A PERSONAL TRAGEDY FOR THE BUSH FAMILY

Any parents who have worried about the influence of the drug culture on
their children can feel sympathy with Jeb Bush and his family. The Florida
governor has acknowledged in the past that one of his children has had
problems with substance abuse, but it was only last week that the public
realized the full extent of it.

Bush's daughter, Noelle, 24, was arrested for posing as a doctor in order
to buy a drug with a forged prescription. A first offender, she was
released on bail but faces a possible sentence of five years in prison plus
a $5,000 fine.

Noelle's cousins, Barbara and Jenna Bush, daughters of the president, have
had scrapes with the law for underage drinking. But these are relatively
minor offenses, probably reflective more of two normal, high-spirited
college students than of anything else. Noelle's problems are obviously
more serious.

This should not be fodder for cheap political shots, nor is it by any means
unique. Jimmy Carter's nephew went to prison for robbery, and Bill
Clinton's half-brother had run-ins with the law because of his lifestyle.
But, like Noelle Bush, these were personal tragedies, and the embarrassment
they cause to the officeholders must only heighten the family's grief.