Concord, New Hampshire (CNN) When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich proposed the idea of forming colonies on the moon during his 2012 presidential bid, he got a lot of laughs.

But not from Jeb Bush.

The former Florida governor said Wednesday that he actually liked the idea.

Recalling the skeptical responses to Gingrich's pitch, Bush said he remembered thinking, "Really? I think it's pretty cool."

Bush, speaking before an aircraft at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, New Hampshire, called for ramping up the United States' space program and blasted President Barack Obama for cutting back.

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