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Lost amid a frenzy over this year’s unconventional presidential election, President Bush has unleashed a surprise of his own: a media tour filled with unexpected appearances and childish revelations.

Bush began his tour this morning on The View, where he discussed the emotional hardships of being a lame duck.

“It’s not like it used to be, in the good ol’ days,” he said to a sympathetic Barbara Walters, as Whoopi Goldberg sat with her fingers in her ears. “The other day I got an eye roll from the woman who brings me my morning milkshake and Weekly Reader. I’ll tell you, that never happened after say, 9/11, or when they caught Saddam.”

To many in the media – from news professionals to talk show hosts – this turn of events is a surprise. The Bush Administration has been notorious for sidelining reporters and scoffing at talk show invites.

Various other shows have the president slated for appearances this week, including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Ellen and Larry King Live – the latter whom Bush routinely referred to as “that weird little Jewwy guy” at internal briefings until recently.

The first sign of a thaw with the media came shortly after former President Bill Clinton garnered major attention and criticism for supposedly injecting race into the Democratic battle between his wife and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Bush called a press conference where staff handed out cookies in the shape and color of Blacks, Hispanics and women.

“If there were any minorities or women in the Republican Party, you can bet I’d never chastise them,” he said. “Oh, or the Muslims either.”

The roots of the warm up are unclear, but explanations range from the practical to the laughable, sources say.

“The president simply wants to remind the American public that he still cares about them and is vigorously fighting for their interests,” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said today.

Sources within the White House, who declined to be named discussing internal policy and procedure, gave less-noble versions.

One said the need for a media tour became apparent after First Lady Laura Bush reported needing “an unusual amount of Children’s Tylenol and storytime” to get the president to bed at night.

Bush’s insecurities have also begun replacing policy discussion at important meetings, another source said.

“He used to ask how soon we thought we should invade Iran,” the source said. “Now he asks if anyone saw whether Jon Stewart mentioned him last night.”

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