Bush Marks Fourth of July, Texas-Style
- Share via
BELTON, Texas — Gov. George W. Bush spoke of patriotism Tuesday as he joined a small-town Fourth of July parade, never mentioning presidential opponent Al Gore.
“I love the Fourth of July. I love Texas, it’s an honor to be here,” Bush told about 2,000 people outside the courthouse.
Bush, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said, “Americans cherish liberty and Americans have sacrificed for it.”
Belton, a town of about 13,000 in central Texas, is about 20 miles from Ft. Hood, one of the country’s largest military installations.
Gore spent the Fourth of July away from the campaign trail, marking the 1st birthday of his grandson, Wyatt. But the vice president did pick up the endorsement Tuesday of the 2.5 million-member National Education Assn.
The teachers called the Democratic hopeful a proven friend of children and public education. The move was not a surprise, because the group had previously endorsed Gore during the primaries, and teachers’ groups such as the NEA have in recent years tended to side with Democratic candidates.
The endorsement came from the group’s policy-setting 9,000-member Representative Assembly meeting in Chicago. Gore is scheduled to address the group Thursday.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
