Neil Bush and Rev. Moon

The recent revelation that Neil Bush, younger brother of one George W. Bush, has a close association with, and has taken trips on behalf of, Unification Church founder Sun Young Moon should be deeply troubling to us. But most Americans likely won't notice.

We should. This type of odd connection --and Rev. Moon is not only an odd connection but a freaky one — of the Bush family should be instructive to American voters in the process of electing the U.S. president.

My first thought is that the lesson should be, “Don’t do it!” as in, “Let’s not have a president for the next four years and see how that works out.”

But that won’t happen - we will have one egomaniac or another in the Oval Office. And the odds are his or her connections will prove equally bizzare and/or dangerous and/or freaky.

We’ve all heard now about Obama’s “spiritual mentor,” Rev. Wright. Doubtless similarly macabre associations for McCain and Clinton will emerge as well.

What gives? Well, if you conclude, as rationality demands you must, that anyone who would want to be U.S. president is ipso facto demented, there’s a straight line from that to this phenomenon — exotic, nightmarish personal and family connections that most of us ordinary folk would not have on a bet.

My permanent solution for this madness? Rein in executive power with a highly restrictive constitutional amendment, thus making the office unattractive to those among us with serious personality disorders. Or, better yet, a plural executive a la Switzerland, increasing the chances we’ll have a couple of normal people involved at the top of the federal republic.

Otherwise, we should get used to it. And it’s nothing new. Two words: Billy Carter.