George W. Bush said Tuesday that he wishes the tax cuts originally approved under his watch didn't carry the burden of his family name.

"I wish they weren't called the Bush tax cuts," the former president said as he kicked off the Bush Institute Conference on Taxes and Economic Growth in New York City. "If they're called some other body's tax cuts, they're probably less likely to be raised."

He added: "If you raise taxes, you're taking money out of the pockets of consumers."

When President Barack Obama agreed to a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts in December 2010, it outraged many congressional Democrats. But on Tuesday, White House campaign strategist David Axelrod said that Obama was "absolutely" committed to blocking any continuation of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy.

The conference is part of a Bush Institute initiative to promote sustainable 4 percent economic growth. A number of Republican governors are speaking or participating at the conference in other capacities, including Govs. Chris Christie (N.J.), Mary Fallin (Okla.), Paul LePage (Maine), and Bill Haslam (Tenn.). House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) also is scheduled to speak.