Even as former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., draws closer to running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, he is drawing heavy fire from the right.
Bush announced last month that he was exploring a presidential bid. On Tuesday, Bush launched the Right to Rise leadership PAC to prepare for entering the fray.
On Wednesday, Bush offered a preview of his campaign messaging,
Too many Americans feel as if the American dream is out of reach, Bush insisted on Wednesday. Our positive, ?conservative ideas will bring back real ?hope to those who are trying every day to get ahead."
In the meantime, Bush is starting fundraising efforts for his new group and hes getting the support of his family. Former President George W. Bush took to Facebook on Tuesday to express support for his brother.
"Today, Jeb Bush launched the Right to Rise, a leadership PAC dedicated to making America a place of unlimited opportunity, the former president posted. Laura and I are proud to support my brother and contribute."
But the former Florida governor was attacked on the right on Wednesday as Constitutional Rights PAC, a libertarian-leaning group, launched petitions and an End Jeb 2016 website.
Our next president needs to put the Constitution first, Larry Ward, the chairman and founder of Constitutional Rights PAC, wrote supporters on Wednesday. After eight years of Obama, the only remedy to get our country back on track is to return to limited government.
Jeb Bush is not the conservative choice for 2016 -- in fact, hes very far from it. Jeb is a dyed-in-the-wool establishment Republican and an advocate of big government, Ward added. He supports amnesty, increased taxation and wants D.C. bureaucrats in every public school classroom in the country. He is anything but a conservative candidate -- weve got to end Jeb in 2016.
The co-chairman of Constitutional Rights PAC is Lawrence Hunter, formerly a vice president and chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a White House adviser under President Ronald Reagan. Hunter is the founder of a committee hoping to draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for president. The PAC has generally backed tea party conservatives and libertarians for federal office, including Chris McDaniels U.S. Senate bid in Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
