Jeb Bush: I’m Not Running for Prez

Will anyone believe him? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush attempted to put rumors to rest on Tuesday that he’d be the latest Bush to run for the White House, telling a Louisville ABC affiliate, “I am not running for president.” The announcement is a bit surprising, given that Bush had been increasing his national profile and stood to benefit from his weighty political base of Florida. Now, the wide-open field of 2012 GOP presidential picks has narrowed only slightly, with speculation still circulating around favorites such as Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, South Dakota Senator John Thune, and former Senator Rick Santorum. The latter, a socially conservative Pennsylvanian, lost big in his run for reelection in 2008, but he recently met with several of his former Capitol Hill staffers to float the idea of his possible candidacy in 2012.