George W. Hits Cruz, Rubio at Jewish Fundraiser

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is getting the assistance of his older brother, former president George W. Bush, as he seeks to overcome insurgent candidates and regain his footing in the Republican presidential primaries, especially among Jewish donors.

Dubya was recruited last month to serve as a campaign surrogate among Jewish voters, as part of a broader campaign to gain the support of GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, but also an effort to overcome Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, hawks with an appeal to Jewish donors, according to a recent report by Mother Jones.

On Sunday, during a fundraiser attended by Larry Mizel, described as the “go-to person” among Republican Jews, the former president unleashed on Cruz, according to Politico. “I just don’t like the guy,” Bush was quoted as saying by several donors who attended the event.

One donor told Politico that when asked how he viewed the primary race and the other Republican candidates, Bush 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.

The former president was a little softer in criticizing Rubio, who many view as the biggest threat for Jeb among establishment and Jewish heavy hitters. “He’s a young, first-term senator; I’m not sure if that qualifies you to be president,” Bush reportedly said. “Of course, if he wins [the nomination], I’ll be back here next year telling you that doesn’t matter.”