Jeb Bush Says His Father is the ‘Best Man I’ve Ever Met’
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ABC News(WASHINGTON) — In a special Father’s Day edition of the Sunday Spotlight on ABC’s This Week, former Florida governor Jeb Bush reflected on lessons learned from his father and hinted about his own political future.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Jon Karl, Bush spoke about Father’s Days spent in the Bush household and called the 41st president “the best dad and the best man I’ve ever met.”
“He’s a humble guy,” Bush said. “Every day was Father’s Day as I’m concerned.”
Bush said his father’s lessons on humility have stayed with him. As Bush reflected on his loss in a 1994 Florida gubernatorial run, he recalled the resiliency his father taught him.
“I ended up learning that losing actually turns out to be pretty good,” Bush said. “It makes you better. You learn and grow.”
Bush said his father’s reaction to losing his 1992 presidential bid also inspired him.
“I think my dad’s post-presidency, he didn’t miss a beat,” Bush said. “He didn’t get into any kind of ‘woe is me.’ He dusted himself off and led an incredible life since 1993.”
Bush opened up about his father’s health challenges. President Bush celebrated his 89th birthday on June 12th and donned a signature pair of colorful Superman socks for the occasion.
“I think it was hard at first for my dad to transition to being immobile,” Bush said.
“I think he’s in a good place. He’s mentally alert,” he added. “He’s spiritually in a place that we should all envy.”
The former Florida governor is frequently mentioned as a potential 2016 presidential candidate -including by family members.
His father and brother, George W. Bush, have encouraged Jeb to enter the race in 2016, while his mother, Barbara, concluded that there have been “enough Bushes” in the White House.
“I think we’ve got a split ballot amongst the Bush senior family. Pretty sure that’s the case,” Bush said smiling.
For now, the Bush family is focused on their Father’s Day letter writing contest, recently launched to honor fathers and promote former First Lady Barbara Bush’s Foundation for Family Literacy.
Bush says the project honors his father’s love of writing letters and encourages families to get involved in the “process of teaching kids how to read and giving them the joy of reading.”
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