               Text of Bush's News Conference 
   Here is the prepared text of the news conference Thursday
 with President Bush on the decision by Ross Perot to
 withdraw from the presidential race:

    BUSH: Well, thank you all for coming over. And let me
 just say that I, this morning after receiving the news,
 called Ross Perot, congratulated him on the way he has
 energized so many people in the political process, told him
 that of course I would welcome his support and the support
 of those who have gotten behind him. We share the same 
 principles with many of those people, and we're going to
 work hard to win them over, get their support.
    But it was a good phone call, and I probably will be
 talking to Mr Perot again before too long. But I see this as
 a positive development in a sense because I am convinced
 that the conservatives who are supporting Ross Perot, the
 legions of conservative people, will end up being with me
 because I think they share the same values that I speak
 about, the same principles that we put forward, and the same
 desire to change this economy and get things moving again.
    So it was a good conversation and a very interesting and
 fascinating development in a very turbulent political year.

    Q: Mr President, did he indicate to you whether he would
 ever throw his support to either you or Mr Clinton?
    BUSH: No, there was no indication of that at all.

    Q: Mr President, even before Ross Perot appeared on the
 political scene, the right-track/wrong-track numbers in the
 polls were going in the wrong direction. The majority of the
 American people felt the country was heading in the wrong
  direction. How do you account for that and--
    BUSH: I think the economy has been the main
 accounting--main reason for that. The economy has been
 sluggish. There are obviously signs that the recovery is
 underway. Many people have not felt that recovery. And I am
 absolutely convinced that when you have a long, drawn-out
 recession, when people's families are hurting, this accounts
 for that.

    Q: Mr President, the vice president criticized Ross Perot
 as a temperamental tycoon without respect for the
 Constitution, and other members of your administration and
 campaign have been critical of him. Don't you think his
 supporters [inaudible] mad at you when they think of--
    BUSH: No, I don't think so. No, I don't.

    Q: Can you explain your--
    BUSH: Yeah, because I think a lot of people that
 supported Ross want to see the kinds of changes that I want
 to see. And they recognized in him a dynamic figure that
 could energize voters, but when it gets down to the issues,
 I think they're going to be much more on my side than on the
 side of the Democratic ticket.

    Q: So, Mr President, do you believe this development
 helps you?
    BUSH: Yes, I think it does.

    Q: Why exactly, because your aides have been saying that
 they thought he took votes away from Clinton, and now you're
 saying it helps you--
    BUSH: Well, I don't know what my aides have been saying,
 but I can read the surveys like anybody else can. I think it
 helps us, and I think most people think so.
                                               
    Q: [Inaudible]
    BUSH: Well, we were sitting out like on top of that
 mountain, although not that very mountain. It was a little
 hard to--we had a little disconnect on the conversation.

    Q: Also, Mr President, there have been consistent
 speculations that at some point, Secretary Baker would come
 over to your--
    BUSH: I've read those speculations, yes.

    Q: Can you resolve that once and for all?
    BUSH: No, I can't resolve it today at all.

    Q: Why not?
    BUSH: I know nobody will believe this, but it is 3:00 in
 Wyoming, and honestly I have not talked about that with Jim
 Baker yet.

    Q: So the option is open, Mr President?
    BUSH: Always when I'm talking to an old, trusted friend,
 all options are open about what I talk about, but what
 happens, that's pure speculation, and I have not--that
 subject has not come up.

    Q: Mr President, if it isn't going to happen--
    BUSH: Let me come back over. Just a sec.

    Q: Does the option remain that Mr Baker would join the
 campaign--
    BUSH: No, there's no options open or closed on it. I just
 haven't discussed it.

    Q: In that case, why don't you foreclose it?
    BUSH: Because I don't feel inclined to do that. I'm going
 to win this election, and I want the best possible team
 around me, and Jim Baker's doing a superb job as secretary
 of state, and he's off on a very important mission Saturday,
 and so he's got a full portfolio right as it is. But who
 knows? I don't know.

    Q: Can I follow up on that?
    BUSH: Yes.

    Q: The concerns about Secretary Baker coming back to the
 campaign, a lot of them come from the campaign that feel
 that they just haven't been able to get the job done. Now
 that you're moving past the Democratic Convention toward the
 Republican one, do you change tactics? Do you have a new
 strategy now, and with that rally tomorrow in Wyoming, is
 that to begin the tougher--
    BUSH: No, I've said that a lot of my own personal
 campaigning and how I campaign will be on hold until after
 the Republican Convention.

    Q: Mr President, how exactly did you hear about this
 announcement? Were you fishing in a creek or what?
    BUSH: I was fishing in a creek and got--one of our aides
 came and said that--I believe it was a military aide--and
 said that there was going to be a press conference in a few
 minutes and that it was widely reported in advance of the
 press conference that Mr Perot intended to withdraw.
    And so then--I didn't hear the press conference. We have
 not listened to the television. I have not listened to the
 radio. And I did, however, get a report--2d-hand report on
 the press conference and then after that, placed a call to
 him.

    Q: What exactly was your reaction when you heard it?
    BUSH: I was surprised. I was surprised because Ross Perot
 has energized a lot of people in this country. He's gotten a
 lot of volunteers involved. You could feel it.
    Incidentally, there was a show of that out in San Diego,
 but I didn't detect any personal animosity from the people.
 I detected. I detect a great enthusiasm for Ross Perot. And
 that's 1 reason I think that we have a fertile field in
 which to hunt for more support.

    Q: Mr President, Ross Perot spoke about the
 revitalization in the Democratic Party as the reason he's
 pulling out. [Inaudible]. Do you see that revitalization--
    BUSH: I beg your pardon--I have not watched the
 convention, have not seen it at all, not seen it. I've read
 some clippings about it, but I've not listened to it nor
 watched it. Same as I did 4 days. Just want a little
 respite.

    Q: When he said revitalization of the Democratic Party,
 he indicated by saying that perhaps he would like to see his
 people go more towards Clinton than you, although he didn't
 say it.
    BUSH: Well, I didn't hear that comment at all. What I
 thought he said, what I was told that he said, had to do
 with the--for not continuing to run--was that he wouldn't be
 able to get the votes that he would need if the race was
 thrown into the House and he felt that it would if he
 remained in the race.

    Q: Did he indicate to you at all in a telephone call how
 he felt the voters [inaudible]?
    BUSH: No, no indication whatsoever.
 
    Q: Years ago you and Ross Perot were friends, or at least
 acquaintances. Are you going to put all this behind you, no
 hard feelings?
    BUSH: Yes, I am. I always do that, and--I always do that.
 I don't like to lose friends over politics. I never have,
 and I've always turned the other check and I've always tried
 to make new friends. And I don't think that's bad. I think
 that's a sign of character, not a sign of weakness.

    Q: Mr President, can you tell us, are you thinking about
 what Ross Perot said here or [inaudible]?
    BUSH: Well, I heard him fairly well. He had a little
 difficulty telling me he was breaking up. No, he just said
 he appreciated the phone call, and was very pleasant. But
 there was no substance discussed.

    Q: What did he say when you asked [inaudible] delighted
 to have his support?
    BUSH: Well, he didn't say anything, it wasn't put in the
 form that I was awaiting an answer at that very moment. It
 was more I just mentioned that.
                                               
    Q: Mr President, you said you hadn't discussed
 [inaudible] the possibility of his coming over to your
 campaign.
    BUSH: That's true.

    Q: [Inaudible].
    BUSH: Family. I have a son up here. The joy of fishing
 with your son in a river in Wyoming, I'll tell you it's hard
 to compare with anything. And he has his son, Jamie, here,
 and Susan Baker's here--Barbara's not here; she catches
 headaches at altitudes, and so she didn't come. But we just
 fished, talked about fishing.
    You know, when you're out in the river with a friend, it
 doesn't matter much what you talk about. And I've concluded,
 not just because of my own record, it doesn't matter whether
 you catch any fish or not. You're there, and you're in the
 outdoors and you're away from all the hubbub of I think 1 of
 the ugliest political years I've ever seen--and I've been
 around the track a long time. And you forget about your
 day-to-day cares. And it's been a total joy for me.
                                               
    Now, all this development today has kind of changed this
 day a little bit from yesterday, but it's still been most
 enjoyable. So I couldn't even tell you what we talked about.
 We joked. We have fun. We reminisce--we go--Jim Baker and I
 go back a long, long time, and our families are interlocked.
 Our kids are friends.

    Q: Do you think the campaign will be less ugly now?
    BUSH: Well, I, I hadn't felt that it's been hyper ugly,
 the campaign itself.
 
    Q: Did you discuss Ed Rollins [inaudible]?
    BUSH: Didn't come up, didn't come up, and--

    Q: [Inaudible]
    BUSH: Yes, I was surprised. I was surprised.

    Q: Mr President, this campaign, with Mr Perot out
 [inaudible]?
    BUSH: Well, it happened so soon that I haven't--haven't
 had a chance to talk to any strategists about that. But
 clearly, a 2-way race is more traditional in the sense of
 American politics, and I think in the final analysis, that
 I'll win this race. I think--I think people will look at the
 big picture, the whole picture, and I believe we'll win. And
 I think our values are right. I think the fact that kids go
 to bed with a little less fear about nuclear war these days-
 -I think that's extraordinarily positive.
    I think the economy's tough, but I think what we've
 proposed to correct it is--is going to prove to be better
 than the opponent. So I'm prepared to take my case to the
 American people in the fall with renewed confidence, and
 I--I believe that I'll win this race.

    Q: [Inaudible] what did he tell you?
    BUSH: You mean after the Perot thing?

    Q: [Inaudible]
    BUSH: Did not talk to him. Talked to him last night, but
 I didn't talk to him since the Perot matter.

    Q: Mr President, what do you think would have happened
 had he stayed in the race? Do you think it would have gone
 to the House? Do you think you might have lost?
    BUSH: Well, I didn't, I didn't ever think it would go to
 the House.

    Q: Now that Clinton is officially your opponent, what do
 you have to say about him?
    BUSH: Well, I'm listening to the--reading the clips and
 listening all fall, all winter long, and I'll be prepared at
 the appropriate time to, to comment on that.

    Q: Did you congratulate him on the telephone? Did you
 call him?
    BUSH: Congratulate Clinton?

    Q: Yes, sir.
    BUSH: On what?

    Q: On his getting the nomination [inaudible]?
    BUSH: Oh, no. I forgot to do that. [Laughter] But maybe I
 can do that now. He fought hard and he won his party's
 nomination, and having been there before myself, I can say
 that's no mean achievement. But I'm perfectly glad to do
 that. Then we'll go to general quarters in the fall, because
 we differ on almost everything--on the issues. We're going
 to keep it on the issues.

    Q: Are you more optimistic now about the 2-party system
 than you might have been when Perot [inaudible]?
    BUSH: Well, I don't believe I ever lost confidence in the
 2-party system, because when you look back at our country
 and then compare it to democracies around the world, or
 other systems, we've had the most stable possible political
 system for 200 years, and for most of that you had a viable,
 strong, 2-party system, and I think in the final analysis
 the American people understand that. That is not--that has
 not been in focus up to this point.
    But I've not lost confidence in it, and I just think that
 it has served our country well for a long time, and I do
 think that the question mark of going to the House having
 been removed, that clarifies things for the American
 electorate and makes it--makes it easier in a sense. Because
 there was, I think on some people's minds there was some
 doubt about that.
    I think Judy's trying to get--
                                               
    Q: Is that a valid reason for dropping out, as Mr Perot
 says--
    BUSH: I'd leave that to him.

    Q: Mr President, will you debate Mr Clinton and would you
 favor a vice presidential debate?
    BUSH: I expect there will be both.

    Q: Any comment on the Israeli announcement on their
 settlements?
    BUSH: No. On--if you'd help me with what announcement
 you're talking about.

    Q: I believe they've announced there's been some
 settlements.
    BUSH: Well, the Israeli election was a lot about that,
 and I can't comment on the statement--I've not seen it--but
 I'm looking forward to receiving the prime minister of
 Israel and hopefully in the next couple of weeks, next 2 or
 3 weeks, and I've pledged to work to strengthen the very
 important relationship between the 2 countries. But I just
 can't comment on that particular--because literally, I'm
 seeing some clips, some summaries, what they call a White
 House news summary. But I have not read the newspapers, I
 have not watched television--sorry, Ann--and I've not
 listened to the radio on this. That's why I'm in such a
 wonderfully relaxed mood and I want to go back and catch a
 few more fish.

    Q: How many fish did you catch?
    BUSH: It is an unimpressive record. However, here's my
 side of it--no, I caught 2 or 3 yesterday--3, and 2 today.
 But it's the hunt as well as catching the fish; it's trying
 to put the fly right where you think the action is, and
 standing there in the beauty of this marvelous country of
 ours, standing in the middle of a stream. And it's very hard
 to describe. But for people that love the outdoors, as I do,
 love this West as I do, why, they'll know what I mean. It's
 not catching the fish; it's being out there in nature with
 nature all around you.

    Q: [Inaudible].
    BUSH: Not near as good as the secretary of state's. But
 his wife's cooking is superb.
