Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush denied reports Tuesday that his family had any special grudge against Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
“I’ve never heard anybody in my family say anything but good things about Rick Perry,” Bush stated in an interview with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel, saying he was grateful to get the opportunity to set the record straight.
When pressed on the issue, Bush related to Cavuto it was possible that former George W. Bush political adviser Karl Rove had a problem with Perry, but certainly not anyone in the Bush family.
“Not with my brother, my dad. Not with me at all,” Bush said. “I admire him. And I think Texas has got a great story and he can legitimately talk about that story as a candidate for president.”
Perry served as lieutenant governor to Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
In a July interview with The Daily Caller, Jeb Bush’s son, George P. Bush, also praised Perry. While the younger Bush, who is eyed as a future political star in Texas, said he wasn’t ready to endorse any presidential contender yet, he did intimate that if Perry were to jump in the race he would be among several candidates Bush would seriously consider supporting. When asked if he thought Perry had an excellent record as governor, Bush said “I do.” (RELATED: Club for Growth gives Perry generally favorable review, with some caveats)
“We’ve done the right things. Whether it is keeping taxes low or encouraging publicly held or privately held companies to move here — that we’re far surpassing the rest of the nation,” he said of Perry’s record as governor of Texas.
During the interview with Cavuto, which also aired on the host’s show on the Fox Business Network, Jeb Bush stated again that he has no intention of entering the 2012 presidential race.
“I’m not running,” he said. “I will support the Republican nominee. I might support someone before that, but I believe the Republican candidate will win and I’m looking forward to that.”
While Bush said he is currently “neutral in the presidential race,” he said he is an “admirer” of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s “voice should be heard.”