Bush: Country needs ‘adult conversations’

Jeb Bush is promising “adult conversations” over politics and policy if he runs for the White House. 

In his first major speech since signalling last month he’s seriously considering a presidential bid, the former Florida governor laid out his economic, immigration, foreign policy and energy ideas to a San Francisco audience on Friday, according to the Washington Post. 

{mosads}His remarks come as many of his potential, more conservative, GOP rivals are gathering in Iowa for the unofficial kickoff to the presidential race, just over a year out from the state’s presidential caucuses. 

The Iowa Freedom Summit is hosted by controversial Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a hardline proponent against immigration reform. 

Instead, in the Friday paid speech at the  National Automobile Dealers Association’s annual convention, Bush drew loud applause, according to the Post, when he called for immigration reform and a pathway to legalized status for undocumented immigrants. 

“We have a history of allowing people to come in legally to embrace our values and pursue their dreams in a way that creates prosperity for all of us,” Bush said. “No country can do this like America. Our national identity is not based on race or some kind of exclusionary belief. Historically, the unwritten contract has been, come legally to our country, embrace our values, learn English, work and you can be as American as anyone else.”

Bush challenged voters to question “every aspect of how government works.”

“Millions of Americans want to move forward in their lives — they want to rise — but they’re losing hope,” said Bush. 

The former governor and famous political scion was also critical of the inner workings of Washington and President Obama. But he also had particularly tough words for the new GOP-controlled Congress, saying it was filled with too many “academic and political hacks” with “hard-core ideology.”

“They’re basically Maytag repairmen,” said Bush. “Nothing gets done.” Bush added, “It is time to challenge every aspect of how government works — how it taxes, how it regulates, how it spends — to open up economic opportunity for all.”