NATION IN BRIEF : TEXAS : Bush at Funeral for Longtime Friend

President Bush attended funeral services in Houston for C. Fred Chambers, a longtime friend and one-time fellow Texas oilman who helped raise the political money for his rise to the White House. Bush and Secretary of State James A. Baker III, another close friend and adviser from their earlier days in Texas, attended services at St. Michael’s Catholic Church for Chambers, who died Monday at the age of 71. Chambers was an active fund-raiser for Bush over the years. In 1974, the close ties between the two families prompted the Bushes to name their dog C. Fred Bush. First Lady Barbara Bush did not attend and was on a scheduled visit to Canada.