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Former President George W. Bush, outlining plans for a new public policy institute, on Thursday said America must fight the temptation to allow the federal government to take control of the private sector, declaring that too much government intervention will squelch economic recovery and expansion. (snip) In his speech, which set out his goals for a new policy institute focused on economic growth, education, human freedom and global health, Mr. Bush said he entered politics because "because I saw society drifting away from the values at the heart of the American Dream."

Here is video of former President George W. Bush today in a speech he gave at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, admitting that he went "against" his "free market instincts" when he decided to move forward with the Wall Street Bailouts in the Fall of 2008. But Bush warned: "History shows that the greater threat to prosperity is not too little government involvement, but too much."That's exactly right. He should have stuck to his principles and instincts. Obama is sticking to his principles and instincts in trying to ratchet up government involvement in everything to the greatest extent possible. Bush...

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) ― Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, visited wounded soldiers and their families near the site of the worst mass shooting on an Army post in the United States. The Bushes made their private visit to Fort Hood's Darnall Army Medical Center on Friday night. Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in an e-mail that the couple thanked Fort Hood's military leaders and hospital staff for the "amazing care they are providing."

MADISON, Wis. (Reuters) - A year after his historic election, President Barack Obama sought to remind Americans on Wednesday the biggest problems he is grappling with -- from the economy to the war in Afghanistan -- are the legacy of his predecessor, George W. Bush. With his approval ratings down from once-lofty levels and Tuesday's Democratic election losses raising questions about his political clout, Obama held no special ceremony to mark the anniversary of his election as America's first black president.

Former President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch for a baseball game in Japan Tuesday during his first visit since he left office. Bush joined former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to watch the game between the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters. Bush changed into a baseball jacket before taking the mound in the Tokyo Dome to throw the pitch before Game 3 of the Japan Series. He chatted briefly with several players before joining Koizumi in a private box. Also in the box were Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh and U.S. Ambassador to Japan...

Bush shows appetite for humour & food SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI Mumbai, Nov. 1: Manmohan Singh once told him the “people of India love you deeply”. But an out-of-office George W. Bush, finally getting a first-hand feel of how he fares on the popularity meter back home, was a bit wary in Mumbai. Tongue firmly in cheek, he told a top business leader here yesterday: “I am no more the President, you guys can go ahead and tell me on my face now what you really think of me.” The former US President was at a dinner meeting of the Indo-US...

November and winter is now upon us and it is almost frightening to realise it is almost a year ago that the election was held that made us realise that the previous 8 years of President George W Bush time as President was drawing to an end. Even though it has been about 9 months since George W Bush left office for many it seems another age so much seems to have changed and many things we hold dear now seem to mean nothing. We miss the class and character that George W Bush, his wife and of course his...

NEW DELHI (AFP) – Former US president George W. Bush said Saturday that the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan must be won to stop a return to "brutal tyranny" in the nation. In a wide-ranging speech to a leadership conference in the Indian capital New Delhi, Bush said defeating the insurgents was "necessary for stability" and peace both in the region and globally. "If the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and their extremist allies were allowed to take over Afghanistan again, they would have a safe haven and the Afghan people, particularly the Afghan women, would face a return to a brutal...

In a roundtable today with Pakistani editors, Hillary Clinton responded to a question about the Israeli-Palestinian issue with the now-familiar Obama administration litany: the problems are hard, they were inherited, they were ignored by the prior administration: I think that, look, we all know that the Israeli-Palestinian issue is one that is a very serious and difficult problem that we are working hard also to try to resolve. We inherited a lot of problems. If you remember, when my husband left office, we were very close to an agreement because he worked on it all the time. The next administration...

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes? If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved? If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would...

If vindication means anything its name is spelled George Bush. As former U.S. president George W. Bush spoke to a Saskatoon audience, I stood in the wings, sneaking a peek through the curtains at the spectators beyond the footlights. The crowd was friendly to be sure. But more than that, the relationship was like a musical virtuoso carrying the audience through every nuance, crescendo and dynamic of a composition. With every pause, smile, laugh and down stroke of seriousness, Bush had the crowd in his hand. Before the show, a friend who recently dined with the former Texas governor and...

Republicans needn't trouble themselves to nominate a presidential candidate in 2012. No matter what, President Obama will be running against George W. Bush. Bush will be Obama's eternal foil. At this rate, when Obama writes his post-presidential memoir, it will be titled "An Audacious Presidency, or How I Saved America From That Bastard Bush." His presidential library will have a fright-house wing devoted to Bush's misrule. Obama clearly wants Bush to be the Hoover to his FDR. Since Bush left office with a 34 percent job approval, Obama understandably feels moved to scorn him. But Obama's perpetual campaign against Bush...

The Obama administration blamed President George W. Bush for 13,000 new support troops headed to Afghanistan, even though Bush has not been commander-in-chief for nearly ten months.The Washington Post had a front page story this morning saying Barack Obama had authorized the troops in addition to the 21,000 increase in combat troops he ordered in March.White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters today, according to the AP, that President Bush, who left office 276 days ago, was to blame for the latest troop increase:Later, spokesman Robert Gibbs rejected a published report that the president had authorized 13,000 additional troops...

As usual: ** Former President George W. Bush addressed a capacity crowd Wednesday night at the Wilderness Resort and Convention Center in Sevierville. Bush wowed a crowd of more than 9,000 that attended a three-day conference of the Phil Waldrep Ministries based in Decatur, Ala. Bush gave the enthusiastic crowd a patriotic message of joy, hope and faith in our families… …The former president shied away from any political stance and said each U.S. leader must surround themselves with people they can trust. “Always surround yourself with people that you’re not afraid to listen to,” he said. “Base your decisions...

Al Qaeda Tried to Assassinate George Bush at 6:00 AM on 9/11 2001, just as Al Qaeda Assassinated Northern Alliance Chief on 9/10 Possible Longboat terrorist incident Is it a clue or is it a coincidence? By now, most everyone knows President George W. Bush began that fateful day, Sept. 11, on Longboat Key, but the FBI is now investigating whether terrorists also began that fateful day here on the island. At about 6 a.m. Sept. 11, Longboat Key Fire Marshall Carroll Mooneyhan was at the front desk of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort as Bush prepared for his...

Another month has passed and we are already into October. I have chosen photos from October 2001 to October 2004. The quote of the day is from the Lessons of Liberty Initiative speech which President Bush gave on October 30, 2001 at the Thomas Wooten High school in Rockville, Maryland Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island ..

TED KOPPEL (ABC host): When the president talked about the bankruptcy of Social Security, there were clearly some Democrats on the floor who thought that that was taking it too far. And they did something that, apparently, no one at this table has ever heard before. They booed. [ABC, Nightline, 2/2/05; Koppel's panel consisted of former Bush adviser Mary Matalin, former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein, and former Clinton speechwriter Michael Waldman] JOHN ROBERTS (CBS White House correspondent): At a couple points in this address, it looked more like the British Parliament than the United States Congress. I've never...

The Super Bowl XLV effort has been a celebrity draw, attracting everyone from football legends (Roger Staubach) to business legends (T. Boone Pickens). Now, the host committee has landed its biggest names yet: former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. They will be co-chairs of an educational, community service and art project that's being described as the largest of its kind in the country aimed at elementary school children.

"Again this month, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% say the bad economy is caused more by Obama’s policies, but 55% blame President Bush. These findings are unchanged from the previous two months. In May, 62% blamed Bush more, while 27% thought Obama’s policies were at fault. Also unchanged this month are the overall findings on economic judgment. Sixty percent (60%) of voters say they trust their own judgment on economic issues more than the president’s. Twenty-seven percent (27%) trust Obama more, and 14% are not sure. "

Though George W. Bush left office with the reputation of a technological lummox — infamously using the term “Internets” — his former staffers are using their tech savvy to stay connected. Despite a handful of established Facebook groups for those who worked in the Bush administration, an effort is under way to create an online social network — for Bushies only. Tony Fratto, a former deputy press secretary who currently heads the Bush-Cheney Alumni Association, is spearheading the charge. He told POLITICO this week that that Web developers are currently hard at work experimenting with mock-ups, and he predicts a...

And you think George W. Bush was an idiot??? Subject: And you think George W. Bush was a dummy? If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved? If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved? If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky? If George W. Bush...

Photographs of Bush, with commentary by the photographers who followed him for 8 or 9 years. Quite the contrast with Barry.

Most liberals in this country are intellectually dishonest which is why they don't have the slightest qualms about grotesque double standards. That's why Al Gore can live in a mansion that consumes energy like a football stadium while he tells you to cut back. It's why Sarah Palin can be sliced apart for things said by Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live while Joe Biden is treated seriously despite being the biggest doofus ever to occupy the Vice-Presidency. It's also why Barack Obama gets a free pass for many of the same things that George Bush was criticized for doing....

July 09, 2009Why I'm Thankful for George W. BushBy Ken Russell On October 23, 1983 the Marine Corps Battalion Landing Team (BLT) building located at the Beirut International Airport was blown up.  Two hundred twenty Marines, 18 Sailors and 3 Soldiers were killed in a split second by a suicide bomber.  I wasn't there at the time.  I was participating in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada.  I was a squadron CH-46E helicopter co-pilot in Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261) and also the squadron classified materials officer.  Being the one who set up the squadron classified messages, I read about...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised the hospitality and openness of U.S. former President George W. Bush in a telegramme sent hours before meeting his successor Barack Obama. "During the last years we have been working on strengthening Russia-U.S. cooperation. Although there were differences between our countries, I always valued your openness and sincerity," Putin said, congratulating Bush on his 63rd birthday on July 6. "With special warmth I recall your hospitality in the Crawford ranch and your family estate in Kennebunkport," Putin wrote, referring to their 2007 meeting at the Bush family vacation home when the...

July 2009 sees nearly 6 months since George W Bush entered private life and as we have done in previously monthly threads I have collated photos from the month we are in from previous years. Tonight I will post July 2001 and July 2002 photos and then over the next few days post 2003 and 2004 photos. I have also found some photos from this June which I will also post in the next few days starting with one of them as the photo of the month. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Return to the Article June 29, 2009Bush's Domino EffectBy George Joyce Today's liberal press has made digging for a hot story quite simple.  The secret is to take any domestic or international event or crisis, wait a few days, and then note the singular and glaring omission -- the unremarked elephant in the room in other words.  Since the mainstream press in America has bargained critical thinking for idol worship, the truth often sits quite open and exposed for the rest of us -- a case of easy pickings. Last week's dramatic demonstration for freedom in Iran provides the...

<p>"To the people of Iran: You are rich in culture and talent. You have a right to live under a government that listens to your wishes, respects your talents, and allows you to build better lives for your families. Unfortunately, your government denies you these opportunities, and threatens the peace and stability of your neighbors. So we call on the regime in Tehran to heed your will, and to make itself accountable to you. The day will come when the people of Iran have a government that embraces liberty and justice, and Iran joins the community of free nations. And when that good day comes, you will have no better friend than the United States of America." - President George W. Bush, January 13, 2008.</p>

Former President George W. Bush fired a salvo at President Obama on Wednesday, asserting his administration's interrogation policies were within the law, declaring the private sector not government will fix the economy and rejecting the nationalization of health care. I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in, the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money. Repeatedly in his hourlong speech and question-and-answer session, Mr. Bush said he would not...

It is now over 5 month since the best President of this century has left office . Do I miss the years he was our President and Commander in Chief.? You betcha. Today, I will post photos from June 2001 and June 2002. snugs will post photos from June 2003. (She might do it tomorrow though instead.. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney's assertion that the administration's enhanced interrogation program, which included controversial techniques such as waterboarding, was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented terrorist attacks. Former President George W. Bush defended his administration in speech Thursday in Michigan. Bush told a southwestern Michigan audience of nearly 2,500 -- the largest he has addressed in the United States since leaving the White House in January -- that, after the September 11 attacks, "I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you." In his speech,...

<p>Former President George W. Bush may finally upstage Dick Cheney this week. After months of silence while Cheney has been blasting away at President Obama, Bush is scheduled to make two semi-public appearances.</p> <p>Tonight he'll speak to to the Economic Club of Southwest Michigan at Lake Michigan College. It's being billed as his first major speech to an American audience. The news media will be allowed to attend the event, but not record it. Right.</p>

In his weekly radio address, President Obama took time to commend American fighting forces and to explain how his defense, veterans and even economic programs (which he continues to call the "New Foundation") are part of serving the armed forces. It might have been superior for the president to have offered only a patriotic message and a word of thanks and remembrance for the fallen soldiers, but that's debatable. What seems wholly out of place, though, is the president's swipe at his predecessor, George W. Bush, and others: "Our fighting men and women – and the military families who love...

Patrick Bibb, a 19-year-old from Dallas, glanced at his cell phone. He was in the middle of his economics class at Texas Christian University on a February morning. His caller ID read withheld. He decided not to answer. When class ended, he checked his messages and found that George W. Bush had been trying to reach him. The sophomore listened to the voice mail. He heard the former president of the United States thank him at least four times. Bush was happy that the teenager had been selling welcome home george & laura signs for $20 to people all over...

The fight over national security increasingly threatens to drag the United States into a political civil war that could also fracture Barack Obama's political base. It is turning the President's own Democratic allies into potential enemies, while undermining his domestic priorities in health care and energy reform. Yesterday, New York Times columnist Frank Rich pointed all eyes to the website of Gentleman's Quarterly, which has posted a series of cover sheets to ultra-top-secret intelligence updates that former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld used to prepare daily for former president George W. Bush. It turns out that the cover sheets routinely showed...

Let's face it, this is shaping up as George W. Bush's best month in years. The last time the 43rd president enjoyed this kind of vindication was when a bedraggled Saddam Hussein was pulled from a hole in the ground by American soldiers in 2003. All of Barack Obama's efforts to cast the Bush administration as an immoral stain on American history have not merely collapsed, but collapsed on the heads of Bush's most public and vocal critics.Here's a non-stammering Nancy Pelosi talking about Bush last July: "God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States -- a...

Earlier This Month, The President Announced He Will Propose A Balanced Budget. On February 5, the Administration will present its five-year budget proposal. The President's budget will reduce the deficit over the next five years and produce a balanced budget by 2012. The Budget will achieve balance while addressing the Nation's most critical needs, including support for the Global War on Terror and sustaining the strength of our economy through permanent tax relief. The President's Tax Relief Has Spurred Robust Economic Growth, Millions Of Jobs, And Rising Wages. A Strong U.S. Economy Is Fueling Higher Tax Revenues. Tax revenues rose...

The Dalai Lama has been visiting the Boston area, and I’d like to mention a few reports. First, a note from an NRO reader: Hi, Jay, I had the great opportunity to see the Dalai Lama speak at MIT this afternoon. When he opened the forum to audience Q&A, the following stunning exchange occurred (I will paraphrase):  Audience member: “Can you give us an example of a leader we should look up to as a positive influence?” Dalai Lama (after thinking for a few seconds): “President Bush. I met him personally and liked him very much. He was honest and straightforward, and...

On the heals of announcements of the formation of a local Eureka Ca. ( Humboldt County ) committee and fund raising for the construction of a bust or statue of former president George W. Bush, local and state left wing radicals have announced terror threats and plans to destroy the proposed statue by explosion. - LINK TO FULL ARTIVLE -

DALLAS -- The new couple at 10141 Daria Place accepted an invitation to a neighborhood dinner party last month. The guest list totaled eight. The main dish was chicken potpie. George and Laura Bush left their cul-de-sac in the back of a dark sedan, exited through a Secret Service checkpoint and rode down streets bordered by lawn signs adorned with gigantic Ws to welcome them home. It had been a bad week for the country. President Obama spoke on television about the burdens he had inherited in office: anti-American sentiment, two wars, a recession. But it had been a good...

Aides to former President George W. Bush are challenging the veracity of Vice President Joe Biden's claim this week of having privately castigated Bush, who does not remember the incident or an earlier episode in which Biden claims to have similarly rebuked Bush.

ARLINGTON -- Former President George W. Bush received a strong standing ovation from Rangers fans as he walked to the mound on Monday afternoon at the Ballpark in Arlington to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day. Bush was joined at the mound by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and three military heroes: Gen. Jeffery Hammond of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, 1st. Sgt. David McNerney of Houston -- winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor in Vietnam -- and Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, winner of the Navy Cross for heroism in Afghanistan. Bush threw a strike...

Bush throws first pitch at Rangers home opener The ball easily makes it over the plate and to Josh Hamilton's mitt April. 6, 2009 ARLINGTON, Texas - Former President George W. Bush wound up his right arm with two windmill whirls, then fired a high strike to help the Texas Rangers start the season Monday. In his first big appearance locally since moving to Dallas from the White House, Bush received a standing ovation and overwhelming cheers from a crowd of about 40,000 after the public address announcer said, "We welcome home the 43rd president." Bush, the team's managing general...

As we enter April 2009 we are being bombarded by the media hyping up the first 100 days of President Obama I thought it would be nice to look back at the first 100 days of George W Bush Presidency. The White House Website for the Bush Administration had a photo essay for the first 100 days which I am sure will provoke fond memories. At the weekend I will post photos covering the first 2 weeks of April 2001 which once again I am sure will make us all feel nostalgic for the President we supported, respected and trusted...

WASHINGTON — Calling into question the legitimacy of all the signing statements that former President George W. Bush used to challenge new laws, President Obama on Monday ordered executive officials to consult with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. before relying on any of them to bypass a statute. But Mr. Obama also signaled that he intends to use signing statements himself if Congress sends him legislation that has provisions he decides are unconstitutional. He pledged to use a modest approach when doing so, but said there was a role for the practice if used appropriately.

Rush Limbaugh took a lot of heat for saying he wants President Obama to fail -- but a lot of Democrats felt the same way about former President George W. Bush during his second term. An August 2006 poll conducted by FOX News/Opinion Dynamics showed 51 percent of Democrats did not want Bush to succeed. Thirty-four percent of independents also did not want Bush to succeed. By comparison, 90 percent of Republicans said at the time that they wanted Bush to succeed, and 40 percent of Democrats said the same. Conservative radio talk show host Limbaugh says he doesn't want...

The Bush legacy-protection machinery isn't in full gear yet. But it's getting there, with former aides gathering online to share talking points and swap spin. "We were there. And as members of the team, we know the difference between rumor, reality, fact, and fiction. This is our chance to stand up, speak up, and set the record straight," says the Web site dedicated to the task. The Bush-Cheney Alumni Association Web site, 43alumni.com, appeared last week as a link from the Web site of the George W. Bush Foundation, which is raising funds to build the Bush presidential library and...

The Tribune- Herald photo staff has captured history in our backyards for the past 8 years.

The old White Hose website is now available online. Daily dosers like me rejoice! (clik on source link)

I am sick and tired of reading letters from President George W. Bush apologists and revisionists like Claudia Sullivan ("Why doesn't anyone laugh at Obama?" Saturday) and Rebecca Lusignolo-McGlone ("Bush handled office with class, dignity," Friday), as well as some of the conservative Forum columnists. Sullivan claimed that everything that Bush did or said wrong was made up by the media, which in reality gave Bush a pass on almost everything he said and did. No president has gotten more support and coverup from the media than Bush. Lusignolo-McGlone claimed Bush was truthful and honorable, and for that, he has...