Jeb Bush says his wife would support a presidential run

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in an interview with the Associated Press that his famously press-shy wife, Columba, is "supportive" of the fact that he is considering running for president in 2016.

The fact that presidency is practically a Bush family trait hasn't made it any easier get the family to coalesce around yet another White House bid.

Earlier this year, Bush's mother, Barbara Bush, said that while she believed her son was the "best qualified" person to run for president in 2016, "I hope he won't."

Since then, she has softened her tone, and Bush said in the interview that she as "been around the track" on the idea.

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"She just believes that it's something that she doesn't want my family to go through, although she's changed her mind on that. So I'm marking her down to `neutral, trending in a different direction' than she was," he said.

Bush's wife, Columba, largely eschewed the spotlight while he was Florida governor and does not seem eager to return to the public eye. He told the Associated Press, "My wife is supportive, but that doesn't mean that I don't understand the challenges that this brings. This is ultimately my decision with as much consideration as I can to take into account the people that I really love."

Family is clearly a top consideration for Bush, who did the interview while campaigning for his son, George P. Bush, who is joining the family business with his own campaign for Texas Land Commissioner. Asked whether his son's burgeoning political career will affect his decision, Bush said, "I don't want to do anything that would make it harder for George to be successful in his pursuits, for sure. ... George comes from a family that has two presidents and a governor from another state. Those are complications in his life that he has dealt with, I think, with a lot of grace."