Reagan Bio May Cause A Stir

Fourteen years in the making, the official biography of Ronald Reagan might not please the former first lady, according to the author.

In an interview to be broadcast on CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday in advance of next week's release of Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,, biographer Edmund Morris reveals Nancy Reagan considered former Vice-President George Bush and Barbara Bush to be "downstairs people."

"I think [the Bush's] bitterly resented the fact that they were rarely invited upstairs," Morris says. "They felt like second-class citizens."

Additionally, Morris says he believes the former president did not particularly admire Mr. Bush because he thought the former vice-president was a weak man.

"I don't think Bush ever got any feelings of appreciation for all the work he did during those eight years," Morris says. "He was a loyal servant."

While the book credits Mr. Reagan with making a powerful impact on the country, Morris does not ignore Mr. Reagan's frequent disengagement from the functions of his job.

"I do not hide the fact that Reagan was frequently an old, spaced-out man, inattentive to details. I do not disguise the fact that he was boring in private," Morris said.

Mrs. Reagan's office asked for questions to be submitted in writing and did not respond. She said earlier this week she had not seen the book. Mr. Reagan himself has been silenced by Alzheimer's disease.

Random House will release the book Thursday.