Karl Rove: I Wasn't Bush's Brain

In memoir, Bush aide regrets not defending war to public harder

(AP) - Karl Rove says in a new memoir that the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq badly damaged the Bush administration's credibility and led to dwindling public support for the war. The former White House political adviser blames himself for not pushing back against claims that President Bush had taken the country to war under false pretenses, calling it one of the worst mistakes he made. The president, he adds, did not knowingly mislead the American public about the existence of such weapons. More»

Obama, Bush must recognize that demeanor isn't trivial

(NEWSER) - In office, George W. Bush seemed laid back no matter what, while Barack Obama “has not been a happy warrior.” Both men have been true to form in major interviews over the past week, writes Howard Kurtz in the Daily Beast . Obama acknowledged discouragement—a fair point, but not an inspiring one. “If the president is discouraged by 9.6% unemployment, how should the rest of us feel?” More»

Rapper rants on Twitter; feels 'alone,' 'used'

(NEWSER) - First Kanye West called George Bush a racist. Then Bush called the moment “disgusting.” Then Kanye accepted the blame. The latest in the Bush/Kanye mess, brought to you by Matt Lauer and Twitter:

• Kanye West told Lauer he understood Bush’s feelings.
• Then the rapper went on a 20-plus-post Twitter rant about his interview with Lauer, which he called “brutal," the New York Times notes.

'Mission Accomplished,' Katrina flyover were missteps, Bush says

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush opened up about his legacy and some of his regrets in his first one-on-one TV interview since leaving the White House. Bush, speaking to NBC 's Matt Lauer, defended his decision to invade Iraq but admitted that declaring combat operations over in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner was a big mistake. Bush said he's been keeping a pretty low profile since leaving office out of respect for his successor and a wish not to get back into "the swamp." More»

GOP is trying to return to 43rd president's policies

(NEWSER) - Given his approval ratings, Republicans had no choice but to distance themselves from George W. Bush in 2008. But make no mistake, writes Paul Krugman: They still loved him and his policies, so much so that GOP leaders have now "come out for a complete return to the Bush agenda, including tax breaks for the rich and financial deregulation." More»