Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign is slamming Jeb Bush for making “phony attacks” on the Florida senator.
In a new online advertisement released on Tuesday, the GOP presidential candidate notes Bush’s past praise for Rubio, including his statement that he could be a good president.
{mosads}“What Marco has, I think, is something the Republican Party needs to have, which is a hopeful, optimistic message based on our principles,” Bush says in the video clip released by the Rubio campaign.
“I’m a huge Marco fan,” Bush continues. “He’s probably the most articulate conservative on the scene today.
“[He has] the fortitude to be a good president,” Bush adds of Rubio. “I’m so proud of his high-voltage energy. I’m so proud of his enthusiasm. I’m so proud of his eloquence.”
The clip states that “before Jeb Bush started the phony attack, this is what he said about Marco Rubio.”
Rubio has eclipsed Bush in several polls and is now seen by many political observers as a favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.
In the last debate, Bush sought to go on the attack against Rubio by highlighting Senate votes missed by Rubio. The effort appeared to backfire, however, after Rubio turned the criticism on Bush by saying he was getting bad advice in making the attacks.
Reports emerged Tuesday that a super-PAC supporting Bush next year is readying a major assault on Rubio.
The New York Times said Tuesday that the organization has prepared two videos for potential attacks against the Congressman.
One clip, it said, shows voters in New Hampshire deriding Rubio’s missed Senate votes on federal funding for Planned Parenthood and President Obama’s nuclear accord with Iran.
Another spot, it added, depicts Rubio as too extreme on abortion for victory in a 2016 general presidential election.
“Part of running for president is you have to put your big boy pants on and get vetted on the issues, so we know we can’t have a dud candidate running against [Democratic presidential front-runner] Hillary Clinton,” Mike Murphy, the super-PAC’s top strategist, told the Times when asked about Rubio.
“We all supported him for Senate,” he added. “We all support him staying there, because he is far from proving he is ready for and experienced enough to be president of the United States in a dangerous time.”
The Times said sources claim Murphy is willing to spend $20 million on criticism of Rubio’s 2016 Oval Office bid.