WASHINGTON — Jeb Bush sought Wednesday to draw a line beyond the inevitable comparisons to his father and brother on foreign policy, promising he would be “my own man” when it comes to addressing global crises.
Bush, who is proceeding to a presidential campaign of his own, delivered his first major foreign policy address in Chicago and took swipes at the “inconsistent and indecisive” leadership of President Obama and his administration.
The former Florida governor acknowledged he is “lucky” to have a father and brother whose presidential legacies are rooted in the way they tackled wars and conflicts, but addressed the challenge of his last name head on in his remarks.
“I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs’ — and sometimes in contrast to theirs’,” he said.. “I love my father and my brother … I admire their service to the nation and the difficult decisions they had to make. But I am my own man. My views are shaped by my own thinking and own experiences.”
Although governors don’t have much foreign policy experience beyond trade issues, Bush has a different vantage point because of his father and brother. Regarding George W. Bush’s controversial handling of Iraq, Jeb Bush said last week that he isn’t interested in “re-litigating anything in the past” but, instead, outline his vision for the future.
Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor and member of Bush 43’s National Security Council, said before the Chicago speech that Jeb Bush will need to say more — including about how he would approach current problems in Iraq.
“The governor will have to have answers to those questions that go beyond ‘I won’t litigate the past,’ ” Feaver said in an interview. “Those answers need not be the exact same answer that his brother gives. He can give different answers without somehow discrediting his own candidacy, but he’s right … he doesn’t have to revisit all the thousands of decisions made” by his father and brother.
In his remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Bush castigated not only President Obama but by extension, Hillary Rodham Clinton — a potential Democratic rival who served as secretary of State in Obama’s first term.
“The great irony of the Obama presidency is this: Someone who came to office promising greater engagement with the world has left America less influential in the world,” Bush said.
In denouncing Obama’s leadership, the former Florida governor chided the administration for not matching their words with deeds. He called for more spending to bulk up the military’s power and a bipartisan approach.
“The administration talks, but the words face,” Bush said. “They draw red lines … then erase them. With grandiosity, they announce resets and disengage. Hashtag campaigns replace actual diplomacy and engagement. Personal diplomacy and maturity is replaced by leaks and personal disparagement.”
Mo Elleithee, communications director for the Democratic National Committee, said in a memo to reporters that Bush’s criticisms should be directed at his brother.
“The fact is many of the enemies that we face today were emboldened and rose because of George W. Bush’s inept foreign policy,” he said. “When the Bush administration misled the world and marched us into war, they damaged our long-standing alliances and made us weaker abroad and at home — and Jeb Bush supported those policies at every turn.”
Follow @ccamia on Twitter.
Bush, who is proceeding to a presidential campaign of his own, delivered his first major foreign policy address in Chicago and took swipes at the “inconsistent and indecisive” leadership of President Obama and his administration.
The former Florida governor acknowledged he is “lucky” to have a father and brother whose presidential legacies are rooted in the way they tackled wars and conflicts, but addressed the challenge of his last name head on in his remarks.
“I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs’ — and sometimes in contrast to theirs’,” he said.. “I love my father and my brother … I admire their service to the nation and the difficult decisions they had to make. But I am my own man. My views are shaped by my own thinking and own experiences.”
Although governors don’t have much foreign policy experience beyond trade issues, Bush has a different vantage point because of his father and brother. Regarding George W. Bush’s controversial handling of Iraq, Jeb Bush said last week that he isn’t interested in “re-litigating anything in the past” but, instead, outline his vision for the future.
Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor and member of Bush 43’s National Security Council, said before the Chicago speech that Jeb Bush will need to say more — including about how he would approach current problems in Iraq.
“The governor will have to have answers to those questions that go beyond ‘I won’t litigate the past,’ ” Feaver said in an interview. “Those answers need not be the exact same answer that his brother gives. He can give different answers without somehow discrediting his own candidacy, but he’s right … he doesn’t have to revisit all the thousands of decisions made” by his father and brother.
In his remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Bush castigated not only President Obama but by extension, Hillary Rodham Clinton — a potential Democratic rival who served as secretary of State in Obama’s first term.
“The great irony of the Obama presidency is this: Someone who came to office promising greater engagement with the world has left America less influential in the world,” Bush said.
In denouncing Obama’s leadership, the former Florida governor chided the administration for not matching their words with deeds. He called for more spending to bulk up the military’s power and a bipartisan approach.
“The administration talks, but the words face,” Bush said. “They draw red lines … then erase them. With grandiosity, they announce resets and disengage. Hashtag campaigns replace actual diplomacy and engagement. Personal diplomacy and maturity is replaced by leaks and personal disparagement.”
Mo Elleithee, communications director for the Democratic National Committee, said in a memo to reporters that Bush’s criticisms should be directed at his brother.
“The fact is many of the enemies that we face today were emboldened and rose because of George W. Bush’s inept foreign policy,” he said. “When the Bush administration misled the world and marched us into war, they damaged our long-standing alliances and made us weaker abroad and at home — and Jeb Bush supported those policies at every turn.”
Follow @ccamia on Twitter.
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