Dubya is hawking his memoir. It?s doing quite well, thank you
For two years, he has avoided the limelight, occupying himself with jogging and riding bicycles rather than commenting on his successor?s policies, the state of the American economy, a rapidly changing global order or any such matter. But this week, as 1.5 million first print-run hard copies of Decision Points hit the shelves, he is talking to Matt Lauer, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh… American primetime is being royally bowled over. Hard questions are getting deflected with a charming chuckle. ?You?re trying to get me to make news,? Bush told his golf buddy Limbaugh. ?And I?m trying to sell books.? Nope, he won?t say anything but gracious stuff about Barack Obama. Nope, while many Tea Party sorts ran their campaigns running down Bush policies, he refuses to dish out the dirt on Sarah Palin to Oprah. ?You?re asking me to wade back into the swamp.? What about swampy stuff that decisively lies at his doorstep, like the WMD argy-bargy or the much-maligned Tarp? He staunchly defends both, if only because no President has the luxury of hindsight. Aha! History?s final verdict may be harsher but Bush won?t be around to hear it. Oho!
What with paid talk tours, charity gigs, opulent policy sinecures, etc, US ex-Presidents of the modern era have made a habit of bridging over into new professional lives via memoirs. Think Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both of whom made it to the top of NYT?s non-fiction list soon after leaving office. Then gird up for more of Dubya.
