It ... is ... ALIVE!

For once, the fetid stench you might be noticing from Jacksonville isn't the river or the paper mills ... no, it's because Drunky McStagger is visiting today.

Former President George W. Bush is in Jacksonville for a private luncheon and to thank local Republicans for their support.

A spokeswoman for the Duval County Republican Party, Donna Barrow, says the event is not a party-sponsored event, but says Bush will speak on the economy and progress being made on his presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

She says, “Jacksonville is Bush Country.”

No, of course the Republican Party has nothing to do with the visit. How silly of me to suppose otherwise ...

"Jacksonville is Bush Country." Lovely. Hitch your wagon to the former president ... the worst ever. That's one shrewd political maneuver right there. It's like saying "Vladivostok is Stalin Country."

What's Drunky saying about the presidential library (or as he would say, "liberry")? That the Cheney Memorial Dungeon is coming along nicely? Or that he hasn't quite finished coloring all the books yet?

Sounds like a good day to stay away from Jax ...

An oldie but a goodie

I heard that recently, a large collection of books that Drunky McStagger was planning to donate to his presidential library was destroyed in a fire.

The real tragedy is that he hadn't finished coloring all of them yet.

Today's Daily Schadenfreude: George W. Bush

Not so fast, my friends. (click to embiggen)

I know, sometimes it's too easy to pick on Drunky McStagger, what with his historically low approval ratings and continued slide into mental deterioration or alcoholism or both. But this is what schadenfreude is really all about.

The 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the governing body of Southern Methodist University, today voted to reject SMU's bid to host the George W. Bush Presidential Library. And the vote tally?

844-20.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

That's really too much. Out of 864 voters, only 20 -- that's 2.3%, if you're into that sort of thing -- supported the idea of having SMU host the Library.

Now, it should be noted that the decision isn't final just yet.

The group’s opposition is centered around the partisan think tank that will be attached to the library. The institute reportedly under the control of Karl Rove will have no academic oversight by SMU. But there may also be some concerns about associating the school with some of Bush’s policies.

"Many are offended by the contempt shown by the administration in areas like torture," says Rev. Andrew J. Weaver, Ph.D. a minister and psychologist in Brooklyn, New York. "Torture is not a value of the Methodist church." Rev. Weaver is a graduate of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, and told Dallas South that torture in today’s terms would be the moral equivalent of slavery.

[...]

The decision now lies in the hands of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. The land on which the library would be built is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction. A body of approximately 290, many of whom voted in the general conference, will take a final vote on the sale of the land. The 2008 South Central Jurisdictional Conference is scheduled for July 16-19 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The North Texas Conference of the UMC will play host to the event.

We can only hope that the overwhelmingly majority at the General Conference is an indication of at least a simple majority in the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, because SMU doesn't deserve to have its reputation besmirched by association with the Worst. President. Ever.

Besides, isn't it already enough irony that SMU's teams' name, the Mustangs, affectionately is known to its fans as ... the Ponies?!

By way of congratulating Drunky -- once again, today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you! -- I'd like commenters to recommend more, um, suitable sites for the Bush Presidential Library. I'm sure you all have a lot of terrific ideas ...

Today's Daily Schadenfreude: The Bush Library

Short but oh so sweet comes this nugget from Think Progress:

U.S. News reports that "President Bush’s friends are concerned that he will face serious problems raising the estimated $250 million needed to build his presidential library, museum, and policy center at Southern Methodist University. … They fear that Bush’s unpopularity will put a damper on donations and that the sour economy will limit contributions even more."

Gee, ya think? Talk about throwing money away ... anyone who gives to the Drunky McStagger Preznitshul Reading Room and Alehouse* deserves to lose their money. It's like taking insurance from the blackjack dealer or offering to pick up Jenna Bush's bar tab -- it's a losing proposition no matter what. And it's their pal Drunky who's chiefly responsible for the "sour economy." Bush boom, bay-bee!

Congratulations, loosers [sic] -- today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!

(h/t Eschaton commenter pigboy)

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* I decided this was better than my other idea: "Texas School Book Depository."