Bush 41 wades into Georgia Senate race

Former President George H.W. Bush on Monday endorsed Georgia GOP Senate nominee David Perdue, making official his choice not to back Democrat Michelle Nunn, despite her work with a Bush foundation.

Nunn is on leave as the CEO of the Points of Light Foundation, a volunteer nonprofit founded by Bush. She has touted her connections with the 41st president in her campaign. 

{mosads}”While leading President Bush’s Points of Light Foundation, we grew it into the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service,” she said in her first ad. “I’ve seen firsthand the power of individuals to work with businesses, charitable and religious organizations to make change.”

Bush had earlier said he would not endorse Nunn, and in June sent a fundraising letter for a group backing the eventual Republican nominee. 

The Monday endorsement seals the deal, though, and Bush even added in some shots at Democrats. 

“I have lost any confidence in the current Senate leadership, and believe David Perdue will be an independent voice for Georgia while working for positive solutions to our toughest challenges,” Bush said in a statement. “Barbara and I commend him to every Georgian voter who cares about America’s future.” 

Bush also touted the experience of Perdue, a former business executive. “Getting our economy back on track is one of the many keys to getting America back on track, and David Perdue’s success in the private sector – meeting a payroll and dealing with regulations – gives him the kind of real-world experience that Washington, DC is sorely lacking today,” Bush said.

Nunn responded to the endorsement with a statement pointing to her work with the former president and his son, Neil Bush, who is chairman of the organization’s board, as bipartisan.

“I am proud that I worked with Neil Bush and President Bush to get important work done, even though we are clearly from different parties,” she said. “That is what we need more of in Washington — not people who work together when they share the same party, but people who work together despite party differences. That experience — running President Bush’s organization that helps millions of people improve their lives and their communities — is a central part of who I am and the kind of Senator I will be.”

Points of Light has also figured into the campaign through an ad from the Perdue campaign saying Nunn’s “organization gave money to organizations linked to terrorists.” In a leaked internal campaign memo earlier this year, Nunn’s campaign had been worried about the association. 

The accusation refers to Points of Light vetting donations to Islamic Relief USA, a group that is under the umbrella of Islamic Relief Worldwide, which has been accused of having ties to Hamas. Politifact rated claims about Points of Light’s links to terrorist groups “mostly false.”

— This post was updated at 4 p.m.