Jeb Bush Nixes 2012 Run for White House

Probably a good call considering the Bush brand wasn't exactly loved when his brother departed the White House, although he'd be preferable to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The jockeying over which Republican will take on President Obama in 2012 is in full swing, with some likely candidates (Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty) taking all the traditional steps to set up a run while other potential challengers test the waters.

One Republican who has generated considerable speculation inside Washington is former Florida governor Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush and son of President George H.W. Bush. Bush has become more politically active in recent months, appearing at fundraisers and making endorsements, and is well positioned to win the key early primary state of Florida should he enter the race.

Now comes word that Bush is ruling himself out. "I am not running for president," he told Louisville ABC affiliate WHAS, according to Politico.

Bush previously elected to forgo a Florida Senate run. It's worth noting that many presidential candidates - among them Barack Obama - flatly insisted they would not seek the presidency before jumping into the race.

Meanwhile, Rick Santorum, the socially conservative former Pennsylvania senator crushed in his reelection bid four years ago, is making his plans to enter the race more and more obvious.

As CNN reports, Santorum "met privately last week with several of his former Capitol Hill staffers to pitch the idea of a presidential bid in 2012."

Santorum is dreaming. The guy got his clock cleaned by Bob Casey in 2006. If you get blown out in your own state you can't possibly believe you've got a chance.

'After This Obama Nightmare, the Bush Brand is Looking Pretty Good'

Time for a second look at Jeb Bush? Maybe. If he were actually to ascend to the presidency we could at least get back to legitimately blaming Bush for all our perceived ills.

Jeb Bush -- who was always derisively referred to as the smartest of the Bush brothers -- seemed presidential at the state Republican convention at the Sheraton New York on Wednesday night.

After Fox News pundit Monica Crowley fired up the crowd and Mayor Bloomberg drew surprisingly enthusiastic applause considering he left the GOP, Jeb spoke and brought down the house, leading to speculation that the former Florida governor will run for president.

Overhead from a top GOPer: "After this Obama nightmare, the Bush brand is looking pretty good."

The Republicans were also talking about how President Obama spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago and VP Joe Biden vacationed in Southampton -- as the BP oil leak kept gushing.

"Imagine if George W. Bush or Dick Cheney had escaped to the Hamptons for some R&R in the middle of Katrina," scoffed one party loyalist.

Speaking of Dubya, he says if given the chance he'd be more than happy to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed again. That makes at least two of us. HuffPosters are outrageously outraged.

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.

Rarefied Air

Czech President Klaus to pay working visit to United States


Czech President Vaclav Klaus leaves on Monday for a working visit to the United States during which he will be presented with two decorations for freedom promotion and meet some local politicians and businessmen, according to his web page.

He will visit the cities of Portland, Seattle and Phoenix during the visit from which he will return to Prague on October 4.

In Portland, Oregon, Klaus will attend the presentation of his book Blue, not Green Planet, in which he criticises the alleged provoking of panic over global warming that will be issued in a second edition in the United States.

In Seattle, Klaus will be presented with Columbia Award that has been bestowed on him by the Washington Policy Centre (WPC).

Its winners include former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, current president's brother Jeb Bush and former New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani.

In Seattle, Klaus will also meet managers of Microsoft company.

On Thursday, Klaus will be presented with Barry Goldwater Award for Liberty in Phoenix.

Its winners include Reagan, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and economist Milton Friedman.

The award, called after former Republican senator Barry Goldwater, is awarded by Goldwater Institute for an exceptional contribution to the development of human freedom.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Klaus has visited the United States many times since he became Czech president for the first time in 2003, but has never been there on an official state visit.

Three years ago President Bush, however, received him in the White House.

Last year Klaus welcomed Bush in Prague where Bush promoted the U.S. plans for the stationing of elements of the anti-missile shield in Central Europe.

And the words community organizer are nowhere to be found in his curriculum vitae.

Via ČeskéNoviny

Petty Libs Deny Jeb Bush Honorary Degree

These people really are pathetic.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - University of Florida President Bernie Machen said Friday he was "tremendously disappointed" with the school's Faculty Senate vote to deny former Gov. Jeb Bush an honorary degree.

The Senate voted 38-28 Thursday against giving the honorary degree to Bush, who left office in January.

"Jeb Bush has been a great friend of the University of Florida," said Machen, adding that the Senate's action is "unheard of."

Some faculty expressed concern about Bush's record in higher education.

"I really don't feel this is a person who has been a supporter of UF," Kathleen Price, associate dean of library and technology at the school's Levin College of Law, told The Gainesville Sun after the vote.

Bush's approval of three new medical schools during his tenure has diluted resources, Price told the newspaper.

Bush has also been criticized for his "One Florida" proposal, an initiative that ended race-based admissions programs at state universities.

Machen maintains, however, that Bush has benefited the university, such as by providing the funding to attract nationally recognized faculty.

I bet if his name was Clinton, Gore or Carter, they wouldn't have any problem. But since his name is Bush, well, we can't have any of that.

University officials said they could not recall any precedent for the Senate rejecting the nominees put forth by the Faculty Senate's Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus Awards and Memorials Committee. The committee determines whether nominees deserve consideration according to standards that include "eminent distinction in scholarship or high distinction in public service."

"The committee endorsed him," Machen said. "It is unheard of that a faculty committee would look at candidates, make recommendations and then (those candidates) be overturned by the Senate."

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