Bush to get son he never had when daughter weds

WASHINGTON: President George W Bush, who sometimes treats his dog Barney like the son he never had, was thrilled about his daughter's engagement because now he will get a son for real, first lady Laura Bush said.

Jenna, one of the president's twin daughters, became engaged last month to longtime suitor Henry Hager, who comes from a prominent Republican family and worked in Bush's re-election campaign.

''You all know that George is thrilled to have a son, finally, because he's been calling Barney the son he never had,'' the first lady joked to a small group of journalists at the end of an interview on Myanmar on Wednesday.

The engagement has prompted a flurry of speculation about the possibility of a White House wedding. But the bride's mother did not spill the beans.

''Well I'm not going to announce where the wedding's going to be because actually we haven't quite figured it all out,'' Bush said.

The plans will become more solid after Jenna's book tour, she said, referring to her daughter's nonfiction book about a teen mother in Central America with the AIDS virus.

The first lady's review of her daughter's choice? ''Wonderful young man.''