(H/T: Bob McCarty Writes)

Remember all the media hype about Obama bringing out tons of voters to cast ballots in the historic election of 2008? It didn't happen.

The share of eligible voters who actually went to the polls in November 2008 declined from November 2004, according to new U.S. Census figures.

A total of 63.6 percent of eligible voters, or 131.1 million people, cast ballots in the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain last November. The voter turnout in 2004 for the George W. Bush-John F. Kerry showdown was 63.8 percent.

While the total number of votes cast was higher by 5 million, the turnout was down, especially among older white Americans, according to the Census Bureau.

This is a case where people voted with their feet and none of the above resulted in Barack Obama as president. How's that "hope and change" working out for you now?

"The 2008 presidential election saw a significant increase in voter turnout among young people, blacks and Hispanics," said Thom File, a voting analyst with the Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. "But as turnout among some other demographic groups either decreased or remained unchanged, the overall 2008 voter turnout rate was not statistically different from 2004."

Read more from the new report, Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008, at the link below:

Voter Turnout Increases by 5 Million in 2008 Presidential Election, U.S. Census Bureau Reports

President Bush left office today.

There have been no terrorist attacks on American soil for the past 2,686 days.

That alone makes it a successful presidency.

Thank you President Bush, his administration, all our men and women in uniform and everyone who works for the Department of Homeland Security for keeping us safe.

Let's pray the Obama administration can do half the job that Bush has done.

On his last full day in the White House, President George W. Bush has corrected one of the biggest travesties of justice ever by granting clemency to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug dealer.

Bush commuted the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were made scapegoats by open boarder advocates who want to encourage illegal immigration.

The two agents were serving 10-year prison terms for the 2005 shooting.

From The Associated Press:

(Ramos and Compean) were convicted of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila in the buttocks as he fled across the Rio Grande, away from an abandoned van load of marijuana.

The border agents argued during their trials that they believed the smuggler was armed and that they shot him in self defense. The prosecutor in the case said there was no evidence linking the smuggler to the van of marijuana.

The prosecutor also said the border agents didn't report the shooting and tampered with evidence by picking up several spent shell casings.

The agents were fired after their convictions on several charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and with serious bodily injury, violation of civil rights and obstruction of justice. All their convictions, except obstruction of justice, were upheld on appeal

The Bush decision has drawn widespread praise.

"FAIR, and all Americans who value justice and the sacrifice of the men and women who protect our nation, are gratified by President Bush's decision, on his final day in office, to commute the sentences of former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean," stated Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

"President Bush certainly saved the best for last," said Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly, who has consistently worked for the past two years to disclose little-known facts about this case through her weekly columns. "We are overjoyed and relieved that these two brave men will be freed from prison and finally returned home to their families."

President George W. Bush Grants Commutations

President Bush used his final Christmas radio message to ask Americans to thank the men and women serving in the military.

"This year, as you spend time with those you love, I hope you'll also take time to remember the men and women of our armed forces," Bush said. "Every one of them has volunteered to serve our nation. And with their incredible sacrifices, they preserve the peace and freedom that we celebrate during this season."

More from the president's radio address:

Regardless of where they are, our men and women in uniform and the families who support them remind us of a clear lesson: Defending freedom is a full-time job. Our enemies do not take holidays. So the members of our armed forces stand ready to protect our freedom at any hour. For their service, they have the thanks of a grateful Nation -- this Christmas and always.

You can read a full transcript of the speech at the link below:

Radio Address by President Bush to the Nation

President Bush used his weekly radio address to defend his decision to bail out the struggling Big Three U.S. automakers.

"Government has a responsibility to safeguard the broader health and stability of our economy," Bush said. "If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers."

More from Bush:

Under ordinary economic circumstances, I would say this is the price that failed companies must pay -- and I would not favor intervening to prevent automakers from going out of business. But these are not ordinary circumstances. In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action.

A more responsible option is to give auto companies an incentive to restructure outside of bankruptcy -- and a brief window in which to do it.

Bottom line is that the collapse of the automakers has been postponed by three months. It now becomes Obama's problem. Merry Christmas, Barack. Your pal, W.

Read the full transcript of Bush's radio address at the link below:

Radio Address By President Bush To The Nation