Bushes' Brother Act Goes Out With a Whimper

In perhaps the final chapter of their peculiar sibling rivalry, Jeb Bush's political aspirations lie smoldering in the ashes of his brother's disastrous presidency, Jacob Weisberg writes in the LA Times. "Jeb's position as favorite son rankled his brother," the Slate editor writes, and "George's mistakes have destroyed the second son's chances of ever occupying the White House.”

"As a factor in George's own drive to succeed, sibling rivalry has been second only to his relationship with his father," Weisberg argues. The brothers have never been especially close: Jeb strived to match up to the likable George, who sobered up partly to compete with his golden sibling. Now George has harmed his own legacy, because "ironically, Jeb's election would provide a measure of historical vindication." (More Jeb Bush stories.)