AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Baby boomer parents who grew up in the 1960s when
illegal drug use was common have a responsibility to warn their children of
the dangers of drugs, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush said
Friday.

"I think the baby boomer parent ought to say, `I've learned from mistakes I
may or may not have made and I'd like to share some wisdom with you and
that is don't use drugs,"' the Texas governor said during a campaign stop
at a rescue mission.

The front-runner for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination has faced
a barrage of questions about whether he used drugs, including cocaine, when
he was younger.

Bush has refused to deny using illegal drugs, saying mistakes he may have
made as a youth are not anyone's business, but in the past two days he
altered his stance somewhat by saying he had not used illegal drugs for at
least 25 years.

At a brief news conference at the Haven of Rest rescue center, Bush was
asked if he learned anything about running for president after the intense
questioning in the last two days.

"I've learned that sometimes politics can be unnecessarily ugly and I'm
trying to purge the system of ugly politics," Bush said.

Bush, 53, the son of former President George Bush, toured the rescue
center, shaking hands with some of the homeless who were there, as part of
his program of "compassionate conservatism" before heading off to a
luncheon fund-raiser.

Bush was not asked directly about drug use but was asked if he now felt
empathy for President Clinton, who underwent grilling about possible drug
use when he first ran for president in 1992.

He did not directly answer, saying that as a young man "I made some
mistakes" but adding that if elected president, "I will bring dignity and
honor to the office."

A reporter then asked if he had discussed the dangers of drug use with his
young daughters.

"I'm going to leave my daughters out of my campaign," he said but then
elaborated on his generation's responsibility.

"I think parents, particularly baby boomer parents, ought to say to
children, `Do not use drugs.' I think we owe the children that
responsibility to share our wisdom. I worry about a society that sends a
different message," Bush said.

"One of the interesting questions facing baby boomers is: have we grown up?
Are we willing to share the wisdom of past mistakes? I think the message
ought to be to tell all children, 'Don't use drugs and don't abuse
alcohol.' That's what leadership is about," he said.

Bush has said he had drinking problems as a younger man but has not had any
alcohol since his 40th birthday. He also has said he has never cheated on
his wife, Laura.

In Des Moines, Iowa, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley said
the news media "can be too invasive" and said candidates must be the ones
to set boundaries about what personal information about them should become
public.

Asked by reporters for his views on the questions dogging Bush, Bradley
said: "The media is never wrong (to ask questions). ... It's up to the
candidate to draw the line."

Bradley added, "It would be better if we focused on the issues of the
campaign."

In an autobiography, Bradley admitted to taking a "few puffs" of marijuana
in the early 1970s.

In Washington, White House anti-drugs policy chief Barry McCaffrey was
asked whether Bush should tell the public whether he ever used illegal drugs.

He responded: "Probably 70 million Americans have used an illegal drug --
one third of all Americans aged 12 and older."

"It is my strongly-held opinion that what we should demand of those who
stand for public office is that they commit themselves to helping create a
drug-free America," McCaffrey added. "What are these political leaders
saying about what they'll tell our children? What policies will they
support? They ought to stand for office based on those answers."

Bush refused to answer drug use questions until a Dallas Morning News
interview Wednesday in which he was asked if he could meet current
standards for those seeking federal jobs, which require no illegal drug use
in the last seven years.

He said this question was relevant and answered it affirmatively. On
Thursday he pushed that date back to at least 1974.