Bush Library ‘Will Rely Chiefly’ On Design Firm Rather Than Historians To Showcase Policies»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/16/bush-library-design/

Bush Library ‘Will Rely Chiefly’ On Design Firm Rather Than Historians To Showcase Policies»


President Bush’s presidential library, which will be housed at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, has received significant criticism because of an attached institute — independent of the university — that will sponsor programs designed to “promote the vision of the president” and “celebrate” Bush’s presidency. Even former Bush adviser Karl Rove has signed on as a “critical resource” of administration history.

Continuing to ensure that partisan praise of Bush will trump academic scholarship in the library, advisers now say they “will rely chiefly” on the design firm PRD Group, rather than historians, to showcase Bush’s policies as president. The Dallas Morning News reports:

Bush advisers say they plan to consult historians but will rely chiefly on the veteran design firm they hired to create a museum to showcase his life, works and policies.

Some who’ve studied presidential centers say the lack of independent voices in the design-exhibit process risks turning the library into little more than a promotional venue.

snip//

A recent survey found that 98 percent of historians consider Bush’s presidency to be a failure and 61 percent said he is the worst president in history. So, it seems unlikely that Bush will take Middleton’s advice seeing as he has difficulty admitting mistakes.

[givemebackmycountry]

1. SMU should be ashamed of itself...

This fool and a library - what's he need a library for?
Maybe they should call it what it really is - a monument to stupidity.

[angstlessk]

13. it ain't a library..like they said..it's a museum!!! will it become a mausoleum??

will boosh be buried there???

[Poiuyt]

2. This won't be a library as much as a pro-Bush think tank

That's why they need $500 million - to pay for all the writers and PR people. They're going to try to re-write history. Will they be successful?

[Frustratedlady]

3. I got caught on that, too. It's so close to being possible, I believed it.

Someone on another post said it was from the Onion.

[Indenturedebtor]

5. * entire pretzleduncey

* entire pretzleduncey was written by the Onion. Such an absurd ass, no surprises here.

[niyad]

4. could somebody please tell me how a design firm is going to showcase a vacuum?

[hatrack]

8. Oh, a big empty room would probably do the trick

Then again, given all the accomplishments of The Littlest President, maybe a small empty room would work.

[annabanana]

6. It'll probably end up kind of like that "Creationist Museum", or some

kind of theme park attraction. I wonder if we'll be able to ride through it on a little track, in little cars. . . .

[EOTE]

10. Oddly enough, both museums feature cavemen riding on dinosaurs.

I'm guessing the "Time Masheen" from Idiocracy will be a little more accurate and believable.

[LongTomH]

7. This is the final example of Bush's whole miseerable career!

It's been built on PR and flim-flam from the start.

"All shine and no substance."
"All hat and no cattle"

Do we need to start a poll on where to put that bronze bust of phony-hero Bush? I vote for the LaBrea Tar Pits!

[niyad]

9. hey!! I lke the tar pits--please don't suggest pollutinig them!!

[Supersedeas]

11. just tap the Media, they have been promoting Dimson since the primaries of '00

[applegrove]

12. How fitting for the CEO/neocon president.

[Stuart G]

14. Why do you need design. for a library of 2 books.......nt