Nice words by our new President. Now many thanks again from our old President.
Love to Norma.
George
November 19th
I go up to see Mother this morning, Doro and I. There is no way to really describe the emotions I felt. Her breathing was difficult. She lay on a pillow, tiny, fighting hard for every breath . . . Doro and I sat next to her bed sobbing. Her little frayed Bible, her old one was there, and I looked in it and there were some notes that I had written her from Andover . . .
The memories of her teaching me about life, memories of her sweetness and her leading by example, the strength of her faith, her great capacity for love and kindness . . .
I feel drained even now hours later . . . I’m so glad I didn’t take Marvin—he wanted to go but couldn’t—because the bawl patrol37 would have consisted of three and then we might not have been able to recover. . . .
Mother died tonight at 5:05. . . .
“Mum, I hope you know how much we all love you and care.” Tonight she is at rest in God’s loving arms and with Dad.
Sig Rogich, who had worked with me in the White House as special assistant to the President for public events and initiatives before I named him ambassador to Iceland, had a reputation around the White House for being a natty dresser.
November 22, 1992
Dear Sig,
I am sitting up here at Camp David looking to the future and counting my many blessings.
I am dressed in fall colors. I have on a brown sweater, a subtly checked shirting of muted greens and rusty reds and amber, too.
Bar said when I left Aspen Cottage just now “You look like Sig dressed you”. Then I thought, he did. But not just in amber and mauve. He dressed me by making me a better person—not just looking into the lens and not just making me a touch more real to others, but by watching and learning as he unfailingly supported me, by showing how humor can help in tough times—and by being just plain caring and being kind.
So, Sig, this is a thank you for all you’ve done for me; and it is a hope that our paths will cross in less troubled times away from the lens, surrounded only by love.
Many thanks, Sig. I’ll never forget.
George Bush
November 25th
I called Dana Carvey of Saturday Night Live38 a couple of nights ago and asked him to come to the White House for a farewell—he couldn’t believe it. He told me I’ve tried not to cross the line of fairness. I told him I didn’t think he had crossed the line although our boys are saying the guy is all out for Clinton and they asked, “Why are you thinking of doing this?” Anyway, I think it’ll be fun to get him to come to a meeting and say the President will be there and then have Dana Carvey walk in. It’s the kind of thing I like to do and I think everybody will get a kick out of it. . . .
Nov. 30, 1992
Dear John [Bush],
I have read and re-read your letter to me.
Since that letter came in, Mum left us. It’s kind of like our compass is spinning a little. Even when she was tired and failing she was our guide. I walked by the Bungalow39 a lot this long Thanksgiving weekend. I found myself choking up. Then I found myself smiling. The agents probably said to each other “The old guy’s finally lost it”. But I couldn’t help think of the happy things and the sad things, but always at the center was Mum, stable, loving, kind, generous, thinking of the other guy, interested, unfailingly kind, always kind. What an example she set for us all. What you wrote about her for her service was very special, and in a sense, said it all. Now we’ll spread out. We’ll go our ways more, but we should not fly apart like a centrifuge. I don’t think we will.
You and Jody did a lot of the loving care side of things for Mum. You were unfailing in seeing her, in calling her, in loving her. We never failed in that last category; but now I think I was pretty selfish in the “seeing” and even in the calling department. Bottom line—you both were terrific.
. . . I will always be grateful for your loyal advocacy. I am adjusting to the realities. We are building a little house. We are planning for the future. I am beginning to see the bright side of things. I will always regret not finishing the course. I recall the Kenyan runner in the Olympics who limped across the finish line 45 minutes behind the leaders. He was hurting bad. “My country didn’t send me all this way to start the race. They sent me here to finish it”. I didn’t finish the course, and I will always regret that.
Today, though, I was having lunch with Speaker Foley, a decent man, and with my pal Sonny Montgomery and a couple of other Congressmen. In walks Tip O’Neill, a respected friend—a guy I really like. After saying “You ran a lousy campaign” (for which I thanked him) he said, “Don’t worry, you’ll leave this place with a lot of people loving you. You’re a good man. You’ve been a good President”. I’m used to political BS after all these years, but Tip meant it and that gave me some better perspective. I don’t know how history will treat us. Your letter carried a very generous assessment of that; but I do know I tried my hardest (Mum, are you listening). I also know I had more loyal support than anyone could ever dream about—and John you’re up there at the top of the list on that category. I also know the press were more hateful than I can ever recall in modern political times. I have to get over my “hating”. I also know it’s been worth the effort. We’ve done some things that will last and that are good for our great Country. I am rambling here, but I am, as I write, still trying to sort things out. I guess what I hate the most is the charge by the liberals in the media that I never stood for anything, that I didn’t care about people, that I was out of touch. I stood for a lot of things on issues (education, home ownership, points of light, less regulation, less taxes etc.—you generously cited many such things), but what I want to have people know I stood for were “Duty, Honor, Country” and yes, as Dad taught us, “service”. That’s not all bad.
Thanks my brother for lifting the spirits of this bowed but not beaten brother-president. I will always, ever more, be grateful for your loyalty and love.
Devotedly,
George
Although to some extent we had switched to a lower gear, the job of being President never stops. On December 4, I announced to the nation that the United States would lead a coalition to relieve starvation in war-torn Somalia. We sent in American troops, this time on a mission of peace and hope.
December 4, 1992
His Excellency Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Secretary General of the United Nations
New York
Dear Mr. Secretary General:
I want you to know how immensely pleased I am at the news of the passage of the UN resolution on Somalia. I also want to thank you for your tremendous hard work to achieve this unprecedented outcome. A dramatic step has been taken to address the appalling suffering of the Somali people. I want to assure you that the U.S. in accordance with the resolution will discharge the responsibilities which fall to it in a full and comprehensive manner. We will build a coalition and work closely with you under UN auspices.
As the United States prepares to deploy its own forces to Somalia to carry out yesterday’s UNSC resolution, I want to emphasize that the mission of the coalition is limited and specific: to create security conditions which will permit the feeding of the starving Somali people and allow the transfer of this security function to the UN peacekeeping force. The military objectives to accomplish this mission derive from the immediate obstacles to the relief effort: the need to secure ports, airports, and delivery routes, and to protect storage and distribution of humanitarian supplies and relief workers. I believe these objectives can, and should, be met in the near term. As soon as they are, the coalition force will depart from Somalia, transferring its security function to your UN peacekeeping force.
I want to conclude by expressing my continuing admiration for your leadership in this crisis and reiterating the U.S. commitment to working closely with the UN to build a secure and stable world.
Sin
cerely,
George Bush
December 7th
Dana Carvey is here and the young guy wonders why he is here. He and his wife are very nice and I told him I think it’s fun to poke fun at yourself, to accept that kind of good natured criticism with good humor, and besides that, our people will like it. I’ve arranged a little get together for a bunch of them this morning. We’re billing it as “the President wants to say a few words as the Christmas season begins.” But it’s really going to be Dana . . .40
December 8th
8:55 p.m. Our troops were suppose to land at 8:30 and sure enough there is a lot of television coverage in Somalia as they are landing. We’ll come in fine, we’ll do our job and we’ll leave. . . .
I told Bar at dinner tonight, “We’ve got to see these kids, we’ve got to go over there,” and I think I will.
[We did help end starvation in Somalia, but regrettably, after I left office, the mission changed into trying to bring the Somalian warlords to justice. It was classic mission creep. Several Army Rangers were killed and we saw two helicopter pilots dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. When the starvation was ended, we should have brought our troops home and let the U.N. peacekeeping force take over.]
December 15th
Clinton has an economic summit, 300 some people in a big auditorium and they do a call-in show. . . . They are confused because the economy seems to be recovering pretty well. Clinton insists on calling it a recession or quote, “coming out of a recession.” . . .41
December 29th
We get a deal with Yeltsin on START II . . . I call Bill Clinton today to tell him we’ve got a deal and he’s very nice about it. He seems very pleased and also seemed pleased that I’m going to Somalia. I told him I might take some shots at the end of the Presidency for doing this, and he said, no, I think you’re doing the right thing. He couldn’t have been more accommodating. . . .
There was the inevitable finger-pointing when the campaign was over about “Whose fault was it?”—Ross Perot? The media? The campaign? I will always feel it was mine because I was unable to communicate to the American people that the economy was improving. My good and loyal friend Nick Brady felt many people were pointing the finger at him. I wrote him this note after receiving a letter from him:
12-30-92
The Honorable Nicholas F. Brady
Secretary of the Treasury
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Washington, DC 20220
Dear Nick,
Your letter of Dec. 22 is with me here. I’ve read it carefully.
I agree that Treasury had a key role in some very worthwhile initiatives and in some rock solid accomplishments.
I am sure that you agree when I say we never got any credit in the media for any of the good things. . . . All good news was pooh-poohed and written down—bad economic news dominated the TV networks. It was the most vicious reporting I’ve ever seen.
I think we failed on some important things. You mention our fine financial reform proposals—for the most part (DOA) Dead on arrival—killed by a partisan congress.
Our Japan trip was productive but “throwing up” was the whole story.
The Budget compromise—that now infamous agreement would have been digested if the economy had vigorously recovered. It didn’t and I was the “Read my lips” liar—over & over & over again. I heard it—it killed us.
These are just a few observations stimulated by that good letter of yours—But Nick, we must not let friendship get tied up with Fed Funds Rates, credit crunches, Greenspan, Budget Deals, winners, losers, White House Vs Treasury—All of that is transient—all of it, as far as you & I go, is history.
Friendships don’t depend on policy agreement or disagreement. Good strong friendships, like ours, don’t depend on those things.
You were my friend before you got here—you still are. Everyone knows that. I sure do.
You have served with great distinction.
The economy was slow and lousy. I got the blame, so did you; but our friendship can’t whither because of that—
There’s too much life ahead, too much to do and to enjoy free from the pressures of the ugly press and the conniving politicians.
Let’s go!!
I am your friend—
George
I took one last trip abroad, to visit the troops in Somalia, and to sign the START II treaty in Moscow.
January 3rd
The Russian visit goes well. . . . The centerpiece of the visit was, of course, the signing of the START II Agreement. I think one of the crowning achievements of my Presidency will be the elimination of all these SS18 missiles42—getting rid of them entirely. I had long frank talks with Yeltsin at dinner and then riding out to the airport. He vows to stay with us on Bosnia. I told him I recognize there were so many big differences there, but I think it’s most important that America and Russia not drift apart on this. . . .43
January 7, 1993
Big Al [Simpson],
. . . We’re getting there. The damned special prosecutor went ballistic after I did the right thing on Cap,44 but other than that cloud it looks like we can get out of town in about 13 days with flags flying, heads high and over the horizon, a pretty nice looking future. No head table, no fundraisers, no press conferences, lots of grand kids and lots of fishing— not a bad formula, not bad at all.
But I’ll not forget my friends. That’s where you and Ann come in.
George
January 20th
My last walk around the grounds. It’s clear, blue, crisp, cold, and I think of the many walks I’ve had around here and what a joy it’s been. Ranger is in an unusually frisky mood. He’s off by the Oval Office when I come out with Millie from the diplomatic entrance, and he sprints. He starts barking at Millie and jumping like he does—He’s barking “let’s go.” He finally calms down and we walk around the whole circle, memories flooding back in. . . .
The worst will be saying good-bye to the staff today, but if I lose it, too bad, they’ve been a part of our lives and they know we care. . . .
And so time goes on and I’m sitting here now alone, the desk is clear and the pictures are gone. I leave a note on the desk for Bill Clinton. It looks a little lonely sitting there. I don’t want it to be overly dramatic, but I did want him to know that I would be rooting for him.
I think of the happiness we’ve had here. Somebody points out, “Well, the polls look good today—you’re leaving with people liking you.” And I’m saying, “Well that’s nice, that’s very nice, but I didn’t finish the job.” They may be pleasant in that way, but I don’t think they know my heartbeat . . .
As I told Bill Clinton, I feel the same sense of wonder and majesty about this office today as I did when I first walked in here. I’ve tried to serve here with no taint or dishonor; no conflict of interest; nothing to sully this beautiful place and this job I’ve been privileged to hold. . . .
Barbara is wonderful. She’s strong and what a First Lady she’s been—popular and wonderful. And suddenly she is eclipsed by the new wave, the lawyer, the wife with an office in the White House; but time will tell and history will show that she was beloved because she was real and she cared and she gave of herself. She has been fantastic in every way, and my, how the people around here love her, and my, how that staff rejoices in the fact that she came their way.
But we’ll make it in Houston—I know we will. We kid about her cooking. We kid about no staff, no valets, no shined shoes and no pressed suits. We did that before and we can do it again. It’s my last day as President of the United States of America.
GEORGE BUSH
CHAPTER 16
Looking Forward
After Bill Clinton was sworn in as the forty-second President of the United States, Barbara and I and our two dogs left Washington and flew to Houston. Our first challenge was figuring out “What next?”
January 28, 1993
Dear Walter [Annenberg]:
. .
. January 20th was, indeed, a very emotional day in our lives; but now we are back here, just plain private citizens, staying out of the public limelight and doing exciting things. By way of example:
Barbara is a good cook.
I AM A GOOD DISH WASHER.
Barbara bought a Sable station wagon and she has driven it for two days with no accidents. Not bad after 12 years.
Barbara has a big book contract and is working away already on her computer.1
I have a wonderful office, modestly staffed with very good people. Rose Zamaria is my chief of staff.2
I will probably do some writing and a little speaking; but for now, it is readjustment time.
Walter, more than ever, I feel that it’s family and friends that really matter. Your letter eloquently touched on this, and it is so true. We will spend two-thirds of our time here, and one-third in Maine—always with family in the forefront.
I am sure I will miss certain aspects of public life and will always be grateful for the opportunity to have served. I will now try to conduct myself with dignity and in a way not to dishonor the office I was so proud to hold.
Our love to you and Lee. What would we do without friends.
Sincerely, from this private citizen of Houston, Texas USA—a citizen who respects you and is proud to be your friend,
George
A columnist named Philip Terzian with the Providence Journal sent me a copy of a nice column he had written about me and my presidency.
February 4, 1993
Dear Philip,
. . . Thank you for that editorial.
I am now back in private life keeping my pledge to get active in the grandchild business. I am staying away from the head table, for the most part, and I am out of the interview business. Let history be the judge without my pushing and pulling.
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings Page 63