George W. Bush Speaks at 4% Project on Driving Economic Growth

At LAT, "Bush defends taxpayer bailout of Wall Street":

Calling the TARP decision one of the biggest quandaries of his term, the former president says he has no regrets about it. Speaking at a Bush Institute conference in Dallas, he waves off speculation about his legacy.

And at Dallas Morning News, "George W. Bush calls for backing off government involvement in padding economy":

People can spend their money better than the government can, former President George W. Bush told a receptive audience at an economic conference hosted by his policy institute Tuesday.

“It's a cornerstone of a lot of debate that's going on in Washington,” Bush said, referring to the showdown between the White House and Congress over spending.

Bush made the remarks at the beginning of a two-day conference hosted by his policy institute at SMU.

“Some of the people here helped pass tax cuts. Some helped me form free trade agreements,” Bush said, adding that one of his toughest decisions was the move to bail out Wall Street.

Bush defended that decision but said government involvement should be unwound as quickly as possible.

The conference launched a three-year Bush Institute initiative called the “4 percent Project.’’ Institute officials say they will examine the public and private sector actions necessary to drive gross national product by 4 percent annually.

Institute officials acknowledged that goal may seem daunting in the current economic environment. “While 4 percent annualized GDP growth might seem a stretch, it can be achieved,’’ according to Bush Institute materials prepared for the conference.

“With modern information and industrial technologies, as well as deep capital investment in productivity tools across the economy in every industry, the United States can grow much faster than economists currently predict – as long as the best policies are in place,’’ the materials said.