Favorable or Unfavorable #116: Prescott Bush

[vcczar]

Sen. Prescott Bush (CT-R) is the father and grandfather of a president. He was a liberal Rockefeller Republican. He and his son, George HW, were ideologically at odds, as Bush was a hardcore CR supporter and Bush voted Goldwater and opposed the CR Act of 1964. 

Let me elaborate on 1934 and 1964. In 1934, a group of wealthy businessmen plotted to have easily-impationed Gen. Smedley Butler to overthrow FDR for economic attacks on the rich. The plot never came to fruition in the same way the Essex Junto did not in 1804. A scholar found letters allegedly linking Bush to the plot in the 1970s. It may be a non-action, but I'm leaving it here with "allegedly" for one to freely ignore. I have no opinion on it because I haven't research it, but I include it because it is documented as an alleged attachment. 

In 1964, Rockefeller divorces his wife to marry a woman he was having an affair with. This was considered a moral outrage at the time, enough that it crush Rockefeller's candidacy and basically allowed Goldwater to almost cakewalk to nomination. Had Rockefeller handled this better, my guess is that he would have been the GOP nominee, although he'd probably still get crushed by LBJ who was running with the popular JFK's ghost. 

In other news, Jeb Bush fails to get 5 actions for a poll. He's got 4. Sorry @MrPotatoTed

His actions:

Bush, Prescott	1934	Alleged to have been part of the "business plot" to encourge Gen. Smedley Butler to overthrow FDR
Bush, Prescott	1947	1st Treasurer of the first nationwide Planned Parenthood campaign
Bush, Prescott	1956	Big role in getting the Interstate Highway Act enacted
Bush, Prescott	1957	Supports Civil Rights legislation during his entire tenture
Bush, Prescott	1960	On Eisenhower's list of preferred sucessors as president
Bush, Prescott	1964	Supports Rockefeller until R's divorce; then supports HC Lodge Jr, rather than Goldwater

[vcczar]

My favorite of the Bush dynasty