Bush to Halt Mailing Campaign Speeches at Public Expense

Aides to George Bush said today the vice president’s office will stop mailing campaign speeches to news organizations at public expense.

The Evening Sun of Baltimore reported today that after it inquired about the practice Bush aides called such mailings a mistake and said future campaign speeches would be sent only by Bush’s presidential campaign organization.

Bush’s chief vice presidential press aide, Stephen Hart, told the paper that the office has for a long time been mailing statements of Bush’s remarks, including campaign-related remarks, to news organizations.

“We serve the national press corps, people who are interested in what the vice president says,” Hart said. “I will say that practice has now been reviewed and will change, not because it’s wrong but because . . . it could cause some misperception.”