The Afterlife of George W. Bush

Tony Gutierrez / AP
The Simple Life: Bush on the way to his Dallas home
 

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Patrick Bibb, a 19-year-old from Dallas, glanced at his cell phone. He was in the middle of his economics class at Texas Christian University on a February morning. His caller ID read withheld. He decided not to answer. When class ended, he checked his messages and found that George W. Bush had been trying to reach him.

The sophomore listened to the voice mail. He heard the former president of the United States thank him at least four times. Bush was happy that the teenager had been selling welcome home george & laura signs for $20 to people all over Bush's neighborhood in Texas. "I hope this message is sufficient" to show appreciation, Bibb heard Bush say. Bibb dutifully listened, hung up and went to his other classes.

Bibb, a budding entrepreneur, had decided to make and sell the signs after he learned that the former president would be moving close to his parents' house. The placards went up all around the exclusive Preston Hollow neighborhood in North Dallas, which is studded with homes worth $5 million to $20 million. Bibb used some of the profits to pay his tuition and decided to donate the rest to a nearby elementary school.

He settled into accounting class. His phone rang again. Bibb decided to pick up. "Excuse me, I need to go to talk to the president," Bibb wisecracked to a pal as he left the room. It was Bush again.

He began thanking Bibb, repeatedly, for making the signs. Bibb listened patiently. He didn't mean to be rude, but he finally said: "I'm really sorry, Mr. President. I'm in the middle of class." He needed to get off the phone. Bush replied: "No problem, that's where you're supposed to be."

Weeks later, the undergraduate was still wondering about his chat with the man who, only a short time ago, was arguably the most powerful man on the planet. "I had just wanted him to know that people still cared about him, despite the public-opinion polls," says Bibb.

Bibb's not the only one. Molly Vilbig, who lives nearby, believes Bush had gotten word that her grandson had once tried, at the tender age of 6, to donate $1 to the first Bush for President campaign. That's why, Vilbig suspects, the ex-president called and invited the 14-year-old to come over. Under the watchful eye of Secret Service agents, the boy walked to Bush's home. The two settled into chairs in the backyard. "Ask me anything you want," Bush said to the boy, according to the grandmother.

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: BOFORCE @ 07/01/2009 10:17:13 PM

    That son Of B*I*T*C*H should hanged for his crimes including his cabal.

  • Posted By: exceltoexcel @ 06/30/2009 2:44:16 PM

    DEMOCRAT CONGRESS RECESSION NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRAT RACISM NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRAT SPENDING NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRATS FARMED OUT AMERICAN JOBS NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRATS DEREGULATED THE BANKS PREMEDITATED INTENTIONS TO RIP OFF LOAN RECIPIENTS AS A SCHEME, NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRATS DIVIDE THE WORLD BASED ON COLOR , RELIGION AND RACE INTOLERANCE UPON OTHERS LIKE HITLER.
    SUCH AS MUSLIMS AND MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS FOR RESEMBLING MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLE. NEVER FORGET!
    DEMOCRAT CONGRESS ATTACKED AND DESTROYED A COUNTRY IRAQ THAT WAS BASED UPON TERRORISM AND KEEPING AMERICA SAFE, WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR LIES. NEVER FORGET!

    THE ATTACKS OF 9-11 HAPPENED ON THE DEMOCRAT CONGRESS WATCH, AND THE FBI REPORTS TO CONGRESSWERE IGNORED TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON THE TOWERS. NEVER FORGET!

    DEMOCRAT CONGRESS PAID OFF NORTH KOREA TO STOP THEIR NUCLEAR PLANT WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY AFTER THEY THREATENED AMERICA. NEVER FORGET!

    DEMOCRAT CONGRESS BANKRUPTED AMERICA , NEVER FORGET.

    LOOKS LIKE BOTH PARTIES ARE TO BLAME FOR THIS MESS. REPUBLICANS STOPPED BEING REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS JUST ACTED LIKE THEMSELVES PASSING THE BLAME

    TIME TO VOTE LIBERTARIAN!

  • Posted By: JoeAmerica1 @ 06/30/2009 9:38:35 AM

    REPUBLICAN RECESSION NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICAN RACISM NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICAN SPENDING NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICAN FARMED OUT AMERICAN JOBS NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICANS DEREGULATED THE BANKS PREMEDITATED INTENTIONS TO RIP OFF LOAN RECIPIENTS AS A SCHEME, NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICANS DIVIDED THE WORLD BASED ON COLOR , RELIGION AND RACE INTOLERANCE UPON OTHERS LIKE HITLER.
    SUCH AS MUSLIMS AND MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS FOR RESEMBLING MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLE. NEVER FORGET!
    REPUBLICANS ATTACKED AND DESTROYED A COUNTRY IRAQ THAT WAS BASED UPON TERRORISM AND KEEPING AMERICA SAFE, WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR LIES. NEVER FORGET!

    THE ATTACKS OF 9-11 HAPPENED ON THE REPUBLICAN WATCH, AND THE FBI REPORTS TO BUSH WERE IGNORED TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON THE TOWERS. NEVER FORGET!

    REPUBLICANS PAID OFF NORTH KOREA TO STOP THEIR NUCLEAR PLANT WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY AFTER THEY THREATENED AMERICA. NEVER FORGET!

    REPUBLICANS BANKRUPTED AMERICA , NEVER FORGET.

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