Breaux's Bush bust

International Economy, The, Wntr, 2007

Former U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA), whose latest public role was to co-chair a national commission on tax reform, found himself in the White House at a meeting in the Roosevelt Room several days after last November's midterm elections. President Bush walked by, spotted Breaux, and invited him back into the Oval Office.

With the President standing behind his desk, the senator walked in and began curiously looking around through the various bookshelves as if he had lost some important manuscript. "What the hell are you doing?" Bush asked. Breaux told the President he was looking for that bipartisan report from his tax reform commission. "You know, that report you shelved but would have brought about tax cuts and might have saved your party in the elections? I'm looking for it, but I can't find it, Mr. President," the senator said with a large smile on his face.