We all remember the story of Terri Schiavo, a brain-dead woman from Florida whose husband, Michael, was mired in controversy over whether her feeding tube could be removed fifteen years after she collapsed and fell unconscious. Politico’s Michael Kruse interviewed Mr. Sciavo recently. The article refreshes our memory about the details of his fight to fulfill his wife’s wishes to not keep her in a vegetative state. It also paints a very clear picture of what former Florida Governor Jeb Bush thinks, how he operates and the lengths he’s willing to go to make a point. Schiavo calls Jeb! “a vindictive, untrustworthy coward.”

Jeb! may not be absolutely inevitable as the 2016 Republican nominee for POTUS, but right now I’d give him a clear edge. That’s why it’s so important to paint as accurate a picture as we can of him for the American people and do whatever we can to get the message out.

For Michael Schiavo, though, the importance of the episode—Bush’s involvement from 2003 to 2005, and what it might mean now for his almost certain candidacy—is even more viscerally obvious.

“He should be ashamed,” he said. “And I think people really need to know what type of person he is. To bring as much pain as he did, to me and my family, that should be an issue.”

Unfortunately, the Democratic party won’t do it, even if they’re capable of it. So, that leaves us with the job. Or, at least us and like minded voters.

Karoli at Crooks and Liars nicely sums up five subtle points the Poltico article makes:

1. Jeb Bush is a hard-core conservative.
2. Jeb's idea of smaller government is a concentration of more power with the executive.
3. Jeb Bush is comfortable governing as an activist.
4. Jeb Bush is vindictive when he loses.
5. Jeb Bush will do anything necessary to win.

Karoli’s conclusion is spot on, as usual.

Unsaid in the article but just as germane: This case was personal for Jeb because he knew it would cement his credibility with the hard-right evangelical core. Catholics and Baptists alike would revere him for being willing to ignore the rule of law to carry out their will.

This is why he can't be elected President. We cannot have another Bush in the White House, and certainly not Jeb. The press and pundits will spend a lot of time trying to convince us all that Jeb Bush is a moderate candidate who can appeal to Latino voters and the white working class voter alike. It's up to all of us to make sure each and every voter understands that behind the veneer, the heart of a cold-hearted, hard-core conservative lurks.

Spread the word as best you can.

Thank you.