the buzz log
Dubya Sounds Off
What's the difference between the White House and "Gossip Girl"? Not as much as you might think. Matt Latimer, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, has written a book that reveals some of his former boss's unfiltered thoughts on political rivals. Me-ow, who knew Dubya was so catty?
Even though it won't hit store shelves until next month, searches on the book, "Speech-less," are already beginning to climb. The surging interest is due in large to some juicy excerpts released by the book's publisher. Among the gems are President Bush's impressions of President Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and (hey-o!) Sarah Palin.
A blog from USA Today features some of the excerpts. President Bush said Obama wasn't "remotely qualified" to handle the job, and referred to him as "that cat Obama." Bush also made allusions to Hillary Clinton's larger-than-average posterior, and Joe Biden's tendency to talk too much (not exactly revelatory).
And in a kicker that's sure to sell plenty of books, Dubya ripped Sarah Palin. Quote Bush: "I'm trying to remember if I've met her before. I'm sure I must have... What is she, the governor of Guam?" Eat your heart out, Perez Hilton.
Filed under: George Bush, Books
In One Era, Out the Other: Obama and Bush on the Web
Bags have been packed, linens laundered, papers filed (maybe shredded), and outgoing voicemail messages and security codes likely changed.
With the handover (AKA Inauguration Day) at hand, people have been checking on the Web for all sorts of Buzz on President-elect Barack Obama, including lesser concerns from the Spider-Man comic book homage and what will the First Pet be, to how his mother-in-law will adjust to her new digs and will he really have to be separated from his Blackberry.
Pulling in less Web attention is the outgoing commander-in-chief, but nevertheless people are giving George W. Bush some due. His family members have also been receiving some search love, including wife Laura, sister Dorothy (aka Doro) Bush Koch, brother Jeb, daughter Jenna, first cousin Billy (an Access Hollywood host), as well as dad (and No. 41) George H.W. Bush, whose recent aircraft carrier honor also spurred a Web look-see.
With the news media and historians poring over legacies and making prognostications, below is the most recent Search snapshot of what the world has pondered about two men, about to trade positions at the highest office in the land.
Top 10 "Obama" and "Bush" Searches on Yahoo!, Past 7 Days
For the incoming, the primary concerns focus upon plans for the economy, who’s on the team to lead America, and what's on the January 20 agenda. For the outgoing, searches range from the significant ("Bush Challenges Hundreds" refers to a 2006 Boston Globe story of the president's "quiet" claim "to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office"), to the trivial ("Bush China" investigates not his foreign policies, but his designer dishes) to the absurd (with not just one, but two games, Hot Dog Bush and Bush Shoe Game).
Speaking of shoes, one memento of his time in office dropped off in popularity in the last few days: "Bye Bye Bush Shoes," formerly known as as Model 271 worn by irate Iraqi journalists and an economic booster, at least for its Middle East maker.
Filed under: Politics, George Bush, Presidents, Barack Obama
Dubya's New Digs
Everyone's obsessing about the new guy, Barack What's-His-Face, moving into the White House. But what about the fella who's been living there for eight years? He's about to be evicted! Where the heck is he supposed to go?
Answer: Dallas. President Bush and wife Laura have purchased a swanky 8,500-square-foot home in suburban Preston Hollow. According to an audio report from NPR, the president and first lady will take up residence on Daria Drive. It was once a sleepy little street, but ever since the move was announced, it has become a place for gawkers and photo-hounds.
For those reasons and more, the street will soon become a gated community. The Dallas Morning News reports that the city council "unanimously approved gating Daria Drive." And, in case you were wondering, an article from KERA quotes a council member as saying that the new gate will "be done at his [Bush's] expense." Nobody seems too sure who is going to pay for Dallas police to "provide around the clock security."
Regardless of who foots the bill, neighbors seem to be generally enthusiastic about having a former president on the street. A local young Republican printed up signs declaring "Welcome Home, George and Laura." Future neighbor, Tom Hicks, who owns the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers, is considering adding a helipad to his property. We assume he wouldn't mind letting Dubya use it every once in a while. Heck, it'd be the neighborly thing to do.
Filed under: George Bush
First Writes: Laura Bush Memoir Deal
First Lady Laura Bush gets $1.6 million advance to write her memoirs, but what about No. 43?
Given publisher interests, AP recommends to George W. Bush about penning his recollections, "Take your time." Youch.
If it makes Dubya feel any better, the New Yorker explains that, typically, First Lady reminiscing is "often more hotly anticipated than those by their husbands." After all, they've had to stand by their man, but stepping down from the political perch presumably frees them in a way that the Oval Office tenant can't.
Also, as in back in the 2004 campaign, Laura has been the better half as far as approval ratings go. The end of her husband's presidency and that Oliver Stone film have renewed Search questions about her, including "laura bush car accident" (a fatal incident that occurred when she was 17) and "laura bush smoking" (a habit she quit in the mid '90s. She reportedly still puffs under stress.)
One who hasn't sought the spotlight, Mrs. Bush won't be delivering a "tell-all." One publisher who listened to her book pitch called the encounter "the most frustrating meeting of its sort I've ever had," although she "really couldn't have been nicer."
Her advance reveals expectations may be less than Hillary Clinton's $8 million payoff (which broke first-day sales records) but not so far from what her mother-in-law and Nancy Reagan received. Of course, sales will depend on how much she'll spill, or at least if readers get a peek of the attitude revealed in a National Journal article: When Laura Bush first visited her husband's family in Kennebunkport, Mama Bush asked her, "And what do you do?" Her daughter-in-law famously replied, "I read, I smoke, and I admire."
For links to other First Lady books about their White House years:
"Living History" (2003) Hillary Clinton
"Barbara Bush: A Memoir" (1994) Barbara Bush
"My Turn" (1989) Nancy Reagan
"First Lady From Plains" (1984) Rosalynn Carter
"The Times of My Life" (1978) Betty Ford
"A White House Diary" (1970) Claudia Alta Lady Bird Johnson
"The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt" (1961) Eleanor Roosevelt (she published 7 books during her husband's tenure)
"Recollections of a Full Life" (1914), Louise Taft
"The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Graft" (written 1895, first published posthumously 1975) Julia Dent Grant
Links to books by First Husbands, AKA the Presidents
"My Life" (2004) Bill Clinton
"Ronald Reagan: An American Life" (1999)
"A Time to Heal: An Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford" (1979)
"RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon" (1978)
"Vantage Point" (1971) Lyndon B. Johnson
"The White House Years" (two volumes, 1963 and 1965) Dwight D. Eisenhower
"The Memoirs by Harry S. Truman" (two volumes, 1955-56)
"The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover" (three volumes, 1951-52)
"The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge" (1929)
Filed under: George Bush, Authors, Books, Women, Presidents
Dubya Opens Up
President George W. Bush is leaving with one of the lowest approval ratings in the history of numbers. During his final months on the job, the controversial commander-in-chief has given several interviews that have revealed how he views his legacy. Here are some highlights...
Soul not for sale
One of the president's most interesting sound bites came during his interview with FOX News. He said: "I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy." The quote is an acknowledgment that the president is well aware that he's about as popular as taxes and chicken pox. Bush went on to say that he would have liked to have been more popular, but he's proud that he didn't sacrifice his integrity.
And that includes Detroit's bailout
During President Bush's recent speech on the auto industry rescue package, he alluded to the fact that, under normal circumstances, he would have allowed the car companies to fall into bankruptcy. Fortunately for Detroit, President Bush does not feel these are "normal circumstances." The speech says a lot for the President's belief in the free market, but also speaks to his understanding that nobody wants to buy a car from a bankrupt company. He doesn't have that Harvard MBA for nothing, folks.
From Pennsylvania Avenue to Daria Place
In a little over a month, the president and his wife, Laura, will leave the White House and move to Dallas, Texas. The address is classified for obvious reasons (the president does not look kindly on people who order a dozen pizzas to his house), but blogs claim that the $2.1 million crib is on a cul-de-sac called Daria Place. Mrs. Bush has said that she's looking forward to moving into the new 8,5000 square feet home. Pretty big, but not compared to the White House's 55,000 square feet.
What Bush regrets
During a rather candid interview several weeks ago, folks heard something truly surprising from the president—an admission that he was wrong. Bush said that his "biggest regret" was that he and his team got the intelligence wrong in Iraq. As the Washington Post puts it, "The self-criticism is notable for a president who has long resisted looking back at his time in the White House and once was unable to provide an example of a mistake he had made in office."
Dubya's take on the media
One might be tempted to assume that a president with very low approval ratings would blame it all on the media. Not so. In a recent interview with Steve Scully of C-SPAN, the president said he had no complaints about how he's been treated by the media. Said Bush: "I'm not one of these guys that say, oh, man, everybody misunderstood me because of the media."
What he'll be thinking on his last day
Anyone who has ever changed jobs knows that the mix of emotions can be quite strong. It's no different for presidents. Chief among Bush's thoughts before entering what he jokingly referred to as "forced retirement" will be well wishes for President-elect Barack Obama. Said Mr. Bush: "I'll be wishing President-elect Obama all the best, genuinely be wishing him all the best."
Filed under: George Bush
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| 2 | How To Survive A Recession | Breakout! |
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| 4 | Jayson Williams | Breakout! |
| 5 | Alexandra Kerry | Breakout! |
| 6 | Chaz Bono | 10707% |
| 7 | Kelly Osbourne | 3298% |
| 8 | Jennifer Hudson | 3218% |
| 9 | Nicole Richie | 2075% |
| 10 | Thierry Henry | 1125% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +413 | 1016 |
| 2 | Elizabeth Lambert | -677 | 263 |
| 3 | NFL | +66 | 235 |
| 4 | New Moon | +74 | 213 |
| 5 | Bing | +83 | 209 |
| 6 | Kelly Osbourne | +193 | 199 |
| 7 | Hulu | +7 | 139 |
| 8 | Nicole Richie | +124 | 130 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
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