There seems to be lots of praise for Bush the elder all over the place. I just read in one of the recommended diaries that Dean praised him in an interview with Russert, Kerry praised him int he debates, and I've heard him praised in converstaions I've had.
To some extent, this is clever politics because it's a way of making Bush 2 look bad while seeming to be fair, and I suspect that's the main motivation behind it.
But it would be a sad thing if these Democrats actually believed that Bush 1 was a good president, a straight talker, and all. He was a scumbucket, not only as a campaigner, but also as VP and president. I look forward to the release of papers from the Reagan and Bush years when Kerry wins (after all, they're supposed to be released 12 years after the pres. left office) so Bush 1's role in Iran-Contra, coddling Saddam, invading Panama, etc., becomes public.