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First Coast Connect

Gov. Jeb Bush Faces Higher Scrutiny Since Announcing Presidential Aspirations

The chances for another member of the Bush family to run for office may have increased, as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared official interest by attacking President Obama’s stance on relations with Cuba.

Bush announced this week he will explore a run for presidency in 2016, as well as call for a stronger embargo against Cuba.

“I don’t think we should be negotiating with a repressive regime to make changes in our relations with them until there are substantive changes on the island,” Bush told Miami Herold reporter Marc Caputo Wednesday morning.

UNF’s Matt Corrigan, author of Conservative Hurricane: How Jeb Bush Remade Florida joined Melissa Ross this morning on First Coast Connect to discuss his new book and the issue of Jeb Bush and 2016.

“Once you say, I’m going to run for president, or I’m thinking about running for president you have a different relationship with the press. They’re going to want comments on everything and he’s got to figure that out what he’s going to comment on. Is he going to have enough people around him to handle those requests? And at the end of the day he also has to figure out what Senator Marco Rubio is going to do,” said Corrigan on First Coast Connect.

Bush’s support for the embargo dates back to the 1980s when he embarked on his early business career in Miami, when he formed close ties to the exile community. The Cuban exile community became a critical part of the base for Bush’s campaigns in Florida.

Corrigan’s book looks at the way Jeb Bush governed Florida, as well as a deeper look into his regime and is available on Amazon.com.

You can follow Melissa Ross @MelissainJax.

For Melissa's interview with Corrigan check out today's episode of First Coast Connect.

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Melissa Ross joined WJCT in 2009 with 20 years of experience in broadcasting, including stints in Cincinnati, Chicago, Orlando and Jacksonville. During her career as a television and radio news anchor and reporter, Melissa has won four regional Emmys for news and feature reporting.