Bush Warns of 'Too Much' Government

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»

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»

A year later, George W. doesn't look so bad

(NEWSER) - George W Bush isn't looking so bad these days. Sure, "his post-presidency resume is still thin," writes Stanley Fish in the New York Times , but he's about to make a comeback—just as we're starting to miss him. Bush nostalgia abounds: Pictures of a Minnesota billboard featuring George W and the caption "Miss me yet?" have gone viral. This week's cover of Newsweek, meanwhile, suggests that the Iraq mission has, in fact, been accomplished. More»

Bush put US on path to banana republic status

(NEWSER) - The 2000s were dominated by George W. Bush and the new American oligarchy he represents, writes Juan Cole. He lists hit 10 lowest points of an awful decade:

• “The constitutional coup of 2000,” in which “ugly racial and other low tricks” and a “far right-wing Supreme Court” delivered the election to the worst president in history.

Ex-president's new gig elicits generates mockery, some populist cred

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush's upcoming gig as a motivational speaker in Fort Worth has wags weighing in:

• Jason Zengerle, New Republic: A bit "undignified," for sure, but remember that Bill Clinton and others make buckets of cash from speaking gigs. "At least Bush's buckraking is sort of populist. If you want to see him speak, you don't need to work at Goldman. In fact, you—and your entire office, for that matter—can go see him for just $19."