President Bush may have accepted an invitation to visit Salt Lake City in July, 1991 - but Salt Lake County Commissioner Mike Stewart isn't sure.
Stewart, who is president-elect of the National Association of Counties, met with Bush along with eight other Republican commissioners from around the nation in the Oval Office this week."When I had a chance, I invited him to speak at our convention in Salt Lake next year," Stewart said.
"His only response was, `When I come I would like to meet with leaders of the (LDS) church. I really admire them,' " Stewart recalled Bush saying. "Maybe he accepted. I'll follow up later."
Stewart said Bush also talked about how the federal government should not give localitities manadates without providing funding.
Stewart said the president also took commissioners from the Roosevelt Room in the White House to show them the Oval Office. On the impromptu tour, Bush asked Stewart if he likes the new carpet in the Oval Office. "I said, `Mr. President, I never saw your old carpet,"' Stewart said.