Bush's Newest Secret: Who's Funding His Library?
| Thu Feb. 28, 2008 8:38 AM PST
At a White House press conference on Thursday morning, George W. Bush was a bit too cute when it came to an important matter: the funding of his presidential library.
News reports have noted that the library, to be set up at Southern Methodist University, will cost more than $200 million. The question is, who will pay for it? The tabs for presidential libraries are not covered by the taxpayers. They are picked up by nonprofit foundations, and these foundations have no obligation to disclose their sources of money. Bill Clinton has refused to say who is funding his library through the William J. Clinton Foundation, though the Washington Post reported that the royal family of Saudi Arabia contributed $10 million to the Little Rock facility.
It is troubling when the spouse of a presidential candidate receives millions of dollars secretly from one or more overseas sources. But what's more problematic is the prospect of a sitting president obtaining foreign cash for a pet project and not disclosing it. (The Saudis reportedly also gave the presidential library of the first President Bush millions of dollars. After being generous to George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, it's unlikely they will stiff the younger Bush)
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At the press conference, a reporter asked Bush if he would disclose the contributions received for his presidential library? He didn't say yes. He replied that "we'll look at the disclosure requirements and make a decision." But there are no disclosure requirements. So that was a non-answer. (Coincidentally--or not--Barack Obama has introduced legislation that would compel the disclosure of donations to presidential libraries.) Bush went on to note that "some people like to give and don't like their names disclosed." That's the issue, isn't it? And he added that he would "probably take some foreign money" for his library.
These comments raise the possibility that he or his foundation might solicit secret contributions from foreign sources--governments, individuals, corporations--while Bush is in office. What an easy way for these foreigners to curry favor. And, of course, the Bush Foundation could hit up American corporations and individuals looking to score points with the White House.
After Bush refused to promise any disclosure, the reporter at the press conference asked, what about the public right to know? Bush replied, "We're taking a look....Nice try, though." Nice try? This is an important matter of transparency and good government, and Bush dismissed the reporter's query as merely another attempt at gotcha. And he smirked.
Photo of Southern Methodist University by flickr user daquella manera used under a Creative Commons license.
Comments
Submitted by capt (not verified) on Thu Feb. 28, 2008 9:05 AM PST.
The Saudis, and I bet the Rev. Moon, the Carlyle Group, maybe a few defense industry pals, the Turks Sibel Edmunds listened in on, maybe even some Iraqi's?
When you make people rich they LOVE ya for it.
$200M for 1 room with a pressboard book case to house back editions of Weekly Reader, Boy's Life, The Little Engine That Could, and the infamous book about the goat that he was reading (and didn't finish) on 911?? Someone's not getting their money's worth!
What a hoot! A Dubya library? Who da thunk? Oxymoron,no? Will it house all the "missing" White House e-mails? The Cheney minutes (if any exist)talks with big oil moguls? Details of how Dubya and buddies managed the destruction of America's image around the world? How he and his buddies bilked Americans out of trillions? The truth about the Iraq invasion?
Actually theres been quite a few donors to the library:
ConcoPhillips-250,00
ExxonMobile-1 million
Shell Oil-250,000
BP-100,000
Haliburton-50,000
Brown&Root-500,000
To name a few...
Kickbacks for the Bush administration for assuring contracts overseas, and other such favors.
Got the info from Cronies by, Robert Bryce, great book.
Submitted by Jackson (not verified) on Thu Feb. 28, 2008 5:07 PM PST.
The possibility for political irony, if I am even allowed to use those two words in a sentence together, are staggering if he receives funding for his library from the 'mMslim terrorists' that the GOP is trying to paint so many people, i.e, Obama, out to be.
As a grad of SMU I am even further amused at the letter from President Gerald Turner, trying to convince alumni that this is a great honor despite the controversy over this administration. When the President of SMU has to apologize for your shortcomings...
Okay.. 200 million dollars for a library that will ONLY contain what GOD BUSH wants it to contain.
He will NEVER disclose who pays for his legacy. That is a given. If he can find enough Gonzos to cover his butt... the American People and history will never KNOW what actually took place during his eight years as the WORST PRESIDENT in the history of the United States.
Submitted by jurassicpork (not verified) on Sat Mar. 1, 2008 7:54 AM PST.
Since when does a prison bookmobile cost $200 million?
Seriously, all joking aside, we as a nation need to PROSECUTE Bush, Cheney & the rest of those clowns to the FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW....we must show the rest of the world that we are a nation of laws & principles AND we can govern ourselves in a more judicious manner...than those clowns have...
Ray Hunt of Hunt Oil donated 35 million. First on to get a oil contract in Iraq Kurd area. Also has a huge amount of land on the Tx Mex border that is not subject to eminent domain for the border fence. Not that it will ever be built.
A library for bush idiot? Unbelievable! It's like giving a film only video to a blind person.
Why am I not surprised that he won't reveal his donors?
Like, what's new?
Very tragic that he just gets by with every dang thing he wants.
Two hundred twenty million dollars is absurd! How much could it cost to keep his favorites like Mad Magazine and The National Enquire. Are we sure he knows how to read??? Thank goodness when he's out; No President Left Behind...Please!
I WOULD STILL LIKE TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH FUNDING THESE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES ARE COSTING THE TAXPAYERS. IN MY ESTIMATION, ALL THESE FUNDS COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE, LIKE FEEDING THE POOR, HELPING THE SICK AND THE UNFORTUNAATE. LET THE SO CALLED ELITE KEEP THEM FUNDED
Submitted by Credit Cards Australia (not verified) on Thu Jul. 3, 2008 7:03 PM PDT.
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Bush committed hate crimes with the stench of terrorism
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang (not verified) on Wed Mar. 4, 2009 7:58 PM PST.
Speaking of George W. Bush:
George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism (indicated in my blog).
George W. Bush did in fact commit innumerable hate crimes.
And I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed other hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention.
Many people know what Bush did.
And many people will know what Bush did—even to the end of the world.
Bush was absolute evil.
Bush is now like a fugitive from justice.
Bush is a psychological prisoner.
Bush has a lot to worry about.
Bush can technically be prosecuted for hate crimes at any time.
In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
______________________
I am not sure where I had read it before, but anyway, it is a linguistically excellent statement, and it goes kind of like this: “If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never got stale and faded.” Oh wait—off the top of my head—I think the quotation came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.
thank you for this nice
Submitted by zxzxzx on Sun Oct. 25, 2009 8:03 AM PDT.
