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When George W. Bush steps down from office in 2009, I can only imagine that, after eight years of performing the world's most difficult job, he would like to indulge in a very, very long vacation. Unfortunately, for him, in this day and age, that is impossible.

His first piece of business will be his presidential library and museum. It will reportedly cost an estimated $500 million; and Mr. Bush's first order of business when he leaves the White House will be to raise that half billion. Only time will tell how easy or difficult that will prove to be. It's safe to say that much of it will depend on how loyal the President's "loyal followers" will be once he's left office. In addition, there is the question of selecting the site of the library and getting local approval. Apparently, Southern Methodist University is the front-runner and the presumed preference of Mr. Bush. And while the library will more than likely be sited at the Dallas area SMU campus, there are obstacles; complaints from neighboring residents who want the land to be used for other purposes to objections from the Methodist community at the university, who feel that President Bush has slighted their church.

After the work on the museum and library is complete, Bush will more than likely turn his attention to his autobiography. Despite public perception, President Bush is acutely aware that history will be the ultimate judge of his performance in office, and he will want to be a part of how that history is written. Whether you call it "spin" or "damage control" or what have you, given that President Bush will likely leave office with historically low approval ratings, he will feel an intense need to tell his side of the story of his life and presidency.

After that, Mr. Bush probably doesn't know yet what he wants to do. If I had to guess, I would say that he would engage the cause of alternative energies. Though he has only rarely spoken about the issue publicly, privately Bush has taken a keen interest in the subject; his ranch in Crawford, TX uses solar energy and has a sophisticated system of harvesting fresh water.

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