TLANTIC, Iowa - George Bush made a rare public appearance yesterday, telling an audience that his son, George W. Bush, had done more to ''bring people together'' in five years as governor of Texas than his father had in 50 years in politics.
In a rambling, self-deprecating talk to a thousand friendly Iowans, Bush made it clear that his political career had become a secondary matter to his son's candidacy.
Noting that Texas had a diverse population with a high percentage of Mexican-Americans and African-Americans, the elder Bush said his son ''has been able to do better than any Republican before - certainly including his dad - in bringing these people in to work and vote and hopefully to be served by a Republican administration.''
Speaking without notes - ''These are remarks, I don't give speeches anymore'' - the 75-year-old Bush repeatedly praised his son for reaching out to new constituencies. ''He's demonstrated an ability to bring people together.''
Bush said he had worked to create coalitions and had assembled a multinational force for the Gulf War in 1991.
''George was at my side for a lot of this, in close touch with this,'' Bush said. ''I think he'd be excellent in doing what I tried to do as president.'' His oldest son served as an informal White House aide for part of Bush's term before returning to Texas and winning the governor's office in 1994.
Bush's appearance at a high school in the rolling plains near the Nebraska line was his first of the campaign this year. He said he no longer delivered partisan speeches and had no intention of criticizing his son's opponents.
But in an implicit swipe at the man who succeeded him, President Clinton, Bush said, ''I want to see us return to a society with fundamental values.'' And he could not resist a one-liner in which he claimed that one of the ''wonderful'' prerequisites of being a former president included ''a call from Jenny Craig wanting to know if I wanted to lose 30 pounds.'' Monica S. Lewinsky, the former White House intern, is doing Jenny Craig commercials.
For much of his 20-minute talk, Bush belittled his own role in current affairs. ''I don't deal with issues anymore,'' he said. ''I don't go into this reform of the system - what to do about that problem. I've been there, I've tried that. I messed some things up, and I got quite a few things right.''
His audience, which was composed of more middle-aged followers than students, seemed glad to see him back in Iowa, the scene of his first great political triumph as well as several subsequent embarrassments.
Jennifer Perkins, a music teacher from nearby Harlan who wore ''GOP'' jewelry on her lapel, said she admired the Bush family because ''they're honest, down-to-earth people.'' The younger Bush, she said, ''will return dignity to the office.'' Though Perkins said she supported Ronald Reagan during the 1980 caucus in Iowa when Bush made his first breakthrough, she voted for Bush in every other election.
After winning the 1980 caucus, Bush finished an ignominious third in the 1988 Iowa caucus. As the Republican presidential nominee, he also lost the state in the 1988 and 1992 general elections.
