George Bush's Emails Hacked: What Happened to Ethics?

From Paul Farhi at the Washington Post:

The Smoking Gun published apparently private Bush family photos from the hacker’s cache, such as a shot of George H.W. Bush sitting up in his hospital bed in December (the photo was taken down a few hours after it appeared). It also quoted from e-mails that revealed deep family concerns about the elder Bush’s health, including one from George W. Bush seeking input from his relatives for a eulogy to his father. Further, it posted images of paintings made by the younger Bush that he had sent to his sister Dorothy, including paintings of a man showering and one in a bathtub.

The Smoking Gun went way out of bounds here. There is no journalistic value in publishing such private communications. No public policy is affected by these emails.

Drudge: Bush Ordered Planes to be Shot Down on 9/11; Thought Flt. 93 Was Targeted

Drudge Report has released excerpts of former President George Bush's upcoming book, "Decision Points."

One of the revelations is that Bush gave the order to shoot down planes on Sept. 11 -- and at first thought the plane in United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down in Shankesville, Pa.

Drudge includes other tidbits, including:

• The former president begins the opening chapter with a simple question: "It was a simple question, 'Can you remember the last day you didn't have a drink?'"

• Bush explains how he returned to his faith, time and time again. And the faith of others.

• The president details how he bonded with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -- and a magical bird! Arriving angry at Bush's Texas ranch over the president's position on Israel and Ramallah, Abdullah quickly decided he wanted to leave. But the prince spots a turkey on the road -- and takes it as a good omen, a sign from Allah!

• In the chapter "Stem Cells", Bush describes receiving a letter from Nancy Reagan detailing a "wrenching family journey".  But ultimately, Bush writes: "I did feel a responsibility to voice my pro-life convictions and lead the country toward what Pope John Paul II called a culture of life."

• Bush describes an emotional July 2001 meeting with the pope at the pontiff's summer residence. Savaged by Parkinson's, the pope saw the promise of science, but implored Bush to support life in all its forms. Later, at the pope's funeral -- and after a prodding from his wife that it's a time to "pray for miracles" -- Bush found himself saying a prayer for the cancer-stricken ABCNEWS anchor Peter Jennings.

The book, scheduled for release on Nov. 9, is ranked No. 29 on AMAZON's hitlist early Thursday.

FOX: Carville Wanted Bush to Fail in 2001

The mass media has been having a field day with Rush Limbaugh's assertion that he wanted President Barack Obama to fail in his efforts to socialize the American economy. But FOX News is reporting today that a leading Democrat had the same sentiments about President George Bush, and voiced those thoughts on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 just before the terrorist attacks.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just minutes before learning of the terrorist attacks on America, Democratic strategist James Carville was hoping for President Bush to fail, telling a group of Washington reporters: "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed."

Carville was joined by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who seemed encouraged by a survey he had just completed that revealed public misgivings about the newly minted president.

"We rush into these focus groups with these doubts that people have about him, and I'm wanting them to turn against him," Greenberg admitted.

The pollster added with a chuckle of disbelief: "They don't want him to fail. I mean, they think it matters if the president of the United States fails."

Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: "Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!"

The press followed Carville's orders, never reporting his or Greenberg's desire for Bush to fail. The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail.

That omission stands in stark contrast to the feeding frenzy that ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail. The press devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the remark, suggesting that Limbaugh and, by extension, conservative Republicans, were unpatriotic.

"The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed," Carville railed on CNN recently. "He is the daddy of this Republican Congress."

Limbaugh, a staunch conservative, emphasized that he is rooting for the failure of Obama's liberal policies.

"The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country," Limbaugh told Fox on Wednesday. "I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country.

Bush's Final Press Conference as President

President George Bush held his last press conference in the White House today, an interesting affair as he talked about his mistakes (or, as he referred to them, "disappointments"). He also defended his decisions on the controversial issues of Gitmo, the wiretappings, and Katrina. Bush did he showed his personal side a bit with reporters and thanked them for their service. This is the C-SPAN 2 feed, broken up in seven parts.

Here's Part 1



Here's Part 2



Here's Part 3



Here's Part 4



Here's Part 5



Here is Part 6



Here is Part 7

Bush: Angry Left Won't Break McCain

President George Bush opened the Republican convention 1.1 tonight stirring the party faithful with a heart-felt endorsement of the GOP ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. Bush spoke via a video link from the White House, where he is monitoring developments from Hurricane Gustav.

At one point the president gave the statement of the night: "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain’s resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure that the angry left never will." The convention roared its approval. A video clip can be found here.

"In these past eight years I've sat at the Resolute desk and reviewed the daily intelligence briefings, the threat assessments and the reports from our commanders on the front lines," Bush told the delegates. "I've stood in the ruins of buildings knocked down by killers and promised the survivors I would never let them down. I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation."


Fred Thompson spoke of McCain's devotion to country and his ability to fight the status quo. He described how McCain's experience as a prisoner of war help mold his character.

"On October 26, 1967, on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam, a surface-to-air missile slammed into John's A-4 Skyhawk jet, blowing it out of the sky. When John ejected, part of the plane hit him -- breaking his right knee, his left arm, his right arm in three places. An angry mob got to him. A rifle butt broke his shoulder. A bayonet pierced his ankle and his groin. They took him to the Hanoi Hilton, where he lapsed in and out of consciousness for days. He was offered medical care for his injuries if he would give up military information in return.

"John McCain said 'No.' After days of neglect, covered in grime, lying in his own waste in a filthy room, a doctor attempted to set John's right arm without success and without anesthesia. His other broken bones and injuries were not treated. John developed a high fever and dysentery. He weighed barely a hundred pounds. Expecting him to die, his captors placed him in a cell with two other POWs who also expected him to die. But with their help, John McCain fought on. He persevered.

"So then they put him in solitary confinement. For over two years. Isolation. Incredible heat beating on a tin roof. A light bulb in his cell burning 24 hours a day. Boarded-up cell windows blocking any breath of fresh air. The oppressive heat causing boils the size of baseballs under his arms. The outside world limited to what he could see through a crack in a door.

"We hear a lot of talk about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had. For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home. John McCain refused. He refused to leave ahead of men who'd been there longer. He refused to abandon his conscience and his honor, even for his freedom. He refused, even though his captors warned him, 'It will be very bad for you.' They were right. It was. The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at the gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew back his shoulders. Over four days, every two to three hours, the beatings resumed. During one especially fierce beating, he fell, again breaking his arm.

"John was beaten for communicating with other prisoners. He was beaten for not communicating with so-called 'peace delegations.' He was beaten for not giving information during interrogations. When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in his squadron, John gave them the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his fellow POWs, he would often call out to them. He'd smile, often give them a thumbs-up.

"For five-and-a-half years this went on. John McCain's bones may have been broken but his spirit never was. Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the Presidency?'"

Joe Lieberman closed the night as a registered Democrat and the former vice presidential candidate for the opposition eight years ago. He was well-received, and spoke of why he is supporting a Republican for president. Noting that while Obama was voting to cut off funds for troops in Iraq, McCain took the politically unpopular position to support a surge in troops. "Because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor.

"Tonight, I ask you, whether you are an independent, a Reagan Democrat or a Clinton Democrat, or just a Democrat: This year, when you vote for president, vote for the person you believe is best for the country, not for the party you happen to belong to,"