Poppy, No. 1, Jeb and George

A New York Times story this morning reports that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is still trying to explain why he recently told reporters “Yo no tengo futuro,” that is to say, “I have no future.” Jeb Bush is now saying, “I was misunderstood by a reporter.” In Newsweek last month, Eleanor Clift wrote, “On the eve of a report that repudiates his son’s leadership, former president George H.W. Bush broke down crying when he recalled how his other son, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, lost an election a dozen years ago and then came back to serve two successful terms. The elder Bush has always been a softie, but this display of emotion was so over the top that it had to be about something other than Jeb’s long-ago loss.” Clift was talking about a lecture the elder Bush gave in Tallahassee where he paid homage to his son Jeb who was leaving office as Florida Governor. Clift said, “The former president was reflecting on how well Jeb handled defeat in 1994 when he lost his composure. ‘He didn’t whine about it,’ he said, putting a handkerchief to his face in an effort to stifle his sobbing.” It’s no secret that George Herbert Walker Bush had plans for Jeb Bush to be president of the United States. It’s no secret that Jeb blew it when he lost his bid to be Governor in 1994. It’s no secret that Poppy Bush’s Dragon Lady Wife (called “No. 1” by little George) favors her eldest son George W. Bush. So when the four Bushes get together, what do they talk about? George W. has fouled the Bush nest and Jeb is out of a job and looking to be gainfully employed. Does Mr. I-Have-No-Future Bush blame his older brother just a teense for denying him his rightful ascension to the throne? Who knows? And we’ll never know what goes on between those four Bushes when they get together. Although I’m betting they rarely get together. But one thing is as sure as tomorrow’s dawn: Jeb Bush is going to lobby for the Vice President slot in the 2008 election. Will he be able to talk Senator John McCain (R-AZ) into being his running mate? Jeb Bush is likeable, that’s sure and the NYT says 57% of Floridians feel he did a “good” or “great” job as governor. And we know that McCain can tell lies as though he had Bush genes and that he will get behind anything or anyone in order to be President of the United States. The NYT quoted Peter Schweizer, a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford who wrote “The Bushes: A Dynasty”, as saying, “The presidency is out of the question at this point because of Bush fatigue…but the vice presidential slot is something that’s very much in play. He’s (Jeb Bush) a successful governor of an important state, he helps shore up relations with the social conservatives and he has the Bush money machine.” But who will tell Jeb Bush that he’s no Dick Cheney and that John McCain is no pushover idiot? Probably no one. All the Bush sons feel they were born to scam the masses and that everyone else is a sucker. What the reporter may have misunderstood when Jeb said, “I have no future”, is that he meant: I have no future as president in the next election. But Jeb Bush will only be 54 on February 11th. There’s plenty of time for John Ellis Bush to rule the world, if he can just keep his foot in the door in 2008.