TIME jeb bush

Voters Keep Asking Jeb Bush About His Parents

Former First Lady Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush look on prior to the South Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament between the Duke Blue Devils and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at NRG Stadium on March 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas.
Tom Pennington—Getty Images Former First Lady Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush look on prior to the South Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament between the Duke Blue Devils and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at NRG Stadium on March 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

Jeb Bush can hardly make it through a campaign event without voters asking about his parents’ health.

The nonagenarian scions of the Bush political dynasty are doing just fine, Bush told voters in Iowa on Wednesday, saying his father, former President George H.W. Bush is excited about the ongoing Houston Astros playoff run.

“My mom and dad are doing great,” Bush reported at the end of a campaign stop at a coffee shop along the Mississippi river here. “They’re getting back to Houston, he said, from their summer in Kennebunkport, Maine, adding, “my dad is a No. 1 fan, I’m sure you’ll see him watching the Astros.”

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The former president suffered a fall earlier this year that left him in a neck brace.

“He can’t walk, and has a neck brace on when you see him on TV—because I know he’ll be at the ‘Stros game—because he fell and fractured his vertebrae,” Bush continued.

Saying his father is “strong as a goat,” Bush said his campaign is contributing to his father’s wellbeing.

“I feel like I’m participating in this a little bit because my candidacy has lifted his spirits,” Bush said. “I noticed he’s not watching ‘CSI’ re-runs any more. He’s watching Fox, getting mad at people that attack me. I feel like I’m making a contribution.”

He added that his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, is still the family matriarch.

“She is a blessing from God as far as I’m concerned,” he added, joking, “She’s not always right,” a reference to her since-retracted comment two years ago that the nation had seen enough Bushes in the White House.

Read More: Jeb Bush Turns to Father, Brother for Fundraiser

[video id=xQD7X5yR]
Tap to read full story

Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com


YOU BROKE TIME.COM!

Dear TIME Reader,

As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.

The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.

The TIME Team