Bush Leaves Texas for Washington

W A C O, Texas, Jan. 17 -- George W. Bush headed to his West Texasboyhood home town today for a friendly send-off beforetraveling to the nation’s capital, where he becomes the 43rdpresident on Saturday.

More than 10,000 people were expected for the farewell rally inMidland.

In a cold rain, Bush and his wife, Laura, boarded an Air Forceversion of a Boeing 757 — one of the same planes former rival AlGore used in his presidential campaign — at the airport in Waco,near the ranch that has been his only Texas home since he he leftthe governor’s mansion in Austin earlier this month.

It was the first time he has travelled as president-elect on agoverment plane.

Preparing for Inaugural Speech

Bush was sheltered from the rain by an Air Force steward with anumbrella — a new perk of the office he is about to assume.

Bush, wearing a white cowboy hat, waved off questions about hisembattled nominee for attorney general, former Sen. John Ashcroft,R-Mo.

His wife carried a little black Scottish terrier, Barney, in herarms up the stairs of the plane.

After he arrives in the nation’s capital this evening, Bushplanned to do a full run-through of his inaugural address,practicing with the TelePrompTer, at Blair House, said Bushspokesman Ari Fleischer.

“He takes it [the speech] very seriously,” Fleischer said.“It is the singular beginning of his administration. Heunderstands that and looks forward to it.”

His parents — former President George Bush and his mother,Barbara — were expected to arrive in Washington on Thursday.

Earlier, Fleischer said that Midland, where Bush grew up, metLaura and began his career in the oil business, was “the perfectdeparture point from Texas on his way to a different type ofservice in Washington.”

“It’s his home town, and he thought it would be veryappropriate to go to his home town where he was taught the valuesthat he’s going to bring to the White House as an appropriate wayto begin his presidency.”