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

[ScoobyDoo269]

In every election except this one - the use of Air Force One and Presidential Vacation days has always been an issue - Not in this election - Bush abused Air Force one and Vacation days in his Presidency - he spent more time on Holidays then ANY other President! Including his Father!

[klandish]

He needed to dry out.

[teacake]

Only if we had a stronger congress (one without Nancy Pelosi), we would have brought Bush and Cheney to justice and make them pay for their crimes against humanity and for their treasonous crimes.

[klandish]

She was so outspoken against Bush before she became leader of the house. She looks positively sedated now.

[bmwracer]

We won't miss you, President Knucklehead.

[teacake]

Immature and materialistic are the two distinct characteristics of spoiled-brat air heads like Bush. The guy is so disconnected with reality, he can't even see American people's suffering and agonizing. The only sensible option for this mor(o)n is put a straight jacket on him and throw him in a mental institution.

[realpolitic]

He is like having a 12 year old in the White House. Whenever he got a tough question from the press, he would wear the same arrogant look.

[klandish]

and smirk.

[AdamWykle]

Olmert to Bush: "Thank you for the War in Iraq"

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1040978.html

[MagisterLudi]

A Musl im is pretending to cite an Is r aeli newspaper by totally faking a quote.
A big wonder they accomplish so little beside intolerance. Ever seen a scientific invention coming out of a M u slim country?

Actual quote from the same article:
My offer to Abbas goes further than anything offered to the P-ians in the past, and your role is to get him to sign, said Ol mert....The two-state solution, the only way to end the conflict, is in danger. Let's make one last effort.

[klandish]

You said it brother.

[FanaticRealist]

I don't think you're on high ground with regards to intolerance.

Speaking as (lapsed) Sephardi Jew, even I can acknowledge the contributions made to science by Islam: for instance, when Catholic dogma said that natural light was pure, Islamic science was working on the prism.

And let's not forget the massive amount of Islamic scientific knowledge that was destroyed during the Reconquista of Spain.

Your problem is that you confuse Arab and Islam and you also confuse the dry ascetic Wahabi Islam, that appears to shun open-mindedness, with the Islam that pioneered so much in medicine, science and astronomy when most of Europe was still dying of the Black Death and the USA was 500 years away over the horizon.

It's only in the modern era that a section of Arab-Islam doesn't appear to have a stake in science: it's caused as much by complacency and laziness as anything else (why do it yourself when the rest of the world will do the work for you) and it has its mirror in the USA where science has become politicised and mistrusted by all too large a percentage of the population.

[FreeMarketSocialist]

Does anybody have or can guess a ballpark number of the number of people commenting in this particular article that actually voted for Bush?

Would anyone who voted for this guy make a comment? Seriously, why did people voted for him? radical conservative republicans excluded. It'd be good an interesting conversational topic.

He should be put in trial absolutely, reprimanded by Congress, his administration should be exposed to the people and he should be not briefed but shown the consequences of his actions.

The Decider, The Liberator of Iraq, Heckuva job Brownie, 300 dollars stimulus 'package' fully absorbed by the dry economy without any noticeable effect, prior to the 700-600-800 billion, Carl Sagan billions and billions would be the appropriate measuring scale. The country broke, Wall Street under water whats left of it anyway, our civil liberties curtailed.
The people deserves the kind of goverment it selects.
Wake up America, we need smarter less intrusive security in all airports, less greed in business, basic 21st Century human values, a sense of direction, less consumism and more peace and tranquility.

[realpolitic]

I did not vote for him. I always thought he seemed very lost, immature, and not even someone I wanted to have a beer with.

[klandish]

Very accurate and humanistic evaluation. Thank you.

[fixedriddle]

I voted for him twice! I voted for him twice!

I voted for George Bush because I was expecting a Republican president to control the deficit and cut national spending, he went the complete opposite direction. I also agree with him on abortion and stem cell issues. In my biology class I took last spring my professor, who worked as a researcher for over 20 years, told us embryonic stem cells were not the only resource for this type of research. Scientists now know stem cells can be safely harvested from adults.
I disagreed with the Iraq war because I don't believe there was ever enough evidence to connect Saddam and Osama. Afghanistan, well, bin Laden was hiding there at the time, who knows now. Spending by our government is now way out of control and now Obama plans to spend more money our gov doesn't have. No family could survive like this, how could a country?
One positive thing I could say about Bush is that we haven't had an attack since 911, but of course who cares about national security when our bank accounts our empty.

[synica]

Didn't you have enough evidence after his first term to realize he was flawed? If you had done any reading on his past, you would have known he failed at everything he tried and his family and millionaire friends always bailed him out.
Who was in office when 9/11 occurred? After he was briefed about terrorist attacks by Tenet, Cofer Black, Richard Clark and other CIA officials, he said to one of them, "OK, now you've covered your ass." It wasn't "high on his radar screen." Why give him a pass on 9/11?
The truth is the people who voted for him were more concerned that a democrat might be inclined to spend on social programs whereas a republican might be inclined to spend less on social programs. People voted their pocketbooks instead of for their country and now they're paying for their shortsightedness.

[wagthedog1001]

"One positive thing I could say about Bush is that we haven't had an attack since 911"

Well, no one actually melted down the buildings on Wall Street either, and the entire country of Mexico hasn't crossed the border either, and Iraq is not a military threat either, and global warming hasn't completely destroyed the earth either, and Detroit hasn't seen fit to fly commercial either...

[JohnFromCensornati]

I never voted for him. I also never approved of anything he did. I think it's interesting to note that his approval ratings were in the 90s after 9/11. 9 out of 10 thought he was doing a good job because he could hold a bullhorn and make empty "dead or alive" threats.

[chronic]

The world was this b @stards playground.


Pathetic!!

[editor]

Apparently he thought the White House was all about him and free food.

[LAThinker]

And free booze

http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=930&cid=3168

[senorlou]

This man has done more damage to the US than anyone in history. He is our biggest enemy. When he came in, the nation was doing better than ever. The financial industry, though much of it was a house of cards, was booming. We were respected around the world. We had BUDGET SURPLUSES, if you can believe that. I'm going to guess that the USA lost about $60 trillion dollars in this Bush Tragedy. That's pretty much all the money on Earth, and then some. No enemy could have possibly inflicted anywhere near the damage the Bush Administration has caused around the world. We need a trial, and I'm guessing it will come. We just have to be patient.

[teacake]

Yes. The guy is a criminal, but don't get too mad at him. We should go after those who put this piece of $#!@!@#$ in the White House.

[klandish]

Jail time for treason.

[scjk67]

huh??? who is this king george booosh?

[delvis]

this guy has no concept of money. he has spent money like a coked out frat boy

[bobofish]

What a coincidence!

[marthlois]

Glad it's been such a fabulous experience. It's been one of the worst experiences of my life. I mourn the death of citizens from the US and Iraq everyday. This is not the America I knew for 52 years. I'm glad you''ll be in Texas barbecuing and sleeping well. And I also hope that history will show everything that you and your administration did.

[Tom Payned]

Hear Hear!

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

I know this is going to sound like I'm nitpicking,but I don't like the idea that after all the misery he's caused people all around the world,he comes home and has a gourmet meal prepared for him with our money.Most people that behave that way are up all night, pacing the floor ,picking up the corner of a venetian blind and peeking outside,looking for a squad car or a police officer coming to arrest them.

[senorlou]

Couldn't agree with you more. The man needs to be imprisoned immediately. I say put him in Gitmo.

[McFlipFlop]

Shallow, ignorant, brain-damaged miscreant.

[bby328]

he did what he was told to do although your assessment is too kind.

[steveo39]

un--f***ing--believable. pathetic AND disgusting . . .