Jeb to push for immigration reform

Jeb Bush will be back in DC this week to present a Council on Foreign Relations-sponsored report on immigration policy that calls for a path to legalization for illegal immigrants -- a position shared by his brother, former president George W. Bush.

The task force -- co-chaired by Bush and Mack McLarty, former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff -- argues that "the failure to reform immigration laws and procedures threatens to harm America's economy, jeopardize its diplomacy, and weaken its national security."

The report urges Congress and the Obama administration to undertake a new effort with three central components: "the creation of a more efficient legal immigration system that responds to labor market needs and enhances U.S. competitiveness; a strong enforcement regime that secures U.S. borders and ends the hiring of unauthorized workers; and a program of earned legalization that will offer an
opportunity for many illegal immigrants to earn the right to remain in the United States."

Wash Po: Crist, "The Metrosexual," Jeb, "The Legacy"

In the wake of John Ensign and Mark Sanford's admissions of infidelity, the Washington Post casts a new reality show, GOP 2012.

The cast includes Florida's Crist in the role of "The Metrosexual. Progressive moderate with a really good tan -- but is he too slick?"

And Jeb Bush as "The Legacy. A dynasty's hopes rest on his shoulders -- can he fulfill the promise again?"

Letterman on "Jeb Ahmadinejad"

David Letterman draws some parallels between Iran's disputed election and the 2000 presidential election in Florida.

 "This guy, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I mean, he claims victory and he is very unpopular. ... And the danger politically of this, he could ruin the political career of his brother, Jeb Ahmadinejad," Letterman said. "You got to be careful."

Jeb Bush associates on Sotomayor

Here's what former Florida Supreme Court justice Raoul Cantero, former Gov. Jeb Bush's pick for the Florida Supreme Court says of Obama's SCOTUS selection:

"President Barack Obama has nominated Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the United States Supreme Court. In announcing her nomination, President Obama expressed three factors that he believe make a good judge. First, he said, was intellectual rigor—the qualifications of a judge. I’m sure everyone agrees. The second was recognition of the limits of the judicial role and commitment to impartial justice. This is a refreshing statement and perhaps reflects his legal background. The third repeated his prior statements about 'heart' and 'empathy.' The problem will soon arise, as it inevitably does for any judge in a court of last resort, of what happens in a particular case when the second factor of limited judicial role impartiality conflicts with empathy? When push comes to shove, will a Justice Sotomayor favor individuals over institutions, employees over corporations, the poor over the rich? My hope is that she will recognize that a judge is supposed to be objective, impartial, free from bias.When it comes to judging, impartiality must trump empathy.”

And from Raquel Rodriguez, who served as Bush's general counsel for four years, and participated in the governor’s appointment of nearly 300 judges throughout Florida’s court system:

Jeb's doing endorsements -- in state Senate race

The Joe Negron for Senate campaign has announced he has earned the endorsement of former Gov. Jeb Bush with these crucial words: "Joe is a true conservative and has my complete support."

Negron, a Republican and former state representative from Stuart, is running to finish the term of Sen. Ken Pruitt who is retiring from the Florida Senate.  

Jeb makes the cast of Survivor: The GOP edition

The folks at the Democratic National Committee are out with a web video casting Republicans as, well, castaways on a GOP edition of Survivor.

Which one, the spoof asks, "will battle for the heart and soul of the GOP?"

Among those making the casting call: Rush Limbaugh, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Dick Cheney...

Rush jabs Jeb

Politico and Real Clear Politics report that Rush Limbaugh mocked the "presidential perspirations" of Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Eric Cantor -- saying on his radio show that GOP leaders who gathered outside DC Saturday to launch a listening tour to rebuild the GOP brand, "despise Sarah Palin," fear her and find her "embarassing."

Limbaugh clearly does not. He called the Alaska Gov. "the most prominent, articulate voice for standard, run-of-the mill, good-old-fashioned American conservatism."

He noted Bush and Romney harbor presidential hopes. Of Jeb, he may "some day" want to be president," Limbaugh said. "This is an early campaign event, 2012 presidential campaign, primary campaign."

Jeb's $5 billion wish list for education

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican, and former Gov. James Hunt of North Carolina, a Democrat, co-wrote a column in today's Chicago Tribune that poses the question: What should Secretary of Education Arne Duncan do with his $5 billion in stimulus funds?

Bush has called Duncan "a reformer at heart." Column here.

Jeb waxes political to rebuild GOP

Former Gov. Jeb Bush wasn't exactly known as a listener during his two-term reign of Florida politics, but yesterday he and other Republican leaders began a "listening tour'' to help revive the party. Story about Bush's involvement is here.

Here are excerpts of Bush's remarks at the first town hall meeting ot the National Council for a New America:

"I've seen conservatives move up. I've seen conservatives move down. I've seen liberals move up and move down. That's just kind of the nature of things in our country and that's a good thing. But what I've seen in the last few years is really troubling, which is most of politics, it seems to me, is dominated by a food fight rather than about the issues going forward for our country.

"It is tough around the country. People are scared. They're anxious. They're fearful for their savings. They're wondering how theyre going to retire. Those are short-term challenges that we need to face. And then there are the longer-term challenges related to things that we haven't been able to deal with in a substantial way that we need to. We need to pause what we're doing and as a country realize that the greatness of our country is in peril if we can't figure out to deal with the ticking time bomb of our entitlement challenges of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. If we can't figure out how the greatest country on the face of the Earth continues to be that way as it relates to being competitive in a world
that is moving at warp speed, changing dramatically, where the China's and the India's have a command focus for economic growth and it does create opportunities for us but it also creates great challenges.

"My reason for being here is that I think ideas have consequences and that we ought to have a thoughtful discussion about those ideas. From the conservative side, it's time for us to listen first, to learn a little bit, to upgrade our message a little bit, to not be nostalgic about the past because things do ebb and flow and it's nice to remember the good old days when the good guys if you're a conservative were in power or if youre a liberal, remember nostalgically when they were in power. None of that matters right now. What we need to do is to listen, to learn and then there will be a new generation of leaders that will lead."

"Listen, learn, lead and that's what I believe this National Council can provide is a chance to create a forum for people to truly listen and then to create a consensus around 21st century ideas that truly matter for American families. And then hopefully -- God willing -- embrace our conservative principles and take these new ideas and present them to the American people in elections and all sorts of other ways and lead."

See Jeb, eat 'za

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, along with former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Republican leaders in Congress, will begin their "conversation for a new America'' tomorrow at an Arlington, Va. pizza joint. Call it pepperoni with a side of school vouchers and tax cuts.