Have you seen all those article and pictures of Bush "at home on the
ranch" in Crawford - the ones that imply that he is "just an ole
ranch hand" more comfortable on the family homestead than in the "Big
City," be it Austin or D.C.? Well, if you bought this image, you've been royally snuckered.

The Bush family homestead in Crawford is nothing more than an elaborate set. The house, built in 2000, was designed to be ready for Bush to step into - like a set awaiting an actor - during the 2000 presidential election.

Not only was the "ranch" created in 2000 - so, essentially, was the "town" of Crawford!

Before then only about 400 people lived in the area. The Crawford Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture were formed shortly
after the ranch was finished.

The 1,600 acres on which the "ranch" sits was purchased in 1999 for
an undisclosed price, but it was a helluva lot less than the current
real estate agents' appraisal of $1.2 million. Yep, worth $1.