Bush rarely speaks to father, ?family is split?
Tue Nov 15 2005 11:23:51 ET
President Bush feels betrayed by several of his most senior aides and
advisors and has severely restricted access to the Oval Office, INSIGHT magazine claims in a new report.
The president?s reclusiveness in the face of relentless public scrutiny of
the U.S.-led war in Iraq and White House leaks regarding CIA operative
Valerie Plame has become so extreme that Mr. Bush has also reduced contact
with his father, former President George H.W. Bush, administration sources
said on the condition of anonymity.
?The atmosphere in the Oval Office has become unbearable,? a source
said. ?Even the family is split.?
Sources close to the White House say that Mr. Bush has become isolated and
feels betrayed by key officials in the wake of plunging domestic support,
the continued insurgency in Iraq and the CIA-leak investigation that has
resulted in the indictment and resignation of Lewis ?Scooter? Libby, Vice
President Dick Cheney?s former chief of staff.
The sources said Mr. Bush maintains daily contact with only four people:
first lady Laura Bush, his mother, Barbara Bush, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes. The sources also
say that Mr. Bush has stopped talking with his father, except on family
occasions.
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