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Awkward: Obamas to Welcome George W. Bush to White House Next Week
Townhall.com ^ | May 26, 2012 | Kate Hicks

Posted on 05/26/2012 11:02:44 AM PDT by Kaslin

This ought to be fun. Barack and Michelle Obama will welcome The Most Evil Man in the World (or as he's known outside the Democratic Party, George W. Bush) and his wife Laura to the White House next week, for the unveiling of their official portraits. Of course, this comes as the current president is in full campaign mode, and W. occupies the role of Obama's eternal scapegoat. It'll be no minor miracle if Obama can make it through the unveiling without blaming Bush for something.

Such ceremonies often bring together current and former presidents with rivalries, grudges or awkward relationships. But the timing of this unveiling is particularly delicate as Mr. Obama uses Mr. Bush as a foil on the campaign trail against former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, his presumptive Republican challenger. Although Mr. Obama generally does not mention Mr. Bush by name, he often says Mr. Romney wants to replicate the former president’s agenda but “on steroids.”

At a campaign fund-raiser in Redwood City, Calif., on Wednesday, for instance, Mr. Obama said Republicans wanted “bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans,” “deeper cuts” in Medicare and education, “even more power” for banks to do as they please, and fewer regulations that protect consumers. “But that’s not new,” he added. “That was tried, remember? The last guy did all this.”

He presented Mr. Bush’s record in caustic terms. “We watched a record surplus that was squandered on tax cuts for folks who didn’t need them and weren’t asking for them,” he said. “We saw two wars being waged on a credit card. We saw speculation in the financial sector, reaping huge profits for a few folks who were making bets with other people’s money, but it was a flimsy kind of success. Manufacturing left our shores. A shrinking number of Americans did really, really well, but a growing number saw falling incomes and stagnant job growth.”

Mr. Bush, by contrast, has offered virtually no commentary on his successor in the three years since he left office, saying “he deserves my silence.” He has stayed out of the campaign to oust Mr. Obama, offering a four-word endorsement for Mr. Romney only when asked by a reporter as he headed into an elevator after an unrelated event in Washington last week.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012election; barackobama; bush43; georgewbush; whitehouse
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To: Kaslin

They both agree on Bailouts and rescue plans so even though Obama blames Bush a lot for the economy, they agree on various things.


21 posted on 05/26/2012 12:20:59 PM PDT by Mozilla (Constitution Party 2012)
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To: WilliamIII
Like the bubble in housing prices (which Rove helped create by encouraging easy lending to low incomes?)?

WTF! What in the hell are you talking about? Rove?? Which state did he represent in Congress? You have to be kidding.

22 posted on 05/26/2012 12:21:28 PM PDT by mc5cents
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To: WilliamIII

Wait! Let’s not start parroting the 8 year drumbeat anti-Bush propaganda from the leftwing media. Bush tried several times to reform Freddie and Fannie but was stopped by Frank and others. The encouraging of easy lending began under Clinton, and what I remember is, before the Dems took over Congress in 2007, the economy was doing well, with unemployment (real unemployment) at 5-6%, the DOW at 14K, and inflation not what it is now. Although I don’t think W was a great president, he certainly was much better than what we have now. On top of that, unlike Carter and Clinton, the man has showed a lot of class as ex-president.


23 posted on 05/26/2012 12:22:08 PM PDT by NotTallTex
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To: Kaslin
Mr. Bush, by contrast, has offered virtually no commentary on his successor in the three years since he left office, saying “he deserves my silence.”

Pure class. Wouldn't be surprised if either of the Obamas melted into a little green pile of goo when the Bushes arrive.

24 posted on 05/26/2012 12:29:53 PM PDT by Albion Wilde ("Real men are not threatened by strong women." -- Sarah Palin)
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To: Erasmus
In the foreground of the portrait, there’s Obama at the easel, like Bob Ross, grinning over his shoulder at you.

LOL! Do you think he'll claim credit for having painted it, as well? And for having invented "paint"?

25 posted on 05/26/2012 12:32:05 PM PDT by Albion Wilde ("Real men are not threatened by strong women." -- Sarah Palin)
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To: Popman

I’ll bet they’re both gracious. Obama and Bush are members of the most exclusive club in the world - United States Presidents. I’ll bet both of them like each other more than either of them likes Jimmah Carter..


26 posted on 05/26/2012 12:55:19 PM PDT by GOPJ ( "A Dog In Every Pot" - freeper ETL)
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To: GOPJ

——I’ll bet they’re both gracious——

I somehow doubt it, though I hope you are ....

Being gracious is way above Obama pay grade...


27 posted on 05/26/2012 12:59:54 PM PDT by Popman (America is squandering its wealth on riotous living, war, and welfare.)
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To: Kaslin
Hey,can we invite Sanfran Nan, Newt and a coupla Maharishi Yogis in to?....We could set up a sofa on the surf and just kumbaya each other till the cows come home. It'll make a great Dem campaign clip 'See how he's bringing us all together in the sunset on the sands of the BEACH of PEACE AND LOVE.....

This is an election year for god's sake why in the world discourage conservatives voters with crap like this?....psssst...STAY HOME 'W'! ..... Can you not see how well this kind of thing turned out for NEWT? ...what part of this kind of stuff do you NOT GET?

                                  
28 posted on 05/26/2012 1:26:38 PM PDT by jimsin
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To: Kaslin

What an absolute howler it would be to have Cheney there as well. Obunga’s head would explode..........


29 posted on 05/26/2012 1:55:43 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: WilliamIII

Bush was/is a decent man, but by and large his compassionate conservative policies sucked. He was complicit in running up the US debt with big government programs.

He never defended his policies and he let the MSM run roughshod all over him. He was a wimp.

He never groomed a successor to run for president after his 2nd term ended.

Because he never fought back, the MSM lies took hold.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Bush’s actions/inactions caused the welcome mat to be laid out at the front door of the White House for the jug-eared, purple-lipped, juvenile, thin skinned, arrogant, socialist-communist bastard that now occupies it.


30 posted on 05/26/2012 2:04:09 PM PDT by bkopto (Obama and Biden merely symptoms of a more profound, systemic disease in American body politic.)
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To: bkopto

Agree 110%

In addition, GWB
Increased Fed education w/Kennedy
Tried to force amnesty on us
Tried to force Harriet Myers on us
Ignored Fannie Freddie

Generally was a big govt liberal RINO Establihment

He could been great but was faaaar below average


31 posted on 05/26/2012 2:23:27 PM PDT by newfreep (Breitbart sent me...)
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To: WilliamIII; bkopto

Wow three of us get it.

Not to mention the Pro Abortion women folks in that family.

He did however promise to build a fence, even signed the bill that authorized it, then had Kay Bailey defund it after the election.

Cheap labor can not be the primary reason that o Republican has closed the border and cut off funds to illegals. GW in fact made it possible for illegals to draw Social Security even if they only worked a very short time.

Now we have the Bank of America announcing that they will gladly open bank accounts for illegals without a SSN#.

The military fighting meant did indeed love GW, but he did the military few favors, sending Jag officers with the troops to watch and bring fighting meant to trial. He let two border guards rot in jail, he absolutely screwed over Scooter, who did nothing wrong, and he knew it.

We will be hard pressed to survive the Bush Family Dynasty’s legacy, especially if GHWB decides to accept Zero along with Bill as adopted sons.


32 posted on 05/26/2012 3:09:45 PM PDT by itsahoot (I will not vote for Romney period.)
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To: Kaslin

Wouldn’t it be great if Bush were to grab Obama around the shoulder with a big smile and flashed the “V” sign while the cameras whirred and the flashbulbs popped and Dubya thanked him for all his hard work in Iraq and Afghanistan? Wouldn’t that just drop Obama another five points in the polls, especially among his liberal chums?

Nah. Won’t happen but it is fun to imagine.


33 posted on 05/26/2012 3:14:30 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (Our economy won't heal until one particular black man is unemployed.)
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To: bkopto

-—”Because he never fought back, the MSM lies took hold.”

You’re ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! That was one of my main complaints about Shrub. Other than the fact that he was pathetically inarticulate and a bumbler (too easy fodder for leftist ad hom attacks).

REAGAN always bantered BACK at the DEMOCRAPS and nailed htem many times with humor and class.

We need someone who can make fools of the liberals as Reagan did!!!

Shrub was incapable of doing so because he often acted goofy and immature. IMO, his demeanor was often inappropriate for the office of the POTUS and the libs took that and ran with it.

Allen West wouldn’t be like that. Herman Cain wouldn’t be like thaat. Cheney wasn’t like that. Let’s hope Romney isn’t like that and so far he comes across as businesslike and not goofy.

McCain’s demeanor was also pretty lame sometimes: “Bomb bomb bomb Iran”


34 posted on 05/26/2012 9:53:03 PM PDT by AlanGreenSpam (Obama: The First 'American IDOL' President - sponsored by Chicago NeoCom Thugs)
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To: bkopto; NotTallTex; mc5cents; Albion Wilde; riri; Happy Rain

the MSM lies took hold.

Uh, MSM didn’t need to lie. Bush’s policies really WERE bad. It wasn’t and isn’t a lie to say so.

- Biggest deficits in history (pre Obama)
- Massive Tarp bailout (paved way for Obama’s Tarp II)
- Home buyership program that targeted low income people for no downpayment loans — leading to housing bubble and R(D)epression
- Open door policy to illegal aliens — another cause of the housing bubble, by the way
- Kennedy/Bush Medicaire monstrosity
- Kennedy/Bush Education monstrosity
- McCain/Bush attempt to legalized tens of millions of illegals

And then there are all the conservative reforms that DIDN’T happen, even though we had a GOP Congress for six years and a so-called Republican in the White House.

Bush was a disaster as a president. And his last “gift” to us was bringing about the election of Barack H Obama, because voters were reacting to Bush’s failures and Great Recession he left us. No wonder Obama wants W back in the limelight.


35 posted on 05/26/2012 9:56:03 PM PDT by WilliamIII
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To: AlanGreenSpam

You say Reagan fought back but Bush didn’t. The other difference is that Reagan’s policies were conservative and could be defended. Bush’s were liberal and couldn’t be defended.


36 posted on 05/26/2012 10:00:34 PM PDT by WilliamIII
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To: OrangeHoof

drop Obama another five points in the polls,

Nope. Obama and the Democrats understand that when Bush is onscreen, Republicans lose votes. The GOP understands that too, which is why they kept Bush off prime time in the GOP Convenstion last time — and five will get you ten they’ll do so again. And none of the candidates ever uttered Bush’s name during the GOP debates this year. In contrast, nobody could say “Reagan” enough.

So you’re wrong. Obama is inviting Bush to the White House for a photo op because coverage of Bush hurts Republicans. People know that Obama hasn’t fixed the economy — he’s made it worse. But they also remember that Bush is the one who first drove it into the ditch.


37 posted on 05/26/2012 10:05:34 PM PDT by WilliamIII
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To: WilliamIII
You don’t have to like Obama — I don’t — to not like Bush.

Well good for you. Want a cookie or something?



Where there's a shell, there's a way.

25 years ago, we had Ronald Reagan, Johnny Cash, and Bob Hope.
Today we have Obama, no cash, and no hope!

If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.

Or you can get raw with these strings.

How about this gamechanger from America's Got Talent (which they SHOULD have won).

Either way, the violin is sweet yet lethal.

Do it!

38 posted on 05/26/2012 11:12:53 PM PDT by rdb3 (If you were tried in court for being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict you?)
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To: bkopto

Nonsense, the ONLY thing that allowed the moron driving our nation to hell, is MC LAME -


39 posted on 05/27/2012 12:59:19 AM PDT by AllAmericanGirl44 (Fluck this adminstration of misfits.)
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To: WilliamIII
But none of what you list was WHY they hated GWB. Many thought it was the war but we are equally or more at war now and no one even seems too worked up about that. Not even the supposed anti-war left.

The truth is unemployment was at 5%. At least in the section of the country I lived, until the bust (which was very late in the Bush presidency--conveniently) people were living very well. Very few had the foresight to know it was all going to crash down --they rarely do--it was a boom and it was going to go on forever. But, yet, they all walked around saying they hated Bush--it was trendy to hate Bush. They were driving around in new SUVS, had all the latest gadgets and living in 4,000 sq ft homes and, yet, their lives all sucked --well, they didn't suck but man, if it hadn't been for Bush--it could have been better.

Well, now they really do have it bad. Really bad. And yet, because they are a bunch of drones --easily manipulated by the media and popular culture--I only hear about how bad it is when in the company of another conservative who understands how bad it truly is and worse, how bad it is going to get if this man is given more time.

My point --Bush was unpopular regardless of his policies. Most drones didn't even know about them or understand the ramifications of them.

The question is --does enough of our unserious voting population destructive Obama's policies are and if they do, do they still have enough self preservation instinct in them?

40 posted on 05/27/2012 5:48:49 AM PDT by riri (Plannedopolis-look it up. It's how the elites plan for US to live.)
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