Bill Moyers posts a lively daily update. You should subscribe to it. He always has interesting commentary.
Today he reports this tidbit, written by Michael Winship:
“And in Bush family news… –> As Jeb Bush told the NH Union Leader that to grow the economy, “people should work longer hours,” there came word from ABC News via Daily Kos that his brother George W. “charged $100,000 to speak at a charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan… The former President was also provided with a private jet to travel to Houston at a cost of $20,000, the officials said.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“work longer hours” said the overseer on the plantation.
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LOL!
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But no overtime pay.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjo-dWE1Jg A uniquely disgusting American family.
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We really have no idea what the circumstances are around the $100,000 or the $20,000 for the jet, but leave it to the left to go on the attack as they ignore the ill gotten gains of the Clinton’s, George Soros, et al.. I am not giving George Bush a pass, but I am waiting for further facts.
Bill Moyers is a very smart guy. That is why I know he is an agenda elitist who thinks that lying and presenting one sided arguments justify the ends. I think Bill Moyers has the same lack of character as Bill Maher – 2 sides of the same coin.
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I looked up the fee, it was underwritten by a private donor.
Also, the charity event at which he spoke netted $2,450,000. That means the $120,000 amounts to less than 5% of total cost.
The next year, when former President Bush did not speak, the charity gala made $1,000,000. I would say that the previous year’s investment paid off.
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Feel free to mail me a certified bank check for $120,000 since obviously that is a pittance.
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And President Bush could have just donated his speaking fee back to the veterans. Why charge them at all? Why have a private donor give the money to HIM instead of to the charity?
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$120,000 would buy a veteran a house. Tim McGraw gives houses to veterans every year. Tim for President!
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FL Teacher… so this only means that if Bush were true to his “holier than thou” words, he would donate that $120,000 fee back into the cause…oh but wait… who am I kidding to think that benevolence was the reasoning behind his appearance! 😦
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FL Teacher,
All of the media are reporting the story, with confirming comment from the Bush’ spokesperson. Media are also reporting Laura Bush received $50,000.
Out of curiosity, what kind of person pays to hear Bush speak, military contractors, education privatizers, and/or Wall Street GDP draggers?
The problem with the Bush sons, Neal, George Jr. and Jeb, who called for an increase in the Social Security age but, was unable to identify the current age required to draw, is that they are cheap and tacky.
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FL Teacher, You didn’t even read the link, did you?
It is all about HYPOCRISY. The Bush family believes in “hard work” and longer hours for the poor, while they get rich quickly. The post was not about the fact that George W. Bush took money from veterans. It was that he took a big paycheck for little work while his brother is telling poor people to work longer hours.
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Bill Moyers has been a favorite reporter of mine for decades. I have a couple of his books from way back when, “A World of Ideas”. Through him I first learned of Maya Angelou. He has ALWAYS been a GREAT journalist. To prove it, back some time ago the Conservative press denigrated his work.
One of the truly bright spots in journalism.
Glad so see that he is still working. I miss his programs on PBS.
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When you have had everything at your fingertips for a lifetime and struggled for nothing, the downfall is that you have no problem solving skills. Jeb truly has no clue.
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You’re right. He lives inside a bubble.
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Kind of like his father who while being the president did a photo op at a grocery store and didn’t even know that stores had scanners to check out. Out of touch????
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“should work longer hours”
Yep so the owners and bosses can work that much less in order to make many times more than their workers!
Sometimes I wish I believed in violence as a solution to people like the Bushits.
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“Sometimes I wish I believed in violence as a solution to people like the Bushits.”
Thanks for today’s laugh-out-loud!
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I just published a book called THE BUSH MONSTER (about a cat) and my family thought it was going to be about George W. I laughed and then responded, “Why hasn’t someone thought of that title for him yet?” Marie Fonzi
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These Bush brothers are so out of touch.
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The Bush family has values?
Who knew?
Where do they keep them? In a safety deposit box in a Swiss bank?
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No. They are kept with a waterside view on their estate in Kennebunk, Maine!
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Look into what the part time executives at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York earn. It’ll make your head spin – and they, most of them, work TWO jobs, and are old enough that they have medicare as a secondary insurance. Its disgusting.
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No, offshore with their business interests, the Caymen Islands, Saudi Arabia,…you know, good old fashioned market family values.
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Another trust fund baby running as the Republican for President. Bush’s gaffe was followed up with “they have money, disposable income for their families to decide how they want to spend it rather than getting in line and being dependent on government,” digging himself in deeper. Sounds an awful lot like Romney’s 1%er comment. Now we just need a anti-woman or racist comment from the Republicans to really let the clown show shine.
I doubt this pampered puff ball had to clean grease traps or wash dishes till the skin peeled off his hands as I did through high school and college to pay for school. Truth is, if Jeb! or Romney did not have inherited wealth and daddy’s connections, they would be coffee swilling cube rats like most Americans.
I motion to rename the Bush campaign slogan to “Flub!”.
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” I motion to rename the Bush campaign slogan to “Flub!”.”
Would that make him the “Son of Flubber”??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-3egn-K2NQ
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What an insult! I work 65-70 hour each week and 80 during report card and parent teacher conferences. Many workers put in these hours. I have a daughter who works part time. She would love to work a full time job. There just aren’t many jobs to be found for high school grads. She is saving for college. We are avoiding the loan trap if we can. Many of the parents of students I teach find themselves in the same bind. Part time jobs pay minimum or close to it wages, offer no benefits and have odd constantly changing hours. This prevents some workers from being able to grab a second part time job. I have a son in law who works as an assistant manager at a store. His salary looks good on paper. He is salaried. But by the time he has added the extra hour required to do the job, he makes less than minimum wage. He is not eligible for time and a half. He is supposed to work four ten hour days on and then four off. He often works five 12 hour days with two off and is often called in on those days to deal with work related problems. Workers are losing their rights.
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Ten years ago, his brother W said juggling three jobs is ‘insane.’ And he is promoting the virtue of Black Corporate America? Kind of Family Value they have.
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