Bush teases presidential run in first Iowa appearance

URBANDALE, Iowa — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made his first public appearance in Iowa since moving towards a presidential run at a fundraiser for vulnerable Rep. David Young (R-Iowa) on Friday night.

In a speech to donors at the Living History Farms agricultural museum in Urbandale, Bush teased the crowd of about 100 over his potential impending run for president.

{mosads}“I want to get the legal part of this out of the way,” Bush said. “I’m seriously considering the possibility of running for president. All of that now allows me to talk about that possibility in a way that doesn’t trigger a campaign, so thank you all very much for allowing me to be lawyer-ed up.”

Bush then launched into what has become the framework of his stump speech, touting the strength of his conservative record as governor of a purple state.

Bush said he cut taxes, reformed the education system, reduced the size of the government workforce, created 1.3 million net new jobs, eliminated affirmative action, left the state with billions in a rainy day fund and reformed the education system to create a voucher program and expand school choice.

“For eight years, I got to act on my conservative principles and it worked … and this is in a state that has more Democrats than Republicans,” Bush said. “We took on the trial bar and the teachers unions across the board, and this conservative record of accomplishment is what’s necessary now for our country to get back on track.”

The former Florida governor also managed to slip in a dig at Hillary Clinton, who is gearing up to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. In a question-and-answer session after his speech, Bush addressed the nation’s role abroad.

“The next president has to restore an American presence where our allies know where we stand. … There’s a lot of things that we need to restore, and this president — and, by the way, his former secretary of State — has let us down in this regard,” Bush said.

This weekend marks Bush’s first political visit to the first-in-the-nation caucus state since 2012, and he’s keeping a packed schedule.

On Saturday, Bush will join nine other 2016 contenders at the first-ever Iowa Ag Summit. Following that, he’s arranged a closed-door event with key state activists at Jethro’s BBQ ‘n Jambalaya in Waukee, and a meet-and-greet with supporters at a Pizza Ranch in Cedar Rapids.

It’s an early opportunity for Bush to test his support among activists and connect grassroots conservatives in the Hawkeye State.

“I have fond memories of Iowa,” Bush said Friday night. “I came back to work in dad’s campaign, and most of that time, at least in beginning of it, was right here in Iowa. It was a blast. … My dad won, which was a spectacular experience. I’ve done it both ways, I’ve been there in Iowa when my dad won, and when he lost. I like the winning part better, to be honest with you.”

Sponsors at the Living History Farms event paid between $1,000 and $2,500 to attend a reception with Bush, with proceeds going to Young’s reelection campaign. Young is one of 15 freshman Republicans the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has said it will target in 2016 and sits in a swing district. 

But it was Bush, not Young, who was the main attraction Friday night. He signed autographs for onlookers on his way in and got caught in a crush of photograph-seekers on his way out.