by Brian Dear
Daily Cougar StaffTexas Gov. George Bush officially announced his endorsement of GOP presidential front-runner Bob Dole Wednesday.
The announcement followed a brief meeting with former President George Bush, who casually offered Dole support while not officially taking a stand in the primary race.
When asked if former President Bush would vote for Dole, he responded, "I'm going to speak strongly and enthusiastically about him, I tell you.
"Bob and I had fights in 1988, but he became the best man to run the United States."
Gov. Bush was more definite in his advocating of Dole. He was all smiles when his father escorted the two to the waiting motorcade following the meeting.
And Dole shared in the family experience: When former President Bush told his son to be good, Dole and Gov. Bush replied almost in unison, "Thanks, Dad."
A lighthearted atmosphere followed the departure, with the three politicians pausing long enough to mingle with the crowd and take photos with excited fans. The Secret Service held tight reins on the display and quickly ushered Dole and Gov. Bush into the waiting Lincoln Town car. The motorcade then drove to the Houstonian Hotel for a press conference to officially seal the endorsement.
In the conference held later, Gov. Bush explained that Dole was a candidate for Texans. "Senator Dole understands the oil and gas industry, and coming from Kansas, understands the value of hard work," he said.
Gov. Bush did not take a stand in the primaries until recently. He said he wanted to wait until the Texas primary was closer before offering support.
"I've experienced primaries before, and there is a tendency for candidates to fall by the wayside. I wanted to wait to see who was the best candidate for Texans," he said.
Dole restated his commitment to Texas and explained that Gov. Bush's endorsement was important to his campaign.
When asked about the possible splintering of the Republican Party, due to candidate Steve Forbes and Patrick Buchanan, Dole replied, "We will find out (Thursday) in the New York primary how much influence they actually have."
Dole and Gov. Bush concurred that the most important thing to do in November is to beat Bill Clinton.
Dole expressed his appreciation for Gov. Bush's support, but controversy crept into the discussion when an unidentified reporter asked Dole about his position on condom distribution for the poor and about the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
"I must admit that it is a serious problem that will be difficult to deal with effectively, but we should do whatever is necessary to fight the problem," Dole said.
The quest for president continues March 12 with the Texas primary.