Are You Ready for Bush 45?

This is sure to ruin the day for lefties everywhere. Just when they're about to be free of their raging Bush Derangement Syndrome (we hope), along comes Bush 41 promoting Jeb Bush for president.

Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its grossly unfair criticism of another son, President George W. Bush.

During an interview on "FOX News Sunday," the nation's 41st president said Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is "as qualified and as able as anyone I know in the political scene" to be president.

"I'd like to see him run," Bush said. "I'd like to see him be president some day.

"As president, it's about service, service for the greatest country on the face of the Earth and the honor that goes with it," Bush said. "I think Jeb fits that description."

He added: "I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've got enough Bushes in there."

In the meantime, Jeb could take another job, his father suggested.

"If Jeb wants to run for the Senate from Florida, he ought to do it," Bush said. "He'd be an outstanding senator. This is a guy that really has a feel for people, the issues in Florida and nationally. And his political days ought not to be over, says his old father."

But the current President Bush's political days will soon be over, prompting the former President Bush to unburden himself about what he calls unfair criticism of his eldest son.

"It's been tough on his father and his mother," the ex-president said. We're not very good sports about sitting around and hearing him hammered, I think, unfairly.

"Now, there were some things that clearly he deserved criticism for," he said. "But I think the idea that everything that's a problem in this country should be put on his shoulders -- I don't think that's fair. And I'm not trying to get back in game by criticizing people, for example, the New York Times, but you know, it's just grossly unfair."

Admittedly, back before they both ran for governor of their respectives states in 1994, I though Jeb had the better prospects for higher office than George W. Bush.

Still, I suspect this country may have well had their fill of the Bush family, but you can never tell how things can shift in four years. Since Jeb likely plans on running for the Senate in 2010, I doubt he's be running in 2012. If Barack Obama does serve two terms, however, things could be wide open come 2016.