Jeb Bush Rules Out 2008 White House Run

[Rose Siding]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Gov. Jeb Bush said Sunday he will not run for president in 2008 and defended his brother from critics who say the president refuses to acknowledge his mistakes.

The governor also denied a report that he knew of problems with a list of felons to be purged from the state's voter rolls months before it was discarded.

"I'm not going to run for president in 2008. That's not my interest," Bush told ABC's "This Week." "I'm going to finish my term."

Bush said he was not going to think about his next move until after completing his second term in 2006. In an Associated Press survey in August, more than a third of the state's Republican delegates said they favored Bush as the party's presidential candidate in 2008.

In the interview with George Stephanopolous, Bush defended the president against criticism from Democrats that his brother refuses to acknowledge mistakes with the economy and in Iraq (news - web sites).

"I think he could've admitted mistakes," he said. "We're all human. But, in this campaign season ... where every word is just jumped on, you know, people are cautious."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=4&u=/ap/20041017/ap_on_el_pr/jeb_bush2008

[Gregorian]

1. Oh, so he's running in 2008.

I have coined a new term. Instead of piehole, for these Republican types, it's a LIEHOLE.

[tinanator]

16. accurate technical term and absolutely right

on the bright side, taking every liar at his word makes it much easier to get at the truth. Who's gonna steal FL for you Jeb?

[Zorra]

2. It would be pretty tough for him to run for Prez while he's in the pen for

committing voter fraud in Florida anyway.

[hippiechick]

3. A Rap sheet is a mandatory credential for the GOP

Without it, they feel that one is simply not qualified to represent their party or run for office.

:evilgrin:


:hippie:

[davidinalameda]

48. amen to that one!

[necso]

4. Some Republicans are

worried about stuff like a Bush "Dynasty" (it is a "machine" at this point) and the "neo-cons" in government.

The counter-memes: Jeb isn't running and we can handle the neo-cons after the election.

Yeah, sure.

[tinanator]

17. some people say?

I have yet to meet a Bush voter who ever considered the ramifications of their fealty.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. I think Jeb would rather go back to real estate

and work on become a very rich man.

Especially after four hurricanes, this governing thing is not so much fun after all.

[LiberalFighter]

24. Keep sending those hurricanes to Florida then preferably...

wherever jeb is at the moment.

[DoYouEverWonder]

27. Please no, I had personal experience with three of them

there's got to be a better way to get rid of these bums.

[LiberalFighter]

34. Lightning?

[Darth_Kitten]

6. You didn't hear it from me....

but perhaps a campaign will take him away from the home front. And no problems there, eh Jeb? ;) (not that I'm spreading anything of course) ;)

But really, I'm heartbroken. Really. :nopity: :evilgrin:

[MADem]

7. Gee, why not?

His wife is ready to divorce him, spends more time in Mexico than in FL, she's a smuggler of designer goods and fails to pay import tax, daughter is a drug addict, son is a cretin who threatened his girlfriend and tore up her daddy's lawn, other kid bangs his honey in his jeep in the KMART parking lot, he has balled his way through all of the sleazy GOP power hungry painted Barbie dolls in his State House....sounds like a typical, family values Republican, without even getting into the screwing he's giving his citizenry!

And the sick thing is, of the two that are in public, political life, he is the BETTER one. That is what is so pathetic about the state of our union today.

[flordehinojos]

36. Jeb only seems "better" than his brother right now because he has less

power ... he is just as much of an SOB.

[6th Borough]

49. A much more intelligent, articulate SOB...

It would have been him if he had become a governor before George.

Of course, they can't come with a second straight Bush; especially not after this one.

In the mean time, I have no doubt they will be grooming Jeb's son for a future in politics. If another Bushe runs, it will be Jeb's son.

[MADem]

52. You might be right

...but we cannot rule out Columba's influence. She married into that family and it WAS TRUE LOVE. She's totally disillusioned now, but we can only hope that momma told her little boy to get his in the private sector. He did not do very well at all in his few campaign outings supporting his crummy uncle, and his spanish is really awful--his Dad, I hate to say, speaks way better spanish than he does.

I just don't think he has the DRIVE. If he does it, he will be pushed, not pulling.

[6th Borough]

54. Ask yourself...did Georgie boy have any drive?

The current occupant of the White House has more in common with Neil than Jeb.

...and I doubt Jeb's son speaks worse Spanish than Dubya.

[TheFarseer]

8. It's him and Hillary in the next election if W wins

If W loses, I think he's ruined. If Kerry, loses, personally, I think the Dems are ruined as a party. There will definitely be some re-tooling at any rate.

[iamjoy]

9. No, We're Ruined As A Democracy

If Bush gets a second term, it is not just the Democrats being ruined as a party (Grover Norquist has said that much). Our country will be ruined. Think of the countries that had one party systems (Germany under Hitler, Soviet Union), have they ever been good?

[tinanator]

18. oh no, its him regardless

they wouldnt pass the baton to the little brown one yet, and Neil aint ever gettin the job. How many bros again?

[tanyev]

28. There's still Marvin.

x(

[mountainvue]

59. He has a colostomy

bag. They can't get into that.

[checks-n-balances]

35. I think you're onto something here...

Not about Hilary, but about Jeb. Maybe he's "pre-emptively" issuing a statement that pretty much amounts to sour grapes {"Oh, I didn't want to run anyway"), since the chances are slim that he could win if big brother were to lose. Then again, maybe he knows he's guilty of a crime that will make it impossible for him to run...

I just hope it's true and that he doesn't change his mind.

[MaineDem]

10. This is McCain's payoff!

I've been saying this for months. The price for McCain's loyalty was Jeb not running in '08!

[necso]

13. Yeah,

but they are probably lying to him -- and the neo-cons will never let him get the nomination anyway.

[tinanator]

19. defense secretary

anything like you are suggesting is ludicrous. Blood is thicker than party promises.

[For PaisAn]

40. To expand on that

don't be surprised if the "October Surprise" ends up being Cheney feigning a heart attack and McCain replacing him as VP on the '04 ticket. I think that's what they're setting the stage for here with Jeb saying no Presidential run in '08. Because they couldn't put McCain on the ticket now if Jeb intended to run in '08.

[realcountrymusic]

11. Thank God

Our long national nightmare may be over.

Or he may mean "I won't have to run for president. I will crowned emperor when my idiot brother's progressive dementia finally catches up with him."

RCM

Best. Anti-Bush. Country. Song. Ever.
http://www.takinmycountryback.com

[MatrixEscape]

12. Wouldn't it be nice if that

inbred crime family would leave the American political landscape for good?

I am hoping that there might be some progressive political changes in American politics by 2008, or at least 2100!

Right now, its mostly Elitist. I see the rule of wealthy families, their money is power, and corporations are frontispieces that cover it up. With all the "who you know" and a rigid, two-party system with limited interests and narrow representation, it gets more like Chicago all the time.

If the system remains a "more of the same" anachronism then it caters to the Right's rigidity.

I hold the Constitution and Bill of Rights to be sacred and virtually timeless in concept, but the political system since the World Wars, at least, has been drifting into a morass. It is more of a special interest heaven than it is representational. It's age is showing and it devolution sets a ripe stage for more Fascism.

[Walt Starr]

14. Welp, that's it then. We'll have Jeb Bush on the Repugnant ticket in 2008

Done deal. As soon as he says he's not running, that's the signal he's going to run.

Shit.

[enki23]

15. either he's lying, or he has some nasty skeletons to hide

or both... or perhaps he just doesn't want to be president?

[KDLarsen]

20. Like Chimpy*?

According to "Bush's Brain" (the book), it didn't sound like Chimpy* was too happy about running for president and that he would have preferred to stay in Texas. The only thing that kept him on the road, I guess, was KKKarl Rove.

[arikara]

21. As if you could ever believe

anything that comes from that evil family.

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. I wouldn't be surprised if he ran for the Senate

Nelson is up for reelection 2006.

[flaminbats]

33. Jeb's Presidential pipe dreams depend mostly on 2006..

getting a Republican elected Governor of Florida and replacing Nelson as Senator. This dream is also effected by any Constitutional Amendments allowing Conan to run.

[Demeter]

23. Can We Get Him on Paper, Signed in Blood?

Put his manhood in blind trust as surety? Then I'll believe it.

[shraby]

26. All the bushes should have their citizenship stripped

from them and run out of the country. They are a traitorous bunch.

[Demeter]

31. It's A Nice Dream

But so UnAmerican--like deporting to Guantanamo, don't you know.

[raysr]

63. He's dimmer than

the "dim bulb". If his shit eating brother wins in '04 there won't be a US in '08.

[txindy]

25. Riiiight, just like Ah-nuld said he wouldn't run for CA governor. Riiight.

:eyes:

[VegasWolf]

29. Guess he's afraid to face John Kerry's reelection campaign. n/t

[LeftHander]

42. YOu got it!

That is exactly the case. W loses and that means the end of the Bush dynasty. There is NO WAY Jeb Bush would beat Kerry in 2008.

So it would be three stikes and your out. Three Bush losers would mean the clan would be OUT of politics forever.

[Jacobin]

30. Thank goodness the Bush Dynasty will continue to rule the

Theocratic States of America.

Soon as they clean up his crackhead daughter, maybe she can take the mantle after Jebbie is finished fucking up the country.

[leesa]

32. POS better be in jail by then

[anarchy1999]

37. Just kill me now, and many of us are looking at boats.

FU JEB. Your assurances fill us with nothing but pain.

We all are leaving this country your family has taken control of. You all are one bunch of evil, criminal mf's.

We aren't going to wait to see what you and your family do next,

[Tight_rope]

38. The motherfucker would not have won anyway!

[lostnfound]

39. Subtext: my brother f-ed it up beyond recognition.

SO who would ever want that job again? No sense ruling over a 3d rate banana republic (which seems to be where we are heading..)

[kskiska]

41. Bar is on record as recently saying that Jeb

has to make some money first, before running. The problem with being governor is that he's not raking in the dough. But they're definitely planning to run Jeb in the future.

[6th Borough]

50. As I said in another post, I'm banking on Jeb's SON being the next Bush.

[kskiska]

57. The Freeps hate George P.

because of his sympathetic views on immigration. Funny how the very things they thought were attractive (his Latin looks, language, and heritage) are the very things they later hold against him.

[topgun77]

43. When is he up for re-election?

Who is running against him? any frontrunners?

[Chiyo-chichi]

44. Wait...

Only about a third of Forida's Republican Delegates favor Jeb running in '08?

Boy howdy, that's quite a whopping mandate for their favorite son.

[SammyWinstonJack]

45. Then I'm sure the exact opposite is the real truth.

Always is with the lying bush bros.

[Strawman]

46. I don't see how he could win

Regardless of how bad his brother is or isn't. I think just on the face of it your average, uninformed undecided voter will feel like it's time to give someone else a turn outside of the immediate Bush family in 2008. He would have a better chance if Kerry won of at least getting the nomination. But I just don't think that people in this country will swallow something that aristocratic. A father/son presidencies separated by 8 years is one thing, but 3 presidents from the same immediate family within 20 years? That's something I think most voters would reject at face value. Voters may be comfortable with known political brand names like Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, Taft, but I really think Jeb Bush in 2008 would be overreaching and would be rejected by the public.

[Judi Lynn]

47. He's also such an unpleasant person.

I can't imagine WHAT his family and the party would have to do to get him elected, other than assassinate all the possible Democratic candidates.

He's simply creepy.



There is NOTHING worthwhile about the guy. NOTHING.

[MADem]

51. Jesus H Crist, what a CREEPY photo! n/t

[Skidmore]

60. Place that one next to the one of * which is similar and

that should be enough to make the nations of the world beg for peace. These are two evil individuals!

[Endangered Specie]

53. So who will take the throne and keep the dynasty alive then?

Oh no what will we do?

[kskiska]

58. Once Poppy and Bar are gone

I think it's all over. None of them have the ability or stature to keep it together.

[gardenista]

55. Hey! Look at that balloon! (Distraction)

He's floating it. Count on Jeb to tell you exactly the opposite of what he's going to do.

[StElsewhere]

56. Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Jeb

Around the time of the Republican National Convention, I watched an interview between Sean Hannity and George H.W. Bush. Suddenly Bush, Sr. says, " And wouldn't Jeb make a wonderful President?"
My doctors tell me it will take shock therapy and massive doses of thorazine to erase that remark from my memory banks completely.
On to John McCain..... Obviously, he's being the good little soldier, supporting the smirking chimp in his re- selection bid because he thinks, in four years, it will be his turn to run. Unfortunately, we all know if the Bush family thinks they have a chance of having Jeb in the White House, McCain will be squashed like a bug under their shoes. In any event, I'd like to submit the following campign phrase, which John McCain can use in his next bid for the Presidency against the Bush smear machine.....
Bad Enough I Bent Over And Spread My Cheeks For You, But Did You Have To Open The Umbrella Before You Pulled It Out ?

[robbedvoter]

61. Contemplates installation - as "running" will be obsolete

[imenja]

62. He did not rule it out

He said he "did not have plans" to run in 2008, and that he needed to finish his term as governor before deciding what to do next. That does NOT mean he has ruled out running. Politicians always say they "don't have plans" to run and then end up seeking the office.

[fortyfeetunder]

64. Don't be fooled -- He's running for Prez.

He's lying...his lips are moving! Just like the rest of the Bush clan.

Jeb would have run for office but he hadn't been in FL long unlike that chimp brother of his being TX govn'r.

[Coconut Buddha Ape]

65. I hate elitist dynasties...

...and this is the number one reason why I do not want Hillary Clinton to run in 08. Two Bushes, Two Clintons with in two decades? That is a dangerous precedent to set.

[Vogon_Glory]

66. Maybe Jebbie Knows Which Way The Winds Blow

My suspicion is that brother Jeb might know which way the winds are blowing. If John F. Kerry is elected, the Kerry Administration's Justice Department is going to find a lot of the dirt that has built up during Gee Dubya's presidency. If, on the other hand (Saints and Powers delivery us from such), Gee Dubya is re-elected, the nation is likely to undergo at least one recession (Or worse) and the situation in Iraq is going to get so bad that anyone surnamed "Bush" will be wanting to change it to "mudball" because "Mudball" has fewer negative connotations.

[AspenRose]

67. Hopefully he'll be in JAIL

I can dream, can't I....that he ends up on the ultimate felon list!

[JolietDem]

68. Eight years of Bush in enough

Come November 2nd, we'll have kicked two Bushes out of the Oval Office...when will they realize they're not wanted? The Repugs will probably go with some slimeball "hero" like Guiliani, which will make Bill Frist cry like a big baby, because I know he wants the job too...(Funny, because he would never be in a position to take it if Trent Lott hadn't said the black people in public swimming pools was an American calamity) Anyway, it just makes me glad I'm a democrat, because during our primaries we had lots of great choices, while they just have Bush and....uh, Bush.