So, big surprise, Oliver Stone is doing a bio-pic on good ol' George Walker. I mean, how could he not? I'm a little surprised that it's supposed to be released before Dubya even leaves office, but there are already so many biographies and books on the Bush presidency that a movie isn't exactly shocking.

I studied Bush's government quite extensively during my four years of political science, and you have to admit that his presidency won't be forgotten any time soon in the history of politics. It's hard to think of a modern-era president who has been more polarizing and influential (good or bad) than George Dubya.

Did you know that during his two terms, he has had nearly the highest and lowest domestic approval ratings of all American presidents? It skyrocketed to 90% following September 11th and the attack on Afghanistan, and has dropped to 28% as recently as June 2008.

That in itself is a fascinating story - how the commander-in-chief managed to lose so much of the public's faith over the course of seven years. Answering that requires a look at very complex influences that led to the false pretense and poor handling of the Iraq War, the delayed response to Katrina, the controversies surrounding Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay, the abuse of NSA power, and, just for good measure, Scooter Libby.

Knowing Oliver Stone's heavy leaning to the Left, I'd expect him to paint these issues with a very satirical tone. Quite frankly, I'd be more interested in reading Bush's memoirs - they might end up being an invaluable 'what to do, what not to do' guide for future leaders who must deal with the new challenges of the 21st century. Or it might end up being about baseball (couldn't help myself, sorry :P).

"Every great institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man. His character determines the character of the organization." - Ralph Waldo Emerson