Robert Parry: Time to Turn to Jeb?

[babylonsister]

Time to Turn to Jeb?

By Robert Parry
May 29, 2010

In watching TV news accounts of the recent American disasters – a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a fatal mine explosion in West Virginia, continuing economic fallout from Wall Street excesses, worsening fears about the impact of the massive U.S. debt – I was struck by the absence of one name: George W. Bush.



It was as if the mainstream journalists were following an unwritten rule: that is, whatever the relevance, the former President was not to be mentioned as a culprit in these catastrophes.

Even when there were references to how the problems had been getting worse for 10 years at the Mineral Management Services, the federal agency which has been rubber-stamping plans for deepwater oil rigs, it was as if no one was willing to do the math and calculate who was in charge during most of that time.

Similarly, when the nation’s $1.2 trillion budget deficit was discussed as a grave threat to the economy, it was never mentioned how the nation got to this point, how the Congressional Budget Office had been projecting $850 billion annual surpluses when Bush took over in 2001.

Back then, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was fretting about the technical complexities for the Fed to set interest rates if the U.S. government paid off its entire debt. Well, that was one “problem” that Bush solved.

The simple truth is that Bush’s policies, implemented by Republican-dominated Congresses in the first half of the last decade, set the stage for all the recent catastrophes – debt caused by massive tax cuts for the wealthy and wars paid for by credit card, hostility toward government regulation of industry (and especially the coal and oil industries), blind faith in the “magic of the market” to set things right.

Yet, the major U.S. news media behaves as if this context must be blacked-out. Bush-43 must get a pass and the blame must be dumped on President Barack Obama for having “failed” to fix these problems in the past 16 months.

snip//

Indeed, as the American political process grows even more addle-brained, we might be seeing the start of a recurring cycle: a member of the Bush family screws things up; the Democrats eventually take control but don’t demand accountability; the media quickly shifts the blame for the problems to the Democrats; the Republicans become agents of change; and the next Bush family member becomes president to get things back on track.

One might call that prospect a truly vicious cycle.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/052910.html

[Submariner]

1. Yeah....Jeb for the next pretzeldent

I always wanted a felon as a First Lady. Jeb's wife is a felon for attempting to smuggle jewelry through U.S. Customs. She fits the Bush crime family mold perfectly.

[Doctor_J]

2. Obama should have realized that not prosecuting Bush would end up like this

If Clinton in 1993 had prosecuted GHWB for consorting with terrorists, much of this could have been avoided. Similarly, Obama's refusal to prosecute the traitors and felons in the GWB administration has left the door open for another round.

[msongs]

6. obama's got his own war crimes issues to deal with so he is not gonna go after bushco. nt

[otohara]

3. But The Media Says....It's Obama's NOW

I think the President should stop taking full ownership of the pile of shit GWB left this country.

[harkadog]

12. If you run for President ownership comes with the job.

That why he is called commander-in-chief.

[volvoblue]

4. you forget who did a hit job on Gore to get Bush elected..

the same people who now whitewash the Bush record and dump it all on Obama - our media.

[Scuba]

5. Rupert decides what you will think.

[CreekDog]

7. yes, turn to another Bush, because that's worked out so well the last two times

or not. :eyes:

[babylonsister]

8. Did you read this? It wasn't actually a suggestion. nt

[CreekDog]

14. i was only saying what came to mind with a Jeb presidency

not that you or the author thought any differently!

[southernyankeebelle]

9. You would think 2 Bushes were enough to destroy this country. I wouldn't doubt

they would elect another crazy Bush. Enough. Honestly I don't know who is worse Palin or another Bush. This country deserves better than a republican. Am ready for a real social democrat for a change. At least they will put the working people first for a chance.

[Doctor_J]

11. 2 Bushes DID destroy the country

that and Hate Radio.

[Faygo Kid]

10. Would not be a bit surprised. It's in the works, I'm sure.

Palin is a bad joke, Newt is absurd, the Tea Party hates Mitt. Jeb looks like the one, alright.

[Mopar151]

13. If the idea of the GOP-BMC is to make Jeb look good

"The Republican Bum of the Month Club"

They better line up some more bums pronto, if they want to draw the flies offa Jeb.

[Tutankhamun]

15. The next Republican presidential candidate will be a sacrificial lamb.

Maybe not intentionally, but unless something hugh happens to threaten Obama's presidency, the Republican won't win. Maybe a McCain/Dole ticket. Or Dole/McCain. I can see those two crotchety old bastards duking it out over that one.

McCain: "Fuck you, Viagra boy!"
Dole: "Up yours, combover king!"

A fistfight ensues, the winner of which gets to lose the election to Obama.