The Buyout Whisperer

Jeb and George Bush with their Baptist votersLittle brother Jeb Bush, pictured here stumping Baptists with his big brother, may run for President some day but I cannot imagine the name will help.

Currently he’s part of a new push that’s quadrupled their lobbying from $1.4million to more than $5.5million to lure favors in Washington.

Taking time out to hone his skills, Jeb’s activities promote the buyout sector which takes companies private, avoiding shareholder and securities rules, and thus operating further from public scrutiny.

[link] “Lehman Brothers has appointed Jeb Bush to its ‘private equity advisory board’ in the latest attempt by a buyout group to influence Capitol Hill. A less tarnished name from the Bush legacy, cousin George Walker is an operator in bank assets and hedge funds.

Over 254 contributions from partners at private equity firms have been made during the presidential campaign including Apollo Management, The Blackstone Group and The Carlyle Group, and Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital.

The article reports that Mitt Romney is the most popular candidate among buyout houses.

Adding my comment:
Far from conscientious – and drawing down far more cash and credit than the recent sub-prime mortgage blip – purchasing public companies is another fashionable excess where our public capital is concentrated in too few hands with too little restraint.

I don’t like muckraking about political or business elites. It sours my spirit; steers my sensibilities too near spongy land. A stronger effort is always to post news and events that build ideas and assist learning. But we live in an era of populist journalism where annoying dirt about a candidate or a global player is seldom published as if it may blemish an author’s witty style, a pundit’s noisy theme or threaten corporate media sales rates.

As if a pioneer trapping on the vast internet, I’ll post a story that is ignored but pertinent or hidden but important. It’s good to learn about the activities of owners, candidates, executives, consultants, staff, and the ‘whisperers’ of policy that luxuriate too easily behind the scenes. One day I hope we will learn to challenge their motives as well as their deeds.