NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: WASHINGTON - Two years of retirement haven't dulled George W. Bush's political zest - and President Obama and Sarah Palin are among his under-the-radar targets.
The 43rd President has told friends the ex-Alaska governor isn't qualified to be President and criticizes Arizona Sen. John McCain for putting Palin on the 2008 GOP ticket and handing her a national platform.
"Naming Palin makes Bush think less of McCain as a man," a Republican official familiar with Bush's thinking told the Daily News.
"He thinks McCain ran a lousy campaign with an unqualified running mate and destroyed any chance of winning by picking Palin."
As he prepares for the Tuesday launch of his memoir, "Decision Points," Bush scrupulously gives his successor a public pass - a statesmanlike stance urged by his father, President George H. W. Bush.
"I want my President to succeed because if my President succeeds my country succeeds, and I want my country to succeed," Bush typically says when asked about Obama.
"He won't call Obama by name but he won't trash him," a confidant noted, referring to Bush's comments in post-presidency speaking appearances, which have netted him millions, often at $100,000 or more a pop.
Still, he thinks Obama has failed as a President - a judgment supported by this week's robust Republican gains. >>> Thomas M. Defrank, Daily News Washington Bureau Chief | Friday, November 05, 2010
