Even as he positions himself as a Washington outsider, Jeb Bush “seems to have mastered a skill that is crucial in this city: tapping into the money-raising clout of the K Street lobbyists, political operatives, superlawyers and business leaders in Washington’s permanent class,” the New York Times reports.

“Although not yet an official presidential candidate, Mr. Bush has had at least seven private fund-raisers and meet-and-greets in the Washington area, raising more than $1.3 million for his political action committee in a single day last month, and he has scheduled another one in April. His success is hardly surprising: For more than two decades, Washington has provided Mr. Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, with financial and political support.”

“The political apparatus surrounding former Gov. Jeb Bush, determined to avoid embarrassment in a state that has vexed his party and family in national elections, is plotting a vast operation aimed at turning Florida into a bulwark for his presidential campaign,” the New York Times reports.

“The plan, code-named ‘Homeland Security,’ seeks to try to neutralize two potentially grave but homegrown threats to Mr. Bush’s long-anticipated run for president: the likely challenge from a charismatic young Republican senator from Miami, Marco Rubio, who is expected to seek the Republican nomination himself, and a demographic drift within Florida that could doom Mr. Bush there in a fall campaign against a Democrat.”

Charlie Cook: “The race for next year’s Republican presidential nomination is going to be fascinating on so many levels, but none more than the challenges facing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.”

“On the one hand, more money is likely to be raised on behalf of Bush this quarter than has been for any non-incumbent in history. Numbers from $80 to $100 million have been bandied about, which would be more than Mitt Romney’s campaign (excluding allied groups) raised the entire 2011 calendar year. Furthermore, he is likely to have an all-star team of talent to help his cause, and he comes across as highly polished, even more presidential than any of his nomination rivals, as one might expect from someone who has been governor of one of the nation’s largest states, and a swing state at that.”

“On the other hand, Bush will be seeking the nomination of a party that clearly wants someone very conservative, arguably more conservative than he is.”

James Pindell: “Typically these candidates fit into one of about four categories when they first visit. There are the eager and ambitious who want to wow you with a lot of fake energy. There are those who hope to charm you and pretend to learn the names of your children. There are the ones who are just going through the paces, aloof. And there are those who clearly have no idea what they are doing, though they would really like someone to tell them.”

“Bush’s father was in the charm group. His brother was in the wow category. But Jeb is like nothing I have ever seen.”

“I have struggled to articulate what he is actually like as a candidate ever since I left Iowa last weekend. The best I can come up with is this: Jeb Bush is zen… He is confident, but not arrogant. He is aware, but understated. He is engaging and can charm, but he still has a bit of distance. He is not in a hurry, but he is constantly on the move.”

Amy Walter: “Ask anyone on the Acela corridor who the frontrunner and/or likely nominee for the GOP is/will be and you are most likely to hear the name Jeb Bush. After all, he’s going to have bucketloads of cash. He’s vacuuming up GOP talent for his campaign staff. He’s substantive and comfortable talking policy. And, unlike many of his contemporaries, he’s yet to make a significant flub on the campaign trail. There’s just one little thing obstructing his path to the nomination: GOP voters.”

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds 42% of Republican primary voters say they couldn’t see themselves supporting Jeb Bush for the GOP presidential nomination, compared with 49% who said they could.

“The results underscore an early theme of the Republican nominating contest: Mr. Bush might be the favorite of many top donors and operatives, but he faces hurdles in appealing to the party’s voters, giving him little room to maneuver in what promises to be a crowded field.”

Jeb Bush was quick to criticize Hillary Clinton “amid reports that she’d never used a government email during her four years as secretary of state,” CNN reports.

“Like Clinton, though, Bush had set up his own home server with a private address during his time in office. He still uses it, giving it out at events and asking supporters to email him comments and concerns. And, like Clinton, several of his top aides had email addresses connected Bush’s server, too.”

The New York Times notes the paradox of Jeb Bush’s early campaign: “He is well out in front in the race for elite Republican donors and for the support of the party’s establishment. But he is unpopular with many in the rank and file, who can pick from a large crop of younger White House contenders who also pass the conservative litmus tests that Mr. Bush fails.”

“Mr. Bush will have a chance to break through that grass-roots resistance on Friday, when he arrives for his first visit to Iowa in more than three years.”

Jeb Bush is on “a pace that most of his competitors have neither the network nor the hustle to match. Since jumping into the race in mid-December, Bush has often netted a million bucks a day and sometimes more…. By the time Bush abandons the pretense about exploring a run and officially launches his ­campaign—which could be as soon as mid-April—allies believe his fundraising tally may approach $100 million, smashing the records set by Romney and Barack Obama four years ago,” Time reports.

Said one longtime GOP bundler working for one of Bush’s rivals: “It’s incredible… It’s just an ass kicking.”

“An unusual request has gone out to wealthy donors writing large checks to support former Florida governor Jeb Bush: Please don’t give more than $1 million right away,” the Washington Post reports.

“”The move reflects concerns among Bush advisers that accepting massive sums from a handful of uber-rich supporters could fuel a perception that the former governor is in their debt. The effort is also driven by a desire to build as broad a pool of donors as possible among wealthier contributors.”

New York Times: “In the final stretch of the 2008 presidential campaign, Jeb Bush appeared in a television ad urging Floridians to support John McCain, the Republican nominee, at the polls… But according to voting records from Miami-Dade County, where Mr. Bush and his wife, Columba, are longtime residents, the couple did not vote for Mr. McCain or anyone else in that presidential election.”