Bush Vacations in Florida

B O C A  G R A N D E, Fla., Dec. 27 -- President-elect Bush, unwinding at anisland resort renowned for its fishing, said today he hopes toname “a couple” of Cabinet members this week.

As he boarded a boat for a fishing trip with family members,Bush declined to say whether he has settled on a nominee to bedefense secretary. “Nobody’s out of the running,” he said.

Bush plans to be in Washington Thursday and Friday and suggestedthe next round of announcements would come there. He said prospectsare good for announcing “hopefully a couple of Cabinet secretaries... in the next couple of days.”

Trolling for Big Fish

Bush and his father, former President Bush, set off in a skiffto fish for snook. Immediately behind them in a second boat werethe president-elect’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and sister,Dorothy Koch. In a third skiff were two of her children.

“Assume I caught a good one,” Bush cracked to reporters.Pointing to his father, Bush said, “He’s a better fisherman,” towhich the elder Bush replied, “No, no.”

The former president, who recently had hip surgery, boarded theboat slowly, carrying a cane and fishing rod.

Aides to the president-elect said one of his twin daughters,Jenna, who underwent an emergency appendectomy Christmas night,would join the family at the resort later today. Her sister,Barbara, already is here.

Although this was billed as a no-news vacation, Bush is workingon building a new administration. He conferred by phone Tuesdaywith Vice President-elect Dick Cheney and Andrew Card, who will behis White House chief of staff. He wedged in a 2½-hour game of golfas well.

But this morning, the focus was on fishing, the sportthat has drawn the Bush family here for years. Boca Grande, on atiny Gulf Coast spit of land called Gasparilla Island, is known asthe nation’s capital of tarpon, a prized sport fish that can weighmore than 300 pounds. But local anglers said tarpon don’t run thistime of year.