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Racicot helps prepare Bush for presidential campaign By CHARLES S. JOHNSON Gazette State Bureau HELENA - Montana Gov. Marc Racicot joined the inner circle of Texas Gov. George W. Bush's likely presidential campaign Sunday and Monday, helping scrutinize his domestic policies and campaign operation before introducing him to 1,700 supporters at a gathering in Dallas Monday night. Racicot, a handful of Bush campaign advisers and an old business friend sat around the dining table with Bush in the governor's mansion the past two days going over domestic policy positions to help the Texan prepare for his important first national campaign swing to Iowa later this week and then to New Hampshire and Massachusetts. On Monday, they were joined by Indianapolis Mayor Steve Goldsmith . Racicot, who traveled to Israel with Bush in November and has led efforts to organize support for him among GOP governors, flew to Austin Sunday at Bush's invitation and stayed overnight with the Texas governor and his wife, Laura, at the governor's mansion. Racicot paid for the trip with his constituency account, money raised by the governor for political travels, and it was not at state expense. "I've been in meetings since I got here yesterday afternoon," Racicot told the State Bureau in a telephone interview. "We were going over every domestic issue and reviewing the campaign organization, finance, policy and political operation. We were largely focusing upon the formulation of anticipated domestic issues that will be presented and going through all the research that has been prepared, making suggestions to the governor that he is comfortable with." Among the domestic issues the team went over, he said, were: anti-trust, tort reform, judicial selection, education, environment, health care, welfare and the workforce. "He's extremely well educated already," Racicot said. "I don't remember an issue we talked about this morning that he didn't have exposure to. He's a great student, and he pretty much inspired the discussion. Advisers from around the country have been working on the campaign, working diligently." Asked what advice he offered Bush, Racicot, a former attorney general, said he talked a great deal about criminal justice and education. On education, Racicot said he discussed "how you would approach anything from Head Start to accountability for standards, broad establishment of goals and incentives rather than mandates offered." The Montana governor said he advised "trying to make certain devolution from federal government to the states passes with the resources that are provided for education at the federal level." "I made some suggestions to make sure that some of the underlying facts involved were completely accurate," Racicot said. "Sometimes there are some concerns about whether or not you have a factual analysis that is totally complete." They traveled to Dallas Monday afternoon to prepare for the evening event and even more policy meetings. The team did a final run Tuesday before Bush prepares for the presidential campaign trail, although Racicot will fly home. Racicot said he was surprised and delighted to be asked by Bush to introduce him at the event Monday night. The Montana governor said he will "speak from the heart" when introducing Bush. "I came to know him before he was involved in presidential politics," Racicot said. "He was a man of uncommon character and principle. He's thoughtful and strong. He's the right candidate at the right time doing the right thing for the right reasons." Bush was expected to thank a number of people who had supported him and encouraged him to undertake his exploratory bid for the presidency at a time when he was busy with the Texas Legislature, which adjourned recently. Racicot said he's been impressed with Bush's willingness to be engaged with people and saw that Sunday night when they visited the Capitol and the Texas governor visited with people sitting on the steps there. "He has an insurmountable amount of energy and patience," Racicot said. "It's quite inspiring to see people react to him. His sensitive and thoughtful ways are just as inspirational." Racicot, ineligible because of term limits to seek a third term as Montana's governor, said he is not looking for a role in the Bush campaign beyond what the likely presidential candidate has requested - helping in policy development and accompanying him on the campaign trail on occasion. Racicot said he agreed, provided it doesn't interfere with his responsibility of being governor of Montana. "He has a long ways to go, and he's going to work very hard at getting there," Racicot said. In Montana, Racicot has denied he is working on an effort to get Bush nominated and elected in hopes of gaining a Cabinet post. "I don't have any expectations, to be honest," he said in February. I just want to help him get there."
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