More headlines: George W. Bush on Drugs
(Following are older quotations. Click here for main quotations.)
Arrested for drunk driving, plead guilty, paid fine
On September 4, 1976, Bush was arrested in Maine for driving under the influence of alcohol after he left a bar. At the police station, his blood alcohol level registered at 0.10, the legal limit at the time. Bush pleaded guilty, was fined $150,
and had his driving privileges temporarily suspended. The incident would not come out until just before his election as president. Bush would later say he could pass a background check going back to 1974. The date was chosen because
his father was inaugurated in 1989, and background checks of appointees went back fifteen years. “I’m not going to talk about what I did years ago,” Bush said. “This is a Washington game where they float rumors, force a person to fight off a rumor, then
they’ll float another rumor. And I’m not going to participate. I saw what happened to my dad with rumors. I made mistakes. I’ve asked people not to let the rumors get in the way of the facts. I’ve told people I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I have.”
Source: A Matter of Character, by Ronald Kessler, p. 35-36
Aug 5, 2004
Never disclosed DUI arrest out of concern for his daughters
Bush aides said he had not disclosed the [drunk driving] incident previously out of concern for his twin daughters. “He has always been very forthcoming in acknowledging that he drank too much in the past, before he quit drinking 14 years ago,” his
communications director said. “He had made a decision as a father that he did not want to set that bad example for his daughters or for any other children,” she saidShe was asked if she would have considered it acceptable for President Clinton to
have denied involvement with Monica Lewinsky out concern for his daughter Chelsea. “The only time the governor was directly asked if he’d ever been arrested for drinking and driving and he replied, and I quote, ‘I do not have a perfect record,’ ” she
replied.
She added, “He has been very forthcoming with the American people that he made mistakes as a youth.” When asked if 30, Bush’s age at the time, qualifies as youthful, she said, “It was before he was married. It was before he had children.”
Source: Mike Allen and Dan Balz, Washington Post, p. A1
Nov 4, 2000
Information about Bush DUI was put out by partisan Democrat
I understand through you’re reporting that a Democrat official has, in Maine, put this information out. I believe most Americans are going to come to the conclusion that this is dirty politics, last-minute politics. I don’t know whether my opponent’s
campaign is involved, but I do know the person who’s admitted doing this at the last minute is a Democrat in Maine -- a partisan in Maine.
Source: Speech in Pittsburgh
Nov 4, 2000
A leader learns from his mistakes and shares wisdom
It’s become clear to America over the course of this campaign that I’ve made mistakes in my life, but I’m proud to tell you I’ve learned from my mistakes. And that’s the role of a leader -- to share wisdom,
to share experience with people who are looking for someone to lead.
Source: Speech in Michigan
Nov 4, 2000
Acknowledges arrest for drunk driving in 1976
Bush acknowledged Thursday that in 1976 he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near his parents’ home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush, who was 30 at the time, pleaded guilty, paid a $150 fine and his driving privileges were temporarily
suspended in Maine. Bush said, “I’m not proud of that. I made some mistakes. I occasionally drank too much, and I did that night. I learned my lesson.” Bush said he was not jailed after the arrest. He said earlier in the week, “I quit drinking in 1986
and haven’t had a drop since then. And it wasn’t because of a government program, by the way -- in my particular case, because I had a higher call.“
Bush said the timing of the initial news report was ”interesting.“ When asked
where the story may have originated, he said, ”I’ve got my suspicions.“ Al Gore and DNC officials both said they first learned of the arrest from news reports Thursday and said it would be inappropriate to comment on the matter.
Source: CNN.com report from West Allis, WI
Nov 3, 2000
Page last updated: Jun 15, 2016