Others inside and outside the administration, however, say the upbeat talk masks disappointment and frustration among many White House staffers, who believe Bush’s reputation has been unfairly maligned for a series of calamities — from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to the financial crisis — that were beyond his control and that he handled well. GOP nominee John McCain’s escalating attacks on Bush’s tenure have added to the irritation, these people said.

“Everybody kind of wanted to spend the last 100-plus days doing some legacy things, and the financial crisis has thrown a wrench into that,” said one prominent Republican who regularly talks with senior White House officials.

“You have a combination of no legacy stuff, a horrible economic mess and the likelihood that Obama is going to win,” this person added. “There is a real sadness there.”

I feel almost as sorry for Bush as I do for the people who’ve been tortured to death as a result of his policies, or for the over four million Iraqis who’ve been forced to flee their homes. I mean, how could one administration suffer so much bad luck?