So did he or didn’t he?

After months of speculation, Texas Gov. George W. Bush finally addressed the rampant rumors about his alleged, youthful drug use.

Sort of.

The Associated Press reported last Thursday that the Republican front-runner said he hasn’t used illegal drugs in the past 25 years and that he could pass anti-drug standards set by both the Clinton White House and his father’s administration.

So after all that time, that’s his big disclosure? George, you can do better than that.

The funny thing about politicians is that they never seem to learn — from their own mistakes or from each other’s. Wasn’t Bush taking notes when Clinton denied inhaling, or for that matter, when Gary Hart denied womanizing?

The source of amusement stems not from what Bush may or may not have done, but his half-hearted attempt at a denial. True, the speculation was reaching a near-fever pitch, and Bush probably felt pressure to address the allegations.

But why did he have to act like such a fool about it?

If Bush has done cocaine, then he can’t erase his past, and he certainly can’t hide from it forever.

Ironically, the only ones who seem interested in taking Bush to task for his alleged drug use are the media. The American public, although they may be laughing about his vague denial, doesn’t seem to care too much about what happened when bell-bottoms were still fashionable.

And if there’s another thing that Bush should have learned from Clinton, it’s that the American people are pretty darn forgiving.

Clinton’s approval ratings shot up after he sort of admitted having an affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. What sort of damage could a disclosure about 25-year-old drug use cause?

The average Joe probably could care less about whether Bush dabbled with drugs during his “youthful indiscretion” period. What the average Joe does care about is that Bush can’t give a straight answer about that time period — or at least have enough sense to say, “None of your business.”

We all have skeletons in our closets, and it’s been proven that politicians are hardly saints. That’s not the point.

Bush has to be the Republican front-runner for a reason other than his fund-raising abilities. He obviously inspires something in his supporters, and they will probably still be there for him, even if he made some mistakes when he was younger.

So come out of the closet, George W., and bring your skeletons with you. It’s nothing the American people can’t handle.