Jeb Bush channels George W. Bush period
After watching Jeb Bush on C-SPAN something telling was immediately evident. Jeb Bush cannot help channeling his brother George W Bush’s failed narrative, propensity to lie, and policies. The above snippet is probative. It is just a superficial extraction of an otherwise matter of fact Right Wing speech one hears on cable TV incessantly.
Jeb Bush with a straight face accused President Obama of putting down anyone who disagrees with him. Of course Obama is the President that many on the Left have castigated for bending over backwards in his attempt to compromise with the Right. He compromised on Obamacare – no public option. He compromised on the stimulus – much smaller than it needed to be. He compromise on taxes – extended the Bush tax cuts. One could go on and on. Yet many on the Right continue the lies to their constituents about a rigid uncompromising President Obama.
Jeb Bush then accuses the President of elevating himself with ‘this sophisticated nuanced view’ that gets nothing done. Of course Bush knows that is a false statement as he is well aware nuance is a requirement to get anything done.. He is simply appealing to the anti-intellectual streak that has metastasized within the Republican Party best articulated by Ronald Reagan’s adviser Bruce Bartlett.
As Jeb Bush’s speech progressed more of his brother started to emerge. “It’s OK to disagree with me,” said Jeb Bush. “I don’t ascribe bad motives for people who disagree with me. They may be wrong. We will have a lively debate.” In other words its his way or the highway.
Jeb Bush continued misleading as he got to the subject of Iraq. “The Iraqis want our help,” Bush said. “They want to know that we have skin in the game, that we are committed to this.” A smart listener immediately reminded Bush that it was his brother who signed the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement to get all the troops out of Iraq by 2011 and it was the Iraqis who refused to modify the agreement. Above and beyond that reality, why would the Iraqis need to know the U.S. had skin in the came in order to protect their own country? Jeb Bush is promoting nation building to enrich the defense industrial complex just like his brother.
In response to another question Jeb Bush points out that Paul Wolfowitz is one of his advisers. Who is Paul Wolfowitz? He is one of George W Bush’s advisers that lied America into war.
Jeb Bush like all the rank and file Right Wingers said the Iranian deal is a bad deal. Of course the Iran deal is supported by most American Jews and hundreds of high-level Israeli defense and intelligence officials. Recently 29 of the top U.S. scientists including several Nobel laureates, former White House advisers, and veteran makers of nuclear arms came out in favor of the deal. Dozens of retired generals and admirals came out in favor of the Iran deal as well.
The following Jeb Bush statement echos his brother more succinctly and is much more inconspicuously dangerous. “If sanctions are imposed by the United States then other countries would have the choice. Will they look at Iran as a business proposition?” Jeb Bush asked. “Perhaps jeopardizing their relationship both commercial and political and diplomatic with the United States? I think that choice would be pretty clear for some countries, maybe not Russia and China to your point. But certainly other countries would have to deeply consider whose side they are on.”
Is he channeling George W Bush? Is that not the same as ‘You are either with us or against us‘? Jeb Bush would be George W Bush’s third term.