"Mr. Bush sat on stage for an hour-long question-and-answer session in front of a ballroom that included Sheldon Adelson, the Republican donor who owns the Italian-themed Venetian hotel and casino that hosted the spring meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, of which Mr. Adelson is also a board member. "

Ah... that explains why I like the Venetian so much, and refuse to stay anywhere else... most of the rest of the hotels in Vegas are dirty, LA-gang-infested dumps. Not sure when that happened (sometime between the '90s and today), but it was shocking when on a whim we decided to stay at a different place a couple years ago. Even going to other places to see shows, it's clear the upkeep and staff have declined across almost the entire strip.

Amazing what W accomplished taking into consideration that he had no help from any side. I love the guy.

Me, too, but let's remember that along with putting the national interest ahead of your personal or party interest, it should go ahead of your family's ambitions as well. I'm one of those guys who, even if there wasn't the whole Establishment vs Conservative split, would still oppose Jeb.

Not because he's isn't a great guy with a great record, but because the damage to our democratic institutions of having the same family produce all three Republican presidents in thirty years is simply too much. Two is a fluke; there's precedent for that. There's simply no personal greatness Jeb can have that can override the harm he does to our system by running and winning.

Yep, and the psycho in the oval office gets to decide the national interest!

I miss Bush. Hell, I'm beginning to miss Carter.

It's not really that bad until you start missing James Buchanan.

Why would anyone miss Buchanan? He was on the other side and vaguely competent.

And it remains to be seen if Obama is in fact any better than Buchanan.

Syncophants and the Cult of the Personality are how he's lived his life.

He wouldn't be where he is without them.

Obama or Clinton(s)?

two quotes of note

"one attendee who transcribed remarks during the event"

"(The event, held behind closed doors, was off the record, with a no notes rule announced at the beginning.)"

Too bad Bush wasn't more interested in serving the national interest when he was pushing no-money-down home loans, or backing the latest amnesty scheme.

Bush actually tried to fix Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and was blocked in Congress by Barney Frank.

Yessir.

He also took a stab at Social Security reform. Not much of one, but more than anyone else who had any shot at it.

...who then help draft the bastardization called the Dodd-Frank Act.

Not to mention Christopher Dodd''s errand boy in the Senate, one B H Ozero.

Did you know he was third behind the Friend of Angelo and Slobbering Barney in gifts of Wall Street money?

Not many ppl remember that ..

Since 2008, whenever it (Bush's attempt to stop FM-sqrd) is mentioned, the libs say it is all lies. They continue to double down on THEIR lies. Still appalls me.

Well, the people that remember who caused it scream loudly that it was Bush's fault so that nobody will look too closely.

If you support a candidate because you approve of his/her view of "the national interest," then don't complain when someone with a quite different view of "the national interest" gets elected and proceeds to wield the power you so graciously ceded to the leader you liked.

"All the measures of the law should protect property and punish plunder," said Bastiat. The law should not be used to advance "the national interest."

Yeah! God forbid we have a military or anything...

/sarc

A very decent man who knows how to be post presidential. Too bad Bill Clinton isn't and doesn't.

Just wait for obama. He will set a new standard for indecorous behavior in a former President.

Let's hope he becomes a former president and doesn't pull a fast one by declaring martial law ...

He'll surge past Carter in this area also.

The quip about the size of Putin's dog versus Bush's dog says all you need to know about our relationship with them. In Putin's eyes, Obama has a cat.

Actually Putin thinks that Obama is a Pussy --------- cat.

That is an insult to all cats! :)

Or a gerbil.