Jeb mocks Rubio: ‘I have my cowboy boots on’

GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush questioned rival Marco Rubio’s toughness Wednesday by taunting his taste in shoes.

“I’ve got my cowboy boots on,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” contrasting his footwear with a pair of black boots with pronounced heels Rubio was seen wearing last week.

{mosads}“I don’t have a height issue,” Bush quipped. “My wife tells me there’s an inverse relationship between height and intelligence. I’m struggling.”

Bush then taunted Rubio for complaining about an ad released Tuesday needling the senator from Florida over his shoe style.

“This isn’t beanbag, this is politics,” he said.

“In fact, I would say it’s pretty tame so far compared to previous election cycles,” Bush continued. “You know that anybody’s a victim here.

“Every candidate will have their record scrutinized, and I’m proud to have my record scrutinized because I have a record of accomplishment and I’m going to focus on that.”

The former Florida governor also implied that he possesses more grit than Rubio.

“I think we need leaders that run to the challenge, run to the fire to try to solve the problem rather than cut and run if there’s a problem,” he said.

“I see a problem and I accept responsibility and try to fix things,” Bush continued. “I don’t try to say the dog ate my homework or, you know, [it is] someone else’s fault.

“That is an important point because we’re not electing a backbencher to the United States Senate. We’re electing president of the United States.”

Right to Rise, a super-PAC allied with Bush, released the ad spoofing Rubio’s boots and Senate voting record.

Rubio first encountered derision after debuting the footwear in public last week. He has since repeatedly called Internet buzz over his clothing “craziness” given the many challenges facing America.