Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida on Tuesday addressed the armed stand-off at a federal building in Oregon, saying the occupiers were wrong and should stand down.
A small militia is occupying the headquarters building at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in a spontaneous slumber party in rural Oregon as part of a protest against the federal government and the impending imprisonment of two Oregon ranchers.
"I think it's wrong. I think it's inappropriate and they should cease and desist. Having said that, the federal government ought to be much more differential to states and localities and shift power back to states and localities — including land," Bush told Iowa radio Simon Conway Show.
Still, said Bush, the government controlled too much land in the west.
"There's no reason to expand the federal government's control of land," said the Florida governor. "It's been a disaster. If you got out best you'll see it. I think people's frustrations there are ill-served by militia and at the same time I think there needs to be a much different approach as it relates to the western lands issues."