Jeb on Wheels

I'm honestly curious: why did President Bush dispatch his brother Jeb to the Indian Ocean for a post-tsunami assessment? The generous explanation is that, after surviving the triple whammy of hurricanes in 2004, Jeb is a natural disaster phenom. But wouldn't, say, the head of FEMA be a more logical choice, especially in the company of the Secretary of State? It's the holiday season, so I'm trying to stop my knee from jerking, which in turn starts a chemical reaction in my brain that fires off my cynicism synapses. Maybe FEMA is on vacation or hungover? But is it entirely unfair to interpret this as an attempt to launch little bro onto the global stage? Not that this would be a diabolical thing to do, I just find the transparent sharing of power among a few elite families to be extremely distasteful.

(And yes, that discomfort does extend to the Clintons. I understand Hillary is doing a fabulous job as a senator, but I really would not be excited about a 2008 presidential run, primarily for nepotistic reasons. )