Bush family hosts White House reporters

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
8/26/2005

CRAWFORD, Texas -- President Bush played host to the White House press corps Thursday night for a private off-the-record dinner at his ranch.

The casual affair of fried catfish, potato salad, coleslaw, homemade cheese and chocolate-chip cookies followed a tradition in which Bush and his wife, Laura, have the press covering his annual August vacation out to the their ranch in central Texas as a sort of thank-you.

The event was not held last year because of the busy campaign season. The invitations to the reporters were issued on the condition that they not discuss conversations at the event.