The Republican Kennedys

Your link takes me to the front page of TPW.

Hey, if they can pull off a Jeb candidacy, they should do so. I've given up trying to make Republicans here smarter. There's too much work involved and too little reward. If Sheridan and others want to turn themselves into the perfect butt plugs for the Bushes, who am I to get in their way? Go fulfill your life's ambition, gentlemen.

The Bushes, when out of office, prefer to stay out of politics unless they're asked their opinions on the electoral prospects of other Bushes, in which case they trumpet their enthusiastic support. In retirement, George and Laura act as if politics is a dirty business that they would prefer not discussing. But just ask them about Jeb and the presidency, and suddenly they are gushily back into campaign mode.

Early in Obama's presidency, the new president's team looked as if it was going to prosecute those in the military and civilian bureaucracies who had been involved in enhanced interrogation techniques. At the time Phillip Sheridan called on the former president to publicly say that he was responsible for all those decisions and boldly dare the new administration to go after him -- a former president -- before they went after anyone who implemented his orders.

But of course there was never any chance of that happening. George W. Bush will do two things in retirement: burnish his own legacy and boost the family's political fortunes. Helping others to deal with the continued fallout from his administration's decisions? That ain't in the cards.

Jeb Bush: GOP candidates appealing to people's fears

God this guy is a piece of work.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this headline over at Hot Air elicited almost universal revulsion among the many commentators.

Despite Mitt Romney wins, both sides keep eying Jeb Bush

When I read articles like this, I'm convinced that at least two-thirds of people in politics are mouth-breathing idiots.

Like the Kennedys, the Bush family has a group of functionaries and high-level gofers who serve the family's political ambitions. Some of these people have talent and some don't. Card is one who does. But they all share the quality of a certain shamelessness and lack of self-respect when promoting the Bushes that the family has always sought in its help.

From 1989 to 1992 Card served as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for George H.W. Bush, and this posting began a love affair he's had with the Bush family that has not stopped to this day.

He then became Transportation Secretary under George H.W. Bush in 1992.

After Bush lost in 1992 to Clinton, Card went back to Massachusetts, but then came back to serve Dubya in 2000 -- first to run the Republican National Convention in 2000 and then to become his Chief of Staff for six years.

He then was named acting Dean of the Bush School at Texas A&M in 2011, presumably because the school is his Graceland. So it's quite natural he'd be schlepping for Jeb in his own ham-handed way.

Card was the man who whispered to Bush that the country was under attack on 9/11.

He has one of the deadest expressions I've ever seen on a man.

Ha! I was thinking Card.