Jeb Bush says he wants to eliminate Citizens United
Jeb Bush on Monday blasted the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling that allows corporations and wealthy to donate unlimited amounts of money on direct advocacy for candidates in federal campaigns.
The former governor of Florida, who's been campaigning in New Hampshire to prepare for Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary, told CNN he wishes it could be eliminated.
"If I could do it all again I'd eliminate the Supreme Court ruling" Citizens United, he said. "This is a ridiculous system we have now where you have campaigns that struggle to raise money directly and they can't be held accountable for the spending of the super PAC that's their affiliate."
It's an interesting comment from a candidate whose campaign has largely been backed by the super PAC Right to Rise, which has raised more than $117 million for his bid during this 2016 cycle.
According to CNN, Bush has said he would pursue a constitutional convention in which he would call for a balanced budget amendment and term limits.
"The ideal situation would be to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that allows for...unregulated money for the independent and regulated for the campaign," he said Monday in Nashua, New Hampshire, according to CNN's report. "I would turn that on its head if I could."
Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, have both railed against the ruling and have called for its reversal. In fact, Clinton has said it would serve as a litmus test if she is elected president and has the opportunity to appoint new Supreme Court justices.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who dropped out of the presidential race in December, had previously said wanted make it a priority to have a constitutional amendment that reversed Citizens United.