From: clarinews@clarinet.com (HELEN THOMAS, UPI White House Reporter)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.politics,biz.clarinet.sample
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Message-id: <bushU2A8350pe@clarinet.com>
Subject: Bush takes pre-dawn stroll through cherry blossoms
Keywords: usa federal, government, politics
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 92 12:50:13 PDT
ACategory: washington
Slugword: bush
Priority: regular
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Note: (complete writethru -- more quotes, tightening)

	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- President and Barbara Bush took a pre-dawn stroll
around Washington's Tidal Basin Wednesday to view the cherry blossoms.
Bush declared the spectacle to be as beautiful as his primary wins over
Patrick Buchanan.
	``Outstanding, excellent,'' the president said as he and his wife,
followed by a pack of reporters, began their walk at 5:55 a.m. EDT. ``We
just wanted to get out before we held up too much traffic.''
	Bush, an avid runner, encouraged four joggers to ``keep running.''
	``Love you,'' one female runner yelled.
	The president and first lady took time to pose under the cherry trees
and to have a springtime chat with reporters about politics, Congress
and baseball.
	Bush said his landslide victories Tuesday night against Buchanan in
GOP primaries Wisconsin, Kansas and Minnesota were ``as beautiful as
these cherry blossoms.''
	Asked if he expected to compete against Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in
the fall, Bush said, ``I'm not running against anybody at this time.
Let's see what they come up with.''
	As he approached the Jefferson Memorial, Bush railed against the
Democratic-controlled Congress and maintained founding father Thomas
Jefferson favored congressional-term limitiations, just as he does.
	``It's time for a change,'' Bush said. ``Congress must change.''
	Asked about his reaction to Sunday's march on Washington by an
estimated 500,000 pro-choice demonstrators, Bush, who opposes abortion,
said, ``I think Jefferson would have approved of it.''
	``Everyone has the right to petition his government or her
government,'' he said.
	The president also reflected on the ceremonial first pitch he made
Monday to open the 1992 baseball stadium at Baltimore's new ballpark,
Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
	The pitch bounced in the dirt, drawing jeers from the crowd, moments
after Bush's grandson, George P. Bush, 15, earned cheers by throwing a
perfect strike.
	``It was wonderful,'' the president jokingly said of his errant toss,
``because it was a great comparison with my grandson who had to get out
there and arrogantly throw it right over the middle of the plate.''
	The 67-year-old Bush acknowledged he was trying to obey the orders of
Dr. Burton Lee, his personal physician, and get more rest and relaxation
from the rigors of the presidency.
	He said he was taking long weekends at Camp David, Md.
	``I feel good,'' he said. ``My health is strong.''
	At the end of his 25-minute walk, the president concluded his
conversation with reporters, saying, ``Good to see you all. Got to go to
work.''
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