The Texas governor, Mr George Bush, said yesterday he could be facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become president of the US in 2000, but was still unsure if he wanted to put his family through the "meat-grinder of national politics".
Meeting reporters in the governor's mansion a day after being sworn in for a second term as governor, Mr Bush (52) repeated that he was thinking seriously of running for the Republican nomination but had not made up his mind.
"I understand there are windows of opportunity and there are tides of history and there are moments in history and should I choose not to run for the presidency, I understand the window would probably be closed," Mr Bush said.
"Sometimes there's a moment and sometimes the moment passes. I understand that . . . I understand that this could be a very unique moment."
Mr Bush's wife, Laura, made it clear, however, she was not enthusiastic about her husband running and neither were their two teenage daughters.
"I'm not particularly worried about safety. I'm very worried about privacy. That's really the main thing," Ms Bush said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Democratic Leader, Mr Dick Gephardt, seems to be nearing an announcement that he will not seek the presidency in 2000 and will focus instead on trying to become the chamber's next speaker.
Such a move would enhance the position of the vice-president, Mr Al Gore, as front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination and help unite the party in its quest to win back control of the House in 2000, aides say.
Mr Gephardt (58) is one of the last remaining proud-to-be-liberal, union-loving, give-'em-hell Democrats on Capitol Hill. He and President Clinton have been political friends and foes. He denounced Mr Clinton's affair with Ms Monica Lewinsky as "reprehensible", yet stood by the president in the House impeachment fight.