My Father, My President
A Personal Account of the Life of George H. W. Bush
by Doro Bush Koch


(Click for Amazon book review)

OnTheIssues.org BOOK REVIEW:

Doro Bush Koch, the author of this memoir, is the younger sister of Governor Jeb Bush & President George W. Bush, and the daughter of President George H. W. Bush Sr. The book focuses on her father, but includes substantial personal insight into her two brothers as well. She has no political ambitions of her own, so this memoir represents the official Bush family line, without the bias inherent in autobiography. Therefore this book makes an interesting contrast to All the Best, President George H. W. Bush Sr.'s memoir, and Decision Points, President George W. Bush Jr.'s memoir.

Doro has her own unique insight into the three protagonists, and adds to her personal perspective that of numerous high-ranking aides, whom she cites extensively. Unlike with Kitty Kelley's joint biography of the same three protagonists, the high-ranking aides knew they could trust Doro to portray the Bushes in a sympathetic light (which Kitty Kelley often did not do), and hence were more forthcoming.

While there is some value to reading a presidential memoir by a "sympathetic insider," the book does have a larger purpose. Besides describing the official Bush family line on key historical events, this book also establishes the official Bush family legacy -- i.e., how the Bushes want us to view Bush 41's and Bush 43's presidencies. And perhaps even more importantly, this book establishes the official Bush family dynasty -- how the Bushes want us to perceive their future candidates (specifically, Jeb Bush for President, and George P. Bush for some other office later).

There is not a lot of material about Jeb, however -- the book, as promised in its title and subtitle, focuses on Doro's father. For Jeb's future campaigns, this book sets more of a tone than a policy agenda. That tone could be summarized as the "Bush Political Doctrine:" maintain bipartisanship; exercise restrained prudence in important decisions; remain resolute and loyal. All three of the protagonists want voters and historians to believe that they all followed all of those criteria whenever possible. Whether those are actually true of any of the three politicians in any given situation is up to the reader to decide -- Doro makes the case here for just one side.

-- Jesse Gordon, editor-in-chief, OnTheIssues.org, January 2013

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Civil Rights     George Bush Sr.: 1998: gay status of personal aide "doesn't matter to us".     George W. Bush: W stands for Women: get out the women's vote.

Corporations     George Bush Sr.: 1989: Address the festering savings-and-loan crisis.

Crime     George Bush Sr.: Willie Horton was a crime issue, not a racism issue.     Jeb Bush: Make sure criminals serve at least 85% of their jail time.

Drugs     George Bush Sr.: 1986: Oversaw National Narcotics Border Interdiction System.     George Bush Sr.: 1990: Make fighting the drug problem a top priority.

Families & Children     George Bush Sr.: Family creed: Your word is your bond; be good loser & winner.

Foreign Policy     George Bush Sr.: Informally called world leaders often, while President.     George Bush Sr.: 1989: Restraint about Berlin Wall, to avoid Soviet reaction.     Jeb Bush: 1988: Joined relief effort for Armenian earthquake.

Homeland Security     George Bush Sr.: WWII kamikaze pilots were uniformed officers, not terrorists.     George W. Bush: 9/11: First Lady served as "Comforter-in-Chief".

Principles & Values     George Bush Sr.: 1974: Considered resigning from Nixon Admin. over Watergate.     George Bush Sr.: 1987: How could they call a combat pilot a "wimp"?     George Bush Sr.: 1989: Barbara and George both diagnosed with Graves' disease.     George Bush Sr.: First 100 days: "Age of the offered hand" of bipartisanship.     George Bush Sr.: 1989: Son Neil called to testify on S&Ls only because a Bush.     George Bush Sr.: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth as Order of the Bath.     George W. Bush: 1978: Won 47% in House district that had never elected GOP.     Jeb Bush: Named after Uncle Johnny Bush and Uncle Sandy Ellis.     Jeb Bush: Married at age 21 to Columba, age 19.     Jeb Bush: 2000: Duty to conduct recount in proper manner.     Jeb Bush: Bill Clinton is using my dad, to benefit his own character.

Social Security     Jeb Bush: 1994 opponent falsely accused Jeb of cutting Social Security.

Technology     George Bush Sr.: 1992: Understood grocery scanners, despite media frenzy.

Click for quotations from other sources by: George Bush Sr. George W. Bush Jeb Bush