(CNN) - It appears President Obama has to step up his reading pace if he wants to beat his predecessor in one particular measure: how many books a president can polish off a year.
In an interview with the BBC Tuesday, Obama said he is currently reading Joseph O'Neill's 270-page novel "Netherland," a book Obama first said he began back in April.
If Obama is close to finishing the novel, that puts him on less than a 10 book-a-year pace, far less than the close to 100 books President Bush was reportedly able to finish in the same amount of time.
According to former top Bush aide Karl Rove, he and the former president engaged in a friendly wager every year to see who could read more books.
In 2006, Bush read 95 books to Roves 110: a Herculean pace of nearly two books a week - in an election year to boot - for the ex-president. But, according to Rove, Bush's reading slowed a bit in the final years of his presidency, finishing a not-too-shabby 51 books in 2007 and at least 40 in 2008.
And if that's not impressive enough, Rove also said Bush found time to read the Bible "from cover to cover" every year.
While Obama may have had to put aside “Netherland” last month in favor of pages of court briefs with a Supreme Court vacancy to fill, it nevertheless appears the president has some summer reading to do.
From CNN Politics
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What's this nonsense you speak of? You mean Bush can read?
Obama is writing his own book- how to destroy this country. I thought Nixon and Carter was bad; they look like saints compared to this clown.
Let the "enlightened progressives" begin their insults and trashing of President Bush.......
God Forbid their messiah get slighted in any form or fashion!
Yes, the O'bots will be here soon to post angry hateful messages like good little followers.
Of course we don't know the length of the books W was reading...Perhaps it was the Dr. Seuss collection?
Bush clearly had more free time to read, perhaps b/c Bush was always on vacation.
i didn't realize coloring books counted
POTUSA is a very busy man , unlike his predecessor.
children books don't count
Pop-up books do not count for Bush. Neither does having the books read to him.
i find it hard to believe a man that supposedly read that much could have such a hard time simply speaking the english language. unless these were nancy drew books, you can file those bush reading facts in the same category as the iraq-9/11 link – another complete fabrication from the worst administration ever.
Too bad neither one has read The Constitution.
Ah, yeah? And does this have anything to do with how much more WORK our new president has time to be doing, compared with our former president?
Uh, did Bush's books have anything to do with the fox in socks in a box? Could he do a book report on one of the books he read? Were there words or just pictures?
Im sorry, but I don't think "Goodbye Moon", "the little engine that could" and "Where's Waldo" count.
Well, I guess we know why Bush was in bed at 8:00 every night...
Reading glasses, silk pajamas, a warm glass of milk and a nice book.
George: Laura, help me with this word.
Laura: Evel.
George: and this one?
Laura: Kneivel.
George: that one?
Laura: Was.
George: and this?
Laura: Born.
George: *points*
Laura: In.
George: last one?
Laura: Montana.
George: Huh. Hey, Laura! Did you know that Evel Kneivel was born in Montana?
*with paraphrased credit to Seth McFarlane*
Geez, no wonder Bush didn't have time to run the country (except into the ground that is.)
Not sure what the former President and his henchman was reading. Cover to cover may mean what was on both the covers and excluding what was on the pages. With the intellectual capacity that Bush had I doubt if he could read two books a year which he claims he did.
He had plenty of time to read books while he was relaxing down in Crawford for all those vacations that the taxpayers paid for. Betcha the books had a lot of pictures!
Obama hasn't finished a book.
Obama hasn't found a church.
Obama hasn't quit smoking.
WHY? None of those things feed his need for media attention.
Flying to Chicago for Valentines Dinner.... flying to NYC for dinner and a play...campaigning in Vegas for Harry Reid.... now THOSE are things Obama thinks are important!
There's no way on earth Bush read that many books.
Rove is a liar! Enough said!
Bush can read?
My guess is that he's busy trying to get this country put back together. W? Enough said.
With all due disrespect to Karl Rove, Bush remained illiterate in spite of his reading (unless he was reading up pop-up books).:)
As for Rove, it apparently took a lot of book-reading to remain that closed-minded. What was he reading? Probably his reading list would be similar to that of the Feuhrer of the Third Reich, who supposedly read a lot too.
Obama is a Constitutional Law Professor who turned into a man of action. In him has taken place a classic marriage of theory and practice, reading and doing.
Is there anyone alive that believes Bush could read 100 books plus the Bible from cover to cover in one year?? He must have been reading "My Pet Goat " and a condensed version of the Bible.
If my memory serves me correctly, Bush said at the beginning of his Presidency that he didn't read at all. Now he claims over 100 books a year. Something is amiss as it always is with Bush and Rove. They can't tell the truth !!!
Bush could read? Will wonders never cease.
Bush and Rove should have read the United States Constitution too. At least we now have a President who is reading court cases and material presented to him by staff and making informed decisions. The issue here is not simply reading a book but what book is being read. What a lame ticker.
I remember when I first head about Bush II reading habits. In all those years I never heard any language that indicated he was a big reader. It's near impossible for that to not rub off. So I am reallt skeptical.
And, bythe way, as someone who gets through about 1 a week, uh, Bush musn't have had a job. I mean seriously. Given his responsibilities, it's practically an impossibility.
Last but not least, why? It takes the guy a half-decade to half change his mind vaguely, and he doesn't believe in self-reflection, apparently, on principle, if Bob Woodward is correct. So why?
Not trying to knock him, but it doesn't make sense.
C'mon Dumbya........comic and coloring books don't count!
It's not how many books you read, it's what you learn from them. Bush never seemed to learn anything in his 8 years as president.
Several people in the media have used the term "incurious" to describe President Bush. It now seems that characterization may not be entirely accurate. The fact that he took the time to read almost 100 books would surely suggest he was curious about somethings. His curiosity just didn't seem to spill over into the job he was paid to do.
This is a part of the reason our nation is has suffered, we had a weak minded President doing everything except his job. I'd like to shove a 600 pager into an orifice where Bush can't turn a page without a hemostat, and a third arm. That's Roves job.
Sorry, but reading "My Pet Goat" 100 times does not mean that you've read '100 books'.
How embarrassing...now I understand why the decision making during the Bush years always had such a distinctive feel of grade school intellectual vigor.
LOL there is no way thats true unless they were easy readers. Rove is a liar anyway
Now. maybe if Bush had spent more time reading intelligence briefings and the US constitution .... ...
Yeah, but "See Dick Run" doesn't qualify as a real book, King George.
Yeah, I believe bush has even read 100 books in his entire lifetime! Just some more of the countless LIES spewed from rove and co.
Well, given Bush II's fondness for abandoning Washington regularly for his Texan "paradise" in Crawford, he surely had enough time just on Air Force 1 to read all those books. Then add in the fact that the man pretty much ran the country on autopilot (with co-pilot Cheney stepping in every once in a while to make sure things were going in his intended flight path), it's no mystery that Bush II was able to be such an ardent patron of the printed arts compared to Obama.
Well, that is a bit unfair. President Obama has a country to run, two wars to handle, fix the economy, etc...
George W. had all day to read books and clear "brush" when he was President.
Maybe ex President Bush would have done a better job if he had spent more time governing and less time reading novels and going on vacation.
Ha. Well, if ROVE said it, it must be true. Sorry, but huge LOL.
you must be joking, do you want Bush insulted?
there is nothing nice to say to this post, so I will leave it, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel
I got a new bet: How many books can you read that are pertinent to governing? Keep up the the hard work Mr. President, I applaud your sacrifice!
What utter drivel. Do we want to test them on comprehension? And since when does the number of books one reads as President matter? Bush spent a lot of time in Crawford clearing brush too. Oh wait, that was for the cameras. And, there was that reading he was doing while the Trade Centers were dropping...does that count? Dont we have anything better to go on here guys?
I think this is because he is actually working. Had Bush been reading the intelligence reports instead of Dr. Seuss, maybe he would have seen 9/11 coming.
It looks like Bush should have been reading a lot more books on economics!!!!!
Well, that explains it. Nero fiddled while Rome burned and George read books while our economy faltered and the world was going to hell in a hand basket.
I don't know if competing against a make-believe Bush pace makes any sense. Shouldn't he be reading more briefing books or spending time with his kids?
Maybe we should compare number of pages and reading level, not the number of books. Some of the pop-up books only have 5 pages.
Did comic books count?
Reading the bible "cover-to-cover" every year? Youd think doing it once was enough.
I hope when he read the bible, President Bush read about forgiveness, loving one's enemies, turning the other cheek, but I guess he stuck more to the Old Testament, particularly stories about the destruction of cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. Guess he was trying to beat Loki in the Shock and Awe department. And with Bush taking all that vacation time, I'm sure he was able to read so many books while the country when to hell.
I wonder how much of these books EX-President Bush actually
comprehended. There is a great deal of difference in reading and
comprehending. Same goes for the Rove character.
Want to bet Bush counted "the very hungry caterpillar" in his total?
Bush should have focused on doing his job instead - his chance to be a literate person was long gone already.
Could the difference in number of books read be due to Obama's penchant for reading documents/reports/studies etc. that keeps him abreast of the current condition of our country? And by contrast Bush (and Rove for that matter) had more time on their hands because they didn't have a clue about what was happening in America due to their indifference and their myopic views!
How is this news??how does this affect the country?
And besides,Obama doesn't have anytime to read because he's too busy fixing up the mess that Bush made.
Comparing Obama's reading of netherland to Bush's reading of "See spot run" is hardly fair!
The shrubs 100 consisted of "My Pet Goat", pop up picture books and coloring books with page numbers.
This is too funny!
We are really supposed to believe this crap about Bush reading books?!
And the punchline: More books than Obama...
Nice try guys...now pull the other one!
Two books a week? On a president's schedule?
I guess that depends on your definition of 'reading' a book. Maybe 'reading in', or 'opening the cover', or physically touching at least once'.
Do the math: Let's say the average book runs 250 pages. That's 500 pages a week. let's assume that the average reader gets through a page about every 60 seconds. 500 minutes. that's about 8 hours a week.
A FULL WORKDAY spent in leasure reading EVERY WEEK FOR YEARS ON END? When POTUS's schedule is worked out weeks in advance in 8-minute increments around the clock??? Sorry guys. Go sell it somewhere else, I'm not buying.
Ok, I'm a fairly well-educated, well-read person who thinks that reading is a wonderful free time hobby that few take part. However, I think this little blurb sums up the entire wasted 8 years of Bush's presidency. Why was he reading two-three books a week when he should have been reading the daily reports!
Although I agree they are human and need downtime this is one Bush-era piece o' junk I hope Obama doesn't bother with.
This is pretty hilarious. I'm curious to see what George Bush's book selection was compared to Obama's. Maybe Rove and Bush read Dr. Seuss, thus explaining the possible falling behind from Obama.
Were they books or Classics Illustrated comics about the Crusades? Obama has actually been doing his job, instead of knocking off early every night, or spending huge chunks of time away from his job and bragging about ignoring CIA reports on such subjects as threats to highjack and crash jets into skyscrapers, and giving ceremonies to honor his cronies leaving government while a major US city was being destroyed by his negligence. Noblisse neglect. I suspect Obama actually reads and comprehends his books and that they are relief from the heavy reading load he has on his desk. I doubt his reading will inspire him to think of himself as a dumb-downed version of Prince Valiant.
10 pages novels that Bush reads, about the small dog who met a frog for the first time, does not count.
I can read 1000s of these in a year.
There is always a direct correlation (I've found) between heavy reading and eloquence. My apologies, this is not meant to be a Bush-bash comment but... 100 books a year? Yet he couldn't formulate a cohesive sentence very often. I mean no disrespect, really, but it's so hard to believe. I must say I'm really surprised.
George Bush didn't strike me as the kind of guy who reads books .. maybe comic books, but not grown-up books.
Former President Bush may have read 95 books in one year and only 55 in another year but look at the book he is pictured reading in Florida on 9-11 when the Twin Towers were hit and tell me again about how many books the man would read in a year.
Bush didn't have anything better to do, what with Cheney being in control. Lord knows he took more vacation than any other President.
I'd rather have Obama attending to his job. He's done plenty of reading in his life. Bush was probably catching up after an adult life when he rarely cracked a book.
Yeah right!!!!!!
I don't believe for a second that Bush read that many books. Not ones intended for adults anyway. Board books maybe, but even that I doubt.
if you look at how Bush kept the economy, it would make sense to how he could fit in all of those books.
Obama on the otherhand, while reading less is taking care of the mess Bush left.
no wonder Bush didn't get anything done while in office!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!! Alexander Mooney, go to Fox news!!!!! no wonder the increasing repug slant in all articles on the Ticker....disgusting!!!!!!
i don't care what anyone says. bush did not read that many books. even if he actually looked at all the words, he did not process them. everyone knows reading improves your writing and speaking skills. if someone reads 100 books in a year, it should be apparent!
I bet to my last pennies that Bush is not smart enough to read a book books... he simply can't read... maybe his mom is reading it for him....
I have to admit, I am surprised. What I can not figure out is how all that reading didn't stick. I'm not trying to be mean, just perplexed. Maybe he was just looking at the pictures!
If Bush was reading 100 books a year then he wasn't working enough and that was pretty obvious. Half of the books would have been read at his ranch in Crawford as he was their much of the time having more vacation time than any President in History, so before we laud him let's call it for what it is....more propaganda.
Ten books a year for Obama is great, he can be at work for us the rest of the time!
Well i don't think Obama has as much leisure time as Bush. After all Bush did take almost a year and a half off during his presidency! Maybe bush should have read a bite less and governed more. Just a thought. I am all for reading, but man we have so much that need fixing, pleasure reading, kinda needs to be put off. At least O took the night off to be a goof family man. But again, GOP complains about one night out in NYC, but the yr and a half off with Bush was A.OK?
Now we know why he ruined the Country: He was reading Little Red Riding Hood!
Quick! Some one send him an economics book!!!
Obama should read Atlas Shrugged. Maybe he will learn a thing or two.
Oh Please! I'd rather have a president that reads less novel and more staff reports...
I'd rather have a president that made his work a priority.
Wow...good to know bush had so much free time on his hands.....
Two questions:
How many of Bush's books were mostly pictures?
If he did, in fact, read the Bible "from cover to cover", how did he miss the bits about lying the nation into an invasion and occupation, while claiming he was doing it as "God's Will" to "bring democracy to the Middle East"? (Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors property, and Thou shalt no take the Lord's name in vain, respectively)
Too busy running up the tab going to NYC ... he should read more often – it's cheaper for the taxpayers.
100 Dick and Jane books and the Picture Story Bible in one year isn't that much of an accomplishment.
Should of read those intel reports a little better. We might could have avoided this little Iraq thing.
Kinda reminds you of that scene from the titantic.
When you spend 1/3 of your term at Camp David or your Crawford ranch doing things like ignorning Al Qaeda threats against the US, of course you have more time to read!
The only problem is, all of the books Bush read were written by Dr. Seusse! Its not to hard to compete with "Green Eggs and Ham" or "Horton Hears a Who"!
well that explains why the country was being run by dick, ol karl and him distracted bush with the Captain Underwear series of books... Wow, now its proven that rove WAS bushes brain. How pathetic is that man? 100 books year? I am a mother of 2 running a home and a job, not even CLOSE to the job it is to be president and I am lucky to finish 4 books a year!! Another example of bush not doing his job!!
Marx and Lenin. You will soon own nothing as all assets are moving towards government control.
I've moved my money to Ireland and will re-locate there. You can stay here and be taxed to death. Bon chance.
At least now we know what the Bush's day looked like. Rove went on to brag about nap and story time hours logged, as well.
Maybe Obama's too busy and actually fulfilling his duty as President instead of having free time to read!
There is nothing to suggest or offer proof that Bush was capable of reading 100 books a year.
Sorry Rove, but children's books don't count.
". . . far less than the close to 100 books President Bush was reportedly able to finish in the same amount of time."
Yes, but how many of those books actually contained words?
I don't think either of them should have time during the day to read anything other than briefings. Maybe a little light reading before bed like most people, but how on earth did Bush manage to read 2 books a week while we are at war? Really, that makes sense though. I'm sure Rove and Cheney just handed him a new one every so often and said "Go read this Mr. President, you don't want to know what we're doing."
Well then, while I'm certainly not one to discourage reading, sounds like Obama is on a more realistic reading schedule for a man running the country. Maybe if Bush and Rove had spent less time reading books and trying to out do each other on some silly bet, and spent more time out and about the country, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.
Perhaps Obama doesn't not have time to read books because he is busy doing his job as president. I don't think it's anything for Bush to be proud of .
I would rather have him work than read books for pleasure. I know that he needs time off to do fun things. I believe by being active (football, golf, even dating) he sets as good as example as reading. Reading sets a good example too, but I believe he is following the mantra of "all things in moderation".
I think bus lied about how many books he read. He did not read newspapers. His staff were told to keep memos short as president bush did not like to read long ones. GWB was a very dishonest person and so I just don't believe this. Let's see, 100 books per year, that's 3 books a week. Do you believe that. The guy barely got through college.
Who really think Bush read 95 books in one year? I know for a fact that the "Dick and Jane" primers did not have 95 books in the entire series. Who does he think he is kidding?
I have no doubt that Bush read many books while in office and during an election year. After all, he had Chaney to act as president. I'd like to see the list of book titles. Did it include any Disney titles?
Too bad Bush didn't have time to read a "P.D.B." in August 2001....
Yeah, but Bush's total has to take into account how many were comic books and picture books. No way I believe he read that many for real.
Bush read a book? Ok what's the punch line?
Yeah, well, Obama works for a living instead of just leaving everything up to the V.P. and his croneys.
Picture books don't count, Mr. Bush...
This is rich. Am I expected to believe Bush read this many books in one year? He certainly had plenty of time as he never really performed in the office to which he was selected by five Supreme Court cronies. I, however, do not believe he read even one book in a year, not even the Bible. Only a fool would believe this nonsense because most people realize Bush cannot read.
Bush himself said he wasn't much of a reader. The number of books he allegedly read was all propaganda to play down his mediocre cowboy image.
10 books per year for bush must be a lie. His vocabulary didn't show it and he acted like a complete moron while in office.
Maybe President Obama is reading the daily briefings instead!
I guess we know what Bush was doing when the rest of his cabinet was ruining this country. I think Bush was the classic story of a generally good guy hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Obama – Engaged President who has a brain
Bush – Disengaged reader who...well, it was obvious wasn't it?
If Obama took as much vacation time as Bush did, I'm sure he's surpass his reading list. Certainly the level of reading would be a lot higher. Eight years in office,three of them on vacation- lots of time to read comic books and Harry Potter and clear brush, I'd say.
Maybe that's why Bush never read any of the official reports.... Compared to Pride and Prejudice, I bet national security and torture allegations are incredibly boring. And does this include Dr. Suess books? Does this include the book he was reading to children when our nation was attacked?
There are more important things the president should be reading than romance novels 'for funsies.' Ever since I've started working for my Ph.D., my recreational reading has drastically dropped. That is due to the passion and fervor I have for persuing knowledge and my studies.
I sincerely hope this president is more concerned with what is happening in the world and check facts before we invade another country than he is in Harry Potter's most recent misadventure.
So THAT's what the taxpayers got for the money spent on Cheney's PUPPET.
Gee...No wonder the country went belly up ....
Bush was too busy reading books instead of taking care of our country.
Figures....
obama's disadvantage. michelle has to read to him.
he only reads Indonesian.
Even CNN confirms that President Bush is an avid reader. So to all you liberal Bush haters! TAKE THAT! I am sure you will find away to divert attention from the fact that President Obama doesn't read as much! Actually this is just a silly story to have fun with but some of you (you know who you are:Mari, Sniffit, Simmy, Dutch, the usual suspects) will get ugly and not JIGGY with it! PEACE!
Hmmmm, Bush read 95 books in 2006? Does "Cat in the Hat" and "Where's Waldo" really count?
What a pile of horse rubbish. Bush read 100 books a year? Without crayons?
I would prefer Obama to spend his time doing his job, not polishing off two books a week. Perhaps this is the reason for Bush's presidential failures.
I don't really believe that Bush read the bible cover to cover every year. Speaking as a former Christian who HAS read the bible cover to cover, if most Christians actually DID read the bible cover to cover, there would be a lot less Christians.
Maybe Bush should have spent a little more time applying himself to his job and less time pleasure reading. I'd rather have a president who did his job then one who seemed like his main goal in life was to keep himself entertained.
bush read a 100 books in a year?... should i mock and jeer or just stay quiet and let the silent do my bidding?
Mr. Mooney seems to assume one reads one book at a time, and as we know President Obama is multi-tasking, like many avid readers.
What I measure about Bush is how much time he apparently didn't have for our concerns, versus his own.
sure bush can read.....
Bush can't read ten Words in a Year!!!
It's not how many books one reads; it's what one gets from reading them. I suspect Obama has learned and will be a better president from reading the 30 books he has than Bush did in all the books he read during his presidency.
How long will this lame "joke" go on ??
Does ANYONE really believe that Bush read ~100 books a year While president !?
Now that he has so much more time, he must be reading at least one a Day!?
C'Mon ....
No wonder the country was going to hell. Bush was busy reading 100 books! Probably about torture.
Ummm... this entry should shut up. Maybe Obama has less time to read because he actually works instead of taking vacations and having all his decisions made by his inner circle. I fart in your general direction.
Love,
Plainview
Good!! Maybe he's actually doing his job!!!!
I'm watching MSNBC because I can no longer stand the hate and divisiveness on CNN, and really don't like the Communistic Censorship of Mooney, Henry, etc.
Of course we all know that just like the illusrtious members the president never read the porkulus spending bill..too bad..maybe even he would have vetoed his own bill..of course now that he owns chrysler and general motors he has plenty of laid off uaw workers to read to him
I'd wager Obama is spending more of his time actually being president than Bush did. But that's just a guess.
Of course Bush had time to read so many books, since he never read the daily security briefings...
Why is this News worthy? Who cares? The reason Bush read so many books is because he did not know what else to do. Maybe if he actually put down his books and did something we would not be in this mess. Is CNN again just making up news so they have something to talk about? Recession, two wars, North Korea testing missiles, Pakistan at war with the Taliban, GM bankrupt, America bankrupt, and CNN thinks this is news worthy! Give me a break! Get rid of cable news networks, Fox can go first.
Anyone who has the time to read 2 books per week, has a lot of free time!! The POTUS should NOT have that much free time!
There's NO WAY Bush can read....
In my opinion it's better to have a president who will have more to his legacy than just reading a lot of books during his time in office.
The reason why Obama hasn't kept pace with Bush's reading schedule? Let me see, (a) Bush has been prone to misrepresenting the facts, (b) Obama is actually taking the presidency seriously, and (c) Obama is not just a figurehead while his vice-president runs the country – he's smart enough and curious enough to actually function as the POTUS.
Obama needs to follow Bush's lead. "The Pet Goat" is nice and short and can be read while everyone else panics around you.
What do you expect... This is the quality-vs. quantity argument once again. "My Pet Goat" takes less than 10 minutes to read. Compare that to the 800 page biography of Lincoln "Team of Rivals" and Obama wins everytime!
Not hard to read a lot of books when you treat the presidency as a 9-5 job and spend 1/3 of your presidency on vacation in Crawford. Something tells me Obama is logging quite a few more hours on the job than Bush did.
If only W stayed away from the pop up book section of the library he could have kept an eye on the scum bags that took out the WTC on 9/11 or maybe he could read a few geography books that show where exactly Afghanistan is located.
Is it possible that President Obama doesn't have as much time on his hands as Georgie boy. Unbelievable the audacity of these low lives from the last administration. Thousands of lives and trillions of dollars and all we have to show for it is a divided nation in the poor house. God save this once great nation from its detractors. The GOP
LOL – It's easy to read 95 books a year when you're letting the country fall apart. Obama will never be able to match this. While terrorists flew planes into the WTC, Bush read. While the economy tanked, Bush read. While Hurricane Katrina survivors suffered in a stadium, Bush read. While 4000 US soldiers died in a pointless war, Bush read.
I'm sure proud of him. All this time, I thought for sure he couldn't read.
Bush had a bet with Rove over how many books he could read. Guess this explains why W was reading a childrens' book while the Towers collapsed.
I hear Rove also reminds us that President Bush kept alert at press conferences by mentally solving differential equations, and won a wager with Rove over who could more quickly sequence the genome of the squirrel monkey.
What other books did he read after finishing the "Hardy Boys" series and "Box Car Kids"?
Okay, Okay, just a joke (don't have a cow).
But, before I went back to school and finished my Masters, I would read about 100 books each year and it took a whole lot of my time away from other very important work! Hmmm, interesting!
"According to Karl Rove"
nm
Here's the difference. Obama is actually reading the books! Every time Bush was queried concerning a book from his reading list, he never could converse about the books plot or theme.
In 2006, Bush read 95 books to Roves 110: a Herculean pace of nearly two books a week — in an election year to boot — for the ex-president. And if that's not impressive enough, Rove also said Bush found time to read the Bible "from cover to cover" every year.
Please, I don't think he should be counting Cliff Notes!
The test is how much he actually understood.
Uhm Children's book's should not count on this list....
How is this news??? Reading is fundamental but fixing the economy is a priority. I'd rather him not read as many books as he & his administration work diligently to fix the economy initiated by the previous administration. It's quite easy to read 100 books when you are not fixing problems.
Did "My Pet Goat" count as one of those books Bush read?
No matter. George Bush was, is, and forever will be, a not very bright, remarkably uncurious, uninsightful man, who disgraced our country with his bluster and arrogance and presided over the commission of terrible war crimes. Karl Rove may have read a lot of books, but none which contributed to his moral development.
Neither of them compares very favorably with Barack Obama on any measure.
Didn't comprehend a word he read. What a waste of time.
Bush could read? Come on now. I doubt very seriously that he read that many books in his whole life. Comprehension skills – none!
Reading speed and reading comprehension are not synonymous.
I don't believe for a minute that Bush ever read any books. He just carried them around for show.
"Rove said"
Rove's lying.
Most of my childhood accidents happened on my fathers watch, because he always had his nose in a book and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.
Come on Bush got a free pass by reading see spot run once a week. He said it kept his mind as sharp as it has ever been.
Seriously?
“I said I was looking for a book to read, Laura said you ought to try Camus. I also read three Shakespeares. … I’ve got a eck-a-lec-tic reading list.” –George W. Bush, interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, New Orleans, La., Aug. 29, 2006
He's a bit busy cleaning up the mess his well read predecessor left him. Maybe if Bush didn't spend so much time reading and vactioning the country wouldn't be in the utter shambles it is in now. So, Mr. Mooney would you kindly refrain from this snark disguised as journalism and report on something newsworthy. How about Cheney admiting this weekend there never was a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda ?
I'd rather he be doing than reading. Of course, that whole argument that crops up from the GOPers when he takes a flight to Vegas, for example, will fall by the wayside in this commentary section.
Besides, are they counting coloring books in the Bush column?
Yeah, but Bush was reading books like "My Pet Goat", so it wasn't that hard to rack up 100. Laura kept him supplied with elementary reading material.
well it seems we know what president bush was doing on all those vacations he took while the country was falling apart.....
Another crack story from CNN. Makes me wonder why you guys are so far behind MSNBC and FoxNews in the ratings. Maybe if Bush read more briefings than books, Obama could be reading more books instead of briefings.
Sorry – don't believe that Bush read 95 books a year at all (maybe not even in his lifetime!) . Unless we're talking Dr. Seuss? Of course maybe I'm being unfair – after all he was on vacation about 100 days a year and when he wasn't clearing brush in Midland he could spend time reading because he sure wasn't working like the rest of us.
Wow-–THIS is news? This is the best you can do? Great investigative depth here.....
Maybe you could pucker up and kiss his behind a bit more......
Jeez.
The George W Bush Library will have a special section for the books from George's childhood.
It will include the 62 coloring books he finished as a child and the 186 coloring books he completed while President...
I'd prefer my President not have time enough to finish 100 books in a year. That's a little disturbing to me. I find comfort in knowing it is taking months for Obama to finish just one.
I have a hard time believing Bush read anything. If he did indeed read as much as he said, it was large;y because of his abundance of leisure time. CNN is implying that Obama is not Bush's intellectual equal, perhaps?
Bush read? I didn't think he knew how.... wonder if the book(s) was upside down.
If Bush was reading a 100 books a year than he wasn't doing his job...wait thats it....
I didn't know Obama could read!!!!! Or am I a racist for saying something negative towards the Messiah???? I don't know why I bother to write this because CNN doesn't have the integrity to provide a forum for dissenting views.......
C'mon....pop up books and comic books don't count!
Hey...did you guys count "My LIttle Goat" the book he was reading when paralyzed by 9/11?...he didn't finish that one either....
Let's see...Liberals used to make fun of the fact that Bush didn't read. Now it appears that he was reading more than their hero (BO). I assume they'll change the taunts now to be that he should not have been reading so much. Liberals are used to being able to say whatever they want, knowing that the media would never challenge them, and their liberal followers on this site will do and say whatever their people in front tell them to.
Liberalism = blind, unthinking followers
Well Barack Obama is too busy being a president to being reading books he has enough stuff to read that is more important.
Well...let's remember that with Cheney and Rumsfeld running the country, old George had plenty of time to read....
If anyone believes that Bush actually read 95 books a year, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Bush FAMOUSLY did not like to read newspapers, and here's Bob Woodward:
WOODWARD: I think he’s impatient. I think, my summation: He doesn’t like homework. And homework means reading or getting briefed or having a debate. And part of the presidency, part of governing, particularly in this area, is homework, homework, homework.
Maybe some fact-checking by CNN would be a good thing.
And we believe Rove? If we really believe him, then obviously President Bush was spending too much time reading and not enough time governing. Either way, Rove's story sounds a lot like that WMD that was supposed to be in Iraq.
Well it's easy to read 95 books in a year when 94 of them are children's picture books!
Anyone who believes the propaganda that Bush actually read even a single book during his term in office is kidding themselves.
Um.. if someone is working they have less time to read, but if someone is delegating they are plenty of time to read. This is not newsworthy.
Who has time to read two books a week when you're the president?
The difference here, you understand, is that Obama has a job. Bush didn't.
Counting children's books from Bush's list really isn't fair.
"Frog and Toad Are Friends" and "Where the Wild Things Are," although fantastic in their own right, are not exactly time-consuming reading material.
For most of us.
Glad to hear it. He's spending more time doing his job than his predecessor. It's quite telling.
Does reading "My Pet Goat" count?
Bush reading "See Jack Run" does not count as serious reading folks!
well here is the thing. It's understanding what you read that makes all the difference in the world. my other point is that Obama has a much tougher job of not only creating new opportunities but repairing the damage that his predecessor's administration was responsible for.
Too bad Bush didn't learn anything from all those books.
well if all I read were childrens books i would keep pace with Bush too.
I honestly think the Bush vs Rove reading wager was a lie to get people to think the ex president was smarter than he looks. There is no way he reads that much and can stll be so illiterate/inarticulate. It's either that or he just skims pages thinking he's "reading" the book. Maybe if he didn't spend so much time "fake" reading than he probably would have gotten a few things done. He should probably read his national security memos instead.
It's because Obama is too busy WORKING for the American people to repair the damage of his predicessor who has always been happy with the bare minimum his entire life.
Does anyone care to list what other books Mr. Bush is "polishing off" every week? I don't hesitate to surmise two points: 1) our current commander-in-chief spends more time doing his job than his predecessor did; 2) the reading quality of the former is disputable.
But you be the decider.
Obviously, then, Bush is well-read than Obama. Not!!!
Yeah, Bush read all those books. Sure.
Coloring and children's books are ineligible for this informal competition. Also, this comparison also doesn't take reading comprehension into account. I'm glad Obama isn't reading many books... it's probably because he's reading security briefings and legislation proposals.
Less hands on in everyday governing would have given Bush more time to read. Governing really isn't a reading contest. If so did Bush skim read or read for content? Either way it is silly.
obama is actually utilizing his time being president while bush read my pet goat during 9/11
Only the progressively state run media would try to match up Bush's 100 books to Obams' 10 tales of Curious George..
Coloring and children's books are ineligible for this informal competition. This comparison also doesn't take reading comprehension into account. I'm glad Obama isn't reading many books… it's probably because he's reading security briefings and legislation proposals.
It takes longer to read them from a teleprompter.
The ability to read 100 books in a year and spend one-thirdof the time in Texas might lead one to believe that the man was not paying attention to his job.
Yeah, right.
BUSH NEVER read a book in his life unless it had lots of big pictures...and no print..
Two things: First – you'd have to believe that Bush actually read and comprehended the books he claimed to have read. Second – Obama is actually working as president not just sitting at the desk in the oval office. He's reading briefings – you know – like the one back in August of 2001 that said terrorists were determined to strike targets in the US....
W can read? Well maybe it's better for Obama to read what he's reading than it is for him to read the Bible or "Return to Gone Away Lake".
Bush had all that reading time because he worked 24/7. 24 hours a week, 7 months a year.
Does anyone seriously believe Rove's claims? He doesn't exactly have a sterling record of honesty.
I don't believe comic books and children books should count for Bush
Does teleprompter reading count?
"Bush found time to read the Bible "from cover to cover" every year."
It would be good if Obama, who also claims to be a Christian, would read the Bible from cover to cover every year, especially if he took it to heart and didn't think some scriptures were "obscure". Any president who thinks his wisdom is better than God's is foolish. Any person who thinks his wisdom is better than God's is foolish. Time will prove these statements true.
That is the dumbest flipping thing I've seen yet. Exactly what won't you people dig up and present as news?
After listening to bush for 8 years, there is NO WAY he read all the books rove said he did.
One thing became crystal clear during the years we were subjected to bush and his policies, is this... It was obvious bush was the MOST UNCURIOUS President this nation has EVER had to suffer from.
We all know that bush didn't read his PDBs, so how can anyone swallow the lie he read 110 books in a single year. Well, unless they were comic books.......
Judging bush on his overall lack of intellect, comic books could even be too advanced for his uncurious mind.
yeah...... this comes from ROVE.... okayyyy.
no wonder the economy tanked..............he was busy waging bets with Rove to see who can read the most books. and to be honest with you, I am really surprised......how can you read that many books and still speak the language very poorly?
It's easy to read when you're sitting in a chair watching the country fall apart.
lets be honest, i dont think george w. bush read 100 books in his life to date. for someone who reads so much, he didnt seem very informed. he certainly seemed to have enough time to read that many books
Of course Obama will never read the number of books that Bush did, the books he reads have words in them instead of pictures.
My guess is Obama is too busy cleaning up the mess Bush made when he wasn't paying attention.
On your mark get set go...let the reading marathon begin!
This was propaganda to believe that Bush read as many books as claimed. He never referenced any or advised what he learned in any reading. As for Rove, well they all appeaar to be liars. So what would be new.
I am tempted to ask about the comprehension of the books in question and I suppose that is why you folks posted this "news" item. Not takin the bait.
I read Netherland and didn't cruise through it either – too much on the topic of Cricket. A worthwhile read but I understand someone who puts it down to finish later -
Is Rove counting 'My Pet Goat?'
I f Obama was more intellegent than Bush maybe we would have seen his college grades or were his a gentlemans C like Kerry. If Obama was really intellegent why was he not an engineer or scientist for his undergrad program like a lawyer I work with. I think he partied like a frat boy in college as his freshman pictures showed him smoking a joint. I see him as no more intellegent than anyother President in recent history. He may feel your pain like Clinton which makes him so popular with the left.
Bush was only able to read so many books because he was on vacation so much. Obama is too busy taking care of repairing all the damage done by the Bush Administration to read so much.
That's because President Obama is...umm...running the country.
first I don;t believe Bush actually read that many books,
second, even so, Obama don't have the leisure time Bush did.
Is this news??? Who cares – I read less than 50 books a year, but my wife reads 130+ books a year. Does that mean I have to keep up w/ her reading?? My reading is targeted, while my wife reads all sorts from Adventure, thriller to detective and romance. The notion that Obama should speed-up his reading because Bush read more trashy stuff within the specified period is preposterous.... He read more books while driving the economy to it's current mess. I will rather read less books and stay focused in the business of governance...
Uhh... and I believe Karl Rove because????
With all the books Bush read, its a wonder anything got accomplished.....wait, nothing did.
It's easy to finish 95 books when you're reading "The Pet Goat." Oh wait, I forgot, Bush didn't actually get to finish that.
Nearly a hundred books a year? Hmmmm. Well, I guess that explains not reading his PDB that warned of the 9/11 attacks.
Glad we settled that.
But Bush wasn't doing anything. Cheney was running the country.
Yeah. But GW counted comic books.
Jeez, I guess he's worst than we thought. He read all these books and yet he still can't pronounce nu-cle-ar. Shame. Shame. I guess he should've spent his time working instead.
I believe everything Karl and George tell me, don't you?
They are trying to re-write history
I don't believe George can read or comprehend.
The neo- feudals are always complaining about Barracks teleprompter- as if they have never seen one
That's because George memorized his speeches- you can tell by the way he recites them- he doesn't even comprehend what he is saying
Remember his first speeches- he was being fed the lines in his ear
maybe they still do that – they just got better at hiding the wire
Ask his daughters if he ever read to them
His father was probably hoping laura would teach him to read
Someone should talk to his grammer school teachers- they know
Karl might read but it won't do him any good
I wish more people would read at their pace.
This is pure nonsense. Bush in no way read 100 books in any year. Rove's exaggerations are obvious. I'd like to see the list of these books – bet W has no clue what they're about.
Surprised?
what a bunch of hogwash – "My Pet Goat" is certainly not in the same league as "Netherland". Sure the Idiot W could read 100 books a year – all less then 100 pages each.
Again – more Hogwash from the GOP!
I find it very hard to believe that George W. Bush has ever read a single book in his entire life.
I am so glad to see that President Bush had time to read so many books a year while being President of this country. Health care, energy independence and other issues were not important I guess.
Where are those conservatives pointing out the fact that President Obama can not keep up with that? He started "Netherland" in April, it has been 2 months ....
Since all this reading CLEARLY didn't make him any smarter, maybe Bush should have put down the books and focused on the economy. We might not be in the cluster$#%& we're in!
I think I am less interested in how many books he can read in a year than I am about how he is performing as a President! Could really care less how many novels he can read when our world needs his attention more. Just my opinion.
I can polish off more books when I'm on a long vacation, too. I notice when I'm busy at work, I have trouble keeping up with my leasure reading.
Well, there's reading and then there's reading comprehension. Two different things entirely.
Mr Bush spent his time reading instead of caring for the economy.
See where that got us!
Obama doesn't have that luxury. I won't be disappointed if he read less than 2 books/month.
It's nice to see former President Bush had so much leisure time during his time in office.... Not like there were any pressing issues or anything.
Did Bush include the "The Pet Goat' in his 100 books- the book he was reading for seven minutes after being told the 2nd aireplane hit the WTC on 9/11? People are dying and the country is under attack and this guy continues to read for 7 more minutes... unbelievable. What did you do when you heard about the attacks. Can you imagine sitthing there and counting to 60 seven times and then reacting?
I have a full-time job and 2 kids and wish i could read more. 100 books? No wonder why he screwed the country up. It's 101 George- don't forget the seven minutes of Pet Goat.
Thank God we have a President who is actually WORKING for the American people instead of sitting around reading romance novels in order to try and beat his Brain.
Just how many times has Bush read "Goodnight Moon"?
Reading fast means nothing if you don't learn anything from your readings.
Yes Pres Bush could afford to read so many books because he was not as engaged with leading the country as he was elected to do (that is of course if Karl can be believed). I seriously believe that Karl Rove is not telling the truth, nothing that guy says should be believed by any sane person, he is a fraud and should actually be in jail for all his lies and criminality. However considering the hypocrisy in American politics, I seriously believe this guy will go scot free. That is justice for you!
This worries me slightly. I was under the impresion that Obama was the solution to the overwhelming ignorance of the former administration. I can't help but recall how Bush was portrayed as a complete idiot by the media, and how the same media has painted BHO as some kind of prodogy who is incapable of doing wrong and is superior to Bush in every way. This information must be flawed somehow, cause there's no way that Obama is not as well read as dumb ole Bushie!
Anyone who believes the barely literate Bush read even a dozen books a year needs to get their head examined. Given how little he worked he probably had time to read hundreds, but that would take time away from the constant golfing and vacationing he took while the nation crumbled.
With all due respect to former President Bush, I do not believe he read 100 books in a year or in his life. No disrespect to Bush, but I didn't think he could read!
Think you should check those numbers again- pop-up books don't count.
I think it's fair to say that the priorities of these two presidents are quite different. The war is still going on AND the economy is still in relative crisis. The fact that President Obama may not read the reported "100" books (including picture and pop-up) that Bush may have read, does not detract from the fact that Obama likely has less free time then did Bush for the past few years. The idea that our president actually has time to read in general tells me that the country is still in pretty good shape as a whole.
I can't believe Bush knows how to read...read what?....comic books?
Three things could skew that theory:
1. Obama reads more than one book at a time (I do).
2. Obama is re-reading Netherland
3. Obama took a break from Netherland and read other books before re-visiting it.
Hmm. This could explain why Bush never knew what Cheney was cooking up. And he may have read the Bible every year, but he must have skipped the parts about Jesus and treating others the way you wish to be treated. I don't think he meant that we were to torture anyone.
Obama should read Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" next. It might help him reverse from the disastrous course he has set.
He doesn't have time for lot's of light reading. Bush probably should have spent less time reading books and more time reading his daily briefs. Had this been the case, President may have had more leisure reading time.
Epic fail CNN, with this sort of reporting its no wonder your ratings are going down.
This news story is a confirmation that Bush was a part time president who failed to give presidential briefing papers adequate attention.
I'm a two-bit lawyer and I don't have time to "read." What were those bozos thinking?
Well, I'm here to tell you how George W. could read so many books in a year, when President Obama is reading so few:
1. George only read "graphic novels," aka comic books. They're easier to read. Shorter, fewer difficult words, and so forth.
2. President Obama actually works. It's hard to get a lot of reading done when you're also dealing with a banking crisis, the Big Three Automakers' bankruptcy, and an economy in recession. George, OTOH, took nearly two years' worth of vacation. It's easy to read on vacation!
3. President Obama actually understands what he reads.
Dr. Seuss doesn't count now does it? And remember W read books upside down....
Every citizen has a duty to educate himself so that he or she can vote wisely and participate in the national conversation intelligently. Most of the intelligence of the human race is communicated from generation to generation by books.
Pick up a good book on the middle east or oil or conservatism or liberalism or American history. Read it. Think about it while you're reading it. The internet has a lot of good stuff, but it's petty shallow. Mostly, you see 12,000 copies of the same thing over and over.
The national dialog is pretty unimpressive at the moment.
Obama is doing a lot more of the people's business–and doing an overall good job of it, too. The same cannot be said of Bush/Cheney.
Is this CNN's idea of news? It's a no brainer. Bush wasn't running the country and hence had loads of time to read. And he read his favourite `My pet goat' about 50 times.
All that obama reads it seems is how to ruin a country 101. along with books by marx, lenin and mussolini
No wonder the world fell apart all bush was doing was reading comic books for 8 years, another thing I did not know that he could read.
HAH Bush probably just flipped the pages looking for pictures and said he "read" it!
Did Obama finish the book that Hugo Chavez gave him?
The last book bush read was My Pet Goat.
I don't remember truth being a big priority in the Bush administration.
Consider, if you please, that while Bush was the presumptive POTUS, it was Dick Cheney who was actually running the country (into the ground). Thus, it's no surprise that left W plenty of time to read as many books as he wanted!
Bush read 100 books a year? Setting aside the easy jokes (which are so, so tempting), if we are to assume that figure is correct, and that the books were substantial two questions come to mind (1) reading at that pace did he actually retain and understand the books. I book is to be enjoyed, contemplated, thought about, etc. A book is not a race and (2) again assuming Rove is being truthful ( ahmm . . ) it seems to me that if Bush spent more time seriously thinking and learning about the policy issues he was faced with, rather than rushing through 8 books a month, he may not have been such a dismal President.
Takes a lot longer to read Netherland, than it does to read The Hungry Caterpillar and the Pet Goat.
Well if anybody toke 6-week vacations to middle-of-nowhere Crawford, Texas, sure he/she would get a lot reading done too...
Of course Bush finished 95 books. I heard his favorite was "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish".
Well, it doesn't take that long to read "My Pet Goat."
No wonder Bush had no time to take care of the country! It's a miracle the actual President still has time to even read one book per month. We are told that POTUS presently takes hundreds of pages of important files to his private quarters every night, or something to that effect. Perhaps Bush should have done the same. Defintely, the US of A is much safer now.
Number of books x quality of books x reader comprehension = literacy gain.
On this scale one suspects Obama 1, Bush 0.0000001.
He is going to bankrupt the country and this is what the media talks about...
The difference is that Obama is reading all government documents while Bush had people summarize them for him. That frees up a LOT of time.
Well that's probably because Obama is actually running the country instead of leaving all the governing to the Veep.