PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- Jeb Bush said Thursday that his struggling campaign "is not on life support” after a debate performance where the former Florida governor was largely thought to have been outshined by some of his GOP rivals.
"We have the most money. We have the greatest organization. We are doing fine,” Bush told reporters after a campaign stop here.
The spotlight was on Bush going into Wednesday's CNBC debate in Colorado, after his campaign announced it would cut staff salaries and shuffle resources. Bush, however, spoke among the least of the ten candidates on stage.
"Washington’s not working at all. It is completely dysfunctional. The debate last night was a good example of it," Bush said. "There wasn’t any substantive question that, where people talk about the questions around their kitchen table…It was all about the horse race. It was all about the, trying to figure out the gotcha question to make people look bad."
Bush did get some good news Thursday when he picked up the endorsement of former New Hampshire senator and Governor Judd Gregg.
Gregg is a major endorsement in New Hampshire. “He has put forth more substantive thoughts and idea on these issues than all the other candidates combined and they’re good ideas and they will lead America to a stronger and better day,” Gregg told the audience gathered in front the picturesque Piscataqua River and a small crowd at Geno’s Chowder & Sandwich Shop.
Gregg served as governor of New Hampshire from 1989 to 1993, and represented the state in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. He chose not to run for re-election in 2010. President Obama nominated him to be Secretary of Commerce in 2009, but Gregg eventually withdrew his name.
“It’s a great pleasure for me to join the Jeb Bush team and work for his election and ask the people of New Hampshire to vote for him for President of the United States,” Gregg said.
“We are getting the kind of endorsements that matter,” Bush told reporters. “Judd Gregg is a well-respected elected official. He never lost here. People admire him for his leadership, for the kind of politician he was. So I’m excited to have his endorsement.”
