The Woman George W. Bush Didn't Marry -from a '99 story...

[Rose Siding]

The date is January 1, 1967, and the picture and engagement notice in the Houston Chronicle trumpet the engagement of future Texas governor George W. Bush and the daughter of a Jewish father from the Bushes' Tanglewood 'hood.

It's a major event in George Bush's life that has gone unmentioned by the first wave of profiles on the likely presidential candidate. More than one journalist who has plowed through the Bush family history finds it curious that the announcement, presumably followed by a cancellation, left only one long-forgotten fossilized engagement notice. With Campaign 2000 heating up, several political camps have circulated rumors about the engagement, enough to provoke inquiries to at least one Houston society source from Newsweek, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the National Enquirer.

The governor, a Methodist, has upset Jewish leaders who questioned a statement he made five years ago. The then-candidate for governor told a reporter that those who do not accept Jesus Christ cannot go to heaven. Before a trip to Israel last year, he joked that he would tell Israeli Jews they were all "going to hell." In a post-trip news conference, Bush declared he would let God decide who goes to heaven. Those comments have fueled speculation that the Bush family broke up the 1967 engagement because the prospective bride had a Jewish background.

Now that Bush is the odds-on favorite to carry the Republican presidential standard into battle next year, a curious process is taking place. Folks linked to him over the years are becoming fresh fodder for biography and politics, sought by everyone from the human vacuum cleaners at the tabloids to future presidential scholars trying to get the jump on history.

http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/1999-03-25/news3.html

How the heck did this yoyo get to be pres? This was in the paper. It didn't matter, didn't raise questions of 'electability'?

[papau]

1. great catch - I do like DU research!

:-)

[calimary]

2. Well, what do you expect? The AWOL scandal surfaced long ago, too,

It's only recently gained traction. It's been sitting there for YEARS.

And by the way, you've just inadvertently and unintentionally dissed yoyos everywhere. I guess that's their lot, then.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. so far, NONE of this stuff is new

I read every single accusation, rumor, and published account before the 2000 election - the corporate press simply chose not to publicize any of it. Until now - go figure. I guess they like Kerry more than Bush - but both seems acceptable to them. I'm sure the family backgrounds and Yale assocations have nothing to do with it.

[Womblestuffer]

3. this guy has had such a free pass, his background has so much dirt in

it that the average individual would be hung out to dry.

[Dulcinea]

4. This is documented in "Fortunate Son"

by James Hatfield. A great read so far...I'm slowly getting through it.