JEB!: [As an entitled Crown Prince] I’m not ‘auditioning’ for the Koch brothers

(PMSNBC) - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush acknowledged on Thursday that the conservative, billionaire Koch brothers will likely play a big role in the 2016 presidential race, but the GOPer also said he didn’t see himself as “auditioning” for their backing.

“If I go beyond the consideration to be an active candidate, my hope is to garner as much support across the whole spectrum of the Republican party,” Bush told msnbc after a meet-and-greet with the Manhattan Republican Party on the Upper East Side. He called the Koch brothers’ network an “important part of any coalition to win the primary, so I don’t view it as auditioning for sure. But my intention is, if I’m a candidate, I will reach out to every sector of the party.”

Bush’s comments come following David Koch’s glowing remarks earlier this week at a New York fundraiser about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker – who is also eyeing a bid for the Oval Office.

Koch, who reportedly said Walker would be the GOP nominee, fueled speculation that the brothers may throw their support behind Walker. A Koch aide insisted to Politico, however, that the siblings are not yet committed to a candidate and that Bush, in the political site’s words, will be given a “chance to audition” for the brothers’ support.

The Koch brothers’ group, Americans for Prosperity, could spend upwards of $125 million for the 2016 race. Read more.