George and Bill's Excellent Adventure

Former President George H. W. Bush had some kind words for former President Bill Clinton in an interview appearing in the March 14 issue of Newsweek.

When asked to comment about some people being surprised by how well the two former presidents got along, Bush said:

But as I said and as he said, they shouldn't have been surprised. We knew each other rather favorably before running against each other. When I was kind of responsible for the first national governors' policy on education, he was the key guy for the Democrats. We've never been all that close, but the nice thing about it was that there was a compatibility. I think he was respectful of my age, quite frankly. [Bush is 80.] I think he has rather pleasant feelings about the president, though they differ on a lot of stuff, and to the degree he would express something like that—which he did from time to time—that was, of course, enormously gratifying to his father. I think it was good, because it sent a message to the world that these two guys can fight like hell, have different political views and yet they can come together.

I'll give you one example of the courtesy he showed me. There is one bedroom on that plane—a government 757. There's a kind of VIP bedroom with its own bathroom. Then the next room has two tables and eight seats. He decided ahead of time that we want President Bush to have the front room, which was heaven for me, because if I don't stretch out, lie flat, I really hurt my body these days—spoiled—so anyway, he was going to have the other room. Well, he got in there and he wanted to play cards at night, and the next morning I got up and stuck my head in and I found him sound asleep on the floor of the plane. We could have switched places, each getting half a night on the bed, but he deferred to me. That was a very courteous thing, very thoughtful, and that meant a great deal to me.
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I'm glad Bush relayed this story. It shows Clinton's caring side, his genuine respect and concern for the older former president. In turn, it reveals Bush's appreciation of Clinton's thoughtfulness.

I was heartened by this illustration of politics being put aside by two men with very different beliefs, to relate to each other as fellow human beings, rather than ideological adversaries.