The Bush Family ‘Oiligarchy’
The past often is prologue — making it especially important to know how
a politician built his career and who helped him. In 2000, too little
attention was paid to George W. Bush’s personal history and how it might
shape his disastrous presidency, a void that Sam Parry tried to fill.
By Sam Parry (Originally published on Aug. 15 and 19, 2000, as Parts 2 and 3 of a series)
At
times grudgingly, George W. Bush traced virtually every early step his
father took. Like his father, George W. went to both Andover Academy and
Yale and joined the secretive Yale fraternity Skull and Bones. Like his
father, George W. joined the armed forces. Like his father, George W.
benefited from wealthy family connections while starting out on his own.
But
the most important similarity between the careers of George W. and his
father is the link between oil and politics. Like his father, George W.
made his first business investments in West Texas oil ventures in
Midland. Like his father, George W. sought to establish his political
career by seeking elected office in Texas, where he ran for Congress at
an early age.
President
George W. Bush pauses for applause during his State of the Union
Address on Jan. 28, 2003, when he made a fraudulent case for invading
Iraq. Seated behind him are Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker
Dennis Hastert. (White House photo)
George W. Bush pauses for applause during his State of the Union
Address on Jan. 28, 2003, when he made a fraudulent case for invading
Iraq. Seated behind him are Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker
Dennis Hastert. (White House photo)
