Ex-Presidents Call for More Ike Funds

Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton called today for more money to aid Texas communities devastated by Hurricane Ike, the Houston Chronicle reports. The pair, who toured the Galveston area, has raised $1.5 million for their Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund. The money will be used to augment state and local efforts once reconstruction begins.

Clinton conceded that fundraising wasn’t easy in the current economic environment, but hoped the presidents’ presence would say, in effect, “Hey, don't forget about this place.” The elder Bush painted a bleak picture with a silver lining. “What we have seen is abject devastation,” he said. “We've also seen a determination to come back.” (More Bill Clinton stories.)