Jeb praises Marco Rubio; stops short of Senate endorsement

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Asked if he had a favorite in the race between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate, Bush said he did not.

“I admire both of them,” Bush said.

But Bush then went on to praise Rubio as having a great life story and as being very articulate. Bush said national party leaders should not be trying to push Crist as aggressively as they have. He said Rubio deserved a fair shot against Crist in a primary.

“I think he should be given a chance. I think that the idea that the national party would pick a winner a year and a half before an election is the wrong way to go.”

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Comments

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[Chuck for Senate]

Not even close to an endorsement!

[Gator(R)]

4:25

Agreed, but his point is well taken. The national and state parties should have stayed out of it.

[Randall Stevens]

Anyone wondering why people who are involved in the process are saying to keep an eye on this race... Jeb, (don't shoot me, but still mentioned) Mark Foley, endorsements from local politicians already serving in DC....

[ADAM SMITH=TERMINATOR=MORON]

Adam Smith is such a POS. He is perpetutated by writing these stories of flase GOP infighting and blowing things out of proportion. This is not an endorsement. Kill self.

[Gator(R)]

5:02

Methinks you protest too much.

Seemed like an interesting comment from Bush, granted headline was a little iffy as they sometimes are.

There may not be a lot of infighting, but the straw polls show some disatisfaction among party insiders. Your claim otherwise rings hollow.

[LEMIEUX=CRIST=SPECTER]

I reluctantly agree with some of the posters here that this hardly constitutes an endorsement of Rubio on Jeb's part.

However, Jeb is absolutely correct in chastising those RINO pieces of crap at the national level for meddling in the FL primary for US Senate over a year out.

Those politicians in Washington need to be held accountable for endorsing someone whom THEY SHOULD KNOW WILL BE JUST ANOTHER ARLEN SPECTER, and someone whom THEY KNOW WILL SWITCH OVER TO DEMOCRAT THE INSTANT IT SUITS HIM just like Arlen Specter. Those stuffed suits up there didn't learn from their mistake in PA, and they are doomed to repeat it again in FL with the loathesome Chuckles the Clown should we be cursed with him as a senator.

We need to send a message to those "win at any cost" putative "Republicans" up in Washington that WE FLORIDIANS will decide who we sent up there. We need to let them know that their filthy money will not buy elections here in Florida, and the best way to do that is by REJECTING Chuckles the Clown, both in the primary, and--God forbid he makes it there--the General.

As for Jeb, if he has any testicular fortitude and courage, he will come out and endorse Rubio at the right time. Otherwise, he will join his fellow Republican leamings in jumping off the cliff.

The Jeb I know and respect will not stand idly by.

[GOP INSIDER]

Patience, Patience, Patience, the endorsements will come in one by one until the flood gates open after the next legislative session-count on it!
I personally know people that gave money to Crist and will throw him under the same bus that he has been throwing us citizens under for the last few years.

Getting stronger every day=Marco Rubio!

[Curious]

Didn't Slade carry Jeb!'s luggage in '94?

[LEMIEUX=CRIST=SPECTER]

I hope so, 7:57, and I think you're right. The instant Chuckles the Clown signs the budget, he becomes a lame duck and thus completely irrelevant (more so than he is now).

Mark my words: he will stretch out signing the budget until the last possible moment. He may even pull some shenanigan to get the Legislature to return to Tallahassee to address some issue with the budget or something else to extend his relevance.

[SmallTalk]

Crist 53, Rubio 31

[Its a Tax]

Did any one see the George Stephanopolous interview with Obama yesterday or read about it in the Wall Street Journal today? Amazing! The President has no idea what a tax is. Even when Stephie read the definition from the dictionary the big O still denied it. And he is supposed to be the brainy one where Bush was a dunce? Give me a break!

[...]

8:59 if you notice when the polls started these were the numbers in the varying polls and how they are trending:

Crist 79 Marco 3, Crist 72 Marco 8
Crist 69 Marco 12, Crist 62 Marco 18,
Crist 59- Marco 23, Crist 57- Marco 24,
Crist 53 Marco 31 and that was on August 19th before he appointed mini-me George LeMeieux to the Senate.

You see the consistent pattern with the way these numers are going? Marco up Charlie down, and one year out.

[Insulted by Governor Crist]

If the Times keeps exposing Charlie for what and who he really is, then Rubio has an excellent chance. By the way, the story on Crists wife having two children living in NY? Whats with that. I've never heard Charlie boasting about his new stepchildren. Did someone forget to tell him he had them? They go to school in N.Y? Does Charlie think everyone is that stupid to believe this bogus marriage? The gay community should be totally insulted by the way Crist has handled his sexuality. The community is proud and stands with their heads up, why couldn't he?

[CURIOUS]

SIMPLE: WHAT HAS GOVERNOR CRIST DONE FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA?

[FLORIDA REPUBLICAN VOTER]

Jeb will endorse Marco Rubio at the right time. You will see! Jeb dosent want to be called a RINO if he was to support Crist. CRIST=RINO RUBIO=REAGAN!

[whasup]

Jeb's statement was not an endorsement. That may come later. But it was a signal to the Bushies that it's time to start directing some money to Rubio. Watch and see. It won't be much from the big interests who have pending issues in the next Legislative session, but others can now start giving.

[whasup is down with the crazies]

Jeb's statement was not an endorsement. That would be the kiss of death. After President Obama ends the Reagan-Bush Depression, the Bushies may crawl out from under their rocks. But it was a signal to the wingnuts that it's time to start directing some money to Rubio. Watch and see. It won't be much from the true believers who have pending issues with their psychologists, but tea-baggers, birthers and town hallers can continue with their giving.

[GOP outsider]

Think that Al Cardenas support of Crist was a real endorsement and not implied. A signal that it's OK to back Charlie.

[LEMIEUX=CRIST=SPECTER]

Al Cardenas is a snake and is only out for himself. He was Rubio's best friend when he was speaker, made lots of money, and now that Rubio is out, he throws him under the bus in exchange for Chuckles the Clown, the most loathesome caricature in Florida politics.

[...]

Al Cardenas is a good man and great Republican who betrayed his core convictions and principles in that enodorsement.

When he has time to think about it he will regret it. And what he does in the voting booth is another matter all together.

[TINO]

Charlie......Just because your winning doesn't mean you've won.....

[Great Reagan-Bush Depression of 2008 continues]

Great Reagan-Bush Depression of 2008 has done untold damage to the middle class.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CENSUS_RECESSIONS_IMPACT?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[*watcher*]

Good luck, Marco, with that IRS investigation into your RPOF "Party" card . . . NOT!

[Video: Marco Rubio: 7 Days to Go.]

Video: Marco Rubio: 7 Days to Go.

http://bit.ly/2Ow59U

[Gator(R)]

3:09

More reasonable to call it the Great Carter-Clinton-Democratic Congress Recession.

[charles]

Crist makes me sad on how liberal he has become, because I use to view him as conservative. And with this Bush endorsement I feel he could pull off a win.

Also have you seen his wife, because if I ever met Rubio I would say well done man.