The Minnesotan billboard caper plot thickens. It took a few weeks of anonymity to discover the culprit's of last month's mystery, where a jovial George W. Bush waved at commuters on Interstate 35 with a caption asking "Miss Me Yet?" Turns out it was a few local businessmen looking to put a smile on drivers' faces with a joke they found on the internet. This time around, however, it isn't so much of a joke as a direct conservative message: "Remember Real Hope and Change?" it asks, with a picture of Ronald Reagan in a cowboy hat. (more...)

video One of the previously anonymous small businessmen who purchased a billboard displaying a goofy-looking George W. Bush asking "Miss Me Yet?" over a Minnesota highway has revealed his identity. And as much as Gretchen Carlson tried to goad some anti-Obama sentiments out of Mike Rivard on Fox and Friends in an exclusive interview this morning, he remained faithful to his ambiguous agenda of pointing out something hilarious and then brushing aside any political repercussions. (more...)

Ken Starr, who rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead attorney against President Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, is expected to take another executive position this week, this time in the much tamer field of academia as president of Baylor University, the world's largest Baptist university. With the exception of his involvement in the constitutional defense of Proposition 8 in California, Starr's post-Clinton career had taken a turn to academia; he had in a dean position at Pepperdine Law School for the past six years before the confirmation of his new appointment leaked. (more...)

video Its almost been exactly a year since George W. Bush left the White House - a place he called "home" for eight full years. But recent events in Haiti appear to have transcended the once and future bipartisan landscape, bringing back the former president from his relative secluded and quiet, post-presidential life. Yesterday Bush was a guest on Meet the Press with Bill Clinton, and he candidly shared his feelings towards being back in the spotlight. (more...)

The Aughts

As the face of media evolves, it's important to honor the figures who helped define, shape and set the standards in their industries. These are some of the most prominent members of the media who passed away over the past 10 years.  Take a look back with some snippets from their respective New York Times obituaries.

Panel Nerds Extra! I was ecstatic last night when I read that Presidents Bush and Clinton would be participating in a panel this spring. As I read more about it, I grew surprised and a bit skeptical. As a regular columnist covering New York City panels, I've grown to expect that the speakers will reveal extremely little. So when I read that the presidents would "square off," I wondered what that actually meant. Not because I don't think the two men have much to say; rather, I questioned what they actually would say. Would they be critical of each other? Would Bush blame Clinton for leaving him with unresolved issues, and would Clinton, in turn, point whatever blame back on his successor? Billed as a match of a lifetime, this event promised more than I expected it would deliver. (more...)

Last week, we reported that former president George W. Bush was putting his newly found free time to use by hitting the motivational speaking circuit with Get Motivated!, a motivational event series that likes to bring in former and current politicians alongside business leaders. His first speech was last night. How'd he do, and what did he talk about? (more...)

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No, this isn't an Onion headline: Former President George W. Bush will be the "special guest speaker" at two motivational speaking events in Texas. The ticket price? $19 -- not per person, but per office. And it appears that tickets are still available!

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VIDEO Yesterday President George H.W. Bush expressed distaste with the lack of civility and "intellectual honesty" running through criticism of President Obama during a radio interview with CBS News. Then again, he also jumped headlong into the White House-Fox News scrum, calling out MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann as "sick puppies." (more...)

Who: Jackson Diehl interviewed by Clyde Haberman What: NYU’s Center for Global Affairs’ “Worldly Perspectives with Clyde Haberman” Where: The Center for Global Affairs When: October 14, 2009 Thumbs: Up (more...)

The Washington Post's Barton Gellman reports that Dick Cheney won't hold back in his forthcoming $2 million memoir of his years in the Bush administration. DC powerhouse lawyer Robert Barnett, who negotiated Cheney's book contract, told the Post that "'the statute of limitations has expired' on many of secrets." (more...)