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Bush Embarrassed By Wife's Run-in With Customs (1999 Columba Bush Flashback)
Sun Sentinel ^ | 6/22/1999 | DAVID COX and JOHN KENNEDY

Posted on 05/16/2014 6:20:51 AM PDT by jimbo123

Florida first lady Columba Bush made a mistake and "feels horrible" about her embarrassing run-in with U.S. Customs agents late last week, a chagrined Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday.

"I can assure you it was a difficult weekend at our house," the governor said. "She knew that what she did was wrong and [she] made a mistake."

Columba Bush was briefly detained and fined at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport on Thursday after her arrival following a five-day shopping spree in Paris. The governor was not with her. She declared only $500 worth of merchandise on a Customs form at the airport. But during a random check, agents found receipts indicating the governor's wife was toting about $19,000 worth of clothing and jewelry bought in France.

Using a personal check, she paid $4,100 in duty and fines on the items. She was then allowed to continue to Tallahassee.

Still, the episode dogged the governor on Monday when he was forced to answer questions about his wife's run-in before signing into law a sweeping education reform package.

"It is a lot of money. But look, that's between her and me," said Gov. Bush, adding that his wife was embarrassed by the incident. "The mistake was not filling out the form at Customs properly -- that was the mistake," said the governor, who has reported a net worth of $2.4 million.

The question on many people's minds was why Columba Bush, an accomplished international traveler, disclosed only $500 in purchases.

U.S. Customs spokesman Patrick Jones said it is routine for agents to ask travelers if their declaration forms are accurate before any attempt is made to search luggage.

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.sun-sentinel.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amnesty; columbabush; crook; jebbush; nomorebushes; rulingclass
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1 posted on 05/16/2014 6:20:51 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123

Don’t go away mad, Jeb, just go away.


2 posted on 05/16/2014 6:25:43 AM PDT by CPT Clay (Follow me on Twitter @Clay N TX)
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To: jimbo123
"I can assure you it was a difficult weekend at our house," the governor said. "She knew that what she did was wrong and [she] made a mistake."

She's upset she got caught.

3 posted on 05/16/2014 6:26:41 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: jimbo123

I don’t like Jeb Bush. I’m not fond of any of the Bushes except for Laura and Barbara. However, having been married twice (widowed once) it’s pretty clear to me that a man can’t be responsible for his wife’s actions. Calling lying a mistake; well, that’s just another “mistake”.


4 posted on 05/16/2014 6:31:01 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (When I first read it, " Atlas Shrugged" was fiction)
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To: jimbo123

I wonder how much merchandise Moochelle brings back “duty free” on AF 1?


5 posted on 05/16/2014 6:31:25 AM PDT by neodad (USS Vincennes (CG-49) Freedom's Fortress)
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To: jimbo123

All that money and she had to do something like this.

Incredibly stupid.


6 posted on 05/16/2014 6:31:30 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (What would Scooby do?)
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To: CPT Clay

Don’t have to shoot them down, they run into things and crash!


7 posted on 05/16/2014 6:31:44 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: jimbo123

Bu Bye Jebadia don’t let the door knob hit you in the ass on the way out. . . . .


8 posted on 05/16/2014 6:32:56 AM PDT by DeaconRed (# GIVE US OUR COUNTRY BACK- NOW! ! ! ! ! ! ! !)
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To: jimbo123

Customs forms are for little people, evidently.


9 posted on 05/16/2014 6:34:49 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: dfwgator

All we need is another Michelle Obama type in the White House.


10 posted on 05/16/2014 6:35:07 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: headstamp 2

The really stupid thing is that let’s say you’re in office. Most of the news media care more about something you did as a teenager, and will play that over anything you have to say with regards to a real policy matter right there, right now. That’s the rediculous part. Right now, they care so much freakin’ more about what Bush’s wife did then they do about the policies or his job as Florida Governor, that’s the rediculous part.


11 posted on 05/16/2014 6:35:31 AM PDT by Morpheus2009
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To: Morpheus2009

Whatever it takes to sink him now.


12 posted on 05/16/2014 6:36:13 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: jimbo123

Shudda waited ‘til she was the 1st lady. Travelling on a Diplomatic passport you never have to worry about such plebeian problems, no inspection.


13 posted on 05/16/2014 6:36:23 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: jimbo123

Palin’s out-of-wedlock grandson was scandalous, but Bush’s criminal wife and criminal/drug-addict children are somehow no reflection on him.


14 posted on 05/16/2014 6:36:36 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

At least she hasn’t killed anybody.


15 posted on 05/16/2014 6:37:02 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: CPT Clay

It shows that she’s a dishonest woman.


16 posted on 05/16/2014 6:37:22 AM PDT by Shimmer1
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To: 9YearLurker

Bush’s 2 sons have criminal records, too.


17 posted on 05/16/2014 6:37:38 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123

Typical liberal, lie to save money, then declare it was an oversight, wrong paperwork, turbo tax, whatever.


18 posted on 05/16/2014 6:42:54 AM PDT by VTenigma (The Democratic party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: jimbo123

Didn’t They Know Who She Was??? /s


19 posted on 05/16/2014 6:45:32 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: jimbo123

Helps explain Jeb’s animus towards border security.


20 posted on 05/16/2014 6:45:50 AM PDT by skeeter
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