...Courtesy AP

Back in January, George W. Bush told reporters that he just couldn’t see himself sitting around and relaxing post-presidency. “I’m a type A personality,” Bush said. He wasn’t kidding. This afternoon, the former president threw out the first pitch at the home opener for the Texas Rangers, the baseball team he used to own. According to the Associated Press, Bush stopped by the press box to gab for a while, talking baseball and telling stories about all the first pitches he’s thrown out over the years. Sounds like someone might be a little lonely.

The Dallas Morning News writes about Bush’s life in Dallas, where he lives on a quiet cul-de-sac near Southern Methodist University, the future home of his presidential library. In recent weeks, Bush has been spotted riding his mountain bike on nature trails around the city. He’s made surprise visits to SMU classes and dropped by a Wounded Warrior bike ride. Most importantly, he’s the one in charge of walking his dog, Barney, where, for the first time, he's cleaning up after him. Here’s the Morning News:

When Barney recently left a "deposit" on a neighbor's yard, Bush told a private Canadian audience, the former president "put on one of these little plastic bags and reached out ... and it dawned on me [that] for eight years I was dodging this stuff and now I'm picking it up."

Classic.

...Courtesy AP/Charles Dharapak

In a speech aimed at mending ties with the Muslim world, Barack Obama today insisted the U.S. “is not and never will be at war with Islam.” The president, speaking before a special session of the Turkish parliament, acknowledged the strain between Americans and the Muslim world and pledged to bridge the divide between the East and West. “America’s relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot, and will not, just be based upon our opposition to terrorism,” Obama said. “We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We will listen carefully, we will bridge misunderstandings, and we will seek common ground.” In making those promises, Obama illustrated his own ties to the Islamic faith—a subject that was taboo during his presidential campaign. He told his audience that the U.S. had been enriched by “Muslim Americans.” “Many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country,” Obama said. “I know, because I am one of them.” Click here for the full speech. In case you’re wondering,  today’s remarks were not “the” speech that Obama has pledged to deliver to a Muslim audience within his first 100 days in office, according to White House aides. That, apparently, is still to come.

Our favorites this morning from around the web:

The vote that's getting popular
A California group opposed to the electoral college system of electing a president is gaining momentum to abolish the procedure. Four states -- Hawaii, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland -- have already vowed to support only the popular vote -- but only if other states do too. (Washington Times)

Olympics: Thanks, but no thanks
Olympic officials will visit Chicago this week as the IOC nears a final decision for the 2016 games. Chicago-based writer Steve Chapman thinks that the games would be more hassle than benefit and that the voting body should give them to someone else. (Reason)

The choice for a commencement speaker
Notre Dame is a traditional pro-life university, so when pro-choice President Obama was invited to speak at the school next month, it rankled some on campus. Now, the dispute of whether the school should rescind the invitation has escalated, with one student calling it a downright "scandal." (NY Times)

Now more pleasant to fly
Congress never passed an Arline Passenger Bill of Rights when it was introduced in 2007, but last month saw huge improvement in airline passenger logistics. Fewer delays, fewer lost bags and fewer bumped customers. The glowing winner of customer service? Southwest Airlines. (NPR)

Crisis diplomacy moves on
With the crisis in Darfur at the risk of deepening, Foreign Relations Committee head John Kerry will visit Sudan later this week. Meetings with Sudanese officials and the Obama Administration's special envoy to the region will be the next step in thawing U.S. relations with Sudan. (AFP)

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Looks like someone has sour grapes over all the attention Michelle Obama is getting for her fashion choices these days. We missed this last week, but Women’s Wear Daily reports that the “big guns” of American fashion are not entirely thrilled that the First Lady has overlooked their designs in favor of wearing lesser known designers like Thakoon and Jason Wu. Oscar de la Renta, who has dressed Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and other first ladies, insists that he’s not mad that Michelle is wearing a lot of J.Crew and new designers but says “it’s wrong to go in one direction only.” (Um, like other first ladies did by wearing you all the time?) He even gets all hoity toity about it. “You don’t go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater,” Oscar insists, implying Michelle needs to learn about protocol. (Heh. Where have we heard that before?) This isn’t the first time Oscar and other designers have griped about Michelle not wearing their clothes. The New York Times reported a similar story in February that mentioned Oscar de la Renta had sent 12 designs for Michelle’s inaugural wardrobe but “never heard another word.” Maybe, gasp, the First Lady has a different style?

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By the way, if you ever come to Ankara to visit the tomb of Ataturk, leave your trumpet at home. Your Gaggler spotted this sign just inside the entrance. It likely means no honking, but who knows?

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President Obama is in Ankara today on the first day of his two-day trip to Turkey. Security is noticeably tighter here than on other legs of the Europe tour. Your Gaggler flew in on Air Force One with the president last night, where he was met at the airport by a larger than usual motorcade. There were two presidential limos and two presidential SUVs, in addition to dozens of other additional security vehicles. On the drive to Obama’s hotel, the motorcade split, with one set of cars turning off onto a highway and the other, which included the press, turning off for a drive straight into the heart of Ankara. Today, Obama is meeting with Turkish leaders, including President Abdullah Gul, and speaking before the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Earlier this morning, he followed the tradition of other American presidents who have come to Ankara and laid at wreath at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey.