Jeb Bush Asserted He Would Have Authorized The 2003 Invasion Of Iraq

Bush Tells Fox's Megyn Kelly: I Would Have Authorized 2003 Invasion Of Iraq. In a May 11 interview, Jeb Bush told Fox News' Megyn Kelly that he would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq even “knowing what we know now.” According to The Washington Post:

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as his brother and then-president George W. Bush did, he told Fox News' Megyn Kelly in an interview to be aired Monday.

“I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got,” the likely 2016 presidential contender said. [The Washington Post, 5/10/15; Media Matters, 5/12/15]

Fox Covered For Bush, Claiming He Misunderstood The Question

Fox's Kelly: Bush Was Answering A Different Question. On the May 11 edition of Fox News' The Kelly File, Kelly claimed Bush “was trying to answer the question of 'do you believe it was a mistake at the time'” with his Iraq War answer. [Fox News, The Kelly File, 5/11/15]

Fox's Hannity Gave Bush A Platform To “Clarify” His Answer. Interviewing Bush on the May 12 edition of his radio show, Fox host Sean Hannity gave Bush time to “clarify” his answer, saying, “The media seems to be taking it another way and I wanted to see if I could clarify that today.” Jeb Bush asserted “I interpreted the question wrong I guess.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 5/12/15]

Fox's Hume: Bush “Clearly Misunderstood [The] Question.” Talking to Megyn Kelly on the May 12 edition of The Kelly File, Fox senior political analyst Brit Hume argued that Bush “clearly misunderstood your question,” and his answer was “clearly and unmistakably an answer to a question about what you would have done had you not known what we know now.” [Fox News, The Kelly File, 5/12/15]

Jeb Bush Claimed Americans “Need To Work Longer Hours” To Boost Economy

Bush: Americans “Need To Work Longer Hours” To Boost The Economy. In a July 8 interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said that American workers “need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families”:

BUSH: My aspirations for the country, and I believe we can achieve it, is for 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see ... Which means we have to be a lot more productive. Workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families. That's the only way we are going to get out of this rut that we're in. [New Hampshire Union Leader, 7/8/15]

Fox Ran Defense For Bush, Claiming He Was Right And Blaming Obama For Slow Economic Growth

Fox's Nauert: Bush's Comments Were “Taken Out Of Context.” On the July 9 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, correspondent Heather Nauert claimed that the Republican presidential hopeful's comments were “taken out of context” by Democrats, and cited a Bush campaign statement to clarify that the candidate meant to say that “some workers can only find part-time jobs in this Obama economy.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 7/9/15]

Fox's MacCallum: Bush Was Right, “The Truth Is That Productivity Levels Are Very Low.” On the July 9 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, co-host Martha MacCallum claimed Bush was right, saying “the truth is that productivity levels are very low.” Fox host Bret Baier agreed and dismissed criticism of Bush's comments, saying that “people just don't like hearing” those kinds of comments from presidential candidates:

MACCALLUM: The truth is that productivity levels are very low in this country, and the worker participation rate is extremely -- you've got 100 million people who are out of work in this country, right now. But that was something that he had to backpedal on. Why is that, Bret?

BAIER: Well, because people just don't like hearing that, you know? A lot of people are working really hard across the country, and you can talk about productivity, you can talk about stats, but when you talk about somebody who is putting in a long day the last thing they really want to hear is a candidate for president telling them that they need to work longer hours. So, it's just not, you know, a way to phrase it. And so, that's why he had to walk it back. [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 7/9/15]

Fox Hosts Defend Bush, Blame Obamacare For Creating Part-Time Economy. On the July 9 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt, Harris Faulkner, Elizabeth MacDonald, Andrea Tantaros, and guest Joe Theismann defended Bush's comments by attacking the Affordable Care Act for allegedly forcing employees into part-time jobs and suggesting that government anti-poverty relief programs discourage Americans from working. Earhardt suggested that what Bush meant to say was that Americans “want to work longer hours,” and that the Republican candidate is in fact “fighting for families.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 7/9/15]

Bush Suggested The Federal Government Spends Too Much On Women's Health

Bush: “I'm Not Sure We Need Half A Billion Dollars In Funding For Women's Health Programs.” Speaking at a Southern Baptist convention in Nashville, Bush said “I'm not sure we need half a billion dollars in funding for women's health programs”:

Looking to curry favor with religious conservatives at the outset of a competitive primary fight, Bush on Tuesday repeated his call to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood -- and then he went even further, questioning the amount of government support for women's health programs generally.

[...]

The controversial comment came as Bush started to acknowledge the importance of federal funding for some women's health programs, and then stopped mid-sentence to qualify his remarks, asserting that he believes the current amount of funding is likely too much.

“I'm not sure we need half a billion dollars in funding for women's health programs,” Bush said, before continuing with his point. "If you took dollar for dollar, there are many extraordinarily fine organizations, community health organizations that exist, federally sponsored community health organizations to provide quality care for women on a wide variety of health issues.

“But abortion should not be funded by the government, any government in my mind,” he concluded. [Politico, 8/4/15]

Fox Covered For Bush By Highlighting His Appearance But Ignoring And Excusing Remarks About Too Much Funding For “Women's Health Issues”

Special Report Highlighted Bush's Appearance At Southern Baptist Convention, But Ignored Women's Health Remarks. On the August 4 edition of Fox News' Special Report, correspondent Carl Cameron reported that Bush “won applause” when he asserted that “the next president should defund Planned Parenthood” at the Southern Baptist convention, and didn't include Bush's remarks about “too much” funding for women's health:

CARL CAMERON: The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest gathering of Christian conservatives, invited the entire 2016 GOP field. Only two took part. Jeb Bush appeared in person and won applause when asked about Planned Parenthood's sale of body parts from aborted fetuses. [Fox News, Special Report, 8/4/15]

Fox & Friends: Bush Talked About Religious Liberty As “A Foundational Freedom In Our Country” During Southern Baptist Convention. On the August 5 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy hosted Russell Moore from the Southern Baptist Convention to discuss Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) appearance, and left unmentioned was Bush's suggestion that the federal government overfunds women's health care services:

DOOCY: Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush faced about 14,000 evangelicals in Nashville yesterday, two days ahead of the debate tomorrow night you'll see right here on Fox. At nearly 25 percent, evangelicals make up one of the largest religious groups in the United States, and over the years, they have played an important role in politics.

[Clip of Rubio]: Religious liberty, I think we need to explain to people, it's not simply the right to believe anything you want. It's the right to live according to those teachings and to have the opportunity to spread it to others, and distill in your children, and live in your everyday life.

[Clip of Bush]: People will say, it's okay to be religious, just do it in your church and do it at home, but don't act on your faith in the public square because that's discriminatory against others that may not agree with it. It's the other way around. This is the first freedom. This is a foundational freedom in our country.

[...]

DOOCY: What were you struck by what Jeb Bush, for instance, presented yesterday?

MOORE: Well I think both Governor Bush and Senator Rubio were strong in their affirmation of religious freedom, that this isn't something that is a government grant, but this is something that is a natural right. And that's -- I think that's probably the primary issue on the minds of evangelical Christians this year. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/5/15]

America's Newsroom: Bush Said He “Misspoke” On Women's Health Issues. On the August 5 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, host Martha MacCallum claimed there was a “war of words” over what Bush meant when he talked about women's health issues at the Convention, highlighting that that Bush said he “misspoke”: 

MACCALLUM: A bit of a war of words erupting between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton over comments that Bush made about women's health issues. During an interview on Tuesday, Governor Bush answered a question about defunding Planned Parenthood. Here's what he said: 

[Clip of Bush]: Not sure we need half a billion dollars for women's health issues. But, if you took dollar for dollar, there are many extraordinarily fine organization, community health organizations, that exist.

MACCALLUM: Democrats jumped all over that. Hillary Clinton accusing the Republican of not caring about women's health. In a written statement, Bush said he misspoke, quote,'With regards to women's health funding broadly, I believe there are countless community health centers, rural clinics, and other women's health organizations that need to be fully funded.' [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 8/5/15]