Jeb Is Official…Sort Of

Jeb Bush’s increased momentum toward what most expect will be an announcement for president early next year took an important step in that direction on Tuesday.

The former Florida governor announced ahead of an important trip to South Carolina that he has officially formed an exploratory committee to begin the process of laying ground work for a run.

The move is critical in that the committee can except money from donors, which gives Bush the opportunity to begin tallying a list of supporters and building momentum that could serve to crowd out other potential GOP contenders.

In an official statement, Bush declared, “As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for president of the United States.”