Bush Brothers Take Show on Road

The scene was the 70th state convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a sea of white hair and snappy blue military caps.

First came the rousing campaign speech about bringing pride back to America’s military. Then the standing ovation. Then the pause. Then the shout: “We love you, Bush!”

Which begged the question, Which Bush?

Sure, the oldest Bush brother--that would be Texas Gov. George W.--is the guy who’s currently running for the Oval Office, the one who trails a clutch of television cameras as he campaigns from coast to coast, who’s the first son of the 41st president to tread in his famous father’s footsteps.

But here in the humid Sunshine State--where his “big, little brother” is chief executive--he is just another Gov. Bush.

On Saturday, the Bush Brothers Republican Roadshow jetted from Miami to Orlando stumping for the older, shorter sibling, the better jogger, the inferior golfer. They raised $2.75 million on behalf of their party, made little news and held what looked like a dress rehearsal for scenes from the Republican National Convention.

Now, the campaign is still figuring out just what roles each member of this sprawling Republican dynasty will play when the party meets in Philadelphia at the end of July to nominate 53-year-old George W. for president. And the candidate himself will make only one official appearance on stage at that time, when he gives his big prime-time speech and accepts the nomination.

But lighter moments with the political clan will likely bear a certain resemblance to Saturday in Florida, when the Bush boys mugged for reporters on the campaign plane in nearly matching blue shirts and red ties (they insist the uniform wasn’t planned).

Question to Jeb: Do you ever wish it was you running for president?

Jeb: “No. I love my job and I’m truly blessed to be governor of the state of Florida.”

Question to George: Did you ever offer your brother the job of vice president?

George: “No, I haven’t.”

Are you going to?

George: “If all else fails.”

Question to Jeb: What do you think of all the attention your son, George P. Bush, is getting as he campaigns for his uncle?

Jeb: “I’m proud of it, but my job is to remind him that all of this fame is fleeting.”

The plane lands, the governors disembark, the motorcade flies along the highway, through the toll booth, to the Kissimmee Hyatt--two dozen deputy sheriffs on motorcycles, two vans and a small herd of big, beefy U.S. cars en route to the VFW.

Jeb, 47, is introduced first on arrival. Here, he’s “the younger brother of George Bush.” Laughter. “The son of the former president, George Bush.” More laughter. “And the son of former First Lady Barbara Bush.” Cheers. “Our very own governor of the great state of Florida.”

Then Jeb does the honors for the man of the hour: “You’re going to hear from my older, smarter, wiser brother who I hope and pray will be the next president of the United States.”

And then comes George, waxing fraternal about Jeb’s political prowess here and sharing family stories before he blasts the Clinton administration for sapping the strength of the American military.

Harking back to his early days as governor, he told the rapt crowd of a parade he’d presided over, a celebration of the GIs who fought in the Pacific Theater in World War II. About 30,000 people had gathered there in Fredericksburg, Texas, including the former president and first lady with the governor’s same last name.

First he introduced his dad, and there was polite applause. Then he started to introduce his mom, and the crowd went wild, much to the new governor’s consternation.

“And I said, ‘Mother, it’s clear to me the people of Texas still love you,’ ” Bush recounted. “ ‘And so do I. But you’re still telling me what to do after 45 years.’ ”

The VFW members laugh, and Bush continues: “And honest to goodness, a guy in a big cowboy hat strolled right out in the middle of Fredericksburg in front of all these new constituents and he cups his hands and screams, ‘You better be listening to her too, boy.’ Believe me, we do.”

The speech ends, the candidate shakes a hundred hands and finally the crowd disperses. Kathleen Young, 76 and the new president of Post 4364 of the VFW Auxiliary, strolls out into the hotel lobby.

“I even got a nice big kiss from him,” she boasts on leaving. Which one, she’s asked. “George,” she replies. But which one do you like better? She smiles. “I like them both.”