Voter form Florida

by Brian Hayes | Top Right News

Jeb Bush did something very odd on a 2009 voter form that is raising many eyebrows, especially among conservatives who distrust him on illegal immigration.

The former Florida governor and likely Republican presidential candidate Bush marked himself down as “Hispanic” in a voter registration application form in 2009, the New York Times reported Monday.

The Bush camp is calling it a “mistake”. One that for some reason took 6 years and a NY Times article to admit.

The Times said a Bush spokesman “could offer no explanation” for why he put himself down as Hispanic, and his own son called him out on Twitter:

Jeb Bush’s 2009 Voter-Reg Application @JebBush LOL – come on dad, think you checked the wrong box #HonoraryLatino

— Jeb Bush, Jr. (@JebBushJr)

Byron York of the Washington Examiner said a Bush spokesperson told him that it was an error made “at some point”:

Bush spokesperson on 2009 'Hispanic' voter registration form: 'It's unclear where the paperwork error was made…'

— Byron York (@ByronYork)

Um, ok.

Bush himself later tweeted, “my mistake!”

My mistake! Don’t think I’ve fooled anyone! RT @JebBushJr LOL – come on dad, think you checked the wrong box #HonoraryLatino

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush)

However, the form is likely to reinforce the distrust many have about Bush and his positions about immigration — which are virtually indistinguishable from Barack Obama — as the 2016 primaries fast approach.

Bush has said he supports a plan that would require illegal immigrants to pay fines and taxes and follow the law, which would put them on a path to legal status.

Conservatives reject this approach — tried and failed in the 1986 amnesty, and say existing laws on the books need to be enforced, along with a resumption of illegal alien deportations — virtually halted under Obama. That position has hardened over the last several years, especially in light of two major moves by President Barack Obama to provide legal protections for millions of illegal immigrants.

Bush himself speaks Spanish, and the Bush camp has tried to get the Spanish language media to refer to him as the potential “First Hispanic President.”

This strategy was picked up on by Twitter user, who isn’t buying the “mistake” story one bit:

I bet that @JebBush leaked this "mistake" to the @NYTimes in boost his appeal among Hispanic voters #1stHispanicPrez