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Of the two, George W. has had the most complicated relationship with his father. Like his dad, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and Yale. Though he had a tempestuous relationship with his father -- he once challenged him to a fight -- he continued to follow in his footsteps. He became a pilot in the National Guard. In 1974 he decided to move to Midland, Texas, just as his father had in 1950, looking to cash in on an oil boom. "He fights his father at the same time that he embraces him," says a friend.
In the White House, where he was known to his chagrin as "Junior," George W. developed a reputation as a fierce partisan. When it came time to fire chief of staff John Sununu, George W. did the dirty work for his father. In his gubernatorial campaign in Texas, young George has avoided political appearances with his father, whose role has been limited to attendance at several fund raisers. "I am very comfortable with my relationship with my dad," says George W. "He is a big plus for me, and I will not try to run away from him. But it is very important for people to not get confused about whether or not I can be Governor. And one way to create confusion in their minds is to go stumping around the state with him." George W. fully intends to roll out Barbara Bush on the campaign trail. "My mother will help," he says. "I'm sure she will."
Jeb, whose name is an acronym for John Ellis Bush, has seemingly fewer problems with his father. Like George W., he went to Andover but then attended the University of Texas. He met a Mexican girl named Columba on an exchange program and married her. (He is fluent in Spanish.) Jeb worked briefly for Texas Commerce Bank, moved to Florida in the late 1970s and later worked on his father's 1988 campaign. While he and a partner built up their real estate company, Jeb was named head of the Dade County Republican Party. Later, he was * appointed secretary of commerce for the state of Florida. Along the way, several of Jeb's former business associates landed on the wrong side of the law, and he has been embroiled in controversy several times about his business deals. "In hindsight," he says, "I would not have associated with people who turned out to be dishonest. I'll have to deal with that this fall, I'm sure." Jeb's comfort level with his father was apparent last week, when he and the former President made joint appearances in Florida.
Both sons are immensely talented campaigners. George W. bristles with purpose and cracks wise. While he is built like a second baseman, Jeb inherited his father's long limbs. At 6 ft. 2 in., he is an imposing presence with a gentle demeanor. George tends to generalize in his speeches; Jeb is loaded with statistics.
How does the former President plan to help? "I'm staying out of the way on the issues," he told TIME's Hugh Sidey. "The national press would like to say, 'Here's what the father believes, here's what the son now thinks.' They don't need that. They don't need anything to do with Washington." Except for occasional phone calls, he and Barbara have deliberately stayed in the background. "We don't hover," Bush said. "It's more the personal touch. They know what I know about politics. And they don't need a presence. They might need somebody to lift them up if they get bruised. But . . . it's their time. I've had my time."