Fatah cancels events, blames Hamas

Fayez Abu Eitta, left, a Fatah leader in Gaza, speaks on the phone as he inspects the damage to his car.

• Fatah scraps events commemorating Yasser Arafat's death in 2004


• The group blames Hamas for bombing the homes of Fatah leaders


• The rising tensions come only months after the groups agreed to form unity government

(CNN) -- Fatah, the Palestinian political party, said Sunday it will scrap a series of events to commemorate the death 10 years ago of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The decision comes two days after a series of bombings at the homes of Fatah leaders and highlights rising tensions between the rival political factions, despite their April agreement on a unity government.

In a statement Sunday announcing the decision to call off the Arafat events -- which were set to begin this week -- Fatah official Izam al-Ahmad cited bomb attacks which he blamed on Hamas.

A number of explosions rocked homes owned by Fatah figures on Friday, according to the Palestinian Authority. No injuries were reported.

The explosions took place as Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was preparing to visit Gaza. The trip has been postponed indefinitely, the Palestinian Authority said.

Hamas denounced the attacks, according to the Facebook page of spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

But the Fatah spokesman nevertheless accused Hamas of "cheap lies" and said that Fatah officials had "expected a united government to cater to the interests of our nation."

In April, Hamas and Fatah announced an agreement to form a unity government, a development that Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti hailed as the "end to the division between the Palestinian people."

The comity was not long-lasting, however.

In September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blasted Hamas, claiming it was running a "shadow government" in Gaza and rendering the unity government "helpless."

It also follows the conflict between Hamas and Israel in July and August, in which more than 2,100 Palestinians died.

And the enmity isn't just one-way: Hamas-hired government workers in Gaza have accused the Palestinian Authority -- in which Fatah is a dominant player -- of failing to pay them.

CNN's Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.

Expect Cruz to hound McConnell

• Obama may get a lukewarm welcome in China


• Cruz expected to track McConnell's every move in the 2015 Senate


• Will Landrieu invite Obama down to Louisiana for the runoff?

Washington (CNN) -- CNN's John King and other top political reporters empty out their notebooks each Sunday on "Inside Politics" to reveal five things that will be in the headlines in the days, weeks and months ahead .

One last Campaign 2014 maneuver and several intriguing post-election shifts and calculations made for a fun trip around the table.

1. New ground troops -- in Louisiana

There is one more round in the 2014 election, and Republicans are heavily favored: the Louisiana runoff for the U.S. Senate between Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy.

So put this one in the "taking nothing for granted" file: A GOP source tells CNN the Republican National Committee is sending in 350 field workers to help with the December 6 get-out-the-vote effort.

Democrats, too, say they will bolster their staff there now that all the other campaigns are over. But Landrieu faces a bigger question: whether to invite President Obama down for the runoff.

He has been persona non grata during the election, but many party strategists think Landrieu's only chance is sky-high African-American turnout.

2. Watch out, McConnell: Cruz's 2015 plans

If Mitch McConnell, the presumed new Senate majority leader, is ever trying to find Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, he might just want to turn and look over his shoulder.

Cruz's 2015 playbook

The freshman tea party favorite makes no bones about believing that McConnell is too establishment and too accommodating. Jonathan Martin of The New York Times chatted with Cruz on election night and came away with the distinct impression Cruz will be tracking every McConnell move.

"I asked him about whether or not the party should try to sort of back off the repeal of the Affordable Care Act or try to compromise on immigration," said Martin. "He said emphatically not, and in fact he said the only way to keep faith with the folks that elected them was to stand by the issues that had done so. And he said the biggest two issues for his party of the cycle were, A, repealing Obamacare, as he called it, and B, stopping the President's illegal executive action, as he called it, on immigration."

Next year, Martin points out, McConnell might be wishing Cruz finds himself in Iowa more often than in Washington.

3. And memo to McConnell: Enjoy it while you can

It long has been his dream job. Now, as McConnell prepares to rise to majority leader, the 2016 lineup suggests he might want to savor every minute.

Politico's Manu Raju notes that the 2016 map is to Republicans what the 2014 map was to Democrats -- as in tough.

"There are a number of Republican senators that we are going to be looking at very closely on whether or not they decide to run again," said Raju. "People like Richard Burr of North Carolina, Dan Coats of Indiana, Mark Kirk in Illinois. There are several others -- Chuck Grassley in Iowa."

Raju notes that if those GOP senators retire, then the Democrats have a chance to take those seats -- and maybe take back the Senate majority.

4. How Obama tries to get over a bad election -- head to Asia

Asia trips are a long haul -- a drain on any president. But Obama perhaps is dreading this one a little less, because it gets him out of a Washington buzzing about how the midterm election further weakened his political clout.

Obama'a less than warm Asia welcome

So off he goes, but not without reminders that news travels fast these days. Julie Pace of The Associated Press notes that the Chinese, before they roll out the red carpet, apparently are eager to tell their people it is a weakened U.S. president coming to visit.

"Officials are right now increasingly nervous about the reception he is going to get in China," said Pace. "There's a newspaper in China that's connected to the government that wrote a story before he left saying that the American public had 'downgraded' the President and was tired of his 'banality.'"

5. Same leaders on Capitol Hill but ...

Debbie Wasserman Schultz faced buzz in the middle of the campaign that the White House was less than thrilled with her performance as Democratic National Committee chairwoman.

Now, as Democrats sort through the rubble of the results from their perspective, the ambitious Florida congresswoman is getting even more heat from fellow Democrats. Nia-Malika Henderson of The Washington Post took us inside the debate over whether -- or when -- the DNC would be under new leadership.

"She has said she wants to serve out her term -- it ends in January 2017 -- and in some ways there's questions about whether or not she's close enough to Hillary Clinton, and whether she'd want her to stay on," said Henderson.

"But it'll be interesting to see whether or not she's able to stick it out or move on."

On the trail of the Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gives teachings around the world throughout the year including at his residence, Tsuglakhang temple in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala.

Locals call McLeod Ganj "Little Lhasa." It's also the home of the self-declared Tibetan government in exile.

Thousands of monks flock to Dharamsala to hear the Dalai Lama's teachings on wisdom and compassion.

For some, a handshake with the Dalai Lama is an experience of serenity followed by giddy childlike joy.

"Our whole world is interconnected and the global economy is concerned with the whole world and not only individuals," the Dalai Lama says. His deep, roaring laugh brings a smile to everyone's face.

Teaching in Tibetan and sometimes English, the Dalai Lama speaks about the importance of secular ethics, universal human values, inter-religious harmony climate change and preserving Tibetan culture.

There's a large choice of yoga workshops, dream catcher classes and Ayurvedic cleansing programs in surrounding communities.

Evidence of the Dalai Lama's teachings are seen on the streets, in coffee shops, internet cafes and book stores throughout the nearby hill communities.

While the culture of the towns, Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, are predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, the small surrounding villages are more Indian and have a hippy vibe.

Despite living the simple life, many monks can be seen with technology such as smart phones.

Followers visit from more than 60 countries and simultaneous translation machines are given out at the teachings.

All visitors must register with the Tibetan Branch Security Office in McLeod Ganj near Hotel Tibet or at the temple first.

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• Visiting Dalai Lama in his residence just above Dharamsala is considered a pilgrimage for some


• Monks and followers from more than 60 countries attend his public teachings


• Dharamsala is predominantly Tibetan Buddhist while surrounding villages are more Indian and have a hippy vibe

(CNN) -- The path to Enlightenment, as any spiritual seeker will testify, can be long and difficult.

Unless you take a shortcut.

Whether a trip to the McLeod Ganj just above Dharamsala in northern India -- the hometown of the Dalai Lama -- offers an easy route is open to question.

For many reaching the seat of the Dalai Lama and current home of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile is part of a quest for true happiness and a more altruistic way of life.

For some, it's a journey motivated by political activism.

And for others, it's simply a port of call on India's hippy trail.

I'm heading there to witness one of the Dalai Lama's teaching sessions.

The Tibetan spiritual leader holds these around the world throughout the year, but to attend one at his own temple in Dharamsala is considered by many to be nothing short of a pilgrimage.

'Little Lhasa'

Leaving Pathankot station on the overnight train from Delhi, I meet Lobsang Rabten, a 27-year-old exiled Tibetan monk, currently based at The Sera Jey Monastery in Southwest India.

Like thousands of others he's on his way to listen to a three-day teaching on wisdom and compassion.

We share the two and a half hour taxi ride up through winding hill roads, dense forests and sparsely populated towns.

As we approach the McLeod Ganj suburb of Dharamsala or "Little Lhasa" as the locals call it, the traditional orange robes of Tibetan Buddhists stand out in ever-greater numbers along the bustling, narrow streets.

"The Dalai Lama's compassion teachings give me strength," Rabten says as he leans out the window to enjoy the cool mountain air.

"That is to say I can feel all sentient beings to be the same as me in their desire for happiness and to reduce suffering."

With people from more than 60 countries and simultaneous translations in dozens of languages, the event feels like some kind of global congress.

Exiled Tibetan monk, Lobsang Rabten, 27, says: "The Dalai Lama's compassion teachings give me strength."

Burning incense

During the event, the Dalai Lama appears each morning at 8 a.m., led by plain clothes armed policemen and followed by a small entourage of a handful of monks carrying pots of burning incense.

He makes his way through the temple courtyards, up two flights of stairs and through the back of the main hall.

Those who get to shake his hand -- I'm one of them -- talk of an overwhelming feeling of peace and calm followed by a giddy, childlike joy.

Lisa Heath, a 62-year-old sculptor from Massachusetts describes her brief encounter as "simply divine."

Speaking in Tibetan and sometimes English, the Dalai Lama begins the first day with a recap on the importance of secular ethics, universal human values, inter-religious harmony, climate change and the importance of preserving Tibetan culture.

Young monks quietly weave their way through the solemn crowds with large, metal jugs of butter tea and warm bread.

"Our whole world is interconnected and the global economy is concerned with the whole world and not only individuals," the Dalai Lama says, following his comment with by a deep, roaring laugh that brings a smile to everyone's face.

The importance of connection or belonging to a greater whole was evident not only at the teachings but throughout the small hilltop communities in the area.

Touring the neighborhoods

Amid peace poles, sacred cows and rows of vendors selling everything from mala prayer beads to crystals and macrame, the temple crowds dissipate.

Many of the younger travelers make their way back up the rocky paths to nearby hillside communities of Bhagsu and Dharamkot at the end of the day.

Along the way, it's almost impossible to walk past a coffee shop, internet cafe or book store without seeing posters of the Dalai Lama and slogans calling for a free and independent Tibet.

While the culture of the towns, Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, are predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, the small surrounding villages are more Indian and attract an international hippy crowd.

In Upper Dharamkot, a village so heavily populated by Israelis even the shop signs and menus are written in Hebrew, there's a large choice of yoga workshops, dream catcher classes and programs in Ayurvedic cleansing -- an ancient natural healing technique in India.

The Jewish community organization Chabad House (Dharamkot village, Mcleod Ganj; +91 1892 221005), has one of the largest buildings in town partly to ensure spiritual experimentation does not lead to religious desertion.

A typical Friday night dinner here sees hundred of Israelis eating and praying together.

A break from the all the spiritual adventure can be found at the Trimurti Garden Cafe (Bhagsunag, Mcleod Ganj; +91 98 1686 9144) in Lower Dharamkot, a little oasis serving the best carrot cake and vegan chocolate cake in the area.

How to attend the sessions:

All visitors must register with the Tibetan Branch Security Office in McLeod Ganj near Hotel Tibet or at the temple first. Registration opens only three days before the teaching.

Travelers are required to bring two passport size photos and copy of their passport. Attendance passes are issued on the spot and cost less than 50 cents each. More details can be found here: http://ift.tt/1w7a7A5.

The Dalai Lama offers teachings at Dharamsala a few times every year but also in different places.

The next public lectures in Dharamsala are from November 11-13 and December 2-5.

Find out where the Dalai Lama is going next here: http://ift.tt/1awkgQ6

Robert Norton is a writer, photographer and former Reuters correspondent. He has written for The Sunday Times, The South China Morning Post, Wired and The Times Literary Supplement.

World's best hotel restaurants

Since 1961, El Motel in the northeastern Spanish town of Figueres has been preparing inventive, unfailingly delicious Catalan cuisine, says The Daily Meal of the 10th best hotel restaurant on its annual list.

One of two José Andrés restaurants in the top 10, é by José Andrés is an eight-seat bar tucked away within the chef's Jaleo restaurant in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The menu? It's a secret, says The Daily Meal of its number nine entry.

Thanks to chef Raymond Blanc's leadership, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in the UK -- number eight on The Daily Meal list -- has kept its two-Michelin-star status for three decades.

Coming in at number seven, Blue is the only AAA Five Diamond award-winning restaurant on the island of Grand Cayman, says The Daily Meal.

Jean Georges at New York's Trump International Hotel & Tower -- led by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten -- has three Michelin stars and was voted world's 6th best hotel restaurant. Its menu features dishes inspired by American, French and Southeast Asian cuisine.

The Bazaar by José Andrés at Los Angeles' SLS Hotel is number five on The Daily Meal's best hotel restaurants list. It's actually composed of four different bars and eateries: Bar Centro, Patisserie, Rojo y Blanca (seen here) and SAAM.

Number four on the list is Il Palagio at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. With one Michelin star, it features views of the hotel's inner gardens and offers a seasonal menu featuring regional cuisine.

Even the simple business of handing out the bread rolls is a theater act at Monte Carlo's regal Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse restaurant at Hôtel de Paris, number three on The Daily Meal's list.

For traditional English with a twist there's Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental in London. The celebrated restaurant serves big flavors inspired by recipes from the UK's daddy of molecular gastronomy.

The three-Michelin starred Epicure, voted world's best hotel restaurant by The Daily Meal, is led by chef Eric Fréchon. Considered one of the best chefs in town, his dishes include purple sea urchin with smooth egg mouse and blue lobster roasted in shell with grilled chestnuts.

• Food and drink site The Daily Meal just released its third annual list of the world's top 101 hotel restaurants


• A panel of experienced bloggers, restaurant critics and other food and lifestyle writers were invited to vote on the venues


• Paris restaurant Epicure at Le Bristol was voted world's best hotel restaurant


• According to the rules, the hotel has to have at least 15 rooms for its restaurant to be considered

(CNN) -- It's a familiar refrain among jet-lagged travelers, usually accompanied by a despondent shrug.

"Well, I guess we could just grab a quick bite at the hotel."

Hotel restaurants have long had a reputation for offering over-priced, unremarkable meals, frequented only by guests too tired or unadventurous to brave the streets of a new city in search of anything better.

But over the last few years, a wave of incredible new restaurants has come onto the scene to change the way we view hotel dining.

For proof, look no further than American food and drink website The Daily Meal's third annual list of the 101 Best Hotel Restaurants Around the World.

"In recent years, hotel restaurants have stepped up their game so much so that they have become coveted dining spots for locals and travelers alike, who are often either waiting in line or booking reservations months in advance just to be able to pull up a chair at the hottest restaurant in town — which happens to be in a hotel," says the site.

MORE: Michelin: Hong Kong 'undisputed leader' in international cuisine

To curate the list, The Daily Meal staff considered winners and nominees from the 2013 list of best hotel restaurants, consulted the Michelin Guide and other sources for further recommendations and drew hotel restaurants from its annual lists of the 101 Best Restaurants in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Then they grouped the selections by continent and invited a panel of experienced bloggers, restaurant critics and other food and lifestyle writers from around the world to vote for their favorites in an online survey.

According to the rules, the hotel has to have at least 15 rooms and restaurants must be under the same roof as the hotel as well as the same proprietorship.

Below are the top 20 to make The Daily Meal's list.

For the full list of the 101 Best Hotels Around the World check out The Daily Meal website.

1. Epicure at Le Bristol (Paris)

2. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hyde Park (London)

3. Le Louis XV at Hôtel de Paris (Monte Carlo)

4. Il Palagio at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze (Florence)

5. The Bazaar by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel (Los Angeles)

6. Jean Georges at the Trump International Hotel & Tower (New York City)

7. Blue by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman (Grand Cayman)

8. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (Great Milton, UK)

9. e by Jose Andres at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

10. El Motel Restaurant at Hotel Emporda (Figueres, Spain)

11. La Pergola at Rome Cavalieri (Rome)

12. Al Mahara at Burj Al Arab (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

13. La Marocain at La Mamounia (Marrakech, Morocco)

14. Relish at The Westin Grand (Berlin)

15. Caprice Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

16. Acquerello Restaurant at The St. Regis Venice San Clemente Palace (Venice)

17. Altitude at Shangri-La Hotel (Sydney)

18. Huang Ting at The Peninsula Hotel Beijing (Beijing)

19. The Dining Room at Domaine de la Baume (Tourtour, France)

20. Square One at Park Hyatt Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

MORE: And the world's 50 best bars are ...

Obama kicks off trip to Asia

• President Obama will be in China starting Monday; he then visits Myanmar and Australia


• Analyst: The U.S. and China need to get their "crucial bilateral relationship back on track"


• Widespread concerns about Myanmar sliding back on much heralded reforms


• Will Obama meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 in Australia?

Hong Kong (CNN) -- After his party's drubbing in the midterm elections, President Barack Obama will wade into a mass of foreign policy challenges during his trip to Asia this week.

Obama made America's pivot to Asia a centerpiece of his foreign policy architecture. But some commentators say the President, beset by crises elsewhere, has failed to put words into action.

"The Asia pivot remains more rhetoric than reality," said CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "Having promised a larger U.S. military presence in the Philippines, Singapore and Australia, there is little evidence of any of this on the ground."

Obama's first stop on his trip takes him to Beijing, where the greater U.S. focus on Asia is viewed with deep suspicion.

"Two prevailing sentiments -- perceived U.S.-led containment of China and the threat posed to America by China's growing economic and military strength -- have set the two major powers on a confrontational course," said Cheng Li, a senior foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Obama is in Beijing from Monday for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, but he will also hold direct meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where sensitive issues like cybersecurity will be on the agenda.

"To put this crucial bilateral relationship back on track, President Obama and President Xi must use the summit in Beijing to deepen mutual understanding and publicly challenge these misperceptions," Li said in comments published by Brookings.

ISIS fight in new phase, Obama says

Myanmar reforms 'sliding backwards'

After China, Obama will travel to Myanmar, a country where, two years ago, he became the first sitting U.S. President to visit. There was much fanfare then about the introduction of political reforms after decades of oppressive military rule.

The opening up of Myanmar, also known as Burma, became held up as a positive example of U.S. engagement in Asia. But concerns are now rife about the halting progress of those changes and the plight of the Muslim minority group, the Rohingya.

"Since the high point of Myanmar's reform process in 2012 and early 2013, the country's political opening has stalled and, in my opinion, slid backwards," wrote Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.

He said Obama, who will be attending regional summits in the country, should pressure the Myanmar government to push ahead with political changes and rethink its "racist" plan for the Rohingya.

But a senior U.S. official cautioned not to expect any major leaps forward any time soon.

"I don't think we're going to see breakthroughs in the short term," Tom Malinowski, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for human rights and labor, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour last week. "Burma was an opening to a breakthrough and it's one that we always knew would take years to move from its starting point to its finishing point."

Will Obama and Putin meet?

The last country on Obama's itinerary is Australia, where the G-20 summit will take place in Brisbane.

He plans to deliver "a very significant policy address discussing U.S. leadership in the Asia Pacific," as well as holding a trilateral meeting with the Australian and Japanese prime ministers, Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, said Friday.

But much attention will be focused on how Obama will navigate the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has angered Western leaders with his aggressive actions in Ukraine.

They already suspended Russia from the G8, the group of leading industrialized nations, earlier this year.

But Putin will be in Brisbane for the G-20, and could even bump into Obama earlier in the week at the APEC meetings in Beijing.

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice didn't rule out the possibility of an encounter in Brisbane.

"I imagine, as in the past, that there will be an opportunity for the G-20 leaders to engage informally on the margins," she said at a news briefing Friday. "There's no formal bilateral meeting scheduled or planned, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had some informal communication."

The two leaders had a brief conversation about the Ukraine crisis on the sidelines of the D-Day commemorations in France in June.

W. on a Jeb run: 'I'm all in for him'

Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced in 2013 that he would not be seeking re-election, leading to speculation he might mount a second White House bid.

Mitt Romney probably won't be running for president again in 2016. He has suggested the chances of a third run are close to a million to one. But that hasn't kept some Republicans from encouraging him to enter the race if another legitimate candidate doesn't step up. Ann Romney, for her part, is not excited at the prospect. She told the LA Times Oct. 14th that she and her husband are "done done done" with running for office. Romney is still a draw on the campaign circuit. He is shown here stumping for senate candidate Joni Ernst in Iowa Oct. 11, 2014. (Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton continues to have an overwhelming lead over other possible 2016 Democratic presidential candidates. Although the former first lady and secretary of state has not said whether she'll run, a group of PACs and advocacy organizations have begun the process of raising money and aiding a hypothetical campaign.

Vice President Joe Biden has twice before made unsuccessful bids for the Oval Office -- in 1988 and 2008. A former senator known for his foreign policy and national security expertise, Biden made the rounds on the morning shows recently and said he thinks he'd "make a good President."

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican rising star from Florida, was swept into office in 2010 on the back of tea party fervor. But his support of comprehensive immigration reform, which passed the Senate but has stalled in the House, has led some in his party to sour on his prospects.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has fallen out of the top spot among potential Republican presidential candidates with a political scandal roiling his administration.

Rep. Paul Ryan, a former 2012 vice presidential candidate and fiscally conservative budget hawk, says he's "keeping my options open" for a possible presidential run but is not focused on it.

Sen. Rand Paul has said that he was seriously considering a run for president in 2016. If the tea party favorite decides to jump in, he likely will have to address previous controversies that include comments on civil rights, a plagiarism allegation, and his assertion the top NSA official lied to Congress about surveillance.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz plans to travel to states that factor into the early nomination process. The first-term Republican and tea party darling is considered a gifted orator and smart politician. He is best known in the Senate for his marathon filibuster over defunding Obamacare.

Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley released a "buzzy" political video in November 2013 in tandem with visits to New Hampshire. He also headlined a Democratic Party event in South Carolina, which holds the first southern primary.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said recently it's too early to announce whether he'll run. Jindal has said he wants to focus on "winning the war of ideas" before making a decision on his presidential ambitions.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a social conservative, gave Mitt Romney his toughest challenge in the nomination fight last time out and has made trips recently to early voting states, including Iowa and South Carolina.

Political observers expect New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to yield to Hillary Clinton should she run in 2016, fearing there wouldn't be room in the race for two Democrats from the Empire State. Should she not jump in, Cuomo would then be a potential candidate.

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is considered a possible Republican candidate, but he told CNN that his priority is to first help the GOP capture the Senate in next November's midterms.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has said his decision to run for the Republican nomination will be based on two things -- his family and whether he can lift America's spirit. His father and brother formerly served as President.

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• George W. Bush sees a 50-50 chance his brother Jeb will run for president


• Bush and other members of the family have been publicly encouraging a run


• Bush 43 says it is worth it to put your family through a presidential campaign

(CNN) -- "I think it's 50-50."

That was former President George W. Bush's take on the likelihood of his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, running for president in 2016.

"I know that he's wrestling with the decision," Bush said in an interview Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I'd give it a toss-up."

Bush has not been shy about publicly encouraging his younger brother to run for president in 2016.

Last month, he told Fox News that he thinks his brother "wants to be president."

Bush 43 admitted that he does "occasionally fuel speculation" about his brother's political ambitions, but said he does so because he thinks his brother is the man for the job.

"He'd be a great president," Bush said. "And the country could use an optimistic view like his."

"I know this about Jeb: He is not afraid to succeed. In other words, I think he knows he could do the job. And nor is he afraid to fail."

Since exiting politics in 2008, George W. Bush has retreated to a quieter life in Texas, spending much of his time painting and doing charitable work. But should his brother decide to take the leap, Bush says he would be ready to help out in any way he can.

"I'll do whatever he wants," Bush said. "I will be one of his strongest backers. If he wants me out there publicly, I'll be out there publicly. If he wants me behind the scenes, I'll be behind the scenes. ... I'm all in for him. "

But for now, he's just waiting for his brother to weigh out the pros and cons himself.

"He's not here knocking on my door, you know, agonizing about the decision," Bush said. "He knows exactly ... the ramifications on family, for example. He's seen his dad and his brother go through the presidency."

Earlier this year, Jeb Bush stressed the importance of his family in the process of considering a bid, telling CNN affiliate WFOR, "The decision will be based on, 'Can I do it joyfully?' ... And is it right for my family?"

But according to his older brother, Jeb shouldn't be so worried about that second part.

Asked if it's worth it to put a family through a presidential run, George W. Bush told CBS on Sunday, "Yeah, it is."

Perhaps he says that because the majority of Jeb Bush's immediate family seems to be on board with the decision.

Two weeks ago, Jeb's son George P. Bush, who has since been elected land commissioner of Texas, told ABC that his father is "more than likely" eyeing a 2016 run.

In April, Jeb Bush's younger brother Neil said their father, former president George H. W. Bush, also endorsed the idea.

Thus far, the only member of the Bush clan to publicly reject the idea of Jeb Bush running for president has been his mother, Barbara Bush, who told PBS in January, "I hope he won't."

Get ready: 2016 starts now