Brush with Famous - George Bush

Vice-President George H. W. Bush speaks to the South
Dakota legislature in January 26, 1988
photo from the Capitol Journal

I was the political reporter for KELO-TV in Pierre, South Dakota for three years (July, 1986 to August, 1989).

While state government was a full-time job, the legislators worked part-time at the capitol.  They were there from January to March and returned to their regular jobs.

1988 was an election year.  President Ronald Reagan was serving his second term.  Vice-President George H.W. Bush was running for President, and came to South Dakota to campaign in their early primary.

His campaign came to Pierre.  I covered his news conference at the State Capitol and his speech to the joint session of lawmakers.

While it wasn't as restrictive as I'm sure it is now, doing the story meant getting checked out by Secret Service and getting credentials so I could be in the gallery of the House when he spoke.  Thankfully the station sent out additional reporters and photographers, so I didn't shoot my own video that day.

It was a rather unremarkable visit, except it got a lot of national attention because the night before, he got into a verbal bout with CBS News Anchor Dan Rather.  The Vice-President took exception to a report on the network that aired before their live interview and called out the anchor.

In his speech to lawmakers in a conservative, agricultural state - Bush said he would support the Farm Bill and push for an international economic summit related to agriculture.  He went on to win the election, becoming President January 20, 1989.

By the way, no one referred to him as George Herbert Walker Bush or with his middle initials back then because George W. Bush wasn't a national figure at the time.

My brush wasn't all that close.  I had a question ready, but didn't get to ask anything at the news conference.  I was in the conference room, and I filed one or more stories about the visit for KELO-Land news.

Just thirty years ago now - I hadn't thought much about this brush with fame until President Bush passed away November 30.  Looking back, it was a bigger moment in my professional life than I originally realized.