Image from: Salon.com

Bless their desperate little hearts, conservatives are still trying to rehabilitate the George W. Bush presidency. From pushing out all the former Bushies to opine on Syria (attention media: Dan Senor, Paul Wolfowitz, Paul Bremer and any other person so intimately involved in getting us into Iraq has no right to be asked about Syria or any other military plans. Ever. They've lost that right when they allowed 4,400 Americans and heartlessly uncounted Iraqis to die for their lies.) to giving out what has to be the most ridiculous and hypocritical humanitarian award, all in the attempt to pretend that Bush wasn't the worst president in history.

The Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver was named after the father of former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, its first dean. The school awards humanitarian awards every year and this year, its board (which includes current dean Christopher R. Hill, former Bush ambassador to Iraq) has decided to give the honor, with the guffaw-inducing name of " Improving the Human Condition Award" to George W. Bush. But not everyone in the school is thrilled by that choice:

Bush will be recognized Monday evening at a fundraising dinner in Denver both for his service as president as well as efforts to fight HIV, cervical cancer and malaria in Africa. The Josef Korbel School’s decision has outraged many at the school who fault the 43rd president for starting the war in Iraq and allowing the use of torture on prisoners.[..] “He’s tarnishing Korbel’s name in an attempt to rebrand Bush as a positive character,” said Sara Fitouri, a Korbel and law student at the university who plans to attend the protest.[..] At least some opponents said they don’t object to Bush visiting and speaking, just to receiving an award which endorses his legacy. Carol Hubbard, a graduate who lives in Springfield, Va., hopes for an eleventh hour change of heart by the school but also diplomatically suggested changing the award’s name to the Global Impact Award, rather than the Global Service Award.

Well, it's inarguable that he made a global impact, but improve the human condition? Oy.

Change has a petition, if you'd like to add your name to those who find this an affront to humanity.