Bush to Develop Think Tank Affiliated With His Library

Wall Street Journal ^ | November 12, 2009 | John D. McKinnon

[La Enchiladita]

Former President George W. Bush on Thursday outlined plans to establish a $300 million library, museum and research institute, taking a step back onto the national stage.

The George W. Bush Policy Institute—which would be the first think tank to be affiliated with a presidential library—will address issues that were priorities during Mr. Bush's presidency, such as education, global health, political freedom and economic growth, and seek to promote advances by offering practical solutions, the former president said.

In a speech at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where the center is slated to be built, Mr. Bush said the institute would undertake projects "designed to make an impact in the real world."

...

In his public appearances, Mr. Bush generally hasn't directly criticized President Barack Obama or his policies. On Thursday, the former president appeared to deliver an oblique rebuke of the Obama administration's approach to Iran and other oppressive regimes, which some critics view as too conciliatory.

"Today, the forces of freedom and tolerance face new challenges," Mr. Bush said. "From labor camps in North Korea, to political prisons in Cuba and Burma, university halls in Iran, coffeehouses in Venezuela, and other places, dissidents and reformers are seeking strength and support. When America stands for liberty, they take heart. When we do not, the dictators tighten their grip."

Mr. Bush didn't directly mention Iraq or Afghanistan, although former First Lady Laura Bush did, as she described another initiative that would focus on advancing women's rights, especially in the Middle East.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Hey, tortillita,

I know #9 was not meant for me. But posts are not exclusive.

[DoughtyOne]

 Bush, that think tank that was the White House sure wasn’t anything I would like to see repeated.

You felt this way throughout his presidency?  Concerning many issues, absolutely.

It must have been a very painful 8 years for you...  Frankly it was.

...and now you feel so relieved.  Did I say I was relieved, or is that your snarky attitude rearing it's ugly head?

Congratulations.  For what, pegging Bush for who he was all along?  No, it's because you can't accept that Bush had a Republican Congress for six of his eight years and failed miserably to advance our cause.  He also handed off a terrible recession, an economic abyss, teh beginnings of massive debt, and a political environment perfectly staged, for an activist Marxist to come in and manipulate for optimum destruction of our founding principles.  He didn't get our borders under control.  He tried to get the illegal immigrants naturalized.  He passed a new Great Society program.  And he more than any other person, is the reason why we have Barack Obama in the White House today.

McCain was a lackluster candidate, but even at best it would have been very difficult to make the case that the party in power when the economy tanked, should be allowed to remain in office to fix it.  If we couldn't do it in eight years, how could we be expected to do it after election day?

Just so you'll  understand, if I thought Bush was too much of a leftist, why would you possibly extapolate that I would be relieved that Obama was in office?

[razorback-bert]

Screw the think, I want a do tank.

[DoughtyOne]

You’re a very frightened individual, aren’t you?  Are you trying to make the case that there is no cause for concern today?  I'm not sure where you get the frightened part, but I've got my eyes wide open and it doesn't look good.

But publicly ranting and raving against a former President who kept this country safe, who did the best he could in the most difficult job in the world, only makes you appear foolish.  Bush was extremely fortunate.  That's not to say he didn't do some good things, but if you think he deserves full credit for keeping us safe, I can't help but smile.  19 individuals, something like 17 of which were Saudi Nationals, perpetrated 09/11.  They were able to do it, because we couldn't keep tabs on them all.  Today we have over 30,000 Saudi national students on our soil.  For the record, that's 1,578.947 potential teams of the same size, every one of which could have wreaked havok on our nation in a major way.  We've seen what even one person can do.  So yes, Bush does deserve some kudos.  I've extended them to him over time, but he still  had our neck on the proverbial chopping block right up until January 21st this year.  He and we were extremely fortunate.

Have you ever tried being a public servant and taking all the heat they do?  We have something like 310 million people in our nation today.  Perhaps just over ten thousand of them have held public office.  Are you now so desperate to insulate Bush from criticism, that you claim nobody should be able to criticize him if they haven't held public office?  Good grief.

Have you ever realized that the POTUS becomes the president of ALL the people and not just of you and your every precious opinion?  So I and other Conservatives should just move off the forum and refrain from addressing reality here?  Wow, I guess your delicate fabrication of what Bush was to the nation can't stand up to criticism.  Sorry.

Try growing up.  Well, one of us can address reality.  The other can't.  What that says about the need to grow up, I'll leave to others.

[DoughtyOne]

For the record, I did draft up a response to your post 9.  I put it in the frame and clicked on post.  I must not have done it a second time, after the review came up.  I'll see if I can pull it back up and post it again.


You’re a very frightened individual, aren’t you?  Are you trying to make the case that there is no cause for concern today?  I'm not sure where you get the frightened part, but I've got my eyes wide open and it doesn't look good.

But publicly ranting and raving against a former President who kept this country safe, who did the best he could in the most difficult job in the world, only makes you appear foolish.  Bush was extremely fortunate.  That's not to say he didn't do some good things, but if you think he deserves full credit for keeping us safe, I can't help but smile.  19 individuals, something like 17 of which were Saudi Nationals, perpetrated 09/11.  They were able to do it, because we couldn't keep tabs on them all.  Today we have over 30,000 Saudi national students on our soil.  For the record, that's 1,578.947 potential teams of the same size, every one of which could have wreaked havok on our nation in a major way.  We've seen what even one person can do.  So yes, Bush does deserve some kudos.  I've extended them to him over time, but he still  had our neck on the proverbial chopping block right up until January 21st this year.  He and we were extremely fortunate.

Have you ever tried being a public servant and taking all the heat they do?  We have something like 310 million people in our nation today.  Perhaps just over ten thousand of them have held public office.  Are you now so desperate to insulate Bush from criticism, that you claim nobody should be able to criticize him if they haven't held public office?  Good grief.

Have you ever realized that the POTUS becomes the president of ALL the people and not just of you and your every precious opinion?  So I and other Conservatives should just move off the forum and refrain from addressing reality here?  Wow, I guess your delicate fabrication of what Bush was to the nation can't stand up to criticism.  Sorry.

Try growing up.  Well, one of us can address reality.  The other can't.  What that says about the need to grow up, I'll leave to others.

[DoughtyOne]

Here is that response to 9.


Bush, that think tank that was the White House sure wasn’t anything I would like to see repeated.

You felt this way throughout his presidency?  Concerning many issues, absolutely.

It must have been a very painful 8 years for you...  Frankly it was.

...and now you feel so relieved.  Did I say I was relieved, or is that your snarky attitude rearing it's ugly head?

Congratulations.  For what, pegging Bush for who he was all along?  No, it's because you can't accept that Bush had a Republican Congress for six of his eight years and failed miserably to advance our cause.  He also handed off a terrible recession, an economic abyss, teh beginnings of massive debt, and a political environment perfectly staged, for an activist Marxist to come in and manipulate for optimum destruction of our founding principles.  He didn't get our borders under control.  He tried to get the illegal immigrants naturalized.  He passed a new Great Society program.  And he more than any other person, is the reason why we have Barack Obama in the White House today.

McCain was a lackluster candidate, but even at best it would have been very difficult to make the case that the party in power when the economy tanked, should be allowed to remain in office to fix it.  If we couldn't do it in eight years, how could we be expected to do it after election day?

Just so you'll  understand, if I thought Bush was too much of a leftist, why would you possibly extapolate that I would be relieved that Obama was in office?

[Ben Ficklin]

First you’ve got the James Baker Institute at Rice. Then you’ve got the Scowcroft Institute at A&M. And now the Bush Institute at SMU.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Thank you.

La Tortillita has a lot to think about now.

but then, her mind is too closed.

Oh well.

[DoughtyOne]

People get really defensive about Bush. He’s in effect their Reagan. I have no idea how that came to be, remembering the genuine article, but it none the less seems to be the case.

They thought Obama was going to teach us a real lesson, oh boy Bush was going to look good to us now. Aren’t we sorry for trashing him?

Well, sadly, Bush remains the same in my mind, a person who threw away so much opportunity with both hands, and prepared the table Obama eats at. For that alone he should be skewered for eternity.

Hey, take care. I agree with her on a lot of issues. It’s too bad we can’t see eye to eye here.

[Rockingham]

The topic for their first policy conference is already set: “How to Squander a Presidency.”

[conservativebuckeye]

Quit referring to our elected officials as public servants. They serve themselves and their friends,not us. Now I think Bush is a good man, unlike our current president, but Bush was mediocre at best. I say mediocre because my pride won’t let me rate someone I voted for twice any lower. Weren’t you a Dede supporter?

[STARWISE]

[hinckley buzzard]

What in gods name would a Dubya think tank think about? How to find yet another gig for James Baker III? How to insult the next generation of conservatives? How to torpedo Sarah Palin. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[Theodore R.]

The legacy of GWB is permanent: full socialism ahead!

[Theodore R.]

No, the left is too dense to understand that GWB was mostly advancing their agenda, particularly at home, but with popular globalism too.

[Theodore R.]

who did the best he could in the most difficult job in the world

Don't buy it! Sometimes "our best" is not nearly "good enough".

[roses of sharon]

God Bless President Bush.....our last American President.

[MEG33]

BUMP

[MEG33]

LUV YA W