On September 4, 1976, a 30-year-old George W. Bush was pulled over near his family's summer compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. He had spent the evening drinking with tennis legend John Newcombe, fresh off his Wimbledon victory. Bush failed the roadside sobriety test, then failed again on the breathalyzer at the police station, registering a 0.10 blood-alcohol level—exactly at Maine's legal limit, which had just been lowered from 0.15.

Bush pled guilty, paid a $150 fine, and had his Maine driver's license briefly suspended. Then he did something remarkable: he kept it completely quiet for 24 years.

The Worst-Timed Secret

The arrest remained unknown until November 2, 2000—just five days before the presidential election against Al Gore. A local Maine reporter broke the story after a tip from a Democratic source. Suddenly, the future of American politics hung on a decades-old traffic stop.

Bush acknowledged the incident immediately, saying he had "learned my lesson" and noting he'd quit drinking entirely on his 40th birthday in 1986. His campaign argued the timing was a political hit job. Critics questioned why he'd hidden it during his earlier runs for Texas governor.

Presidential Precedent

The revelation didn't sink Bush's campaign—he went on to win one of the closest elections in U.S. history. But it did set an unusual precedent: Bush became the first U.S. president to publicly acknowledge a prior drunk driving arrest.

The incident also had lasting consequences beyond politics. Years later, when Bush tried to attend the 2009 Vancouver Olympics, his DUI record technically made him inadmissible to Canada, where a DUI is considered a serious criminal offense. Special arrangements had to be made for the former president's visit.

The Arresting Officer's Story

Officer Calvin Bridges, who made the arrest, later said Bush was cooperative but clearly intoxicated. Bush's sister Dorothy was also in the car that night. The future president never contested the charges—he simply paid the fine and moved on, apparently hoping it would fade into obscurity.

It almost worked. For nearly a quarter-century, one of America's most scrutinized political families managed to keep the arrest under wraps. In an era before digital databases and TMZ, it was still possible for even major figures to have genuine secrets. Bush's 1976 DUI arrest was one of the last of its kind—a skeleton that actually stayed in the closet.

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