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Brother tells of Bush's youth
05/11/2000 18:21 - (SA)
Washington - Florida Governor Jeb Bush, asked whether he knew previously of his
older brother's 1976 drunk driving arrest, said he did not recall
it among the many stories told in the family about George W Bush's
behaviour in those years.
"I'm not saying that my brother was an angel 24 years ago - he
wasn't," Jeb Bush told an interviewer on Fox News on Sunday.
"There are enough stories about George in the past, but I didn't
recall this one," Jeb Bush said in an amused tone. "He was a
rambunctious young guy. Look, he's not hiding it, he's never said
that he was this guy that never drank or never did anything wrong."
Jeb Bush said the first time he heard of his older brother's
conviction for drink driving was "On the news. Whenever it was - a
couple of days ago."
"Twenty-four years ago, I don't remember this happening," he said.
"Twenty-four years ago my brother was a different person ... He
wasn't ready to be president then. But life is a journey, you know,
not everything is just set ... and my brother has transformed
himself into a loving, strong husband and father and leader."
"He's a role model for me," Jeb Bush added.
Jeb Bush, 47, has been governor of Florida, a key electoral state
in Tuesday's presidential election, since January 1999. The
Republican presidential candidate is governor of Texas.
The Republican campaign had reportedly been pressing Jeb Bush to
put greater effort into rallying Florida voters behind his
brother's bid for the White House. In television appearances
Monday, George W Bush jokingly warned of a "cold" Thanksgiving
family reunion later this month if he did not get more support from
his brother in this battleground state.
- Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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