Thursday Open Thread [4.25.13]
As George W. Bush is disgustingly lauded today by the other living Presidents, including President Obama, during the opening of his presidential museum (it’s not a library, its a museum with exhibits and displays, so everyone stop calling it a library) in Dallas, a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds just 35% of Americans view Bush favorably, versus 44% who view him negatively. That negative number has improved for W, probably because people don’t care about him anymore.
Meanwhile, here is Barbara Bush on her favorite son’s possible run for the Presidency in 2016:
Appearing in an interview Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show, Mrs. Bush was asked how she felt about Jeb, the former governor of Florida, seeking the presidency in 2016.
Mrs. Bush replied, quote, “We’ve had enough Bushes.”
She went on to say she thought there were many worthy candidates, telling anchor Matt Lauer, “There are people out there” who are qualified. Mrs. Bush, who had a reputation for bluntness when her husband George H.W. Bush was president, spoke from the site of the presidential library.
Mrs. Bush, I couldn’t agree with you more. But I wouldn’t expect much from Jeb on Mother’s Day.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) called an attempt last week by some Georgia high school students to finally integrate their high school prom a “leftist .. silly publicity stunt.” Is it 2013 or 1953?
Meanwhile, in our very own Sussex County, County Councilman Sam Wilson said last week that he was worried a bill offering to legalize same-sex marriage in Delaware, which he called “legislating immorality,” would lead to increased child sexual abuse. So according to Sam Wilson, if you are gay, you are a pedophile and abuse children. And if you allow gay marriage, and you allow gay couples to adopt or have children of their own, then those children will be abused. Yes, it all makes sense. Now those comments, coming at the an official council meeting, would have been igregious and inappropriate enough. But he offered his bigotry at the closing of a presentation of someone from Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, an organization aiming to train thousands of adults in the state to recognize key signs of child abuse.
A new PPP poll finds Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) now has an upside down approval rating with 44% of voters giving her good marks and 46% disapproving, a collapse of a net 15 points since her vote of no on the Background Check bill. Excellent.
50 Reasons You Despised George W. Bush’s Presidency: A Reminder on the Day of His Presidential Library Dedication
This post is a Public Service Announcement for those of you thinking of a career change: Harvard Law School Offers ‘Tax Planning for Marijuana Dealers’
Yet another example of the Gordon administration’s insistence on different, lower standards for itself: Wilmington Police are looking into how Grimaldi got possession of the full police report, instead of the cover-page version victims are supposed to get.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130425/NEWS02/304250031/Report-s-release-now-whodunit?nclick_check=1
Of course, some may see this as just another example of my “obsession” with getting the Gordon administration to follow the rule of law.
As much as I disagree with the majority of what Bush did in office I think it’s about time for liberals to let go of the hatred many still harbor for him. The guy basically secured Obama 2 terms in office (possibly Hillary in 2016 as well) and it isn’t like he’s out there continuing to push the right’s agenda but instead has gone underground and out of sight.
The right hates Obama with a passion and I see no reason to stoop to their level. Instead I think Dems should simply stay above the name calling and hatred while focusing on the future and not the past.
His place in history won’t change (it’s not a pretty one) and as long as he doesn’t come out and start blaming Dems for all of our current problems like the rest of the GOP does I hope he enjoys the rest of his days in peace. If however he starts to get back involved in the everyday back and forth that’s currently going on then he’s fair game and all of his failures deserve to be thrown in his face.
With the opening of the Bush Library, you’re getting revisionist historians arguing that Bush wasn’t so bad after all.
Two unnecessary wars. 10s of thousands dead due to those wars, willful ignorance, and essentially permitting Dick Cheney to run the country.
Why, yes, yes he WAS that bad. Worse, even. The tens of thousands of dead aren’t coming back to life. Neither should his reputation.
While GWB will probably stay in the shadowes his “staff” and others who worked for him are out there trying to revise history to “save” their own back sides.
Two unnecessary wars. 10s of thousands dead due to those wars, willful ignorance, and essentially permitting Dick Cheney to run the country.
I would almost accept all of that if he hadn’t also pissed away our prosperity and destroyed the middle class, probably permanently. I wasn’t paying attention to the library thing so when I suddenly saw him speaking on TV it was like a recurring nightmare.
Charlie Pierce deconstructs the latest Peggy Noonan love letter to BushCo. Really choice here is that she sees Bush as somehow noble and good, while President Obama is too smart for his britches.
I think it’s about time for liberals to let go of the hatred many still harbor for him.
Even many in his own party hate him — and for the reasons you cite are good ones for Dems. You don’t have to hate him to remind people of the failure that he was, and of that failure that we continue to try to recover from. It serves no one to not constantly remind people of what Republican government looks like.