The only bad reports I’ve heard about Jeb Bush come from an aunt-in-law in Florida. When we talk by phone, she always gives me an earful.

She loves the Marlins and hates the Bushes.

Others cite Jeb as the “Good Bush,” the smart one, the more eloquent speaker. So far in this way-too-early race for the presidency in 2016, he seems to be the grown up — the thinker — on the Republican side. He isn’t so strident, so quick to condemn. He dares to be moderate on immigration policy, unlike his opponents. He does, however, hold heavy baggage as another Bush in a nation that doesn’t care much for political dynasties.

His father’s presidency gets generally high marks. His brother’s eight years are tainted with the fallout of the Iraq War. It didn’t end well. Inheriting a relatively calm situation, the Obama administration walked away from Iraq, leaving it to become a puppet state of Iran.

Jeb Bush, of course, had to answer the inevitable question last week of whether he would have, like his brother, authorized the war in 2003.

“I would have (authorized the invasion), and so would have Hilary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got,” he told an interviewer.

Perhaps a better question would be: Knowing what we know now, would you have called for the invasion?

From a global security position, the United States seems to have wasted its money and soldiers by invading Iraq. Iran is more powerful, more of a threat today than 12 years ago. Iraq has been subdivided by the ruthless ISIS invaders who have butchered people and posted the killings on YouTube. Iraq’s small-minded leadership has been unable to hold the country together.

The old despot Saddam Hussein seems rather tame by comparison to the ISIS hordes. Iraq and Iran were bitter and off-setting enemies. By our interference, Iran is free to make chaos … and Iraq is again in flames.

Maybe the entire Bush family would agree on that.

Jeb Bush isn’t the only candidate who will have to answer for the other members of the family. Hilary Clinton has the same balancing act, but husband Bill seems to enjoy the limelight much more than George W. Bush. It could be that neither Hilary or Jeb are picked by their parties to be the presidential nominees. But the early money is on them.

In other news:

• The announcement that “American Idol” will close after next season did not cause me to grieve … or cheer.

• Poor Tom Brady, quarterback of the Super Bowl winning New England Patriots. Despite no direct evidence against him, the NFL has suspended him for four games next season because footballs were under inflated during the championship.

• Driving about Mocksville on Monday night yet again with my driver-in-training, I had to be careful about my directions and landmarks. I told him to gas up at Horn’s, not realizing that the station is now festooned in “Marathon” signs. I told him to stop at “C’s Restaurant” and he headed north on US 601 not to the now designated “CJ’s” Restaurant at the Overhead bridge.

Why is it called the “Overhead” bridge?

I acknowledged that all bridges might qualify as overhead for those standing below them.

And who the heck is Bob Wilson, and why is a hill named for him?

– Dwight Sparks