Free Republic

The GOP needs to shed its image as the "old white guy party," Jeb Bush said this week. Speaking at George Washington University, Bush said Republicans need to reach out to a more diverse group of voters. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that in order for a political party to be successful it has to reach out to everyone," Bush said, according to the GW Hatchet. "In politics, you never win when you say 'us and them.' We need a more welcoming message."

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) reached across the aisle to praise President Obama on education reform this morning. President Obama has angered teachers' unions by supporting merit pay, a policy that would pay teachers based on their students' test scores. Obama has also called for a longer school year, while teachers' unions have proposed shorter school weeks to prevent layoffs. "I am very, very encouraged, and excited that the president has taken on a core constituency of his party, which is the teachers union," Bush said on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

So which Republican would do the best against President Obama if the 2012 election were held today? The answer, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Sept. 18-21, is former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who would get 41 percent to Obama's 48 percent with 11 percent undecided. Huckabee has been the strongest candidate against Obama all six times PPP has posed the question.

INDIANAPOLIS | Did Hoosiers get a first look last week at The Ticket? Mitch Daniels. Jeb Bush. 2012? Both Republicans frequently deny seeking higher office, but each man also told The Times the other would be a strong candidate for a presidential run. "If he wants it, sure," Bush said of Daniels' national prospects. "I honestly believe he is the best governor in the country in terms of the courage of his convictions, intelligence, strategic thinking," Bush said. At the same time, Daniels said he's disappointed Bush says he's ruled out a future in government. "I understand his answer, but...

In an interview with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Jeb Bush criticizes the "national party" (meaning the National Republican Senatorial Committee) for throwing its support behind Charlie Crist in the Florida Senate primary: Bush said national party leaders should not be trying to push Crist as aggressively as they have. He said Rubio deserved a fair shot against Crist in a primary. "I think he should be given a chance. I think that the idea that the national party would pick a winner a year and a half before an election is the wrong way to go." This isn't the game-changing formal...

It's looking highly likely that the 2012 Republican presidential nominee will be a retread. With Gov. Mark Sanford at wit's end, and Sen. John Ensign joining Sanford at adultery camp, and Gov. Jon Huntsman going to China, and Gov. Bobby Jindal flopping in his first big national TV appearance, and Gov. Mitch Daniels saying he doesn't want to be president, and Gov. Sarah Palin running such an undisciplined operation up there in Alaska, the prospect for fresh blood is thinning. We got some old party leaders from down South—Gov. Haley Barbour and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich—and a couple of...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he's not running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 — at least for now. The brother of former President George W. Bush told the Indiana Education Roundtable in Indianapolis Wednesday that he's not running for anything "right now," according to Indianapolis radio station WIBC. "I'm focused on my own private life and trying to help others continue their public service," Bush said. "It's a secondary role, not a primary role, and it'll probably remain that way." Of course, traveling around the country to participate in events such as the roundtable is a good...

FRED BARBASH: "The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America’s economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security," concludes a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former White House chief of staff Thomas "Mack" McLarty. "The stakes are too high to fail," says the report. "If the United States continues to mishandle its immigration policy, it will damage one of the vital underpinnings of American prosperity and security, and could condemn the country to a long, slow...

Calls the project a "labor of love." ~~~~ Infamous Hollywood screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, 64, known for such sordid films as Basic Instinct and Showgirls, has undergone a conversion and now will be writing a new film on Our Lady of Guadalupe. Eszterhas has been one of Hollywood's most influential screenwriters, writing lucrative blockbuster films, such as Flashdance, Jagged Edge, and Basic Instinct, and raking in million-dollar paychecks. Known for living the full 'Hollywood lifestyle', Eszterhas gave it up to move home to Ohio with his wife and children in the late 1990s. In 2001, faced with throat cancer resulting from...

Some call it the next conservative revolution, but whatever we dub the antigovernment ire at tea parties and town halls, there so far appears to be no elected official leading the charge. "It's a faceless movement," says a former Bush adviser, who credited media bigs like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for whipping up the frenzy. So who's best positioned to lead the protesters into the next presidential election? Whispers asked a dozen GOP and conservative leaders to come up with a top 10 list. First, Rep. Ron Paul, popular among the town hallers. Then, Sarah Palin, whose 2008 crowds...

Fresh from huffily telling an African student questioner that she, Hillary R. Clinton, was U.S. Secretary of State, not her husband, Clinton continues to set an example of how not to make friends and influence people in foreign lands, following the lead of her boss, President Barack Obama (D). Clemente Lisi of the NY Post reports on her most recent arrogant, defamation of the country she represents while uttering a slanderous lie. Clinton caused another firestorm during her trouble-plagued Africa tour last night by drawing comparisons between political corruption in Nigeria and President Bush's contested election win nine years ago...

Sometimes good advice comes from the most unlikely of places. In this case, it comes from a Bush. In an interview with Tucker Carlson for Esquire magazine, Gov. Jeb Bush stated the most obvious fact of American electoral politics today: if the GOP is to rise again, it has to stop hating on Hispanics– or at least it has to stop appearing to be hating on Hispanics! He’s talking about you, Tom Tancredo, non-office-holding cable-news ranter. [T]he demographics are going against us. Alex [Castellanos, Republican media consultant] told me today, for example, that there is not a district in California...

The uber-establishment Council on Foreign Relations said Wednesday it favors granting legal status to many of the roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., creating a guest worker program for low-skilled foreign workers to come and work in the U.S and opposes local police getting to conduct immigration raids. The CFR issued an immigration policy report Wednesday that looks to lift caps on foreign university students in the U.S. and allow skilled foreign graduates to get more work visas. The international policy group also wants to create legal paths to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already...

(CNN) – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told an interviewer that he could not say whether or not President Barack Obama is a socialist, and that the president would not have been elected if he had been honest with Americans about his agenda. Bush would not answer the question of whether he agreed with the assessment of some congressional Republicans that the president is a socialist. "I don't know. Define socialism for me," he told Esquire magazine. "It's a word… I believe he's a collectivist. He believes that through collective action, through government, you can solve more problems." He added...

Jeb Bush interview, Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida. The scene: Lunchtime at Jeb Bush's modest office just outside Miami. Just Tucker and Jeb, no one else in sight. Sandwiches. Jeb, only fifty-six, the smarter Bush boy, a good governor, with a great many people expecting that he's not yet finished, but after passing on the chance to run for Mel Martinez's Senate seat earlier this year, there's not an obvious path back to power for him. And his party is a shambles. Obama strides the globe like a colossus, Specter is days away from jumping, and Congressman Eric Cantor's sad...

Tucker Carlson pronounces Jeb Bush "the Future of the Republican Party," which is rather like saying that hamburgers are the future of cows. I've been warning about The Jeb Menace since before the last election. Nov. 1, 2008: Palin is being sabotaged by Republicans who are trying to scramble aboard the Jeb Bush 2012 bandwagon.

A bipartisan task force will recommend today that the United States overhaul its immigration system in response to national security concerns, saying that the country should end strict quotas on work-based immigrant visas to maintain its scientific, technological and military edge. "The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America's economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security," concluded an independent Council on Foreign Relations panel, co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) and former Clinton White House chief of staff Thomas V. "Mack" McLarty III. The report...

Jeb Bush will be back in DC this week to present a Council on Foreign Relations-sponsored report on immigration policy that calls for a path to legalization for illegal immigrants -- a position shared by his brother, former president George W. Bush. The task force -- co-chaired by Bush and Mack McLarty, former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff -- argues that "the failure to reform immigration laws and procedures threatens to harm America's economy, jeopardize its diplomacy, and weaken its national security." The report urges Congress and the Obama administration to undertake a new effort with three central components:...

Over the weekend, President Obama named Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a telegenic Republican moderate, as his pick for ambassador to China, removing one possible 2012 challenger from the fray. Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, a straight-shooting right-winger I find it impossible to dislike, is loved by conservative activists, but not always by his fellow South Carolinians. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has, for a variety of reasons, not all of them entirely fair, become a national punchline. My guess is that Republican primary voters won’t bite, just as Iowa Democrats turned against Howard Dean at the last possible moment....

Contrary to popular reports by Democrats and members of the chattering class, the Republican Party is not dead — not yet. In the aftermath of the 2008 elections, however, the GOP is hemorrhaging badly. It is dazed and confused. It is moribund, but it is not dead yet. Whether the Party of Lincoln will recover remains to be seen. Its prognosis is, at best, guarded. Having had their heads handed to them in the last election, and finding it difficult to take on a popular president, Republicans are casting about trying to find a new direction. But news of their...

Cheney interview with Neil Cavuto talks about being a big fan of Jeb Bush, I personally think that if Mitt Romeny is the nominee in 2012, Jeb Bush will probably be Vice President, Romney and Jeb have shown signs that they would work good together besides being big fans of each other..

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said on Tuesday he would back former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush if he decided to run for president. “I like Jeb. I think he's a good man. I'd like to see him continue to stay involved politically,” Cheney said during an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto. “I'd probably support him for president.” Cheney insisted that he’s “not in the business of endorsing anybody at this point,” but said that he’s “a big fan of Jeb's.”

Is Charlie Crist the new Arlen Specter? No, there’s no indication the Florida governor is looking at a party switch. But much like with Specter, conservative Republicans in Florida are speaking out against Crist and hoping his apostasy on the federal stimulus will open the door for a conservative to take him down. The parallels are striking, both because Crist and Specter were among so few major Republicans to support the stimulus and because both are set to wage big-time Senate campaigns in which they face primary challengers. There isn’t yet a chorus of anti-Crist voices in the Florida Republican...

According to the headline of an online article in the Washington Times, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush believes that it's "time to leave Reagan behind." If true, this illustrates one of the reasons so many Americans have concluded that it's long past time to leave the Republican Party behind.

(snip) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Well, first of all, Neil, they should not be eligible for any benefits. That would be crazy. But the major point here is that President Obama, with great fanfare, announced the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the prison at Gitmo, as we know it, and then, nothing. In other words, they did what, you know, that everybody would like to see done at least around the world, et cetera, but then no addressing of the fundamental issues associated with it. What do you do with the detainees? What sort of system of trials do you...

As you may know, Jeb Bush made some comments recently that suggested that Republicans needed to stop being nostalgic about the past (ie, Ronald Reagan) and move forward. This teed off many conservatives, who believe that our party's failures are the direct result of ignoring everything that Reagan stood for. I couldn't agree more. Yet, Bush has had his defenders the past couple days, who say that he meant no such thing. Mike Devine is having none of this talk, and rips that idea to pieces. You can (and should) read it here. Jeb says of the 2008 campaign: "I...

Conservative radio entertainer Rush Limbaugh has surveyed the Republican party's field of prospective candidates to retake the White House in 2012, and has, apparently, decided on a favorite with a familiar-sounding name: Sarah Palin.On his show, yesterday, Limbaugh tipped his hat to the Alaska governor, and probably left his former golden boy, Bobby Jindal, feeling a bit left out: Limbaugh defended Palin and heralded her as the "most prominent and articulate voice" for conservatism. Indeed, who can argue that Palin is prominent within GOP circles? But articulate? Did Rush miss Palin's recent performance before an Indiana pro-life group? But Rush...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election. "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that," Mr. Bush said. The former president's brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama's message of hope and change during the 2008...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election. "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that," Mr. Bush said. The former president's brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama's message of hope and change during the 2008...

Discussing the Republican listening tour conducted by Former Governors Jeb Bush (FL) and Mitt Romney (MA), radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said they are "embarrassed" by Sarah Palin. Limbaugh said the underlying issue of these speaking engagements is that Bush and Romney "hate" and "despise" the Alaska Governor and former running-mate of John McCain. Limbaugh added they have "presidential perspirations" and called their tour an "early campaign event." Rush concluded this "need to praise" President Obama leaves him "wanting."

WOW ! ... A 13-year-old, Jonathan Krohn, has put Jeb Bush, and all of the other Rhinos in their place ... wrong side of history. Conservative Political Action Conference speaker, Jonathan, is extremely disappointed in Jeb Bush, and others that ignore the wisdom of the past. He said that the Republican Party should NOT listen to those saying that "Reagan era is dead, and gone ... and for Conservatives must go with new ideas, and forget the past". Jonathan said that we should learn from the past and take advantage of what we learned is GOOD, as in Reagain's Conservative...

It’s supposed to be a listening tour to accompany their launch of the National Council for a New America. So, where do they launch it? With the party at its lowest standing in several decades, Republicans on Saturday launched a listening tour in the heart of the Democratic suburbs, where several of the party’s leading voices steered clear of hot-button issues and instead emphasized the need to advance new policy ideas to revive the party’s prospects. There’s a great idea. Let’s listen to Democrats. That should get the Conservative base involved! House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and former Republican governors...

Jeb Bush, GOP: Time to leave Reagan behind Party leaders go on 'listening tour' with eyes on future By Joseph Curl (Contact) | Sunday, May 3, 2009 Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election. "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that," Mr. Bush said. The former president's brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama's message of hope and change during the 2008...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election. "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that," Mr. Bush said. The former president's brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama's message of hope and change during the 2008...

Republican political figures in recent days announced policy programs to challenge President Barack Obama's agenda and to counter perceptions that the GOP is a listless, leaderless "party of no." In doing so, they're highlighting their differences with the Republican National Committee's political strategy. House and Senate Republican lawmakers were the latest to launch a group independent of the RNC, announcing the formation of the National Council for a New America. The group comprises potential GOP presidential candidates who plan town hall-style meetings to promote ideas different from Obama's. Their aides and allies have been vexed by the lack of comprehensive...

Former governors Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush joined Congressman Eric Cantor to talk health care, the economy and national security at the first town hall meeting for the National Council for a New America on Saturday. But the group steered clear of abortion and same-sex marriage -- wedge issues that have led to the defection of moderates and independents. "Listening to people can make a difference. We've got ideas on how we can help people get health insurance, how we can improve our schools, how we can make our economy strong today as well as down the road, how we...

WASHINGTON (AP) — With its party struggling to define itself, a group of prominent Republicans launched a listening tour Saturday in a bid to boost the GOP's sagging image and regroup for future elections. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., held a town-hall style meeting at a pizza restaurant in the Democratic suburb of Arlington, Va., to hear about people's concerns on issues from the economy and health care to the rising costs of college tuition. "You can't beat something with nothing, and the other side has something," Bush...

(snip) On the subject of education, one attendee declared that “people learn more from listening to Rush Limbaugh than they do in high school or college.” And while the leaders said they're willing to embrace the thoughts of the concerned voters, a group of conservative activists who were protesting in the parking lot complained that they were not allowed through the doors. “We’re demonstrating against the fact that this organization set up by RINOs [Republicans in Name Only] have taken immigration off the agenda,” said Michael McLaughlin, a member of the American Council for Immigration Reform, a group seeking to...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said it's time for Republicans "to listen a little bit, learn a little bit." He advised Republicans to work on the party's message and "not be so nostalgic." "I would say you can't beat something with nothing. The other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it," said Bush, who praised President Obama's tactical approach to politics and commended his 2008 campaign as "forward-looking." Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney compared the GOP to Americans fighting the British during the Revolutionary War. "We are the party of the revolutionaries, they [Democrats] are the...

Conservatives should establish a "loyal opposition" to provide the American people with thoughtful policy alternatives to the liberal proposals offered by the majority party, which controls the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. A good start would be the creation of a modern day Grace Commission, which President Ronald Reagan launched in 1982 to investigate waste and inefficiency in the federal government. The commission offered provocative and thoughtful recommendations to make government more effective and less expensive. Conservatives today can do the same. As "loyal" opponents, conservatives would avoid the "politics of personal destruction," which successfully demonized individuals...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will not run for the open Senate seat of Sen. Mel Martinez, he announced in a statement released moments ago. "After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010," said Bush. "While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office." Bush's decision robs Republicans of a top-tier recruit who would have immediately been favored to hold Martinez's seat. Without Bush in the race, Republicans are almost certain to play...

Jeb Bush leaning against Senate run Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is leaning against running for the Senate in Florida, according to a new report from the St. Petersburg Times: Republican excitement over the prospect of Jeb Bush running for U.S. Senate has given way to increasing speculation that the former governor will stay out of the race. Bush declined to comment for this article but was expected to make an announcement perhaps as early as this week. Even with his father on national TV Sunday touting Bush as a terrific potential future senator or president, friends say family considerations...

Here is video of former President George H.W. Bush on Fox News Sunday yesterday, January 4, 2009, where Chris Wallace asked him about his son, Jeb Bush's political future. Former President Bush said he wanted Jeb to do what he feels is best, but he would love to see Jeb become President or a senator some day. . . . (see video)

Former President George H.W. Bush said on Sunday he'd like to see his second son, Jeb, become president of the United States some day. Interviewed on "Fox News Sunday," Bush said his second son, a former governor of Florida, had all the qualifications to serve in the White House. Jeb Bush, 55, has said he was considering running for a U.S. Senate seat representing Florida in 2010. The current incumbent, Republican Mel Martinez, has announced he is stepping down. "I'd like to see him run. I'd like to see him be president one day, or senator, whatever, yes I would,"...

WASHINGTON -- Former President George H.W. Bush said on Sunday he'd like to see his second son, Jeb, become President of the United States some day. Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Bush said his second son, a former Governor of Florida, had all the qualifications to serve in the White House. Jeb Bush, 55, has said he was considering running for a U.S. Senate seat representing Florida in 2010. The current incumbent, Republican Mel Martinez, has announced he is stepping down. "I'd like to see him run. I'd like to see him be president one day, or senator, whatever, yes...

Jeb Bush poised for Florida Senate run By: Amie Parnes December 26, 2008 09:21 AM EST As Caroline Kennedy pursues her bright-lights, big-city bid for the U.S. Senate, another child of dynasty is quietly testing the waters for his own Senate run. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – the son of one president and the brother of another – has been working the phones since Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) announced earlier this month that he won’t seek reelection in 2010. Sources say Bush hasn’t made up his mind yet about running for Martinez’ seat yet, but that he’s getting green...

Martinez won the seat in 2004 in a 50-48 squeaker, and before he announced his retirement the Democrats were openly salivating about beating him in 2010 and flipping the seat. * Florida (R): This Sunshine State seat -- currently held by Sen. Mel Martinez (R) -- is at the top of nearly every Democratic strategist's list of potential pickups. Why? Obama's win in the state has bolstered Democrats' confidence and the $14,000 Martinez raised between July and September has Republicans worried. Rep. Ron Klein (D) is giving every indication that he will run; as of Oct. 15 he had $1.8...

Senate sources confirm for me that Mel Martinez was the famous “Senator Anonymous” from three weeks ago. Martinez, not wanting him name used, told the Politico “I don’t think we have learned much from the election in terms of what people want to see.” This senator said the Republicans needed someone who could “speak from the center” and wanted it known that “Sarah Palin is not the voice of [the Republican] party.”

Jeb Bush considering run for US Senate.