Bush family hedges its bets for 2008

[CatWoman]

George’s and Jeb’s followers are lining up against each other in the 2008 presidential election.

Many prominent GOP operatives close to President Bush have joined Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while a majority of those close to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) are lining up behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).

It is clear that the Bush family is hedging its 2008 bets, said one political scientist. Or the divergence could signal a schism between the two brothers’ politics. Or, as one fundraiser close to the Bush family argued, it may just be happenstance.

McCain’s campaign has signed the lion’s share of the best known lieutenants of the president’s election campaigns. Terry Nelson, Mark McKinnon, and Steve Schmidt, who worked on Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, now serve McCain. Nelson served as Bush’s political director, McKinnon and Schmidt handled media strategy. Matt David, who handled rapid response, also works for McCain.

Brian Jones and Danny Diaz worked for the president as media specialists for the Republican National Committee (RNC). They are also on McCain’s team. While Romney has recruited veteran talent from DC’s Republican circles, he has drawn fewer high-profile operatives who worked for the president. Romney has hired two well-known Bush-2004 operatives: Matt Rhoades, who served as research director, and Kevin Madden, who worked with the press.

Ben Ginsberg, Bush-2004’s legal counsel, and Bob Perry, a Texas homebuilder who funded Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and helped sink Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) 2004 challenge, also support Romney.

Fifty-five of the president’s biggest fundraisers — those who have reached “Ranger” and “Pioneer” rank — are backing McCain. (Rangers raise $200,000 or more while pioneers raise half that.) Thirty-one major Bush fundraisers are in Romney’s camp.

But the trend of Bush allies lopsidedly favoring McCain over Romney flips in Florida, where Jeb Bush has governed for most of the past decade. “Jeb Bush may be putting together the backup team,” said Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. “Should McCain falter and prove not very appetizing, they’ve designated his successor.”

Baker said Romney “represents the fallback position of the Bush White House without having the Washington Bush supporters withdraw their support of McCain.” “It’s betting on two horses,” said Baker of the Bush family’s apparent hedging strategy. “It seems to me an effort to diversify their portfolio.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-family--hedges-bets-2007-03-26.html

[Sammy Pepys]

1. Romney?

Not a very good hedge if you ask me.

[bryant69]

2. They've heard that Guiliani is running to haven't they?

Or is that bubble messing up Bush's vision again?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[fasttense]

3. Like the repukes have a chance in hell of ever winning the 2008 elections

:rofl: Americans are sometimes slow but we aren't stupid. After what the bushes have done, this country wont have another repuke president for a good twenty years.

[jaksavage]

4. GWB hasn't won one yet

How bout we just keep throwing the incumbents out, D & R, until we get a truely responsive governing body. Of course we need free and fair elections to do that.

Make noise, stand up, get out, call, today, now, write a check, this is it!

[Cha]

5. Unless, of course, all these firings

of the USAttorneys was for making sure the majority of the votes went repuke for 2008. They've got the corporatemediawhores to swiftboat the life out of our Dem candidate and build up the repuke(as useless as he is).

"It's The Media Stupid!"

[onehandle]

6. I throw my support to Romney for the GOP Nomination.

We'll sweep either way, but Romney would push our wins across the board into the upper stratosphere in 2008.

McCain is a bought and sold thug, but Romney is a nutty nut nut nut.