Tina Brown: Bush Library To Be "Halloween Shop Of Horrors," Presidency "A Chapter Of Hideous Accidents"

The Daily Beast founder and editor-in-chief Tina Brown appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show" (guest-hosted by Alison Stewart, wife of executive producer Bill Wolff) Tuesday night. Brown's segment was focused on the 62 days remaining in the Bush presidency, and she did not mince words in dissecting the lame duck.

"One of the things that I'm told at the moment is that Bush is entirely focused right now on his legacy, on his library," she said. "That's all he really wants to talk about is his library. Because he's trying to build a legacy. But quite honestly, one can only think that that library is a Halloween House of Horrors. From the Guantanamo room to the Abu Ghraib room to the Hurricane Katrina room, this is going to be a very interesting library when it is built."

Brown also said that Bush's presidency has had "so many disasters" that, unlike previous lame duck Presidents, he is not "looking back in a mellow fashion on his Presidency, or even feeling that he has busy things to do so much as a President who is kind of punch-drunk with a series of debacles which even he — in his great denial and refusal to accept his own failures — has to accept at this point has been a chapter of hideous accidents, if you want to be charitable about it."

Watch:

Before Tina went up to 30 Rock, she celebrated the launch of The Daily Beast at New York's Pop Burger (she ducked out at 8:41 PM, says the New York Observer's John Koblin). Read his party report here.

Comments

[vincefango]

I heard there won't be any books at the GW Bush Library...­just shelves stocked full of gut instict.

[old lady]

Dumb question - who pays for Shrub's Lie-berry? If he expects a taxpayer contribution somebody should tell him to bring a chair... he'll be standing in a very very long line behind all the W bailout babies.

[DixieMelody]

The war profiteers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of taxpayer money AND the lives of our loved ones will surely chip in for some brick and mortar to build a library.

Honor among thieves.

My suggestion would be to carry on the tradition of "him" and his father and grandfather and their henchmen, and fashion it after the Skull and Bones crypt with no windows, since "he" never wanted the light of day shed on any of "his" evil deeds when "he" was squatting in the White House and demanded secrecy at all costs.

[dogwatch]

Hey! Our first one book presidential library.

[spartanmom]

My Pet Goat?

[ladydriver]

LOL!

[jfahle3]

Actually, the GW Presidential Library, as therepository for the president's papers, should be full to overflowing with documents. Why, the preemptive pardons that he's going to grant on January 19th will fill a room all by themselves. Then there will be the Hall of Last-Second Executive Orders, the "Legal Memoranda Dashed Up to Justify the Administration's Blatantly Illegal Policies" Wing, and on and on. . .

[mylegsareswollen]

Aren't you confusing what "may" happen with Bush's use of pardoning power with what actually did happen with Clinton's use of his pardoning power?

Thought so.

[jfahle3]

Um, no. I don't recall Clinton pardoning a single cabinet member, staffer, or VP. As for what "may" happen when Bush leaves, just trust me on this one. It WILL happen. He has to do it. Hell, two of them are already under indictment, and he hasn't even left office yet.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

WOW....I thought I was done with the days of "but....bu­t...but...­.Clinton". Guess not. Will wonders never cease!!!

[dogwatch]

There are, in many families, those who would not be caught dead in a Bush library. But, in deference to those few in the family who might wish to go inside, there should be small weewee houses affixed to the outside walls for those who wait outside and wish to relieve themselves on the wall. There would be no objection to a coin receptacle where one can pay for this privilege. Then all can smile as they drive away. This idea is offered free of charge.

[Dave-O]

President Bush is going to be known as the Worst President in the history of the US. He's the most uncritical, uncurious, dogmatic, narrow minded hillbilly that has ever occupied the White House. The fact that he honestly believes that history will be kind to him in the future is ludicrous. I like Tina Brown's description of the Bush Library as a Halloween House of Horrors with the "Hurricane Katrina Room", "The Financial Calamity room", "The Gitmo Room" the "Abu Ghraib Room". He could also have a wax museum of the "Villains' Room" that would include Dick "Vader" Cheney, Donald "Answer Questions with Rhetorical Questions" Rumsfield, Alberto "Waterboard Me" Gonzalez, Karl "Lie straight into the camera until they believe it" Rove and the rest of the cast of characters that will keep me up nights for years to come. They're an evil lot who will burn in hell for their indescretions.

[old lady]

Give credit where its due... he certainly has singlehandedly made Dick Nixon look good.

[workinman]

That's Libary.

[old lady]

Sorry, it's Lie Berry

[mapleaforever]

The funny thing about this library is that, other than photo ops, it'll be a real quiet place to read, sleep or whatever. LOTS of square footage avaiable for future expansion. LOL!

[GerryS]

yup, georgie can have a medical wing with all of his tools of tor ture just like the museum in Heidelberg Germany-------

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

We'd better start looking for a solid "next President". These wasted, destructive eight years, probably cannot be undone by the Obama administration, in only eight years.

[old lady]

Stop waiting for saviours..­. it will take the efforts of all Americans to undo the havoc - and yes, we can.

[ejbSF]

Got that right, old_lady!

[LDnearthesea]

Bush Library: the definition of oxymoron should have these two words put together as an example.
Public and transportation: ever hear Bush say these two words together in eight years? Just thought I'd ask other HP posters.

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

The worst thing that could possibly have happened to us, happened to us

Eight years. Now, at a time of crisis (brought on by this presidential fiasco), we have eight more weeks, with no one at the wheel.

What a perfect time for an attack(s), foreign or domestic. Hold your breath.

[RobertHenryEller]

Are you talking about the Bush Lie-brary?

[lynettema]

He will need to have new books written to spin out the reality.

[prosodist]

A GWB library is essential, to bear witness to Bush2's presidency. Only he should have nothing--nada--to do with curating or researching it.