Bush's reputation was in a sorry state when he left the White House in 2009, but the Republican National Committee (RNC) is betting five-plus years of President Obama have been enough to change that.
In a new fundraising pitch timed to coincide with Bush's July 6 birthday, the RNC is selling t-shirts emblazoned with a picture of the former president next to the caption "I MISS W."
"By sporting this comfortable, classic, American-made tee, you can share our message and help us elect principled conservative leaders to office," it says.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted a link to the fundraising pitch on Saturday, complaining that Obama "thinks our country should lead from behind," and urging people to "Restore GOP leadership & get this t-shirt."
Though Bush's approval ratings have climbed steadily northward since he left office, he remains among the most unpopular presidents since World War II, according to a Quinnipiac poll released this week.
Another 28 per cent picked Bush as the worst president of the post-war era.
Obama's job approval rating, inching up since a negative 38 - 57 per cent in December, 2013, his all-time low, is stalled at a negative 40 - 53 per cent. This compares to the president's negative 42 - 50 per cent job approval in an April 2 national survey.
