George W. isn't the Bush most in the news these days, although when we're talking about brother Jeb!, he's often the subtext, the unpleasant memory lurking in our minds. George is back in the news on his own, though, for getting
$100,000 plus a $20,000 private jet ride to speak at a fundraiser for a charity for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; Laura Bush got $50,000 to speak at the same charity.
The charity, which helps to provide specially-adapted homes for veterans who lost limbs and suffered other severe injuries in “the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the total $170,000 expenditure was justified because the former President and First Lady offered discounted fees and helped raise record amounts in contributions at galas held in 2011 and 2012.
“It was great because he reduced his normal fee of $250,000 down to $100,000,” said Meredith Iler, the former chairman of the charity.
However, a recent report by Politico said the former President’s fees typically ranged between $100,000 and $175,000 during those years.
I want to point out just one thing. (There are a lot of things, but I'm going to keep it to one in the interest of sanity.)
These people are wounded veterans because George W. Bush liked to start wars. And they need charity help because George W. Bush and his party did not like to adequately fund care for returning veterans. And now this charity is all grateful that he lowered his speaking fee to a mere $100,000 to raise some more money to help provide reasonable lives for these people who would not have lost their limbs or suffered other severe injuries if not for his war-starting habit.
This is so many kinds of f'ed up. This is like a perfect loop of Bush toxicity. The only way it could get more perfect is if Jeb! started talking about how generous and wonderful it is that his big brother/top foreign policy adviser does fundraisers for wounded veterans.