TALK ABOUT MISTAKES, BUSH URGES

Parents advised to discuss past drug use

AKRON, Ohio -- While remaining coy over whether he used drugs as a young
man, presidential candidate George W. Bush urged parents of his generation
Friday to use their experience and talk to their children about the dangers
of drug use.

"I think baby-boomer parents ought to say, `I've learned from mistakes I may
or may not have made in the past,' " the Texas governor said after touring a
homeless shelter.

The Republican candidate arguably has faced the most challenging week of his
campaign as he tried to deal with growing media pressure to answer the
question of whether he had ever used illegal drugs.

Bush had initially resisted responding to what he considered a personal
issue. But this week he has gradually confirmed that he did not use drugs as
far back as 1974, when he was 28.

He would not confirm whether he had used drugs before that period, saying
only that he had made mistakes.

Bush was asked Friday what he would advise parents if their children asked
them about past drug use.

"The question facing baby boomers is, have we grown up?" Bush said. "Are we
willing to share the wisdom of past mistakes? The message to all children
is, don't do drugs and don't abuse alcohol."

Although Bush has been reluctant to talk about the drug issue he has talked
about his past heavy drinking, which he gave up at age 40.

Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, visiting Austin Friday,
said it was up to Bush to decide how to handle the drug question and
reaffirmed her support for the governor.

"He's got to make the decision how he handles it. Only he knows what is best
for him," she said.

Asked if felony drug use should disqualify someone from holding public
office years later, Hutchison replied:

"I think Americans are very sophisticated in making judgments. I think we
have seen a number of people who have made mistakes in the past. Everybody
has made mistakes at some point in their lives. And people will judge how
long ago it was and what the nature of it was, how it was handled on a
case-by-casebasis."

Hutchison indicated that past drug use wouldn't cost the governor her
support.

"I think that I'm going to look at what is good for this country. I believe
that Governor and Mrs. Bush will be great representatives of our country as
president and first lady. I have every confidence that they will make us
proud," she said.

Hutchison's view appeared to mirror that of many Americans, indicated a poll
released Friday by Time and CNN. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed said
that if Bush had used cocaine when he was in his 20s -- and no credible
evidence has surfaced that he has -- it would not disqualify him from the
presidency.

Most Americans also were prepared to leave the question unanswered as 58
percent said the media should now stop asking about the issue. More than a
third, 36 percent, believed the media should pursue the question. And half
of those who have followed the issue believed Bush had done a good job of
handling the questions.

The poll of 942 adults was conducted August 19 and has a margin of error of
plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

While the drug question has dogged the presidential candidate all week as he
campaigned around the country, the intensity of the media focus on the issue
appeared to dim somewhat by week's end.

At his Akron news conference he was asked about a variety of other matters,
even the matter he was in town to campaign on -- a tour of the faith-based
homeless shelter.

After the tour of the shelter Bush traveled out to a hotel in an affluent
suburb to attend a $1,000-a-person fund-raiser for his campaign. About 365
people attended the event.

Chronicle reporter Clay Robison in Austin contributed to this report.