Staff Acquitted in Boot Camp Youth Death

Rubio also neutral as GOP focuses on state

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney has been racking up endorsements in Florida but the state's two most prominent Republicans are staying silent. Sen. Marco Rubio says he won't be endorsing a candidate and Jeb Bush has failed to join the party establishment in backing Mitt Romney against Newt Gingrich. Romney has been doing his best to win the popular former governor's endorsement but an offer to make him national co-chairman of his campaign was declined, insiders tell the New York Times. More»

State has narrowed gap between rich and poor students: ProPublica

(NEWSER) - Jeb Bush has made a name for himself for education reform in Florida , and a first-of-its kind analysis by ProPublica suggests he's not just blowing smoke by at least one important measure. Florida now has the highest percentage of high school students in advanced classes and, crucially, "that holds true across rich and poor districts." In other states—including Oklahoma, Maryland, and Kansas, 60 years removed from Brown vs. the Board of Education—the rich-poor gap remains wide. Generally speaking, kids in wealthy districts in those states have plenty of AP courses to choose from, and kids in high-poverty districts have few. (The story includes an interactive feature for people to see how their own schools stack up. Click here for that.) More»

Jeb Bush, that is, in education push

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama got a little help from an unlikely ally today in Florida, when Jeb Bush appeared with him at a speech promoting the administration's education agenda at Miami Central High School, the AP reports. Bush introduced Obama, saying that education shouldn't be a partisan issue. Obama shook his hand, then took over. "Aside from being a former governor of this great state, Jeb of course is best known as being the brother of Marvin Bush," he said, garnering a laugh from the audience. More»

(NEWSER) - Jeb Bush cringes at the idea of running for office again, but that doesn’t mean he lacks bold vision for the Republican Party, writes Fred Barnes in the Wall Street Journal. Bush thinks the GOP should morph into a reform party, starting with the states. “A real effort to play offense outside of Washington in advancing a reform agenda” is necessary and possible, the former Florida governor said, where change “is easier to do.” More»

Ex-governor getting strong support

(NEWSER) - All signs are pointing toward a Jeb Bush run for the Senate in Florida, Politico reports. Nothing’s settled, say those close to him, but the former governor has been working the phones since Sen. Mel Martinez announced he wouldn’t run again in 2010. "Everything indicates that he's in," said a Republican strategist. "You're not making calls and laying the ground work for fundraising unless you're clearing the field for your candidacy." More»