The George W. Bush Library: Scholarly Mecca or

[spindrifter]

$500 Million Oxymoron?

By DOROTHY SAMUELS
Published: January 28, 2007

The news reports that President Bush’s representatives seem to be closing in on a deal to put a half-billion-dollar presidential library and policy institute at Southern Methodist University in Dallas has inspired the predictable lame jokes and references to “The Pet Goat.”

But the project raises issues that are no laughing matter, touching on the writing of history, the university’s scholarly mission, governmental integrity and the rule of law.

S.M.U.’s negotiations regarding Mr. Bush’s library are bound to have a large public impact, which is why I’m hoping that the university’s president, R. Gerald Turner, and members of his board of trustees (presuming Laura Bush, the best-known trustee, has removed herself from the deliberations) can be persuaded to withhold a final go-ahead unless two basic conditions are met.

First, the university should insist that Mr. Bush rescind Executive Order 13233, his 2001 directive that reverses — illegally in the view of many leading historians, journalists and legal thinkers — the strong presumption of a public right of access to presidential papers embedded in the 1978 Presidential Records Act.

<more>

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/opinion/28sun4.html

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

1. well...

It IS a George W. Bush library, so I imagine it wouldn't have much to read in it anyway...right? :P

[ShortnFiery]

5. They could display "My Pet Goat" in hardback ...

with book mark still in place from September 11, 2001. :wow:

[bdrube]

2. GWB Outhouse would be more appropriate. n/t

[JohnnyLib2]

3. Texas can have it, and I'll donate to the "Great Mistakes of History"

wing. THAT part will have to be Texas sized.

[Heywood J]

4. This costs $500M?

http://www.nextag.com/Dotcoms-iKitchen-Wire-Magazine-506270868/prices-html
Most expensive wire and plastic I've ever seen.