Bush Campaign Restricts Formal Media Contacts

Ever since a news conference last week turned into a lengthy discussion about the touchy issue of abortion, Texas Gov. George W. Bush has cut back on his encounters with the press.

Asked whether the governor would be available today to discuss the results of the Iowa caucuses, Bush spokeswoman Mindy Tucker said there would be a news conference only if the campaign felt there was something newsworthy to address.

“It’s not in our best interests,” Tucker said as Bush and the traveling press corps left a campaign event here. “We have a message of the day, and we’re going to stick to it.

“We are not going to have one big, fat news conference on our schedule where you can come and ask about what you think is the news of the day,” she said.

Bush has not held a news conference since Thursday, when he was pressed to explain that he felt the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion was “a reach” and outside the bounds of the Constitution.

Earlier this month, Bush had held a formal news conference nearly daily as he stumped throughout Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Communications director Karen Hughes said there was no decision made after the abortion news conference to restrict formal media availabilities. She also noted that the governor appeared on television talk shows during the weekend.

“There was a decision made that we are barnstorming the state of Iowa this final weekend and that our time was best spent meeting with voters and barnstorming the state of Iowa to turn out the voters in the caucus,” Hughes said. The campaign “would continue to make Gov. Bush accessible to you all as we have.”