Jeb Bush says there is one thing he won’t do during his campaign to win the 2016 Republican presidential nomination: throw his brother “under the bus.”
The former Florida governor told ABC News on Wednesday that although reporters will set him up to criticize former President George W. Bush, he won’t take the bait.
“When you love someone as your brother or your dad, it’s not easy for me to say, just kinda throw them under the bus to make myself look better. I just can’t do it,” Mr. Bush said, ABC reported.
Mr. Bush had difficulty in May answering questions about his brother’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
“Knowing what we know now, I would have not engaged, I would have not gone into Iraq,” he said in Tempe, Arizona, on May 14.
Days earlier, Mr. Bush said, “I would have [authorized the invasion of Iraq] and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody,” Reuters reported on May 11.
Mr. Bush told ABC that his challenge will be to make the race about him instead of his famous brother.
“I have a record of accomplishment and the leadership skills to move this country forward. If I’m successful in sharing that experience and the vision for the future, I’ll win. If it’s all about this, you know, I’m going to have a hard time,” he said, ABC reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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