Aware of the political vulnerabilities of his last name, likely Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is expected to use a Wednesday speech to distance himself from his brother’s foreign policy legacy in places like Iraq, declaring: “I am my own man.”
In remarks at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Bush, according to excerpts provided by aides, will say: “I also have been lucky to have a father and a brother who both have shaped America’s foreign policy from the Oval Office.”
“I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs’ – sometimes in contrast to theirs,’” he will say.
“I love my father and my brother,” Bush will say. “I admire their service to the nation and the difficult decisions they had to make. But I am my own man – and my views are shaped by my own thinking and own experiences.”
Bush is also expected to criticize President Obama’s foreign policy. “I have doubts whether this administration believes American power is such a force,” Bush will say. “Under this administration, we are inconsistent and indecisive. We have lost the trust and the confidence of our friends. We definitely no longer inspire fear in our enemies.”
Describing his own foreign policy worldview, Bush will say: “America does not have the luxury of withdrawing from the world – our security, our prosperity and our values demand that we remain engaged and involved in often distant places.”