---

Barney on Larry King Live

---

Here's an excerpt of an interview with Laura Bush, who was joined by Barney and Spot on CNN's Larry King Live, April 18, 2001:

LARRY: Are you going to write a book?

LAURA: I doubt if I'll write a book. I might write a book about Barney at the White House. 
Wonder where I got that idea?

LARRY: Barney at the White House?

(LAUGHTER)

LAURA: Barney is our new puppy.

LARRY: And we're going to meet him later.

LAURA: I think you're going to get to meet him.

......................................................

LARRY: Do you think Barney's a dinosaur? You wait. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

LARRY: We're back. We have a television first. The first interview, the first live appearance -- 
well, taped earlier today -- of Barney.

LAURA: Barney will probably say "no comment." He's a very quiet dog. But isn't he cute?

                                 


LARRY: This is a Scottish terrier.

LAURA: This is our new puppy. He's just seven months old. I got him for my birthday, George gave 
him to me for my birthday. We were actually on my birthday, November 4, campaigning with Governor 
Christie Todd Whitman in New Jersey, and she mentioned that her dog had these pups. And I said, 
"Oh, I've always wanted a Scottish terrier." So George said, "OK, great, you can have one for your 
birthday."

LARRY: And who named him?

LAURA: The girls named him Barney. 

LARRY: He looks like a Barney.

LAURA: He does have a little bit of a dinosaur head, but actually the girls were too old to have 
watched the real Barney, the purple Barney on TV. I guess your little boys maybe watch Barney.

LARRY: Watch him? They're agape. Why is that? He's just a dinosaur.

LAURA: Exactly. He was here for the Easter egg roll, Barney.

LARRY: Oh yes?

LAURA: The big Barney.

LARRY: This is beautiful. 

LAURA: He's a beautiful...

LARRY: This is obviously a quality breed, right?

LAURA: He's a very sweet dog, too. He's a quiet little pup. And he's been a great dog, he hasn't 
chewed up any antique furniture.

LARRY: Now, who's the other dog?

                            


LAURA: Now, that is Spot, who was born at the White House, Millie's pup. She's 12 years old. 

LARRY: Oh, yes. Well...

LAURA: She was born in 1999 here at the White House. And she's our old dog. So we have our old 
Spot and her new baby puppy Barney.

LARRY: So, she didn't go on with the elder Bushes?

LAURA: No, she was ours. She was our puppy.

LARRY: She was yours -- oh, given to you.

LAURA: She moved to Dallas right after she was born. 

LARRY: How do the two get along?

LAURA: She's lived in the governor's mansion. They get along pretty well. I think Spot might find 
Barney just a little annoying. But other than that.

LARRY: A little jealous of Barney?

LAURA: That's right.

LARRY: Trying to get a little more attention.

LAURA: What about the California story of Ernie, our cat, who was -- did you hear that story about 
Ernie, who, our friend, Brad Freeman took, because we didn't want to move him to the White House 
because of his six toes, his claws. And we thought he would...

LARRY: Bother the furniture?

LAURA: ... scratch all the furniture.

LARRY: So he's keeping him?

LAURA: So he disappeared. And, finally, it was in the newspaper. And a night watchman found him 
walking along the Avenue of the Stars. 

(LAUGHTER) 

LARRY: He knows where he comes from, right? So where is he, back home, then?

LAURA: So he's back home with Brad.

LARRY: He really -- he had six?

LAURA: He had six toes.

LARRY: So you would worry that he'd damage the furniture?

LAURA: No, it wasn't because there were six; it was just because he would scratch the furniture. 

LARRY: Is Barney always this good? 

LAURA: Barney is always this good. 

LARRY: Now, where does Barney sleep?

LAURA: Barney sleeps on the floor of our bedroom. Now I think he wants down so he can run over 
and smell things.

LARRY: They don't make a lot of noise?

LAURA: No, he's a very quiet dog. He doesn't bark all the time. He's a really good dog. 

LARRY: Don't they have great faces?

LAURA: They have very funny faces. They have eyebrows and beards and...

LARRY: How big does he get?

LAURA: He's going to get a little bit bigger. He's pretty big right now, I think -- short legs. 
He can't jump on the furniture.

LARRY: Do the girls have dogs?

LAURA: The girls don't have a dog with them. We have one other cat who lives here as well, 
but she's shy and didn't want to make an appearance.

LARRY: Is the president a dog lover, too?

LAURA: He's a dog lover. And he really likes cats.