Koch brothers to give Jeb Bush a chance to outshine Scott Walker

Jeb Bush
(Image credit: Andy Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The Koch brothers may not be settling on a Republican presidential candidate just yet. One day after The New York Times reported that the Kochs were getting behind Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a "top Koch aide" tells Politico the billionaire brothers are going to give Jeb Bush a "chance to audition for the brothers' support."

The reason for the reconsideration, according to Mike Allen: "Bush is getting a second look because so many Koch supporters think he looks like a winner."

It's possible the Kochs really are undecided. It's also possible they're doing some damage control to contain the fallout from the Times story.

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Either way, David Koch, fresh off proclaiming Walker should be the nominee, walked back the remark in a statement to Politico. While Walker would make a "terrific" president, he said, "I am not endorsing or supporting any candidate for president at this point."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.