Politics

Edging Closer to 2016 Bid, Republican Jeb Bush Forms New PAC

Published

11 years ago

January 6, 2015

Oakland Post

In this Nov. 20, 2014 file photo, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

STEVE PEOPLES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday announced the formation of a political action committee designed to lay the groundwork for a 2016 presidential campaign.

In a video posted in English and Spanish on Facebook, the Republican said that the “Right to Rise PAC” will allow him to “support candidates who believe in conservative principles to allow all Americans to rise up.” An aide confirmed that the organization also allows Bush to hire staff, conduct polling, and pay for travel as he courts key donors and Republican officials across the country.

Bush telegraphed the formation of a PAC last month when he announced plans to actively explore a presidential bid. The announcement thrust Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, into the top-tier of likely Republican presidential contenders, although the field is expected to be crowded.

Tuesday’s move also represents an effort to play catchup of sorts for Bush, who has been out of office since 2007.

Several potential Republican presidential candidates formed similar PACs months or even years ago. The group includes Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who have used political action committees to help build goodwill among other Republicans and build the infrastructure needed for a national campaign.

Bush strikes a populist tone in a message posted on the Right to Rise PAC’s website, charging that “millions of our fellow citizens across the broad middle class feel as if the American Dream is now out of their reach … that the playing field is no longer fair or level.”

He continued: “Too many of the poor have lost hope that a path to a better life is within their grasp. While the last eight years have been pretty good ones for top earners, they’ve been a lost decade for the rest of America.”

The message comes as Bush continues a private fundraising tour across the country. He’s scheduled to meet with donors in Connecticut’s wealthy suburbs later this week.