Former president, first lady vote in Houston

<br>HOUSTON (AP) _ Former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, voted Thursday at an early voting polling place in downtown Houston, but wouldn't say if they voted for their son, GOP presidential

Thursday, November 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

HOUSTON (AP) _ Former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, voted Thursday at an early voting polling place in downtown Houston, but wouldn't say if they voted for their son, GOP presidential nominee George W. Bush.

``It's a secret ballot,'' Barbara Bush grinned as she placed her paper ballot in a gray steel box emblazoned with a sign that said ``Ballot Can.''

``I'm miserable,'' she added. ``I don't like this last week. It is much harder when it is your son. When people say he isn't smart . . . I just go ballistic.''

The former president, wearing a tie with elephants in the design, said he was confident his son would defeat Democratic Vice President Al Gore but deflected any talk of his family trying to establish a political dynasty.

``I hate it when people talk about a legacy,'' he said. ``We don't think like that.''

He also said he didn't believe the attacks by Democrats painting Texas as a horrible place to live under his son's governorship would stick.

``If there was anything to it, 70 percent of the people wouldn't have voted for him for governor,'' he said.

He added that his own attacks on Bill Clinton's environmental record while governor of Arkansas didn't work in 1992.

``Remember what happened to me,'' he said.

Early voting began in Texas on Monday and runs through Nov. 3. Registered voters there may also vote by mail.