posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 06:52 PM
Let's see....
He was brought into the $86 million buyout of the Texas Rangers baseball team by contributing $600K (borrowed from a bank where he once served as a
director) and the name "George Bush." (*There's* an interesting read. Google the names 'Richard Rainwater,' 'Rusty Rose,' and 'William DeWitt,
Jr.' for more info.)
He served as "managing partner" of the baseball franchise for a bit over 4 years, earning $200K a year.
He and his partners held the city of Arlington hostage by demanding that either a new stadium be built, or the team would be moved. Taxpayers coughed
up $150 million through a sales tax increase for The Ballpark at Arlington, *greatly* adding to the value of the franchise.
He received $15 million upon the sale of the team in 1998, including a $12.2 million "bonus payment" from his partners...while he was the sitting
governor of the state of Texas. 2400% profit for an 8 year investment...not bad, huh?
He was investigated for insider trading while serving on the board of Harken Energy in 1990. The SEC dropped the investigation in 1992, while George
H.W. Bush was president. Since entering the Oval Office, Dubya has refused to allow the SEC to release the full report of its investigation.
As for his reelection as governor of Texas in 1998: voter turnout was only 26%, the lowest in the nation that year. Only 16% of registered voters
actually voted for Dubya. The vast majority of Texans chose to go with NOTA: None Of the Above.
So the answer to the question "what did he actually do before becoming president" would be: used his name and his daddy's friends to bail himself
out of a series of misadventures, make a quick buck (or 15 million), and get himself into politics, where ability is not a prerequisite.