We’re going to have another one of the Bush boys try his hand at creating a circus-like chaos in American democracy. My bet is that this Bush is probably capable of leaving America in more of a disastrous state than his brother, the Shrub.
Would he be likely to top what his older did for all of us? Could he top an economy in utter shambles; a deficit for America that reached its highest point in the history of this country; an oil war in Iraq where we spent $2 trillion on behalf of Exxon and BP? Could he really do better than a war where thousands of our soldiers were either killed or crippled in a war dreamed up and promoted with lies delivered by George Bush and his sick little Vice President Dick Cheney? Maybe he can match the Shrub’s level of incompetence where big brother allowed 3,000 Americans to be murdered on 9/11 because he forgot to read his presidential briefing points.
The list of the Shrub’s failures is endless and mind-boggling. But I believe little brother can match him and even raise that failure threshold. The two brothers have always been hugely competitive.
You see, Jeb Bush was elected governor in a state that believed even Rick Scott looked like great governor material. Rick Scott had committed Medicare fraud through his healthcare company to the tune of $1.4 billion stolen from taxpayers. Scott was forced to take the protection of the 5th Amendment 78 times in depositions surrounding that healthcare fraud because he clearly knew he could be criminally prosecuted if he didn’t.
But no matter, Florida voters seem to love big larceny in the character of their political leaders. The good news though is that history of larceny doesn’t play out well for candidates in a setting outside the Tea Party heavy state of Florida. So just because Jeb Bush was elected by the same right wingers who elected Rick Scott in Florida, doesn’t mean that a national run for him is clear sailing. The ugly Jeb Bush stories will not play out well in a presidential election. They are stories that were barely even told during Jeb’s run for governor because the lame-stream media didn’t want to further tarnish Bush Sr.’s stellar name.
But there is a story you will start hearing about. It is the story about Jeb Bush’s very close friend, Miguel Recarey. Recarey was a business associate of the Santos Trafficante organized crime family in Tampa, Florida. Recarey fled the US because he was facing indictments for racketeering, illegal wiretapping, and medicare fraud. Jeb Bush was always there for Recarey. Jeb intervened for the mobster numerous times in issues surrounding Recarey’s fraud and even embezzlement. Young Jeb reported to investigators that Recarey was a solid citizen and a great community leader right before Recarey escaped the US and went on the lamb.
It will be fun to follow the money on that story during the GOP presidential primaries. We can maybe explore what little Jeb received in return for shilling for his racketeering pal.
Then there’s the Jeb Bush story surrounding the Broward Federal Savings and Loan, where W’s little brother Jeb defaulted on a $4.5 million loan from that S&L. In that debacle, Daddy Bush came to the rescue and low and behold, the FDIC only required Jeb to pay back $500,000 on that scam. The government took a $4 million loss. That loan failure played a pivotal role in the failure of Broward Federal Savings and Loan.
Naturally, a state that would elect a governor like Scott, who scammed taxpayers for $1.4 billion, no doubt believed that Jeb Bush was a perfect choice to make governing decisions for Florida. But I’m betting the rest of America won’t see it that way.
You can bet there will be plenty of great material to talk about in the GOP primaries now that another Bush is running for president. And our magazine will be there to cover the details. Your support has made that possible – count on it.