The Bush memoirs: Would you buy a book from this man?

Bill Clinton got a $15-million advance to write his memoir, "My Life." And he was a president who'd been impeached for an embarrassing dalliance in the Oval Office.

But publishers told the Associated Press' Hillel Italie that George W. Bush was unlikely to get anything near that kind of advance if he decided to write his own version of his tumultuous eight years in office.

For one thing, he's not known as an introspective guy given to self-criticism, seen as key to sales.

"I think any success will depend to a very large extent on [the content of] the book," said Peter Osnos, founder of PublicAffairs, which published former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan's tough take on the White House.

For another, foreign rights would be unlikely.

"President Bush is perceived as a unilateral cowboy who didn't respect other nations," said Jonathan Karp, whose Hachette Book Group published "Hard Call," Republican John McCain's latest book. "So there's a shortfall overseas."

Mostly, because his reputation, like Harry S. Truman's, may require a few decades to appreciate. Truman, the haberdasher from Independence, Mo., who became president on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death in 1945, left office in 1953 as unpopular as Bush is now. His own memoir, a two-volume affair published in the 1950s, is little remembered. It was only in the 1990s, when David McCullough wrote his bestselling "Truman," that the pugnacious accidental president became an admired figure.

"Only in hindsight will history show whether Bush is deemed to be a good president who sacrificed his presidency for what he believed in or whether history judges him to be a failed president," said Marji Ross, president of the conservative Regnery Publishing, which, given its conservative audience, is in the market for books critical of President-elect Barack Obama.

Still, says Karp, if Bush is interested in penning his own version of history, he should consider it.

"Maybe only 30% of the public is still behind him," said Karp. "But 30% of 300 million people is not a small number."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: Joyce N. Boghosian / White House

Comments

[mike]

I look forward to the coloring-in sections.

[Sal B]

Another factor to be considered is how large an army of proofreaders would be needed. Don't misunderestimate that.

[beakmur]

May God give Bush another 100 years so that even he can see that his multiple stupidities have not vindicated him to the slightest degree. May he thrive deep into the 22nd century, all of it in the Guantanamo suite with Dick Cheney as his chubby immortal roomate. May they be under 24-7 online surveillance so that anyone can stop by, anytime and jeer. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Gonzales, Powell, Tenet, Wolfowitz, Yoo, Paulson --- the list of platinum plated felons is shamefully long. And the well remains deep. Until this country holds Truth Hearings, the Deep Shame will infect us all and our generations. Thanks to the internet and cable TV, Bush is the most documented war criminal in history. We will conitnue to sicken as a nation until we deal with this awful reality. Obama was the first step. The Great Catharsis continues.

[Jules]

I want to move on. You want to move on. I understand.
But we also need to hold people accountable. I urge the Obama administration (how I love the sound of that) to move forward and hold investigative committees to determine the extent of criminal malfeasance under the Bush administration. Please do not drop the ball and think that we should just put the evil behind us. Thousands of American soldiers have died, and millions of Iraqi civilians have died or been maimed. Those individuals who involved us in a war under false pretenses must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

[The Emperor]

Why buy the book when it can be summed up in a few words by him.

-Gawd told me ta be Presidant.
-Daddy's frieds made me Presidant.
-People from my frinds country atacked Amerika while I is learnen to read.
-Dick gives me a piece of papr to tear up. I think it was called Conshitution or sumthing...
-Went after the guy who I don't think bout anymore in Afganiztan.
-Gawd told me to attack Iraq and give all the contracts to Haliburton after not finden the guy who I don't think bout anymore in Afganiztan.
-Karl told me Mision Acomplish but some one forgot to tell those insurgants
-Enemies of Amerika lie about the prisons "Freedom Tickles" to terrorists.
-The economy is not strong and I need to help my friends from starvin and not getin a new merecedes from Santa Claws
-People dont like me or Gawd because they elect a black guy instead of Palin and McCain

[Jacob Stein]

Why do people keep comparing him with Truman? Thats all you got? Is that your only hope? Somehow everything will fall into place and Georgie boy will be remembered as a hero rather than a WAR CRIMINAL.

Georgie boy is lucky that he was the president of a civilized nation full of civilized and educated people. In third world countries they hang their leader by the n u t s who have done 1/10 of the things that Georgie boy has done and that too in such a short time period. Its really amazing.

How do we go from having a budget surplus to deficit? How do we go from having 5.75 trillion trade deficit to almost 11 trillion?? I am not even including killing of innocent US Soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Dont really know how this guy goes to sleep every night when he himself has dodged the draft with the help of friends of his Daddy George.

Yeah some douche bag will buy his book but for me and gazillions of Americans they will use it as a toilet paper.

[XAV]

I wouldn't buy a box of Girl Scout cookies from this man. Chances are, they'd be the worst batch the company ever turned out--and the words on the packaging would be full of misinformation.

(Then again, I'm know there are many Americans who, four years later, would learn about how many people got sick on the cookies, and still buy them.)