Bush: Obama 'Deserves My Silence'

Longevity expert debunks myth that White House duty shortens life

(NEWSER) - President Obama's graying hair has set off the typical chatter that serving as president is so stressful it's bound to take years off a person's life. Not so, says a longevity expert in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, our presidents tend to live longer than the rest of us. S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois crunched the numbers involving 34 presidents who died of natural causes and found that 23 exceeded the life expectancy of men in their era, reports Reuters . More»

(NEWSER) - All four living former presidents will attend Ted Kennedy’s invitation-only funeral, the Boston Herald reports. President Obama will also be there, breaking off his Martha’s Vineyard vacation to deliver a eulogy. Gordon Brown also plans to attend, as will Irish PM Brian Cowen. “Sen. Kennedy is being honored as though he were a former sitting president,” observed one political scientist. More»

(NEWSER) - Former President George W. Bush is “depressed and paranoid,” even “suicidal,” proclaims the tabloid glossy the Globe. Yes, “insiders fear” that the erstwhile leader of the free world will terminate himself: He’s “boozing up a storm,” and is “terrified of Barack Obama” and—heaven forbid!—“his own wife Laura.” Don’t miss the “blockbuster world exclusive.” More»

Federal spending is rising at slowest rate since '50s, report finds

(NEWSER) - Republicans are trying to fool the country into believing that they are the party of fiscal responsibility, President Obama told a fundraiser yesterday. "I’m running to pay down our debt in a way that’s balanced and responsible. After inheriting a $1 trillion deficit, I signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law,” he told donors in Denver. "My opponent won’t admit it, but it’s starting to appear in places, like real liberal outlets, like the Wall Street Journal," he quipped. "Since I’ve been president, federal spending has risen at the lowest pace in nearly 60 years. Think about that.” More»

Nazir Ahmed denies comments

(NEWSER) - A British lord has allegedly offered $16 million to anyone who can capture President Obama and George W. Bush, prompting his suspension from the Labour party "pending investigation." The comments—which Nazir Ahmed denies making—followed a US offer of $10 million for the capture of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who Washington believes was behind 2008's Mumbai attacks. "If the US can announce a reward of $10 million for the (capture) of Hafiz Saeed, I can announce a bounty of £10 million (for the capture of) President Obama and his predecessor," Lord Ahmed reportedly said last week in Pakistan. More»