Skipping this weekend’s mass gathering of Republican leaders at the Iowa Freedom Summit is a big mistake for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former GOP nominee Mitt Romney if they intend to run for president in 2016, Citizens United president David Bossie said Friday on "America’s Forum."
"I have no idea what's in Jeb Bush's head," Bossie told
Newsmax TV. "I believe that he should be here, I believe Mitt Romney, if he is going to be a candidate, should be here. I completely think that Rand Paul is missing out and that he should be in attendance."
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Bush, Romney and Paul have declined invitations, but a large contingent of big GOP names are attending, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and real estate mogul Donald Trump.
Asked by host J.D. Hayworth if Bush and Romney may have declined because they did not want to appear alongside brash tea party Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who is staunchly opposed to offering amnesty to illegal immigrants, Bossie said that too would be a mistake.
"If they are thinking they don't want to be standing next to Steve King on stage, that is their political calculation, that is a major error if you are trying to win the Iowa caucus," he said.
"That would go against Jeb Bush's best interest, even if he is in disagreement with Steve King on one issue.
"It is something that you — look at Chris Christie. Chris Christie is not necessarily standing toe-to-toe, shoulder-to-shoulder with Steve King on every issue, and I don't agree with Chris Christie on lots of issues. But he has the courage to show up and say, here's my position and this is who I am and take me or leave me, but I'm going to stand on my own two feet in front of you and have the courage of my convictions," Bossie said.
"That's what a professional does."
King took to Twitter to slam Michelle Obama’s guest at the State of the Union address, calling 21-year-old college senior Ana Zamora a "deportable." Zamora is in the U.S. as a result of President Barack Obama's 2012 executive action deferring deportation for young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
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