Rebecca McLaughlin, wearing a Jeb ’16 sticker, cries after meeting former Florida governor Jeb Bush at CPAC
(AFP/Getty Images)
She’s crying out of fear, obviously. Side note: Anyone in DC wanna hit up the Marriott outside of Woodley Park this afternoon?
I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge…I care a lot more about it than I do Grover Norquist.Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, breaking ranks with the militant anti-tax wing of his party. 41 senators have signed Norquist’s pledge—which is essentially a promise to never, ever vote for any revenue or tax increase—but while the document used to be Republican orthodoxy, its influence is showing signs of crumbling. Chambliss’ colleagues Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Tom Coburn have all recently called for Republicans to abandon the pledge, as has former governor Jeb Bush. While Norquist is a very powerful figure in DC, he isn’t an elected official. He derives power solely from Republicans’ decision to grant him power, and if their subservience to his demands goes away, so does the bulk of his political influence. source
Look, the guy was dealt a difficult hand, no question about it. But he’s had three years, his policies have failed. Rather than blame others … maybe offer some fresh solutions to the problems that we face. But that’s not going to happen between now and election day.Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush • Expressing disappointment that President Obama continues to point the finger at his brother, former President George W. Bush Sunday. Bush, who made the comments during an interview on “Meet The Press” on Sunday, also discussed his decision not to enter the 2012 presidential race, a move that both shocked and confused many within the GOP, citing a lack of motivation as the top reason he chose not to run for the nation’s highest office. source (via • follow)
He needs to broaden the message out when talking about immigration, to make it an economic issue as much as it is a question of the rule of law, have a broader message and have a more intense message.Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush • Putting his experience with voters in Florida to good use by giving Mitt Romney some advice on how to handle the state. We know, now more than ever, that Bush will not be anyone’s running mate in this election, but that doesn’t stop him from giving his two cents. He goes on to say: “Great countries should be able to control their borders, plain and simple, and we haven’t done it to the extent that we should, although there has been significant improvement in the last seven, eight years — also because we’ve had a lot fewer people trying to cross the border, because our economy stinks.” source (via • follow)
I’m not gonna do it and I’m not going to be asked and it’s not going to happen.Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush • Saying that it’s unlikely that he’ll be the vice presidential pick in somewhat firmer terms than Mike Huckabee. Bush, who has emerged as a voice who isn’t afraid to disagree with his own party at times, admits that if we were to do it, “this was probably my time,” but that “I’m not sure I would have been successful as a candidate either.” The odds, either way, are looking good for a VP candidate out of Florida — CPAC voters in Chicago over the weekend heavily favored current Sen. Marco Rubio as their desired running mate for Mitt Romney.
But only $1 for every $10 cut. Let’s not get too crazy: The brother of George W. Bush isn’t afraid to break from his party on some issues, and one of those appears to be the hard stance that taxes could not raise in any circumstances whatsoever. “If you could bring to me a majority of people to say that we’re going to have $10 in spending cuts for $1 of revenue enhancement — put me in, coach,” he told the House Budget Committee Friday. In fact, Bush is one of those rare beasts who turned down Grover Norquist’s infamous pledge against all tax increases, at any time, ever. Whoa, this guy sounds like a moderate. Get him! source
Maybe more supporters than Santorum? Andrew Card, the former chief of staff for George W. Bush, said this earlier this week: “I have the perfect candidate — Jeb Bush. But he’s not running.” Even Democrats believe that Bush could be a threat if he uses his sway with middle-class and Latino voters. Could the former Florida governor with an impressively presidential bloodline be the Republican Party’s ace in the hole? Or will he wait until 2016? source
Hispanics understand, either personally or through close family members, what it means to come here as an immigrant. They know how hard it is to function without a full working knowledge of English. They have often felt the sting of prejudice and the threats of gang violence. They tire of the stereotypes built by the media and some politicians. Like all voters, Hispanics respond to candidates who show respect and understanding for their experiences.Jeb Bush • In an Op-Ed for the Washington Post today. The full piece is well worth reading, as it recognizes a fact which has been blindingly obvious to political science types — changing demographics in the American electorate have given Hispanics a much greater influence than ever before, and that trend will almost assuredly continue. This is obviously a big issue for the Republican Party at present — the recent defense of Mitt Romney’s immigration platform by Marco Rubio aside, people generally don’t like being made to feel like their friends, family or possibly themselves are being made targets by political power-players. One way to mend these fences is to speak and listen with earnestly, and build coalitions based on shared ideology. Bush seems to get this. source (via • follow)
BREAKING: CNN reporting that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will endorse Mitt Romney, which is a big deal, because it wasn’t 100 percent clear he would get that endorsement.
But seriously … I am not kidding.
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Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
As surreal moments go, Obama chillin’ with Jeb Bush in Miami on the education tip could have been a pretty cool one. We think he probably wins some points with the moderates for being willing to give a Bush – and not the unpopular one – the time of day. Unfortunately, it was a moment with flaws – the meeting itself was a tad awkward. And a speech he gave afterwards (in which he mentioned the meeting) actually drew boos for the bipartisanship attempt. It was a calculated political move, yeah, but you have to give the man credit for trying. He’s had relatively little luck pushing through the right side of the aisle, and he made an effort yesterday. source
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