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George Bush entered the White House after one of the closest and most contested elections in U.S. history. Since taking office, the two-term president has served during some of the nation's most turbulent times. Take a look at the pivotal images from George Bush's presidency.
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- Organizers of an investment conference in the Cayman Islands have been forbidden from disclosing any details about a speech by former President George W. Bush in the offshore financial haven, an event spokesman said Thursday.
The keynote speech by the former president was "totally closed to all journalists," and conference organizers were banned from discussing any aspect of it even in general terms, spokesman Dan Kneipp said.
"We've got a complete blackout on discussing the Bush details," Kneipp told The Associated Press.
In an exclusive interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, the former President George W. Bush spoke frankly about alcohol abuse and his decision to quit drinking.
The restrictions were imposed by the former president's staff, he said. Bush was scheduled to speak Thursday evening at The Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman Island.
"It's totally their decision," Kneipp said of the decision to close the event to the media.
According to the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit website, Bush was to "offer his thoughts on eight years in the Oval Office, the challenges facing our nation in the 21st century, the power of freedom, and the role of faith."
Members of the Bush family, including George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, are featured in a video presentation at the Republican National Convention.
Sponsors of the conference include KPMG, a company that provides tax advisory services, and Deutsche Bank. It costs $4,000 to attend and other speakers include billionaire Richard Branson.
Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com
Cayman Islands officials are proud of the British territory's role as an offshore finance center. But members of the U.S. Congress and advocates for changes in tax laws have accused corporations and wealthy individuals of using so-called financial havens to improperly avoid taxes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Dont understand why travis is constantly bringing up bengazi Obama explained it all clearly bush had many attacks on embassys during his 8 misserble years in office lets hear some about them and then theres 911 two unfunded wars weapons of mass destuction ....not.... just fine young people killed for nothing,tax breaks for the wealthy and here he is caymen island bank accounts no tax for the U.S WAKE UP MORON.
George has slithered out from under his rock and has appeared in the Cayman Islands. No doubt to advise his rich friends on how to avoid taxes and to have faith.
This weekend Dick Cheney is taking Colin Powell bird hunting.
Remember this little toad is no longer president of the USA and he doesnt have the right to ban anyone from reporting anything. He is as opaque as he ever was and you guys are still upto your blowholes in denial. Of course there is money off shore or why would all these little robbers be gathered there? They are probably all collecting their money and moving it to new places so when Romney loses his cash is already socked away where no one can find it. You just watch...he will exit the country fast as he can after the election so he doesnt go to jail for extortion and tax fraud..I suggest he take afew of his buddies from Bushs house with him. These guys are a bunch of thieves.
Amazing how NBC can totally ignore the coverup in Benghazi, but is all over this Bush story. NBC will be sorely embarrassed when it fails to get their candidate reelected!
Travis did your daddy tell you to vote republicon and are you from texas maybe one of those right wing nut jobs?
Hey, for all you right winged tea baggers, didn't you ever read the bilble where it says "it is easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get to heaven". Even 2 thousand years ago the rich were criminals. No more greedy self absorbed, heartless, money grubbers for me, the 8 years with GW was all I could handle. I would rather watch us grow at a slow and steady rate than go back to loosing 800,000 jobs a month with top down economics.
One good thing will come out of this. At least GWB talks about what it means to have a drinking habit as opposed to being a full blown alcoholic. If people can be made more aware of that then his book has some redeeming value. Otherwise he is just a GOP shill to me.
skip Nicholson,
If you are better off than four years ago, you are obviously getting a share of my taxes.
No credit to the renewal of Bush's tax cuts?
No credit to the reduction of Social Security taxes?
Perhaps Skip is an oil company (corporations are people you know) and received a larger subsidy?
Or perhaps Skip is an Agribusiness Conglomerate and received an increase in corporate subsidies?
Perchance Skip is a military contractor, such as KBR, Haliburton, or Black Water/Xe and bribed, I mean received, a fat government contract?
So many possibilities.
So many clues.
Useless to the blind.
Gee, if only the Democrats could control Congress and the White House we might be able to eliminate these off-shore tax-avoidance hideaways.
Oh. But I forget. The mighty filibuster. Which would require 51 Senators to remove that particular odious rule. You know. Like the GOP threatened to do under Bush. The "Nuclear Option". But luckily it was saved. So Dems can filibuster really bad GOP nominees / legislation.
Tell me again about how the Dems used the filibuster to stop odious GOP Supreme Court appointments / legislation? Oh yeah. Hasn't happened.
Kabuki Theater of the Absurd: A comical show which convinces most Americans there's an actual economic / military difference within the DemoThuglican Party.
Ha! W with a muzzle! He might actually mutter something half intelligent!
he is actually speaking about how to invest to Cayman, just like Romney did
romney has done nothing illegal... he has paid all legal taxes,, he's just smarter than you all..
Nobody pays attention to a braindead dimwit like you thor. Go back to your cave and have a circle jerk with your hero, the dumbya bush.
thor: Don't forget the golden spoon and mega-millions he was born with that the rest of us had to exist without. And we don't know if he has done anything illegal as he wouldn't release his tax returns which could show he took advantage of the amnesty offered but we do know that his only claim to fame, Bain, was exporting and cutting jobs to make the wealthy investors money while costing the employees. His "just trust me" really doesn't promote a lot of faith as it is backed only by a history of taking care of himself and "the money".
RGiles:
Good points. Especially on the exporting of American jobs to foreign countries where corporations can take advantage of folks - like they did in America before people said enough and actually decided that the wealthy shouldn't be allowed to do as they please (child labor, horrific working conditions, etc.)
The problem today is that the Democratic and Republican parties have both been corrupted and merged. Their only difference is in social issues and branding.
The jobs Romney exported? Thanks to Free Trade.
Clinton = NAFTA
Obama = S. Korea, Columbia, Panama. Up next: Trans Pacific Partnership.
The 1% have won.
I am amazed at the idiots who don't look at Mitt's plans and recognize them.... Bush v2.0 !!!
Cayman speech!
totally closed to all journalists
Does it ring a bell? Mr. Romney?
Buck Fush!
he's a classy guy.. he could give speeches against the dems, but doesnt , unlike carter, who butts in all the time...
thor: Yea, he is classy guy alright, a spoiled little boy with a sociopathic personality disorder completely selfishly oriented and without a conscience. He doesn't give speeches pro-Republican candidates or anti-Democratic because they don't want him to as he is the negative they don't want to be associated with. There is more of the proof of just how bad he and Cheney were.
Arrest GW Bush for war crimes. He did NOTHING to prevent us from being attacked on 9/11 and he bankrupted this country for the 8 years he was in office
george bush = the Great Satan. that scumbag bush accelerated the destruction of America on purpose. he should
be hung as well as all the idiots who voted for him. may he burn in hell for eternity, and he surely will, as sure as there is a God in heaven. Enjoy screwing everyone on earth bush, since the last laugh will be on you FOOL.
The world Court might send the police to pick him up and try him of crimes against humanity. (The Hagen ) or He is checking Mitt offshore accounts.
so how many members of congress do you think have accounts there?
Why isn't he stumping for the Republican candidate? Isn't it customary for the last president to lend a hand to the current standard-bearer? I wonder what's wrong with that scenario this year?
Voting independent: He isn't "stumping" for the Republican candidates because they don't want to be associated with him - that in itself tells the real story.
Now, there will be those who would criticize this, but I'd remind you that YOUR president has imposed a total blackout on the Libya problem, thereby keeping info from you that you need in deciding whether to vote for the shyster. Bush is a private citizen. He's got a right to privacy.
Please let me now how Obama is able to impose a blackout on Libya news, considering the Internet allows me to access Al Jazeera, Haaratz, Der Spiegel, etc.
I wouldn't let the freaks in either.
waaa,waaa,waaa,i feel your pain liberal sheep.but you do know that he isnt president but your boy is, gas up 110%.hes not even in the u.s.so why do you care.i know your trying to take your mind off of the next 4 years.dont worry you will have to work though,and no unions in the new america
Bush let everyone know that the Lybia murders was not his fault. Contrary to what the F-cking liberals are saying its Obama's fault he let those 4 AMERICANS get butchered.
A Vet Here: Get real guy and control your obviously biased emotions. It has been clearly established that Obama had no fault in the matter, that he didn't make any decisions in the sequence of events as they naturally ocurred below him and that the situation existed long before he took office and could have occured on Bush's watch. So much lying is done to create hype and excite emotions but because it is biasedly dishonest it serves no purpose other than to serve the poltical interests of the few and mislead the people.
Drink some more of his KOOL AID THERE BUDDY. He sat in the situation room WATCHING and LISTENING to the ATTACK. He was ther the first hour of the attack when HELP was pleaded for the last man died 8 hours later and this jerk did NOTHING those are the facts. Don't you understand that you can fly a combat assualt team across the entire United States in less than 5 hours (so Im sure there was ample time to get help to them sence help was closer than that) don't tell me those 4 AMERICANS could not have been helped. By the way from experiance acombat assualt team would have ripped those attackers an new A$$. But you there BUMPKIN have been brain washed.
What needs to be realized is that these events, like book deals and privileged investment opportunities, are literally payback for favoritism extended during the ex-president's term. The compensation gained is exactly what GWBush was referring to when he bragged - he would pass his father and Bill Clinton in wealth acquired as after-office compensation - and was blantantly acknowledging his heavy focus on benefitting "the money" and thereby guaranteing their payback to him.
Who set up the timing of this meeting? Must have been a Democrat (or maybe just an American). Convenient timing to remind everyone of just where the Republican party's priorities are.