EX-PRESIDENT DECRIES ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BUSH

WASHINGTON - Former President Bush said Tuesday that he is proud of son
George W. Bush for being "willing and strong enough to take the heat" of
allegations that arise during the course of a presidential campaign.

The ex-president was reacting to drug-related allegations about his son
included in a new biography, "Fortunate Son," by J.H. Hatfield. He called
the allegations "a vicious lie."

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the front-runner for the 2000 GOP presidential
nomination, said Monday, "It's totally ridiculous what he said and it's not
true."

In a statement issued by his Houston office, the ex-president criticized the
author's use of anonymous sources. "He has insulted our son's character, and
my character, and I resent it," Bush said. "This kind of nasty, groundless
attack is the reason that many good people are unwilling to enter politics.
I am proud that George is willing and strong enough to take the heat even in
the face of this kind of mindless garbage."

The book alleges that the younger Bush was arrested for cocaine possession
in 1972 but that the matter was dropped after he performed community service
arranged by his father. The book's allegations are based on anonymous
sources. The book is at odds with other accounts of Bush's life and the
Texas court system.