Former president Bill Clinton said Tuesday that in today's GOP, George W. Bush would be considered a liberal. | AP Clinton: In new GOP, Bush a liberal

Bill Clinton contends that the Republican Party has shifted so far to the right this election cycle that George W. Bush would be considered a liberal by 2010's standard.

“A lot of their candidates today, they make him look like a liberal,” the former president said of his conservative successor during a Democratic fundraiser in Minnesota, the Associated Press reported.


Clinton was in Minnesota campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton, who is vying to replace Tim Pawlenty, a possible 2012 Republican presidential contender.

He also took aim at the tea party during his remarks Tuesday, delivered shortly before the loosely defined grassroots organization scored major wins in Delaware and New York GOP primaries.

“The Boston Tea Party was protesting abuse of power. This is now trading public power for the abuse of private power,” Clinton said.

The Minnesota GOP released a statement responding to Clinton’s appearance for Dayton, but did not rebut his remarks on Bush.

“Senator Mark Dayton has spent his entire 30-year political career calling for more government, higher taxes and more of the status quo,” said GOP chair Tony Sutton, who also poked fun at Clinton for once declaring that “the era of big government is over.”