Jeb: George W. Bush is a top foreign policy adviser
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Caption:Washington, UNITED STATES: US President George W. Bush (L) looks on as his brother Florida Governor Jeb Bush speaks 19 April, 2006. Governor Bush was among several governors who met with the president after an Easter trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
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Jeb Bush cited his brother, former President George W. Bush, as one of his main advisers on the Middle East in a private meeting in Manhattan on Tuesday, according to three people who attended the off-the-record event.
The comment came as a shock to some who were in the room because Jeb, a likely presidential contender, has taken pains to publicly distance himself from his brother and his controversial policies, particularly in that area of the world.
In a national security speech in February, Bush said, “I am my own man,” and he has insisted he would develop his own policies on foreign affairs if he decides to run for president.
His comments behind closed doors indicate a closer connection to his brother. After a previous dust-up about who was counseling him on world issues, Jeb was asked Tuesday about his foreign policy advisers. That’s when he listed his brother.
The Washington Post reported that Jeb cited his brother as an adviser on Israel, however, four sources confirmed to CNN that the comments were focused on foreign policy more broadly. Three of them said Jeb noted his brother was an adviser on the Middle East.
One of the people in the room jotted down Jeb’s comment as such: “What you need to know is that who I listen to when I need advice on the Middle East is George W. Bush.”
Bush spokesman Tim Miller said in a statement to CNN: “Gov. Bush deeply respects his brother’s service to this country and in response to a question about James Baker and Israel, he reiterated that he looks to his brother whose stalwart support for our ally is in line with his commitment to standing with Israel in the face of great threats to their security and our own.”
Two sources who the Bush staff put in touch with CNN said they understood Bush’s comments to be specifically regarding Israel.
“There were some eyebrows raised because people might not have realized it was in the context of Israel,” said one of these two sources. “I knew it was in respect to Israel.”
The other source provided a similar account, saying, “it was clear that Jeb was referring to Israel.”
Paul Singer, the founder of the hedge fund Elliott Management, hosted the event Tuesday, but it was not a fundraiser for Bush. The roughly 50-person crowd tended to be foreign policy-oriented and included prominent Republican donors, former ambassadors, and members of the conservative media. CNN granted sources anonymity because it was an off-the-record event.
Jeb’s comments were well received by some in the room, but they could prove damaging to a wider audience. Many of George W. Bush’s policies, particularly the war in Iraq, are still unpopular with large swaths of Americans.
In a September 2013 CNN/ ORC poll, 62% of Americans said sending troops to Iraq was a mistake. But the conversation about Iraq has changed in recent years as the U.S. has re-engaged there to help the government deal with the rise of ISIS, the terror network that has its base in portions of Iraq and Syria.
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George W. Bush, seen here in January 2003, served two terms as President of the United States. His father, George H.W. Bush, was the nation's 41st president.
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Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 6, 1946. Here, he looks up at his parents, George and Barbara, as they pose for a portrait in April 1947.
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Bush and his parents are photographed in Rye, New York, during the summer of 1955. Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush, became a US senator in 1952.
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Bush, left, is the eldest child of George and Barbara Bush. Barbara is holding her youngest son, Marvin, and her husband is holding their son Neil. At bottom left is their son Jeb. The couple also had a young daughter, Robin, who died from leukemia in 1953.
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Bush was a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard from 1968-1970. His father was a naval aviator who fought during World War II.
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Bush, in the red shirt, is seen with his father and his three brothers in 1970. From left are Neil, George H.W., Jeb, George W. and Marvin.
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Bush holds his twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, in 1981. At the time, he was the CEO of Arbusto Energy, an oil exploration firm he founded in 1977.
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Members of the Bush family pose for a 1986 photo in Kennebunkport, Maine. George W. Bush is third from left behind his young daughter Barbara.
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Bush and his wife, Laura, attend his father's inauguration in 1989. Bush worked on his father's presidential campaign.
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Bush celebrates after he was elected governor of Texas in 1994. Bush, a Republican like his father, ran for Congress in 1978 but lost.
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Bush hugs his daughters Barbara, left, and Jenna after his election win in 1994.
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Bush's father joins him and Laura at his inauguration in Texas in 1994. Bush went on to win a second term in 1998 before running for president.
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Bush practices his national convention speech while working at the governor's mansion in Texas in July 2000.
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Bush is embraced by his wife, Laura, at the governor's mansion in November 2000. Bush lost the popular vote but edged Gore in the Electoral College. His victory didn't become official until December, when the US Supreme Court, by a 5-4 margin, suspended a recount in the deciding state of Florida. Gore conceded the next day.
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Bush is sworn in as President in January 2001.
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Bush delivers his inaugural address.
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Bush gets a pat on the back from his dad during his inauguration ceremonies.
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Bush drives his pickup truck at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in 2002.
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Bush, speaking from the USS Abraham Lincoln in May 2003, announced that "major combat operations" had ended in Iraq. A banner on the aircraft carrier said "mission accomplished," drawing criticism because the war in Iraq was still far from over. Bush never said the words "mission accomplished" in his speech -- he actually said "our mission continues" -- but the President later expressed regret about speaking in front of the banner.
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Bush waves after addressing delegates at the Republican National Convention in 2004.
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Bush walks off Air Force One carrying the family dogs Barney and Miss Beazley in 2006.
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