Comparisons to brother 'interesting challenge' for Jeb Bush

By THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) - It's a question Jeb Bush gets often, and will surely get again, over and over.

At a meeting of Republican donors who helped pay for 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign, one wanted to know: How does the former Florida governor plan to distinguish himself from his brother, former President George W. Bush?

"He said we are bound by religious faith and our family's values, but have different interests, strategies and leadership styles," said Craig Duchossois, a Chicago-based investor and GOP donor who was at the meeting.

Others who have attended similar private events with Bush in recent weeks, as he aggressively seeks to raise a pacesetting amount of money before formally launching a 2016 campaign, say Bush has told them the same. His overriding message, although not one yet offered with many specifics: I am my own candidate.

"He dealt with that tough question like a champ," said another donor at the meeting, Terry Graunke. "He said, 'We may have the same principles and values, but everybody in our family is different.'"

Part of Bush's strength in the early days of the 2016 race undoubtedly comes from his family ties, including a robust fundraising network and connections inside the Republican Party built over generations - his father served as president, his grandfather as a member of the Senate.

In public, Bush offers nothing but love and respect for his older brother, a figure who still divides Americans more than six years since leaving office - but less so now than upon his exit from the White House. In private, the younger Bush notes that they differ and see the world differently.

"It's an interesting challenge for me," Jeb Bush told an audience earlier month, offering a public glimpse into his thinking about how the legacy of his family might impact his own campaign.

"If I have any degree of self-awareness, this would be the place where it might want to be applied," he told the Detroit Economic Club, earning a chuckle. "If I was to go beyond the consideration of running, I would have to deal with this and turn this fact into an opportunity to share who I am, to connect on a human level with people."

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Comparisons to brother 'interesting challenge' for Jeb Bush