Bush promises tougher line but less political division in Rock Hill campaign stop

Jeb Bush made his pitch as the strongest candidate to tackle both America’s enemies abroad and the problems with the federal government at home, just before voters take a break from politics for the holidays.

Bush made a pre-Thanksgiving stop in Rock Hill on Tuesday, where he spoke to a packed crowd in a town hall at the Magnolia Room in Laurel Creek.

This was Bush’s first visit to Rock Hill since a string of terrorist attacks Nov. 13 in Paris left more than 125 people dead. The attacks have put national security issues back at the center of the presidential campaign, an area where Bush has tried to position himself as a more serious alternative to “outsider” candidates – such as Donald Trump or Ben Carson – who lack national political experience.

“I was the only candidate to have a plan to defeat ISIS before the Paris attacks,” Bush said.

Bush criticized the Obama administration for what he said was too restrictive an approach in attacking the Islamic State, or ISIS, within Iraq and Syria, because of a fear of inflicting civilian casualties. He said he would ask his generals what needed to be done – while also sending more “embedded advisers” from the U.S. Army with forces fighting ISIS on the ground.

Domestically, Bush wants to reverse sequestration cuts on military spending, arguing that some Air Force pilots today are flying planes older than they are.

“We’re sending 20th-century planes to face 21st-century dangers,” Bush said. “We can’t just talk about how great and strong we are. We have to provide support for our war fighters.”

Like many other GOP candidates, Bush has called for a pause in Syrian refugee resettlement in the wake of the Paris attacks because of fears supporters of the Islamic State or other terrorist groups could enter the United States in the guise of refugees. But Bush has also drawn criticism because of his call for the U.S. to continue to accept Christian refugees from the Middle East but not Muslim refugees.

Bush highlighted the Islamic State and other foreign threats to the U.S. earlier this year during a national security forum at Winthrop University.

On economic policy, Bush said he would double the annual economic growth rate from 2 percent to 4 percent, a pledge economists have said is unrealistic. Bush said Tuesday the goal is achievable through a combination of middle-class tax cuts and a reduction in the number of tax loopholes and deductions.

He also called for a reform of the federal government, including such measures as a balanced budget amendment, a presidential line-item veto and congressional term limits. He also vowed to reduce the number of federal employees by 10 percent by not replacing civil servants lost to attrition during his term.

Bush didn’t directly mention the GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, but he said he offered a choice for experienced “servant leadership” versus the more divisive rhetoric of candidates without a record. Voting for that kind of candidate, Bush argued, is how Obama became president.

“I’m not trying to be on a reality show here,” Bush said. “This is about being president of the United States.”

The S.C. Democratic Party put out a statement in advance of Bush’s visit to the state. Party officials called on Republican candidates to address the shooting of five people at a Black Lives Matter protest Monday night in Minneapolis.

“South Carolina voters deserve a serious conversation about how Republican candidates plan to grow the middle class and keep America safe,” said Jason Perkey, executive director of the S.C. Democratic Party. “Instead, they are ... alienating entire communities of voters, and inciting fear with irresponsible rhetoric.”

Bush didn’t address the protest movement on Tuesday, but he did argue his policies as Florida’s governor helped minority communities. He told the story of a young girl named Danesha, who was held back in third grade twice at her Florida public school but flourished after she transferred to a Christian school under Florida’s corporate income tax scholarship program – in which businesses receive a tax credit for donations that fund private scholarships for low-income students.

Today, Bush said, Danesha is in a master’s program at a Florida university.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Bush promises tougher line but less political division in Rock Hill campaign stop."