Bush Library Donors To Be Kept Secret

DALLAS — Donors to President George W. Bush's presidential library probably will remain a mystery, said the foundation overseeing fundraising.

Mark Langdale, who heads the George W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, said that's the way some donors want it.

"It's our decision not to disclose who the donors are," he said.

The foundation will oversee construction of the library, museum and public policy institute at the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas. The group had raised less than $3 million when the latest tax reports were filed in August. That's far short of its $300 million goal, but foundation officials said fundraising will pick up significantly after Bush leaves office Jan. 20.

The issue of whether to identify presidential library contributors was reignited recently when President-elect Barack Obama tapped Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to serve as secretary of state.

The foundation that oversees her husband's library, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock, Ark., had not previously released donors' names _ no law requires disclosure of who donates to presidential library foundations.

But last month, the Clinton foundation published donors' names as part of Bill Clinton's effort to avoid conflicts of interest regarding his wife's new post. The list showed that governments from Saudi Arabia to Norway made sizable contributions, as well as corporations and billionaires with interests in U.S. foreign policy.

Bush officials have said the president would not accept foreign donations while in office. Both Clinton and Bush's father had the same policy but accepted large gifts from foreigners after leaving the White House.

Noting that the Clinton list was released as part of an agreement to help Hillary Clinton join the Obama Cabinet, Langdale said, "We don't have those set of circumstances," The Dallas Morning News reported in Monday's editions.

The Bush foundation does, however, have to contend with a recession and the president's low ratings in public opinion polls.

"Clearly, we're in tough economic headwinds, so it's going to be a harder climb than it would have been a year ago," Langdale said.

But he said the foundation expects to meet its fundraising goal by autumn of 2010, the planned groundbreaking date.

Comments

[AngelaQuattrano]

Saudi royal family?

[DWGRadio]

In all seriousness, my mother really does work at a library. The rest of that I am sure you all know was bullocks.

[DWGRadio]

I am not ashamed to say that I donated a few dollars to Bush's lieberry. Like the President, I believe lieberrys are important. My mom works at a lieberry, so lieberrys helped put food on my family.

[AddyGmom]

I'd be ashamed to noise it about that I'd contributed. Wouldn't you??

[texasrodeoqueen]

bin laden is sending a complimentary copy of "Green Ham and Eggs"

[texasrodeoqueen]

Dick Cheney, Condi, George Tenet, Scooter Libby, Abrahmoff, have all chipped in on the telephone booth with a copy of "My Pet Goat" in it.

[joycehelene]

Of course they want to remain private as who would be dumb enough to donate to that library. I hope Poppy and the rest of the Bushes have enough to pay for the library. The only problem it won't tell the truth about his presidency and will not help scholars who will try to seek what really went on during administration, just photo ops..

[texasrodeoqueen]

funny, Daddy Bush probably bought Yale a new library wing to get him a degree, also.

[texasrodeoqueen]

joyce, lol, it will have a huge poster of him in the "mission accomplished" pilot suit with the pair of socks he stuffed in there. LMAO

[LynnW49]

They'd be embarrassed to have it known they donated to the library of a war criminal.

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

I wish to state publicly, under penalty of perjury, that I am _not_ a donor to the Halliburton Corp. Library, Dallas -- I mean, the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

[Emlyn]

What has Bush got to hide? Everything!

[DrBillo1]

Larry, Moe and Curley lead the list--who else would give a dime!!!

[bigmaddy]

Will Bush's library have copy of My Pet Goat so he will have book he can read

[TierraDelFuego]

Shame on Southern Methodist University for allowing the Bush library to be even slightly connected to what is basically a religious institution. There is not the slightest thing Christian about about George W. Bush using the White House for eight years of celebrity rehab. Didn't anyone at Southern Methodist ask what kind of medications Bush was on to control his addictions and what the side effects might be? Every Methodist in the world should be embarassed.

[lagumbo]

Donors kept secret? Halliburton, KBR,and BLACKWATER is no secret. We all know those are his donors.

[MountainPenelope]

To be FAIR and EQUITABLE in all things, IMO, ALL presidents (including my Dems and the GOPhers) should be required by law to make known every single person who donates to any memorial edifice the former pres is building for him/herself.

Wonder how many of O.S.A.M.A's brothers are helping foot the bill for this white elephant, or considering Bust's past, should I say PINK elephant????