WASHINGTON – As former Gov. Jeb Bush officially joins the ranks of Koch-money chasing Republican presidential candidates today, progressive advocacy group Americans United for Change launched JebWBush2016.com – a mock-campaign website that drives home how despite his claims to be his ‘own man’, Jeb’s trickle-down, neo-con policies and cabal of advisors are virtually indistinguishable from his brother’s.

It’s the campaign website Jeb probably wishes he could launch if it weren’t for intraparty naysayers like Tom Coburn who would prefer any name but another Bush’s on the ballot. With the tagline “Same policies. Same advisors. Same Bush,” the site is backed today with Twitter and Facebook ads and will be regularly updated with new videos and quotes from Jeb himself showing why a Jeb presidency would be nothing more than a third term for George W. Bush.

Forget the family resemblance, it’s the resemblance in extreme policies that is truly uncanny. Like George W. Bush who tried to privatize Social Security, Jeb wants to slash benefits more directly by raising the retirement age up to 70.

Like W. who marched the nation into a needless, costly, and bloody war in Iraq, Jeb’s knee-jerk first response to a question about Iraq was that he’d have done exact same thing, as he continues to dismiss diplomacy and rattle the saber against Iran.

Like W., who let Big Oil write his environmental policy, Jeb derides voters as “arrogant” if they believe the 97 percent of the scientific community that climate change is real and man-made.

Like W., who ran wild with trickle-down policies that led to the Great Recession, Jeb never met a tax break for millionaires and outsourcers he didn’t like.

At the same time he opposes Medicaid expansion and wants to nix the federal minimum wage altogether. And like brother, like brother; in 2015, Jeb still unapologetically opposes same-sex marriage. Jeb has always shown he’s much more the impressionable little brother than his ‘own man.’

W. and Jeb: same last name, same failed policies

– Jeb: George W. Bush is a top foreign policy adviser: CNN, May 7, 2015

– Jeb Bush Privately Told Florida Republicans to Oppose Medicaid Expansion: National Review, February 21, 2013

– Jeb, ‘my own man,’ brings in brother’s men: CNNPolitics.com, Feb. 19, 2015

– Jeb Bush’s foreign policy team is eerily familiar, in one Venn diagram: Washington Post, Feb. 18, 2015

– Jeb Bush Backs Hike in Social Security Retirement Age: National Journal, May 17, 2015

– As Governor, Jeb Bush Catered Tax Cuts to the Wealthy: Forbes, May 21, 2015

– Jeb Bush Says People Who Accept Climate Science Are ‘Really Arrogant’: Think Progress, May 21, 2015

– Jeb Bush stands by opposition to same-sex marriage: CNN, May 18, 2015

– Jeb Bush Calls For The Elimination Of The Federal Minimum Wage: Think Progress, March 17, 2015

– Jeb Bush says he would have invaded Iraq: Washington Post, May 10, 2015

– Jeb Bush to women on welfare in 1994: ‘Get a husband’: CNN, June 11, 2015

– Jeb Bush In 1995: Unwed Mothers Should Be Publicly Shamed: Huffington Post, June 12, 2015

– Jeb Bush Endorsed the Ryan Budget to Turn Medicare Into a Voucher Program: Jeb Bush said that Paul Ryan is “the only person who has had the courage to step up and say what he would do,” and “the result is, a very solid plan.” Ryan’s plan would turn Medicare into a voucher program, ending Medicare as we know it: Democrats.org

Jeremy Funk, Americans United for Change, sent the above story to People’s World.

Photo: JebWBush2016.com