Ceneta/APFormer President George W. Bush has kept a low profile since leaving the White House. His forthcoming book, "Decision Points", is due out in November.

Is Bush bored?

In a speech at the University of Texas at Tyler, former President George W. Bush told a packed house that he misses the creature comforts of the White House.

"I miss being pampered; I miss Air Force One; I miss being commander in chief of an awesome group of (people)," Bush told the audience Tuesday night, reports the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

The loudly pro-Bush crowd lavished the former President with cheers, fist-pumps, three standing ovations and shouts of "Bring Back Bush" during his talk, which was part of the school's distinguished lecture series.

Bush has kept a low profile since leaving office in January of 2009. Aides told The Associated Press the former President won't stick his nose in the dirt being flung back and forth in the run-up to November's midterm elections.

That's probably for the best, as far as his party is concerned.

An AP-GfK poll released just last month found that 55% of Americans are still sour on Bush, and 51% say he was responsible for the economic crisis.

But these days, instead of cleaning up the country's messes, he’s cleaning up after former First Dog Barney.

"Ten days out of the presidency, there I was with a plastic bag in my hand, picking up that which I had been dodging for eight years," he told the crowd.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/10/20/2010-10-20_george_w_bush_tells_texas_crowd_that_he_misses_the_perks_of_being_president_.html#ixzz12wYlmREP