I am very grateful to former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw for his time on the phone. His anecdote from the 1980 campaign trail in Nebraska was the first of many helpful contributions to the project.
Pierce O’Neil wrote a letter to me about his experiences with my father in Kennebunkport over the years, and the story about the broken propeller on Dad’s boat came from that letter.
Chapter 12. Mr. Vice President
I began writing this book a little more than a year after the death of President Ronald Reagan, and I am saddened by the fact that his personal recollections are missing from it. The quote that opens this chapter came from his remarks at a campaign rally on August 24, 1988, in Los Angeles when my father was running for president. A copy of it is available in The Public Papers of the Presidents, under “Ronald Reagan, 1988.” I appreciate the assistance of both the Reagan and Bush Libraries in helping me find a wealth of information on their relationship.
I found the details about the vice president’s residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory on the White House Web site, as part of an online tour conducted by Mrs. Cheney at http://www. whitehouse.gov/history/life/vpresidence.html.
Former congressman Dan Rostenkowski was exceptionally helpful to me in recounting the early days of the Reagan Administration, and Dad’s role in his becoming chairman of Ways and Means.
Many of the facts about the 1989 inauguration came from the book 200 Years of the American Presidency, published by the Donning Company in 1989. Laurie Firestone was key in remembering some of the details of the inaugural balls and my parents’ entertaining during the vice presidential and presidential years. The anecdote about Dad’s talk with his new staff on the first day came from Joe Hagin. Again, Jon Meacham’s perspective on the impact of the Reagan-Bush administration was terrific.
I pieced together the events that took place on the day President Reagan was shot—and my father’s role in them—from a number of sources, including Pete Teeley, Chase Untermeyer, John Magaw, Don Gregg, Joe Hagin, James Baker, and Rich Bond. The story about my parents’ visit with the Cameroonian couple came from Chase Untermeyer.
Lud Ashley was the source of the story about the 1982 midterm elections and Dad’s campaigning in Ohio; Marty Russo told me about Dad’s tennis and paddleball games on the Hill; John Newcombe shared with me the story of playing tennis with Dad in Australia. Secret Service agent Jim Burch sent me a letter with anecdotes about my father’s tennis adventures, and the former head of the Secret Service, Ralph Basham, was very kind in allowing me to interview him; he provided the story of weighing Dad in the locker room.
My father’s letter to my niece Lauren when she was born and my brother Neil’s 1986 letter to Mrs. Resa Ward, a teacher at Breckinridge Jr. High School in Roanoke, Virginia, about her struggling students came from family files. Neil’s, Marvin’s, and George’s comments in this chapter came from one of the many times I interviewed each of them for this book. My brothers, as always, were tremendously helpful to me.
I am grateful to former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney for allowing me so much time in my interview with him, and his stories added a special touch. Don Gregg was the source for the story about meeting President Mitterrand, and Joe Hagin and James Baker discussed Dad’s travels during his vice presidency.
John Magaw was instrumental in his recall of Dad’s initial meetings with Soviet leaders Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko. Dad’s observations of the Brezhnev funeral came from his 1998 interview with David Frost. The anecdote about my parents’ lunch in Zambia after the Brezhnev funeral came from remarks he made at St. Martin’s Church in Houston on December 26, 1982. Excerpts from Dad’s cables to President Reagan after each funeral appear in All the Best. I am extremely grateful to the library staff for double-checking the accuracy of the facts surrounding the three funerals.
My sources for the account of my parents’ 1983 trip to Europe were Helmut Kohl, who served as German chancellor from 1982 to 1998; Ambassador Donald Gregg; and Chris Buckley (Buckley’s was one of the funniest interviews I conducted during the process of writing this book). General P. X. Kelley’s letter to me provided the facts for the account of the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.
The details of my family’s history in Kennebunkport came from my parents and from a history of Walker’s Point supplied by the Bush Library. Aunt Nan’s comments came from my interview with her and from the Wellesley magazine article by Amalie Moses Kass previously cited. The Bush Library also helped me piece together events surrounding the nor’easter of 1978, and Tim McBride was the source of the story about the dinner with the visiting diplomats. Emile Roy’s very detailed letter to me provided the anecdote about Dad not wanting him to “lose his head” during a fishing trip. President Bill Clinton was the first person outside our family whom I interviewed for this book, and one of the first stories he told me was his memory of meeting my father in Kennebunkport in 1983.
Sean Coffey had spot-on memories of the July 13, 1984, Old-Timers Game in Denver, and I also relied on a video of that game provided to me by the Colorado Republicans and Channel 9-KUSA in Denver. The video was the source of Dad’s quote about the evening being a “Walter Mitty” night. Pete Teeley also shared his memories of that game with me.
My interview with Geraldine Ferraro was fascinating, and I appreciate her kindness to me. She provided me with many of the facts about her nomination as vice president. Lynn Martin was also generous with her time when I interviewed her about her key role in preparing my dad to debate Ms. Ferraro. Boyden Gray was the source for the story about the debate rehearsal session in the Old Executive Office Building. Bob Barnett, who played my father in Democratic debate preparations, was instrumental in helping me write about those debates and his postelection lunch with Ms. Martin, Ms. Ferraro, and Dad.
For background information on the debates and on the “spin” that followed, I utilized a segment from the McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, “Debating Our Destiny, 1984,” available on NewsHour Online at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/debatingourdestiny/dod/ 1984broadcast.html.
Sean Coffey supplied me with the details of the “kicked a little ass” comment and its origins. My mother provided the details of the “rhymes with rich” incident and its aftermath, and Ms. Ferraro’s comments here were invaluable. I also appreciate her memories of the postelection lunch with Dad.
Chapter 13. Master of the Small Gesture
Former congressman Marty Russo was the source of the paddleball story from inauguration day. Tom Collamore told me the details of Dad’s typical day at the White House, and of the grueling pace of his travel.
Ray Siller wrote me a long letter with his funny recollections over the years he has known my father, and he was the source of the story about the fake dog poop in the closet. Shirley Green’s letter to me provided the details of her home being robbed and Dad’s response.
Marlin Fitzwater provided the insights that created the title of this chapter and an account of the 1986 dinner in China. Chris Buckley told me of the staff meeting on the morning after a leak to the press. Marlin Fitzwater, David Cunningham, and David Bates remembered Dad blacking out on the tennis court during President Reagan’s surgery.
Tim McBride was the staff member who commented that Dad always believed in our better sides; Tim, Tom Collamore, and Joe Hagin told me stories of Dad’s high regard for the Secret Service. John Magaw told me of C. Fred getting sick in the limo and of Dad’s reaction to obscene gestures by roadside observers; my cousin Debbie Stapleton told me of Dad diving into the water to unsnag the propeller before the agent could. Tim McBride was the source of the story about Dad not keeping people waiting in motorcades. My brother George told me about his resulting desire to stay on time, and he provided the quote that begins the chapter in an interview with me.
My brother Marvin, his wife, Margaret, and my parents were the sources for the section on Marvin’s battle with colitis. My interview with former senator Rudy Boschwitz produced ma
ny of the details about Operations Joshua and Solomon, as did Wolf Blitzer’s interview of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Meir Rosenne, published in the Jerusalem Post, June 5, 1987, and an undated editorial in the New York Daily News, “An Act of History.”
Tim McBride recalled his experiences with Dad the day of the Challenger tragedy; the passage from President Reagan’s speech that day was from his Address to the Nation on January 28, 1986. Boyden Gray’s comments to me about Dad’s role as Reagan’s vice president came from my interview with him, as did his story about why crack cocaine was so addictive. The facts about the drug issue came from my interview with Boyden, as well as from the second Hofstra book, Principle Over Politics? The Domestic Policy of the George H. W. Bush Presidency, edited by Richard Himelfarb and Rosanna Perotti. I used Boyden Gray’s and Philip Brady’s remarks from a panel discussion transcribed in it, titled “Civil Rights, Drugs, Housing and Education,” for the details of the South Florida Task Force. John Magaw’s interview with me provided insights into how my father handled intelligence matters.
The memo to Patty Presock about sending gifts to George P. at camp, as well as George P.’s letter to Dad, came from family files. My niece Barbara told me the story of Spikey the stuffed animal in my interview of her, and my sister-in-law Laura told me of Dad opening the drain to retrieve her contacts.
Marlin Fitzwater was the source of the discussion about my father’s press strategy. He also told me about the beginning of the press coverage of the Iran-Contra affair. The quote from the Tower Commission report came from the Executive Summary of the Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair, November 1987. I appreciate the help of the Bush Library staff in locating this publication, since it was out of print.
I relied on my own memories of meeting Billy Graham as well as those of my brother George, taken from my interviews with him.
Chapter 14. Pointer Man
I am extremely grateful to Governor Michael Dukakis for graciously agreeing to speak with me; his quote to me about Dad opens this chapter.
In addition to my own recollections, I used the actual cover story, “Fighting the Wimp Factor,” from the October 19, 1987, issue of Newsweek magazine. My parents and Aunt Nan supplied supporting details to my own memories of that incident. Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, Ede Holiday, and Jon Meacham all shared their memories and opinions with me. My interview with Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post was particularly helpful for this section.
The details of Dad’s announcement in 1987 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston were corroborated by Dad’s private files and in All the Best. Background information on the 1988 campaign came from a variety of sources, including the Washington Post and New York Times archives, and Richard Ben Cramer’s book What It Takes.
Roger Ailes, in his interview with me, detailed the leadership of Dad’s campaign staff, and Ede Holiday also provided many specifics. My brother Marvin told me the story about “Fast Eddie” Verdeliac, and Jeb and George both told me about meeting Lee Atwater for the first time. My sister-in-law Laura described moving to Washington for the campaign, and Karl Rove explained my brother George’s role in Dad’s campaign.
The 1989 Esquire article referred to in the text was titled “One Leg at a Time,” and it was discussed in John Brady’s 1997 book, Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater.
The quote about my brother George telling Newsweek magazine the answer to the “Big A” question came from a Washington Post article by Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., dated July 31, 1999: “Bush’s Move Up to the Majors.”
Michael Dukakis discussed firing Donna Brazille for spreading rumors about Dad in my interview with him. Dana Carvey, in a hilarious interview with me, told me about meeting Dad for the first time and how he began his impersonation of my father. Debbie Romash Dunn provided memories of the early days of the campaign, and my brother Marvin and Ede Holiday remembered Lee Atwater day-to-day.
Andy Card and John Sununu were the source for the information about both men’s initial involvement in the campaign and the New Hampshire primary. Mary Matalin told me about the Iowa campaign, and Sally Atwater’s letter remembered what happened after Dad lost Iowa. My brother Jeb also talked to me about the night of the Iowa loss. Ede Holiday and Bob Mosbacher told me of the importance of winning the New Hampshire race after Iowa, and Mosbacher and Sununu told me the story of getting the “Senator Straddle” ad aired. Therese Burch’s memories of campaigning with Dad in New Hampshire were priceless.
The sources for information about the South Carolina primary and the Super Tuesday primaries came from Bill Canary, the Brady book about Atwater previously mentioned, and a report by Robert MacNeil, “The First Super Tuesday,” on NewsHour Online, March 9, 1988, which I accessed at http://www.pbs.org/ newshour/ retro/ super_tuesday_88.html. The results of the Super Tuesday primaries came from this latter source.
I also used an interview of Lee Atwater by Jim Lehrer, “Lee Atwater: Campaign Strategy,” NewsHour Online, August 23, 1984, found at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/convention96/retro/atwater.html, for additional background information.
Mary Matalin’s work on the Michigan primary was explained in her interview with me and in her 1994 book with James Carville, All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.
Ann Richards’s remarks at the Democratic Convention came from her keynote address on July 19, 1988. Ted Kennedy’s November 17, 1989, letter to my father afterward is from Dad’s private files. Michael Dukakis was the source of the section detailing how the Democrats chose their VP nominee, and about his grandmother being at the convention.
Ronald Reagan’s remarks came from his address to the 1988 Republican Convention. Jeb told me the story of George P. nearly throwing up onstage. Fred Malek’s letter to me contained the story about Dad’s friends trying to guess his VP choice. Dan Quayle added many details about the day he was chosen to be Dad’s running mate.
The information on Marilyn Quayle came from Mark Hatfield’s chapter on Dan Quayle in his book written with the Senate Historical Office, Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993, written in 1997 and available on the Senate Web site, www.senate.gov.
My brother Marvin provided the account of casting the states’ votes the night of Dad’s official nomination as president; Ray Siller’s letter to me was the source of the Pointer Man story. Fred Malek’s memories of Dad the night of his acceptance address were in his letter to me; Roger Ailes’s notes to Dad for the speech were in Dad’s private files. Insights from my brother Jeb and Tom Collamore were essential to the section on the writing of that speech and its impact on the convention. Roger Ailes was the source of the account of Dan Rather’s interview of Dad.
Roger Ailes and Sig Rogich provided me with a lot of information about the campaign ads and the strategy behind them. The quote from Lee Atwater about Willie Horton came from “What Lee Atwater Knows About Winning,” by Jan Collins Stucker in Southern Magazine, April 1989. The briefing paper on Willie Horton that Dad sent us was written by the late White House researcher Bob Simon and was in Dad’s private files.
Information about the death of Eddie Byrne and the endorsement of the Boston Police came from a video of the Republican National Convention produced by the RNC. The economic figures I cited came from a Bush campaign issues document titled George Bush: Leadership on the Issues, and the “line of the day” information came from Mary Kate Cary, a campaign writer at the time. Andy Card discussed opposition research on Dukakis, as mentioned in the text, and Roger Ailes told me about the debate negotiations he and James Baker conducted with the Democrats. Jeb remembered the debate specifics, as did Dick Darman in both his letter and his interview with me. The anecdote about Marvin and George going to the movie theater during the second Bush-Dukakis debate came from my interviews with Marvin and Pat Quinn. Secretary Baker, Roger Ailes, Michael Dukakis, and Bernie Shaw all discussed the actual debates with me.
The letter to Mom from Dad about their public
displays of affection appears in All the Best. Jeb’s memories of the final days of the campaign were key, as were Joe Hagin’s of election night. The final line of the chapter is a reference to Dan Jenkins’s 1984 book, Life Its Ownself.
Chapter 15. Age of the Offered Hand
The opening quote for the chapter is taken from Mom’s interview with David Frost for his 1998 A&E special “George Bush: A President’s Story,” and the quote from President Reagan in the second paragraph comes from All the Best. Additionally, Tim McBride provided the anecdote about Dad’s overcoat on inauguration day, and Jon Meacham gave me his insights as well. Dad’s letter to President Reagan is at the Bush Library.
The information on Statuary Hall can be found on the official Web site of the Office of the Clerk in the United States House of Representatives at http://clerk.house.gov/. Specifics on the inaugural parade were provided to me by the Bush Library; and I also appreciate all the information supplied to me by Gary Walters, chief usher at the White House.
My parents, as well as Marvin and Margaret, shared their memories of inauguration day with me. I found the transcript of Dad’s first press conference in Public Papers of the Presidents, George Bush, 1989, volume 1. The eight-volume collection of Public Papers that cover Dad’s four years as president is published by the Office of the Federal Register for the National Archives and Records Administration and proved an invaluable resource for double-checking facts and dates for this and subsequent chapters that touch on Dad’s White House years.
The story about Wendy Robbins calling Uncle Johnny came from the latter, and Aunt Nan recalled my grandmother’s reactions to seeing the White House.
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