the other one

The Bush Family Plan had long been that Jeb, the brighter and more talented brother, would some day carry on the family dynasty as president. Then Karl Rove and Dick Cheney chose Dubya to play the role of front man: Rove, for his schemes to remake the political landscape; and Cheney, for his scheme to subvert the Constitution and create an imperial executive branch. It was all about power, not public service, and they needed an affable, maleable empty suit who had his own grandiose need to prove himself to -- and surpass -- his powerful father.

He did neither. Instead, he proved his inadequacy. And the American people, the U.S. Constitution, and the world are paying the price.

Now, it appears that First Brother Jeb is another collateral damage of the disastrous reign of Bush II. Of course, that has been obvious for the short run; but now it seems the derailing of Jeb's political career could be permanent.

He had been reasonably successful as Forida's governor and had enough popular support to make him a front-runner for the upcoming Republican nomination for senator. Supposedly he would go to the Senate, build a national reputation, and use that as a springboard to run for president. Now, however, he has announced that he will not be running after all. One of my favorite political bloggers, Digby, writing at Hullabaloo, had this to say:

. . . Jeb, no great shakes in his own right, is collateral damage to the worst President in American history. You will not be able to be elected dog catcher with the last name "Bush" for a generation or two. I don't think the burning bush could get elected at the Vatican (or even in the Bible Belt!) in this environment.

Reading between the lines of Jeb's statement, however, leads me to think that he still has plans that diverge sharply from Dubya's legacy. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

[Jeb] Bush pledged to be involved in rebuilding the Republican Party by advocating conservative ideas and policies. But in a written statement, he also called on his fellow Republicans to "raise the level of debate to reflect the American people's desire for change and bipartisanship, embodied by November's historic election."

He must realize that the only hope for a political future for himself lies in repudiating what his brother's administration stood for. And he has to do it without seeming to openly repudiate him. He did that with what could be simply a gracious concession to the man who defeated his party's presidential candidate. But it goes further than necessary to do that. I read it as a signal that he is distancing himself from Big Brother Dubya.

"President-elect Obama ran a tremendous campaign, and I am proud to call him my president," [Jeb] Bush said.

Don't count The Other One out yet. He may just have a longer-range, strategic plan.

Ralph