BUSH CAUGHT ON TAPE ACKNOWLEDGING POT USE

NEW YORK -- Private conversations with George W. Bush secretly taped by an
old friend before he was elected president foreshadow some of his political
strategies and appear to reveal that he acknowledged using marijuana, the
New York Times reported Saturday.

The conversations were recorded by Doug Wead, a former aide to Bush's
father, beginning in 1998, when George W. Bush was weighing a presidential
bid, until just before the Republican Convention in 2000, the Times said in
a story posted on its website.

The tapes show Bush crafting a strategy for navigating the tricky political
waters between Christian conservative and secular voters. He also
criticizes then-vice president Al Gore for admitting marijuana use and
explains why he would not do the same.

"I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions," he said, according to the
Times. "You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."

According to the article, Wead said he recorded the tapes because he viewed
Bush as a historic figure.

The White House did not deny the authenticity of the tapes.