Back-biting Bushes

Never in my nearly 80 years have I heard or seen such back-biting mean-spiritedness as I have recently.

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I believe the party had too little to crow about, so that all they could do is go on the attack, attack to distract from the mess of the past four years. Bush and family and friends launched a horrendous attack on Kerry's service record. Can you imagine this from the president's questionable and possibly rigged National Guard duty, and the V.P.'s five deferments. They wouldn't put themselves in harm's way, but had no compunction using our brave young people on the front line. God forgive them. I can't.

The real sneaky part of the whole thing was the introduction of Neil Bush, the black sheep of the family who was carefully kept out of sight so far. The Juneau Empire, May 14, 2000, gave a bit of background on Neil Mallon Bush, the youngest Bush. He was an outside director of Silverado Savings and Loan in Denver 1985-88. It failed a few months after he left, causing a scandal and costing taxpayers $1 billion for the bailout. One director went to jail, Bush was fined $50,000. In 1989, Bush formed the Apex Energy Company, invested $3,000 and drew $320,000 in salary before resigning after two years. Its investors later defaulted on a $2.35 million loan from the Small Business Administration. Again the taxpayers were stuck. Then he became a director of Interline, an international consulting firm in Houston. Very casually it was mentioned that he had a hand in awarding overseas contracts. He did refuse to be interviewed at the convention.

Aah, the Bushes do take care of themselves and punish anyone who raises a fuss against them, like the poor fellow who spoke out against the Bush administration and lost his job for one. As long as they are in power, the taxpayers will pay and pay and pay. This compassion that has been mentioned is strictly for the Bushes, not geared for the people who have lost jobs, health insurance and the lives of their precious ones defending Bush mistakes.

If the regime comes after me, who cares; at my age I don't have that many years left. They already messed up my Medicare and are working hard on my Social Security. We have to take a different road for the sake of our people and our country. Get out and vote and think hard about a change of regime.

Evelyn B. Butalla

Juneau