and William Walters, both also prominent money-bags for the Republican Party. In return for the
favors he had received, Neil Bush certainly did nothing to prevent Silverado frommillion to Good for a real estate speculation that soon went into default. Walters received $200 lending $35 (^)
million in loans from Silverado, which were never called in. This was a prima facie case of
violation of the conflict of interest regulations. But instead of keeping quiet, Neil Bush showed that
the family tradition of self-righteous posturing even when caught with both hands in the cookie jar
was well represented by him: he launched an aggressive campaign of procinnoncence; it was all political, thought Neil, and all because people wanted to get at his augustlaiming his own (^)
father through him.
Sleazy Neil Bush's pontificating did not play well; Neil sounded "arrogant and flip" and the result,
as People magazine commented at the end of the year, was "a public relations fiasco." Posters wentup in Washington emblazoned with the call to "Jail Neil Bush," while out in Denver, the Colorado
Taxpayers for Justice marched outside Neil's downtown office (where Neil had answered questions
about his ties to the Hinckley 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 Corporawas talk of a criminal indictment, but this eventually dwindled into a $200 mtion to probe his malfeasance; thereillion 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 scandalhe 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 bia measure providing for unpaid parental leave for working mothers, despite a campaign promllion for the S&Ls, he wanted to vetoise
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 untilthey 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 becausethe 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 greatconfidence 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: