CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — An anti-President Bush museum rolled into his adopted hometown but found few willing to enter the biodiesel bus devoted to casting his legacy as a failure.
Only about two dozen people walked on the bus Wednesday and looked at critical exhibits on the Iraq war, economy, environment, health care, education and Hurricane Katrina.
Julie Blust, spokeswoman for Americans United for Change, the group that created the exhibits for the bus, said Crawford — the 700-resident, one-stoplight town near Bush's ranch where most folks support the man they consider their neighbor — was more of a symbolic stop among the 150 cities in the nationwide tour that started in June. In other cities, the bus has attracted dozens to hundreds of people, she said.
"We wanted to show the Bush legacy while he's still in office and look at his many disasters over the last several years," Blust said. "We thought, `What are his library and museum going to look like, and how can we counter that?' This is a type of museum on wheels so more people can see it."
Bush, who usually spends part of August at his ranch, was in Thailand on Wednesday en route to the Olympics in China.
Several tourists who strolled through Crawford on Wednesday said they had no interest in seeing the bus because they were there to buy souvenirs and think Bush has done a good job as president. They also said they were surprised to see any Bush protest just months before he leaves office.
Jamie Burgess, manager of The Red Bull gift shop, said she was not surprised by the low turnout for the "Bush Legacy Tour" and said she hoped protests would dwindle as Bush's term comes to an end.
"We're used to it, but we are tired of it," said Burgess, a Bush supporter whose store carries coffee mugs, Christmas ornaments and just about anything else carrying the president's name or picture.
Jim Harris, a retired postal worker from nearby Bellmead, said he went to see the bus because he opposes Bush. He lingered at the war and Katrina exhibits, which featured detailed timelines and video clips.
"I'm a Vietnam vet, and the Iraq war is a repeat for me," Harris said. "And seeing Katrina in New Orleans is still incredible to me."
Bush's presidential library, museum and public policy institute will be at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, about 120 miles north of Crawford.
