Former Aides Come to George W. Bush's Defense

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

They knew the dissing of W was coming, since both presidential candidates used former President Bush as a punching bag last year. So when Barack Obama took over, some Bushies vowed to play defense when W's record was maligned. Thus was born www.43alumni.com, an online community of former Bush team members. "In the age of Facebook," says Bush spokesman Rob Saliterman, "it made sense to create the page to stay in touch with each other." Besides networking, 43alumni will be countering stories about Bush that his team feels are unfair. A section called Setting the Record Straight, says Saliterman, "will be responding to misleading and inaccurate comments about the president's record." The site is still under construction but will be up and running by summer. It will be funded with dues paid by Bushies.

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