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Presidency not for me, Gov. Bush says© St. Petersburg Times, published January 5, 2001 TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush says he loves his Florida job and has never considered running for president of the United States. Bush said widespread reports that he was the Bush brother initially chosen by the Bush family and others to run for president are simply wrong. "No one has asked me," Bush told state capital reporters Thursday at an informal lunch gathering. "I have never been interested in being president. I have the job I want. I'd tell you if I had aspirations to be president." Bush says he's proud of his brother, President-elect George W. Bush, but content to be doing the job he's got right now. "I like doing this, advocating things and seeing them come to reality," Bush added. "My impression of Washington is that it is hard to do." After this year's legislative session, once he's finished dealing with the budget and bills, sometime around June, Bush said he'll probably take some time with his wife, Columba, and decide whether to seek re-election in 2002. "I love my job, I think we're making a difference," Bush added. "If I feel we can continue to make a difference and it's the right thing for my family, you can figure out what I will do." Bush said his decision won't be governed by polls, even those that show he remains highly popular among Floridians. "If a governor becomes too popular, he's probably not spending his political capital properly," Bush added. Governors can easily gain a lot of popularity by doing little, or they can try to do a lot of things and try to convince people it's the right thing to do. That's what Bush says he is trying to do with One Florida, his proposal for abolishing racial preferences in college admissions and contracts in favor of a voluntary system. Although One Florida has angered black legislators and a number of high profile black leaders, Bush said the program is working and has drastically increased the number of state contracts going to minorities. "I could have punted and done nothing," Bush said. "My personal belief is it's wrong to create one standard for someone and a lesser one for others." Old affirmative action policies that required setting aside 15 percent of state contracts and lowering college admission standards for minorities were policies that were not working, Bush said. "I haven't won the day as it relates to explaining it," Bush added. He predicts his policy will be successful in the end, and questioned the motives of many who are opposing One Florida for political reasons. Floridians will "pay the price" for the racially oriented political rhetoric that has occurred over the last few months, he predicted. "My job is to make sure we work hard and bring people together," he added. "If there are institutionalized forms of discrimination, the job of people in public life is to make sure to act and enforce the law." Bush plans to testify next week when the U.S. Civil Rights Commission begins hearings to consider complaints from Florida voters who say they were unable to vote in the November election. There may have been isolated cases where elections officials didn't have the right list of voters and denied people a ballot, Bush said. "But I don't think there was any concerted effort to keep people from voting," he added.
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From the Times state desk
From the state wire
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