Bush Charges Veterans Group $100,000 to Speak*
“That speechifying is good bidness Billy.” “You got that right Georgie”
What was George thinking — I know — somebody has to fund the next generation of the Bush family political ambitions.
Maybe he is too busy yucking it up with Bill Clinton to worry about the “optics.”
The story linked above is seriously one for the Bush’s to squirm over. “Gee wiz I gave them a big discount” just does not quite cut it. Note that in our reference link we eliminated the person Newsmax used to highlight the story. Bush’s tawdriness is an issue no matter who made the charge.
A fee of $100,000 is still no token amount. The charity should not have offered it and Bush should not have taken it. I know, if he was free the charities would abuse that. Oh the burdens of being a former president. But why not a stipend and actual costs and Bush concentrate on private business rather than gouging charities?
Is it one charity giving to another? The article does not state and that Bush did not raise even that weak defense tells us it is not the case. Unless that is the purpose of the giving charity (funding other charities as foundations do) it would be an arrangement at least some donors would not appreciate as it raises the question — why the middle man – and why the transference of control over the charity’s funds. If it was a charitable transfer, why not a grandiose announcement of the charitable transfer thanks to Bush? No one would object to expenses and a reasonable stipend.
While appearances matter, in response to one criticism of Bush on the subject, we don’t think properly speaking that veterans fought for Bush. They were volunteers and they fought in Iraq and Afghanistan for their country to eliminate threats after properly constituted congressional authorizations and many attempts at civil enforcement of the armistice terms with Saddam Hussein and international calls for Osama bin Laden’s capture.
If GW is not going to clear this up then a pox on his legacy, like the pox laid on the country while he chopped wood with Karl Rove at the ranch all summer in 2007 while Republicans were excoriated in the press. It was a dereliction that helped pave the way for Democrats and Obama. Bush politically abandoned us.
R Mall
Maybe Bush will donate his fee to the NFL to help them defray their expenses in “honoring” vets at halftimes. After all, the Pentagon’s NFL donations probably didn’t cover everything.
1. He did not ask for half a million like Clintoon has for his bullshit speeches; and
2. The charity made twice the money with GW there than they did the year before and the year after – He was the draw.
Sometimes you actually have to spend money to make money and $100 grand ain’t bad for the services rendered. Attempts at trying to paint him as a hypocrite are beneath this site. Before you throw rocks you might want to check out all the free stuff he does for vets not to mention the amount of time and personal money he spends visiting them at hospitals, etc. without any media coverage.
Well if he is taking 100K he isn’t doing it for free overall.