Peter Baker, beat-sweetening for the NYTimes, on “The Bushes, as Distinct and Alike as Brothers Can Be”:
… The two brothers spent their formative years growing up in Midland, Tex., but they experienced the most searing event of their childhood in different ways. When their sister Robin died of leukemia, Jeb was an infant, but George was 7, old enough to understand. He took it upon himself to cheer up their devastated mother, adopting a class-clown demeanor that would define his persona for years…
My translation: George got to play “substitute husband” for Bar while Daddy Poppy was off making his bones in the CIA. (Mom still likes George best, and has never cared who knew it.)
[Jeb] married Columba Garnica Gallo, whom he had met in Mexico, at age 21 and moved to Caracas, Venezuela, and then to Florida to become a real estate developer and begin raising a family. George, by contrast, bounced around Texas oil fields for years, enjoying a liquid, languid youth before finally giving up drinking at age 40.Their father’s successful 1988 presidential campaign whetted George’s political appetite. After his father lost the presidency four years later, he embarked on his own campaign in 1994 against the popular governor of Texas, a move that surprised his family even as Jeb was already gearing up to run for governor of Florida. While neither admitted it, many detected a quiet competitiveness. Few expected George to win, but he pulled off the upset while Jeb went down to a surprise defeat.
The split result provoked a moment of sibling friction as George expressed frustration that his parents were focused more on Florida. “Why do you feel bad about Jeb?” he asked his father in an exchange later described by his aunt, Nancy Ellis. “Why don’t you feel good about me?” …
Always Mr. Gracious, our George.
As Jeb rebounded to win Florida’s governorship in 1998, George W. Bush was preparing his own run for the White House — one that would climax in the crucible of Jeb’s Florida two years later. On election night, when it looked as if Al Gore had won Florida, an emotional Jeb hugged George and apologized for letting him down. He was premature. “Back from the ashes,” Jeb called out as more returns came in. For the next five weeks, Jeb’s Florida held the world in suspense until the Supreme Court ended a recount with George ahead.
The recount sealed their relationship again, but the new president spent more time with other siblings during his White House years. Marvin, nicknamed “Marvelous,” went to the White House to watch sports and spent weekends at Camp David. Dorothy Bush Koch, their sister, visited often. Jeb was spotted mainly during holidays or governors’ conferences…
No unseemly mention by Baker of “the runt” Neil, you’ll notice. Dubya didn’t mind his kinfolk hangin’ round, as long as they weren’t political (possible competitors / problems). Sure, Jeb saved Dubya’s bacon until the Five Supremes could step in, but that just made being seen around Jeb a liability, same as with perennial Silverado/INSPIRE! Screwup the Youngest.
Jeb understands that his brother brings both advantages and disadvantages, but he is determined to stand on his own, advisers said. Jeb’s inner circle does not include many from his brother’s team, although lately he has consulted figures like Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state, and Richard N. Haass, a former State Department official in both Bush administrations. For George, a Jeb campaign could serve as a form of family validation. “He really wants Jeb to run, and he’s really excited about it,” said one person close to the family. “I think Jeb is like, ‘I could use your money, but if you just hide, that would be helpful.’ ”
Jeb Bush Jr., son of the former Florida governor, said that was not true. “He’s certainly proud of his brother and his dad,” the younger Mr. Bush said last year. “I don’t think he’ll be shying away from that.”…
Jeb Jr, translated: “Staying in the good graces of La Familia is my only chance of succeeding beyond the level of all the other second-gen Florida real-estate hustlers. I’m not letting Daaad fvck that up, no matter how much the old man hates Uncle Dumbya and the neocon vampires that enabled him.”
After reading this article, were I Jeb Bush, I’d trust random members of the professional Democratic “opposition” over any of my loving family. At least most of the professionals would stay loyal as long as the checks cleared; the Bush clan doesn’t seem to have any more honor towards each other than they do with the rest of us.