The Editor's Desk

Newsweek, November, 2002 by Mark Whitaker

George W. Bush was doing his best to charm us. It was the summer of 1999, and a group of NEWSWEEK editors had flown to Austin, Texas, to interview the governor about his expected presidential bid. Over a Tex-Mex lunch, Bush answered our questions about domestic and foreign policy, but also kept kidding Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman, who had covered him since his days on his father's campaigns. "Tub up, Fine!" Bush said as the waiters served dessert. "Can't," Howard replied. "TV." Bush laughed at Howard's wry reference to his frequent TV appearances, and held up his hand for a high-five. (Howard, ever the professional, didn't bite.)

For all the laughter, I remember two very serious moments from that lunch. When asked what he learned from his father's loss in...

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