Jeb Bush: ObamaCare defunding push ‘quite dicey’ politically

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) criticized the efforts of some in his party to use the threat of shutting down the government to force defunding of ObamaCare, warning the move was politically “quite dicey” and unrealistic.

{mosads}”I’d just add a little dose of reality,” the potential presidential candidate said at the National Press Club on Wednesday, following statements from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R).

“If you control one-half of one-third of leverage in Washington, D.C., your ability to influence things are also relative to the fact that you have one-half of one-third of the government… It’s a reality. This isn’t a hypothetical. So as we get closer to these deadlines, there needs to be an understanding of that, or politically it’s quite dicey for the Republican Party.”

Bush’s remarks reflect the views of many establishment Republicans that the push from congressional conservatives — including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bush’s protege — is untenable strategically and damaging politically.

The fight has led to a bitter public split between the two factions of the GOP. Bush has long hewed more toward the establishment end of the Republican spectrum.