Former first lady Barbara Bush has changed her mind about having a second son in the White House.
Bush, who told the “Today” show in 2013 “we’ve had enough Bushes” in the White House, is now fully behind her son Jeb’s plans to run for president in 2016. In December, Jeb Bush announced he was weighing a presidential bid.
Barbara Bush sent an email to supporters Wednesday asking for donations to the “Run Jeb Run Fund,” which she just launched.
“When the idea of Jeb running for President first came up, I was hesitant. You may have heard about that. When you see the pounding candidates, their spouses, and even their children take, what mother wouldn’t be?” she wrote in the email. “But our problems are so profound that America needs a leader who can renew the promise of this great nation.”
In December, Barbara Bush’s son, Neil Bush, said that his mother had reconsidered her former position on a Jeb Bush campaign. Two months later in February, Barbara Bush made a surprise Skype appearance at an event where Jeb was speaking in Florida, saying she changed her mind and now supported her son’s potential campaign.
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Until recently, it appeared former President George H. W. Bush was the most eager parent to see his son run for office. Jeb Bush’s brother, former President George W. Bush, previously said he thinks he would “absolutely” beat Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical 2016 presidential run. Former Secretary of State Clinton has not yet announced her campaign, though she is likely to jump in the race early next month.
While in New Hampshire last week, Jeb Bush joked on camera about his luck: “I looked up, and Barbara Bush was there. I didn’t know it at the time, but I won the lottery!”
Michele Richinick