George W. mentions Jeb as next possible Bush president
OK, he didn't bring it up.
But when Adam Boulton, a SkyNews TV reporter in Britain, asked President Bush if his final seven months in office was the end of the Bush political dynasty, he could have demurred, given that some number of folks back home are counting the days until Jan. 20 and his popularity rating rivals the percentage of people who are certain the Cubs will win the World Series this year.
Bush was dismissive about paying attention to his sunken favorability ratings or even high ones. "You can't lead in this world," he said, "if you're chasing something as temporary as a popularity poll."
The president and Laura Bush were asked about numerous subjects during the 19-minute interview, which you can watch in its entirety here. Laura Bush, for instance, said she'd leave choosing a female vice presidential candidate up to each party's nominee.
But asked if she'd like to see a female president, she replied, "Sure," then quickly added with a laugh, "a Republican woman."
The political dynasty question came near the end of the interview. "Well," the president said, "we've got another one out there who did a fabulous job as governor of Florida, and that's Jeb, " Bush said, ever the proud brother. "But you better ask him about running for president."
Unmentioned was George P. Bush, Jeb's son, pictured above, who's campaigned for his family, displayed some political presence and has not hidden his interest in politics someday. But his time has yet to come.
--Andrew Malcolm
Photo credit: Associated Press
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Who is Proscott Bush??
Posted by: Sam | June 17, 2008 at 12:41 PM
No More Bushes and no more Clintons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We do not suffer from battered housewife syndrome where we just keep coming back for more abuse because we don't know any better. The Bushes and the Clinton administrations were among the worst and most corrupt this country has ever had. The nightmare will soon be over and despite how desperately either clan seeks the power of the presidential office, our country is not comprised of mindless sheep, and it will not happen.
Posted by: McCain Is Bush | June 17, 2008 at 01:27 PM
In 40 years who knows. In politics, never say never.
PS Hey since this is a blog on a LA based paper...could you guys please use LA references. I know the company that owns the LA Times is based in Chicago...but that shouldn't really matter.
It will make it easier on local readers.
Posted by: toby | June 17, 2008 at 04:08 PM
No more Bushes--please! I always get so depressed whenever one is in office. No more!!!
Posted by: tlsmith1963 | June 17, 2008 at 06:46 PM
the chutzpah even to mention the notion...
Posted by: dave | June 18, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Jeb hired a disbarred stockbroker to manage Florida's $160 billion fund. As the sub-prime crisis devastates America, one month after Jeb joins Lehman, one of the leaders in creating the sub-prime crisis, Jeb's appointee buys $400 million of sub-prime toxic waste from Lehman.
Neil Bush is an S&L crook. Now the Bush family expects us to elect a man who is knee deep in the sub-prime crisis?
Posted by: George | June 18, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Who'd have known that Prescott Bush, Bush's granddaddy and Nazi collaborator, would start a line of total failures for this country that the public would fall for over and over. It just goes to show that you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time in this ignorant uneducated country.
Posted by: Mark | June 20, 2008 at 07:22 AM