|
 Bush, who is exploring a run for the Republican presidential
nomination in 2016, sought to allay concerns about his conservative
credentials at a forum run by a conservative magazine, National
Review.
Rubio, a first-term Florida senator, has gained some early momentum
in his own race for the Republican nomination for the 2016 election
by touting his foreign policy credentials, which includes membership
on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Governors can certainly read about foreign policy, and take
briefings and meet with experts, but there is no way they’ll be
ready on Day One to manage U.S. foreign policy," Rubio told the Des
Moines Register last weekend.
Bush, who has avoid criticizing Rubio to date, was asked about
whether governors could in fact conduct foreign policy. Bush was
governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007.
 "Wow. Let me think. Ronald Reagan?" he said, referring to the 1980s
Republican president who had been governor of California.
"You can be prepared from Day One from being a governor," he said.
And in a jab intended for senators who like Rubio and Rand Paul are
either in the 2016 or thinking about getting in, Bush added that
governors "can't hide behind the collective skirt and say, 'well, I
passed an amendment about this..."
"They actually have to lead. They have to make decisions. They have
to convince. They actually have to compromise from time to time," he
said.
[to top of second column] |
Bush also quibbled with Rubio's attempt to amend Senate legislation
that is seeking to ensure Senate oversight of President Barack
Obama's proposed nuclear deal with Iran.
Rubio wants the legislation to include a requirement that Iran
recognize Israel's right to exist.
"I understand the sentiment," Bush said. "I don't know if that kills
the bill, you have no oversight."
Rubio has cast himself as a fresh face who could move the country
past the Bush and Clinton dynasties that have led American politics
for decades and are seeking to again.
Bush has struggled with some conservatives by pushing a more
moderate stance on immigration. In his National Review appearance,
he stuck to his position that illegal immigrants should have the
ability to earn legal status.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; editing by Andrew Hay)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
