Jeb Bush Doesn't Think Michigan Governor Should Resign Over Flint Water Crisis
Bush says he admires Rick Snyder.
— -- Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush doesn't believe Michigan Governor Rick Snyder should resign over his state's handling of the Flint water crisis.
While Bush called the water contamination in Flint that has been ongoing for months “horrific,” he said that he admired Snyder for taking charge during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.
"He's not saying that it's someone else's fault, Bush said. "He's rolling up his sleeves and trying to -- trying to deal with this. But he has a responsibility, he's admitted it. And so does the EPA, and so does local government."
"He needs to do what he's doing which is to accept responsibility and begin to solve the problem,” Bush said when asked if Snyder should resign, calling him “a great governor for Michigan."
Bush also commented on a report in the Weekly Standard that alleged the super PAC supporting him, Right to Rise, had paved the way for Donald Trump’s candidacy by running ads against Bush’s other rivals, namely Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
Bush fired back, saying he's the only guy to go after Trump.
"I'm the only guy taking Trump on. I'm the only guy that takes Trump on directly because I don't believe that he's a conservative," he said. "I’m the only guy that consistently goes after him. I’ll continue to do it, as I advocate my message, my detailed plans to fix the mess in Washington, D.C."
In the past few weeks, Right to Rise has sent out a barrage of mailers to voters in early states attacking Rubio along with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. The three are seen by many as Bush's rivals to landing the support of the Republican Party.
But Bush’s communications director, Tim Miller, said the campaign spent $500,000 in advertisements attacking Trump, adding that it spent nothing aimed at Rubio, though web-only videos like this one, have been released attacking the records of Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Right to Rise, however, has spent millions on his behalf throughout the fall and into winter, including over $1.4 million on ads attacking Rubio just in the past two months, the super PAC has said.
Bush often mentions Trump directly while on the campaign trail, criticizing him for his often disparaging remarks, including Trump saying Saturday that he could "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" without losing support.
"If he shot somebody, he’ll probably be convicted of a first-degree felony and sent to prison,” Bush said Saturday, adding, "Felons probably can't run for president. I'm just saying.”
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