Bush, McCain, and Obama

Bush had a remarkable candor with other politicians; Bush was always willing to lie to his constituents; Bush got a kick out of screwing with people; Bush saw very little in Obama that would unsettle the basic achievements of his administration; Bush can hold a grudge.

All of these and more might explain the following:

The venue was the Oval Office. A group of British dignitaries, including Gordon Brown, were paying a visit. It was at the height of the 2008 presidential election campaign, not long after Bush publicly endorsed John McCain as his successor.
Naturally the election came up in conversation. Trying to be even-handed and polite, the Brits said something diplomatic about McCain’s campaign, expecting Bush to express some warm words of support for the Republican candidate.
Not a chance. “I probably won’t even vote for the guy,” Bush told the group, according to two people present.“I had to endorse him. But I’d have endorsed Obama if they’d asked me.”