Do you remember George P. Bush? He was the star of the Bush campaign in 2000. He was young, charismatic, handsome, and, as the son of Jeb Bush and Columba Gallo, is half hispanic to boot. George P. was a perfect storm of sorts for the GOP. He could symbolize the hope of both the perpetually growing hispanic population and the WASP-y political dynasty. He was everywhere in 2000; you couldn't escape him. Everyone expected Goerge P. to become a prominent figure and the new face and eventual heir of the Bush dynasty.
The heir to the throne kept his beaming face in view for the first couple of years of his uncle's Presidency. But over the next few years, George P. Bush abruptly disappeared from the public eye. I remember being surprised when he gave a speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. I had forgotten that he even existed. In two short years, he had gone from the hope of America to somebody that even I, a budding political activist (I was protesting with the DNC at the time) had forgotten existed. How did George P. so rapidly and so successfully disappear from the public sphere. More importantly, why?
Where are all of the young Bushes? Members of the family have proven themselves time and time again to be charismatic and likable. The President's approval ratings are ever-approaching record lows and the Governer's state, thanks to the likes of Katherine Harris, Mark Foley, and the FL-13 debacle, is becoming a laughingstock. Never has the Bush family needed more than now a young, charismatic ray of hope. But the candidates for this job, George P. most prominently, are nowhere to be found.
Linda Milazzo, writer and activist, has an idea about George P.'s vanishing act. Milazzo proposes that George P's disappearance is no accident. He was carefully hidden from sight:
If he remained visible the questions would arise. Why isn't George P. serving in Iraq? George P.'s young enough. If he's a patriot, why doesn't he volunteer for the war?
Legitimate questions. So legitimate that the entire brood of military-age Bush grandchildren and cousins are no where to be found. They are hidden. Kept under wraps lest the question of their patriotism be decried.
Questioning why the children of politicians are not in Afghanistan or Iraq is a tactic that was essentially delegitimized by Michael Moore's completely over the top mugging of Congressmen on the streets of Washington. However, while the tactics have been tarnished, the question is no less important. Even Matt Damon, who, unlike many colleagues, usually steers clear of politics, went on Hardball to say that if Bush escalates troop levels in Iraq he should encourage his daughters to enlist. When Jason Bourne talks, you have to listen.
And it's not just the Bush family. Where are the Cheneys and the Rumsfelds? Why are the Feiths at Ivy League Universities instead of the military? Why are there no Wolfowitz offspring helping their dad win his war? Will Sean Hannity encourage his teenage children to enlist when they are of age?
Of course, asking these questions is silly, because we all know the answer. I just don't think that the question should go away just because of Michael Moore. If their children were in harm's way, you can bet the Neoconservatives would not continue to run their war with the same criminal recklessness and detachment they've been using for the past four years.
Goerge P. Bush is not going away forever. He'll be a Governor or Senator one day, frighteningly enough. He's never hid his political ambitions. However, he's vowed not to run for office for another ten years. He cites "Bush fatigue" as the reason for that decision, as he thinks his dad might make a run for the Presidency. However, one can't help but remember that in ten years, George P. will be 40 and no longer of prime military service age. It will be safe for him to triumphantly re-enter the public eye. One can't help but wonder where our troops will be then, but we can be sure that no Bushes, Cheneys or Feiths will be joining them.