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Morning News

Election 2000: Bush on Defensive Over News of DUI Arrest

Aired November 3, 2000 - 10:01 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: With just four days now to go until election 2000, the governor of Texas, George W. Bush, doing a bit of damage control right now. This comes after news outlets in Maine yesterday broke a story about the Republican candidate being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol back in 1976.

How this plays out with the public still remains to be seen now, but right now, Bush maintains his lead in our national tracking poll. As for his opponent, though, aides in the Al Gore camp say they have learned of the arrest from news reports last evening, like the rest of the country.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: For more now on the controversy, and how Gov, Bush is handling it, we go to our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A pro-forma day was jolted out of its routine when the past forced itself onto the campaign trail.

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obviously there's a report out tonight that 24 years ago, I was apprehended in Kennebunkport, Maine for a DUI. That's an accurate story. I'm not proud of that. I have oftentimes said that years ago I made some mistakes, I occasionally drank too much, and I did on that night.

CROWLEY: No accident occurred. No one was hurt. Bush, 30 years old, a private citizen, and unmarried, had been at a bar with three friends and his sister. Driving to the Bush family summer home, he was pulled over.

Bush says he readily admitted to the policeman he had been drinking. He paid $150 fine, and his Maine license was temporarily suspended.

BUSH: I'm the first to say that what I did was wrong, and I've corrected that. And I think the people of America will understand that. I think the interesting thing is is that why five days before an election, all of a sudden it pops.

CROWLEY: There is no evidence that anything other than an enterprising Maine reporter was involved in finding the story. And at this point, the Gore campaign says, it's steering clear.

CHRIS LEHANE, GORE CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN: We just don't think it is appropriate for us to be commenting on this matter at this time. It is something that we just learned about it, it just came across the wires, and I guess CNN and Fox, and it's just not appropriate for us to be commenting.

CROWLEY: The Texas governor has always been open about drinking too much in the past. He quit drinking 14 years ago, the day after a boozy 40th birthday party.

But Bush has steadfastly refused to outline personal details of his younger days beyond admitting he has made mistakes and did behave irresponsibly. His rationale has always been his role as a father.

BUSH: As I mentioned to you, I'm a dad trying to teach my children right from wrong. I chose the course that, to my daughters, I was going to tell them they shouldn't drive and drink. And that's the course of action I took.

CROWLEY: In fact, up until Thursday evening, Bush's twin 18- year-old daughters did not know.

Some Republican strategists don't think the story itself is a fatal blow, but believe the timing is worrisome.

(on camera): With four days to go, there are two outstanding questions: Why didn't the Bush campaign put this out on its own, early on, when there was time to deal with it? It's too late to ask that question. And will it make a difference? It's too early to answer that one.

Candy Crowley, CNN, West Alice, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: All right, Candy, and certainly this latest campaign distraction aside, both candidates trying to stay focused on message as their grueling schedules continue crisscrossing the country. Our correspondents keeping up with them too. Major Garrett watching the Bush camp this morning in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Major, good morning again to you.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

As you can hear we are in on the center of a huge pro-Bush rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an enormous crowd, and a huge Dolby P.A. system just to my immediate left.

I can tell you, Bill, that I just got off phone with a senior Bush adviser, and the Bush campaign has not yet decided whether it will address again, today, here on the stump or on other Bush stops, the revelation about this drunken driving arrest some 24 years ago.

However, there is some updated information of course since Candy's piece. And the Bush campaign is saying that the evidence that a person who attended the Democratic National Convention as a delegate was the conduit of this information is quote, according to this Bush senior adviser, "very troubling."

The Bush campaign predicts that the American public will reject that kind of dirty politics -- Bill.

HEMMER: Major, in addition to the Texas governor now on the stump, what's been the reaction, if any, from the people who have gathered there to hear him speak about this revelation last evening?

GARRET: Well, it is a very enthusiastic crowd. They don't believe it's important, they don't believe it is relevant. They smell a dirty rat. They wanted to come out here early. I can tell you, Bill, that when we arrived here at 6:00 this morning, there were some 40 kids, maybe high school, college age, I couldn't really tell, already camped out rock concert style, right in front of the arena here, while this event will be taking place.

Now, the crowd has been developing for hours. It's huge now. And I can't really even estimate the size because I can't see the whole range of the parking lot, I would say several thousand. Of course, the Bush campaign hopes to have several thousand, as they have at their rallies earlier this week along the campaign trail today. Grand Rapids then on to Saginaw, Michigan, then you got tonight in Morgantown, West Virginia. The pictures that they want to show the American public is that the Bush crowd remains enthusiastic, supportive, and the Bush campaign itself, despite this distraction, remains upbeat -- Bill.

HEMMER: Major, quickly, you gave us today's schedule. I know the schedule changes almost on the hour at times, what is scheduled this weekend? Is there a possibility the Texas governor will go back to Florida?

GARRETT: As we understand it, Bill, the governor will spend tomorrow back here in Michigan, in suburban Detroit, as we understand it, then stops in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and there is some talk about a day-long venture to Florida on Sunday. That has not been officially announced, but that is the sense of things right now. But the Saturday schedule has been put in place, but it looks like the governor will try to make one more swing through Florida, a crucial state that everyone has identified as one of the most important battlegrounds. The governor wants to try to nail it down this weekend -- Bill.

HEMMER: Indeed. there are 25 electoral votes out there in the Sunshine State. Major Garrett, thank you.

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