Bush May Take Foreign Money for Presidential Library

New York Times ^ | 29 Feb 2008 | NY Times

[BGHater]

President Bush said Thursday that he would probably accept foreign donations to build his presidential library in Dallas and would consider keeping the donors’ names confidential if they do not want to be identified.

The comments, at a White House news conference, were the first time Mr. Bush had talked in any detail about his plans for the library, which will be at Southern Methodist University, the alma mater of First Lady Laura Bush. But his detail was scant.

“We just announced the deal,” he said, “and I, frankly, have been focused elsewhere, like on gasoline prices and, you know, my trip to Africa, and haven’t seen the fund-raising strategy yet.”

Secrecy surrounding the financing of presidential libraries has become an issue in the campaign to succeed Mr. Bush, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, has faced questions about who financed her husband’s library in Little Rock, Ark. Former President Bill Clinton has accepted foreign donations and has declined to release a list.

[A CA Guy]

Why not, it had nothing to do with an election and he’s going to make a fortune from foreign money in book and speaking tours IMO.

[ARE SOLE]

Way to go GW. How about that Saudi Wahhabist cashish? Yeah they are stabbing your country in the back and spawned the 9-11 attacks but this is about money.

[chaos_5]

Since when did the NYT care about presidential library funds? I can see it now, the Saudis give their usual donation that they give to EVERY presidential library and the Times runs the head line “Bush takes money from Rich Oil Buddies - Gas at all time high!”

[tear gas]

He might take money from Arabs, but he won’t take any terrorist money. He won’t even negotiate with terrorists. He has said that many times.

[fish hawk]

Who cares? Clinton took money from Commies, criminals and whores, and nobody seems to care.

[proxy_user]

But the issue is really that he is getting his money from the same donors the terrorists are getting their money from.

Anyone who thinks the Saudi princes are not the biggest contributors to the Jihadists is a bit naive. It doesn’t seem to bother them that the Jihadists are executing attacks against Saudi targets.

[Steely Tom]

I might give a rip if the New York Times had evidenced the least interest in the funding sources for Bubba’s double-wide library and massage parlor. Or in the sugar daddy(s) for “The Carter Center.”

[television is just wrong]

well we know one thing whatever they build won’t look like a trailer in a trailer park hanging over a cliff.

[BallyBill]

As long as he doesn't take any from them lousy Canadians.

: )

[tear gas]

But the issue is really that he is getting his money from the same donors the terrorists are getting their money from.

Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? Terrorists CAN'T get money that goes to President Bush, right?

If an Arab dollar is going to go to either President Bush or the terrorists, wouldn't you rather it went to President Bush?

[WoofDog123]

My take on, say, the clinton charitable trust (that got the 100 million from the kazak uranium deal guy), is that it is a payoff fund.

Are presidential library trusts any different?

[WoofDog123]

The cr. prince’s son who threatened the brits with more 7./7 attacks when they investigated his graft on an arms deal was quite the eye-opener.

[steve86]

I, frankly, have been focused elsewhere, like on gasoline prices

Yeah, you're making real progress on fuel prices. Diesel just went to 3.75 here.

[backtothestreets]

I knew I had seen something on FR about this before. November, 2006:

“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.”

Full thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1744455/posts

[VietVet]

Frankly, I don’t care. I am much more upset that any tax dollars go into these ego-trips. For that matter, that ANY elected or appointed public official continues to draw money, goods and services from the public treasury after their removal/retirement from office seems to me to violate the spirit if not the letter of the Consitution.

They get paid enough while serving. Let them set up their own self-funed retirement plan, or go back to doing honest work.

Oops! I forgot. Some politicians...many of them, have NEVER done honest work.

[The Cajun]

Bush May Take Foreign Money for Presidential Library

Any pesos involved ?

[dragnet2]

President Bush said Thursday that he would probably accept foreign donations to build his presidential library in Dallas and would consider keeping the donors’ names confidential if they do not want to be identified.

It would only be fitting for the library to be built by illegal aliens, just to make his legacy complete.

[M203M4]

Building blocks of the Bush Library:

And then we have the Clinton Library:

[Theodore R.]

Good point, conservatives should boycott the GWB Library, just as they already do those outfits in Little Rock and Atlanta.

[combat_boots]

Well, I want a collection of his speeches. They’re marvelous. Just the words...reading them, you can see behind the words the hand of someone with deep love for this country and a mastery of the language.

[backtothestreets]

"They get paid enough while serving."

Just my opinion, but I believe our government would be more responsive to the nation as a whole if salaries paid our elected were more in-line with the average incomes of the citizens they are elected to serve. Presently, salaries are such that they have effectively isolated the elected from experiencing the "typical" American life.

I keep reflecting back to the mid nineteen sixties when Congressional salaries were close to middle class incomes.

Additionally, as you indicated, their retirements are part of the problem. The retirement benefits keep them isolated after leaving office.

I'm still hashing the compensation packages and any correlation to misdirected government in my mind, but feel confident so far that there is a connection. My gut instincts tell me the elected would have entirely different views, and take different positions, on everything from public education, illegal immigration, energy needs and a host of other issues if there salaries were not such that they effectively buy their way around experiencing everyday life in America.