COCAINE CLAIM RETURNS TO HAUNT BUSH

GEORGE BUSH, Governor of Texas and front-runner for the Republican
presidential nomination, has come under pressure to reveal whether he has
ever taken cocaine, with his silence on the subject becoming a campaign
issue in itself.

Of the 12 presidential hopefuls, Mr Bush alone has refused to respond to a
question from the New York Daily News about past drug use. Mr Bush has
repeatedly refused to answer questions about a youth he has described as
"irresponsible", but with every candidate coming forward to declare they
have never taken drugs, Mr Bush is sounding increasingly defensive.

This week he insisted that the drugs rumours were mere smear tactics that
did not merit a response: "I don't like trashmouth politics. I don't like
tearing somebody down."

Despite the lack of firm evidence linking Mr Bush with drugs, the
candidate, dogged by headlines such as that in the Daily News declaring
"Bush won't reveal if he's used cocaine", now faces questioning about the
rumours at almost every campaign stop and press interview. Last weekend,
the question of Mr Bush's possible drug use was debated on no fewer than
four political chat-shows. "The buzz is clearly growing louder," declared
The Washington Post yesterday.

Mr Bush's aides argue that responding to the buzz would merely lend
credence to unfounded rumours. "He has been honest about the fact that he's
made mistakes in the past. He's not going to play the game of trying to
disprove the rumour du jour. This kind of rumour, gossip and innuendo
drives people out of politics," Karen Hughes, communications director of
the Bush campaign, said.

Suspicions raised by Mr Bush's side-stepping the issue of drug use have
been compounded by calculated stirring from his opponents. Tom Daschle, the
Senate Minority Leader, declared past drug use to be a "legitimate
question" and implied that Mr Bush was being let off the hook.

Mr Bush's refusal to discuss this aspect of his past stands in contrast to
his willingness to address other potentially embarrassing elements in his
history, such as his drinking and his decision to give up alcohol at the
age of 40.

Vice-President Al Gore, the leading Democratic contender, has admitted
trying marijuana in the past without affecting his poll ratings, but
evidence of cocaine use could be far more damaging to a presidential campaign.

Mr Bush's equivocation is somewhat reminiscent of Bill Clinton's ambiguity
on the same subject. Having declared, with reference to drugs, that he had
never "broken the laws of my country", Mr Clinton later conceded that he
had smoked marijuana at Oxford but maintained, unforgettably, that he
"didn't inhale".

The Bush camp has accused Republican rivals of spreading unfounded rumours
of drug use by the Governor in his youth. Brian Kennedy, the campaign
director for Republican Lamar Alexander, issued a warning that Mr Bush will
face speculation about drugs as long as he maintains his silence. "Until
such time as he gives a full answer, the Governor can expect that it will
be an issue in the campaign."

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the drug rumours, from the Bush point
of view, is the way they have become part of the national humour-mill, and
fodder for late-night comedians. Jay Leno, the talk show host, took a jab
at both Mr Bush and his famously stiff Democratic opponent, observing that
the talk of drugs use by Mr Bush "kind of makes you wonder about some of
the other candidates. Like, I don't know if Al Gore has ever done drugs.
But I think we can rule out speed, pretty much."

An interview that Mr Bush gave to the newly-launched talk magazine, in
which he swore and allegedly made fun of the convicted murderer, Carla Faye
Tucker, has also provided his enemies with ammunition. Gary Bauer, the
conservative Republican and rival for the nomination, said he was
"pro-death penalty" but called Mr Bush's comments "inappropriate,
disgusting and profoundly disturbing".

The conservative columnist, George Will, said the interview "suggests an
atmosphere of adolescence, a lack of gravitas - even a recklessness,
perhaps born of things having gone a bit too easily so far".