George W. Bush, remember that guy? Liked to dance with foreign leaders and start wars a lot? He's so much more likable now that he's not running the country! For example, back in the day if he'd had the temerity to visit a local elementary school we would probably have said something snide like, "Oh great you remember what happenedthe last time he read a book to childrens," but now we can just write about how darling it all was.

Our former president recently visited a Dallas-area elementary school and some kid thought he was George Washington, probably because of the wooden teeth. A number of kiddies recognized him a little bit, except for the ESL students who just thought he was an insane person.

Ducking in one room, Bush asked, "Hey kids, do you know who I am?"

Gasps all around, and then someone blurted, "George Washington!"

"That's right!" the visitor said. "George Washington Bush!"

Well, the middle initial was the same, anyway.

A little later, at an ESL class, Bush tried introducing himself in Spanish. Only it was a little too West Texas for the Spanish speakers. He tried again. Blank looks. Even held up three fingers. You know, a 'W." Still nothing.

Finally, Pershing's innovative, energetic principal, Margie Hernandez, stepped in with a Spanish introduction.

Ohhhhhhh.

The kids laughed at the confusion. The former president laughed. The principal laughed, out of relief, mostly.

And then he read to them all from My Pet Goat while Manhattan was bombed by terrorists.

Welcome to your neighborhood school, Mr. President [Dallas Morning News]