Pubdate: Fri, 03 Sep 1999
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Houston Chronicle
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Forum: http://www.chron.com/content/hcitalk/index.html
Author: Martin R. Adams

BUSH'S `UNSPUN' THOUGHTS

To the editor:

On the Aug. 22 Chronicle Editorial page, David S. Broder's column,
"Pressure Bush on his policies and ideas, not his past," said it all.

That is, the media have spent far too much time pursuing the truth
about George W. Bush's alleged use of hard drugs and paid far too
little attention to what the man stands for, his political experience,
ability to lead and agenda for the nation.

While I am distressed that the governor won't come completely clean
about whatever his history of drug use, it is considerably more
disconcerting to see that we have in Bush, the likely Republican
presidential candidate, a man who had no apparent interest in politics
until his run for governor, has never contended for any other elected
office and has yet to come forth with policy statements that reflect
his position on the many critical issues that must be confronted.

My profound concern is that he will be making up his positions as he
goes along, or even worse, that he will be spoon-fed his positions by
a group of "handlers."

We do not know the governor's own independent thinking on pertinent
topics such as campaign finance reform.

I can understand how people yearn to return to the White House a
person of good character, but we err badly if we place so much
emphasis on that trait that we overlook a person's lack of experience,
ability to lead or capacity to arrive at a national agenda through
their own thoughtful deliberation.

MARTIN R. ADAMS
Houston

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