Jeb Bush on the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill

Former Florida GOP Governor, Jeb Bush was in the Capitol today while Governor Charlie Crist was sucking up to President Obama in Southwestern Florida.

Why was the former Florida Governor AWOL from the Presidential visit?

Bush does not support the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill or PORKULUS.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush is wandering the halls of the state Capitol today, advocating for his Foundation for Florida’s Future education package because Gov. Charlie Crist canceled a lunch with Bush and other former governors so that he could introduce President Barack Obama in Fort Myers. Crist wants the stimulus package. Bush thinks it’s bad news, as evidenced by this brief interview as he hustled away and drove off in a family wagon driven by Foundation chief Pat Levesque along with lobbyist John Thrasher.

Q: Why not go to Fort Myers?

Bush: “It wouldn’t be right. I don’t support the bill. It’s a whole lot of spending and it’s not very stimulative. You know, $800 billion used to mean something.”

Q: What would you do to stimulate the economy?

Bush: “Broad-based tax cuts for individuals and business and spending on truly shovel-ready infrastructure.

Q: What’s wrong with the package in your view.

Bush: “Gigantic amount of money being spent that is not stimulative. There’s enough history to suggest something like that at best won’t have the desired effect. Worse: it could prolong the economic downturn. So I think it’s bad policy. Plus, it will create more inflation down the road you can’t sustain. We’re talking 9-10 percent GDP for the budget deficit. That’s a lot. These guys (Legislature) are struggling to balance the budget because they have a constitutional requirement to do so. To their credit, they’re doing the best they can under extraordinary circumstances. In Washington, they just crank up the printing press.”

Although Jeb has taken himself out of a 2010 race for a Florida open seat in the U.S. Senate, Flap thinks that Jeb will be back – and back soon into the political arena.