Members of the Bush Family Dynasty who now aspire to political office have apparently concluded that it is “safe” to surface, less than five years after the debacle of George W.’s presidency. George P., eldest son of Jeb, has filed to run for Texas land commissioner Florida
Of course, far more important are Jeb Bush’s likely plans to run for president. (Don’t believe for a moment that he’s undecided!) And why not? He, not his older brother, was the Dynasty’s designated heir apparent to the White House; he was deprived of his birthright. To hear national pundits, Jeb still enjoys a stellar reputation as one of the nation’s most successful governors. Recently, he said that he has “a voice” and intends to speak out on issues.
But Jeb Bush is not the man people say or may think he is. As governor he was autocratic and presumed to impose a right-wing ideological agenda. So, it’s up to Floridians to warn the rest of the country of the disaster of his ever becoming president. Even before he formally declares his candidacy, as he uses his “voice” to promote himself, people need to ask him tough questions about his beliefs and record in office. In the words of Ricky Ricardo, he’s “got some splainin to do.” For starters, here are five positions he needs to clarify:
War: Along with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, “Scooter” Libby, and 20 others, Jeb signed the “Statement of Principles” of the neoconservative Project for a New American Century. Established in 1997, its goal was “to promote American global leadership”—specifically in one tragic instance, to make the case for going to war with Iraq and removing Saddam Hussein from power. Jeb needs to say if he thinks our invading Iraq
Anti-abortion: Jeb will no doubt try to position himself as a moderate on women’s issues. He has said he thinks abortion should be permitted only in cases of rape, incest, and a threat to the life of the mother. And yet, fulfilling a campaign promise, he signed a law creating a highly controversial “Choose Life” Florida
Terri Schiavo: Jeb abused the power of his office when he sided with the family of Terri Schiavo, a brain-dead woman who had been on a feeding tube for more than 15 years, and against her husband who wished to remove it. The spectacle of legal briefs, news conferences, and a special session of the U.S. Senate drew national attention and dragged on, though Jeb and the Schiavo family lost every round. He needs to be asked if he would have handled the situation differently.
Ending separation between church and state: Jeb does not respect the fundamental separation of church and state. The Florida Constitution prohibits direct and indirect funding of religion. But, thanks to him, there are now four faith-based prisons in the state, oddly never challenged in the courts. Recently, he was behind the (fortunately, failed) effort to pass a constitutional amendment to allow unrestricted tax dollars to fund religion. He needs to justify his position.
Privatization: During one of his inaugural speeches, Jeb looked out at the state office buildings around him and said that it would be a sign of our maturity if they were empty. If he had his way, he would turn over to for-profit interests all government services, roads, bridges, air traffic control, and education, of course—with little or no oversight. People need to ask him what he believes are the proper roles of government.
While Jeb is making up his mind about when formally to announce his presidential candidacy, voters need to ask if electing a third or fourth or fifth President Bush is in the best interests of the nation or if two from the Dynasty is already one too many.#
