Bush Edits Jefferson on Religion

Ex-prez charges six figures per speech

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush says he wants to stay under the radar these days—hence his refusal of Barack Obama's invitation to attend a Ground Zero ceremony following Osama bin Laden’s death. But that’s not keeping him from accepting six-figure speaking engagements, and plenty of them, the Daily Beast reports. Bush has given some 140 talks since leaving office, says a rep for Bush, and he reportedly earns between $100,000 and $150,000 for each. All told, he’s raked in some $15 million from the speeches, from which the press is largely banned. More»

Outbursts par for the course in partisan politics

(NEWSER) - After Joe Wilson's “you lie” outburst, we may need to add “Joewilsoning” to the lexicon, as in, “OMG, he Joewilsoned right in the middle of the sermon!” writes Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post. Still, the reaction to the outburst seems a wee bit overblown. Wilson is, in normal circumstances, "polite, humble and deferential," says Parker, who acknowledges that her nephew works in his office. More»

Former first lady addresses school speech controvery in CNN interview

(NEWSER) - President Obama's doing a good job, Laura Bush tells CNN during a wide-ranging chat yesterday about life after the White House. "I think he has got a lot on his plate, and he has tackled a lot to start with," she said, "and that has probably made it more difficult." And of the controversy over Obama's upcoming address to the country's schoolchildren, the former first lady says it's "really important for everyone to respect the president of the United States." More»

Why? 'He is decidedly not' his predecessor

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s speech in Cairo sounded a lot like President Bush’s 2006 speech to Muslims—yet Obama’s manages to carry far more weight, writes Michael Crowley in the New Republic. Both spoke of respect for “the history and traditions of the Muslim world”; both suggested governmental systems can’t be “imposed.” But Bush’s speech was “forgotten,” while Obama’s “seems to offer the potential of making millions of Muslims reconsider their view of America,” Crowley writes. More»

(NEWSER) - Standing in front of the Constitution, President Obama today delivered a watershed speech on terrorism, arguing that President Bush’s approach to war was, “quite simply, a mess.” He outlined his plan to clean up, saying he’ll try Guantanamo detainees in both federal court and military commissions and reiterating his intention to close the prison camp, MSNBC reports. Detainees who can’t be tried will be held indefinitely, within a “legitimate legal framework.” More»