Neil Bush: Finally someone sees the link

Here’s a headline I’ve waited years to see: “Bush brother’s firm faces inquiry over purchases.” It was in Wednesday’s NY Times, back on p. 18, but at least it was there (the headline, I must say, is from the on-line Times, not the printed edition, which worded it differently).

Might there be a conflict of interest when the brother of the U.S. president, also the brother of the governor of Florida, is selling software to the United States and to Florida?

This came to my attention a few years ago via, I believe, the teachers’ union, which thought it was at least a little dubious.

Now finally CREW – the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (there’s an uphill battle) – has lodged a complaint, and the inspector general of the federal Department of Education will look into whether federal money was used appropriately by three states to buy educational products from a company owned by Neil Bush. Florida, Texas and Nevada are the states.

I raised this connection early this week at a meeting the Miami Beach Democratic Club had with Richard Steinberg, city commissioner and candidate for the state House district 106. “Isn’t this a scandal? Why isn’t anyone at least asking?” I asked. He didn’t know.

A few years ago I asked the same thing of Eric Copeland, candidate for Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer affairs. He didn’t know.

Now, maybe we’ll all have a chance to know.

One thing that’s coming out as this scandal gets an airing is that the software isn’t much good, at least in the view of a former curriculum director for the Houston schools, Jay Spuck. He’s quoted in the Times saying, “”It’s not helping kids at all. It’s not helping teachers. The only way Neil has gotten in is by his name.” That's what's really wrong about this: it doesn't work!

The sainted Barbara Bush also is part of the conspiracy: she gave some of the stuff to schools attended by hurricane evacuees.

We’ll have to ask the Miami Herald’s Washington bureau how they got scooped on something so relevant to their state. The NY Times had it for the Wednesday paper, while the Herald got it on the Naked Politics blog only Wednesday morning, and in the on-line edition in the afternoon.