Bush Will Miss Airforce One, White House Cooking

WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush is relishing the chance to see "the klieg lights shift somewhere else," although he admits he'll miss perks like White House cooking and flying on Air Force One.

"Frankly, I'm not going to miss the limelight all that much," Bush said in an intimate family conversation with his sister, Doro Bush Koch, about how he'll feel when he leaves the White House to make way for Barack Obama on Jan. 20.

"Been a fabulous experience to be president," Bush told Doro in the conversation recorded for the oral-history organization StoryCorps. But he said he'll be ready to go when the time comes.

Bush did acknowledge in the Nov. 12 conversation _ aired Thursday on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" _ that he would miss the trips on the presidential jet and not having to worry about traffic. He and first lady Laura Bush both agreed in the talk that they would miss the chefs at the Executive Mansion, but disagreed about who would be in charge of meals when they move back to Texas in January.

"I'm sure I'm going to lose a lot of weight, because Laura's going to be the cook," Bush deadpanned. The first lady responded, "You're going to be the person grilling, though, I think."

The president also said he would miss spending time with his sister, who lives in the District of Columbia area.

"This is a job which, you know, obviously had a lot of stress to it; it has a lot of pressure," Bush said. "But when you're around your family at all, all that pales."

Since 2003, the nonprofit StoryCorps has helped people record nearly 25,000 interviews at stationary booths in New York and with mobile operations traveling around the country. Participants receive a CD of their 40-minute interview, and all recordings are archived at the Library of Congress.

Comments

[haramagoti]

Liberated from existence for over a million of the dead ones, liberated from having a non-radioactive homeland for the next 4,700,000 years for those who stay for the cancer and assured birth defects, liberated from their homelands entirely for the refugees, liberated from knowing what the outside of a secret CIA prison might be like for those held without trial and thus liberated from a life without torture, liberated from knowing when peace will ever rear it's beautiful head, liberated from freedom, liberated from truth, liberated from family, liberated from friends, liberated from knowing how and why America combat-boot stomped the living hell out of Iraq. You have led America to make Saddam look like the tooth fairy Mr. Outgoing, and that's not so much as scratching the surface. What you definitely liberated yourself and everyone else affected by your administration from, Mr. President, was the American way.

[editgirl]

The only thing Mr. Bush liberated was the cash from our pockets!

[NoMoreFreepers]

I hope he burns for all eternity for bringing about death, destruction and misery world-wide over the past 8 years. There's a special place in hell for you Mr. Soon-to-Be Ex-President.

[bbridges1962]

Maybe they have a special jet in hell for him.

[bboyy]

" It's been fabulous"- wish the American public could say the same.

[Northwest02]

It would be nice to offer him one last trip on Air Force One later in 2009. This could be a one way trip, all expenses paid, to The Hague to face war crime charges. We could also allow a few of his buddy's to fly along such as Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, Rice and Tenent.

The trials could be broadcast on pay-per-view and the proceeds could go toward reversing the damage we have caused innocent families in Iraq in a war we should have never have fought.

This program would be a virtual number one lock on the TV ratings for months.

[hippynanainblingland]

Oh, boo the f**k hoo!

[leeman79]

I'll miss taking advantage of all the chumps that voted for me, and empowering my wealthy do nothing buddies. Goodbye to this ageing, reckless, Dennis the Menace administration.

[danusgram]

His sister? where has she been hiding all these years this is a surprise

[hilary916]

I'd be hiding too if I were her.

[jaslyn]

Good food and a comfy plane is what's on his mind after his earth scorching administration? What a soulless dolt he is.

[wagthedog1001]

My thoughts exactly.

[Internaut]

This shows how disconnected from the American People Bush has become.

[nolabels]

Become? I content he was never "in touch."

[Littlewords]

As much as W might miss WH cooking and Airforce one, it pails in comparison to the people's anxiousness to have you commence that separation from those perks.

I used to think W was out of touch, but WOW, he takes that to yet a new level again. With so much broken at home and in the world and with so many needing help this guy is melancholic about cooking and flying around on the people's dime.

[Donns]

Don't let the door hit you in the butt onthe way out.

[Mugzi]

Too bad we can't continue his fabulous experience, to a fabulou experience in Iraq since he started that mess. Oh, and add Cheney to the fabulous experience!

[phredralf]

StoryCorps blurb out of context, command-v on the wrong article?

[Lucee]

Can assure you, as an Australian currently living in Lebanon, I won't miss you. How lucky you are to walk out the door having left such a mess in this world. Shame on you.

[Hillrick]

"not miss the limelight"? I'm thinking he's hoping to avoid any limelight that follows his exit from Washington.('course maybe he wouldn't look good in lime, maybe prison orange would set off his eyes...)