presidential libraries have always emphasized the positives of whatever administration they represent. And I suspect those who are interested in honest history instead of partisan hatefulness, will be amazed at how much positive there is to know about the Bush administration and that will be highlighted n his library.

 

[whitehall]

At least Bush didn't have to pardon one of the FBI's 10 most wanted to extort a Million from his wife like sleaze bag Clinton. Clinton pardoned the most notorious corporate pirate at that time in history, Marc Rich while he was wanted and the next thing you know the Clinton library gets a million dollar donation.

 

[Foxfyre]

At least Bush didn't have to pardon one of the FBI's 10 most wanted to extort a Million from his wife like sleaze bag Clinton. Clinton pardoned the most notorious corporate pirate at that time in history, Marc Rich while he was wanted and the next thing you know the Clinton library gets a million dollar donation.

Yes President Bush didn't pardon all that many folks, and it appears he didn't pardon anybody for purely political reasons. He didn't even pardon Scooter Libby though he did (justly) commute his sentence.

But despite the excesses, missteps, and downright intentional misuse of power in the Clinton administration, there were a lot of good things that happened too. And those deserve to be illustrated in his presidential library as I am sure they are.

Presidential libraries, at least those I have visited, offer the best of America and our relationship with the world, those things that make us proud, those things that lift the spirit, and help us understand what makes our nation great.

But haters are gonna hate just the same I suppose.

 

[Mr. Peepers]

The fact that a library will be named after Bush is deliciously ironic. Should be something more like a dump or a sewage treatment plant, IMO.

 

[Foxfyre]

Yup. Haters gonna hate.

 

[Mr. Peepers]

Yup, I hate the shape the country is in thanks to many of the policies of shrub - especially the money and lives wasted in Iraq. He EARNED the hate. Boy, did he earn it.

 

[Underhill]

It simply is not true that conservatives did not criticize President Bush and the Republican congress for their excesses in spending and over reach in the expansion of government. It was us, after all, that voted the Republican Party out of power in 2006. Unfortunately we replaced a devil we did know with one far worse at that time, but hindsight is 20 20 and all that.

It is equally unfortunate that more than four years later, President Bush is still the bogey man to the left, and they refuse to see or acknowledge any of the sins or excesses of the current administration and continue to blame Bush for everything. They also refuse to see anything positive that the Bush administration accomplished.

Not entirely true. Bush was a pretty terrible president and as you point out, many on the right thought so too. As for Obama, the left hasn't been very happy with him either. But their position is the same as yours was under Bush. You honestly think they would vote for the other guy?

The truth, as I see it, is that both sides are talking out their asses. Both presidents suck and mostly for the same reasons. They both suck the tit of big business (as did their predecessors) while ignoring the very real problems of America losing it's ability to compete on the global stage. More accurately I should say corporatism has caused the problem of America losing its edge in the name of cheap manufacturing and fatter profits.

Yes, Presidential libraries have always emphasized the positives of whatever administration they represent. And I suspect those who are interested in honest history instead of partisan hatefulness, will be amazed at how much positive there is to know about the Bush administration and that will be highlighted n his library.

I see presidential libraries roughly as important as burger joints. And most burger joints draw a larger crowd.

 

[konradv]

I think if you are the kind of person who is still angry about Bush, you can make jokes about coloring books.

Obviously, any presidential library is going to present their guy in the best light. Clinton's glosses over all thing Monica and Nixon's glosses over Watergate.

I was thinking comic books and Curious George.