He's entirely wrong, though.
I'm just glad to see him finally admit that he has no intention of setting foot in Crawford again.
Dallas will never be the same... not that that is a bad thing.
Hmmm, video no longer available.
I agree with what Bush said. I also think he is pretty much admitting that his Crawford 'ranch' was bought for image only.
I can't wait to hear him say how less regulation is the answer to the Wall St woes.
Dallas will never be the same...
One can only hope.
4: It's available, you just have to follow one more link to the reporter's web page. Or just read the transcript.
I can't wait to hear him say how less regulation is the answer to the Wall St woes.
I wonder who bought those crazy Wall Street kids all the booze.
I'm just glad to see him finally admit that he has no intention of setting foot in Crawford again.
"Mr. Bush's life after his presidency was marked by misfortune. He soon lost interest in his status as the standard-bearer of his party and its chief fundraiser; many believed he had again begun drinking, and in any case he seemed to spend most of his time at private clubs in Houston, where he established residence in 2010 after selling his property in Crawford, Texas. ("At least I won't have to cut that f--- brush again," Mr. Bush was heard to say after his last election.)" --Greil Marcus, "Former President George W. Bush Dead at 72."
That's the most energetic I've seen him since the "political capital" press conference in 2004. Most of the time he just looks completely worn out. I think he's been even more beaten down by the presidency than most men are.
I think he's been even more beaten down by the presidency than most men are.
Sadly not literally true.
Huh... I guess I'm trying to figure out what's quite damning about this tape. It seems like something from it should be a pretty big deal, but it sounds like the move to Dallas is a bigger admission than anything he says regarding Wall Street. Plus, the man still sounds like an idiot regarding Wall Street, so no surprise there.
The people who should be most ashamed are the donors who paid so much money for essentially the world's most powerful lame standup comedian: "So now that I'm about to retire, my wife's deciding everything these days! Am I right, guys?!"
The people who should be most ashamed are the donors who paid so much money for essentially the world's most powerful lame standup comedian: "So now that I'm about to retire, my wife's deciding everything these days! Am I right, guys?!"
I wonder if he has anything amusing to offer on the topic of white people and their possessions.
The rumor is that both Bush and Cheney are going to move to Highland Park, which is a ritzy small town entirely enclosed within the confines of Dallas. I'm pretty sure both are hated there.
#11. "Take my wife—please!"
I'm remotely curious to see how Bush will spend his post-Presidency years. I can't imagine that he'll make a particularly desirable or effective GOP asset. So will it be lobbyist, oil exec, or golf-pro?
13: No, Highland Park is ritzy in a Bush Patriot way.
So will it be lobbyist, oil exec, or golf-pro?
Freed from the obligations of running for elected office, he'll be free to resume his drinking full-bore.
He'll disappear from public life, I predict. He'll do the standard cashing in stuff: memoirs, speeches, but nothing terribly ambitious beyond that. I don't think his heart's in it.
Send him back to Kennebunkport! Where he's from which isn't Texas! Not that Hyde Park isn't perfect for him, sadly.
19: Yeah, I think he even mentioned somethng about "replenishing the coffers" in one of his classy moments.
It's funny, the title at the link indicates it's "The Bush video they didn't want you to see." And then when I click on it, it tells me "this video is no longer available."
Indeed.
Summary?
I suspect 19 and 22 will prove correct. But I also suspect that GWB will have a harder time cashing in than one might think (though perhaps not quite so bad as Alberto Gonzales).
Consider:
- It's unlikely that any Fortune 500 company will want him in their direct employ (he's too worthless to do any real board work, and too controversial to sit on a tame board);
- The John Major / Cap Weinberger option (acting as a door-opener for a private equity fund or hedge fund) would seem open to him, but it will require him to take orders from someone else and not have a meaningful say in key decisions, which might be intolerable for a guy who hasn't had anyone except Cheney second-guess his monarchical pronouncements for decades
- There is the lecture circuit, where an energetic speaker in high demand can make millions. But of course Bush is lazy, and I doubt he will be in particularly high demand. My advice to GWB: distinguish yourself by demanding an unprecedented amount per speech, say, $500K, or better yet, $1 million; the few audiences that want you will gladly pay it, and the high price tag will distract from the fact that so few audiences want you.)
- Business ventures. Would you trust this man with your money? 'Nuff said.
- Disguised charity from Gulf princes and other pals of his father. Maybe he can go to that well again, who knows.
Lord knows I've misunderestimated the man before, and Lord knows he's shown a talent for converting his connections and alleged charm into piles of lucre, so maybe I'm missing something, but this might just be the first time in his life that the world fails in its God-ordained obligation to provide George Walker Bush with whatever he desires.
15: Is it? I was there briefly in 2004, and I only remember seeing Kerry yard signs, not Bush yard signs. You could call my evidence "anecdotal", but that would be wrong.
Freed from the obligations of running for elected office, he'll be free to resume his drinking full-bore.
And in that respect I think we can all agree that he is a man of great caliber.
I initially assumed that "Grazi" was short for "Grammar Nazi".
Bush can cash in in some of the various nations who still feel well about him. There aren't many, but a million here, a million there, and it adds up.
Bush can come to Dallas. Forecast is moving up to a week of 103-104+. Looking a lot like hell.
OT Moral Theory Lab:God's Truth. Walking the dogs an hour ago around the larger neighborhood, in a park, I found a Palm Treo 700W Sprint on the ground. Played with it a while, managed to pull up Yglesias.
Now I know that might not mean much to you rich folk, but I haven't spent more than $50 at once on myself in 5 years, and that bought shorts & shoes. Part of that is being broke, and part not wanting much I don't have. But Internet while walking the dogs? I could handle that.
So I stare at it awhile. The right thing would have been to track down the owner, but I left it lying where I found it. A neutral act.
The sets "Bush dead-enders" and "rich bastards" have a pretty large intersection, so I imagine he'll do fine. He'll find some sinecure on a board of directors somewhere and play video golf all day like he's always wanted.
Everyone I ever told this to looked at me like I was crazy, but I was convinced in 2004 that he did not want to win reelection. I mean, he wanted to win, because he's a competitive guy, but he didn't really want to continue being president. He just went through the motions because he had no other choice. He was very briefly energized by the victory, but that lasted, what, a couple months? Since then he's tried to avoid anything that would involve more work for him personally.
Mostly just to be contrary, I'll throw out this possibility. Bush is reportedly quite concerned with his legacy and is almost certainly going to leave office with approval ratings flirting with the lowest ever recorded. Even W probably knows that hoping for peace and democracy to flower in the Middle East, thereby retroactively redeeming his presidency, is the most wishful of wishful thinking.
So, it's possible that he may try to out-Carter Jimmy Carter and go devote the rest of his life to charity. After Laura dumps his ass, of course.
Oh he'll sit on a few boards, say of Haliburton, Carlyle Group and Blackwater. Some free lance diplomacy in the Gulf region, collecting fees. I don't expect any "Habitat for Humanity" photo ops, but neither do I expect that he'll show up in North Korea to try and broker the reunification.
25: Minivet is right. I grew up in Dallas & used to work at Southern Methodist University, which is where the Bush presidential library will be. (Laura is an alum.) SMU, coincidentally, is also located in Highland Park. The Methodist church the Bushes used to go to is Highland Park Methodist (right next to the SMU campus). HP is rich old white people central, very Republican.
Does anyone live near Apo? He seems to be going through some sort of crisis which is affecting his mind. Robusto, where are you?
Also, Emerson will fall madly in love and resettle with his new bride in Alabama.
33: An English translation of a Pravda article reporting on western tabloid articles?
And this on the bottom?!
Join Pravda.ru forum to experience freedom of speech
Wow. What a world we live in.
The right thing would have been to track down the owner, but I left it lying where I found it. A neutral act.
blah blah evil to prevail blah blah good men do nothing blah blah wev
I'd assumed he was shooting for Commissioner of Baseball as his post-presidency sinecure, but at this point I doubt baseball wants him. Although, small clique of labor-hating rich bastards, so who knows.
I'd assumed he was shooting for Commissioner of Baseball as his post-presidency sinecure
Some Dem backbencher in the House needs to cook up a bill with some poll-tested measures that would threaten the economic lifeblood of baseball (just offhand, I'd suggest making the antitrust exemption contingent on adherence to a host of regulations, like forcing teams that have accessed public support for stadiums to remain in the city for at least 50 years from the date of construction; dictating that playoff seats be made available to bleacher seat season ticket holders and skybox tenants on the same terms; banning local television blackouts; disallowing salary caps).
Of course the bill would never make it out of committee, but just having it there kicking around with a couple of powerful co-sponsors should be enough to keep the major league owners from ever making Bush commissioner of baseball, even if they were so inclined.