evelations which broke in the media last evening that Republican GOP Presidential candidate George W. Bush was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1976 could resurrect charges that the Texas governor was also involved in an abortion about six years earlier. In the meantime, the story is taking on a distinct "redemption" flavor, with the New York Times and other media again discussing the Texas governor's transformation from a ne'er-do-well party animal who frequently overindulged in alcohol, to a successful business tycoon, family man and moral paragon thanks to his steady regimen of Bible study and religious conversion.

   The story first broke on Portland, Maine television station WPXT with a feature by reporter Erin Fehlau. She recounted learning of the arrest when a police officer told her of overhearing a conversation between an attorney and a judge. When Fehlau began investigating the matter, she obtained a copy of the legal docket with the arrest information, which showed that Bush -- who was 30 at the time of the incident -- paid a $150 fine and had his license suspended. He admitted guilt, and did not have to appear in court or spend time in jail.

   As the story has developed, questions have been raised over whether Bush was candid in discussing details of his earlier life. A profile on Mr. Bush which appeared in the November 29, 1999 New Republic contains a passage which quotes him denying that he had ever been arrested "After 1968." Another incident being unearthed by hungry news hounds focuses on Bush's remarks during an appearance on "Meet The Press" on November 21, 1999. Host Tim Russert asks, "If someone came to you and said, 'Governor, I'm sorry, I'm going to go public with some information.' What would you do?"

   Bush replied: "If someone was willing to go public with information that was damaging, you'd have heard about it by now. You've had hear about it now. My background has been scrutinized by all kinds of reporters. Tim, we can talk about this all morning..."

   While today's morning and afternoon talking head shows continue to fixate on whether or not the latest revelations possibly jeopardize Bush's razor-thin lead over Vice President Al Gore in public opinions polls, there are two other aspects to the story we call your attention to...

   ¶    Already, the DUI revelations could play into the hands of Bush strategists -- something which Democratic handlers are well aware of, given the Gore campaign's reticence so far on discussing the story. Both Bush and Gore have spent much of the election campaign draping themselves in the mantle of religious probity and righteousness; both defend a greater role for religious groups in the administration of public welfare programs, and the candidates agree on the need for "special rights" legislation, such as a revamped Religious Liberty Protection Act. The candidates spend most Sundays pressing the flesh with religious leaders, and speaking from church pulpits.

   Bush, though, one-ups Gore by portraying himself as a modern day St. Paul, once a philandering sinner who on the road to Damascus (in Bush's case, the world of politics) is struck down by a revelation from God and alters the course of his life. The Texas governor speaks frequently of themes linked to spiritual redemption, forgiveness and transformation -- all spurred by a conspicuous embrace of Christian religious faith.

   The New York Times recently profiled the GOP candidate ("How Bush Came to Tame His Inner Scamp," July 29, 2000) referring to "Midlife redemption." Bush had a "penchant for drinking too much and thinking too little," and was often "acting like a little kid in those days" according to friends and associations.

   "Then Mr. Bush did grow up," noted Times writer Nicholas Kristof. "A classic late bloomer, Mr. Bush offers reassurance for 40-year-olds everywhere." He embraces religion, sobriety and conservative values and is transformed within a few years into "a millionaire, a successful businessman" and later a popular Texas Governor.

   Personal, political and business failures purportedly led Bush down the road to drink and life in a "stupefied ... drug-fueled haze."

   "So Mr. Bush gave up alcohol and turned toward religion. He remade himself, and then his tremendous people skills, backed by his family connections, took over and propelled him in both business and politics..."

   A photo of the younger Bush shows him in his oil business office in 1986, "the year of his redemption."

   "Already studying the Bible, he also decided to stop drinking," reads the NYT caption.

   In the summer of 1985, Bush had an encounter with evangelist Billy Graham during a meeting reportedly engineered by his parents at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. "They had lunch on the patio overlooking the ocean, dinner by the fire and long conversations as they strolled along the shore," reported the Times piece. "Mr. Bush was inspired to begin reading the Bible daily (which he says he still does) and back in Midland (Texas) he began attending a Bible study class."

   Americans have become quite forgiving, even at the voting booth. The GOP failed to impeach President Bill Clinton over his peccadilloes with Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones and possibly others; and Mr. Bush may survive these latest revelations, especially since he has identified himself with an "experimental" and less rigid time in American history. Bush's mea culpa over this phase of life was clear during his acceptance speech at last summer's GOP convention in Philadelphia, where he told the nation that he and his generation were "coming home" to embrace more traditional values.

   Another story, though, may find American voters less apt to forgive, if it does gain further exposure. This concerns Bush's alleged involvement with an abortion in the early 1970s. It raises questions of Mr. Bush's real thoughts on abortion and trying to legislate away the historic ROE v. WADE decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.

   ¶    Last week, AANEWS covered allegations made by adult entertainment mogul Larry Flynt that George W. Bush was "involved" with an abortion in Houston, Texas during the 1970s. Flynt made the charges during an appearance on the CNN program "Crossfire," and an October 24 appearance on the Bernie Ward program on radio KGO-AM in San Francisco. There were suggestions that the story was about to break on BBC, and Flynt's charges ended up at the top of Matt Drudge's website two days later when the porn baron was told to "put up or shut up," and produce the evidence.

   The story went beyond tabloid interest, though, when CNN mysteriously pulled transcripts and references to Flynt's appearance on the "Crossfire" program. Drudge's involvement was curious, considering his earlier claim that he had located an illegitimate child born to an African American prostitute, and fathered by none other than Bill Clinton. DNA tests exonerated the president, though, from this liaison.

   So far, the allegations over a Bush-linked abortion have failed to crack the mainline media's "glass ceiling," although the story continues to percolate on the internet. It did receive an unexpected boost last Thursday when a story ("Bottom-feeding At 'Crossfire'") by civil libertarian Nat Hentoff appeared in the unlikely venue of the right-wing Washington Times newspaper. It recounted word-by-word the exchange between "Crossfire" host Bob Novak and Flynt, and noted that afterwards "Neither Mr. Novak nor the other host, Bill Press, followed up with a demand that Mr. Flynt provide the 'proof.' "

   Two days later, a caller to the C-SPAN program "Washington Journal" phoned in with the story of Mr. Flynt's allegations, but "Neither the host nor Matt Cooper, deputy Washington bureau chief of Newsweek, who was being interviewed, gave the story any credence..."

   Hentoff seems to seriously question the Flynt allegations; but he notes that after the exchange was made with Bob Novak and the program moved to commercials, the "Closing Comments" portion of the show "should have been jettisoned and Mr. Flynt should have been pressed to tell precisely what his evidence was. But ... neither host referred to the abortion charge."

   Was Flynt, author of this latest "October surprise," silenced? And why did CNN flush any web page transcripts or links to the interview?

   The story seems to have grown some legs, though, on the ABOUT.COM web site, where Margaret Sykes recounts the Flynt allegations in a piece aptly titled, "Media Silences Bush Abortion Story." Harley Sorenson also weighs in with his story in the San Francisco Examiner, "The Smut Monger's Scoop," focusing more on Flynt's seedy reputation rather than Bush's behavior.

   Although Flynt claims to have affidavits from principals in the Bush abortion case, he says that the woman at the focus of the allegations will likely deny them. That shouldn't stop news media, though, from confronting George W. Bush, and getting a clear answer on the public record. Democrats in Texas have questioned the Bush record regarding his service while in the National Guard. The story coming out of Maine about a DUI arrest -- one that Bush reportedly never talked about even to his family -- should spur inquiries about what else the American people might not know.

   There is, of course, the argument that these events are Bush's business, and no one else's. The abortion story might not fall under this category. Bush has pledged to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who share the political ideologies of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas -- two unabashed, antichoice justices who would certainly overturn ROE v. WADE if given the chance. Bush carefully sidesteps the question of how far he would go to ban abortion; and as we noted in our earlier issue, even many pro-choice women who might vote for Bush could be seriously underestimating his commitment to doing away with abortion rights in America. Is an abortion in 1970 (then technically illegal) a case of entitlement and financial privilege? America has the right to know, and George W. Bush should at least be asked about it.

[text only]