Bushes Hit Trifecta

With the request by the Louisiana Senators for $250 billion to rebuild the state following Hurricane Katrina, George Bush joins his brothers in being involved in among the most expensive and most appalling events in recent memory.

In 1990 Neil Bush paid a $50,000 fine and was banned from banking activities for his role in taking down Silverado, which cost taxpayers $1.3 billion. As a director of a failing thrift in Denver, Bush voted to approve $100 million in what were ultimately bad loans to two of his business partners. And in voting for the loans, he failed to inform fellow board members at Silverado Savings & Loan that the loan applicants were his business partners. Over all the crisis cost the public $175 billion.

In 2000 Jeb Bush as Governor helped override the public's choice for president, allowing his brother, who prior to Florida was in second place in both the electoral and popular vote, to turn (or some say steal) a disputed vote count in a win for his brother.

In 2005 George Bush, after working to transfer needed funds from homeland programs to an ill advised war in Iraq, faces a bill of $250 billion to rebuild New Orleans. Building the levees to withstand a category 5 hurricane would have cost $2.5 billion and repairs that were denied might have been enough to keep them intact. Unfortunately the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security -- coming at the same time as federal tax cuts, federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle.

Looking back at their accomplishments in savings and loans, election theft, and a national disgrace in government reaction, George and Barbara must be so proud of their sons.