Politics

Rand Paul On Jeb Announcement: Maybe He Needs to ‘Practice Up A Bit’ [VIDEO]

Al Weaver Reporter
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With potential 2016 candidate Jeb Bush announcing Tuesday he will “actively explore” a presidential campaign, Sen. Rand Paul responded telling Megyn Kelly that maybe Bush “has more ground he needs to gain.”

Paul continued to needle Bush’s announcement, saying the former Florida governor might need to “get back in and practice a bit,” pointing to Bush being out of the political arena since his gubernatorial tenure concluded in 2007.

Paul also told Fox News’ Kelly he can’t control what others do, saying “I just know what I’m going to do.” Paul added that he is on course to make a decision about a potential campaign in the next few months.

KELLY: Today a potential presidential contender, Jeb Bush, announced he will ‘actively explore the possibility of running for president in 2016.’ He says he hasn’t made a final decision, but this is a much bigger step than he’s taken thus far. You have not gone that far yet, and saying ‘maybe six months or so I’d make a decision.’ Some people are saying, ‘Come on, Senator, make a decision.’ Why is Jeb Bush out ahead of you?

PAUL: Well, maybe he has more ground he needs to gain. He’s been out of this for a while, so maybe he needs to get back in and practice up a bit. I don’t know. I can’t determine why other people — I just know what I’m going to do.

KELLY: Still six months out?

PAUL: Wait a few more months, yes.

KELLY: You said that nobody who has said that they’re for Common Core could win the Republican primary. That seems to be a direct shot at him.

PAUL: It would be very difficult. Most of us believe in less federal government and more decentralized government, particularly with education. You know, Ronald Reagan ran on the platform of getting rid of the Department of Education. We’ve always believed in decentralized education. So for Jeb Bush to run in the primary will be very, very difficult because if you’re going to be for a national curriculum and for Common Core and No Child Left Behind, this accumulation of power in Washington, that’s not very popular. It’s going to be an overcoming if he thinks he can win the primary.