President Bush endorsed Clinton speaking fees

Back in the summer of 2008, National Review contributor Kathryn Jean Lopez had a "totally crazy thought" about President Bush's life after the White House. "Wouldn't George W. Bush make an awesome high-school government teacher?" she asked, adding "Wouldn't it be something if his post-presidential life would [end] up being that kind of post-service service?"

Alas, it was not to be. Because by September 2007—long before he picked up a brush to paint himself in the shower—George W. Bush had already decided what he would do after ambling out of the Oval Office for the last time. He would make big bucks by giving speeches—just like Bill Clinton.

As Dubya explained to his biographer Robert Draper in a series of interviews for his book Dead Certain:

First, Mr. Bush said, "I'll give some speeches, just to replenish the ol' coffers." With assets that have been estimated as high as nearly $21 million, Mr. Bush added, "I don't know what my dad gets - it's more than 50-75" thousand dollars a speech, and "Clinton's making a lot of money."

Then he said, "We'll have a nice place in Dallas," where he will be running what he called "a fantastic Freedom Institute" promoting democracy around the world. But he added, "I can just envision getting in the car, getting bored, going down to the ranch."

Please read below the fold for more on this story.