George W. Bush reportedly rips Ted Cruz to Jeb Bush donors (No more Mr Nice Guy for Establishment W)

foxnews ^ | 10/20/15

[bestintxas]

Former President George W. Bush reportedly ripped into Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at a weekend gathering of donors to his brother's presidential campaign, according to a published report Monday.

Politico reported that Bush said of Cruz, "I just don't like the guy," at the event, which was held Sunday night in Denver.

According to the report, which cited at least six donors who were at the event, Bush said he did not like Cruz's de facto alliance with Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has notably spared Cruz from the criticism he has ladled onto other members of the 15-candidate Republican field.

"He said he found it 'opportunistic' that Cruz was sucking up to Trump and just expecting all of his support to come to him in the end," one donor told Politico when asked to describe Bush's remarks about Cruz. The report added that the former president had been engaging with amiable discussions about the state of the GOP race when Cruz's name came up.

"I was like, 'Holy s---, did he just say that?'" the donor told Politico. "I remember looking around and seeing that other people were also looking around surprised."

The report also said that Bush warned the donors to not underestimate Cruz's strength in the South and in Texas, where his message of religious liberty is expected to play very well with voters.

[bestintxas]

When Hillary Clinton targets Republicans as Enemies, we do not need a former Republican President backstabbing his own party.

W is scared Cruz may just pull it off as he has more Hispanic credentials than his bro Jeb.

[Gaffer]

I read Ted Cruz’ response to W’s criticism (actually worse than of Trump in what I read). Cruz was classy and in no way retaliatory. He essentially said that he worked on W’s campaign in 2000 and he met his wife Heidi while doing that and that he is grateful to W. Classy guy. Better than W sticking up for a loser like Jeb.

[hoosiermama]

A needs to get real No CRUZ backer is going to change their mind to support his brother. If anything they might support another ahead of his brother to assure his brother couldn’t win delegates.

[bestintxas]

“A needs to get real No CRUZ backer is going to change their mind to support his brother. “

He does not appear to be directing it at Cruz backers, but trying to scare Jeb backers not to switch.

They are scared as hell of Ted, rightfully so. Reminder it is time for me to send Ted check for another $100.

[justa-hairyape]

So GWB showed more admiration for the King of Saudi Arabia than he showed for Ted Cruz. That explains a lot.

[Dagnabitt]

Looks like George Junior's role in the Jeb! campaign is to pass the hat with the donor class, particularly with cheap labor/open-border types.

I cannot wait to hear Jeb say:

"Today I am suspending my campaign for President of the United States of America. Columba and I wish to thank...blah, blah, blah"

[momincombatboots]

True.. Cruz to the Constitution... But would Jeb backers even think about Cruz? It doesn’t matter name, nor party.. Just a return to the constitution. This is our one and only shot, probably for sixteen tears. Every other candidate perpetuates either ruling class dynasty or corporate cronyism... In other words same ole same. Send the jebbies and trumpettes to Hillary.... That’s where they belong. In sixteen years we are back to power or as impotent as ever. We are in a proxy war with Russia for Petes sake.. No time to elect another sound bite commander.
Obama is back pedaling on troop withdrawals in a..Stan.. The silence of the governed is deafening.

[LeoWindhorse]

W screwed up on so many fronts that he set America up for Obama . Couldn’t even nail bin Laden . I think he was far more influenced by his dad’s ‘ kinder-gentler America BS ‘ than many let on . Then there was the ‘religion of peace ‘ crap .....

America needs to be led by warriors .
I am waiting for a good one to appear .
Time is running out .

[nathanbedford]

I suppose the best face that can be put on the three generation long dynasty of the Bush family in politics is that they value loyalty to a fault. The problem is the fault occurs when the loyalty morphs into cronyism.

There is no family that has done more harm to the Reagan Republican Party than the Bush family. From reneging on the read my lips pledge which tore the party apart to the George W. Bush administration with its missteps in attempting to appoint Supreme Court justices, to the Valerie plane/Scooter Libby case, to the failure of the Iran war, a failure of conception and execution, and the glaring failure to restrain spending for eight years.

It is important to know that George W. Bush was the most profligate president in American history until Barack Obama was installed in office whose administration one could argue was made possible by the missteps of George W. Bush. Every president makes missteps but George Bush was more interested in protecting his brothers opportunity to run for president than in protecting the Republican brand. So George Bush was unwilling to defend his administration against Democrat critics and made it impossible for Republicans to hold the house, impossible to hold the Senate, impossible to hold the White House. When two out of three of these branches of government were reacquired by Republicans, the makeover of the Reagan Republican Party had been complete and we were left with the fecklessness of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.

Now George Bush steps into the fray, not to protect the Republican brand, not to advance conservatism, but to advance another member of the family, a family whose loyalty seems to be circumscribed to blood relations. Jeb Bush has absolutely no conservative credentials despite his claiming the contrary. His stance on immigration disqualifies him absolutely from any public office over which conservatives have a vote.

George W. Bush would have done well to have kept his silence rather than speak out only opportunistically to advance the family.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Seems like he believes in “kinder and gentler” only if it provides cover for acting like a liberal. When it means showing respect to a classy guy like Cruz, forget it.

Cruz did not return evil for evil but rather good for evil. Clearly he is the better man.

[Reno89519]

A Bush is a Bush is a Bush. Defend each other they might, we don’t need another Bush. Especially one enamored in Mexico. He should have stayed there when he skipped out in 1971.

[broken_arrow1]

Won’t and wouldn’t criticize Obama, but he will make an exception for a fellow Republican - great GW, that really helps your legacy...dumbass

[wbarmy]

Three stinking posts on this topic so far.

I repeat:

There is no video and no other donors came forward with that story.

Incredible claims require incredible proof.

And George W. Bush doesn’t usually say anything negative about anybody.

[MARKUSPRIME]

LMAO are you a Bushbot

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

I just don’t like the guy either - I like a lot that he claims he stands for publicly, but I don’t see him as genuine, trustworthy, like that self-absorbed politician in the movie “Dead Zone”.

I think that is what W is speaking of.

[NCDragon]

“George W. Bush would have done well to have kept his silence rather than speak out only opportunistically to advance the family.”

Eggszachery! Methinks W is afraid that Cruz is gonna hand Jeb’s A$$ to him shortly in the campaign.

[LS]

No matter what, Ted is the classiest guy in the race. That’s part of the reason I don’t think he can win, or if by some stretch he gets in, that he would be effective. I supported Romney after he got the nomination largely because I thought he would be as ruthless with Zero as he was with the Republicans. I don’t see that cut throat approach with Cruz or Carson.

[Gaffer]

..... I thought he would be as ruthless with Zero as he was with the Republicans

I certainly hope with benefit of hindsight that you don't think so now.

As for Cruz, he is polite and respectful, but he is also determined and steady in what he makes up his mind to do, IMO. He's my first choice.

[xp38]

Maybe it’s just a bad translation!

[libstripper]

And why, perchance, didn’t W do something like this to the traitor Obola in 2000???