Jeb Bush slowly returning to the limelight

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Saturday, 01.30.10
Jeb Bush slowly returning to the limelight
By BETH REINHARD
[email protected]

When Jeb Bush left office four years ago, his public appearances were as scarce as bi-partisan man hugs.

He didn't want to upstage his successor in the governor's mansion nor his brother in the White House. Instead, he quietly cashed in by joining corporate boards and an elite speakers bureau, penned policy essays and gave infrequent interviews to conservative media. But in recent months, as the Republican Party of Florida has grappled with a leadership vacuum, Bush's political profile has grown as fast as the national deficit.

He headlined a fundraiser for Bill McCollum's gubernatorial campaign, starred in a YouTube video touting Jeff Atwater's campaign for state chief financial officer and helped install state Sen. John Thrasher as the state party's heir apparent -- all the while looming on the sidelines of the fierce Republican Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio.

The capper came Thursday when, at the top of the 7 o'clock hour, right after Vice President Joe Biden, Bush made a rare network television appearance on NBC's Today Show. The intensely private Bush's interview with the overly familiar Matt Lauer rattled Florida political circles.

Was this the beginning of a Jeb juggernaut that would culminate in a 2012 presidential bid? ``My wife called me immediately and said he looked presidential,'' said Thrasher, who as the former House speaker helped Bush lay down his agenda. ``I said, `Who knows? We'll see.' I'm ready to go to Iowa any time he's ready.''

Bush's comments about Crist's support for President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan got the most attention, but his call for Democrats and Republicans to work together was the biggest clue to his national ambitions.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/1454178.html

http://letustalk.files.wordpress.com.nyud.net:8090/2008/12/bushes-george-and-jeb.jpg http://www.michaeltotten.com.nyud.net:8090/archives/images/Jeb%20Bush.JPG http://graphics8.nytimes.com.nyud.net:8090/images/2006/05/10/us/10bush2.450.jpg

http://www.foxnews.com.nyud.net:8090/images/244224/0_61_120406_bush_tears.jpg

Father sobbing over how poorly Jeb was treated as Florida's governor,
as he sees it.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. God the Bush brothers are fugly.

They're like the Kennedy clan if Rose had been sloshed on whiskey during each pregnancy.

[Zoeisright]

5. God, aren't they?

Junior with his close set eyes and pointy ears, and Jeb with his fat wart face and squinty eyes.

There's something fundamentally wrong with all of them.

[rhett o rick]

42. Sons of Sam (aka Barbara). nt

[proteus_lives]

54. And she wasn't?

Probably one of the reasons Joe had Rosemary lobotomized.

[roguevalley]

57. skanks, all of them

[Uben]

2. The Bushes are American traitors

I wouldn't waste the saliva to spit on any of them!

[EFerrari]

43. They are the oligarchy that is shaping this nation.

[Jamastiene]

3. zOMG, not another one.

:banghead:

[peace frog]

4. And so it begins

the resurrection and positioning of Jeb Bush to run for POTUS. He may opt out of 2012, especially if Obama maintains his popularity and the economy and employment crisis improve. That makes 2016 the Year of Jeb, but in any event he will run. Count on it.

[glitch]

44. Not only is it beginning but watch how the corpse media prepares the ground for him

Keep in mind he doesn't actually have to win, it just needs to be made to seem possible that he can win, the voting machines will do the rest and the corpse media will shout down any questions about it.

[TexasObserver]

6. He's definitely positioning to run in 2012.

Who else does the GOP have to run?

Romney? Their base might take him as the VP, not at the top of the ticket.

Palin? Their hard core nut job base would go for her, but not the business core that fund the GOP.

Jindal? That goofy guy is going nowhere.

Huckabee? He shares part of Palin's base and little else.

JEB is positioning himself to make a move in January, 2011. He's coming out of the chute January, 2011.

[aquart]

8. His wife will still be a thief, his children will still be criminals.

Although I assume his women will all be paid off or buried in time.

The Enquirer should get a team on him NOW.

[Frank Cannon]

29. And he will still be the brother of the worst President in American history

Fat chance, Johnny Boy. If you plan to even get elected dog catcher, you're going to have to change your last name and wear a disguise.

[peace frog]

12. I'm not so sure about 2012

You are correct that Jeb may be the *best* the GOPers can come up with, if you'll pardon the term. However, if he loses to incumbent Obama (and as it stands today, he would lose) then he will carry the stigma of *loser* that would follow him into 2016. Added to the burden of the Bush 41 and 43 presidencies that Jeb already must shoulder, his prospects for 2012 don't look so bright.

[TheWatcher]

14. You underestimate those Jackals at your peril.

Most of us may want to forget all about history, but you are talking about a family that is and should be considered one of the most notorious criminal entities on this planet.

They have left a large, ugly footprint not only on our history, but on the World's history as well.

They don't have to win elections, they steal them, as the past eight years have shown.

If you think a Jeb Bush Presidency can't happen, you're fooling yourself.

As far as whether this country can survive one, well, that is a different matter entirely.

It can't.

[peace frog]

15. Whoa Nellie

You might want to read before you spout baseless accusations. I underestimate nothing when it comes to the Bush crime family, nor do I think a Jeb Bush presidency "can't happen". IMO his best shot is 2016.

[TheWatcher]

37. You are correct in that assumption.

2016 would be my pick as well.

I don't think they could push that card through in 2012. By contrast, The Giggling Murderer would have been defeated if they had put him up against Clinton in '96, but I think anyone who understands The Game knows that was not going to be in the script.

Sorry about the harsh reply, as it was my mistake.

However, there is so much blind faith and mesmerized hypnosis going on with DU these days, it's really hard to see clearly.

[peace frog]

59. No problem

Thank you in return for acknowledging the error of presumption, and I understand very well the exasperation behind it.

[TexasObserver]

17. He won't run unless Obama looks vulnerable.

If we lose either house of congress in November, Jeb will likely start his exploratory committee in January of 2011, then make his final decision about running by mid 2011.

If we come close to losing either house of congress, he may get started. He will be poised to run if Obama looks like he might be vulnerable in 2012. He's not going to let some other Republican carry the banner if there's a chance Obama can be beat in 2012.

[peace frog]

19. Exactly as I see it

and as it stands today, Obama is not vulnerable enough to warrant a Jeb run in '12. Of course, anything can happen to shift the balance in favor of the GOP in the next two years. Obama will have to fight like hell to maintain, and even harder to succeed.

[dixiegrrrrl]

36. Remember that they are counting on the short memory of the electorate.

You and I and us have long memories, perhaps, but the average Repug voter will vote for whoever gets them
excited enough in the 6 mos. before the election.
And now that elections can be easily bought as well as stolen, look for more and more revisionist history to be spread around.
By 2012, Bush's slate will be wiped clean in the minds of the Fox bots.

[JCMach1]

22. Nah, realistically 2016

[Solly Mack]

7. Oh well

[cdeca2008]

9. Bleeech......

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

[sandyj999]

10. No surprise to me. I felt this was a plan all along.

Now we just need to make sure he doesn't make it.

[The Gunslinger]

11. No doubt

I've felt all along it's either Palin or Jeb in 2012

[SpiralHawk]

18. Jeb-Sarah 2012

Has a kind of Biblical Apocalyptic ring to it, dontcha think?

[monmouth]

24. Repub acquaintance of mine who is pretty well connected in those

circles says he won't even attend an event Sarah appears at. He really wants to get Rubio in and hates Charlie. Charlie undid a lot of Jebbie's work (which was a good thing). Let's pray Charlie gets the nom..

[blue_onyx]

38. I doubt he would pick Palin

He would pick a VP who could help win a larger blue state.

[peace frog]

21. Palin on the ticket is political suicide

just ask McCain's 2008 team, they can tell you alllllll about it.

The GOP will, of course, trot her out to stump for the GOPer candidate while she's still popular with teabagger types, but even that popularity is on the wane. Palin's rapacious greed is turning off the teabaggers not politically tied to the Repulican party.

[The Gunslinger]

28. I'm not sure about that

The far right and the teabaggers love her. McCain might have lost, but if I recall correctly, his numbers went up after her nomination. And now that she portrays herself as the "victim" of liberal media bashing, the far right will support her more.

[peace frog]

34. Her numbers rose then took a sharp nosedive

as voters got a better look at her, and that's the very best she could expect her next time out of the gate. Meanwhile, her teabagging base is eroding. She's losing teabaggers not aligned with the Repblican party in droves with her naked greed and fundie fringe weirdness. Mind you, it's fine by me if the GOP candidate for POTUS chooses her as a running mate, because she will sink him/her like a stone just as she did McCain.

[HipChick]

40. Her star and time is most definitely fading..Granny grifter better cash in all she can..

[rfranklin]

13. Just like Clinton did, Obama ignores the Bush family at our peril...

By burying the misdeeds of Bush Senior, Bill Clinton doomed us to Junior's occupation of the White House. While he was ignoring Iran Contra and other crimes, Clinton was being undermined by the Bush family surrogates with the Whitewater "investigation" which morphed into the Monica scandal and provided the aura of sleaziness that allowed Shrub to get close enough to steal the election in 2000. By ignoring the war crimes of Junior we are being sentenced to another Bush (mal)administration.

[kath]

46. +10.

[bahrbearian]

49. Right on . It will all come back to Bite Us (the little guys)

[slipslidingaway]

50. So true! n/t

[Broke In Jersey]

16. Oh No!!! Not Bush vs. Clinton AGAIN in 2012!!! hahaha nt

[Edweird]

20. We knew this was coming. The question is how to deal with it.

[peace frog]

23. First, the Democrats can stop already

with the public rehabilitation of Bush43 (attention Obama: we're looking at you). Hammer the media with reminders of the long litany of Bush family crimes. Never let an opportunity pass to remind the Bush-weary voters of 2008 of what awaits them should Jeb take office.

[Jennicut]

25. Jeb was always supposed to be Poppy Bush's heir to the Presidency but W

messed that up. Unfortunately for Jebbie, Americans still pretty much hate the Bush family. By 2012, they will still hate the Bush family.

[peekaloo]

26. I guess his fan base didn't bother to leave a comment.

:rofl:

No love for Jebthro there...:nopity:

The only thing presidential about him is that he could compete with Mt. Rushmore as a hosting site.

Seems to have changed his mind about that bullet train/federal funding, too.

I'd imagine he's now working behind the scenes to try and secure as many "contracts" for his buddies (fellow criminals) as possible.

Fucking weasel.

[tanyev]

27. Might we have a GOP primary with Jeb! vs La Palin?

That could be hysterical.

[H2O Man]

30. Key.

Recommended.

[Blasphemer]

31. God. The Bush family is the Corpotacracy's first family

Even if we are spared a Jeb Presidency, his son Prescott will surely inherit the throne eventually. He's almost 34 already. This is why Dubya needed to be put on trial. It would have made it a lot harder for people to forget the results of his evil regime.

[UTUSN]

32. This is pretty much near the top of my worst nightmares list. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

33. 'Ol Jebby is big enough to be both candidates on the repub slate.

President and vice-president all rolled into one...a two-fer!

[Ardent15]

35. Ah..the BFEE

Showing some "emotion."

[blue_onyx]

39. I do think Jeb will run in 2012...

and I think he'll be the nominee. The field of candidates in 2012 will probably be fairly weak so it won't be difficult for him to get the Republican nomination.

[LaPera]

41. Hoping Jeb runs in 2012 - Obama kicking the shit out of Jebbie & getting rid of the Bush's forever!

[peace frog]

45. Sounds like a plan, however

"getting rid of the Bushes forever" is a tall order. Remember there is a new generation of Bush kids coming up, some of whom will surely assume that by fiat the Office of POTUS is theirs for the taking. Keep your eye on Jeb's son, Goerge P. Bush, as the likely successor.

[Raschel]

47. "Jeb juggernaut", lol. How about "Jebbernaut"?

[Raschel]

48. I still can't believe they call him Jeb.

[LatteLibertine]

51. Just what the 'Thugs need, another Bush

[lib2DaBone]

52. OH God NO!!!! Like a Giant FUngus.. or Infection of a wound...

Please Dear God don't.. if you exist....don't let Jeb Bush come back.

Please Dear God.. hear our prayers.. this country is so fragile.. so little freedom remains, so little of American freedom... if you hear our prayers... don't let the media and the Corporations install another BUSH poison-pill into our society.

We beseech you oh dear loving god.... to drive the devil demons of the Republican Party to the furthest side of the planet.. where they can do no harm.. to innocent children and compassionate people. Amen

[11 Bravo]

53. Moxie and Spunk are back!

[Snarkoleptic]

55. "Turd slowly surfaces in punchbowl" would be my suggestion for an alternate title.

just sayin...

[Hannah Bell]

56. jeb bush has a balloon head. he's some kind of neanderthal throwback.

[Swamp Rat]

58. La Divina Commedia continues....

Where's Virgil? I want outta this place!