Jeb Bush campaign’s rainbow of colors goes on display
Jeb Bush‘s campaign colors were on display — literally — at an international art show in his hometown. A painting of Bush’s campaign slogan and the Twitter hashtag — “#All In For Jeb” — was unveiled Saturday before friends and supporters at the Miami studio of artist Romero Britto. Britto and Jeb’s wife, Columba, collaborated on the artwork. It features a bright, glittering red sun set against a background of colorful stars with the phrase #AllInForJeb dominating the painting. The event theme was “Pop Art, Politics & Jeb.” The Bush couple and Britto, who was born in Brazil and moved to Miami in 1988, are longtime friends. Bush spoke briefly before posing for selfies with supporters who crowded around the former Florida governor. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton seek to grab leadership mantle after Paris
In a presidential campaign that has suddenly shifted in focus to terrorism and security, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Jeb Bush both see opportunities to cast themselves as best prepared to be commander in chief in tumultuous times. In back-to-back foreign policy speeches this week, Clinton and Bush outlined blueprints for defeating the Islamic State, the extremist group blamed for last week’s attacks in Paris that killed 129 and left hundreds more wounded. While some of the details differed, most notably on the role of U.S. ground forces, the plans of both candidates are grounded in a belief the next president must be more aggressive than the current one in order to defeat the Islamic State group. “It is time for American leadership again,” Bush said Wednesday in remarks from The Citadel. Clinton echoed that sentiment one day later, declaring: “This is a time for American leadership.” Bush and Clinton’s dueling speeches were a reminder of a time when the 2016 general election seemed destined to be a contest between members of two prominent American political families seeking a return to the White House. Clinton’s campaign has so far proceeded largely according to plan. After spending the summer struggling with questions about her use of a private email account and server while secretary of state, she has steadied her campaign and appears to be in strong position to fend off a challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent seeking the Democratic nomination. Bush’s bid for the Republican nomination, however, has so far been a stunning disappointment to many of his supporters. While the former Florida governor raised eye-popping sums of money for his super PAC, he’s struggled to connect with voters and gain traction in a crowded GOP field dominated to date by political novices Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Bush backers have long predicted — and more recently, nervously hoped — that as voting draws closer, Republican voters would begin evaluating candidates less on their visceral appeal and more on competency and policy expertise. Bush’s speech at The Citadel had been planned for weeks, but the Paris attacks gave him an opportunity to remind voters that the next president will quickly confront vexing problems. “If these attacks remind us of anything, it is that we are living in serious times that require serious leadership and that the free world needs to act,” Bush said. He advocated bolstering the U.S. military’s presence on the ground in Syria and Iraq, but didn’t say how many troops he envisioned sending into the chaotic region, nor did he outline what functions they would carry out. Bush’s remarks were generally well-received by Republicans, though there was little sense that they marked a turning point for his struggling candidacy. “What he said was fine,” said former Sen. Jim Talent, a Republican from Missouri who has advised GOP presidential candidates on foreign policy. “I don’t know that it breaks him out of the pack through.” Clinton’s remarks Thursday served as a reminder of her fluency on international issues, cultivated in part during her four years as President Barack Obama‘s secretary of state. Her biggest risk comes from being associated with Obama’s foreign policy, given that polls show the public is increasingly pessimistic about the president’s handling of world affairs. While Clinton has been careful to avoid criticizing Obama’s approach to the Middle East, she emphasized in her remarks the ways she would tackle the situation differently, including setting up a no-fly zone over Syria. Bush, too, supports a no-fly zone, as well as the creation of “safe zones” to offer protection to Syrians. Bush and Clinton were also in agreement in their calls for arming the Kurds, one of the most effective fighting forces in the region, and bolstering the involvement of Arab partners. “They’re both part of a broader political consensus that seems to have developed over the course of the campaign that the U.S. needs to do more,” said Nick Heras, a Middle East researcher at the Center for New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. The candidates’ starkest difference came on the issue of sending American ground troops into Iraq and Syria to directly fight the extremists. While Bush said that step was imperative, Clinton said she would resist deploying ground forces even if the U.S. were directly attacked. Asked whether it would really be possible to resist calls for such action in the wake of a terror attack on U.S. soil, Clinton conceded there would be enormous pressure. But, she added, “I think it would be a mistake.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
New Right to Rise ad focuses on Jeb Bush vow to “disrupt the beast”
A new TV spot from the super PAC supporting Jeb Bush hits the New Hampshire airwaves this week promoting the Republican presidential candidate’s history of disrupting politics as usual. First reported in CBS News, “Town Hall” is a 30-second spot produced by Right to Rise USA, which will start running in the first-in-the-nation primary state. The ad features a strong anti-establishment message. “We need to disrupt the old order in Washington, D.C.,” says Bush in the spot, over a photo of President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Next is a variety of clips showing Bush campaign events to spotlight the former governor’s conservative record along with reviews of his recently announced tax plan. “We can do a lot better by applying conservative principles,” Bush, says. “What we need is leadership to fix a few big things so that this country takes off and soars.” Bush, who struggles in recent polling against other GOP political outsiders — Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina – has been campaigning in Iowa this week, emphasizing his record as a “disrupter” to voters who seemingly favor rivals from outside the Washington beltway. “I’ve never lived in Washington, never been part of Washington,” he said at an Iowa event on Wednesday. “I just have the skill set to disrupt the beast.” Right to Rise bought airtime in New Hampshire, and another version of the ad will run in Iowa, campaign spokesperson Paul Lindsay told CBS News. The PAC’s media blitz includes $37 million spent on ads in early state races, scheduled to run through February. “Town Hall” is part of that new buy.
Lieutenant Gov. Kay Ivey endorses Jeb Bush for president
Alabama Lieutenant Gov. Kay Ivey is endorsing Jeb Bush for president. Ivey made the announcement Monday when filing papers with the Alabama Republican Party to qualify Bush, the former Florida governor, to run in Alabama’s Presidential Preference Primary. “Jeb Bush was a strong Governor who provided conservative leadership in Florida. He has a positive vision for the future of America and is a leader who will restore us to greatness by increasing economic growth through his plans to reduce regulations and reform the tax code,” Ivey said. “He is the only candidate capable of providing leadership on an international level to handle the many crises the current administration has fumbled. I’m proud to run as a delegate for Jeb Bush and submit his qualifying papers.” Ivey adds her name to the list of Alabama Bush supporters, which includes former Gov. Bob Riley, Congressman Mike Rogers, Mary Scott Hunter, who serves as a representative for the Board of Education District 8, and state Sen. J.T. Waggoner. Alabama has become a more important player in the presidential nominating process, thanks in large part to what has been tagged the “SEC Primary.” Alabama joins Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia for the Southern Super Tuesday on March 1.
GOP debate fact check: Jeb Bush did not bend in opposition to casino gambling
Viewers of the second Republican presidential debate heard inflated claims about Planned Parenthood abortion practices and the risks of vaccines, as well as a dubious assertion by Donald Trump that he wasn’t interested in establishing casinos in Florida back in Jeb Bush‘s days as a candidate for governor. Some of the claims in the debate Wednesday night and how they compare with the facts: TRUMP: “I’m in favor of vaccines, do them over a longer period of time, same amount, but just in little sections and I think you’re going to see a big impact on autism.” THE FACTS: Medical researchers have debunked claims that vaccines given to children can lead to autism and developmental disorders. The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, says vaccines are not free from adverse effects, “but most are very rare or very mild.” A study that drew a connection between autism and vaccines was retracted in 2010. For all of that, Trump asserted that a child of one of his employees “went to have the vaccine and came back and a week later got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic.” With those remarks, Trump waded into subject matter that had scalded a few others on the stage. In February, Paul said he’d heard of “many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.” But he quickly backed down under criticism from pediatric experts and others, and endorsed vaccines. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, too, clarified that he supported the measles vaccine after appearing to question it. — BUSH: “The one guy that had some special interests that I know of that tried to get me to change my views on something – that was generous and gave me money – was Donald Trump. He wanted casino gambling in Florida.” TRUMP: “I didn’t. … Totally false….” BUSH: “I’m not going to be bought by anybody.” TRUMP: “I promise if I wanted it, I would have gotten it.” THE FACTS: Trump’s hopes of expanding casino operations in Florida in the mid-1990s were well known at the time. Trump employed a prominent lobbyist to represent his gambling interests in Florida. And news reports from that time show he hosted a fundraiser to help Bush’s campaign for governor and donated $50,000 to the Florida Republican Party during that campaign. Bush did not bend in his opposition to casino gambling. It is not clear whether Trump approached Bush directly on the casino matter, but his interest in the enterprise is a matter of record. — TEXAS SEN. TED CRUZ: “On these videos, Planned Parenthood also essentially confesses to multiple felonies. It is a felony with 10 years’ jail term to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That’s what these videos show Planned Parenthood doing.” THE FACTS: The Center for Medical Progress released five videos showing furtively recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood officials, recorded by people posing as representatives of a fictitious private company that buys fetal tissue for researchers. In the videos, Planned Parenthood officials discuss how they obtain tissue from aborted fetuses for research, how they decide how much to charge and how it’s possible to alter the procedure to enhance the chances of recovering the organs being sought. But the officials also repeatedly say they are only allowed by law to recover costs, not to make a profit. The videos don’t unambiguously show otherwise. — CHRIS CHRISTIE: “In New Jersey, we have medical marijuana laws, which I’ve supported and implemented.” THE FACTS: Christie has gone slow in implementing New Jersey’s medical marijuana law, which was signed before he took office, and has argued it is little more than “a front for legalization.” Medical marijuana in New Jersey is tightly restricted and state lawmakers said Christie’s administration has placed “arbitrary and unnecessary” restrictions on the program. Patients and doctors, for instance, must register with the state and pay a $200 fee apiece. Only patients suffering from one of six conditions, including terminal cancer, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy, may apply. — TRUMP: “In Wisconsin, you’re losing $2.2 billion right now. … I would do so much better than that.” WISCONSIN GOV. SCOTT WALKER: “Mr. Trump, you’re using the talking points of the Democrats. … We balanced a budget.” THE FACTS: Trump’s figures are way out of date. Wisconsin, like many states, is required by law to balance its budgets. Last year, the Legislature’s budget-watchers projected that a $1 billion surplus would accrue by June of this year. Walker and his GOP-run legislature later passed a series of tax cuts. But state revenues slowed and by November the projected surplus had turned into a $2.2 billion projected shortfall. After making a series of budget cuts to compensate, Walker in July signed a budget that was balanced, as the law requires. — TRUMP: “I want to build a wall, a wall that works. So important, and it’s a big part of it.” BEN CARSON: “I was down in Arizona a few weeks ago at the border. I mean, the fences that were there were not manned, and those are the kind of fences when I was a kid that would barely slow us down. So, I don’t see any purpose in having that.” THE FACTS: The expectation that a fence all along the border with Mexico could stop illegal crossings is not borne out by the fencing that’s already been built – about 700 miles of it. But neither is that fence as porous as Carson suggests. The reality is somewhere in between. Maintaining the existing multibillion-dollar fencing has been a time-consuming task for Border Patrol agents, who routinely patrol the fence line looking for holes or other damage. It was never designed, or expected, to block all illicit traffic from coming across the border, but instead to act as a deterrent and slow those who try crossing on foot. Even so, a fence section that appears unmanned is not
Fresh from Iowa State Fair, Jeb Bush announces busy multi-state fundraising tour
Now that the traditional Iowa State Fair food fest and political cattle call has concluded, Republican candidate Jeb Bush released his late-summer fundraising schedule. The former governor will be launching a busy multi-state tour through September 15. According to the National Finance Calendar obtained by Florida Politics, Bush and family members – including his brother, former President George W. Bush — will appear at a variety of meet-and-greet receptions starting Tuesday. The tour will include stops in Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, the West Coast, both North and South Carolina, as well as several cities in New York State. August 18 – Evening Reception – Atlanta, Georgia. August 20 – Evening Reception – Nantucket, Massachusetts. August 21 — Luncheon with Mrs. Columba Bush — Charleston, South Carolina. August 22 — Evening Reception of Mission Next – Young Professionals with Jeb Bush, Jr. and Woody Johnson, Jeb 2016 National Finance Chairman — East Hampton, New York. August 24 – Luncheon Reception — McAllen, Texas; Evening Reception — Denver, Colorado. August 25 — Luncheon Reception — Salt Lake City, Utah; Evening Reception of Mission Next – Young Professionals with Jeb Bush, Jr. — Jacksonville, Florida. August 26 — Breakfast Reception — Birmingham, Alabama. August 27 — Breakfast Reception — Greensboro, North Carolina; Evening Reception — Richmond, Virginia. August 28 – Luncheon Reception — Virginia Beach, Virginia; Evening Reception — Southampton, New York. August 29 — Breakfast Reception — Sagaponack, New York; Luncheon Reception — Quogue, New York; Afternoon Reception — Wilmington, North Carolina. August 31 — Evening Reception — Miami, Florida. September 9 — Evening Reception — Boston, Massachusetts. September 10 — Luncheon Reception with President George W. Bush — New York, New York. September 14 — Evening Reception — Seattle, Washington. September 15 — Luncheon with Mrs. Columba Bush and Jeb Bush, Jr. — Los Angeles, California; Evening Reception — Portland, Oregon. Additional details on times and locations of any of the fundraising events is available by emailing finance@jeb2016.com. Bush also unveiled a proposed plan to support American veterans once he is elected president, a Veteran Affairs reform effort that includes expanding options for health care outside Veterans Administration without cutting funding for VA hospitals and medical staff. Bush’s proposal would “keep America’s promise to our veterans,” which he believes is the top priority for the next President of the United States. The full plan is online here. Also on Monday, Bush visited Columbia, South Carolina to meet with veterans and attend a town hall presented by the Concerned Veterans for America. Prior to the event, Bush announced the endorsement of 12 individual Medal of Honor recipients, which Fox News called “15 percent of all living recipients of the nation’s highest military honor.”
