Leavitt planning for '04

PHILADELPHIA — Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, fairly confident he'll win a third term in November, now says he believes after he leaves office in 2004, "I'll have an opportunity to work with this (Bush) administration."

Leavitt discussed his long-range plans in an interview Wednesday at the National Republican Convention, where Texas Gov. George W. Bush is to accept his party's nomination for president before the convention concludes Thursday night.

Leavitt, a friend of Bush's, has been mentioned as a possible chief-of-staff or secretary of the interior. It's not unusual for presidents to shake up their top officers at the start of a second term.

Bush aides say the Texas governor is leading Vice President Al Gore in the polls in 41 states. With a Bush presidency looking good now, Bush has been coy when talking about all key appointments, although he strongly hinted this week that retired General Colin Powell will have a place in a Bush first term.

Leavitt, who was vague about his plans before he formally announced his gubernatorial candidacy early this year, has been adamant that if he wins another four years he'll serve out his gubernatorial term. That means no resignation to accept a Bush appointment.

That takes him out of Bush's first term.

However, interviewed before a meeting between the Utah delegation to the National Republican Convention and newly retired NFL quarterback Steve Young (see This is not your father's Republican National Convention), Leavitt came nearer than before in talking about long-range plans and Bush.

Speaking of himself and Bush, Leavitt said, "I believe we'll do great things."

Leavitt said he plans to win in November and serve another four years.

He's not interested in a Bush appointment before then? "No."

"There will be another day to work on that," the 49-year-old Leavitt said.

One reason Leavitt said didn't seek retiring U.S. Sen. Jake Garn's seat in 1992 was because he still had a young family who wanted to stay in Utah. He said at the time he believed he could accomplish more for constituents as a governor than as one freshman U.S. senator in a body of 100.

In four years Leavitt will have served 12 years in state office and will likely be looking for a new challenge.