to know her. there were some protests. people didn t really understand what a force she was and how, you know, influential she was in this family over her husband and also in raising these sons. and, you know, who grew up to be, you know, one grew up to be a president. i was just reading, in 44 years together they had 29 moves and she had to do it all. crazy. i had a very different reaction to all of this. the list of adjectives that we have heard described, public service oriented, the honesty, decency. what about the contrast to our current president? i mean, this family, whatever else you think of the bushes, were a family that was just wall to wall decent, good to people, considerate of others. and i m sorry, i just keep
so those statements among hundreds and indeed thousands likely pouring into the bush family. of course everyone remembering them for their unique role, her unique role in american history, anderson. and at such an important time in american history as well. jeff zeleny, thanks. barbara bush had a unique vantage point on politics. in 2005, she talked to larry king about how it feels to have people picking on your kids even if that kid happens to be president of the united states. historically republicans and democrats have had great friendships. i think some of them still do. there s certainly a lot of bitterness, though. yeah, there is. when they take on your son. very much so. you get personal about that. we can t do anything about it. but much worse when your kids are criticized, in this case, the president, our son, is criticized, or when jeb went
perspective, and my history, looking back at the momentous events that occurred that were so significant just from my vantage, through my lens as a senior intelligence officer. it was really a profound historical time for this country. and also, obviously george bush had been head of cia in prior administrations. so he came from an intelligence background. he did. and of course that was a great help, when he served as president. obviously he had direct personal insight into the intelligence community. and, you know, he s remembered yet today at cia as one of the his tenure wasn t very long but a great impact on the agency. he s still very fondly and respectfully regarded yet today at cia. general clapper, i appreciate
george herbert walker bush didn t invent bone spurs that you can t remember which foot they were on to get out of fighting. instead, he was a hero. i want to read a paragraph from a letter that george h.w. wrote to barbara bush in december 12th, 1943, right after they got engaged. he said, i love you precious with all my heart and to know you love me means my life. how often i have thought about the immeasurable joy that will be ours some day, how lucky our children will be to have a mother like you. beautiful, yeah. what do you say after that? i wanted an expert opinion on barbara bush so i texted my mother and mother-in-law, republican women. they both said she was someone to look up to and that she really focused on reading, was her cause. and they both went out and
meet you, ma am. she says, call me barbara. i said, i can t do that, ma am. why can t you do it? ma am, you are the wife of the vice president of the united states. and she says, i don t care, call me barbara. i said, ma am, my mother would kill me. and if you don t do it, i ll kill you. yes, barbara. i have enormous admiration and affection for mrs. bush. i know what it s like to be a spouse as well as the candidate. and i imagine it took her a lot longer to forgive me than it did him. and maybe she never did. i m crazy about her, i think she s immensely impressive. i get why they fell in love and how they stayed together all those years. back now with the panel, joining the conversation as well as dana bash, dana, we haven t heard from you tonight, i m wondering what your thoughts