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Sunday, April 2, 2000

Elder Bush plans visit to A&M-K

Ex-president to promote book, talk to students

By Jonathan Osborne
Caller-Times

For a few hours on Monday, former President George Bush will return to South Texas, where he earned his wings and at the age of 18 became one of the youngest pilots in the U.S. Navy.
   Bush, who completed his pilot training in Corpus Christi and Kingsville, will make an appearance at Texas A&M University-Kingsville to speak about his most recent book, "All the Best," and answer students' questions about the presidency.
   The event will begin at 6 p.m. but will not be open to the public.
   "I want him to come down here and talk to those students who are interested in public service about his journey," A&M-Kingsville President Marc Cisneros said.
   Cisneros, who is on the advisory council for the Bush School of Government and Public Policy at Texas A&M University, meets with the former president about three times a year, he said.
   "I told him of the challenges we have down in South Texas," Cisneros said. "He seemed to be very interested."
   Mary Armesto, a graduate student double majoring in political science and history, said she is having a difficult time deciding what questions to ask Bush.
   "I'm probably going to ask him about something to do with nuclear (weapons), maybe if he ever feels that we are going to be able disarm nuclear (weapons)" Armesto said.
   But she also was wondering what the former president was thinking about when he saw the inauguration of his son, George W. Bush, as Texas governor.
   "I was so amazed that President Bush started crying when that happened," Armesto said. "Here, he's been president. But, being a parent, the best thing you are able to do is see one of your kids become . . . someone.
   "I'm not sure whether to go with the nuclear question or something more sentimental," she said.
   Regardless of which question she chooses to ask Bush, Armesto really wants to know whether serving the public is worth the scrutiny of one's personal life.
   "I'm wondering if he thinks, maybe with this Clinton thing, is it worth going into public service or not?" Armesto said.
   "I would think that he would say yes. I think he would be able to say something to inspire us."
   Bush served in the Navy as combat pilot in World War II and was rescued by a submarine when his plane was shot down in the Pacific. He returned to the United States to graduate from Yale and then moved to Texas in 1948.
   He has served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and acted as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
   In 1980, he was picked to be Ronald Reagan's vice president. He won the presidency in 1988, served one term and then lost to Bill Clinton in 1992.
   Dr. Nirmal Goswami, an associate professor in the political science department and moderator of the dialogue between Bush and the students, said he hopes the conversation will be on Bush's years as president.
   "The focus of this is his reflection from the presidency," Goswami said.
   "How does he view the presidency, not so much what he did or didn't do."
   But Goswami has some questions of his own for the former president.
   "I hope someone would ask him, 'What does he think a former president's role is in public life?' " Goswami said.
  

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Staff writer Jonathan Osborne can be reached at 886-3716 or by e-mail at osbornej@caller.com

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