Bush relaxes in Florida with family

FORT MYERS - Taking a short break from casting about for a cabinet, United States President-elect George W. Bush has settled in for a traditional family reunion at a secluded Florida resort.

"A little relaxation, a lot of phone calls ... We've still got a lot of transition work to do," Bush said as he boarded his plane in Austin, Texas.

Aides said Bush would spend time relaxing, boating and fishing in Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, where his family have holidayed almost annually since 1992.

Tomorrow, he would head to Washington to interview potential cabinet members.

Golf clubs were loaded on board the aircraft for the trip to Florida's Gulf Coast and Bush wasted no time putting them to use, heading out to the course with his brother, Jeb, and Jeb's son, George, shortly after arriving. Rounding out the foursome was brother-in-law Bobby Koch.

But the President-elect did not need to worry about prying eyes picking up kinks in his swing or keeping track of his score. The reporters and photographers who travel everywhere with the President-elect were housed in Fort Myers, 80km away.

The Bush family, following in the footsteps of a Who's Who of American society such as the du Ponts, the Vanderbilts and the Astors, were guests at the Gasparilla Inn, a place so exclusive its owners eschew advertising and interviews.

Bush said he had made good progress on choosing a cabinet, especially since he lost 30 days of transition time while the legal battle raged for Florida's presidential vote after the inconclusive November 7 election.

He has chosen seven of those he expects to have in his cabinet, a group he said would be politically and ethnically diverse.

The cabinet has 14 statutory cabinet members, but every President can elevate any number of agencies to that level during his term. All of them must be confirmed by the Senate.

Bush has conferred with his chief of staff, Andrew Card, Vice-President-elect and transition head Dick Cheney, and his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Mostly he hoped to spend time with his parents, former President George Bush and first lady Barbara Bush, Jeb and his other brothers, Marvin and Neil, his sister, Doro, and their families before he is sworn in as President on January 20.

One of Bush's 19-year-old twin daughters, Jenna, is recovering well after having an appendectomy late on Christmas Day and will probably join them today.

"She was feeling pretty good last night, great this morning," Bush said yesterday. The family gathering was the first time Bush and Jeb, the Governor of Florida, had seen each other since the post-election battle for the state's 25 Electoral College votes was ended on December 12 by a US Supreme Court decision.

- REUTERS

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