I like Arianna Huffington’s comment on this: “What’s it going to house, 100,000 copies of The Pet Goat?”
He may be a certified lame duck now, but President Bush and his truest believers are about to launch their final campaign – an eye-popping, half-billion-dollar drive for the Bush presidential library.
Eager to begin refurbishing his tattered legacy, the President hopes to raise $500 million to build his library and a think tank at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Bush lived in Dallas until he was elected governor of Texas in 1995.
Bush sources with direct knowledge of library plans told the Daily News that SMU and Bush fund-raisers hope to get half of the half billion from what they call “megadonations” of $10 million to $20 million a pop.
Bush loyalists have already identified wealthy heiresses, Arab nations and captains of industry as potential “mega” donors and are pressing for a formal site announcement – now expected early in the new year.
“You can’t ask people in Dallas for $20 million until they can be sure the library won’t be in Waco,” one Bush source noted.
There’s something telling about this quote. Sounds like one day we’ll have two history books; real history and Bush’s History.
“It’s so much bigger than anything that’s been tried before. But the more you have, the more influence [on history] you can exert.”
Too bad that half billion couldn’t be raised to support libraries around the country that have been cutting hours and not buying new books due to budget cuts. Now that would be a legacy to be proud of.
Put the Library in Iraq since its a freedom loving nation.
He can put his offices there as well since he stands 100% behind it being such a wonderful place.
Democrats were defending Clinton. But the real criticism wasn’t over the library it was over the million dollar office in Manhattan, which after the outcry moved to Harlem. I have a problem with both of these libraries not that they cost a lot, but what they are selling to get these donations. We know in Clinton’s case it was pardons.
42,
And how will Bush repay his cronies who give him almost THREE TIMES as much?
Everyone likes to talk about **fat cat** Republicans. Like to see a Republican live on 50,000.00 a year…blah, blah, blah. Next time you get a moment….look up whos rich and who’s not in Congress, and Governors. You might be a bit surprised. There aren’t any Senators going to starve from either party, and out of 435 members of the House…..most of them are sitting pretty good as well.
In fact…..someone who is far wealthier than Bush, is Nancy Pelosi….and she’s no fat cat Republican.
Politics, especially the higher levels of it, is a cash cow for those that were average when they got there and full of muti-millionaires……of both parties.
ok, I think we all can agree that $165 or $500 million is an insanely stupid amount to spend on a library for an idiot (Carter), a philanderer (Clinton), or the Great American Hitler (Bush). The money is spent merely to aggrandize one’s legacy and ego. But, as long as it’s not public money, I guess we can only complain.
I can’t wait for the Democrats to come back into office to save the world…
oh,and #34? That was by far, the stupidest answer I have ever heard. At no time in your ramblings did you even come close to anything considered a logical answer. Having read that we are all stupider. You are awarded no points, and may god have mercy on your soul
45
The problem is, it is public money. You know, the tax dollars that we all (except Omar) pay?
Actually, according to the article, though the building is run by the National Archives and Records Administration, the build costs must come from private donations.
I would argue that we don’t NEED Presidential Libraries run with public money, when we have a perfectly good National Archives in DC. If you want a Presidential Library somewhere else, pay for it all yourself, including day to day costs.
It’s a relatively new trend, and most of the “good” presidents don’t even have one (Hoover, but not Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt !?!?!?).
I thought Bush was going to donate to Baylor or SMU?
How does he read that book upside down?
49 and others…. – How does he read that book upside down?
Bush has already admitted he doesn’t read. He’s as pedestrian a mind as there is. You stand a better shot of finding a world class intellectual mind at a Jeff Foxworthy book signing than in the Oval office…
However, that picture is a fake. He wasn’t holding the book upside down.
It is, however, easy to understand why one would believe it is real.