GOP candidates tell biggest mistakes

Associated Press, 01/08/00

Candidates at the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina were asked: "Our viewers are curious on a personal note what is the biggest mistake you made as an adult and what lesson did you learn from it."

ORRIN HATCH: "I've made so many of them in my life that I'm not sure I can pick any one of them."

ALAN KEYES: Questioned the propriety of the question. "There are things that I'll tell my priest in the confessional that I will not tell you or any other American. OK?"

JOHN MCCAIN: Cited his involvement in the Keating Five scandal, saying it "will always be a mark on my record and something that people will judge me for the rest of my life."

GARY BAUER: Would not discuss any personal mistakes he might have made, but recalled the fallout of citing a political poll to Ronald Reagan as a White House aide and Reagan chastising him for worrying about polls.

GEORGE W. BUSH: Trading Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines when he was running the Texas Rangers.

STEVE FORBES: Writing editorials as a young man that advocated positions he has come to disagree with, such as raising the gasoline tax.