Shrub
The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bushby Molly Ivins with Lou Dubose
Random House, 179 pp., $19.95
Early on in Molly Ivins’ playful yet incisive dissection of Mr. Bush’s career as a businessman and politician, we are given the key as to why this son of privilege has gotten to the point where he might very well be our next president: “He could go to New York and talk people into giving him money. That made him a success.” Parlaying his name and his pedigree, George the Younger has always used other people’s money to pave the way for his ambitions. Whether it be well-heeled Bush family friends providing capital for his West Texas oil bidness, the taxpayers of Arlington buying his Rangers a new baseball stadium, or the large corporate interests of Texas and America financing his political campaigns, Mr. Bush has an uncanny ability to rake in the cash. Does this, in and of itself, qualify him to be president? Mr. Bush constantly refers the populace to his record as the governor of our great state. As most folks around the country have no idea what the Bush record is in Texas, Ms. Ivins is all too ready and willing to inform them in her own inimitable way. And from her standpoint, it’s not a pretty picture. She examines various aspects of the Bush legacy from his environmental record and his stand on criminal justice and health care issues to his relationship with the religious right and his protection of business interests through his advocacy of tort reform. Ivins gives the governor credit where it is due — on his educational initiatives and his ability to forge bipartisan alliances. Fans of her syndicated column will understand that Ms. Ivins is no doubt preaching to the choir here, but her informative and humorous report card on Mr. Bush makes for an enjoyable, if worrisome, read.
This article appears in May 19 • 2000.