Bush brother says he's 'not running for president.'
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D.C. flacks like to complain that sometimes a juicy Washington narrative can take on a life of its own based on nothing but rumors. It was certainly the case last week when, seemingly out of nowhere, Jeb Bush was widely floated as a candidate in the race for the 2012 GOP nomination. ABC News picked up on the fact that Bush's personal Web site, Jeb.org, was empty, which could mean only that he was preparing to fill it with a presidential platform. Other strategists suggested that with the former Florida governor's low profile, moderate stances, and fluent Spanish, he could be a competitive candidate against Obama in two years.
Except for one tiny problem: he says he's not interested.
It's possible he enjoyed the attention and speculation for a week, but earlier today, when asked by a local news anchor in Louisville, Ky., Bush laid it out flat: "I'm not running for president."
It's hard to get more definitive than that (although if he did change his mind between now and the election, he wouldn't be the first). Usually, would-be candidates do a little dance to leave the door open. Like Mitt Romney telling NEWSWEEK last week, through a spokesman, that he's "focused on the midterm elections first." Or Tim Pawlenty's "I'll decide next year." Heck, the fact that Sarah Palin won't answer questions about her future is a sure sign that it's not completely out of the question.
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