Posted on 02/19/2005 5:26:31 PM PST by Mad Mammoth
As George W. Bush was first moving onto the national political stage, he often turned for advice to an old friend who secretly taped some of their private conversations, creating a rare record of the future president as a politician and a personality.
In the last several weeks, that friend, Doug Wead, an author and former aide to Mr. Bush's father, disclosed the tapes' existence to a reporter and played about a dozen of them.
Variously earnest, confident or prickly in those conversations, Mr. Bush weighs the political risks and benefits of his religious faith, discusses campaign strategy and comments on rivals. John McCain "will wear thin," he predicted. John Ashcroft, he confided, would be a "very good Supreme Court pick" or a "fabulous" vice president. And in exchanges about his handling of media questions about his past, Mr. Bush appears to have acknowledged trying marijuana.
Mr. Wead said he recorded the conversations because he viewed Mr. Bush as a historic figure, but he said he knew that the president might regard his actions as a betrayal. As the author of a new book about presidential childhoods, Mr. Wead could benefit from any publicity, but he said that was not a motive in disclosing the tapes.
The White House did not dispute the authenticity of the tapes or respond to their contents. Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, said, "The governor was having casual conversations with someone he believed was his friend." Asked about drug use, Mr. Duffy said, "That has been asked and answered so many times there is nothing more to add."
The conversations Mr. Wead played offer insights into Mr. Bush's thinking from the time he was weighing a run for president in 1998 to shortly before he accepted the Republican nomination in 2000. Mr. Wead had been a liaison to evangelical Protestants for the president's father, and the intersection of religion and politics is a recurring theme in the talks.
Preparing to meet Christian leaders in September 1998, Mr. Bush told Mr. Wead: "As you said, there are some code words. There are some proper ways to say things, and some improper ways." He added, "I am going to say that I've accepted Christ into my life. And that's a true statement."
But Mr. Bush also repeatedly worried that prominent evangelical Christians would not like his refusal "to kick gays." At the same time, he was wary of unnerving secular voters by meeting publicly with evangelical leaders. When he thought his aides had agreed to such a meeting, Mr. Bush complained to Karl Rove, his political strategist, "What the hell is this about?"
Mr. Bush, who has acknowledged a drinking problem years ago, told Mr. Wead on the tapes that he could withstand scrutiny of his past. He said it involved nothing more than "just, you know, wild behavior." He worried, though, that allegations of cocaine use would surface in the campaign, and he blamed his opponents for stirring rumors. "If nobody shows up, there's no story," he told Mr. Wead, "and if somebody shows up, it is going to be made up." But when Mr. Wead said that Mr. Bush had in the past publicly denied using cocaine, Mr. Bush replied, "I haven't denied anything."
He refused to answer reporters' questions about his past behavior, he said, even though it might cost him the election. Defending his approach, Mr. Bush said: "I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."
He mocked Vice President Al Gore for acknowledging marijuana use. "Baby boomers have got to grow up and say, yeah, I may have done drugs, but instead of admitting it, say to kids, don't do them," he said.
Mr. Bush threatened that if his rival Steve Forbes attacked him too hard during the campaign and won, both Mr. Bush, then the Texas governor, and his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, would withhold their support. "He can forget Texas. And he can forget Florida. And I will sit on my hands," Mr. Bush said.
The private Mr. Bush sounds remarkably similar in many ways to the public President Bush. Many of the taped comments foreshadow aspects of his presidency, including his opposition to both antigay language and recognizing same-sex marriage, his skepticism about the United Nations, his sense of moral purpose and his focus on cultivating conservative Christian voters.
Mr. Wead said he withheld many tapes of conversations that were repetitive or of a purely personal nature. The dozen conversations he agreed to play ranged in length from five minutes to nearly half an hour. In them, the future president affectionately addresses Mr. Wead as "Weadie" or "Weadnik," asks if his children still believe in Santa Claus, and chides him for skipping a doctor's appointment. Mr. Bush also regularly gripes about the barbs of the press and his rivals. And he is cocky at times. "It's me versus the world," he told Mr. Wead. "The good news is, the world is on my side. Or more than half of it."
As for Forbes, he was over the top in his personal attacks on Dubya during the primary season. A lapse in temperament and judgement that I am sure he regrets.
That goes for Keyes, altho he would never admit he was ungracious and unfair.
of all the papers Wead could have come out to, why the Times ?
Whatever we say and do, we must live with it.
Wead former assembly of God Preacher
Amway Diamond Distributer
Former Bush family friend
These tapes are extremely flattering to the president, and it must have caused the Times a lot of anguish to have to publish anything so generous.
We had Doug Wead down here in AZ trying to run for Congress. He left a bad odor... Barry Goldwater gave Doug the middle finger by endorsing his liberal Democrat opponent, who won... Doug does what Doug does ONLY for Doug....
Right. No connection between the two - That's his story and he's sticking with it.
This will get Bush no credit for not wanting to attack gays; rather the gays will run with this as proof that Bush has "sold out" his Christian followers.
Isn't it illegal to tape someones conversations without their knowledge? With friends like this who needs enemies.
"The private Mr. Bush sounds remarkably similar in many ways to the public President Bush."
In other words: "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."
My pride and gratitude for Mr. Bush grows steadily.
+Isn't it illegal to tape someones conversations without their knowledge?
Sure doesn't sound as bad as some secret tapes related to another recent president.
>>>> Amway Diamond Distributer
That's interesting
More than anything else, it is this quality about President Bush that just baffles the media. In the fictional world they try to create, genuine character just doesn't make sense.
Am I the only one who didn't think the quotes were damning? Did I miss something?
Historical perspective is tough to evaluate contemporaneously with current events, but I confidently predict that history will record President George W. Bush as the 3rd greatest and most influential president after George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
You heard it first HERE.
;-/
Not that damming imo... just the idea of doing something like this... kinda brings into play the word intergity, imo.
Other comments over here on this thread from an earlier posting.....
In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President ^
It is not illegal to tape a conversation that you have in person w/o the other person knowing. You cannot, however, do it by telephone. Also, I believe you cannot record both audio and video surreptitiously.
sheesh.....
My apologies for the duplication, I did a search before posting, and saw nothing out there on this story, if I had, I would not have posted it again. (groan). Sorry folks.
just wait till round 2 when all the bashers jump on this story and the tapes.......here's the prelude --- the last 3 paragraphs of the article....note the last sentence----is it believable?
"For his part, Mr. Wead said what was most resonant about the conversations with Mr. Bush was his concern that his past behavior might come back to haunt him. Mr. Wead said he used the tapes for his book because Mr. Bush's life so clearly fit his thesis: that presidents often grow up overshadowed by another sibling.
"What I saw in George W. Bush is that he purposefully put himself in the shadows by his irresponsible behavior as a young person," Mr. Wead said. That enabled him to come into his own outside the glare of his parents' expectations, Mr. Wead said.
Why disclose the tapes? "I just felt that the historical point I was making trumped a personal relationship," Mr. Wead said. Asked about consequences, Mr. Wead said, "I'll always be friendly toward him."
I wonder if this guy gets the "Linda Tripp" treatment?
WEAD SEZ PREZ USED WEED
Didn't these folks have conniptions over Linda Tripp taping conversations?
Your posting brings it back to the front for a bit... The other thread had died down ... The cross link just provides any that may want to the chance to read the other comments if they are interested....
"...history will record President George W. Bush as the 3rd greatest and most influential president..."
With each passing month, I find it harder to disagree with that statement. Let's hope the Iraqis possess the spark of greatness which our ancestors did.
let's see if the left excoriates this wead guy the way they did linda tripp for secretly taping a so-called friend. she had cooties, but whatcha wanna make a bet this guy will become an insightful god for the left.
This freaked me out when I saw it on Drudge as a headline. Then I read it and I see the same George W. Bush I see in public every day. Whoop, woop, big story, sun rises in the east.
round 2 starting as foreseen
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1346994/posts
Cross linking: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1346994/posts
Another reason why I rarely visit Drudge. Aside from the spyware and other junk that arrives along with the click.
This all reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry gets into a verbal tussel with the girl-of-the-moment about how he hates the Docker commercials and she loves them. The date ends on avery negative vibe.
Later in the episode, George reveals how he knows her name because Jerry told him about the Dockers argument. When Jerry comes into the room she berates him for disclosing their private conversation/argument stating: "You didn't have to tell your friends!" Jerry replies: "No, I had to tell my friends. My friends didn't have to tell you."
Nuff' said!
This all reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry gets into a verbal tussel with the girl-of-the-moment about how he hates the Docker commercials and she loves them. The date ends on avery negative vibe.
Later in the episode, George reveals how he knows her name because Jerry told him about the Dockers argument. When Jerry comes into the room she berates him for disclosing their private conversation/argument stating: "You didn't have to tell your friends!" Jerry replies: "No, I had to tell my friends. My friends didn't have to tell you."
Nuff' said!
In Texas only one party has to know that the conversation is being taped.
In Texas only one party has to know that the conversation is being taped.
He'll get 15 minutes of fame and maybe 10 minutes with Chrissy Blowhard. That's it.
Well duh...That's why the man was elected. He is what he is, unlike the other party's offerings. I'd sure like to hear some secret tapes made of the 'rats presidential candidates!
Thank you for joining just to show us that you're a total moron.
More proof that this cowboy will go down as a big @#it stain in American politics.
How much time and how much money before the "friend" plays all of the tapes for the press?
My thoughts exactly. I think this is a blessing in disguise, as an cynics should be able to see that W. is sincere when he talks about the issues that are important to him.
Anyone want to take a bet that if secret tapes of Bill or Hillary existed that they'd sound a bit different in private than they act in public?
Did you read the article you freaking moron? Is there a single thing here for W. to be embarassed about? NO. Shockingly, we seem to have a politician that actually says in public what he really believes...
Of course, a lot will depend on who writes the history books, and what the purpose of history is--to search for truth, or to advance the DNC agenda?
Don't like it? Good.
Boy, it is really funny to see one of those DU'ers pop their heads up...it is like "Whack-A-Mole"!
Seriously, Zell Miller said it best when he said he's the same guy on Saturday night as he is on Sunday morning.
I don't doubt for a minute that President Bush partied hard when he was George W. Bush. But he is being serious now.
I love the fact that we don't have to pick up the paper each day and worry about who the President of the United States fondled.
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