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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Bush and Rubio favored in Florida but other Republicans want a look - Reuters

<span id="midArticle_start"/><span id="midArticle_0"/>LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., June 2 Differencesemerged on Tuesday among Republican rivals for the 2016presidential nomination at a forum where it was clear that JebBush and Marco Rubio will face some competition in Floridadespite their home-state edge.

<span id="midArticle_1"/>The fact that seven Republican candidates or potentialcandidates spoke at Florida Governor Rick Scott's "EconomicGrowth Summit" was proof of the wide-open nature of the searchby Florida Republicans for a candidate in the November 2016election.

<span id="midArticle_2"/>With polls showing no clear front-runner in the race, theRepublicans are starting to stake out positions in order toseparate themselves from the tightly bunched pack.

<span id="midArticle_3"/>Rubio, 44, opened the forum by declaring "the time has comefor a new generation of leaders," a sign that he sees himselfrather than the 62-year-old Bush and others in the crowdedRepublican field as the key to the party's future.

<span id="midArticle_4"/>Bush touted his job-creating record as Florida governor from1999-2007 as better than most, including former Texas GovernorRick Perry, who promoted his own jobs record.

<span id="midArticle_5"/> <span class="first-article-divide"/>Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has struck apopulist tone in his campaign, said it would be "politicalsuicide" to reform Social Security in a way that would take awaybenefits from Americans.

<span id="midArticle_6"/>This was a response to both Bush and New Jersey GovernorChris Christie, who have both said Social Security must bereformed because of soaring entitlement costs.

<span id="midArticle_7"/> <span class="second-article-divide"/>Florida's Republican primary next March 15 will be asignificant milestone, coming after the first contests in Iowa,New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada and after 12 states stage events on March 1.

<span id="midArticle_8"/>Bush and Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, have the insidetrack for Florida with political careers that are tied to thestate.

<span id="midArticle_9"/>But Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said that although thetwo have an advantage in Florida, he would compete heavily inthe state. "We'll be back many more times," he said.

<span id="midArticle_10"/> <span class="third-article-divide"/>Bush, for his part, took no offense at Rubio's call for newleaders. "It's hard to imagine my good friend Marco would becritical of his good friend Jeb," he said.

<span id="midArticle_11"/>But he made clear that differences will emerge in the"rambunctious" fight ahead.

<span id="midArticle_12"/>Asked whether he had advice for his competitors for how tocampaign in Florida, Bush chuckled.

<span id="midArticle_13"/>"I'm not going to give them any advice. What are you talkingabout?" he said. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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