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White House Says Bush Library Won't Inform Bush About Its Donors
The White House has taken further steps to stamp out the scandal that erupted this week with the release of a video showing a Homeland Security adviser offering access to high-ranking officials in exchange for a big donation to Bush's future presidential library fund.
Talking to the New York Times, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino revealed new rules to prevent the appearance of any quid pro quo.
On Wednesday, Ms. Perino said Mr. Bush had asked that members of his foundation "do not inform him about anyone who has written a check, or decided not to write a check, until after he's no longer president."
That comes on the heels of a Bush library spokesman this week saying the library has decided not to accept foreign donations until after Bush leaves office in January. It remains unclear whether the library will disclose its donors, which is not required by law.
The library foundation, which is planned for the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, is expected to cost more than $200 million, most of which will be raised from donors. The library foundation has formed a fundraising committee, but formal fundraising has not yet begun, a library spokesman said.
So far, however, no one from the White House has told us what kind of relationship Bush has with the (now-former) Homeland Security adviser and longtime Bush fundraiser who was caught on video apparently peddling a cash-for-access deal.
It looks to us like the adviser, Stephen Payne, has known the president for at least 20 years.
So far, Perino has described Payne only as "somebody who's been involved in Texas politics for a long time and been a supporter of the Republican Party."
Comments (18)
Whether he's told or not during his presidency, buying influence through his library is still a bonanza for his purchasers, whether or not they get good quality scratch now or later.
"I don't want to be told that they people I know are purchasing me are purchasing me. We will have to rely only on a communication system of winks and nods during my presidency."
FOR GOD'S SAKE, congress, make it illegal not disclose the names of donees to presidential libraries and foundations!!!
July 17, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
He doesn't have to be told. He knows that anyone his staff puts on his agenda, is someone who sold their soul to get there!
July 17, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm assuming this library's collection will include several copies of "My Pet Goat."
July 17, 2008 10:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
And exactly what is Bush's need to know who did not donate to his library? Unless . . .
July 17, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
just in case you were wondering, W, I decided NOT to!
July 17, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
This president famously avoids reading anything. Isn't it ironic the HE will have a library?
July 17, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heh... exactly.
Just how much shelf space does one need for a copy of "My Pet Goat"?
July 17, 2008 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
"It remains unclear whether the library will disclose its donors..."
I'll take the under on that bet.
July 17, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ms. Ditz Perino is so incredibly inept...it is clear that she is intentionally misleading and parsing her words...this story could get some legs and I sure hope there will be high exposure hearings on it!
July 17, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's call his "library" what it is, a Liebury.
July 17, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush has only asked to be kept in the dark about people who "write (a) check."
He does want to be kept informed about donations made via suitcase of cash, gold bricks, stock grants, bond grants and credit card payments.
July 17, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
So Reagan wielded an axe, but Bush swings a chainsaw. Ironic, no? No.
They say that the day Bush bought that chainsaw, on the promise that it could cut a cord of wood in an hour, he returned it to the store, looking exhausted, and said that he'd barely been able to cut down a single tree in an hour. When the salesman fired up the chainsaw, Bush said "What's that noise?"
(With apologies to Garrison Keillor)
July 17, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Isn't it ironic the HE will have a library?"
It's also ironic that such a large christian group would want to host a library for a person who believes in attacking innocent countries, torturing and killing (doesn't anyone remember that general who was beat up and suffocated inside that bag while being interrogated) innocent AND guilty folk... who believes in spying on fellow citizens and who, when found accepting ill gotten money from Abramoff forwarded it to nonprofit supporters rather than giving it to authorities to return to the folks it belonged to.
Of course, we all need to remember that Hitler was a christian also...
July 17, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Three degrees of separation.
SMU chosen to host Bush "library."
SMU's former head of the Board of Trustees is Bill Clements.
Bill Clements was the Republican Governor of Texas; Karl Rove ran his campaigns.
Bill Clements had to bow out of the race for a fourth term as Governor because of a scandal at SMU - where he authorized a "slush fund" to pay football players at the school. The scandal led SMU to be suspended from playing in the NCAA for two years (no football in Texas is a sin).
Karl Rove is allegedly spending his time making plans for the Bush "library."
Rove, SMU, Clements, slush fund, Bush.
July 17, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
First book purchased for Bush's library; "My Pet Goat."
July 17, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
"My Pet Goat"
LMAO
July 17, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
This may well be the first instance in recorded history of a library being named after a man who has more trouble correctly negotiating a sentence in his own native language than a snail has crossing an Interstate Highway safely.
Or the only person to ever have a library named after him, having never read a book cover-to-cover!
July 17, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok folks, let's nitpick a little bit here.
It is not "My Pet Goat" but rather "The Pet Goat" and it's not a book but rather a story contained in a reading textbook for kids.
The book is Reading Mastery II: Storybook 1, by Siegfried Engelmann and Elaine C. Bruner.
Here it is on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Mastery-Level-Storybook-Rainbow/dp/0026863553
But you're right, this should absolutely be the first book they put on display. Heck they can even have special book signing days for a few bucks and send the money to the 9/11, Katrina and Iraq survivor families.
July 18, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink