Barbara Bush Jeb Bush
Barbara Bush Jeb Bush, Jeb Bush likes to tell crowds that when he was born to Barbara Bush in Midland, Tex., “I didn’t know at the time that I’d won the lottery.”
On Wednesday, his mother returned the compliment with a fundraising e-mail to her son’s supporters, urging them to donate to a new fund helping his likely presidential campaign. It was a change in tone from last year, when she was quoted saying that “we’ve had enough Bushes” in the White House.
“When the idea of Jeb running for President first came up, I was hesitant. You may have heard about that,” Barbara Bush wrote. “When you see the pounding candidates, their spouses, and even their children take, what mother wouldn’t be? But our problems are so profound that America needs a leader who can renew the promise of this great nation.”
The request provides the latest glimpse of how Jeb Bush is likely to grapple with his family name during a presidential campaign — embracing them as beloved and accomplished relatives while also seeking to forge his own identity as the most politically conservative of the Bush family.
Associating himself too closely with the family could risk alienating voters who still harbor bad feelings about the presidencies of his father, George H.W. Bush, or his brother, George W. Bush. But distancing himself could also turn off the expansive network of donors and party elites that has helped his family win three presidential campaigns.
Jeb Bush calls himself “George’s boy and W’s brother” and expresses pride in both as he travels the country. About the same time that his mother’s e-mail landed in inboxes Wednesday, Bush was in a Brazilian steakhouse here in Myrtle Beach reminiscing about his family and reflecting on the health challenges facing his elderly father.
His parents, Bush told a group of supporters, are the best mom and dad that anybody could ever have. “They taught me right and wrong, they taught me the habits of work, they taught me integrity and courage and all the virtues that lead to a successful life.”
A man in the crowd asked Bush to give them a fuller update on the health of his aging parents.
“My dad is 90 years old, going on 91, and he can’t walk, but he’s still got great spirits and has a great mind still,” he told them.
“It’s hard to see him not being able to walk. But he’s still doing fine,” he added. “And my mother is just amazing — she’s 89 going on 90, and she’s the caregiver. If anybody’s had this experience, you get stronger when your loved one is hurting. I see that. My mom has all these aches and pains being 89, but she never would let you know that.”
Bush said his parents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in January. “Apparently, my dad, when he woke up on their anniversary, he said, ‘Bar, it doesn’t feel like a day longer than 69 years that we’ve been married.’ ”
At the same time, Bush has repeatedly signaled his intent to set his own course as a presidential candidate. In a major foreign policy speech last month in Chicago, Bush said he was “fortunate” to have two former presidents in the family.
“I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs,” he said. “But I am my own man.”
From Myrtle Beach, Bush headed to Charleston, S.C., for private meetings before flying to Atlanta, where he will meet on Thursday with Republican state legislators and Gov. Nathan Deal (R) before holding a fundraiser.
In her e-mail, Barbara Bush asked potential donors to give up to $250 to a new “Run Jeb Run Fund” that will benefit a pro-Bush super PAC called Right to Rise.
“I know that’s a lot to ask, but Jeb is our best chance of taking back the White House in 2016, and I hope that you will join me in pushing him to run,” she wrote.
The request comes as Right to Rise continues to sign up veteran GOP operatives. Mason J. Fink, one of Mitt Romney’s top political fundraisers, has signed on with Bush as a senior adviser and is expected to oversee national fundraising for the super PAC, Republicans with knowledge of the move said Wednesday.
On Wednesday, his mother returned the compliment with a fundraising e-mail to her son’s supporters, urging them to donate to a new fund helping his likely presidential campaign. It was a change in tone from last year, when she was quoted saying that “we’ve had enough Bushes” in the White House.
“When the idea of Jeb running for President first came up, I was hesitant. You may have heard about that,” Barbara Bush wrote. “When you see the pounding candidates, their spouses, and even their children take, what mother wouldn’t be? But our problems are so profound that America needs a leader who can renew the promise of this great nation.”
The request provides the latest glimpse of how Jeb Bush is likely to grapple with his family name during a presidential campaign — embracing them as beloved and accomplished relatives while also seeking to forge his own identity as the most politically conservative of the Bush family.
Associating himself too closely with the family could risk alienating voters who still harbor bad feelings about the presidencies of his father, George H.W. Bush, or his brother, George W. Bush. But distancing himself could also turn off the expansive network of donors and party elites that has helped his family win three presidential campaigns.
Jeb Bush calls himself “George’s boy and W’s brother” and expresses pride in both as he travels the country. About the same time that his mother’s e-mail landed in inboxes Wednesday, Bush was in a Brazilian steakhouse here in Myrtle Beach reminiscing about his family and reflecting on the health challenges facing his elderly father.
His parents, Bush told a group of supporters, are the best mom and dad that anybody could ever have. “They taught me right and wrong, they taught me the habits of work, they taught me integrity and courage and all the virtues that lead to a successful life.”
A man in the crowd asked Bush to give them a fuller update on the health of his aging parents.
“My dad is 90 years old, going on 91, and he can’t walk, but he’s still got great spirits and has a great mind still,” he told them.
“It’s hard to see him not being able to walk. But he’s still doing fine,” he added. “And my mother is just amazing — she’s 89 going on 90, and she’s the caregiver. If anybody’s had this experience, you get stronger when your loved one is hurting. I see that. My mom has all these aches and pains being 89, but she never would let you know that.”
Bush said his parents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in January. “Apparently, my dad, when he woke up on their anniversary, he said, ‘Bar, it doesn’t feel like a day longer than 69 years that we’ve been married.’ ”
At the same time, Bush has repeatedly signaled his intent to set his own course as a presidential candidate. In a major foreign policy speech last month in Chicago, Bush said he was “fortunate” to have two former presidents in the family.
“I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs,” he said. “But I am my own man.”
From Myrtle Beach, Bush headed to Charleston, S.C., for private meetings before flying to Atlanta, where he will meet on Thursday with Republican state legislators and Gov. Nathan Deal (R) before holding a fundraiser.
In her e-mail, Barbara Bush asked potential donors to give up to $250 to a new “Run Jeb Run Fund” that will benefit a pro-Bush super PAC called Right to Rise.
“I know that’s a lot to ask, but Jeb is our best chance of taking back the White House in 2016, and I hope that you will join me in pushing him to run,” she wrote.
The request comes as Right to Rise continues to sign up veteran GOP operatives. Mason J. Fink, one of Mitt Romney’s top political fundraisers, has signed on with Bush as a senior adviser and is expected to oversee national fundraising for the super PAC, Republicans with knowledge of the move said Wednesday.