Doug Wead
Encyclopedia
Doug Wead is a presidential historian, philanthropist and public speaker. He was Special Assistant to U.S. President
George H. W. Bush
, and is the author of more than thirty books, including the New York Times best-seller All the Presidents’ Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of the First Families. He has authored a sequel which examines the parenting of presidents of the United States, The Raising of a President: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders.
and Dan O’Neill in co-founding Mercy Corps
. In 1991, Wead provided initial funding to help launch a Mercy Corps economic recovery program in the newly formed Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the 1980s, Wead organized the Annual Charity Awards, now under the name International Charity Association. Ten First Ladies and Presidents have served as honorary chairpersons of this prestigious event, including Lady Bird Johnson
, Gerald Ford
, Jimmy
and Rosalyn Carter, Ronald
and Nancy Reagan
, George H. W. and Barbara Bush
, and George W.
and Laura Bush
.
In 1992, Wead was the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Arizona
's 6th Congressional District. Despite having lived in Arizona
for only a few years, Wead won the Republican nomination after championing a tax limitation initiative and airing a television commercial featuring praise by former President
Ronald Reagan
for his humanitarian efforts. However, the Democratic nominee, Karan English
, received the endorsement of former Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee
Barry Goldwater
who thought Wead was out of touch with Arizona because of his relatively brief residency in the state — two years to English's 22. Wead countered that Goldwater's support of abortion rights spurred the unexpected crossing of party lines. He ended up losing in the general election to English.
Wead was an active behind-the-scenes player in the 2000 United States presidential election
, receiving some credit for George W. Bush's victory in the Iowa
straw poll
s of 1999. From 1984 to 2000, he served as an on-and-off adviser to both presidents George H. W. Bush
and George W. Bush
.
Time magazine called Wead an insider in the Bush family
orbit and "the man who coined the phrase 'Compassionate Conservative.'"
George W. Bush
first picked up the term “Compassionate Conservative” in 1987 from Wead. In 1979, Wead gave a speech titled “The Compassionate Conservative” at the annual Charity Awards Dinner, and tapes of the speech were later sold across the country at corporate seminars.
In March 2008, Wead helped create the website Religious Freedom In America, focusing on government threats to religious observance.
In May 2009, Wead took a position with XanGo
LLC located in Lehi, Utah
, Bill O'Reilly
, Connie Chung
, Deborah Norville
, Diane Sawyer
, Dan Rather
, Katie Couric
, Geraldo Rivera
, Terry Moran
, Kate Snow
, and many others.
Mark Victor Hansen
, the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
, describes Doug Wead as "incredibly inspiring and unbelievably motivating." Wead continues to speak around the world. He has spoken to audiences in 30 countries, including Russia
, Poland
, Hungary
, France
, Germany
, Turkey
, the United Kingdom
, Australia
, the Philippines, Indonesia
, Malaysia, Japan
, Brazil
and across the United States
. Steve Siebold, who trains corporate speakers for clients ranging from Toyota to Coldwell Banker
, describes Wead as "one of the greatest platform speakers in the world."
Wead’s books on first families plow new ground and include the first book ever written on the parents of the presidents. They are significant for their primary sourcing. According to Simon and Schuster, Wead personally interviewed 10 first ladies and presidents from six different presidential families, and 19 of the presidential children. His writings drew on previously unpublished letters, diaries and other documents carefully noted in the large 40-50 pages of source notes at the end of his books.
and the hostage crisis during the Carter presidency.
distributor Dexter Yager, including Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Dream (1978) and Millionaire Mentality (1993).
Wead continued his taping of George W. Bush between 1997 and 2000, recording at least nine hours of telephone conversations with Bush, who was then Governor of Texas
, as he engaged in his presidential run; the recordings were made without Bush's knowledge. Wead stated that he wanted to create an ongoing record of Bush as a historical figure. In February 2005, a month after Bush was sworn into office for his second term as president, Wead revealed the existence of the tapes to The New York Times
, and publicly released twelve excerpts from them, each one ranging in length from five minutes to half an hour. He insisted that the taping was legal, having been made only in U.S. states where there was no law against taping someone without their consent. Several newsworthy revelations emerged from the tapes, such as Bush appearing to acknowledge having previously used marijuana and other drugs, and saying he would not answer press questions about his drug use because he did not want to set a bad example for children; calling then-primary opponent Steve Forbes
"mean-spirited" and saying Forbes could not rely on Bush's help if Forbes won the Republican nomination; and calling his eventual Democratic election opponent, Al Gore
, "pathologically a liar". Other excerpts seemed to match Bush's public persona, such as his statement that he was not worried about getting corrupted by the presidency because he read the Bible
daily, which he called "pretty good about keeping your ego in check"; and his insistence that he was not anti-homosexual, regardless of his opposition to gay marriage.
The release prompted some hostility from members of Bush's inner circle: Bush's wife, Laura Bush
, said in an interview, "I don't know if I'd use the word 'betrayed,' but I think it's a little bit awkward for sure"; while Bush evangelical
ally James Dobson
said he was "shocked by [Wead's] breach of trust". Bush himself did not comment. The tapes' release also provoked negative reaction from some commentators, such as Bill Press
, who called Wead "scum", and Bill O'Reilly
, who called Wead "the lowest form of debris in the country."
. In the past he was active with Quixtar
and Network TwentyOne, and both Amway
businesses. In 1995 he joined the Board of Canyonville Christian Academy, a private boarding high school in southern Oregon
. Since 2000, the school has enjoyed a full attendance and maintains an annual waiting list. He currently serves as its president.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, and is the author of more than thirty books, including the New York Times best-seller All the Presidents’ Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of the First Families. He has authored a sequel which examines the parenting of presidents of the United States, The Raising of a President: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders.
Professional history
In 1979, Doug Wead joined entertainer Pat BoonePat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
and Dan O’Neill in co-founding Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock: natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict. People working for it move as quickly as possible from bringing in food and supplies to enabling people to rebuild their economy with...
. In 1991, Wead provided initial funding to help launch a Mercy Corps economic recovery program in the newly formed Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the 1980s, Wead organized the Annual Charity Awards, now under the name International Charity Association. Ten First Ladies and Presidents have served as honorary chairpersons of this prestigious event, including Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and made that...
, Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, Jimmy
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and Rosalyn Carter, Ronald
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, George H. W. and Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
, and George W.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
.
In 1992, Wead was the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
's 6th Congressional District. Despite having lived in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
for only a few years, Wead won the Republican nomination after championing a tax limitation initiative and airing a television commercial featuring praise by former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
for his humanitarian efforts. However, the Democratic nominee, Karan English
Karan English
Karan English served in the U.S. House of Representatives of the 103rd United States Congress from 1993 to 1995....
, received the endorsement of former Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
who thought Wead was out of touch with Arizona because of his relatively brief residency in the state — two years to English's 22. Wead countered that Goldwater's support of abortion rights spurred the unexpected crossing of party lines. He ended up losing in the general election to English.
Wead was an active behind-the-scenes player in the 2000 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, receiving some credit for George W. Bush's victory in the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
straw poll
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
s of 1999. From 1984 to 2000, he served as an on-and-off adviser to both presidents George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Time magazine called Wead an insider in the Bush family
Bush family
The Bush family is a prominent American family. Along with many members who have been successful bankers and businessmen, across three generations the family includes two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents...
orbit and "the man who coined the phrase 'Compassionate Conservative.'"
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
first picked up the term “Compassionate Conservative” in 1987 from Wead. In 1979, Wead gave a speech titled “The Compassionate Conservative” at the annual Charity Awards Dinner, and tapes of the speech were later sold across the country at corporate seminars.
In March 2008, Wead helped create the website Religious Freedom In America, focusing on government threats to religious observance.
In May 2009, Wead took a position with XanGo
XanGo
XANGO, LLC, founded in 2002, is a privately owned international network marketing company based in Lehi, Utah. The company markets and distributes XANGO Juice, a blended juice product consisting of mangosteen and other juices, and skin care, personal care, energy supplement and nutritional...
LLC located in Lehi, Utah
Public speaking
As a presidential historian, Wead is a frequent guest on television shows. He has been interviewed by Matt LauerMatt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
, Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
, Deborah Norville
Deborah Norville
Deborah Norville is an American television broadcaster and journalist. Since 1995 she has been host of the syndicated American television program Inside Edition...
, Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
, Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
, Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
, Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
, Terry Moran
Terry Moran
Terry Moran is the co-anchor of Nightline.-Biography:Moran was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1982.-Professional career:-Career as Correspondent:...
, Kate Snow
Kate Snow
Kate Snow is an American television journalist and correspondent for NBC's newsmagazine Dateline. In addition, she has also filled in as anchor for Nightly News. Prior to joining NBC, she was a co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America on ABC from 2004 to 2010...
, and many others.
Mark Victor Hansen
Mark Victor Hansen
Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series....
, the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
, describes Doug Wead as "incredibly inspiring and unbelievably motivating." Wead continues to speak around the world. He has spoken to audiences in 30 countries, including Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the Philippines, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Steve Siebold, who trains corporate speakers for clients ranging from Toyota to Coldwell Banker
Coldwell Banker
Coldwell Banker is a large real estate franchise founded in 1906 in San Francisco.Coldwell Banker has an international presence, with offices on six continents, 46 countries and territories...
, describes Wead as "one of the greatest platform speakers in the world."
Books
Wead has written more than 30 books that have been translated into 30 languages and have sold millions of copies."First families" trilogy
His “First Family” trilogy, already 20 years in the making, covers presidential children, presidential parents, and presidential siblings. The first two books of the trilogy, All the President's Children (2004) and The Raising of a President (2006), were instant New York Times bestsellers. A third book, now being written with Mary Achor, will be the first book about presidential siblings.Wead’s books on first families plow new ground and include the first book ever written on the parents of the presidents. They are significant for their primary sourcing. According to Simon and Schuster, Wead personally interviewed 10 first ladies and presidents from six different presidential families, and 19 of the presidential children. His writings drew on previously unpublished letters, diaries and other documents carefully noted in the large 40-50 pages of source notes at the end of his books.
Political books
In the 1970s and 1980s Wead wrote several instant books including Reagan in Pursuit of the Presidency (1980), an updated biography available at the time of the president’s election, which sold widely. The Iran Crisis (1980), covered the rise of Islamic fundamentalismIslamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
and the hostage crisis during the Carter presidency.
Religious books
Wead began his career as an author by serving as a Protestant apologist for the Catholic Charismatic Movement. He began writing as a student, at the age of 22. Intrigued by the emergence of an ecumenical movement in Ireland he wrote Tonight They’ll Kill a Catholic (1974), a first person account of the streets of Belfast in the midst of conflict. In subsequent years he teams up with a Catholic priest to tour areas of famine around the world which led to another book The Compassionate Touch (1980).Motivational books
Beginning in the 1970s, Wead wrote many motivational and network marketing books that sold extensively. Wead was the co-author of numerous titles with AmwayAmway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
distributor Dexter Yager, including Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Dream (1978) and Millionaire Mentality (1993).
George W. Bush taping controversy
In 1987 Doug Wead began tape recording members of the Bush family, with their permission, providing a historical record of the family. George Bush: Man of Integrity, which includes accounts of all family members, was published in 1988, written primarily from these taped conversations.Wead continued his taping of George W. Bush between 1997 and 2000, recording at least nine hours of telephone conversations with Bush, who was then Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
, as he engaged in his presidential run; the recordings were made without Bush's knowledge. Wead stated that he wanted to create an ongoing record of Bush as a historical figure. In February 2005, a month after Bush was sworn into office for his second term as president, Wead revealed the existence of the tapes to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and publicly released twelve excerpts from them, each one ranging in length from five minutes to half an hour. He insisted that the taping was legal, having been made only in U.S. states where there was no law against taping someone without their consent. Several newsworthy revelations emerged from the tapes, such as Bush appearing to acknowledge having previously used marijuana and other drugs, and saying he would not answer press questions about his drug use because he did not want to set a bad example for children; calling then-primary opponent Steve Forbes
Steve Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
"mean-spirited" and saying Forbes could not rely on Bush's help if Forbes won the Republican nomination; and calling his eventual Democratic election opponent, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, "pathologically a liar". Other excerpts seemed to match Bush's public persona, such as his statement that he was not worried about getting corrupted by the presidency because he read the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
daily, which he called "pretty good about keeping your ego in check"; and his insistence that he was not anti-homosexual, regardless of his opposition to gay marriage.
The release prompted some hostility from members of Bush's inner circle: Bush's wife, Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, said in an interview, "I don't know if I'd use the word 'betrayed,' but I think it's a little bit awkward for sure"; while Bush evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
ally James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
said he was "shocked by [Wead's] breach of trust". Bush himself did not comment. The tapes' release also provoked negative reaction from some commentators, such as Bill Press
Bill Press
William "Bill" Press is a US talk radio host, political commentator and author.-Career:Press has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niagara University and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg. He started his broadcasting career in Los Angeles for TV stations KABC-TV and...
, who called Wead "scum", and Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, who called Wead "the lowest form of debris in the country."
Other activities
Wead is also a an independent business owner in XangoXango
Xango may refer to:* XanGo, a company based in Utah that markets a beverage, XanGo juice* Shango, one of the key orishas of Yoruba mythology, and the name of an Afro-Brazilian religion * Xangô, a brazilian song by Luís Bonfá...
. In the past he was active with Quixtar
Quixtar
Amway Global is a multi-level marketing or network marketing company, founded 1959 in Ada, Michigan, United States...
and Network TwentyOne, and both Amway
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
businesses. In 1995 he joined the Board of Canyonville Christian Academy, a private boarding high school in southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Since 2000, the school has enjoyed a full attendance and maintains an annual waiting list. He currently serves as its president.