Poppy Bush: An authorized biography? "...I'd rather not fool with it."

[seafan]

BRETT COOMER: CHRONICLE


...Over the Thanksgiving week, the former president sat down with Chronicle Metro Editor Tony Freemantle to talk about why he does it(parachute jumping), his legacy, his grandchildren and what it feels like to have a really, really big boat named after you. Questions about his son, the current president, and the Iraq war were off-limits....


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5343490.html">Elder Bush's life on the edge

By TONY FREEMANTLE
December 1, 2007

.....

Q: I know Jean (Becker, Bush's chief of staff) has been on you for a long time about an authorized biography. ...

A: That's what we call the legacy factor. The L-word. We don't like the L-word.

Q: I know we don't like the L-word. But let me ask you this, very few presidents, I think, haven't had an authorized biography done on them. You might be unique in that regard. Why not?

A: Well, one, you've got the president there, and so you know to the degree that it would be published soon, people would always try to find differences between father and son, nuances of difference in personality, differences in policy, and I just don't want to risk something that would come out that in some way would complicate his life. I'm confident that historians will be kind to us in a lot of ways and maybe critical in others. But I have confidence that those things will happen. Some good historian will write something. And we may do it sooner, I don't know.

Jimmy Baker called me yesterday about a biographer that he thinks the world of and asked if I'd be willing to talk to him. But I have to call him back and tell him, well, I don't think so.

Q: So you've dug your heels in on this.

A: Got 'em dug in. But not forever, not forever. You know the New York Times obituary guy ... did I ever tell you that story? ... He called up and he's talking to Jean, and Jean says, "Well, he doesn't want to do an obituary before he dies. He thinks you ought to be dead before you do an obituary." And he said, "Doesn't he realize that what we write in the New York Times obituary will be 80 percent of his legacy?" And I'm saying, "You arrogant so-and-so." I mean, that made me just dig in even more and say, "No. Hell, I ain't going to talk to that fellow."

I think historians will get it right. And there's no rush as far as I'm concerned. The library helps. There's material there for people to figure it out and get their own opinions of what we got right and what we got wrong. I'm not saying never. But for now, I'd rather not fool with it.

.....

Can't you just hear Dana Carvey: "Got 'em dug in."



Damn if all three of them aren't obsessed with their legacies.

[seafan]

1. "I'd love to see Jeb run again... Ended with his head high. Clean administration."

.....

Q: I can't not ask you about this presidential election coming up. Do you have a favorite yet?

A: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5343490.html">No. No, I don't. But I'm feeling more and more confident that Republicans can win the election. About six months ago, I mean, everybody was writing off our chances. But I think that's changing. I really believe that's changing. I think Iraq has changed to some degree and I think that helps the climate. But I don't have a favorite. I may have one, but if I did, I probably wouldn't tell you because I've decided to stay out of it. And I know them all. I don't know (Tom) Tancredo and I'm not really close to Ron Paul. But the others — Mitt Romney, (Rudy) Giuliani, (Fred) Thompson even, (John) McCain — I think they are all good people.

Q: This is the first election in some time that you haven't had a personal stake in. So it must be kind of a relief.

A: Yes. It's definitely a relief not to have a Bush name on the ballot. ... But someday I hope that there will be. I'd love to see Jeb run again. He was a very successful governor. Ended with his head high. Clean administration. Got a lot of respect from those on both sides of the aisle in the state. And he's got a passion about it. He's an issues man. He knows far more about these issues than I ever did, even when I was president. And I don't think he's lost any desire to serve in some way; it's just not in the cards right now.

Q: Are any of your grandchildren emerging as possible politicians?

A: I'd say George P., the oldest one. Charming guy. He's a moderate fellow in terms of behavior. He's not a big shot. He's not an arrogant kid. He's bright. He's got his law degree, and he's enlisted in the Navy as an ensign in the reserve. I'm so proud of him.

Pierce. You know Pierce. (Chuckles) I don't know what he's interested in. But he's a real ... he never met a stranger. He loves the political arena, has an opinion on everything.

I don't know about the girls, Jenna and Barbara. I don't think that they have any ambition to be in elective politics. But they're doing the Lord's work in helping others— Barbara through AIDS programs in South Africa and Jenna through her interest in the same subject, but then her book benefiting one of the United Nations agencies.

.....

This week's emerging news item from Jeb's 'clean administration':


Forbes: Jeb Bush involvement with Lehman raises questions in Florida investment fund debacle

[peekaloo]

9. Jenna and Barbara are doing the Lord's work. Lord Calvert or following their

Maker's Mark?

Jebthro is so popular UF refused him an honorary degree.

I'd rather see at least one of them serving a prison sentence.

[Virginia Dare]

11. You've got to wonder how Dubya emerged as a possible politician..

Q: Are any of your grandchildren emerging as possible politicians?

A: I'd say George P., the oldest one. Charming guy. He's a moderate fellow in terms of behavior. He's not a big shot. He's not an arrogant kid. He's bright. He's got his law degree, and he's enlisted in the Navy as an ensign in the reserve. I'm so proud of him.


The total opposite of Dubya...maybe Poppy has learned.

[terrya]

13. Pierce is the one who gave that horribly embarrassing interview on "The Today Show" a while back

As I recall.

I hope I'm long dead before that little asshole ever becomes involved in politics.

[seafan]

14. You remember correctly.

From that interview of Pierce Bush:






Wonkette has another, less formal photograph.


That's Pierce on the right:

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Until jr came along I didn't think there could be a bigger louse than

george herbert walker bush.

[unpossibles]

3. seriously. I could not stand the man

and suddenly his kid makes me almost miss him. GHWB was practically competent compared to W.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. I'm convinced that jr thought Iraq would be as easy as Panama.

jr is a world class all-time idiot, the dad wasn't stupid, he was just a real old school old money bastard.

[Virginia Dare]

12. With all the terrible things HW Bush has brought on this country..

turning his son loose on us has got to be at the top of the list of his horrors.

[graywarrior]

4. How that family ever got where they are astounds me.

They're so full of themselves, they'd dine on their own shit.

[unpossibles]

8. amazing what good connections, lack of scruples, and old dirty money will do.

I've often said I find it hilarious and sad that Dubya was ever a posterboy for the small government meritocracy crowd.

Cuckoo Bananas.

[msongs]

6. guess old man bush doesn't want to spend his last years spewing lies nt

[Virginia Dare]

10. He'll spew them, he just doesn't feel like writing them down...n/t

[PoiBoy]

7. Never... ever... forget...

<snip>
Nor, finally, is it in any way a "theory" that the one, single name that can be directly linked to the Third Reich, the US military industrial complex, Skull and Bones, Eastern Establishment good ol' boys, the Illuminati, Big Texas Oil, the Bay of Pigs, the Miami Cubans, the Mafia, the FBI, the JFK assassination, the New World Order, Watergate, the Republican National Committee, Eastern European fascists, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the United Nations, CIA headquarters, the October Surprise, the Iran/Contra scandal, Inslaw, the Christic Institute, Manuel Noriega, drug-running "freedom fighters" and death squads, Iraqgate, Saddam Hussein, weapons of mass destruction, the blood of innocents, the savings and loan crash, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, the "Octopus," the "Enterprise," the Afghan mujaheddin, the War on Drugs, Mena (Arkansas), Whitewater, Sun Myung Moon, the Carlyle Group, Osama bin Laden and the Saudi royal family, David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, and the presidency and vice-presidency of the United States, is: George Herbert Walker Bush.
<end>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1696082&mesg_id=1696082&page=

[seafan]

15. Wow, thanks for that archived thread. Glad this was copied in full in 2004, b/c the link is gone.

The. One. Single. Name.