Contradicts president's past statements

Huffington Post 60 minutes ago
(Newser)
-
If George Bush had known that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, he wouldn’t have invaded Iraq, Karl Rove said last night during a debate in New York. Were it not for the WMDs, the administration would have found “more creative ways to constrain him, like in the '90s.” Rove's remark reflected a similar Bush comment this week, in which he backed off earlier assurances that he'd have invaded even without WMDs, the Huffington Post reports.
More »
Bush's last-minute new rule for medical workers sparks controversy

Los Angeles Times Dec 2, 08 8:29 AM CST
(Newser)
-
An expanded "right of conscience" rule for medical workers planned by the Bush administration could hand Barack Obama a major battle over medical ethics, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doctors and nurses can already legally refuse to perform abortions, but the new rule would allow any health care worker to opt out of procedures they find morally objectionable. The rule could possibly include artificial insemination or birth control.
More »
But 43 says he plans to leave office with 'head held high'

BBC Dec 2, 08 4:50 AM CST
(Newser)
-
President Bush's biggest regret of his presidency is receiving faulty intelligence before launching the Iraq war, the president told ABC News in a wide-ranging "exit interview." Bush declined to say whether he would have ordered the invasion if he had known Saddam Hussein didn't actually possess weapons of mass destruction. "That is a do-over that I can't do," he said. "It's hard for me to speculate."
More »
Bush lets off man who indirectly poisoned birds

Associated Press Dec 1, 08 11:02 AM CST
(AP)
-
Twelve years after pleading guilty to federal charges in the deaths of three bald eagles, Leslie Owen Collier learned last week that his name was cleared: He was pardoned by President Bush. "I guess I was humbled is the best way to say it—I never thought it would happen," Collier, 50, said. "It was emotional. I almost came to tears, really."
More »
OPINION
Bill Kristol thinks America will listen

Weekly Standard Nov 29, 08 2:39 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Republicans have fallen out of favor, and there’s probably nothing George W. Bush can say in his final days to change that. “But he could do his party—and the nation—a service by reminding Americans of our successes fighting the war on terror,” writes William Kristol. If Bush publicly explains how his detention, interrogation, and surveillance efforts have kept America safe, Obama will be able to “back off rash promises and continue most of the policies.”
More »
'I didn't sell my soul:' Bush

Houston Chronicle Nov 29, 08 11:17 AM CST
(Newser)
-
President Bush wants to be remembered foremost as someone who "did not sell his soul in order to accommodate the political process." In an intimate interview conducted by his sister Doro for an oral history project of the Library of Congress, Bush lists liberating Iraqis, fighting AIDS in Africa, reforming Medicare, and No Child Left Behind among his accomplishments, reports the Houston Chronicle .
More »
Gonzales, Clemens could be excused from future accusations

Associated Press Nov 29, 08 10:30 AM CST
(Newser)
-
President Bush continues to be stingy with pardons, but some big names will be hoping for clemency in December, the AP reports. Among the 2,000 applicants are junk-bond king Michael Milken and American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh. Bush also could excuse potential future convicts such as pitcher Roger Clemens and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
More »
President restores right to bear arms to convicted felons

Wall Street Journal Nov 29, 08 8:22 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Second Amendment enthusiasts seem to have a better-than-average chance of winning a presidential pardon as the Bush presidency nears its end, the Wall Street Journal reports. Of the 14 felons pardoned in the last week, seven are fans of hunting or shooting and five say they specifically mentioned their desire to have their right to bear arms restored when they wrote in for a pardon.
More »
EPA, Interior Dept. to be put to work fighting climate change

Washington Post Nov 28, 08 10:11 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Whoever Barack Obama picks for the top posts at the EPA and the Interior Department will likely be put straight to work reversing the course those agencies have been on for eight years, the Washington Post reports. Obama has made it plain that he plans to undo many of the environmental rules enacted under his predecessor. Two early ones likely to go: a rule denying California the ability to regulate tailpipe emissions, and a decision that global warming doesn't affect public welfare.
More »
President spotted sipping Peruvian cocktail at Lima summit

Gawker Nov 28, 08 4:36 AM CST
(Newser)
-
President Bush's teetotalism may not be as total as thought, Gawker writes. On his recent visit to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Summit, the president—who quit drinking 22 years ago—reportedly joined other world leaders in knocking back Pisco sour cocktails. The country's national drink is made with egg whites, lemon—and Peruvian brandy.
More »
Barbara Bush in good spirits after serious health scare

Houston Chronicle Nov 27, 08 12:50 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Barbara Bush is making a quick recovery after surgery for a perforated ulcer that was causing pain she described as "worse than childbirth," the Houston Chronicle reports. The 83-year-old was sitting up and joking less than a day after the procedure, which her husband called "serious and scary." The former first lady won't be able to eat Thanksgiving turkey, however; she'll be fed meal intravenously before shifting to a liquid diet.
More »
Convicted senator may seek clemency from Bush
Anchorage Daily News Nov 27, 08 11:44 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Even as Ted Stevens appeals of his seven-count felony conviction, the disgraced senator isn't ruling outthe possibility of seeking a pardon from President Bush, the Anchorage Daily News reports. "If I were counsel to him, I would encourage him," says Alaska's former US attorney, a Stevens supporter. "I strongly believe President Bush should pardon Senator Stevens."
More »