OUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- He's mastered the vision thing. Now if Texas Governor George W. Bush could get people to stop giggling about the verbal thing.
Like his father, Bush is renowned along the campaign trail for his tortured turns of phrase. Like the time he challenged a crowd to think deeply about education, asking: ''Is our children learning?'' Or the time he said a key to foreign policy is to ''rely on reliances.'' Or the time he said faith-based organizations should be accepted ''with opal arms.''
But at other moments, the Texas governor truly wanders into the linguistic abyss. Such was the case at Iowa Western Community College here on Friday night.
''When I was coming up, it was a dangerous world, and we knew exactly who the `they' were,'' said Bush, 53. ''It was us versus them. And it was clear who `them' was.
''Today, we're not so sure who the `they' are,'' he continued, pausing as giggles began emanating from the crowd. ''But we know they're there.''
Bush aides defended the meandering monologue. It followed a strenuous campaign journey through three cities, they pointed out. ''This is how we talk in Texas when we're tired,'' said communications director Karen Hughes.
Even in the best of times, however, Bush's drawl has created confusion.
Waxing and waning, depending on the region, the Bush accent has led to some unusual mouthfuls, even by Texas standards. He has turned ''oysters'' into into ''oshtus.'' He has said ''obsfucate'' instead of ''obfuscate.'' He has railed against the ''subsidation'' of failure in public schools.
In one particularly inventive instance, Bush combined trade and barriers, promising to knock down ''terriers.''
Yet another time, he failed to describe the threat of potential missile launches, instead warning of ''a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses.''
He has even tried to prove his devotion as a parent, reminding supporters that the most important job title isn't being ''governor, or first lady, in my case.''
The talent is full-fledged Bush, and the son has clear echoes of his father, who once referred to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as the ''Nitty Ditty Gritty Great Bird,'' and whose legacy of tongue-twisters drew accusations at the 1988 Democratic convention that he was ''born with a silver foot in his mouth.''
Still, the son is willing to laugh at his own lingo. Or at least so it seemed after his Friday night speech, in which he proclaimed, ''If people can judge me on the company I keep, they would judge me with keeping really good company with Laura.''
Even Bush had to laugh.
Afterward, he joked to one reporter that he was just trying to provide ''something to write about, since you're so starved.''
Later, sensing a brewing public relations problem, Bush abandoned his private jet and for the first time boarded the press charter plane, where he launched a charm offensive against the 50 or so reporters on board.
He served a tray of soft drinks. Then the candidate, almost giddy after a 14-hour day on the campaign trail, commandeered the cabin loudspeaker.
''During the Cold War, it was us versus them. And we knew who the `thems' was. And the `thems' was you,'' Bush said, drawing a roar of laughter from the cabin. ''So drink up. Put yourselves in an upright position. ... Have a great flight.''
