When Bush 41 Spoke to Schoolkids, Democrats Investigated and Held Hearings

Today the media is declaring any opposition to Barack Obama's speech as irrational and point to the fact George H. W. Bush also spoke to kids in 1991. Of course they fail to mention the Democrats investigated this and held hearings after the fact.

Media bias? What media bias?

The controversy over President Obama's speech to the nation's schoolchildren will likely be over shortly after Obama speaks today at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. But when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.

Unlike the Obama speech, in 1991 most of the controversy came after, not before, the president's school appearance. The day after Bush spoke, the Washington Post published a front-page story suggesting the speech was carefully staged for the president's political benefit. "The White House turned a Northwest Washington junior high classroom into a television studio and its students into props," the Post reported.

With the Post article in hand, Democrats pounced. "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," said Richard Gephardt, then the House Majority Leader. "And the president should be doing more about education than saying, 'Lights, camera, action.'"

Democrats did not stop with words. Rep. William Ford, then chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate the cost and legality of Bush's appearance. On October 17, 1991, Ford summoned then-Education Secretary Lamar Alexander and other top Bush administration officials to testify at a hearing devoted to the speech. "The hearing this morning is to really examine the expenditure of $26,750 of the Department of Education funds to produce and televise an appearance by President Bush at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, DC," Ford began. "As the chairman of the committee charged with the authorization and implementation of education programs, I am very much interested in the justification, rationale for giving the White House scarce education funds to produce a media event."

Considering after the recent criticism of Obama the White House probably went into rewrite mode for days until they produce the latest incarnation where Obama refers to himself 56 times. Who knows how many times this self-absorbed narcissist would have referred to himself otherwise?

Are You Ready for Bush 45?

This is sure to ruin the day for lefties everywhere. Just when they're about to be free of their raging Bush Derangement Syndrome (we hope), along comes Bush 41 promoting Jeb Bush for president.

Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its grossly unfair criticism of another son, President George W. Bush.

During an interview on "FOX News Sunday," the nation's 41st president said Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is "as qualified and as able as anyone I know in the political scene" to be president.

"I'd like to see him run," Bush said. "I'd like to see him be president some day.

"As president, it's about service, service for the greatest country on the face of the Earth and the honor that goes with it," Bush said. "I think Jeb fits that description."

He added: "I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've got enough Bushes in there."

In the meantime, Jeb could take another job, his father suggested.

"If Jeb wants to run for the Senate from Florida, he ought to do it," Bush said. "He'd be an outstanding senator. This is a guy that really has a feel for people, the issues in Florida and nationally. And his political days ought not to be over, says his old father."

But the current President Bush's political days will soon be over, prompting the former President Bush to unburden himself about what he calls unfair criticism of his eldest son.

"It's been tough on his father and his mother," the ex-president said. We're not very good sports about sitting around and hearing him hammered, I think, unfairly.

"Now, there were some things that clearly he deserved criticism for," he said. "But I think the idea that everything that's a problem in this country should be put on his shoulders -- I don't think that's fair. And I'm not trying to get back in game by criticizing people, for example, the New York Times, but you know, it's just grossly unfair."

Admittedly, back before they both ran for governor of their respectives states in 1994, I though Jeb had the better prospects for higher office than George W. Bush.

Still, I suspect this country may have well had their fill of the Bush family, but you can never tell how things can shift in four years. Since Jeb likely plans on running for the Senate in 2010, I doubt he's be running in 2012. If Barack Obama does serve two terms, however, things could be wide open come 2016.

Al Qaeda 'Mata Hari' Wanted to Kill Jimmy Carter, Bush 41

Maybe a little light bulb will go off in Jimmy Carter's head. Yes, these monsters want to kill us all, even groveling appeasers like you.

Before she turned her attention to blowing up New York landmarks, the alleged al Qaeda "Mata Hari" had wild dreams of murdering former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, federal law-enforcement sources said yesterday.

MIT-educated neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui's outlandish terror schemes included plans to get Carter by poisoning the 39th president's water supply, the sources told ABC News.

It wasn't clear how she supposedly schemed to kill Bush.

Naturally, some knee-jerk lawyer, who she'd probably kill given the chance, rushes to her aid and starts reciting the usual talking points.

Lawyers for the scientist now accused of being a terrorist insist federal charges are completely bogus and said yesterday their client has been mistreated by US interrogators.

"This woman has been tortured and she needs help," said defense lawyer Elizabeth Fink.

Siddiqui's lawyers declined to elaborate on the nature of her alleged suffering, but insisted the woman - who also attended Brandeis University - has been roughed up at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan for several years.

"Everything she has said is consistent with her being in Bagram for five years or more. Everything she says is consistent with being tortured in Bagram," said Elaine Whitfield Sharp, a defense lawyer hired by Siddiqui's family.

But the feds have said they picked up Siddiqui, 36, only on July 17, when she was acting suspiciously near the headquarters of the Afghanistan National Police in Ghazni province.

They found maps and plans on Siddiqui targeting Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and the New York subway system.

The FBI has been on Siddiqui's trail since shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, when the brainy mom of three fell off the map.

Authorities had been chasing her through information gleaned from interviews with admitted 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. She was once married to the convicted terrorist's nephew.

Bill Clinton: Bush 41 Will Help Hillary

Uh, I don't think so, Slick. Unless he recently became a plastic surgeon, there isn't much he can do.

Former President Bill Clinton said Monday that the first thing his wife Hillary will do when she reaches the White House is dispatch him and his predecessor, President George H.W. Bush, on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by the current president — Bush's son, George W. Bush.

"Well, the first thing she intends to do, because you can do this without passing a bill, the first thing she intends to do is to send me and former President Bush and a number of other people around the world to tell them that America is open for business and cooperation again," Clinton said in response to a question from a supporter about what his wife's "number one priority" would be as president.

I guess they're back on the inevitability track.

Nice try.

The GOP isn't buying it.

"In 2009, a Republican president will be working with our friends and allies abroad to continue to keep our nation safe," said RNC spokesman Danny Diaz. "The American people expect our leaders — both current and former — to present serious solutions to the very real challenges confronting our nation."

UPDATE: To nobody's surprise, Clinton was lying through his teeth.

It's what he does.

In a statement sent to CNN Tuesday afternoon, former President Bush’s chief of staff Jean Becker said that he “wholeheartedly supports the President of the United States, including his foreign policy. He has never discussed an ‘around-the-world-mission’ with either former President Bill Clinton or Sen. Clinton, nor does he think such a mission is warranted since he is proud of the role America continues to play around the world as the beacon of hope for freedom and democracy.

“President Bush is excited about several of the excellent Republican candidates running for president, and looks forward to discussing their candidacy once the Republican nominee is determined.”

Additional reaction here.