Library. Before we start jean will give us a great presentation about george w. Bush. Well have a question and answer afterwards. Because he spent is feeling tonight please use the microphones. Will place one over there, another to the side there. That way your question doesnt get lost on cspan. I want to welcome you and tell you that we appreciate you being here tonight. Especially given that the Democratic Party has done alternative programming. We have the opportunity to get our fill of the 2020 president ial campaign. Were going to take a few moments to commemorate a man who won it in 2028. A man who became more appreciated with time. I was struck like many others i think by the national outpouring of respect and affection in the days leading up to and through the funeral of George Herbert bush in last november. And the funeral of his wife recently, he was the 44th president. Gore said that he served our nation with extraordinary integrity and grace. applause the country seemed anxious to celebrate those qualities. He was a World War Two hero before he began his long political career. By and large, history looks back pretty favourably on his presidency. Brookings institution surveyed nearly 200 political scientists earlier this year, asking them to rate all 40 president s and the other bush came in 17. Just behind john kennedy, ahead of monroe. He drew praise for Foreign Policy in large part. His popularity sank because his economy sake. He did not win reelection in 1982, but he won the nation back as for president. Jean was at his side, in some cases hanging on for dear life for those 25 years. It is great to have her here for personal reasons. She and i go back a ways. We grow, grew up in a small Farming Community about three hours east of here. Her family farm, my family owned and operated the International Harvester dealership. I went from our little tiny high school sitting out in the middle of the country to the Journalism School at the university of missouri. Jean went to the same program at the same school. I took my first job it was the hometown paper, the new mexico ledger. A few years later, jean took her first job at the mexico ledger. I moved there from the newspaper in springfield, missouri. And by the net, the then largest newspaper chain in the country. Gene moves to the newspaper in danville, illinois. Owned by the same company. In 1982 i went to a new national now newspaper. A few days later, jean went to usa today. I wasnt stalking you. I can tell where you are headed. We both have thered and each other. We have a mutual disarmament agreement tonight. I was a sports writer. Some people when my wife and i would go back to visit people would think its cool. I got to go to big games around the country. That lithics, ive got to talk to players and coaches. Then jean parted ways, and goes to the white house. Then one paul and i would go visit martins burger, it was wow jean backer, what do you hear from her . Jean covered the 1988 election for usa today. The one in which george bush defeated michael to caucus. Laura bush took a liking to her which isnt surprising. She invited jean to serve as her deputy press secretary. She spent four years in the white house from 1989 until 1983. George obviously took a liking to her as well. He made her chief of staff. A job she held until he died. Its safe to say that nobody knew george and barbara bush better than jean. I would include the bush family in. That the birthday parachute jumps, the humanitarian club russians with bill clinton, she was party to all of it. If not orchestrating all of it. She was meng or the people at his bedside when he died. The beautiful Memorial Services you saw back in 87 were planted executed by jean. You might not know, it you probably dont, jean has written or edited five books. As she point, so none with her name on it. One was published in 1980, five another george pushes writings. Pearls of wisdom is scheduled to come out next spring in times for graduation and mothers day. Jeanne collects the best advice she effort to everyone that she offers to her children and grandchildren to bill clinton. By the way all the proceeds from that book are going to the Barbara Bush Foundation for family literacy. The second book which i think her publisher is pushing her to release in 2021 is about what she is discussing tonight. The remarkable post presidency of george w. Bush. She insists that her name be on that one. So in the crowd tonight are a number of people coming back home, have driven here to see jean speak. Family, friends, coworkers. Were still pretty proud of her. Just between us so i my. Please welcome my friend jeanne back or. Its sort of odd after that introduction i feel bad that the first state thing im gonna say is that when steve pickmeup from the airport, yesterday, we werent out of the parking lunch packing a lot he said dont you dare tell them about the time that we beep. It can be bought. Am i already in trouble . There we go. This is one of my favorite pictures of president bush and me, and oddly were at dukes basketball game. For any of you who are colleagues of basketball fans, bush had already been diagnosed with parkinsons. Coach kay wrote him a letter and said its on my back it list for you to attend a home game of duke. What you come . I showed the letter to president bush and i was like were going to see him play, then we go. I love starting with that photo. Working with krystal b bush was one of the great privileges of my life. He taught so many things. He taught me to live my life with joy, think big. Youre going to have to move if youre going to cry. My sister is sitting right in front of me and she is about ready to burst into tears. Im going to move you. To think, big to be humble, to make a difference. He was it perfect. There were certain things that honestly scared me to death. The five scariest words that bush could say to me were jean i have a good idea. These words would usually take place at seven in the morning, he would have drunken some hot coffee and say i have an idea. When he said oh lets get pizza for lunch i would say oh i would love to. Thank god. I remember that this was specifically january 2nd, we were recovering from the holidays and he said gina was thinking over the holidays, i would like to go back to the place where i was shot during world war ii. Most of his biggest ideas he reserved in his neverending mission to make a difference. I love that gasp. They just taught me how to use this. Lets see if i figured it out . The big shock. This is president clinton who of course beaten family in 1992. They became known as the odd couple because they became friends and then father and son. They bonded over mutual desire, we did all of this neutral relief work, there was a horrible tsunami that hit southeast asia. We traveled there, im not sure where we are here, look at those cute kids. Then we did katrina. For katrina alone these two men raised 150 million dollars. Then they did hurricane bike. They became very close. President clinton still misses him terribly. Im having lunch with him in two weeks because he misses president clinton so much, he said can you have lunch with me. I said okay. This is a tsunami trip. I think its indonesia. This is the trip, or president bush slept flying over he taught me how to play this game, i played it with my family, we played it at the marriott courtyard, this is president bush reading to a group of kids, im fairly certain this is sri lanka. The school was gone so we were having classes outside. Now this is the story that you really want to hear. George clooney. God he is gorgeous. So this is actually part of disaster relief. This is after katrina, what most of you dont know is that just a week or two after katrina another huge hurricane came through louisiana, katrina was really sucking the air out of the room. The media was very focused on what was happening in new orleans. President bush got a call from a very small town, in louisiana, totally wiped out. The only thing Still Standing was the courthouse that had been built during fdrs administration. When he was in the off shore oil drilling business thats where he would go, this is where he would visit the oil rigs. They called him and said can you help . He said of course. What do you need . They said what our hospital is gone. If we could build an emergency room people would come home if they knew there was an emergency room where they could go. Also the guy that i was talking to said the offshore Oil Rig Workers also used our emergency room, we need one. So we immediately go into overdrive and res and decisional 2 million dollars. The week before christmas i think to thousand five, president bush fires to louisiana with a check for 2 million dollars, and theyre going to break ground for the numeracy room. We get together this beautiful program. The house cool marching band will march. I am showing president bush the schedule. Its like five days before christmas, and he said, this is really borne it boring. With possible that i had attitude. We raised 10 million dollars, and i said were going to give them a check for and million dollars. We need to jazz it up. I said what are we going to build . He said an emergency. Room he said i have a great idea. Here is the problem with this idea. He said i love this show he, are the star is george clooney. Lets ask him to come. Do you get it . Er. Here is what he didnt get, they are watching er on reruns. George clooney hadnt been on er for years, hes already doing ocean 12, 13, 14, 15. I tried to explain reruns and tnt. I told him i dont know george clooney. I dont have him in my role index. President bush, i was telling him about the ocean movies, no longer on er. He said i think that jury is in the movies. George clooney came. I was sick as a dog, did i go . Yes i did. We had a plane sent. I dont blame him. We found a plane. They stopped in houston. President bush pickmeup, the two cutest georges ive ever met in my life. Heres the huge mistake, no picture with me and george clooney. Coming home, i asked why he did this. Said why would you do this . You dont know him. This isnt political. Theyre not republican. His answer was i was so impressed that he wanted to do this. Cameron, louisiana isnt in the news, cspan isnt, there tv cameras and there. Everyone was in new Orleans George clooney said if you ask me to go to new orleans i probably say no but i was so touched by what he was doing that i wanted to be a part of it. So the end of the story which you can choose to leave or not is that my ears went up, george kept talking to, me i have no idea what he said. To this day its fossil he asked me to marry him. And i just kept going yes yes. President bush was the minister of acts of kindness. That was the main thing i learned from him. Its not that i was a mean person, but it was interesting to watch the way he lived his life. In big ways and small ways. This picture doesnt have a lot to do, this has a lot to do with the next story im going to tell. This is three days after 9 11. This is the National Cathedral. The prayer circle of the, National Cathedral that all the president s went to. For the second president set down after getting his remarks, and his dad reached over. I just want to play with these two. They were on their way to the airport and it is protocol that the president s set in the order of which they served. So technically the clintons should be sitting next to the 40 threes, then the 31s. Hasnt bush called me and said i would like to sit next to my son at the service, and i said okay lets see what we can do on that. President clinton was very gracious and completely understanding. But one of the reasons, i will tell you might 9 11 story, i was in washington d. C. And then 11 with president bush. We were in a meeting the day before, they were wheels up about atm that morning to go to minnesota, where they were going to give speeches that day. I was stink in washington d. C. , to do the meetings on the cancer group. So 9 11 happens and chaos of course. I had no idea where they were. They would have been in the air at the time. I got the service on the phone. The secret Service Agent said thank all you called, president bush wants to know where you are. I said im in the Residence Hotel in d. C. , or under total lock down. We are fine. Did i do that . And by doing something . Okay. I said where is he . The agent said i cant tell you that. Like every plane in america they have been granted, and they are in a safe and secure location but i cant tell you on a unsecure phone. I assumed that they had been taken to west virginia. Do you all know that we have a secret place in west virginia, thats not classified as it . Okay good. I think we found out about this a long time ago, this is where a lot of d. C. Would be evacuated to at the time of war. At 6 30 that evening im sitting with my Board Members from the cancer group and were waiting for the president to address the nation and might support what off. Its surprising because cell service that day in d. C. Was terrible. Myself rings, and it is president bush. I say oh my gosh, im so happy to hear from you, i said i know you cant tell me where you are because youre in a classified place, but im happy to hear from. You he said we are at a hampton and in milwaukee, wisconsin. laughs that couldve been the first time i knew i had to write a book. I said they told me you were in a very secret classified place. Mrs. Jeanne who would try to find me in a hampton in milwaukee, wisconsin . We were watching tv that day, and we found out that we were, hungry we walked to the outback steakhouse. Can you imagine . He said they were surprised that we walked in. So its literally the night of 9 11, and his president s parents walked into milwaukee, wisconsin. After 9 11, president bush, this is part of the small acts of kindness, very disturbed by the anti muslim feeling in the country. We go back to houston. We go back to houston, and the anti muslim rhetoric had gotten very ugly. He said to me is there a muslim group in houston . Id like to talk to them. That was a fun phone call. Theres a houston Muslim Association and i called called them. They had a dinner tonights leader with 500 people. President bush wanted to go and make a statement, and he invited the media to say they are americans like we are. A couple of years ago, long before he went to any Public Events of any kind, he did mrs. Bush were very concerned about antisemitism. Very worried and disturbed. A jewish group wanted to give nixon a award. He declined it. If you deliver it to me in a synagogue i will come is what he said. It was his gesture, and his way of saying stop it, were better than this. Probably the thing he did that people will never forget, this is the son of a secret Service Agent, he was three years old and diagnosed with leukemia. Okay im going to cry. Im not going to cry. His father was one of president pushes secret Service Agents. And the entire detail, except one guy, should their head, mainly because patricks dad shipped his had to support his son who lost all his here drink chemo. President bush decided hes going to shave his head to support patrick and his secret service detail. The picture went viral, it was in times square, it was all over the news, the internet. I can happily tell you that patrick is now ten and cancer free, hes been cancer free for a few years. The only problem with this whole episode is that he didnt tell his wife. He didnt tell his wife that he was going to shave his head. As usual in our life, for some reason this became my job. Im the one who had to tell mrs. Bush that her husband was now very bold. She wasnt happy, she was afraid that everyone would think that he had cancer or had gone crazy. The thing thats amazing is he grew his head of hair back. I dont know how old he was when he did. This may be 85 . President bush was there for them. This isnt a great photo. I need to find a better one. I can play with my clicker. These are all the former president s, theres carter, 43, the president clinton, president obama, so when Hurricane Harvey hit houston and devastated houston, president bush said we have to go to war, well he is in a wheelchair, and pretty much out of commission. So on labor day i had a Conference Call with all the president s chief of staff, and they were in immediately. What is amazing about the photo, we already had the events planned. It was the 25th anniversary of his library opening. We were doing this very small event in october, larry deadline was going to come and, seemed we were going to have a barbecue. It was going to be casual. The president said lets turn it into a fundraiser for harvey. Lets raise some money. I told the other president s chief of staffs, i asked the 43rd president to come, the former governor of texas, he said of course welcome. But the other three, im going to play with my clicker. I said if you are in the neighborhood, it was on a saturday night, they all came. Didnt really invite them. The chief of staffs all called me, obama was the first, his chief of staff called and said president obama would like to come. I said wow. That would be great. I knew president clinton would come because there is no way that he was gone to little bomber come without the bush there is, boys, poor president carter had said, i mean hes old to, he said im not coming, but if everyone else comes all come. We went from the gallup brothers to the stadium that basketball games take place. And lady gaga called president obamas office to say i got wind of this event, can i help . I told president bush, i need to get a picture and a slideshow of her with the president s. I said youre not going to believe. It but this time alabama was coming, it was still a heavy country, but much bigger names, no one on lady gagas level. I ran in and said oh my gosh lady gaga is coming. He said thats great, who is she . So these five guys and up raising 45 million dollars. They have a little that among themselves. Ever since we started to use 41 and 43 to tell the difference between the george pushes they love their number. Clinton loves being 42. President obama is 44 of course. President carter is 30. Nine he never got into 39. The others love their numbers. They wanted to raise the money of their number. They werent happy when we got to 45. I think they probably were. But it was an amazing night, and the respect the showed for president bush incoming touched my heart. I remember when mrs. Bush found out, she said i suppose were going to have to feed them. I said will maybe. They had dinner for them at the apartment. This is the most dress ive ever been in my entire life. Steve was right, i was in charge of the funeral. Thats true. Up until that, people were sink jean backer, those five men have got to be there, ready to go by 7 pm sharp. Have you ever tried to tell five president s to quit talking . And particularly, president clinton . They were just talking, talking talking. Finally, i went into the dinner and said you have to quit talking. I said, we are going live in 11 minutes. Get in the car, maybe 17 minutes. And i dont know how the interesting thing is i think the bushes apartment, and his president ial library texas a m is probably half a mile from where we were going. The motorcade got there before we left. Literally, the motorcade went the entire but we were there at 6 59 pm, for the record. I think this story, picture, and the story im going to tell, has absolutely nothing to do with the theme of this speech, which is how much i learned from president bush, but this truly is one of my favorite stories. This man, i probably dont need the clip here, you can probably figure this out. This is prince band are of saudi arabia, who was the saudi ambassador to the United States for almost 20 years. He was the ambassador all doing president bush his presidency, president claims, a lot of george w. s, and president bush was very close to him. The bush brothers, they used to call president clinton their brother by another mother, and they gave prince pander the exact same name, their brother by another mother. About seven or eight years ago, i got a call late one night from somebody who used to be in president bushs administration asking me if i heard any about bandar. Bandar at this time had what was essentially the cia in saudi arabia. She said, we are hearing he has been assassinated. Probably by the syrians. Have you heard this . I said no, people dont call me with this kind of news. And she says, well, can you check your sources. I know what that meant. That meant to call the cia and because because president bush head of the cia at one point in his career, they would always do anything he asked. We always had a case officer assigned to us so, the next morning i called the case officer. She said we have heard the rumors. We think it is true. He has not been seen for months. We have boots on the ground but we think it is probably true. So then, the person called me the night before called. By now, you are probably thinking why is this her favorite story . She called and said the french press have just reported that band are has been assassinated by the syrians. Is out in france. So, if you have not told president bush, you need to tell him. So this is wreck for president bush went to his wheelchair. He would come down at the golf cart, and then he would want me to sit on the golf card with him and we would do our business there because it was hard for him to walk and move around and we had this phone on a really long cord that we came out of the office. I know youre wondering, why didnt he just use a cell phone . I dont know the answer to that. But we had a phone on this really long cord so, i break the news to him. And he said have you tried calling him . And i said no. That really had not occurred to me. To call him. He said lets try to get him on the phone. So, we are sitting outside. And i heller, upstairs where the Office Window is open, to one of his assistants, jim apple be, and i say jimmy, and he leans, and i said, did you see fingerprints bender on the phone for president bush. And jimmy says, have you told him . And i said, yes i have and two seconds later, two minutes later, he leads back, and this will be a title, a chapter title. Prince bandar on line two. So president bush picks up the phone and im sitting over here president bush goes high, yeah, band are, yes, george bush. Hey, man. That are alive . laughs no, it gets worse. He says, everybody here thinks youre dead. And then he goes, hes alive. laughs i said, yes. I figured that out. So he says, well, whats going on, man. So, prince band are tells him, yes, i am being targeted and i know that. Im in a safe place, dont worry about me. I can take care of myself. I will survive this. President bush gets off the phone. And he says well, secretary baker, get them all on the phone so, we call everybody to tell them that sanders alive, and theyre amazed that president bush got him on the phone and when he left to go to the house for lunch, he said, he says, jean, this is a good life lesson for you. If there is confusion about if someone is dead or alive, call them. And you know, hes got a point. I would not have felt comfortable calling bandar and saying, hey, man, dead or alive . I have yet to use that tactic. But it is a good life lesson. The story ended about two hours later in the phone rings in our office and i think it up. I answer, it and its the cia, and i failed to call them. And the woman says, oh, my god, jeanne. I know youre dying for answers. Have you told the president anything yet . And she says, we think its true, but we cant get confirmation. I think youd better go ahead and give him a heads up that band are is probably dead. So i tell her, and i say, no, hes alive, and i say, how do you know that and i said, president bush called him on his cell phone and he answered the phone, and there was this long pause and she said, we need to put him back on payroll. [laughter] i think that is the day i decided i have to write a book. How could you not tell the whole world needs to know. This advice, its selfish not to share it. If you dont know if someone is dead or alive, call them on the phone. Im going to tell you another, so, one of the things about working for president bush, he was just fun. I mean, we work like dogs. He was so energetic, he was the energizer bunny. We worked all the time. Life was really fun. One of my favorite stories involves the someone in this room, paula, where are you . I wish i could stick my way over there, hiding. Paula came to visit me in kennebunkport, and we were going to take her to vermont for the day. It was saturday, and we were going to do this lovely drive around New Hampshire and vermont, i dont think it ever been to new england we were very excited. We had to run the office for two minutes to get something. Im not sure what, and president bush was there, looking like a homeless person. He said, do you want to go fishing . I need someone to go fishing with. I said i am so sorry, i cant, i have a houseguest. And im going to take or to vermont. And he looked so sat and he said, you dont think she would like to go fishing with me . And of course, in retrospect, how paula, how mean it would have been me to deny you going fishing with 41st president. Well, we went and got on his boat, and he had this outrageous boat. 350 horsepower motors, three of them. Yes, it was fast. It was a mean vote, and he loved that vote. And we are starting to putt putt down the kind of bunk river and we just get to the atlantic, and he looks at paula, and i thought this was very polite of him, somebody asked me if he was a great gentleman and i said, yes he was, yes, you asked me that, and i said, of course he was, well, now, you may change your mind. He said to paula, he said, so, what kind of see legs do you have, paula, and paula, said, from missouri, she said, sir, i dont know. I have never been on a vote on the ocean in my life. I have no idea what kind of see legs i have. So, he looks at her and he says, well, lets see what youre made of, and he floors it. And the boat sort of a shot straight up in the air, and so we had a big wave, and the whale watching boat was going out, and they were going crazy, all the tourists, taking pictures, and it took one look at paula, and she was holding on for dear life, but paulo reminded me last night, what she remembers most about that trip is he caught a fish and asked her to drive the boat while he reeled it in. That was her most memorable, i think. So, i do want to take questions, because i want to know whats on your mind. But i put on the end of this, oh, that is prince bandar. Im better look at his face. I added just some funeral photos at the end, this is president pushes service dog, sully, that he had for the last nine months, and salley was an amazing companion. I still miss that dog, the sweetest dog in the world. He is now at walter reid hospital. And this is another photo that went viral with him laying there. I do have one funny story about sully. We just flew from houston to washington, d. C. Sully, i was not his usual handler, but president bush is aid was helping take pictures and even asked me if i would walk solely off the plane. And i said i would be happy to. So i walked solely across the tarmac one of our press people came running over and said to me, jeanne, the press just want to know if you could, and i was like, oh my, god they want to interview me, and they said, if you could move, because youre between them and sally. It was a humbling moment. This was president bush lying in state at the capitol. We went straight to the capitol. The pomp and circumstance is really amazing. This was one of my favorite pictures from that week. President bush and bob were of course of course huge political rivals from the 1988 race and like president bush and president clinton, that became very close. Senator dole also calls me. President bushs friends call me a lot. They miss him and i am like the movie prize so they call me, which is sweet, but senator dole, for him to get out of that wheelchair, oh, my god. That picture. And i asked him what he did it. And he said he had to. Okay, this is the cathedral, walking into the National Cathedral, and all of the president lined up. You can barely see president carter. He is right there on the end. There he is. George w. , of, course is on the other side with his brothers and sisters. This is also one of my favorite photos. It was president bushs idea to take a train from Houston College station. He loves trains. He loved taking trains and he thought this would be sort of a fun thing to do. He planned the whole thing and youre going to think im a terrible person, but, i remember one, day we are talking, but this was at least ten years ago, and they made the special car and president bush said, i think we will have lunch on the, train well just have lunch. And i said, sir, you dont youre not gonna be on the train, and he looked at me, and he said, yes i am. He was. But that drew our train ride was unbelievable. All of Central Texas showed up. These cowboys, we all lost it when we saw this picture. They were all lined up in their cowboy hats. It was a great moment. And this was walk into the graveside, after the very public ceremony the grave site was totally closed to the press. No cameras, no photographers, just a family photographer. They wanted the end to be theirs. So it was that is the whole family. Theres a lot of them walking down to the grave site. This was a president bushes library and texas a m university. It is where he and mrs. Bush are buried. So, before i turn it over for questions, and i hope you have questions, because if you dont, im just going to tell more really random stories. One of my favorite quotes from his eulogies comes from a historian, and i think it says a lot about who president bush was. His tongue may have run amok at times, his heart was steadfast. His life code, as he said was, tell the truth, dont blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course. It was the most american of creeds. Better angels of our nature, george w. Bush is points of life are companion versus in americas health, lincoln and bush called on us to choose the right over the convenient. Hope over fear. Hed not our worst impulses, but our best instincts. Thank you very much. You need to ask questions. Come up to the microphones. When you line up, we have one minute jumping up. The first one. So we did cry . This is one of my favorite pictures with president bush. It shows how fun he was. He wore this aardvark hat for one full day. Its very hard to talk to him wearing an aardvark hat. How Many University of missouri graduate we have here . So the zoo has made it into march madness. Im a graduate, i have a adorable pair of years. They are adorable and little, nothing like this. I want to work. Im in the middle of talking with george bush, he told me to take off the tiger ears. We will leave that picture up as you ask your question. One of the things ive always been interested in george bush about is that he was an aristocrat and then he went to texas and fit into that culture as well. Can you talk about that . It seems like the coasts are on opposite sides of the fence, not wanting to talk to each other. Coming from connecticut to texas he fit in very well. It was it cant, be very genuine, can you talk about how he transplanted his culture . Its an interesting question because the media used to question his texas roots. If the remember president bush was 18 when he joined the navy in world war ii. He joins the navy at age 20. The war ended. He went to yield for two and a half years. He was 23 years old when he moved to texas. And one of the things, along with his wife barbara, and his son george w. Bush. As it turns out they shared a duplex with a sex worker, and her child, she wrote in her book graphically it was fine but they shared a bathroom. It was a big deal because it is the jack in jail bathroom. When you leave you and look. They think more their customers in many ways he grew up in texas. Even though they grew up in washington, texas is where they always went home to. People were surprised by how deeply he felt about texas. I cant tell the story in maine, i hope nobody in maine watches this on cspan. President bush loved the coast of maine. It was his summer home. It was a big part of his life. He talked very eloquently about the ocean, it gave him peace. The Atlantic Ocean is where he went to find his center, he would say. Texas was home. He decide in december, 2018. Were in may. Early october. We know that the end is year near, we are nervous about moving him to texas. Number one, not sure he could survive the trip. Number two, i wasnt sure he wanted to die. It was sort of like weathering heights. He wouldnt want to die looking out on the ocean. So myself, and his medical aid evan, asked him, put it out there to him. Were prepared to stay here as long as you want. He said take me home. Dont ever tell people in maine, because they think he wanted to die there. We took him back to texas, the other thing i will add to that is that the president bush is first job there was a oil salesman. He sold oil rigs, he drove all over west texas and he said what got him through these long drives, is nothing this, its the most god forsaken land. He listened to Country Music, thats when he became a hardcore Country Music fan. Did that answer the question . Very well. Yes sir. Can you talk about president bush his relationship with james baker . Yes. They are best friends. They met when the bushes moved from one part of texas to another. He and secretary baker became tennis partners, they belong to the same country club. They belonged on the tennis court. The two couples became good friends and president bakers first wife died of cancer. They had four little boys, and he would tell you that he would not have survived his first wifes death without george and barbara bush. Judge was starting to get ready to run for the u. S. Senate, he was going to run as a republican, he tucks senator baker into running the campaign. He calls him, bake bake, you need to move on. You need something new in your life. Well they lost the campaign. Thats what their friendship was like. And in the end, of course he became president pushes secretary of state. They became very close, senator baker is one of the smartest people i ever met. He and his wife susan were there. I will tell you a funny story about the night president bush a. You have to find human everything. An adorable dog, solely, the president s son neil and his family. I was, there evan, was there the bakers, where the doctors were there. And his minister was there. They were around the bed, holding hands. The minister is praying, sully, the dog comes with a ball, throws it on the floor. Here are these people the play with him all the time. None of us budge. Silly picked up the ball, he started to nudge my, leg evans leg. It was great comic belief at a time that we really needed it. Any other questions . Yes sir. My question is about milley, the. Dog famously there is a picture of her and the puppies i believe on the private porch. From that, i thought, is barber that close . Did she take care of the dog . When milley was alive, it was at the white house . Oh yes, she did take care of the dog. The president and first lady were close to the dock. She walk the dog, those were her dogs. Once in a while, she would allow someone else in the white house to walk them. Not very often. They give one of the dogs, reinjure, to their son, who lived in d. C. Marvin would bring ranger over to the white house, and president bush got so close to ranger that marvin funnily just give him back, because president bush loved ranger. Everyone in the white house used to feed ranger. I never did. The president of the United States put a little sign around his neck, dont feed, me if you feed me i will have to report to the president of the United States. He was getting a little fat. Any other questions . Yes. So, if you were to have asked the president what, books movies, and music he would recommend . What would he say . Music is easy, he loved Country Music, reba sank at his funeral. He loves music. He saw everything. Including hamilton, the me before he died in december. He wasnt a big opera fan, but he loved country, and sound of music, south pacific. Bucks . He read just about everything. Its a hard question to answer. He loved biographies, but he also loved fiction, he and mrs. Bush would also read trash sometimes. A friend of the bushes wrote a book that he read. His main character in danny silva books was a spy, he loved danny silva. Movies . Thats hard. World war two movies. War movies. He watched just about everything. The only movie i went with him to see that he didnt like, i dont know what i was thinking, its a movie that came out not very long ago, and it was silent. It was sort of a throwback. He really hated it. He thought it was a little crazy. Its a broad answer. But he liked everything. The only thing he saw in a theater that he didnt like was avon q a. He still stayed for the whole thing. Mr. Bush had a very long career in public service. Im wondering if you know what his favorite job was . I actually know the answer to that. He would say president , but it close second would be head of the cia. He loved being head of the cia, he loved knowing all of those secrets. And i used to ask him what do you know . Tell me anything. Hes like gene please. The cia was his thing. For lack of a better way to put it i think he thought it was pretty cool, actually. Great question. Yes sir. This is a followup to the favorite books question. You mentioned he loved watching and reading biographies. So did he have a favorite president . Thats a great question. You know, unfortunately, my answer might be a bit boring. Maybe lincoln, maybe. Him and president johnson were very good friends. He used to go to president johnson for political advice. He was in congress, and he was thinking about giving up a safe congressional seat to run for the senate. This would have been in 1970, and he wanted to see president johnson on his ranch to ask what do you think. President johnson said george the difference between being in the house and senate is the difference between a jack bleep and a throw house. Run for the senate. He and David Mccullough were very good friends. And so, president bush just absorb john adams, everything mccullough were, you just absolutely absorbed. And he loved it. But he probably would say lincoln. I think a lot of the president s look at lincoln, his courage, you know, so its an easy answer but it is an honest answer. He is probably shaking his finger me right now saying, im saying george, Deputy George w. As my former president. Yes sir. My annual golf match between the amateurs the United States and Great Britain are called walker cup matches, named for president bushs grandfather and i wondered if you have any thoughts or reflection on president bushs relations with the game of golf. Im told you played only for speed and not for a score. Jean he could play 18 holes in an hour and a half. [laughter] i think that is why he was fairly bad at it. He left the game of golf and he used to go to the president s cup and the rider cup a lot. He would cheer this event but, he played in an hour and a half. He was great friends with Phil Mickelson and Arnold Palmer and jack nicklaus, but he left the game, but he sat. Already for one of the National Golf magazine said he saw him, and he said, how do you do out there in the lake, and he said, 1 57, and he said, what . And he said, an hour 57 minutes. If you if you were, he would tell you could drive but not put it. I wonder if you could expand what was like traveling back with president bush with two where it was shot doing world war ii. Did somebody ask you to tell that question . I cleared this question with relatives, because not if you could think of a good question. It was amazing. It was an amazing trip and its not easy to get to that area in the south pacific. And what is ironic, the u. S. Navy couldve taken us in a heartbeat but his son was the president of the United States president bush didnt like that optic. He didnt want the American Government to pay for him to go, particularly since his own miss president so, ironically, the Japanese Navy took us. Yes, just think about that. We stayed on he will jima the night before, i can American Marine base and the Japanese Navy helicopter had us, it was amazing. And he sat right in front with him, and they knew exactly his bombing route. You came, in exactly as he came in, and he remembered it really well. They asked, him is this right, sir . And he said, yes it is, and he went in, and then of, course we were on the ground, driving around. His job that day was to bomb a radio tower. The island itself was not important, but it was to bomb a radio tower and he was very distressed, its still there. When he shot, he said, its still here. And again, the irony of it is japanese per se, mister president , look at the holes, and look, its totally ramshackle. You did this, were fairly certain that you knocked it out. The amazing thing there is, we met a man there, a japanese man who had grown up in hawaii. He had spent most of his life up until 1941 in hawaii and when pearl harbor happened, his family fled back to japan. And they were right, they did not think the japanese americans will be treated very kindly, and they were right so, he went back to japan. And he was put on a work crew and he was working on chichijima that he saw president bush being shot down and he told the president bush this story that he and the war crew were watching, and what, happened president bush was in the water for about three hours and his squadron, the japanese kept setting up from shortcut become up, president bush a squadron would straight their boats and chase them back to shore. Well, eventually they had to leave because they were going to run out of gas. They had to get back to the Aircraft Carrier and so, one of his best friend, who i got to know, was the squadron leader, and he kept his wings, it means exactly where you think it means, were gone, so, the japanese set out to pick him up and president bush knows this is it. And out of the water comes the uss finn back. What a miracle. President bush saw the periscope first, and he says, your first thought, is is it one of ours are one of theirs and the u. S. Has been that picks him up but this man told us that they told japanese, workers were going to lose the war, and they said, why . And they said, they dont respect we dont respect life the way the americans do. They were shocked at all the time had been spent to save one mans life. The squadron had stayed to protect him as long as they could, and then the ship, they had, radioed the feedback was not there by mistake, but that submarines job was to pick up pilots, but it was, talk about destiny, but whats interesting, he stayed in japan, but spoke perfect, english and our job of the American Embassy in japan because of his english skills. In 1980, when president bush was nominated to be the Vice President ial candidate, he is pulling off, like, Associated Press stories off the ticker and reading them and reading the biography of the new republican nominee for Vice President and he gets to the world war ii part and he knew this was the man he saw that was shot down and he said, oh, my god, i watch this man be rescued. So, all these years later, he got to meet him. It was very emotional. He died. We were very sad when he died. The other thing about the trip, it was actually another bush that another trip to president bush was telling me about. The people of chichijima work started to see him. The whole island were cheering, him and he was a hero. It was assad. He said, i bombed the hell out of this island. He said, i wonder if it has occurred to them that i perhaps killed some of the relatives, and he was telling me on that trip, when he was Vice President , he went to visit an island in japan, im not sure which island but it was an island that he knew he had bombed heavily in there was this huge dinner in his honor and all these toasts and everyone was excited the Vice President of the United States was there and president bush became obsessed during the dinner, how many of your relatives did i kill . He said it was an odd feeling. He says, i did not even know that they were, aware i did not tell them, but i knew i bomb, my squadron to me. Anyway. It was an amazing trip. And i think we are probably, where is my handler . Steve . [applause] jean if oh, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. If steve has me, back proud of, time ill tell you the story of when he tried to make my sister melanie, and our brother, the catholic priests, the pope, trying to run a campaign for pope. But thats for next time. Welcome to our Allstar Party for dutch reagan. Speaking for variety clubs, monty hall. Thank you very much. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. W
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