Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush declined to go after former protege Marco Rubio for his perceived lack of accomplishments during his first term in the U.S. Senate.
Following a heated back-and-forth between Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, ABC News’ David Muir asked Bush how he squares saying the Florida senator has accomplished “nothing” despite talking Rubio up for the vice presidential post in 2012. Bush declined to go after Rubio again, and turned the answer back to his own record as governor of Florida.
“Let’s move on to the 2016 race. Who has the leadership skills to lead,” Bush said to Muir, pointing also to Rubio saying the same about Bush at the time. The former governor went on to tout his tenure as Florida governor, specifically his handling of hurricanes and tropical storms and his taking on of special interests in the state.
“It required a steady hand — leadership. You learn it by doing it,” Bush said. “It’s not to say — let’s be clear. Marco Rubio is a gifted, gifted politician, and he may have the skills to be president of the United States. But we tried it the old way with Barack Obama, with soaring eloquence and we didn’t get a leader, we got someone who wants to divide the country up. The next president is going to have to forge consensus to bring about a set of common purposes so we can move forward again.
Bush’s decision to not go after Rubio came after former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum struggled to point out any of Rubio’s accomplishments during his tenure in the upper chamber.
“His record of accomplishment is slim,” Bush told “Morning Joe” on Friday. “He was speaker of the house [in Florida], and he did a fine job there. But, every speaker before him and after him but one that worked with both of us is supporting me. And the three statewide elected officials are supporting me.
“It’s not because they don’t like Marco,” he continued. “Marco is a likable person. It’s that they saw me in action as a leader. And leadership is not about passing amendments and calling it success. Leadership is about tough decisions.”
The former governor also said he could point to “nothing” constituting an accomplishment.
Bush has been unable to gain traction with the GOP electorate, with some in New Hampshire believing it is his last chance to make a dent and regain footing within the Republican horse race. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Bush sits fifth with nine percent support.
