AND BUSH IS RIGHT – AT 8:26 A.M. ET:  President Obama will be at Ground Zero in New York today, which for us New Yorkers means monumental traffic jams.  One person not coming is former President George W. Bush.  The New York Daily News claims to know the reason why:

WASHINGTON - George W. Bush won't be at Ground Zero with President Obama Thursday in part because he feels his team is getting short shrift in the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden.

"[Bush] viewed this as an Obama victory lap," a highly-placed source told the Daily News Wednesday.

Bush's visit to the rubble after the 9/11 attacks was the emotional high point of his presidency, but associates say the invitation to return with his successor was a non-starter.

"He doesn't feel personally snubbed and appreciates the invitation, but Obama's claiming all the credit and a lot of other people deserve some of it," the source added.

"Obama gave no credit whatsoever to the intelligence infrastructure the Bush administration set up that is being hailed from the left and right as setting in motion the operation that got Bin Laden. It rubbed Bush the wrong way."

Bush spokesman David Sherzer said Bush "appreciated the invite, but has chosen in his post-presidency to remain largely out of the spotlight."

Associates familiar with his thinking say Bush does not believe Obama or his handlers wanted to exploit his presence. But the tag-team idea "was for the benefit of Obama, and Obama withheld credit from people Bush believes deserved it," a source said.

COMMENT:  Obama has never been a class act, and he should have praised President Bush's efforts, and the efforts of the Bush team, in his initial announcement Sunday night.  I can understand Bush's declining the invite.

Maybe it's better.  Bush would have probably gotten bigger applause than Obama from the police, firefighters and military people who'll be there today, creating what the Brits call a bit of bother. 

One Urgent Agenda reader, in a post at our Angel's Corner last night, theorized that Bush feared Obama might say something insulting today.  Recall that Obama invited Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to Obama's recent White House budget speech, then proceeded to disparage Ryan's efforts in the congressman's presence.  And yes, I could easily see Obama making a speech at Ground Zero today, in Bush's presence, and disparaging some of Bush's tactics in the war on terror.

At any rate, we get only one president today, and that will be enough.

May 5, 2011