family in on March 31, 1981) carrying placards and chanting "Yes, Neil, it's wrong to
steal!" and "Give it back, Neil!" [fn 19] Neil was looking forward to public hearings
organized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to probe his malfeasance; there
was talk of a criminal indictment, but this eventually dwindled into a $200 million civil
suit brought against Neil and 10 other former Silverado officials for "gross negligence" in
their running of the affairs of the bank.
Bush's immediate reaction to the dense clouds gathering over Neil's head was to step up a
scandal he saw as a counterweight: this was the "Keating Five" or "Lincoln Brigade"
affair, which hit Senate Democrats Cranston, Riegle, Glenn, and DeConcini, plus
Republican McCain. Some S&L loans showed "excesses," Bush was now ready to
concede, and some were "foolish and ill-advised." But, he quickly stipulated: "I don't
want to argue in favor of re-regulating the industry." And Bush was also on the defensive
because, while he mandated $500 billion for the S&Ls, he wanted to veto a measure
providing for unpaid parental leave for working mothers, despite a campaign promise that
"we need to assure that women don't have to worry about getting their jobs back after
having a child or caring for a child during serious illness." Bush now specified that he
was not endorsing "mandated benefits" from government, but was just supporting
collective bargaining to allow such leave. What to do if employers refused to grant leave?
"You've got to keep working for them until they do," answered Bush with the ancien
regime "let 'em eat cake" logic of a Marie Antoinette. [fn 20]
At a press conference in mid-July, Bush was asked if he agreed with son Neil's self-
defense campaign, which was premissed on the idea that the attack was a purely political
smear, all because the poor boy's name happened to be Bush. The issue was focussing
public attention on all the inherent rapacity of the predatory Bush family. George
launched into an enraged, self-righteous monologue:
I agree that the president ought to stay out of it, and that the system ought to work. And I
have great confidence in the integrity and honor of my son. And beyond that, I'm -- say
no more. And if he's done something wrong, the system will --will-- will digest that. I
have -- this is not easy for me, as a father; it's easy for me as the president because the
system is going to work, and I will not intervene. I've not discussed this with any officials
and suggested any outcome.
Note that once again the word "integrity" comes to the fore as soon as a probe seems to
be turning up a felony. As for "system," this refers in the parlance of the Kissinger faction
to the rule of the interlocking power cartels of the Eastern Anglophile liberal
establishment. What Bush is really saying is that the matter will be hushed up by the
damage control of the "system." Bush went on:
But what father wouldn't express a certain confidence in the honor of his son? And that's
exactly the way I feel about it, and I feel very strongly about it. And for those who want
to challenge it, whether they're in Congress or elsewhere, let the system work and then
we can all make a conclusion as to his honor and integrity.