Ask Me Help Desk - What books does the President read?

What books does the President read?

George Washington has 2 books over due from the NY public library. One of the books was the "Law of Nations," which deals with international relations.

Emmerich de Vattel: The Law of Nations or the Principles of Natural Law (1758)

The other was volume 12 of debates from Britain's House of Commons.This is a 14 volume collection that the library still possesses sans volume 12 .

Both books were due on Nov. 2, 1789.

This discovery was made in a ledger in a rubbish heap in the library's basement, revealing the names of all the people who had borrowed books from the library between July 1789 and April 1792.The ledger also shows that Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay all borrowed books in that time. But they returned them.

The library is not looking to collect late fees (adjusted for inflation, $300,000 even though I don't believe library fines are adjusted in that manner)
But the library is very interested in having the books returned.

George is probably still reading the books.

As for the dufus in office now, I seriously doubt he's reading much of anything except his teleprompter. Maybe travel brochures on where to spend his next vacation on the taxpayers at exorbitent weekly rental rates. The summer is coming up fast and I'm sure he's already picked out a nice, pricey assortment of summer vacations already.

I don't think George Bush could read very well.:rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitkat22

I don't think George Bush could read very well.:rolleyes:

But, what about George Washington?

I intended this to be a fluff posting and did not expect it to turn into a commentary on the current President or the recent one.
But OK since that is where it turned...

The current President would not care what the Brits say in their Commons. He hates them so much that one of his 1st acts in office was to insult them by returning a gift of a bust of Winston Churchill that the Brits gave us. The normal procedure if he did not want the bust in the White House would've been to store it in one of the gvt warehouses. But by returning it ,he was making a statement of his dislike of the Brits. The Brit tabloids have frequently mentioned that when discussing his treatment of BP .

He probably would read 'The Law of Nations .....'and is wondering how he can supplant the Constitution with laws from other nations (mostly Venezuela ) It would sit on his shelf next to his copy of William Ayers 'Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals '.

President Bush read extensively and the list of the books he was reading were routinely part of the public record. Probably the most influential book that shaped his foreign policies was Natan Sharansky's 'The Case for Democracy. The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror'.

Washington of course was a prolific reader and a genuine Renaissance Man.

I think the current president has read a bit too much Superman.

http://jdrewscott.files.wordpress.co...a-superman.jpg

Bush had a dictionary to look up the words he didn't understand.
That's why he still has the books, he's only half way through one of them.

Cute, but W. has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. His education at those two institutions was fraudulent?

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Cute, but W. has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. His education at those two institutions was fraudulent?

I'm saying what I think and that's that... Didn't mean to start an argument. I do not like the current President nor did I like Bush.

Who's arguing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Who's arguing?

Bush couldn't give a good speech if his life depended on it. I cringed just as I do now when Obama gives a speech. Bush was no Rhodes Scholar. You guys and I mean Exy and all of you are very intelligent.. and I'm not saying that in jest. I read a lot of your post and although a lot of them I don't understand , they are pretty great.

Do me a favor , find some books by the people who George went to school with and I don't mean people who write a pack of lies. I mean reputable people who tell about his school and College days. He is not a smart man. I voted for McCain by the way. A war hero. I'm not going to argue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitkat22

I'm not going to argue.

OK. How about discuss?

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

OK. How about discuss?

You guys are way to smart for me. I really mean that! I appreciate the offer:D Sorry Tom didn't mean to mess up your thread. Wonder what Clinton read:eek:

Clinton I am sure has a diverse reading list and is one of the 1st class intellects in the political world. But ;for raw brain power ,Nixon had them all beat as a graduate of Duke Law School . What did it mean ? Nothing Nixon ,Carter (top 10% at Naval Academy) ,and Clintoon's Presidencies were flawed /or outright failures .

Here is an interesting read.

Bush's bad rap

Bottom line the way I read it is that intellect is in no way a barometer of how successful a Presidency will be. Note that history is judging Harry Truman's to be a highly successful Presidency .He is the least educated of the modern Presidents.

Bush was a B-C student in 2 Ivy League schools and scored in the top 16 percentile in the SAT exams. (1204 accumulated score )
Bush/Gore Grades and SAT Scores

Quote:

Statistically, Bush's test performance places him in the top 16 percent of prospective college students — hardly the mark of a dimwit. Of course, the SAT is not designed as an IQ test. But it is highly correlated with general intelligence, to the tune of .80. In plain language, the SAT is two parts a measure of general intelligence and one part a measure of specific scholastic reasoning skills and abilities.

If Bush could score in the top 16 percent of college applicants on the SAT, he would almost certainly rank higher on tests of general intelligence, which are normed with reference to the general population. But even if his rank remained constant at the 84th-percentile level of his SAT score, it would translate to an IQ score of 115.

George Washington was largely self taught and became a master of many disciplines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitkat22

You guys are way to smart for me. I really mean that! I appreciate the offer:D Sorry Tom didn't mean to mess up your thread. Wonder what Clinton read:eek:

No, no, no... the only that's too smart for anyone is excon. He's even too smart for his own good.

Clinton probably enjoys reading Nina Burleigh. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomder55

Clinton I am sure has a diverse reading list and is one of the 1st class intellects in the political world. But ;for raw brain power ,Nixon had them all beat as a graduate of Duke Law School . What did it mean ? Nothing Nixon ,Carter (top 10% at Naval Academy) ,and Clintoon's Presidencies were flawed /or outright failures .

here is an interesting read.

Bush's bad rap

Bottom line the way I read it is that intellect is in no way a barometer of how successful a Presidency will be. Note that history is judging Harry Truman's to be a highly successful Presidency .He is the least educated of the modern Presidents.

Bush was a B-C student in 2 Ivy League schools and scored in the top 16 percentile in the SAT exams. (1204 accumulated score )
Bush/Gore Grades and SAT Scores

George Washington was largely self taught and became a master of many disciplines.

I know you are going to laugh at this but I think Nixon will have his place as one of the best Presidents we have ever had in our generation. He was a great diplomat and he got us out of Vietnam. Go ahead...

OK I'll go at it .Nixon's stategy in Vietnam was the correct course;especially adopting General Abrams plan for the war.. . No doubt about it . But ,had it succeeded ,it wouldn't be "he got us out "... it would've been 'Vietnamization' was a success .We most likely would've stayed around a little longer and left when the job was done;with a free South Vietnam able to defend itself .
But Nixon's abuses of his office ensured he would leave in disgrace . That is just the fact.
The reason we "got out " of Vietnam was that the Democrats in Congress betrayed the South Vietnamese ;defunded the strategy before it was completed thus ensuring defeat.

I have mixed feelings about the rest of the Nixon foreign policy. He was very much a Cold War Realpolitilk President. Which means that along with the defense of freedom there were Machiavellian accommodations with some very bad people who did not share our values .
I think even less of Nixon's domestic policies. He was a proponent of big government solutions .

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomder55

ok I'll go at it .Nixon's stategy in Vietnam was the correct course;especially adopting General Abrams plan for the war.. ...No doubt about it . But ,had it succeeded ,it wouldn't be "he got us out " ....it would've been 'Vietnamization' was a success .We most likely would've stayed around a little longer and left when the job was done;with a free South Vietnam able to defend itself .
But Nixon's abuses of his office ensured he would leave in disgrace . That is just the fact.
The reason we "got out " of Vietnam was that the Democrats in Congress betrayed the South Vietnamese ;defunded the strategy before it was completed thus ensuring defeat.

I have mixed feelings about the rest of the Nixon foreign policy. He was very much a Cold War Realpolitilk President. Which means that along with the defense of freedom there were Machiavellian accomodations with some very bad people who did not share our values .
I think even less of Nixon's domestic policies. He was a proponent of big government solutions .

Thanks... I didn't know some of this. Now I'm a little smarter :) Later

Hello kit:

Let me remind you that the people who think George Bush is smart, also think Sarah Palin is smart. She's not.

Tom seems to think the amount of education one has is indicative of one's intelligence... But, it ain't so, I tell you. I didn't finish the 11th grade, and I'm DAMN smart.

excon

Quote:

Originally Posted by excon

I didn't finish the 11th grade, and I'm DAMN smart.

Eek, something else we have in common. ;)

The current president has apparently never had his nose in a math book. He thinks spending $2 billion for 1,500 permanent jobs is a bargain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

The current president has apparently never had his nose in a math book. He thinks spending $2 billion for 1,500 permanent jobs is a bargain.

Please.. Obama with all his faults is still the President. That being said... Bush actually made me cringe when he gave a speech. "Is our children learning" is only one of the mistakes he made and that laugh heh heh heh. He was stupid! Clinton a player , but smart and charismatic. Nixon.. I liked him. I was very young when he was in office, but I liked him. Reagan... a nice man. Jimmy Carter.. he was too good and had to many morals to be President. OK guys now lets talk conspiracy theory in the JFK assassanation?. Sarah Palin is a phony. Most women can see that. She's
As phony as a fake Kate Spade purse.

Quote:

Tom seems to think the amount of education one has is indicative of one's intelligence

I said nothing of the kind. In fact I pointed out that Truman (despite his low ratings and lack of a higher degree ) was a very successful President.

You know what I think ; the conventional wisdom the way I read it is that Republicans are stupid no matter who they are (the exception being the intelligent but deviously crooked Nixon) .

Across the board the most successful Republicans are disparaged... Ford ,Reagan ,Clarence Thomas ,GW Bush and now Palin .

And no matter how incompetent Democrats are they are the smartest people on the planet .

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomder55

I said nothing of the kind. In fact I pointed out that Truman (despite his low ratings and lack of a higher degree ) was a very successful President.

You know what I think ; the conventional wisdom the way I read it is that Republicans are stupid no matter who they are (the exception being the intelligent but deviously crooked Nixon) .

Across the board the most successful Republicans are disparaged ... Ford ,Reagan ,Clarence Thomas ,GW Bush and now Palin .

And no matter how incompetent Democrats are they are the smartest people on the planet .

Ok... Thanks Tom... John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, FDR. The only reason I disparage Bush is because he is stupid. Sarah Palin is a phony.
I believe if McCain had chosen a different running mate he would be president today. Joe Biden is a yes man. Cheny was so deeply involved with enron that he should be in prison and he's not a very good hunting buddy. I'm through arguing now. :)

Obammy reads fairy tales and not the kind you think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

Obammy reads fairy tales and not the kind you think.

What kind? Porn? Muslim hymns? Please enlighten us and show us some proof!

I think the "Fairy Tale " was a book called "Mission Accomplished" written and illustrated by George Bush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomder55

What books does the President read?

Hello tom:

Like Sara Palin, he reads "all of 'em".

excon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitkat22

I think the "Fairy Tale " was a book called "Mission Accomplished" written and illustrated by George Bush.

Now, now, now - we all know that Obama won the Iraq war.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Now, now, now - we all know that Obama won the Iraq war.

Speechless we all know who told the big lie about , WMD in Iraq? The reason for little Georgies actions was and I quote him, "He tried to kill my daddy". Remember..?. I also like you all so please speak in words I can understand. I don't have a college education and like GB I have to look up your big words in the dictionary.

I've heard that he likes "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky. I know I'll be accused of being a right-wing nutbar, but I've heard it from Maclean's and other respected magazines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by earl237

I've heard that he likes "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky. I know I'll be accused of being a right-wing nutbar, but I've heard it from Maclean's and other respected magazines.

He honestly does read books like "Pilgrims Progress and Profiles in Courage". He read a lot about Eisenhower and FDR also.

Hello earl, right wing nut bar:

IF it's one of his favorites, he sure isn't ACTING like a radical... I was hoping that he actually WOULD act like a radical. But, he hasn't. The things that are MOST important to ME, is the Bush/Cheney Doctrine. Obama embraced it whole hog. It's what I hated about the Bush administration. And, NOTHING has changed...

So, for ME, Obama is a RIGHTWINGER.

Health care?? That, like Bush's prescription drug coverage before, is a GIFT to big pharma. I wanted him to make a one sentence health care - MEDICARE FOR ALL... But, NOO.. He did something else. Do you hear any insurance companies bellyaching about the law?? Nope. Wonder WHY that is?? I don't.

So, Alinsky's book might be one of his favorites, but he ACTS like a rightwinger. What he DOES is more important than what he READS.

excon

Quote:

Originally Posted by excon

Hello earl, right wing nut bar:

IF it's one of his favorites, he sure isn't ACTING like a radical... I was hoping that he actually WOULD act like a radical. But, he hasn't. The things that are MOST important to ME, is the Bush/Cheney Doctrine. Obama embraced it whole hog. It's what I hated about the Bush administration. And, NOTHING has changed....

So, for ME. Obama is a RIGHTWINGER.

Health care??? That, like Bush's prescription drug coverage before, is a GIFT to big pharma. I wanted him to make a one sentence health care - MEDICARE FOR ALL... But, NOO.. He did something else. Do you hear any insurance companies ing about the law??? Nope. Wonder WHY that is??? I don't.

So, Alinsky's book might be one of his favorites, but he ACTS like a rightwinger. What he DOES is more important than what he READS.

excon

If I could give you a greenie I would.:D

I don't agree with the federal government's decision to try and overturn Arizona's immigration policies. PC is going too far. How are states supposed to deal with illegal immigration without using some kind of profiling?

Quote:

Originally Posted by earl237

I don't agree with the federal government's decision to try and overturn Arizona's immigration policies. PC is going too far. How are states supposed to deal with illegal immigration without using some kind of profiling?

Hello again, earl:

You HIT the nail on the head. States are NOT supposed to deal with immigration issues. In fact, that IS the basis for the lawsuit. The Federal Government should be doing so - not the states. The GOOD thing about the Arizona law, is that it brings the issue to the fore once again...

The problem is, politicians of BOTH stripes are too cowardly to pass comprehensive immigration law. But, we can't have 50 different immigration laws... We just can't. One is hard enough.

excon

If You dare.. just a little humor
Heh, heh, heh

The Complete Bushisms - By Jacob Weisberg - Slate Magazine - 61k

Ok.. bye... I'm out of here...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitkat22

Speechless we all know who told the big lie about , WMD in Iraq?

You mean like, everyone? If no one believed he had WMD's then what was the UN doing with all those resolutions and stuff before Bush was in Office... like the Clinton years when he made regime change in Iraq official US policy?

OK, that's enough of that :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, earl:

You HIT the nail on the head. States are NOT supposed to deal with immigration issues. In fact, that IS the basis for the lawsuit. The Federal Government should be doing so - not the states. The GOOD thing about the Arizona law, is that it brings the issue to the fore once again...

The problem is, politicians of BOTH stripes are too cowardly to pass comprehensive immigration law. But, we can't have 50 different immigration laws.... We just can't. One is hard enough.

excon

Never heard you complain about localities that defy Federal supremacy before when they declared themselves sanctuaries.

Speecless.. Clintons hands were tied.. when he tried to do something about Sadaam he was lied to just as we were.