Jeb Bush announced his candidacy for President of the United States today, marking the third Bush to run for the office since 1989. The youngest Bush has been under fire this week for passages in his book which suggests single moms should be shamed and blamed for their “irresponsible conduct.” And today, he says that being a single mom, “hurts the prospects, limits the possibilities of young people being able to live lives of purpose and meaning,” drawing comments from Democrats that Bush is out of touch with everyday Americans and unfit to lead a nation in today’s day and age.
“Nothing that Jeb Bush has said or done leads me to believe that he is fit for the Presidency,” said New Mexico Democratic Chairwoman Deb Haaland, herself a single mother. “Jeb Bush thinks single moms hurt their kids, that women cannot make reproductive decisions for themselves, that women shouldn’t earn as much in the workplace as their male counterparts, and that unmarried pregnant women should be forced to publicly announce their sexual partners before being eligible to put a child up for adoption? And he wants to be president of the United States of America in 2016? That’s terrifying. It’s terrifying for me as a woman and single mother, and it’s terrible for all our LGBT families who will face persecution because he won’t accept marriage equality. He continues to oppose common sense policies that help families like paid family leave and executive action on immigration. Jeb Bush is wrong for women, wrong for New Mexico, and wrong for America.”
Haaland went on to say, “Mr. Bush has clearly not done much evolving since 1995. Until he changes his policies and rhetoric to move into the 21st century and starts supporting families and hardworking Americans, he will never and should never be President of the United States.”