Jeb Bush: 'Washington' Is Pejorative, Not 'Redskins'

By Jesse Byrnes, The Hill

10 October 15

OP presidential candidate Jeb Bush late Thursday suggested that when discussing the football team the Washington Redskins, the mascot is not the offensive part of the phrase.

The former Florida governor, who said recently that he doesn't find the team's name offensive, made the remark when conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt suggested the media overhype D.C.-related stories.

"There was a big argument about the Washington Redskins, the 'Redskins' being a pejorative term," Bush said. "I think 'Washington' is the pejorative term, not the 'Redskins.'"

The owner of the NFL team, Daniel Snyder, has stood firmly behind the Redskins name. He also donated $100,000 to the pro-Bush super-PAC Right to Rise earlier this year.

Bush said that Washington is "not chaotic, it's just dysfunctional," after GOP clamoring Thursday to find a new candidate to run for Speaker.

Republicans are seeking even more distance from the Beltway than usual this election cycle as never-elected candidates such as billionaire Donald Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former businesswoman Carly Fiorina are connecting well with voters.

Bush also suggested Thursday during a campaign stop in Iowa that working in Washington was not part of his "DNA," with the statement seen as an attempt to distinguish himself from his father and brother, who both served as president.