THE PLATFORM THE NEXT GOP PRESIDENT WILL HAVE RUN ON:

In interviews and op-eds, aides to the former president have sought to redirect attention to lasting Bush accomplishments that don't get as much attention these days.

They're touting the Medicare prescription drug program, the bipartisan No Child Left Behind education law, and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. These are achievements that were expensive, and some remain controversial, but they are now widely praised as having saved and improved lives.

Two big items of unfinished Bush business also figure in. Bush allies are arguing that the former president was ahead of demographic and political curves by pushing for immigration reform and a remaking of the nation's Social Security system - initiatives that are now or will soon be revisited by Washington.

Though Bush himself likes to say he's not fighting for history's judgment, he's made clear he's eager for a reevaluation. He's predicting a revival of interest in "compassionate conservatism," which he described to The Dallas Morning News this month as "the idea that articulating and implementing conservative ideas leads to a better life for all."

"The best way for people to understand what I meant by 'compassionate conservative' is to look at the programs we implemented and look at the results," Bush told his - and his new museum's - hometown newspaper.

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