Maybe because he is running in a presidential Campaign Doug?...:>)
Woodward interviewed Bush in 2003, December 10th and 11th to be exact.
To ask someone to sit down in the middle of a Campaign is just plain stupid.....
Maybe Kerry will have a bit of time after he is in the White House. It would seem that the job of President allows for quite a lot of free time if Bush's trips to Texas are anything to go by.
As for Bush's "cleverness"...He has never impressed me as a very intelligent man. It would depend on what definition of "clever" folks were looking for..Savvy or Bright.....I would say he follows instruction well but has difficulty in articulating verbally.
Blessings
Jude