MotherJones Blog: Bush's Newest Secret: Who's Funding His Library?

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Bush's Newest Secret: Who's Funding His Library?

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)

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

I THOUGHT HE LOOKED ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE PSYCHOPATH TED BUNDY.
PARTICULARLY AROUND THE CONSCIENCE!!
Impeach yesterday.
If there is no time to impeach, there is no time for baseball B.S.

Posted by: rasmus11 on 02/28/08 at 8:58 AM Respond

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.

Posted by: capt on 02/28/08 at 9:05 AM Respond

Who cares?

Posted by: j. on 02/28/08 at 11:07 AM Respond

I care

Posted by: Frank on 02/28/08 at 2:11 PM Respond

$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!

Posted by: buzzbike on 02/28/08 at 2:53 PM Respond

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?

Posted by: Jim Guinnessey on 02/28/08 at 3:27 PM Respond

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.

Posted by: Shane on 02/28/08 at 3:35 PM Respond

Their Royal Highness Ambassador Bandar bin Sultan and Haifa el Faisal actually donated 1 million. I guess that could be considered the Saudi Royal Family. Info from the same book pg. 257

Posted by: shane on 02/28/08 at 3:41 PM Respond

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...

Posted by: Jackson on 02/28/08 at 5:07 PM Respond

I believe this to be a bad pattern, and would like to take issue with it by being nominated for the job.

Posted by: Bert on 02/29/08 at 1:17 AM Respond

Why should we be surprised? I'm wondering if there will be a bar in this presidential library for all those who voted for him because he looked like a great guy to have a beer with.

Posted by: zebrashirt on 02/29/08 at 1:10 PM Respond

200 million for Bush library seems a high price for the most uninformed President in this nation's history. Maybe he will fill it with all the books written about how bad his administation is/was.

Posted by: motordc on 02/29/08 at 1:58 PM Respond

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.

Posted by: Bob on 02/29/08 at 9:41 PM Respond

Could it be built in Saudi Arabia?

Posted by: M. M. on 03/01/08 at 6:07 AM Respond

Since when does a prison bookmobile cost $200 million?

Posted by: jurassicpork on 03/01/08 at 7:54 AM Respond

Prison Bookmoblie! Now THAT's EFFIN' FUNNY!

Posted by: Peter Scythe on 03/01/08 at 9:00 AM Respond

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...

Posted by: lutz on 03/01/08 at 10:34 AM Respond

People are paid to keep him informed. He's probably the most informed person on the planet. He only behaves as if he is uninformed, just like Al Gonzalez in hearings. He is a coward and a parasite, and that's all there is to it.

Posted by: N on 03/01/08 at 8:59 PM Respond

Again, who cares? It will simply be a complete rewrite of history that will be quickly ignored like those anti-evolution museums.
We all should have cared as much as to to whom donated to his campaigns in '00 and '04.

Posted by: j. on 03/02/08 at 8:33 AM Respond

Isn't this G.W's M.O? The man is brain dead, he will never reveal anything! Bought and sold. God Save America!

Posted by: Mood Indigo on 03/03/08 at 7:05 AM Respond

I feel like I give him too much credit when I call him Satan's spawn, but that's what he is.

Posted by: RackAttack on 03/03/08 at 7:55 AM Respond

Yes. I hate this idea! But if you are going to worry about this, should you also go insane about ChinaGate? And Hillary is at it again taking at least half a million from the Chinese.

Posted by: diceman on 03/03/08 at 8:16 AM Respond

can you make books out of flattened beer cans and compressed roach ashes? oh well, i used to have a copy of "Hitler's Secretary," from the Fort Knox library that was missing some pages...that would have been my contribution...

Posted by: john on 03/03/08 at 8:53 AM Respond

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.

Posted by: elsie on 03/06/08 at 9:59 AM Respond

I cannot believe that the good people of SMU University will allow criminality exposed to be housed in their back yard.
Shameless!

Posted by: Luz S. Tellez Jr. on 03/07/08 at 9:25 PM Respond

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.

Posted by: Penny on 03/07/08 at 11:16 PM Respond

Why is Bush even having a library in his name? The man does not even like to read. How about having a brewery in his name?

Posted by: star555 on 03/10/08 at 10:34 PM Respond

Reminds me of the joke about the Dan Quayle library - it burned, destroying both of his books - and he hadn't even finished coloring one of them.

Posted by: Bill G on 03/11/08 at 7:09 AM Respond

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!

Posted by: Allen Friedman on 03/11/08 at 7:03 PM Respond

Vote for Bert, I'll build a PUBLIC library, and if you like my work, you can put my name on a sign in the yard, or something.

Bert08

Posted by: Bert on 03/15/08 at 9:48 PM Respond

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

Posted by: ELSIE WOODWORTH on 03/17/08 at 12:21 PM Respond