Likely 2016 presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) said Friday that he will not “re-litigate” controversial decisions that were made by his brother, former President George W. Bush, the Washington Post reports.
“I won’t talk about the past. I’ll talk about the future,” Bush, said at a press conference in Florida after being asked about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the report.
“If I’m in the process of considering the possibility of running, it’s not about re-litigating anything in the past,” Bush continued. “It’s about trying to create a set of principles and ideas that will help us move forward.”
{mosads}Bush was Florida governor for most of his older brother’s tenure in the White House. He has moved aggressively to get ahead of the 2016 GOP field since last year’s midterm elections by establishing a political action committee and raising money at a fast clip.
At a separate event, former First Lady Barbara Bush appeared with Bush via Skype to say she has dropped her objection to having a third member of her family run for president.
“Jeb, it’s Mom. Listen, what do you mean, ‘too many Bushes’?… I changed my mind,” the Bush family matriarch said, according to another Washington Post report.
The likely 2016 presidential contender replied: “Hey, Mom, can I get that in writing?… Mother, I love you. You’re the greatest mother in the world.”
This story was updated at 10:46 a.m.