George W Bush warns Trump about Putin on Ellen show

Ex US president Bush was on the popular Ellen Degeneres show where he took the opportunity to warn President Trump about Russian president Putin saying Putin would push and push and push until someone stands up to him, Bush also talked about the need for an independent press calling for a strong resistance to president Trumps ongoing war with some news media on the latest episode of the Ellen show. Watch video here Bush also talked about his apparent but surprising friendship with Michelle Obama and his new book Portraits of Courage published by the Crown Publishing group.

George W Bush – reuters

The Bush family including the oldest Bush, the also former president George H.W. Bush did not vote for President Trump with the Snr Bush and his wife missing Trump’s inauguration due to hospitalisation for pneumonia but were able to make the Superbowl two weeks later for the coin toss.President Bush caught renewed media attention during the last US presidential election which saw his cousin Jeb Bush dropping out early in the race after his disappointing finish in North Carolina which the then least favoured candidate Trump went on to win to secure the Republican nomination.

Ellen Degeneres also campaigned against President Trump using her show as a platform for Hillary Clinton and subsequently after her loss using same for those against the Trump presidency.

It is no news that the political establishment across both divides of the Republican and Democrats no doubt hate the idea that is Donald Trump and have been reeling from his unexpected win which defied polls and pundits.

It is however news that the former president Barrack Obama landed a record $60 million book deal with Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House, led by CEO Markus Dohle, was formed on July 1, 2013, with the merger of Penguin and Random House by Bertelsmann and Pearson, who own 53 percent and 47 percent, respectively according to the publishers global website.

Obama is not the first president to land a book deal as others like Bill Clinton and George W Bush also landed deals with advance payment, Hillary Clinton also landed a $14m deal for her book Hard Choices in 2014, this particular book deal is interesting as it was said then to be a bid for her 2016 presidency and it is believed according to theguardian that the publishers never made back the money advanced.

The Newyork times called the Obama book deal “unprecedented” what might also be unprecedented is the claim by Dailymail that Obama is preparing to be the leader of the Democratic opposition with the goal of forcing President Trumps resignation or his impeachment. Snopes however reports that  Kevin Lewis, Barack Obama’s post-presidency spokesman, called the story “absurd” and devoid of facts, denying that Obama had any plans of launching a political movement intended to oust President Trump from office.

This denial is however confusing since Eric Holder according to the politico said Obama would be a visible part of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a committee  which Obama asked Holder to chair last year and would definitely be in the thick of politics.

New friends

There is always a story behind any news. This innocuous hosting of President Bush by Ellen seems unrelated to Obamas book deal until you see that Penguin Random House that will be advancing $60 million to the Obamas as a book deal is the parent company of Crown Publishing that published the Portraits of Courage by George W Bush.

Aside the possibility of the $60 million not being recouped which Vox explains is basically an investment on hope, what better way to give out money for a cause than a book advance that can then be written off as a loss? How come Michelle and Bush are now chums and the trio of Hillary, Michelle and Bush are now literally Ellen’s pals? The strings that tie all these randomness together seems likely to thicken with time and I will sure let you know as it does.