StudioGlyphic

On March 1, 2000, shortly before the New York Presidential primary, George Bush, then the governor of Texas, made the first of his election-year appearances on the "Late Show with David Letterman." It was an educational experience for him. Bush seems to have only half understood why he was there, and so he came prepared with several jokes about Letterman, who had recently undergone heart bypass surgery. "It's about time you had the heart to invite me," Bush said early in the show, prompting a round of boos. Later, Letterman asked what he meant by his slogan "I'm a uniter, not a divider." Bush replied, "It means when it comes time to sew up your chest cavity, we use stitches," a line that elicited more boos from the audience. At one point, when the conversation grew particularly testy, Letterman said to Bush: "Let me remind you of one thing, Governor: the road to Washington runs through me." Bush at least knew enough not to argue with this. At the end of the interview, he held up a "Dweebs for Bush" T-shirt that he had had specially made for the occasion.