Wall Street Journal Hides Jeb Bush's Ties To His Brother's Foreign Policy

Written by Sophia Tesfaye

Published

The Wall Street Journal glossed over Jeb Bush's close ties to the neoconservative movement that shaped the foreign policy of his brother, former President George W. Bush, suggesting that Jeb Bush's foreign policy would be more moderate than that of his brother's. But Jeb Bush has praised his brother's foreign policy, specifically the decision to invade Iraq, and even signed a founding neoconservative document.

Wall Street Journal Whitewashes Jeb Bush's Cozy Foreign Policy Ties With George W. Bush

WSJ: Early Indications From Jeb Bush “Suggest An Approach Different From His Brother's.” A February 10 Wall Street Journal article reported that presidential candidate Jeb Bushwill face a “unique dilemma” of choosing whether to follow the foreign policy path carved by his father, former President George H.W. Bush, or by his brother, former President George W. Bush. The Journal claimed that Jeb was “leaning toward his father's more pragmatic and restrained philosophy” and not the neoconservative foreign policy that was the hallmark of the George W. Bush administration. [The Wall Street Journal, 2/10/15]

In Reality, Jeb Bush Is Closely Connected To George W. Bush's Neoconservative Foreign Policy

Jeb Bush Argued That “People Will Respect” George W. Bush For The Iraq War. In a March 10, 2013, interview with CNN, Jeb Bush claimed, “A lot of things in history change over time. I think people will respect the resolve that my brother showed both in defending the country and the war in Iraq, but history will judge that in a more objective way than today. The war has wound down now, and it's still way too early to judge what success it had in providing some degree of stability in the region.” [State of the Union, CNN, 3/10/13]  

Jeb Bush Touted The Success Of The Iraq War In 2006. As Politico reported, “In April 2006, Bush joined three other governors to visit U.S. troops in Iraq, where he called progress in the country 'undeniable,' even as Iraq descended into civil war.” [Politico, 1/5/15]

The Nation: Jeb Bush Was A Founding Member Of The Project For A New American Century. As The Nation noted in May, “According to the website On the Issues, Bush was a founding member of the Project for a New American Century, the neoconservative outfit formed in the 1990s that played a leading role in generating support for war in Iraq and whose members took up key positions in the administration of George W. Bush, Jeb's brother.” [The Nation, 5/30/14]

George W. Bush Official: Jeb Likely To Embrace “More Muscular Peace-Through-Strength Wing Of The Party.” Ari Fleischer, who served as White House spokesman during the George W. Bush administration, told Politico that Jeb Bush “will come out of the more muscular peace-through-strength wing of the party.” [Politico, 1/5/15]

Politico: “Some Of Bush's Most Important Allies Within The GOP Foreign Policy Establishment Are Closely Associated With His Brother.” Politico reported that “some of [Jeb] Bush's most important allies within the GOP foreign policy establishment are closely associated with his brother, whose name is almost synonymous with a war in Iraq that most Americans call a mistake.” Politico specifically cited former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Vice President Dick Cheney as allies with whom Jeb is personally close. [Politico, 1/5/15]