Today the GOP is launching a re-branding effort, what they're calling the National Council for a New America. The purpose of the group is to "produce GOP ideas on issues like education and health care" and I suppose try to convince us that, despite all evidence to the contrary, they're still relevant, God dammit!

According to the press release:

"The NCNA will be a dynamic, forward-looking organization that will amplify the common-sense and wisdom of our fellow citizens through a grassroots dialogue with Republican leaders."

Yes, it's very forward thinking. Just look at the Republican up-and-comers involved:

It will involve an outreach by an interesting mix of GOP officials, ranging from 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain to Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and the younger brother of the man many Republicans blame for the party's battered brand: former President George W. Bush.

In addition to Sen. McCain and Gov. Bush, GOP sources familiar with the plans tell CNN others involved in the new group's "National Panel Of Experts" will include:

*Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former national GOP chairman
*Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
*Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney

Putting aside the rather...interesting strategy of using the old white dude who lost their last presidential election to try to brand the GOP as hip, new and fresh, I think I'm most intrigued by the inclusion of Jeb Bush in this line-up. Bush has consistently and wisely laid low since leaving the governor's mansion in 2007, mindful of Bush fatigue. But Jeb was always the ambitious one. He was always the one who was going to be president. So it's hard not to look at his re-emergence here as strategically significant, perhaps an attempt to position himself for a Senate run next year. Could Bush's involvement with NCNA be a sort of trial run, to see whether people are ready for another Bush on the national stage? As I wrote on Monday, Chris Cillizza is reporting that Jeb's successor, Charlie Crist, is a "near lock" to run for Senate and will be announcing by May 5. Jeb already had to subsume his own presidential ambitions for his younger brother. It's hard to believe that Jeb would now be willing to let his younger...and tanner...governor step on what could be his one shot at the Senate.