Phil Ammann
As Jeb Bush inches closer to a possible 2016 presidential run, anticipation rises as to when (and where) the Republican former Florida governor will finally take the plunge.
Adding fuel to the fire, an announcement Bush will be raising money this week for his new leadership PAC at an event in Greenwich, Connecticut – hometown of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Hosting the event, scheduled for Wednesday, is a group of relatives and political supporters of the Bush family. Organizing the reception, according to Neil Vigdor of CTNews.com, is Craig Stapleton, U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic (and later France) in the administration of former President George W. Bush. Stapleton’s wife, Bush cousin Debbie Walker Stapleton, will also lead the event.
On the host, committee will be Richard Breeden, former chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the first Bush presidency, and former Treasury Undersecretary David McCormick, who served in the second Bush administration. Currently, McCormick heads Bridgewater Associates, a global hedge fund.
“It will be an opportunity to discuss the Governor’s background, his future plans and most importantly, ask questions,” says the event invitation.
The invite did not disclose the location of the private fundraiser, but it did call for individual contributions of up to $5,000 to Bush’s exploratory PAC.
Greenwich is the longtime Bush family home, starting with the patriarch Prescott Bush Sr., a former U.S. Senator and grandfather of Jeb Bush.
Vigdor notes that in April 2014, when Jeb Bush was keynote speaker at the Connecticut Republican Prescott Bush Awards Dinner, he touched upon his still-controversial comments about illegal immigration being an “act of love” by people looking to provide for their families.
“The simple fact is, there is no conflict between enforcing our laws, believing in the rule of law and having some sensitivity to the immigrant experience, which is part of who we are as a country,” Bush told the Stamford audience.
Bush’s sympathetic stance on immigration last year put him at odds with many hard-line Republicans.
In a recent CNN poll, Bush leads the field of prospective GOP White House hopefuls, a group including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
However, the former governor also trails by 13 points in a hypothetical race against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Some observers believe that counterbalancing Jeb Bush’s high name recognition is “Bush fatigue,” as the third in person in his family to run for president. Others have a similar feeling over a Hillary Clinton run.
