Bushes in Naples: George W. and Jeb show personal side in appearance

Naplesnews.com ^ | Feb 16, 2010 | LAURA LAYDEN

[I still care]

NAPLES — The Bush brothers packed the house at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.

Former President George W. Bush and his brother Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, spoke Tuesday night as part of the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speakers Series. They talked issues _ everything from health care and the Iraq war to budget deficits and Social Security reform.

George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. president, has stayed out of the spotlight, limiting his face-time in public since leaving the White House about a year ago.

He and his brother – the state’s 43rd governor – addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 who purchased tickets to see them. Tickets to hear the duo speak started at $200.

The brothers had the crowd laughing, clapping and sighing with heart-felt emotions as they showed their more personal side. A few times, George W. Bush fought tears as he talked about the support of his wife in the Oval Office and how his decisions to send more troops to Iraq hurt families in the U.S. who lost their sons, daughters, husbands and wives to the war.

[rabscuttle385]

Ah yes, the boy who's never lifted a finger to elect a conservative nor done anything remotely conservative in his life...

As opposed to lifting a finger (or actually, more than one) to elect progressives like Bush and McCain?

[mkjessup]

1. Bush was a Navy pilot. There was a reason for the uniform. He flew the plane.

You're only partially correct here. GWB was indeed a jet pilot, however he was in the Texas Air National Guard and flew an F-102 interceptor pilot, by some accounts a dangerous plane to fly requiring superior pilot skills and obviously, GWB had them. In the event of a nuclear war with the Soviets during that time period, GWB would have been one of many pilots tasked with intercepting and shooting down incoming Soviet bombers, a mission which could very well have been 'one way' only. I believe you may be confusing GWB's TANG service with his Daddy's military service during World War II, i.e., GHWB was indeed a naval aviator.

2. Same answer as #1. The Commander in Chief clearly had fun flying the jet to the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. Of course he could have flown a helicopter, but he loves to fly (as jet pilots do).

I am unaware of GWB having been certified for chopper operations, but that is beside the point. He had all the qualifications to fly to the Lincoln, and by the accounts of the crew on board that S3B Viking, he was steady as a rock.

I notice there's a (small) cabal of Bush haters on this forum who keep blaming Bush for Obama. It's not historically accurate. It's based on emotions and not fact.

The fact is, Bush had every opportunity in the world to defuse the incoming 0bamanation before Election Day 2008. This is one of his political faults in that he never effectively defended himself or his administration policies. You went on to mention the 'incessant media lies' and you are historically correct: the media was on a 24/7 jihad against GWB, but he *never* responded appropriately or proportionally. That is why those lies resonated so well, there was little more than silence coming from the Bush Administration.

FACT - McCain was a very, very bad candidate who campaigned more against Bush than he did against Obama FACT - the incessant media lies over 8 years, particularly about our mission in Iraq, beat down the President's approval numbers and resulted in a faux "Bush fatigue"

I need a drink, I'm actually agreeing with you.

(They also lied about the Mission Accomplished sign, and bashed the President for his "stunt" exactly as you just did. You and the left are on the same page quite often, aren't you?)

I can't speak for Favor Center but you are 100 percent correct about the 'Mission Accomplished' banner, it was never meant to represent that the liberation of Iraq was finished nor 'accomplished', it referred to, and ONLY to, the specific mission of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, whose crew was returning triumphantly and if I'm not mistaken, with few or no casualties. The lamestream media and the America-hating left twisted that banner to serve their own agenda and anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that (or should know).

FACT - the media was slobbering over Obama, lying about him, covering up his sordid radical past
FACT - a whole lot of young'ns and some older folks had a whole lot of white guilt and voted for the black guy to assuage it.

I need another drink.

FACT - there was a Democrat caused, suspicious financial collapse that was falsely blamed on Bush and McCain acted clueless about what to do

It is difficult if not impossible to take the position that the financial crisis we saw unfolding in late 2008 was NOT partially due to the Bush Administration policies of the past eight years. It is no secret that GWB spent money like water, didn't even veto ANY bill until 2006, and that is a matter of public record. It is also a FACT that the Bush Administration presided over the largest expansion of government power in American history, and in a free market, the more the government asserts itself and seeks greater influence and control, the more likely that businesses, markets, stocks, commodities, etc., are going to suffer as will the consumer. Over 70 years of Soviet centralized planning in the old U.S.S.R. proves that heavy handed government control results in nothing but trouble. GWB cannot be held blameless for the economic debacle that Comrade 0bama exploited and seized every advantage (economic and political) possible.

FACT - Obama was the cool guy, the American Idol candidate, and he succeeded in convincing a lot of young people to vote for him, even if they weren't leftists.

Don't forget vote fraud. Those ACORN and SEIU thugs were not showing up at polling places to sell lemonade for the local 4H club.

Those are just a few of the reasons we got a radical Marxist traitor in the White House. Blaming Bush for it is baseless outside of personal feelings.

George W. Bush could have done one helluva lot more to prevent that Marxist traitor you speak of from getting to the White House but he was still trying to "change the tone in Washington" up until the very day he left Office.

[meandog]

1. Bush was a Navy pilot. There was a reason for the uniform. He flew the plane.

I didn't catch this one before but for your information Bush didn't fly the plane. He was a passenger. Bush, an F-101 Air Guard pilot back in the 60s, wouldn't be qualified to takeoff and land even in a VFR-rated ultralight under FAA regs stipulating current air hour competence much less an AS-3 attack aircraft on to the deck of an aircraft carrier (although he might have taken a turn or two for a few minutes at the controls, under supervision of the pilot naturally). BTW, I am a former pilot (Piper Cherokee)

[mkjessup]

It’s been my understanding that although GWB was not certified for landing (or takeoff) operations on a carrier, he did in fact handle the controls of that S3B en route to the Lincoln, you are correct on that point.

The fact is, GWB correctly judged that seeing the Commander-in-Chief get out of a Navy jet on board the Lincoln, even IF he was only in the co-pilot’s seat, would be a tremendous boost to morale not only to the crew of the Lincoln, but to our armed forces world-wide.

I think it was well thought out, well executed, and I think it was a good decision.

[ohioWfan]

I corrected my error about the Navy in a later post.

I knew it was the ANG and make a mistake (probably because I was the Lincoln was a Navy vessel. I also am well aware that GHW Bush was a war hero in WWII, and that part of the reason GWB wanted to fly when he entered the ANG was because of his Dad.

I agree that "changing the tone" was not a good thing in the long run, but it was what he believed was the right thing, and in the end any President of character needs to do what he (or she?) thinks best. I also was frustrated that he didn't defend himself, but don't think that had any bearing on Obama's election, considering the spiteful political climate and the hatred for him in the media prior to 2008.

I don't have to agree with a person on every detail to respect them. And I respect President Bush every bit as much as I respect Ronald Reagan as men of character, courage, commitment and patriotism.

[ohioWfan]

You know, rabs, I don't think you've ever listed your conservative activism, have you? I know you're a kid, so it can't be a very long list, but I'd really like to know what you've actually done to promote conservatism.

Your gang has ridiculed me for detailing all I have done to promote conservatism and elect conservatives, but perhaps I need to detail it again, for your edification, so you don't make the same error in judgement as you have made here....

1. Written letters to the editor espousing conservative principles and exposing leftists
2. Active member of the Tea Party movement from its beginning, and participating on stage at a local Tea Party.
3. Traveled with my husband to DC. for the 9-12 Tea Party and stood shoulder to shoulder with a million conservative activists from across the country.
4. Worked on the steering committee of Ken Blackwell in his successful primary effort to beat RINO Jim Petro
5. Worked actively in the campaign for our very conservative congressman.
6. Saved the nation from John Kerry by helping GWB win Ohio
7. Pro-life activist and donor for decades
8. Donor to Doug Hoffman and other conservative candidates.
9. Refused to donate to the RNC as long as monies go to RINO's
10. Many e-mails to Senators both Dem and Repub expressing anger at excessive spending and ignoring the Constitution.

Now, that is my partial list. I will be happy to find out what you've done as well. I won't consider it "bragging".....just stating the facts.

As for FC, his list includes these two things..... living in a state that elected McCain, and working at a defense plant.

I hope you can do better.

btw, until you provide the list your argument that you are more conservative than I am is null and void.

Thanks for giving me your information.

[ohioWfan]

I corrected the error about the Navy and ANG. According to the pilot, President Bush took the controls and flew the jet.

You'll have to take it up with him if you don't agree.

[ohioWfan]

LOL! I would love to come and enjoy your wonderful WV hospitality again, Nan. And I would love to bring my beloved husband along with me. :)

You may have noticed that there are a couple of boys on this thread who keep saying I'm not a conservative. LOL! Kids these days! :)

Actually one of them called me a "serial liar" on this very thread, so if I need a character witness (or a hundred that I could summon), I may ask your assistance.

btw, this kid calling me an un-Christian, anti-American, serial liar, is also a newbie - 8/09. Big surprise....

[Favor Center]

“And I respect President Bush every bit as much as I respect Ronald Reagan as men of character, courage, commitment and patriotism.”

There’s the source of the disagreement you have with conservatives.

Men of character and patriotism don’t work to undermine their country and don’t violate their oath to protect and defend the US Constitution. Bush did that. Whether it was ignorance or malice, he did that.

[Favor Center]

“btw, this kid calling me an un-Christian, anti-American, serial liar, is also a newbie - 8/09. Big surprise....”

I call ‘em like I see ‘em and return insults to their correct target.

[Favor Center]

“As for FC, his list includes these two things..... living in a state that elected McCain, and working at a defense plant.”

I don’t work “at a defense plant”. I work in the defense industry.

I also donate, harangue, write letters to congresscritters and senators, and speak truth to liberals like you.

The rest of the time, I’m either working or perfecting my shooting skills.

[ohioWfan]

Oh, Nan. I should tell you that my husband has been doing presentations in the community about the horrors of Obamacare (you know he's in the health field). He actually has printed out those ghastly bills and read them and is letting others know how anti-American and dangerous they really are.

VERY proud of him! :)

[ohioWfan]

Go away.

Once a person has called a conservative patriot like me an "un-Christian, anti-American, liberal, serial liar" he has lost all credibility in the world of truth.

So just go away, newbie. There's work to be done in conservatism, and you aren't doing it.

[ohioWfan]

Yeah, but your vision is irreparably distorted.

Now, all I have done is to try to encourage you to DO something conservative in your life, and you refuse.

btw, living in a state that went for McCain (LOL!), working at a defense plant, and despising President Bush don't count.

DO something. And until you do, GO AWAY!

[MinorityRepublican]

Bush name is ruined.

[Favor Center]

“Once a person has called a conservative patriot like me an “un-Christian, anti-American, liberal, serial liar” he has lost all credibility in the world of truth.”

Your primary activity here is to defend a liberal globalist politician.

Stop lying.

[ohioWfan]

Did you donate to John Kerry so he could defeat the eeeeeevil George W. Bush?

LOL!

I've got a conservative track record 40 years long (actually more), and no matter how many times you stupidly call me a liberal, the facts remain.

I'm a deep down conservative. And there is grave doubt that you are anything but a newbie troll attacking the real conservatives who are doing all the heavy lifting.

[Favor Center]

“orking at a defense plant,”

Again, I don’t work at a defense plant. I’m also not an “adjunct professor”. I have always had *full-time* jobs since grad school.....

“and despising President Bush don’t count.”

I feel the same way about Bush as I did about Clinton and Obama. All cut from the same political cloth.

“DO something. And until you do, GO AWAY!”

Why don’t YOU do something? Like tell the truth? Stop the lying? Lying is a sin, ohioWfan, and worship of a mortal man is too. Bush was a globalist, liberal, President who helped double our debt and violated his oath of office. He sided with Muslims against Christians. Those are not the actions of a Christian American patriot. Those are the actions of an amoral politician like so many of the rest of them - one who has no principles.

You compare him to Reagan, but Reagan, while making plenty of mistakes, actually HAD a political philosophy.

[Favor Center]

“Did you donate to John Kerry so he could defeat the eeeeeevil George W. Bush?”

No, “lady”. I donated to Bush for both elections. I rationalized his liberalism away.... After 2004, I couldn’t do it anymore.

“I’ve got a conservative track record 40 years long (actually more), and no matter how many times you stupidly call me a liberal, the facts remain.”

The facts - that you defend constantly a lib - are clear to everyone here.

“I’m a deep down conservative. And there is grave doubt that you are anything but a newbie troll attacking the real conservatives who are doing all the heavy lifting.”

You’re a “deep down” something, but it isn’t a “conservative”. Unless what you want to “conserve” is big government and debt.

[ohioWfan]

I haven't lied about a single thing. Stop projecting.

And congratulations on having a job. I guess you think raising four kids. having two jobs and volunteering is a waste of a life.

Says a lot about you. None of it good.