BARBARA BUSH DEFENDS SON'S STAND

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barbara Bush says she and her husband never asked their
eldest son, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, if he has used cocaine. "We had no
need to," she said.

In an interview with a Manchester, N.H., television station, the former
first lady said it was "fair" for the news media to question her son about
possible illegal drug use years ago, but she said he was right to refuse to
go into details.

"I am proud of the stand he has taken," she said. "The time has come to say,
'Enough.' Judge a man by what he has done."

It is irrelevant whether a presidential candidate ever used drugs, Mrs. Bush
said, suggesting that the news media concentrate less on personal matters.

"Twenty-five, 30 years ago? I don't think it matters," Mrs. Bush said.
"That's ridiculous. ... Let's ask candidates about what they have done" in
public policy, pointing to her son's record as Texas governor.

Bush has acknowledged he once drank heavily and made "mistakes" in his
youth, there has been no evidence or even credible allegation that he ever
has used cocaine or any other illegal drug. When pressed on the matter
earlier this month, he gave varying answers and finally said he had not used
illegal drugs in the past 25 years. He would not elaborate.

The Texas governor has said that he thinks parents should discuss drugs with
their children.

But in the interview with WMUR that aired Monday, Mrs. Bush said she and her
husband, former President Bush, "never asked him. We had no need to."

Meanwhile, the Bush fund-raising juggernaut continued. A senior official on
his campaign staff predicted Tuesday that the campaign will report raising
more than $50 million by the end of September -- more than any presidential
candidate ever has had available to seek the nomination.

Bush had raised a record $37 million as of the end of June and has added
steadily to it since. With a half dozen events in September, the campaign
expects to reach at least $50 million before the next reporting deadline
Sept 30. But the figure is not expected to reach $60 million, one senior
Bush aide said.

Bush campaigned Tuesday in Omaha, Neb., where he proposed the expansion of
government-funded Head Start programs to include teaching preschool students
to read.

"Head Start has done a good job in providing health needs," the Texas
governor said while visiting an Omaha elementary school. "I believe it ought
to include an education program as well."

Head Start is a national program that provides development services for
low-income, preschool children ages 3 to 5. Funding is provided through the
Department of Health and Human Services.

"I believe every child can read," Bush said. "And I believe that ought to
become the whole mentality of our education programs, and that we ought to
expect the very best for everybody."

Also on Tuesday, Bush gained the endorsement of more than 100 prominent Iowa
farm activists, including backers in each of the state's 99 counties. Their
backing is important in the caucus campaign, in part because the farm
economy is suffering from historic low commodity prices, and many farmers
face bankruptcy.

Mindy Tucker, a campaign spokeswoman, said Tuesday that Bush will miss the
annual conference of U.S.-Mexico border state governors, set for Sept. 9-10
in Tijuana, Mexico.

Bush had already set aside Sept. 9 to be the keynote speaker at an
anniversary celebration for the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas.
The church's pastor and co-founder, the Rev. Tony Evans, is a friend of Bush.