Jeb Bush apparently has a plan to grow the economy. He’s telling American workers to work longer hours, without a federal minimum wage, until they’re at least 70. Oh, and don’t expect a shot at debt-free college from Jeb – that’s just “more free stuff.”

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OK, Jeb. But there was a much better way to talk about (telling American workers to work longer hours): by putting the onus on employers who go out of their way to deny people full time work to avoid paying benefits and overtime. But Republicans don’t go around scolding employers, for Pete’s sake!

Back in March, of course, Bush came out against the federal minimum wage talking to a South Carolina group.

..... And he’s on record saying the Social Security retirement age needs to be raised to 70.

Sadly, Bush seems not to know that the retirement age has already been raised from 65 to 68 under the deal struck by Ronald Reagan in 1983. In remarks last month, he also seemed to back his brother’s failed push to at least partially privatize Social Security.

Finally, on the same day as his “work longer hours” comment, Bush dismissed the debt-free college plan unveiled by former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley as an example of Democrats providing “more free stuff.”

Now, to be fair, some journalists are working overtime to help Bush clean up his gaffes. On Thursday morning ABC’s “The Note” had a long explainer about what Bush really meant when he said to “work longer hours,” while last month Vox told us he didn’t really come out in favor of Social Security privatization in remarks where he praised his brother’s plan — because he didn’t use the word “privatization.”

Side note: It’s already astonishing how hard journalists will work to clean up the messes made by the Republican frontrunner, who is supposed to be the smart, serious one in the race. But they’re invested in him. They created the image of Jeb as the smart and serious Bush, so when he looks either dumb or politically tone-deaf, they look kinda dumb too.

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