All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Former president George W. Bush has had little to say publicly about the new president and administration since he exited the White House. On ABC's "Good Morning America" today, former first lady Laura Bush discussed her husband’s decision to lay low.

Echoing an earlier comment from George W. Bush, Laura Bush said her husband feels he "owes President Obama his silence" on issues.

"There's no reason to second-guess any decision [Obama] makes," said Laura Bush.

The former first lady also commended Mr. Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, stating that she "sounds like a winner and a good nominee."

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Just last hour, the White House released three stunning photograhs of former President Bush's departure from the White House during President Barack Obama's inauguration. We're just giving you the captions provided by the White House, because really, the images say it all.

President George W. Bush walks the South Lawn Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, prior to departing the White House for the final time.

More after the jump.

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When President Bush flew home today to Midland, Texas, with him was CBS News analyst and former counselor to the president Dan Bartlett.

CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked him if it was a bittersweet voyage for the president.

"It was a lot more sweet than bitter, Katie," Bartlett said. "It was like a family reunion at 30,000 feet."

"The president was in great spirits. He walked around to every single person who was on the plane and spent individual time with each of them," he said.

Later in the flight ...

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By CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller

Press Secretary Dana Perino said President Bush was in the Oval Office at 6:55 a.m. this morning.

He made some phone calls, talked to National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and took a call from his former Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

Mr. Bush then talk a last walk around the South Lawn, and is now spending his last moments in the White House with his family until the Obamas arrive just before 10 a.m.

Perino herself was in the press room giving out her last supply of M&M's with the presidential seal and Mr. Bush's signature on them.

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Click Here For All Of CBSNews.com's Special Inauguration Coverage

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The White House has released the president's schedule for Inauguration Day, and it begins with a visit between President Bush, President-elect Obama, and their wives on the North Portico of the White House around 10:00 AM.

Shortly thereafter, the four will share coffee inside the White House, along with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Leadership.

President and Mrs. Bush will then travel in a motorcade to the United States Capitol, where they will participate in the swearing-in ceremony for Mr. Obama, which begins at 11:30.

At 1:25, the now-former president will speak at a departure ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. He will then fly to Midland, Texas, where he will speak at a welcome home event in the late afternoon. That will be followed by another welcome home event in Waco, Texas, the final event on Mr. Bush's schedule for the day.

Hours later, Mr. Bush will go to sleep as a private citizen for the first time in eight years at his ranch in Crawford.

By CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller

In their final hours in the White House, President and Mrs. Bush will have a family dinner tonight with their daughters and with former President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.

We're told the president has already written his private letter to Barack Obama - and will leave it in the drawer of the president's desk in the Oval Office for the new president.

For more on The Bush Legacy, click here

President Bush today commuted the sentences of two individuals whose conviction stirred up the illegal immigration debate.

The two individuals, Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, are former border patrol agents who have spent two years in jail in connection with the shooting of a Mexican drug dealer.

The pair had been given sentences of more than ten years, but should now be released on March 20, 2009. They were sentenced in November 2008 and have been in jail about two years.

As the Associated Press reports, conservatives and some liberals have been up in arms over the convictions, with talk show hosts railing against the prison sentence for two men they believed were just doing their jobs.

A number of lawmakers, including nearly every major elected official in Texas, have pressured Mr. Bush to commute the pair's sentences. Here's a letter (PDF) from members of the Texas Congressional delegation calling on the president to "correct this injustice."

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President Bush this morning spoke to a number of world leaders with whom he has worked during his two terms.

According to the White House, Mr. Bush spoke to Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev of Russia; President Peres of Israel; Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy; Prime Minister Brown of the United Kingdom; Former President Fox of Mexico; President Lula da Silva of Brazil; Prime Minister Aso of Japan; President Lee of South Korea; President Saakashvili of Georgia; and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark.

Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said that in all the calls the leaders thanked Mr. Bush for his work, cooperation, and friendship. He said the president thanked the leaders for their hospitality and said how much he enjoyed working with them.

Mr. Bush is planning to make more calls as the day goes on.

UPDATE: President Bush has now also spoken to President Sarkozy of France and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.

President Bush will hold the last news conference of his presidency today at 9:15 a.m. ET, reports CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.

White House Press Secretary released the following statement about the press conference: "As we start our final full week here in the White House, President Bush will hold his last press conference at 9:15a.m. in the James Brady Press Briefing Room. The president will make a brief opening statement, commenting on the important role the White House press corps has in covering presidents and the White House, and then will take questions. The president is looking forward to discussing the important events of the last eight years as well as issues in the news today.

While Mr. Bush will likely face questions on the status of the remaining $350 billion in federal bailout funds, Perino tells CBS News Mr. Bush won’t make a formal announcement or discuss it in his opening statement.

Perino says nothing has changed since Friday when she issued this statement:: "There have been discussions between the Administration and the Transition team on how to proceed, should the President-elect determine that he would like President Bush to notify Congress on his behalf of the intent to use the remaining $350 billion so that it will be available early in the new Administration. No final decisions have been made"

In a Dallas Morning News interview less than two weeks before the end of his presidency, George W. Bush discussed what he expects from life after the White House.

"Being a type-A personality, I'm confident I'll be able to fill my days with activities," the president said.

Mr. Bush's days will reportedly be filled with bike rides, going to his office, a memoir, and perhaps baseball games. He will also be working on the presidential library and Freedom Institute to be built at Southern Methodist University.

"This is not going to be a 'George Bush Is a Wonderful Person Center,' or the 'Center for Republican Party Campaign Tactics,'" Mr. Bush said. "It's going to be a place of debate, thought, writing, lecturing."

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