Jeb Drops Out

John Ellis “Jeb” Bush, 3th Earl of Bush son of the 41st US president and brother of the 43rd, has suspended his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. The Republican Party establishment faces a grim choice: Hold its nose and back Rubio, pretend John Kasich can win, or move even more of its personal wealth to Cayman Island banks.

More:

“Jeb Bush never really had a chance in the 2016 presidential race,” Chris Cillizza, Washington Post

“Unforced errors and miscalculations end Bush’s White House hopes,” Steve Holland, Reuters

“Jeb Bush: The big campaign that just couldn’t,” Janelle Ross, Washington Post

“Fall of the house of Bush: how Jeb fell victim to hype, hysteria … and himself,” Sabrina Siddiqui and Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian

“The overhyped rise and spectacular fall of Jeb Bush, in 19 devastating quotes,” Becca Stanek, The Week

“Bush’s Befuddled Goodbye and the Risks of Trump Denialism,” Amy Davidson, The New Yorker

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Congress Doesn’t Need Those Paychecks

With great fanfare, the do-nothing Congress passed the “No Budget, No Pay” bill, threatening to withhold congressmen’s paychecks if they don’t pass a budget. But Congress can’t really mess with its own pay. So what happens if a budget doesn’t pass? Paychecks get deposited in an escrow account and members of Congress get paid in full, all at once at the end of the current term.

“But a more significant problem is that most legislators probably couldn’t care less if their pay was withheld indefinitely. As of 2011, the average estimated wealth of members of Congress was $6.5 million in the House and $13.9 million in the Senate. And unlike many of their constituents, they haven’t exactly been struggling through lean times recently. While average American households saw their median net worth drop 39 percent from 2007 to 2010, lawmakers’ rose 5 percent during the same period.”

— “No Pay, No Problem: Why Congress Doesn’t Need Our Money,” Tim Price, Next New Deal

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CEOs to Workers: ‘Vote for Romney or Get Fired’

Ex-financier Mitt Romney in a conference call to corporate CEOs in June:

“I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope — I hope you pass those along to your employees. Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well.”