by Mark Silva
Count Jeb Bush, the former president's younger brother, as among those who want to see President Barack Obama "succeed.''
But also count the former Florida governor as among those tired of hearing the new president say that he inherited a mess in the White House.
"If I had one humble criticism of President Obama, it would be to stop this notion of somehow framing everything in the context of, 'Everything was bad before I got here,' and focus instead on his duties, which we all want him to succeed,' Bush says in the second part of an interview with Sean Hannity of FOX News Channel that will air in two parts, this evening, and Friday on Hannity.
"But constantly pushing down the previous president to make yourself look good, I think is a bad thing,'' Bush says in a brief excerpt of the interview that FOX released today.
Tonight, on a special edition of FOX's Hannity, "6 Ideas to Save America,'' at 9 pm EDT, Bush will discuss his views on education reform. Bush, who recently visited Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, at the Department of Education in Washington, built his first successful bid for governor in Florida and two terms in office on an "A-Plus'' plan for education that rewarded public schools in which students boosted achievement from year to year.
Friday night, Bush talks about politics, his brother and himself -- and Obama.
Had this Bush won his first bid for governor of Florida, in 1994, and had his brother lost his first bid in Texas that same year, there could have been a different Bush in the White House during the past eight years. But this Bush retired at the end of his two possible terms in January 2007, and has passed up a chance to seek an open Senate seat in Florida in 2010.
Now this Bush comes to his brother's defense with a strong recommendation for his brother's successor, at least in the excerpt of the interview released today, at a time when Obama is talking about not only how many challenges his administration faces, but also how much difficulty he inherited.
His ''humble criticism,'' however, is far more restrained than that of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who accuses Obama of putting the nation's safety at greater risk with his policies toward terrorism, or of radio's Rush Limbaugh, who wishes Obama failure.
For his part, the former governor's older brother, former President George W. Bush, has said simply that Obama "deserves my silence.''
Comments
And Dubya didn't trash Bill Clinton anytime he had the chance? "Inherited recession"? 9/11 blamed on Clinton? Sick...
What a petty and unnecessary shot taken at our president by a Bush has-been. That family had their chance - twice. Get over it.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | April 9, 2009 3:11 PM
Ha ha ha !!
A member of the Bush crime family is crying about Obama?!?
Just when I think the Wingnuts couldn't get any more hypocritical....they surprise me again.
Hey Jebby are you and Neil still enjoying those millions from when W. allowed Neil's company, fronted by you, to print out all of the tests for the No-Child-Left-Behind program in Florida?
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1022-02.htm
It should have been called the: No Bush Left Behind program.
Posted by: Nevermind | April 9, 2009 3:14 PM
Newsflash Jebby: Obama did inherit a mess.
And for eight years we heard everything that went wrong in the Dubya administration was the fault of Clinton!
Good god.
Posted by: Janstress | April 9, 2009 3:35 PM
Well duh!
Obama is being kind. W was horrible and O has spent ALL of his time climbing us out of the hole Bush/Cheney dug us into.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | April 9, 2009 3:40 PM
Remember the Clinton recession myth? Trash Clinton still........my heart bleeds.
Posted by: bill r. | April 9, 2009 4:14 PM
Remember people, the deepest recession in 60 years, and two wars, is NOT a bad thing.
Posted by: RNC | April 9, 2009 4:14 PM
Don't worry when the next president is elected he/she will talk about the Obama mess.
Interested in Jeb's ideas on education. By ignoring education allowed the socialists to insert their propaganda into schools' curriculum. The philosophy of get them at an early age, develop curriculum to espouse your views and indoctrinate them.
Education is the key.
Parental choice and virtual schools are the future.
Posted by: Changing presidents | April 9, 2009 4:22 PM
What is it about two failed wars, an economic meltdown of epic proportions, trashing of the environment, etc. doesn't Jeb understand? I thought he was supposed to be the smart one.
Posted by: dt☢ | April 9, 2009 4:35 PM
How funny. Poor Bushies, especially the Florida ones..who likely had something to do with the election of brother Bush.
I thought Daddy was a bit out of the main stream, but now I realize the whole family is living in a dream world.
Posted by: mzmarlena | April 9, 2009 4:51 PM
Don't go there, Jebibiah.
Replicans have been calling this the Obama recession since Jan. 21 of this year.
So, expect some pushback.
'Sides, we know this is really all about y'all running in 2012.
Posted by: ornery | April 9, 2009 5:03 PM
I don't recall George W. Bush ever blaming anything on Clinton. He was above that. You may have heard that from pundits. And, look at the respect W. has for the office even after he has left. He, like me, probably sees the blatant push to socialism we are now facing but he says O deserves his silence. W. is a class act and history will show that just as it did with Reagan. Guess Carter didn't get the memo, can anyone get him to stay on his ranch and be quiet? By the way, the dems in congress (Schumacher, Dodd, Frank, and Waters) all threatened in first Bush administration to fillibuster any move by the republicans who were wanting to reign in Fannie and Freddie and the risky loans they were making but that wouldnt have been good for poor people. So, what do we do, continue making bad loans and then point at republicans when it all falls out. By the way, the bill that promoted this was passed under Clinton. Youtube even has the perps recorded back in 2002-2003 timeframe saying how republicans were trying to attack Fannie/Freddie and they wouldnt let it happen. Wake up people.
Here's to you W.
Posted by: Ken | April 9, 2009 5:41 PM
More ☁ from the party of instant gratification.
It's gonna take a decade just to figure out everything the Bush/Cheney/Hastert axis of evil did to the nation.
Posted by: C.Morris✈ | April 9, 2009 6:00 PM
Dear Jeb,
Your brother sucked as
president.
Love, Grandblvd03
Posted by: Grandblvd03 | April 9, 2009 6:01 PM
ornery,
Right you are.
Plus, the right wing conservative axis of evil, as it's now referred to, blamed Clinton for everything all through the BushCo years.
Tuff nuts, Jeb. Get used to it.
Posted by: OldCreaky | April 9, 2009 6:34 PM
Hey, Jeb, there is an S&L for the taking !! Get your clan together for another freebie !! The Bush danasty, strikes, again !
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, America | April 9, 2009 6:41 PM
Obama inherited a mess caused by Congressional Democrats. He should be blaming Nancy Pelosi and company for spending this country into the poor house and for Bill Clinton, Christopher Dodd and Henry Waxman conspiring to loosen banking and mortgage regulations hence causing the mess poor President Obama inherited.
Posted by: SpeakTheTruth | April 9, 2009 6:47 PM
Bush never talked trash about Clinton.
Posted by: UnfrozenCavegirlBlogger | April 9, 2009 6:54 PM
Roger, O C.
Bush didn't have to "talk trash" about Clinton. He had many surrogates to do it for him.
He did benefit from Clinton tremendously, however:
Clinton's escapades made it unprofitable to examine Bush's "youthful indiscretions" with coke, floozies, reporting for duty, etc.
Clinton lowered the standards so much that these points in Bush's history were forgiven or at least devalued.
Posted by: ornery | April 9, 2009 8:12 PM
"If I had one humble criticism of President Obama, it would be to stop this notion of somehow framing everything in the context of, 'Everything was bad before I got here,' and focus instead on his duties, which we all want him to succeed,' Bush says in the second part of an interview with Sean Hannity of FOX News
-----------------------------
It is what democrats do. Very predictable, not surprising. In 1997 Clinton was still talking about "those 12 years of Reagan and Bush". And then there is the ignominious Jimmy Carter. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE CLASSLESS EX-PRESIDENT THAN JIMMY CARTER. Bill Clinton probably even recognizes that.
Neither Reagan or Bush 41 threw down on Clinton. I would not expect Bush 43 to puke on Obama, but democrats operate on a different level. I too, want him to succeed, but not if that means a mega-ton of unaffordable Socialism and a Gulag for me.
Jeb is just offering a little suggestion or advice on what is probably a bit of a personal matter for him. But no, he should not really expect that Obama will lighten up and move on with HIS administration and HIS legacy.
Maybe it is a proletariat identification kind of thing. I would like to see Obama acknowledge that neither Gordon Brown or the Queen are actively engaged in the slave running business. That would be progress, but it is not what democrats do, annnnnnnnnd This Is Their Moment. I'm sure Jeb Bush knows that too. Have a nice Good Friday.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | April 10, 2009 10:43 AM
Obviously Democrats think anyone who believes in a God, bigger than themselves, is weak minded. So, saying that, like Clinton being so openly immoral, is no surprise they can't tell the truth. The law of telling the truth came from the God of Israel.. Oh wait! The Palestinians are the victims.. Israel is bad.. But, we will tell and give everyone what they want to have and hear, in hopes, they will continue to vote for us. Screw the truth and honesty! (Liberals are the supporters of Sodom and Gommorah in our day)
Posted by: Michael J. K. | April 11, 2009 12:51 AM
Asking Jeb about improving education in a state which excels in creating dropouts
is like asking a pyromaniac about wanting gasoline and a match.
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Posted by: penis enlargement | December 17, 2009 5:52 AM
Think people, the greatest recession in 60 years, and two wars, is NOT a common thing.
Posted by: Dissertation | February 7, 2010 8:18 AM