Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he has no intention of being Mitt Romney’s vice presidential candidate, and is urging the presumptive GOP nominee to go with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio instead.
Bush gave the commencement speech at conservative Catholic Ave Maria University near Naples, Fla., on Saturday. Just before he spoke, university President Jim Towey asked the group if they thought Bush should be president. The crowd roared its approval,
NaplesNews.com reported.
Before the speech, reporters drilled Bush repeatedly on the VP question.
"Wow, no foreplay," he quipped, NaplesNews.com reported. "I'm not going to be vice president. I'm an active supporter of Gov. Romney. I humbly suggest he seriously consider Marco Rubio."
Rubio, Florida’s Cuban-American senator, is the most eloquent speaker for Hispanics in this country, Bush said, according to NapleNews.com. He added that Romney should focus on a "proactive immigration policy that promotes legal immigration. We can't send a signal that we want to be the old white guy party."
Florida will be key to the presidential election, Bush said, adding: "We're the purplest of all purple states. If the president wins Florida, Romney has to do a lot more elsewhere."
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