Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) said early Tuesday that his brother George W. Bush is probably the “most popular president” among Republicans.
{mosads}“My brother, if you did the polling and actually looked at it — he’s probably the most popular president amongst Republicans in this country,” Jeb Bush said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“The whole idea that he’s a burden — any mistakes I’ve made are my own,” the 2016 GOP presidential candidate continued.
“I’m honored to be part of that family. All the psychobabble that goes along with it, I’ve gotten over it. You guys can meditate on your navels about that — I’m not.”
Jeb Bush’s remarks follow reports Monday that 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney expressed doubts about George W. Bush’s presidential legacy.
“Jeb, to be very honest, I think it’s very hard for you to post up against [Democratic presidential front-runner] Hillary Clinton and to separate yourself from the difficulty of the W. years and compare them with the Clinton years,” Romney reportedly told Jeb Bush last year.
According to Romney, Jeb Bush responded that his own Oval Office bid is about “the future” rather than the past.
“Mitt Romney is a great guy and I do consider him a friend,” Jeb Bush said on Tuesday. “I went out to see him [and] want him to know that I was all in and had a plan to win this. I still do.
“I have a proven record, a conservative record that brought people to our cause rather than push them away, and Hillary Clinton needs to be taken on because of her failed record. You can only do that if you have a good one.”