The Wall Street Journal’s kinder, gentler Jeb (The pig needs a different shade of lipstick.)

[seafan]

The WSJ’s kinder, gentler Jeb

By S.V. Date
September 21, 2007

In the Wall Street Journal editorial page’s slam against Gov. Charlie Crist’s insurance policies Friday was this description of Crist’s predecessor, Jeb Bush: “The highly popular Mr. Bush doesn’t make a habit of violating Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment (‘Thou Shalt Not Criticize Fellow Republicans’), but he’s making an exception here.”

Insurance aside, the Journal’s take left Q wondering: Which Jeb Bush exactly was the Journal talking about?

Surely not the same Bush whose staff threatened to defeat Republican senators who didn’t help him pass medical malpractice limits. Or who helped raise millions to take out Republican state Sen. Alex Villalobos for opposing school vouchers. Or who, next month, is scheduled to help South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford raise money so HE can remove Republican legislators in that state who are not conservative enough.

Jeb Bush hammers Crist on insurance

..... Bush criticized Florida's latest efforts at insurance reform - specifically a January special session bill that doubled the state's catastrophe fund to $32-billion and allowed state-backed Citizens Property Insurance to directly compete with the private market.

That is a reversal of Bush's stance when, as governor, he focused on private market solutions, no expansion of the CAT Fund or Citizens, and a state-funded program to help homeowners make their houses more hurricane resistant.

Such solutions "are as bad as the natural disasters themselves," Bush said, adding that "My beloved state of Florida has taken steps along that path."

Without mentioning Gov. Charlie Crist by name, Bush still took aim at the current Republican governor, who inherited the property insurance problem and has all but declared war on State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide and other large insurance companies operating in the state.

Largely forgotten is one other solution Bush and several lawmakers offered in the closing days of the 2006 legislative session: mail every homesteaded property owner a check for $140, supposedly to defray insurance costs.

That idea died when it was learned it would cost the state millions to mail the checks.

....And there you have a slice of the Jeb Bush legacy.


Will someone come and haul this bloviating, bloated tick out of here? It's a case study just crying out for researchers.

[tsuki]

1. $140.00 dollars when my homeowner's insurance went from about

$2000.00 to $5000.00? Wheeeeeew.

And where is Jebbles popular? Even the Republican here spit when they hear his name.

[CJCRANE]

2. WSJ is Murdoch's rag now and it shows.

Just another propaganda catapult.

[SoCalDem]

3. Looks like Murdoch is starting early on Jebthro's run in '12

Is this a man we want in the Oval Office?

[seafan]

4. lolololol, thank you for those! It eases the pain for a brief moment. n/t

[slater71]

5. Just encase he runs.

He will more than likley be Romney`s running mate if Romney wins.

[tibbiit]

6. I agree

They are catapulting the Jebbie propaganda to add him to the ticket.
We shouldnt kid ourselves that the neocons or bushies are going away in 2008. They have to much invested in keeping in power. I fully expect to be further disheartened and sick after the election... I dont believe they are going anywhere at all. (They control the newsmedia who will explain it all away to the people= the 50/50 split, too close to call phenomena)
tib

[Benhurst]

8. I've been posting for over a year now that I thought Jeb would be

the Repub's vice presidential candidate. And I fear they are positioned to steal the third presidential election.

WAKE UP, AMERICA!

[PDenton]

7. Christ is not much better

His insuranec reforms will just bankrupt the state and guarantee that ordinary people will lose their policies. The real issue is environmental and developement related, nothing else. You build enough houses along the beach in a housing bubble, well, of course its going to get expensive to ensure them.

[seafan]

9. Or, maybe it's THIS kinder, gentler Jeb?

"I'd much rather be dependent on 50,000 farmers in Peru, Colombia and Brazil than one crazy man in Caracas, who wants to undermine our freedoms and democracy," said former Gov. Jeb Bush, co-chairman of the Inter-American Ethanol Commission. He referred to Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, whose oil-exporting nation provides more than 10 percent of U.S. oil imports.

Jeb Bush in Coral Gables, FL yesterday.


Nah, didn't think so.