George W. Bush: Romney 'can do well without me'

Former President George W. Bush said that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney "can do well without me," indicating he would not get involved in the 2012 campaign in an interview released Wednesday.

Speaking with the Hoover Institution's Peter Robinson, Bush expanded for the first time on his hasty endorsement of Romney while boarding an elevator in May. At that time, he simply told ABC News that he was "with Mitt Romney."

But in the latest interview, Bush said he was interested in the race — and reaffirmed his support for the Republican hopeful.

"I'm interested in politics. I'm a supporter of Mitt Romney. I hope he does well. But you know, he can do well without me," Bush said.

That might be best for the Romney campaign. A Gallup poll released last month showed that nearly seven in 10 voters placed at least a moderate amount of blame on the former president for the state of the economy. Conversely, just over half placed some blame on President Obama. Romney has shied away from mentioning the former president on the campaign trail, while Obama has frequently pointed to Bush's record in an attempt to undermine his rival's economic plan.

Still, top members of Bush's administration have been in the spotlight on recent days on the campaign trail. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been speculated as a possible vice presidential pick for Romney, while the Republican candidate held a fundraiser last week at the Wyoming home of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

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