Murky divorce details put Bush's brother in spotlight

[emad]

From The Guardian

Whether it is dodging the issue of weapons of mass destruction or evading the imbroglio over the recount in Florida, the two most prominent scions of the Bush dynasty have a knack for braving doubts about their credibility. But while United States president George Bush and his brother Jeb, the Florida governor, have made it through some tough questioning, the president's younger brother, Neil, may not be so lucky. In a court deposition, taken in March and released this week, Neil claims that attractive women came to his hotel door looking for sex while he was on business trips in Hong Kong in Thailand. And as a big-hearted Texan Neil, the third of five Bush children, merely did as he was asked. "You have to admit it's pretty remarkable for a man to go to a hotel room door and open it and have sex with her," said his ex-wife's lawyer, Marshall Davis Brown. "It was very unusual," replied Mr Bush. He insists he didn't know them, did not see them afterwards and didn't pay them. "Were they prostitutes?" he was asked. "I don't know," he said.

Mr Bush, 48, divorced his wife, Sharon, in April after 23 years of marriage. The split came after a bitter dispute with another couple, Maria and Robert Andrews, whom they met several years earlier. Sharon, who is the subject of a $850,000 (£496,000) defamation suit after she alleged that Mr Bush was the father of the Andrews' two-year-old son, has called on Neil and Mr Andrews to take paternity tests. Mr Bush and Maria Andrews are now a couple. On Friday a Texas judge ordered Sharon Bush to allow one of their daughters, Ashley, 14, to accompany Neil and Maria to France for Thanksgiving. "They don't even celebrate Thanksgiving in France," said a friend of Sharon's.

The deposition also shed light on Mr Bush's business dealings and ability to land fat contracts with little expertise. The hotel trysts took place while Mr Bush was working as a consultant for Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, which is backed by the son of former Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, for which he was paid $2m in stock options over five years. It is not the first time that he has been involved in corporate controversy. In the late 1980's he was director of Denver-based Silverado Savings & Loan, which collapsed at a cost to taxpayers of $1bn. At the time he denied any wrongdoing but was sanctioned by the federal government for his part in the failure. During the deposition Mr Brown asked: "Now, you have absolutely no education background in semiconductors, do you Mr Bush?" "That's correct," said Mr Bush.

Mr Brown also questioned him about work for Crest Investment Corporation, where he was paid $5,000 a month for work that totalled no more than four hours a week. Bush said he provided Crest with "miscellaneous consulting services". "Such as?" asked Brown. "Answering phone calls when the other co-chairman called and asked for advice," said Mr Bush.

From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1094163,00.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Why don't we have a newspaper in the U.S. that can pick up on these gems:

"On Friday a Texas judge ordered Sharon Bush to allow one of their daughters, Ashley, 14, to accompany Neil and Maria to France for Thanksgiving. "They don't even celebrate Thanksgiving in France," said a friend of Sharon's."

and;

"In the late 1980's he was director of Denver-based Silverado Savings & Loan, which collapsed at a cost to taxpayers of $1bn. At the time he denied any wrongdoing but was sanctioned by the federal government for his part in the failure. <In reference to his new semiconductor job as a consulatant:> During the deposition Mr Brown asked: "Now, you have absolutely no education background in semiconductors, do you Mr Bush?" "That's correct," said Mr Bush."

and finally:

"Mr Brown also questioned him about work for Crest Investment Corporation, where he was paid $5,000 a month for work that totalled no more than four hours a week. Bush said he provided Crest with "miscellaneous consulting services". "Such as?" asked Brown. "Answering phone calls when the other co-chairman called and asked for advice," said Mr Bush."

Cronyism is alive and well in the U.S.A. If this were Billy Carter or Clinton's brother, he would be eviserated by the U.S. press. But as long as there's a Republican in office, we have to rely on british news to point out the absurdity of our present times.

[emad]

2. That's why they call it the Special Relationship:

The UK press has a long tradition of bush bash because it despises that clan and all it stands for. The Guardian newspaper in particular employs journalists who have been on the Shrub trail since the 1980s and have honed their reputations as ruthless BFEE sleuths determined to nail his bollocks to the mast of the Queen Mary, so to speak...

All this is leading up nicely to January 2004 when the UK BCCI class action is heard in open court at the Royal Courts of Justice and the US press will have no choice but report how the UK press 'eviscerates'
the 20 year scam that led to Shrub being selected for office.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. BCCI

I'm glad the U.K. has been persistent with the BCCI scandal. The U.S. has a tendency to bury its dirt under the rug as soon as possible. And with so many mounting, how do you keep track of them all?

If it's too complicated an issue, mainstream Americans never have time to absorb the full ramifications of the corruption. That's why the Bushes, and in particular Neil, have been able to go from sweetheart deal to sweetheart deal without anyone doing anything about them.

So, the U.K. papers will have to lead in the "evisceration" process. We'll be watching.

[goforit]

8. It was in the NYT today. Happy to see them print it.

I'm sure Poppy wanted to read it.

Probably patted him on the back and said "Job well done"!!!

[fishnfla]

3. This is a divorce deposition

He is giving up this infon in a divorce depo. He really must something to hide

[GabysPoppy]

5. I don't believe it was a divorce deposition

And to a poster above, it was in the NY Post of all papers.

Now this young Asian girl might have looked like his wife and he was confused at the moment. You do know that the Bush siblings are not very bright at times and are easily confused. (sarcasm intended)

[PaDUer]

6. Ya, that those

hookers have been servicing his brother also.

[cliss]

7. I'm glad at least the British press

is keeping us informed. Well, you know the old saying,

"the family that preys together stays together".

[otohara]

9. Denver Post Edit's Out Sex With Several Women part

gee, I remember a time when if the brother of a president had the last name of Clinton, Rodham or Carter - every beer they drank was front page news.

Yes the Post edited out the sex part from the original LA Times story - now in Colorado we have a special relationship with Neil & Sharon - Silverado Savings and Loan.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-112603neil_lat,1,798236.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[The Zanti Regent]

10. Just another example of Press Whoring

We know that if Roger Clinton did the same shit as Neil Bush, it would be on EVERY front page in American Papers.

BUT because Neil Bush did it, there is total silence!