Jon Schweppe wrote earlier this week that Jeb Bush’s Super PAC was reportedly planning to violate Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment by attacking Marco Rubio over his overtly pro-life stance.
The New York Times now reports that Bush may be putting the brakes on that strategy:
Right to Rise, a “super PAC” supporting Mr. Bush … recently promised to spend as much as $20 million trying to damage his reputation. It prepared, but did not air, an ad casting Mr. Rubio as unelectable in a general election because of his stance on abortion, which does not include exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
But on Wednesday, when asked, Mr. Bush declined to personally criticize Mr. Rubio’s hard-line stance on abortion.
“Look, I don’t think anybody should be critical of someone who’s pro-life, because I’m the most pro-life candidate on that stage,” he said, listing his various initiatives in Florida, from regulating abortion clinics and offering “Choose Life” license plates to expanding support for adoptions and funding crisis pregnancy centers. “By doing, not talking. This is the difference, again.”
Asked if he would disavow his “super PAC” should it run the abortion ad against Mr. Rubio, he said, “I don’t think anybody should attack someone who’s pro-life.”
Election rules prohibit the Bush campaign from coordinating with super PACs, so it is possible the anti-Rubio ad could still run. However, such a tactic would likely cost Bush whatever small fraction of conservative support he may still hold. Either way, it’s a sign of desperation that such a move would even be considered. I agree with Maggie: Jeb could well be the next GOP candidate to go.
H/T: The Weekly Standard
Paul Dupont is the managing editor for ThePulse2016.com.
