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Bush counts his what-ifs, both public and personal

Gov. Jeb Bush tells members of Girls State that he has a few traits he's working to change.

By JONI JAMES
Published June 15, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - Yes, Gov. Jeb Bush does have some regrets after all.

Florida's hard-charging governor, routinely under the glare of the national spotlight, loathes public navel-gazing.

But on Tuesday, Bush turned reflective before 300 members of Girls State, the American Legion Auxiliary's government education program.

Moments after wrapping up a 15-minute speech urging the rising high school seniors to be optimistic, live with integrity and respectfully challenge the status quo, Bush opened the floor to questions.

Starting with his "weakest leadership trait," girls rose one after another to ask what he would change about his record, what he wishes he'd done differently in the Terri Schiavo case and his future.

Bush rolled with it.

He's works to curb his impatience, he said. "A sense of intensity and purpose and wanting to get stuff done in a timely fashion is important, but you go from that to impatience, you're not helping the cause," Bush said. "I've gotten a little better at that, but I've got a long way to go."

He's also worked to ensure his highly opinionated style doesn't temper staff input.

"Sometimes, if you don't always focus on creating a climate on where staff members' opinions are valued, you don't get them. That's a weakness I think I've gotten significantly better on, but it continues to be a weakness," Bush said.

He regrets a 2000 decision to grant Anderson Columbia a permit to build a cement plant on the pristine Ichetucknee River because he believes it has clouded his environmental reputation.

Legally, Bush said, it was the right decision. He has long contended the company would have won in court. But it was a bad decision politically, he said.

"The press covers environmental policy in such a one-dimensional way that no matter if you're right policy-wise you can't overcome all the political correctness or the very sterile coverage sometimes of these issues," Bush said. "It has the impact . . . that politically you can't go advance another meaningful environmental cause without having some reference be made to that."

On Schiavo, Bush said he regretted that legislation passed in 2003 was not broad enough to to withstand a successful constitutional challenge.

"We were living in the tyranny of the moment . . . we didn't have time to argue in a deliberative way," he said. "I still think (a law) needs to be passed in our state to deal with the unforeseen circumstances when there isn't an advanced directive or living will."

Bush said once again that he will return to Miami when his term ends in 18 months but isn't sure what he'll do. "But whatever it is, I will be sure it's fun."

Bush later brushed aside questions from reporters about whether he would run for president or vice president in 2008. He repeatedly has said he won't run.

"I've got 565 days and I intend to work as hard as I can to do my job," he said. "Please leave me alone."

One Girls State participant's question went unanswered: "If you were president of the United States, what would you do differently?"

Bush cackled as the chamber erupted in laughter: "You want to get me in serious trouble? Let me just say, I love my brother and I'm proud of him."

Joni James can be reached at 850-224-7263 or jjames@sptimes.com

[Last modified June 15, 2005, 00:42:08]