Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford School District budget funds new student success programs RCC President Angstadt retires Rogue jet boat tour company eyes TouVelle for permanent home Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford police identify woman found dead in field Emergency services, May 18 Body found in southeast Medford field Emergency services, May 17 Public meetings for May 18-22, 2015 Politics and Elections Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Education Medford School District budget funds new student success programs RCC President Angstadt retires Four South Medford seniors build soccer lockers SOU student's project tells story of devastating Weed fire South Medford, Ashland high schools earn national honors Environment Rogue jet boat tour company eyes TouVelle for permanent home Why is Bear Creek so muddy? Blame Emigrant silt and winter storm Mt. Ashland Ski Area proposes summer adventure center Jackson County declares drought disaster Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection State News Senate panel passes medical pot rules Oregon wildlife officials eye phased-in hunting, fishing fee increases Wyden's gambit on trade deal pays off Panel sends Jackson, Josephine drought declarations to governor Court overturns $85 million award for Oregon soldiers Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Clarence Allen (Al) Swearingen George Frederick Christensen Henry Daw Patricia Anne Staniforth Karen Ann Sharp Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Check out top import and export for every U.S. state Patriots fan sets up GoFundMe page to help pay for team's Deflategate fine Sports Latest Stories San Diego committee unveils plans for $1.1 billion stadium Spoilers lurk as American Pharoah seeks history NFL owners have key meetings this week Record Round St. Mary's Wu sets all-time scoring record with 63 Varsity 541 College Sports Oregon track sweeps at Pac-12s Hovinga stars on mound as Ducks advance Duck men, women lead in Pac-12 track meet Wu falls just short of advancing to NCAAs Beavers continue hot streak, trip Cardinal Pro Sports San Diego committee unveils plans for $1.1 billion stadium Spoilers lurk as American Pharoah seeks history NFL owners have key meetings this week Leroux, Wambach lift U.S. past Mexico Allred finishes in 16th at BMW Charity Pro-Am Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Business Latest Stories Two Crown Markets planned for Talent Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Blog: L is For... Blog: Cash deals for homes inches toward normal levels Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Real Estate News Single-family home sales take off Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house People In Business People in Business Transportation Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Medford airport still flying high with record passenger counts Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Memorial Day and Uncle Sam George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Lloyd Garver: The Apple Watch - good birth control? Letters to the Editor, May 18 Kathleen Parker: Jeb Bush's unfortunate honesty Editorials Our View: Kicking state government down the road Other Views: Keeping marijuana away from minors Our view: Legislature should fix both marijuana laws Our View: City should let SkyPark project move ahead Our View: E-cigarette bill is half right, half wrong Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 18 Letters to the Editor, May 17 Letters to the Editor, May 15 Letters to the Editor, May 14 Letters to the Editor, May 13 Columns George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Kathleen Parker: Jeb Bush's unfortunate honesty George Will: Santorum — The return of the GOP's runner-up Dana Milbank: The domain of 'dot-sucks' Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Ample water? Think again Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Guest Opinion: Child poverty and the Schneider Children’s Center Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Lifestyle Latest stories Kitchen Call: Cakes — not just for birthdays Sid McKeen: A bumper crop of idle observations Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Home Help: Keep a man cave top of mind when choosing a new home Outdoors photos from readers Food Kitchen Call: Cakes — not just for birthdays Community blog: Rhubarb's sour stalks have surprising savory side 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Season Stepp: Use pink lemonade in recipes Quick, easy, versatile Home and Garden Home Help: Keep a man cave top of mind when choosing a new home Learning to be a water watcher in these dry times Betty Montgomery: Longleaf pines making a comeback Pergola, arbor, gazebo: Learn the differences Dear Monty: Five tips for companies to reduce relocation costs Health Community blog: Little Free Libraries Community blog: Fasting out of Cancer Brent St. Germain: Weight loss goes to the dogs Community blog: Don't Fall for This Part 2 Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 15 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Milestones and Achievements Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Drones helping create unique wedding photos Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs 5 picks for live entertainment Steve Poltz, Grant-Lee Phillips at Old Ashland Armory 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Theater OSF commissioned plays tour throughout country 'Cuckoo's Nest' is a big play, well presented 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' REVIEW: Randall Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors' a rollicking good time REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Music Live Music in Local Clubs Blues great B.B. King dead at 89 Steve Poltz, Grant-Lee Phillips at Old Ashland Armory Victor D. Infante: If loving bad pop songs is wrong ... The Farr Side: Contest open for singer-songwriters Community Events Third Friday: 'Into the Woods' is a must-see 5 things to see at Art in Bloom Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at OSF's Black Swan in Ashland Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Mad Max’ is a fresh, fantastic approach to a classic idea Your A-to-Z guide to the ‘Mad Max’ franchise Movie review: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ will leave your inner 12-year-old giggling with glee Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Dining 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Cool down with a cold one (or two, or three) Nguyen Street Food From rustic to elegant: Wine tasting in Southern Oregon Quick, easy, versatile Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Senate panel passes medical pot rules ... Medford School District budget funds new student success programs ... RCC President Angstadt retires ... Senate panel passes medical pot rules ... Medford School District budget funds new student success programs ... RCC President Angstadt retires ... ANOTHER VIEW Kathleen Parker: Jeb Bush's unfortunate honesty Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News You know we're off to the races when the first slip of the tongue by the presumed Republican presidential front-runner consumes the news for days and launches the primary race in earnest. Even if the presumed front-runner hasn't officially announced his candidacy yet. Jeb Bush's first, second, third and fourth answers to the inevitable question about the Iraq War constituted the starting bell. Democrats were gleeful; establishment Republicans concerned. Comedians rejoiced; other GOP hopefuls quickly flaunted their own superior hindsight. The question, originally posed by Fox News' Megyn Kelly, was: "Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion?" Bush gave exactly the wrong answer: "I would've," he said, "and so would've Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would've almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got." His mention of Clinton, who voted for the Iraq War based on the largely accepted intelligence at the time, makes it clear that he misunderstood the question. But his wordy, muddled response to Kelly's follow-up didn't help matters. "You don't think it was a mistake?" she asked. "In retrospect, the intelligence that everyone saw ... was faulty. And in retrospect, once we invaded and took out Saddam Hussein, we didn't focus on security first. And the Iraqis, in this incredibly insecure environment, turned on the United States military because there was no security for themselves and their families." Eh? This murky response was far from characteristic for this Bush, who is usually as fluent in policy as he is in Spanish. It did, however, highlight the challenges he faces as a Bush who (1) tends to overthink (regrettably, this time, aloud) and (2) may be too nice to be president. We can easily imagine what was likely going through his mind: I'm not going to say my brother was wrong. How do I say it was a mistake when so many people died? Was it a mistake? I have no idea. Maybe we'll know in 150 years. Oh, Lord, what was the question?   There isn't space here to re-litigate the Iraq War, but polls show that a majority of Americans now think it was a mistake. It must be brutal, therefore, to be the brother of the man who led the charge and, as a presidential hopeful, to be asked to either defend or condemn his actions. It is fair to ask what purpose such a question really serves. As Hillary Clinton might have responded, "What difference at this point does it make?" I'm not sure there was a correct answer Bush could have given. Even had he understood and answered simply, "Of course not," the follow-up would have been, "So you think Iraq was a mistake?" And then, "So you're saying your brother was wrong?" Let's not be coy. Some reporters are dying to provoke the headline: "Jeb throws W. under the bus." In that first exchange with Kelly — and subsequently with others who kept pressing him — Bush revealed more than his discomfort with that particular question. It is clear that he has some painful adjustments to make if he is to launch a presidential run. He is obviously defensive about his brother and uncomfortable separating policy from the personal. We know this both from his resort to sarcasm and his default to blame the "they," aka the media. "So just for the newsflash to the world, if they're trying to find places where there's big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of those." There's nothing wrong with family loyalty, but Bush could take a page from Clinton. She is (boldly/calculatingly) distancing herself from some of her husband's policies, trying to differentiate her candidacy from his presidency. My unsolicited advice to Bush is to give his brother and father a big hug — and walk away. If he is, indeed, to be his own man, then he must separate himself from his family. Lose the phrase: "My brother's presidency" and "me and my brother." If the 41st and 43rd presidents must be mentioned, their names are President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush. Winning a presidential nomination and election requires a toughness of intellect and also a hardening of the heart. This is really the test to which Jeb was subjected this past week, and he flubbed. He also demonstrated that, compared with the presumptive Democratic nominee, he is thus far out of his league. Kathleen Parker's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501