Conservative Historian Links Bush Family to Oil Scandals

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[chance33_98]

Conservative Historian Links Bush Family to Oil Scandals

By DYLAN FOLEYFeaturewell (02-24-04)

In his new book “American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush” (Viking, $25.95), historian and political commentator Kevin Phillips, a populist social critic who has decried the growing gap between rich and poor, writes a scathing assessment of the four-generation Bush dynasty that includes the forty-third President George W. Bush. Phillips follows the Bush family preoccupations with the finance industry, oil and covert operations, and the scandals they have been attached to, from Iran-Contra to Enron.

Phillips traces the rise of the Bush dynasty to George Herbert Walker and Samuel Bush, the great-grandfathers of the President. He explores the influence of the Skull and Bones Society at Yale on the Bushes, Prescott Bush’s dealings with companies in Nazi Germany after World War II began, and the families close ties with the C.I.A. Phillips advances theories on possible deceptions and lies made by Bush Sr., arguing that he was involved in the “October Surprise,” where American hostages in Iran were not released in 1980 to secure a Reagan presidential victory, and that he helped arm Saddam Hussein, up until his invasion of Kuwait. Phillips chronicles how George W. Bush evolved from an Ivy League preppie into a tob acco-chewing born-again Christian Texan, and how he may be the de facto leader of the Christian Right. Phillips also warns of what he calls the “crony capitalism” of the Bush family and other

American political dynasties.

Phillips, 63, was raised in New York City and educated at Colgate University, the University of Edinburgh and Harvard Law School. He worked on the Nixon campaign in 1968, and was an aide to Watergate conspirator John Mitchell, the U.S, Attorney General under Nixon.

Phillips is the author of the 1969 classic “The Emerging Republican Majority” and “Wealth and Democracy,” as well as eight other books. He is married with three children, and lives with his wife in Connecticut and Washington D.C., where he spoke by telephone with free-lance writer Dylan Foley.

Q. How did you develop your view on the existence of a Bush family political dynasty?

A. If you’re looking at the dynasty aspect, it became clear as George W. emerged politically. The dynasty certainly started in a meaningful way with the two great-grandfathers, [industrialist] George Herbert Walker and Samuel Bush. [George W.’s grandfather] Prescott Bush was a senator from 1952 to 1962. It was clear that he thought if he had gotten started earlier, he could have been president. By the early 1960s, George W. was telling people at Andover that his father wanted to be president. You had three generations of Bushes thinking presidentially.

Q. What was your own interaction with the Bushes?

A. I met George Sr. several times. My distaste for the Bushes in a mild way goes back to the Nixon years. Nixon used George Sr. for essentially social missions. When he was ambassador to the United Nations, what he did was entertain people. He belonged to a lot of clubs. There was an element of him be ing Nixon’s ambassador to club land. He was a walking preppy watchband.

Q. What are your own politics? Were you a Nixon Republican?

A.. Yes. I worked for John Mitchell in the Nixon White House for 13 or 14 months, leaving in 1970. I was a little annoyed at the administration. When Watergate came along, it didn’t make me into an independent. I voted for Reagan twice. I became a registered independent in the 1990s.

Q. In your book, the readers get these almost contradictory images of the Bushes as poorly spoken, nonintellectual men who are also Machiavellian schemers. How do you reconcile this?

A. The bumbling is certainly there. You have to go back to the Yale Skull and Bones and the O.S.S., the World War II intelligence agency. There was this whole id ea of the gentleman amateur, where serious clandestine activities were threaded through with comic book stuff. They also have some physical aspect, where they speed up and have short attention spans. It makes for an odd character. The family has been involved in clandestine things since the great-grandfathers in World War I. They have been involved with things they want to keep secret or blurred.

Q. How do you see George W.’s relationship with the Religious Right?

A. I don’t doubt the sincerity of G.W.’s born-again experience. He does have a decisive side, that he believes that he has been chosen by god for this leadership role. He was clearly telling people in 2000 that god wanted him to run for the Presidency, and god was speaking to him. In 2000, whe n Pat Robertson stepped down as head of the Christian Coalition, a Washington Post reporter was calling around to get reactions from people on the religious right, as to who would succeed Robertson. The reaction was that the Religious Right had a leader and it was George W., based on his personal religiosity and his view on being

chosen by god.

Q. Why do you argue that the Bush family has a pattern of using deception and secrecy?

A. In the last 25 years, the deception has taken its form from George Sr.’s time heading the C.I.A. in 1976. He was spending time on Saudi Arabia and Iran, and it is pretty likely at this time that he got knowledgeable about B.C.C.I. [the arms and banking scandal]. He was involved in one scandal after another—there was the Oct ober Surprise and Iran-Contra. I pretty much believe the circumstantial evidence on the October Surprise is meaningful.

Q. Do you think that the Iraq War could make or break George W.?

A. It probably would be a just result if he was made or broken by wh at happens in Iraq. George Bush Sr. was involved in building up Iraq in a major way, up until 1990. As Act II rolled around in 2002, the Democrats should have been primed to discuss Bush Sr. building up Iraq. They didn’t seem to grasp any of it.

Q. Do you see a problem with political dynasties in America?

A. You obviously have “great family” politics in America. The Kennedys made their last run for the White House in 1980. With the Clintons, you have the obvious standard bearer in Hillary. If we’ve got dynastic succession, we’ve got this fundamental problem of hereditary politics undercutting democratic traditions with a small “d” and republican traditions with a small “r”. The solution has to be to put some focus on it.

[chance33_98]

Election year kooks - expect to see more of these things as November gets closer.

A. The bumbling is certainly there. You have to go back to the Yale Skull and Bones and the O.S.S., the World War II intelligence agency.

Where did I leave my Tin Foil? I think I am going to be needing a lot of it this year!

[mrs tiggywinkle]

thought this might interest you

[Xenalyte]

historian and political commentator Kevin Phillips, a populist social critic who has decried the growing gap between rich and poor,

Tell me, please, someone, how he became a "conservative" for the headline.

[anniegetyourgun]

He was a walking preppy watchband.

Then Kevin is a foot-dragging, suede-elbowed tweedy boy.

[narby]

A good friend of mine, Bill Hubbard, who passed away a few years ago was in the oil business in west Texas for over 40 years. He said he had dealings with Bush lots of times, and the greatest thing that impressed him was that "Bush paid his bills on time".

There were a lot of crooks in the West Texas oil business, but Bill Hubbard respected Bush Sr., and knew him personally. That's enough for me.

[Leroy S. Mort]

. The bumbling is certainly there. You have to go back to the Yale Skull and Bones and the O.S.S., the World War II intelligence agency.

Where did I leave my Tin Foil? I think I am going to be needing a lot of it this year!

And Kerry's Skull & Bones too! Where's Fox Mulder when we need him?

[mystery-ak]

I bet if someone digs deep enough they will find that this author has some kind of grudge against the Bush's.

[ohioWfan]

Hmmmmm...........not sure I'm interested, but I'm sure he'll be quoted by the I-hate-everyone-named-Bush crowd here on FR.

Sounds like he's jealous to me.

[plain talk]

I was thinking the same thing. Phillips is a cynical sneering liberal.

[Xenalyte]

And Kerry's Skull & Bones too! Where's Fox Mulder when we need him?

Yo Fox, Leroy is lookin' for you.

[Rome2000]

Alzheimers set in kind of early.

[anniegetyourgun]

He in as much admits so in answer to second Q above.

[snooker]

Berserk-ly speak

[RightWhale]

Tell me, please, someone, how he became a "conservative" for the headline.

He probably is sort of moderate, but this is the campaign season, as they say on CNNCBSNBC, so publication now is de facto if not de jure guilty of politicizing.

[RedMonqey]

"The bumbling is certainly there. You have to go back to the Yale Skull and Bones and the O.S.S., the World War II intelligence agency. There was this whole id ea of the gentleman amateur, where serious clandestine activities were threaded through with comic book stuff. "

O.k. which is it? Bush is an idiot or Bush the Master Manipulator?

The Left has got to get their propaganda straight!

[NutmegDevil]

NPR has used Phillips as their example of having - even, fair & balanced commentators - he has been their token Conservative. And I don't think they were using sarcasm - they were serious.

Kevin Phillips is soft spoken (not ranting), so could pass for a reasonable person, 'til you listen to his words. He was never really a Conservative, though I believe he worked as a low level minion in the Nixon White House.

He went even farther to the Dark Side prolly when no one would be nice to him at NPR - being shunned is a very effective enticer to change.

NPR may be using David Brooks nowadays for their toke right winger.

[Xenalyte]

I bet you're right about that - I avoid NPR like sewage, but I can totally see anyone right of THEM, no matter by how small an increment, being considered conservative.

NPR may be using David Brooks nowadays for their toke right winger.

Likelier their "token" one, although "toke right winger" and "David Brooks" produces a great visual. ;)

[okie01]

Kevin Phillips is a conservative???

Have they told him yet...???

[leprechaun9]

PHILLIPS major contribution was Milk of Magnesia and KEVIN needs an overdose!

[mystery-ak]

Yes, I read that, but there's more to this story...that just sounds like jealousy.

[_Jim]

This crap was around week - months ago.

There was some 'nutball' hyping it to death at that time to - he seems to be gone now (good riddance I say!) ...

[Rocky]

"I became a registered independent in the 1990s. "

Like Ross Perot. Probably voted for Ross, which was actually a vote for Clinton. Thanks, Kevin.

And as for working in the Nixon White House, that doesn't mean you are conservative or that you can be trusted. Remember John Dean?

[wagglebee]

If there is this big conspiracy that these wackos seem to think the Bushes are involved in, why did W. and his brothers lose so much money in their oil ventures (unless the Texas Rangers are a Skull and Bones front)? Maybe this moron should write a book about the Machiavellian Clintons and why all their business partners wind up dead or in prison. Or maybe about whether some of Joe Kennedy's bootlegging partners gave Teddy driving and swimming lessons.

[gatorbait]

He used to be a "conservative " til he "saw the light" sort of like some of the lost on here. This guy has been attacking the movement for years for not being his brand of whatever.

[chance33_98]

And if there is such a big conspiracy, why did Bush Sr lose his re-election? Election year tin foil, comes in a special gold color :)

[jackbill]

Kevin Phillips is in the early stages of dementia.

I saw this puke on C-SPAN when his book first came out. His arguments were full of holes.

[hgro]

historian and political commentator Kevin Phillips

Kevin Phillips is neither historian or political commentator, he is a vituperative weazel. He is no conservative, just a hit man for the dimocrats.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

advances theories on possible ......

Well I have a couple of theories I'd like to advance ....... but that Moderator guy would pummel me!

[takenoprisoner]

checked gas prices lately?

[chance33_98]

Yes - and I expect them to go higher before heading down. Demand is up, and not just here. China has a growing demand for it, and with a few billion and growing economy they will fly past us in usage soon. Long term looks to be interesting to say the least.

[Xenalyte]

Gaaaaaaaaah.

[gatorbait]

Gaaaaaaaaah.

Is that a positive or a negative gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah? :-)

[Morgan's Raider]

Q. What are your own politics? Were you a Nixon Republican?

A.. Yes....

So was John Dean.

[Xenalyte]

That's the sound I make at everyone who "sees the light" in that questionable fashion. It's kind of like the noise Bill the Cat makes, but more drawn out.

[gatorbait]

Well understood fer shure .. Kevin Phillips like a few others of his ilk are some of the unappeasables who pick up their ball and walk off with it.Bendict Arnold remains their role model and soul mate.

[gatorbait]

Did you all see what journalistic giant bylined this leap into perfidy?

[vaudine]

How is this man conservative? Is his tie to John Mitchell supposed to be a recommendation? I would say he is more opportunistic.

And here is poor George, tied to a dynastic conspiracy on the one hand and the Religious Right on the other hand.

I don't doubt there is some truth to his maunderings; however, as I have stated before, get a few facts, line them up to prove your agenda, and voila, instant empiracal proof. Where was he when Al Gore was running with his family ties to Occidental oil and his father's ties to the Kremlin?

Good grief!

vaudine

[torchthemummy]

That's question popped into my head immediately. The very first sentence contradicts the headline. Shameless!!!

[torchthemummy]

Followup: Sure he worked for Nixon but clearly has changed his tune. Did he ever write recently about the Kennedy dynasty, the drugs and od's, the manslaughter, the womanizing, the intellectual dishonesty, the entitlement syndrome etc. One should be labeled politically their current stripes as opposed to using the former political proclivity as a ruse to create an impression that this guy is a legitimate conservative whose turned on Bush due to disgust. Liberal media trick #237.

[duvausa]

He spent a lot of the 90’s being interviewed on Morning Edition NPR as a Republican – a total joke as all he did was bash Newt and the gang over and over again.

This last weekend Bob Brinker was pushing Kevin Phillip’s ridiculous book as the revelation of truth about the Bushes—which means I’ve now lost a lot of respect for old Bob, even if he did call the stock market rebound in March.

[MJY1288]

You can listen to NPR at 6.66 on your AM dial :-)

[NutmegDevil]

"6.66" is also the interest rate for my current mortgage loan - eeeerie.

[NutmegDevil]

I listen (actually, he's on in the background) to Bob Brinker locally on WABC 770. I've caught myself (during the BJ/Hillary regime) yelling at him for some pro-BJ or anti-conservative approach & thereby ludicrous statement.

I think Bob is a BJ/Bob Ruben statist central control sycophant - definitely anti-Bushite. Prolly hangs with Kevin Phillips.

[Keith]

I think he was a conservative during the Fillmore administration....

[NYCVirago]

Conservative Historian? Kevin Phillips hasn't been a "conservative" since Nixon was president!

[takenoprisoner]

Can't one be a conservative historian without actually being a conservative? Could not a conservative person study the history of liberals to such degree that the conservative comes to be known as a liberal historian?

Inspite of his past associations, methinks this is the case of Phillips, a liberal who studies conservative history.

[sport]

Because it is supposed to be a scandal about the Bushes.

As the election draws nearer, do not be surprised at anything you hear on either the Bush family or President Bush himself.

Be surprised only if it is the truth.

[NYCVirago]

Can't one be a conservative historian without actually being a conservative? Could not a conservative person study the history of liberals to such degree that the conservative comes to be known as a liberal historian? Inspite of his past associations, methinks this is the case of Phillips, a liberal who studies conservative history.

Perhaps. But more likely, the college student who wrote the headline saw that Phillips mentioned he was a Republican back in the day, and decided to call him a "conservative historian" in the headline.

[Howlin]

they will find that this author has some kind of grudge against the Bush's.

Didn't have to look far:

My distaste for the Bushes in a mild way goes back to the Nixon years. Nixon used George Sr. for essentially social missions. When he was ambassador to the United Nations, what he did was entertain people. He belonged to a lot of clubs. There was an element of him be ing Nixon’s ambassador to club land. He was a walking preppy watchband.

Class envy.

[onyx]

Is there a Mrs. Phillips or has Kevin not made it to San Francisco yet?