Whoever ends up taking the White House this fall, one thing's for sure: He won't be hosting meetings in Crawford, Texas. That has the dusty town a little teary-eyed after eight years in the spotlight.
Says the Washington Post:
Wednesday marks the final day of Bush's last Crawford summer vacation, a prospect [that] has left longtime residents marveling at the changes that have come to their dusty, 700-person town about 20 miles west of Waco--and wondering what comes next.
Tourist (and journalist) traffic is already drying up, and plenty of storefronts on the main drag are empty. And though the president's presence spurred a bit of development, plans for other projects have dissolved.
CBS Radio correspondent Mark Knoller does more than just report on President Bush: The journalist keeps detailed records on where W is and what he's doing, sometimes down to the minute. And a new look at his data reveals that Bush is quite the travelin' man.
So far, the sitting president has stopped in 49 states--sorry, Vermont. He's visited 75 countries on 46 international trips, and he has another coming up later this week, as he heads to Beijing's opening ceremony. He's also logged 466 days at the Western White House in Crawford, accrued over 74 separate trips.
Knoller says the numbers offer a revealing picture of the commander in chief:
They tell what's important to him. They offer insight into his work ethic and personal habits.
When President Bush is your neighbor, local barbecues are never the same: A new documentary explores the relationship of Crawford, Texas to its most famous resident, currently he of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Nearly half of the town's 705 residents turned out for the film's outdoor premiere.
Bush moved to Crawford in 1999 and brought the eyes of the world with him. Opponents of the president also used the town to influence public opinion, like when soldier's mother Cindy Sheehan took her antiwar feelings public with a protest across from Bush's ranch.
Hilariously, the IMDb summary for "Crawford" is hidden because of "spoilers," just in case you've been under a rock for the past 8 years.
Former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson (born Claudia Alta Taylor) passed away yesterday at 94. A journalism graduate from the University of Texas, she lived nearly all her life besides the White House years in the Lone Star State, from the northeastern town of Karnack where she was born to Austin, where she helped restore riverfront areas and curate the LBJ Presidential Library at UT.
Show your love for the best nicknamed First Lady by visiting the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, or if you feel like going further afield, the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch west of Austin, where the former president rests amongst cows.
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