"I just don't like the guy"- George Bush on Ted Cruz

[planosteve]

Inside a sleek Denver condominium, George W. Bush let a hundred donors to his brother’s campaign in on a secret. Of all the rival Republican candidates, there is one who gets under the former president’s skin, whom he views as perhaps Jeb Bush’s most serious rival for the party’s nomination.

It isn’t Donald Trump, whose withering insults have sought to make Jeb pay a political price for his brother’s presidency. It isn’t Marco Rubio, Jeb’s former understudy who now poses a serious threat to his establishment support.

It’s George W. Bush’s former employee — Ted Cruz.

“I just don’t like the guy,” Bush said Sunday night, according to conversations with more than half a dozen donors who attended the event.

One donor in the room said the former president had been offering mostly anodyne accounts of how the Bush family network views the current campaign and charming off-the-cuff jokes, until he launched into Cruz.

“I was like, ‘Holy sh-t, did he just say that?’” the donor said. “I remember looking around and seeing that other people were also looking around surprised.”

“The tenor of what he said about the other candidates was really pretty pleasant,” another donor said. “Until he got to Cruz.”

Bush took a harsh view of Cruz’s apparent alliance with Trump, who stood with the senator at a Capitol Hill rally last month in opposition to the Iran deal. While Trump, the current GOP poll leaders, has attacked most of his competitors in the 2016 field, he has avoided criticizing Cruz.

One donor, paraphrasing the former president’s comment in response to a broad question about how he viewed the primary race and the other Republican candidates, said: “He said he found it ‘opportunistic’ that Cruz was sucking up to Trump and just expecting all of his support to come to him in the end,” that donor added.

George W. Bush is well acquainted with his home-state senator, who served as a domestic policy adviser on his 2000 campaign before rising to national prominence by distancing himself from — and often going out of his way to antagonize — the GOP establishment. In his book published earlier this year, Cruz ripped Bush’s record, criticizing elements of his foreign policy and faulting the administration for enabling "bigger government and excessive spending and new entitlements."

While Jeb Bush’s campaign is spending far more time of late pushing out information that contrasts favorably with Rubio, his oldest brother seemed to see Cruz as the biggest threat in the end. According to several donors, the former president said not to doubt Cruz’s strength.

“He said he thought Cruz was going to be a pretty formidable candidate against Jeb, especially in Texas and across the South,” a donor said.

A spokesman for the former president pushed back at the takeaway that he views Cruz as his brother's main obstacle in the 15-candidate primary field.

"The first words out of President Bush's mouth last night were that Jeb is going to earn the nomination, win the election, and be a great president," said Freddy Ford, George W. Bush's spokesman. "He does not view Sen. Cruz as Gov. Bush's most serious rival."

Cruz's campaign, after initially declining to comment for this story, provided a statement from the senator Monday night.

“I have great respect for George W Bush, and was proud to work on his 2000 campaign and in his administration," Cruz said. "It's no surprise that President Bush is supporting his brother and attacking the candidates he believes pose a threat to his campaign. I have no intention of reciprocating. I met my wife Heidi working on his campaign, and so I will always be grateful to him."

The donors at the event were a mix of establishment stalwarts like former Gov. Bill Owens and business executive Larry Mizel as well as a number of young professionals, who were offered reduced $250 tickets at the last minute in an effort to fill the room, according to an email the organizer circulated among potential supporters and obtained by POLITICO.

[url]Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/j ... z3p6facE63[/url]

[Mark]

Another reason of many that all the Bushes suck.

[ralph]

Another reason of many that all the Bushes suck.

----------------------------- agreed !!

[millergrovesue]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked. It seems he just doesn't know how to relate to others. He said he has struggled with this issue for a very long time. Led me to wonder if he has some type of Asperger's syndrome.

[ralph]

seems to me that Ted is liked by the people that agree with him or like him . To heck with the people that disagree with him or don't like him . Seems to me that liberals and progressives won't ever like him and thats normal as far as I am concerned . As example , there is no way that I could ever have a friendly thought or friendly action towards my enemies in American politics .

[John In Austin]

Ted Cruz doesn't reach across the aisle which is exactly what is needed. The only reason to reach across the aisle to a liberal is to slam his head into a concrete pillar.

[ralph]

!!

[BigTex]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked.

Well if it was on the radio it must be true.

[planosteve]

Somebody needs to send the Cruzl a copy.

[ralph]

then he'll be just like the rest of the rinos Steve . Heck , you guys elected him so YOU Texans must like him Ehh ??

[planosteve]

then he'll be just like the rest of the rinos Steve . Heck , you guys elected him so YOU Texans must like him Ehh ??

I for one didn't vote for him as I've said here a number of times. And I expect Rand Paul is right. "He's pretty much done for in the Senate".

Read more:http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/rand-paul-ted-cruz-214240#ixzz3p8ABzaCY

[Mark]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked. It seems he just doesn't know how to relate to others. He said he has struggled with this issue for a very long time. Led me to wonder if he has some type of Asperger's syndrome.

He isn't well liked by the Washington cartel because he doesn't belong to the go along to get along club.

Those of us that voted for him didn't send him to Washington to make friends. We sent him to Washington to represent our views, and he's done an outstanding job of that.

[ralph]

maybe , that kinda stuff happens but I can't imagine a Texan that voted him into the Senate rejecting him the next time if he runs for the Senate ever again . Maybe changing demographics as I think that you guys are getting lots of new 'texans' from California and 'south of the border , down mexico way' .

[ralph]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked. It seems he just doesn't know how to relate to others. He said he has struggled with this issue for a very long time. Led me to wonder if he has some type of Asperger's syndrome.

He isn't well liked by the Washington cartel because he doesn't belong to the go along to get along club.

Those of us that voted for him didn't send him to Washington to make friends. We sent him to Washington to represent our views, and he's done an outstanding job of that.

----------------------------- yep , same way that I see things Steve

[Red Oak]

Maybe it was the Whiskey talking ?

[Red Oak]

“He said he found it ‘opportunistic’ that Cruz was sucking up to Trump and just expecting all of his support to come to him in the end,”

Maybe it is just smart politics Dubya, something you were never very good at.

[planosteve]

Maybe it was the Whiskey talking ?

I hadn't heard that he was back on the bottle but it could be. I'm thinking he's actually going after Trump but doesn't have the guts.

[RaisinCain]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked. It seems he just doesn't know how to relate to others. He said he has struggled with this issue for a very long time. Led me to wonder if he has some type of Asperger's syndrome.

Wow, seems like you are reading alot into a radio story. He steps on a few toes and suddenly as Aspergers?!? lol

[millergrovesue]

Heard a story on the radio that Cruz has major problems with inter personal relationships and therefore is not well liked. It seems he just doesn't know how to relate to others. He said he has struggled with this issue for a very long time. Led me to wonder if he has some type of Asperger's syndrome.

Wow, seems like you are reading alot into a radio story. He steps on a few toes and suddenly as Aspergers?!? lol

You would have had to listen to the piece. It was made clear that he has had a problem with relationships all his life. Wish I could find the link. BTW there are highly varying degrees of Asperger's. Many highly functional people have it to a lesser degree.

Asperger’s syndrome is now considered to be part of the autism spectrum, rather than having its own separate diagnosis. It is also known as high functioning autism (HFA), and is often referred to as a hidden disability because its symptoms are not always outwardly visible. The difficulties for people with HFA centre around two main areas: communication, and behaviour.

People with HFA often find making and maintaining friendships challenging, because they not only have trouble expressing their own feelings and needs but also interpreting the thoughts, feelings and needs of others.

They are often of above average intelligence. Unlike others on the autism spectrum, there are fewer incidents of speech problems and no significant delay in cognitive abilities and self-help skills. People with HFA may experience learning difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia as well as other health and behavioural problems like epilepsy and ADHD.

Because speech usually develops at the expected age, HFA is generally detected later than other forms of autism.

https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/conte ... nt-types-1

[ralph]

a wishing and a hopin !! --- !! --- imo !! I just think that Cruz doesn't like his enemies .