Free Republic

Monday marks the first in a series of speeches by Jeb Bush “that will outline what his priorities will be as president, beginning with taking on Mount Washington and reforming the way D.C. works” — this according to his campaign. The inaugural speech itself is titled “Taking on Mount Washington,” in fact. While it is an interesting metaphor, the tone and tenor of it also could mark a change in demeanor for Mr. Bush which could help him fend off critics who frame his campaign as inconsequential or tepid.

Jeb Bush felt the welcoming embrace of Miami on Monday as he tried to put behind him a difficult week of campaigning without yet being a presidential candidate. His political action committee, Right to Rise, held a political fund-raiser in the overwhelmingly Hispanic, working-class suburb of Sweetwater, where the former Florida Republican governor was greeted as a old friend in need of a little TLC. "Aquí está la vieja guardia -- no tan vieja," Bush joked in Spanish after being introduced by former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

Jeb Bush said Saturday that he plans to release approximately 250,000 emails from his years as Florida's governor, as well as an electronic book. An aide to the governor told Fox News that the emails would be released ahead of the e-book, which is due out early next year. In an interview with Miami's WPLG-TV, Bush said he was releasing the emails for the sake of "transparency" and to "let people make up their mind." He served two terms as the state's governor between 1999 and 2007. The move will likely increase speculation about whether Bush, whose father and brother...

Allies of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush say his chances of running for president in 2016 are becoming a more likely possibility now than ever before. According to Politico, Bush is laying the groundwork for a bid with private prep work on key international issues and visits to top Senate races across the country to campaign.

The smart take on social media last night was that Romney’s new op-ed on national defense is a signal that he’s quietly thinking of running too. So maybe we’ll finally get that Mitt versus Jeb match-up that conservatives have been dreaming about lo these many years. In fact, I tend to think the only rational explanation for the Jeb buzz is that it’s some sort of sly “Romney 2016″ psy op. There’s just no way, no way, that the Republican Party’s going to take another bite at the Bush apple. The donor class may despise the base and would doubtless...

Both of former President George W. Bush's daughters aren't following the family's Republican Party heritage. Jenna Bush Hager ... is registered to New York's Independence Party ... Barbara Pierce Bush, is registered to vote in Texas and is not affiliated with any political party...

In his lone commencement address of the year, former Florida governor Jeb Bush urged students at a Christian liberal arts college Saturday to reaffirm their socially conservative values, a sign that he is underscoring his own as he considers running in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. “Remain true to your convictions and your faith,” Bush said, speaking at Grove City College in northwestern Pennsylvania. “This may seem a little challenging today, where we have a federal government that is willingly violating the religious freedom of its citizens. But we don’t have to accept it.” Dropping a possible hint about his...

Oh, good grief! Karl Rove believes Jeb Bush is “the biggest thinker” in the Republican party today. Rove was asked today if Jeb Bush was going to run for president. “If I were betting I’d say yes. But, here’s the thing. He’s a very deliberate thoughtful guy. He’s the biggest thinker on our side. I’m glad he’s thinking about doing it.” Via FOX News Sunday: (VIDEO-AT-LINK) Here are a few examples of Jeb Bush’s big thinking ideas: ** Illegal immigrants come to US in an “act of love” ** Illegal immigrants are “risk takers” ** Ted Cruz needs to have...

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush discussing immigration reform on Fox News this Sunday: "I'm going to say this and it will be on tape, and so be it. The way I look at this is someone who comes to our country because they couldn't come legally, they come to our country because their family's dad who loves their children was worried that their children didn't have food on the table, and they wanted to make sure their family was intact. And they crossed the border because they had no other means to work to be able to provide for their...

Fox is on the Bush push this weekend! Read MY LIPS! I will note vote for anyone with the last name Bush for President. PERIOD! Jeb Bush don't waste our time! You will not win.

The chore of determining who is the inevitable candidate for Republicans – at least in the minds of beltway insiders and the media – is clearly becoming more difficult. But the Washington Post takes a swing at the problem this weekend as they delve into the number of big donors who are now courting Jeb Bush to get off the bench and toss his hat in the ring. Many of the Republican Party’s most powerful insiders and financiers have begun a behind-the-scenes campaign to draft former Florida governor Jeb Bush into the 2016 presidential race, courting him and his intimates...

A group of top Republican donors have reportedly begun an intense effort to draft former Florida governor Jeb Bush into the race for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016. A Washington Post report quotes one major donor as saying that the "vast majority" of the top 100 givers to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney would back Bush in a nomination fight.  The report also claims that a hard press has begun to get Bush into the race because conservative leaders and longtime Republican operatives are concerned about the electoral viability of New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand...

In a speech Friday, Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush praised illegal immigrants as "risk takers" who embody the entrepreneurial spirit of America and doubled down on his defense of Common Core. According to the Miami-Herald, Bush made his remarks in front of business leaders in Florida. “People who come here legally and illegally are the risk takers,” Bush reportedly said. “If you’re living in a rural area of Guatemala and you come, you’re a bigger risk taker than those who stay,” he added. Of course, the first action of those who come to the country illegally is breaking the law....

Jeb Bush is casting a shadow over the entire field of potential Republican presidential candidates, as the former Florida governor continues to ponder a run in 2016 and keep his political options open. On one hand, the Bush name, a network of donors and his relatively conservative record as governor make Mr. Bush a force to be reckoned with. But the Bush name also could work against him. Even his mother waffled on whether the country is ready for another member of her family to run for the White House.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — George P. Bush took the first step toward continuing his family's political dynasty Tuesday, shaking off an under-funded primary challenger and securing the Republican nomination for the little-known but powerful post of Texas land commissioner. The 37-year-old Fort Worth attorney is the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, nephew of former President and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, and son of ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is frequently mentioned as a possible GOP White House hopeful in 2016. He's also a Spanish speaker whose mother Columba was born in Mexico and who Republican leaders...

In his campaign for Texas Land Commissioner, George P. Bush (son of Jeb, nephew of George W., and grandson of George H.W.) claims that he is a businessman, touting the fact that he is a founder of St. Augustine Partners in Fort Worth. But what, exactly, is St. Augustine Partners? According to the certificate of formation filed with the Texas Secretary of State, St. Augustine Partners is a limited liability company that was formed in 2007. As of a May 13, 2013 change-of-address report filed with the secretary of state, its business address is East 4th Street, Suite 201, Fort...

Democracy is starting to get me down. Oh, I know what you're thinking: I write regularly about American politics, and democracy is only just starting to get me down? Okay, good point. Maybe I should say that democracy is starting to get me down even more than it usually does. And why is that? Because it's beginning to dawn on me that Jeb Bush is probably going to be the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2016. Consider: With the ongoing implosion of Chris Christie's political career, the GOP establishment has lost its best hope for a candidate who could...

The traffic scandal that has engulfed Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may strengthen the prospects of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has always been the default candidate for the GOP establishment and Wall Street.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother and son of the former presidents Bush, is considering a run for president, but only if Gov. Chris Christie fails to gain nationwide traction, Politico reports this morning.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sat down with ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on Sunday for a discussion about the Republican tactics which led to the government shutdown. Bush said that he sympathizes with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) desire to defund the Affordable Care Act, but advised hi m to exercise a “bit of self-restraint” when it comes to tactics. Bush began by taking aim at Cruz’s tactics. He observed that the GOP actually lost ground with the public over the course of the shutdown and ironically made significantly reforming the ACA that much harder. “Tactically it...