Let’s not forget that the man was a groper. He groped women for years, even a 16 year old girl during a photo op.
Every time a politician dies they get loaded and painted in a very favorable light. I say we remember all aspects of them.
Don’t cover up this part of the man, because when you do you help maintain normalization this kind of assault and disrespect to women.
7
Mr Bruni,
How dare you write a remembrance piece about HW without acknowledging how brutally mean he was to those who suffered from HIV/AIDS under his watch is reprehensible.
HW may have done some good things for some people, but he actively worked to make life much harder for HIV+ people during his four years in office. He reduced funding for HIV research and prevention by millions. He banned HIV+ people from entry to the US. He promoted abstinence education over actual sex education which could have included safer sex practices.
His legacy, as I see it, is that under his watch, over 100,000 people died of AIDS as a direct result of his willful acts.
How dare you forget this horrific side of HW while you celebrate his softness and soulfulness.
20
Yes, a wimp. A wimp who piloted a torpedo bomber that had to approach the enemy ship at dangerously low altitude at suicidal slow speed in order to score a hit. Compare that with a tough guy who fires back at any slightest insult, who repeatedly ran away from his chance to show his toughness in the battlefield due to a bone spur in the feet....
8
He was happy even though his son was responsible for so much unjustifiable death, destruction and displacement?
His son gave us 9/11, torture, war crimes, ISIS and the greatest financial crisis since 1929 and HW was happy?
His son wanted to privatize social security and he was happy?
When you're a member of the Carlisle Group you can be happy despite how things turn out for humanity.
13
I did not like Bush at the time, but now his mistakes pale in comparison to the thuggery and lies and the deliberate subversion of our democracy surrounding this president, Bush looks like an angel in comparison and rises much higher in my estimation.
6
President Bush was the last decent Republican.
2
George H.W., George W. and Jed all graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. The motto of this respected prep school is Non Sibi, not for oneself.
3
New Ginrich said, after chokqing up:
" He called be up at age 22, after briefly meeting him a year earlier, and he offered me a job and changed the arc of my life. He was an inspirational leader and always respectful. "
Bill Bennett said:
"A great man who had a gentle soul...with a great and ready wit"
Then told the story of the President and he late and George, driving fast, said: "If I take this sharp turn too fast I wonder if you would wind up in the ditch? "
He embodied all the nobel good in politics. It's a nice but dad reprieve from today's nastiness.
We, his family and the nation will miss him!
1
Kinder? Gentler? He sat back while thousands upon thousands of Americans died of AIDS. He was confronted about his lack of action and his allowing these Americans to die. In 1991, a group of ACT UP activists marched on his compound in Maine to protest his murderous — not kind and gentle — policies. His response? He felt bad for all the merchants whose holiday weekend business had been disrupted. Kind and gentle? Since when is Bush’s cruel inaction kind and gentle? Mr. Bruni need to take off his rose colored glasses!
8
Sorry to have to remind you, but pick the one that doesn't fit:
1. Kinder, gentler
2. Lee Atwater
3. Willie Horton
4. George H. W. Bush
4
Read mi lips: " Oh .. more taxes "
Wonderful column Frank. Thank you....
3
Only one word is necessary - PRESIDENTIAL
thanks President Bush
3
Nonsense.
George Herbert Walker Bush lacked the acting, governing, political talent and experience to cover his white supremacist nationalist bigotry with the malign rhetorical euphemism of his patron Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Reagan began his Oval Office rise in Philadelphia, Mississippi talking about state's rights. Then Reagan moved onto excoriating a Cadillac driving welfare queen and a strapping young buck standing in line at the grocery store with food stamps waiting to buy T-Bone steak. Reagan wondered if Dr. King was a communist. Reagan's tone was confused and conflated with substance.
You are confusing grace with being born white male powerful and privileged WASP blue blood New England Yankee. Willie Horton. Lee Atwater. Clarence Thomas. Barry Goldwater. Ronald Reagan.
Good manners is doing the right thing human being humane empathetic minimum. But no one ever had more grace and good manners than white Southern Confederate gentleman and ladies in and out of black African enslavement and black African Americans separate and unequal Jim Crow.
6
Amidst all the deserved plaudits for George H. W. Bush, how can anyone ignore the role of "the despicably racist Willie Horton ad" in his win against Michael Dukakis in 1988? For me, Bush's was a despicably tainted victory.
6
What have we all got blinded by Trump that a minor President is suddenly turned into an almost heroic one.
A president who adored the Saudi’s richness and was the first President who set up an ugly alliance with a fully corrupt government.
What is it that suddenly all media is adoring an individual who was at the time definitely not appreciated with his Reaganesque policies of the cold war and only barely was aware that it could lead to an Armegaddon.
What is happening to the main stream media which includes the NYT that out of nowhere Bush sn, is suddenly a hero.
One journalist after the other is trying to outdo themselves on how great Bush sr was.
How short are their memories.
Wake up journalists, because a President died at a great age, he suddenly becomes a hero.
This makes you really loose your trust in journalism.
5
The courts were empty. I went to the woman behind the desk, gave my name, and asked for a court. She said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Weintraub, we have no courts."
I was confused. "But the place is empty," I told her.
"Perhaps you should try a different club," she said. ...
He called me later that same day. He said, "Hi, I'm George Bush, I'm a friend of Jane's, and I heard you like to play tennis."
I said, "Yeah, I like to play tennis."
He said, "Well, do you want to play in the morning at the club with my dad and my brother and myself?"
I said, "They don't want me at the club. I went over today, and they told me no Jews allowed."
"That's ridiculous," said Bush. "You want to play tomorrow morning, you can play with us."
So I went there to play with George Bush, his father, Senator Bush, and his brother. As we were leaving, Senator Bush asked me if I would like to be a member of the tennis club.
I said, "Yeah, I'd love to be a member."
He said, "Fine, we'll make you a member. George," he said, "go in and tell them I'm proposing Jerry for membership. If there's any problem, let me know." I became a member of the tennis club. Then they did the same thing at the yacht club and the golf club. So that was the end of the Jewish thing.
That's how I met George Bush.
98
Aargh. Walk softly carry a big stick. Hate auto correct. Mea culpa for poor proof reading.
It’s fascinating reading these wonderful tributes to President George H.W. Bush by the same liberal politicians who railed against him as being dishonest and downright criminal during Iran-Contra (The Watergate dujour) in the ‘80’s. Perspective is a valuable lesson here and I do believe future historians will view his Presidency as a success.
2
We could all use more wimps like him. Thank you for writing this thoughtful and eloquent piece, Mr. Bruni.
1
While I agree with much of what you have written, you underplay his use of Lee Atwater as though it was nothing. That man was so vicious that he felt the need to repent of his actions on his death bed. The fact that Bush used such a person to gain the presidency demonstrates ruthlessness. His long-standing friendship with the Saudis also says something about his view of the world. Perhaps he had regrets as time went on but it is worth more than a small mention.
4
One does not speak ill of the dead for good reasons, and I truly admired this man for his heroism in WWII and self effacing nature. But these times are dangerous and truth is a rare commodity, in part, because of the actions of Mr. Bush.
I just read a NYT article about Texas A & M and Mr. Bush putting his library there. George H W Bush would not be welcome in his party today. In regrettable ways he sold his real integrity to try to fit into it and win politically, though it failed since he was viewed as a Yankee arriviste, by using Lee Atwater to do racist dirty tricks for his '88 campaign - Willie Horton; picking non-entity Dan Quayle as an unfit VP to appease the far right; cozying up to Falwell evangelicals for votes; picking Clarence Thomas for the SC opining he was the single most qualified man for the job; etc.
He held the door open for much of this far right nonsense by aping Southern culture eating pork rinds pretending he was authentic when it was an anti-intellectual ruse. Republicans went hard right with Reagan and Bush went along with it instead of standing up for what he really believed in. It spawned the foolishness of W, and now we have Trump in a direct lineage.
If Bush aligned with the South for its sense of patriotism and duty as the A & M article says, it was a type of Devil's bargain he made. If anti-intellectualism, greed, and soft racism is the price we must pay for patriotism, I'm sorry but count me out Mr. Bush.
4
“But much more remarkable — and much more sustained — was his thoughtfulness”
Lest we forget, George Bush and John McCain two men with the access and ability to right a wrong, instead chose to abandon US service members who were left behind Loas and Vietnam.
They both knew men were left behind in 1972, knew those men were alive in 1980, and knew some of those men were still alive as late an 1986.
Both those two so-called great men now must reconcile with their maker for that sin.
1
I hope the good will and civility President Bush stored in America's larder is sufficient to counter the loathing Trump accrues for himself - and the country - each day.
1
I never understood the whimp factor. GHB was a WII combat veteran who successfully orchestrated a limited war in Iraq with total success. I don't necessarily agree with his other military engagements but Bush was smart enough to save Kuwait without getting bogged down in government building.
Clinton by contrast was a notoriously skilled draft dodger. Unlike Trump, Clinton worked very hard to stay out of Vietnam. Meanwhile, his presidential military record is pretty abysmal. He turned a humanitarian project in Africa into a military exercise that ended with dead US troops on national television. In the resulting aftermath, Clinton ignored a real civilian genocide in Africa. We then got dragged into the Balkans where Clinton tried to thread the needle between limited engagement without decisive failure.
GWB is arguably much much worse though. His military service appears to be an accounting error because he was never on base. Meanwhile, I don't need to spill too much ink on Iraq and Afghanistan. Enough blood has been spilled already. Suffices to say GWB was consistently dumb wherever his father was smart.
So I'll ask you the question: Who's the whimp?
As a lifelong Democrat I have been touched and moved to tears to watch the coverage on the life of GHW Bush. While I didn't vote for him I have always held him in esteem. I watched SNL last night and loved their poignant tribute to 41. This morning I awoke thinking about him. Then I began thinking about the future funeral of the current doofus in office. Lying there in the dark, before my eyes opened, my chest began slightly heaving with laughter as I imagined the tRump library. Are the powers that be at Wharton shivering at the thought of this request? Or will there be a "stable genius" wing of the Rikers prison library? Or will there just be no presidential funeral or library for this criminal because ... well, after all .... he ended up .... not completing his fluke win to the White House?
2
This President's rhetoric 'It is to make callous (kinder) the face of the nation and uncompassionate (gentler) the face of the world.”
John McCain's death & George H.W. Bush's death are stark reminders this country lost its way when political leaders came to believe that money, power, winning, and partisanship were the goals that could only be obtained by ruthlessness and playing a zero-sum game where an individual or a party can only win if other people and opposing groups lose & by any means necessary.
And there went human decency, ethics, and character down the drain, which were treated like weaknesses not strengths. Contrast Trump and the current GOP with McCain & GHW Bush, who were human beings first--not perfect--but their priorities were in order and demonstrated at key times.
But, maybe as a nation, we became too complacent, too eager to treat politics as a blood sport--egged on by the ratings=obsessed media. By now, the Republican Party has literally chased away their voices of moderation, reason, compromise, and character to cultivate a right-wing, mindless, slavish cult of voters.
I blame a lot of this on Citizens United and our corrupt campaign financing system, where wealthy elites and powerful corporations can buy and control their politicians in both parties.
But, in a war between human decency & grace vs craven, intentional cruelty, I think we hit bottom with Trump. We are at the hangover stage now, and it hurts.
As a friend of mine said: The sad thing is people don't know what they have until they don't have it.
It will be a fight (like the mid-terms) but it's back to grace!
36
George H.W. Bush’s virtues, demeanor, and life long commitment to true service to country could not be more striking given the utterly contrary image of our current President.
1
The best thing H.W. did was call Reagan's economic ideas "Voodoo Economics."
3
I've never been a fan of the word "grace".
It's overused, trite, and inevitably conjured up at retirement or death. Humans hunger so desperately to identify this trait in their leaders that they seem to bestow it upon death almost reflexively, even when they know that it may not be quite deserved.
President Bush had some admirable qualities, but he also had some warts and peccadilloes that have recently come to light that were "disqualifying" for the aforementioned "grace" to be honestly applied.
If you want to chalk up the Willie Horton/Lee Atwater ad to just "hardball" politics and not to some major character defect, we can have that argument. As an "end justifies the means" debate, that one is on a knifes edge and for me falls decisively on the wrong side.
He also derided Mike Dukakis as a "card carrying member of the ACLU", which was a very low blow. Yes, he came of age in the era of the cold war and McCarthy, but that reference was wholly inappropriate and unnecessary, and delivered with a bit too much acidity.
Clarence Thomas? Let's be honest, any democrat would not have been thrilled with any other selection he might have made. But was it a great pick and an indicator of faulty judgement? No and yes.
He was an "old school" guy of an era when competence still mattered. And he was willing to make real compromise for the common good and to facilitate the safe operation of our system of government.
A country can do worse than George H.W. Bush, and has.
2
President Bush was a class act. Thoughtful, civil, and willing to make hard decisions even if it meant his political end. He demonstrated an ability to do what the country needed, and was the last Republican President who put country over party.
He was also the last Republican who deserved, and earned, everyone’s respect. Perhaps his idea of service, and his putting himself in harm’s way, can be a model to others, on both sides of the political aisle.
4
It is through President Bush that I came to understand the constructive and traditional meaning of "conservatism", wholly distinct from everything called "conservative" today. At the moment there seems to be no place for leaders like him: not a good thing.
5
The Bush family should not allow trump at the service.
17
@Nora
Did you read the article?
I don't think Mr Trump will attend as these two (Mr H W Bush and Mr Trump) are diametrically opposed in personality and manner. Mrs Trump I hope will attend as she appears to be balanced and rational.
I disagreed with many things that both POTUS's Messer's Bushes did in their presidency but I never thought they had any other agenda than making the U.S. a top level country.
I think Mr H W Bush will be missed as is Mr McCain.
G-d be with you and your family.
Mr. Bush had flaws, and he made mistakes and poor decisions as well.
However he has spent his life serving, and did so with a dignity and decency utterly foreign to the current occupant. Bush understood that he was there for the people.
45 can only muster giddy glee, greed, and mean nastiness that he is there for himself and his own glory.
Other Presidents have been able to enjoy each others company and friendship, I doubt The Liar in Chief will be sought out by any of them, after his can't come soon enough EX Presidency
14
December 1, 2018 R.I.P. President G. H. W. Bush – Will always be a great hero to and for America’s world’s Freedom that we love and enjoy protecting universal peace.
JJA, Manhattan, N.Y. – Vietnam Veteran and register Republican – vote was for HRC.
8
To this reader, the name in the Bush 41 legacy that lingers more than any other is Clarence Thomas, who is still a blight on the the Supreme Court twenty-seven years after the then-president called him, disingenuously, "the best person for this position."
As Roy Hobbs said in "The Natural," "I guess some mistakes you never stop paying for."
8
… although I don't think any amount of service, kindness, thoughtfulness, or "patriotism" can absolve him of his unapologized-for, racist, inaccurate, & unbearably cruel "Willie Horton" ad.
10
I have never forgotten the Willie Horton ad and I have never forgotten Lee Atwater. That nasty man hurt many people. Not only did Bush not fire him, he never even reined him in. So, apparently, the end justified the means and rendered his “kinder and gentler nation” inauguration speech damningly offensive. Since when does a gentleman discard his principles for expediency?
3
Even though the Current Occupant of the White House is an utterly loathsome human being, I'm not going to indulge in the hagiography I see going on today about George Herbert Walker Bush.
Conspicuously missing from this piece is Poppy Bush's involvement in Iran-Contra. That omission is nothing short of an attempt to whitewash Poppy Bush's life. That Mr. Bruni did it disappoints me.
12
How should one respond to the death of a person whose politics were the antithesis of everything one believes in? Should one forget that he failed to curtail his son's tragic missteps in Iraq? Or that he signed off on the repugnant Willi Horton ad? Or that he served for 8 years as a sidekick to a President who gave us Iran Contra and then pardoned the participants likely setting a precedent for the current regime?
How should one respond? Maybe by reminding readers that George H.W. was just flesh and blood and filled with frailties. And those frailties may not have made him a great President, but by the end of his days, from my point of view it made him a great man.
7
Even the mighty can be humbled by a lack of knowledge of basic things. See: A gallon of milk costs..?
5
it's convenient to forget that Bush was one of the founders of race baiting with his campaign manager Lee Atwater. trump's America has a lineage traceable to his vile predecessors including Nixon, Reagan, and most certainly Bush.
5
George HW Bush.
A class act.
RIP, sir.
1
Willie Horton was a convicted murderer who killed again when put on a furlough program championed by Dukakis. Absolutely fair game for a campaign, and there's nothing racist about it, unless you are going to call Al Gore - the Dem who initially raised the Willie Horton issue against Dukakis in the primary - racist. I don't think the person murdered by Horton when Horton should have never been given that opportunity cares about whether Horton was white or black.
4
I'm sure Willie Horton feels the same way.
“I have found happiness. I no longer pursue it, for it is mine”.
Hey, Mr. Bruni, that’s not “uncommon grace”, it’s braggadocio.
It reminds me of similar religious swagger from the pulpit of someone saying they are no longer in the land of belief or faith, but now knowledge.
3
@srwdm
It is also an incredibly insensitive statement, one born of a privileged upbringing shielded from the vicissitudes of life and inured to the travails of the impoverished masses of humanity.
2
Why nothing about Bush and his role in the CIA where he probably did not act kind and gently? My first thought on hearing of Bush's death was that he and Barbara were really a dyad as per Kurt Vonnegut. That kind of close relationship says something about the couple's private life. IMHO many would not mind having a similar relationship.
2
I preface my remarks by saying that I voted against the late President Bush (and his son after him) and opposed many of his policies.
And yet....
I recall Sir Walter Raleigh's epitaph:
"Reader: If you think of his errors,
Remember his many virtues,
And that he was mortal."
7
While I didn't vote for the elder Bush, he was a WWII participant, and a lifelong civil servant, unlike the uncivilized specimen we have now at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He made mistakes, as many have, but in retrospect I am sure he regretted most of them. A president is only as good as the people around him, and his legacy harks to a kinder, gentler GOP. May he rest in peace.
3
RIP President Bush. He truly was a member of the “Greatest Generation”.
1
Happiness is boredom, power is useless, the cold war was our finest hour, resistance is reality
Sold out Americans to his friends in Latin America, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. Should have recognized that once you lead the CIA you should retire from public life. Instead he ran for President. That's not bad enough, he thought two of his sons should be President after him. 330 million Americans and we should have had 3 Bushes as President in less than 20 years. If Mueller had investigated him like he is Trump, Bush would have been sitting in a jail cell. Guess he is just lucky.
5
GHW Bush is now the subject of much undeserved mythmaking. He started the wars of aggression in the Middle East as well as Panama as a way of "kicking Vietnam Syndrome". Desert Storm seemed like a great painless (for Americans) victory until massive retaliation in kind hit on 9/11.
He was also responsible for covering up the Bosnian genocide just as he proclaimed the "New World Order" in 1991-something the Muslim World will not forget.
3
A patriot and someone who looks better in the rear view mirror. Let’s not forget Willie Horton and Clarence Thomas.
1
Frank, you are so good at capturing nuance with kindness. You are continually a bright spot. ❤️
1
All his uncommon grace in the world cannot undo the one fatal flaw of his legacy as depicted in the next to the last photo of today’s memorial slideshow: H.W. in the Oval Office standing proudly and adoringly of his young twerp son who sits smugly and obviously rightfully deserving in his dad’s old chair.
3
Yes, he was kind, and that is a good quality. But not everyone is, and those that aren’t should not receive the same level of respect as those that are.
That is why I say “bravo” to him that Melania is in the photo, at his wife’s funeral, but not her husband.
Interesting. If Pres Bush, Senior, happened to have been captured by the Japanese after being shot down, then tortured, unable to ever raise one of his arms, etc., I wonder of President Trump would bother to show up at the funeral. Just saying...
1
GHW Bush killed a lot of people, folks, and the gauzy tributes to him while ignoring his crimes, including participating in Iran Contra, and PARDONING those criminals should not be forgotten.
The mere fact that we have a craven, dangerous lunatic sitting behind the same desk that #41 did, makes him look all the better despite his many crimes. The degeneracy of today’s GOP was helped along by GHW Bush, and certainly his war criminal son!
How low can the GOP (Government of Putin) go??? The 12 years of Bush Presidents certainly helped create its downfall.
8
George H.W.Bush - a good, decent man. Period.
Uncommon grace, possibly easier to project when you have a junkyard dog like Lee Atwater in your employ.
5
The contrast between former Republican President Bush Snr and the Republican obscenity inhabiting today's White House is simply staggering.
A class act, even if I disagreed with him and his policies. When Ann Richards famously ribbed his being 'born with a silver foot in his mouth' --he presented her with a gift, a silver brooch in the form of a foot. No hard feelings.
Compare that to the Current Occupant.
97
I have no doubts as to Bush’s private charm, but public figures must be judged on their public actions. He had a strong foreign policy record and signed important legislation like the Clean Air Act renewal and the Americans With Disabilities Act. But he also extended the ruinous War on Drugs (and lied about a crack sale in front of the White House); he barely lifted a finger to deal with the recession of 1991 and he gave race-baiters a platform, whether on his campaign (Lee Atwater) or at the 1992 Republican Convention (Pat Buchanan). However nice Bush may have been, his record is decidedly mixed, and downright awful in a number of domestic areas.
4
@Brian. For the record, I am a Democrat. But, let's be clear. The Recession was over a month before the 1992 election. Recessions are a normal part of the business cycle. Often, better than the alternatives of artificially low interest rates. Familiar? Buchanan was less a threat to him in full view, precisely because Bush was NOT a race-baiter. Atwater did not define Bush and the ad was not the defining event. One final thought, the President is not an autocrat. We have a Congress. OOPS,.. look at what we have now.
Bush was almost laughably out of touch with the suffering of people in the recession (whose effects last long after they end); Buchanan’s speech was repellent, anti-American and a harbinger of the cover that would be given to hate in the coming decades, and if you miss the racial overtones of the Willie Horton ads, Lee Atwater sure didn’t.
1
An era has ended.
This was a man that really loved his public service. He gave his entire life to this country through all of the positions he held— through Navy pilot, UN Ambassador, CIA Director, VP, and a President that worked with Gorbachev to peacefully make the world safer.
Politics are important, as an obituary demands.
I disagreed with him on some— AIDS was something that should have been addressed. But he was big on the environmental issues and the ADA.
I was a low-level RNC Local Program Director for his 1988 run. I was all in, because I loved this guy.
I was there in New Orleans the night of his “read my lips,” line.
But, he was vilified by the right for forging a budget bill that raised taxes two years later to address a $3 trillion deficit.
What he did helped stabilize our nation and its economy. It was his political doom.
So, I think of this man has having the...guts, to break a campaign pledge for the betterment of his country.
GHWB always seemed to think big picture.
44
It's time to think 4th dimensionally. Only in the hindsight of the Trump administration, can many aspects of the Bush 1 administration seem in any way viable. It's amusing that Bush got such lauding for ending the invasion of Kuwait, when his actions may have precipitated it. He soft pedaled the growing troop movements and Saddam took that as a pretext to invade. Also, he tolerated the Willie Horton ad during his election campaign, and ran on the American flag platform. Oh and he broke a promise not to raise taxes. Oh and he lost to a draft dodging playboy because he ticked off Ross Perot.
“When a political leader dies, it is irresponsible in the extreme to demand that only praise be permitted but not criticisms because it leads to “false history and a propagandistic whitewashing of bad acts.” --Glenn Greenwald
The treatment accorded the late president by the media so far sounds like "bad history" indeed. We don't want to mention his wars against Syria, Panama and Somalia, Wille Horton, Clarence Thomas or watch "read my lips."
6
Depressing and humiliating decline from HW to Trump. From character to characterless. Republicans should be deeply bothered. I hope HW's passing will remind them of what a President is supposed to be and give them pause in celebrating what a President is not supposed to be.
2
I have had the pleasure of meeting President Bush on multiple occasions and can attest to the gentlemanly demeanor he possessed. There was no awe of being in the presence of a great man. He sought to put everyone at ease who might be intimidated. He and Bar even offered me a “ride” one night on a borrowed plane from an event in Dallas to our homes in Houston. He seemed more interested in me than in dominating the conversation as he well could have. Country, family and service came before self. History will judge him kindly. Godspeed, George H. W. Bush!
1
Volunteering to fly Navy fighters and bombers when he was 18 was a brave, cocky, even foolhardy and reckless thing to do.
His well-connected family could have found him a safer alternative -- a bad case of bone spurs, perhaps -- but that was not for him.
Character always counts.
Today, many brave, cocky, foolhardy, reckless 18 year old kids -- even from well connected families -- are caught up in the opioid crisis.
Danger lies everywhere now, back then it was just Germany and Japan.
2
Both Bush and Clinton were characterized by uncommon courage in going against the partisan ideology of their own party to rescue the US from the unbalanced budgets of the Reagan belligerent economics. Bush raised taxes, Clinton reform welfare and presided over tight budgets. But only one of them was rewarded with a second term by the voters and only one of them was a moral giant.
George H.W. Bush’s was a strong global climate change denier of uncommon grace in severe contrast to the degenerate Donald J. Trump, also a strong global climate change denier but of uncommon ill mannered crudness. Both Bush in Rio and Trump in Buenos Aires were holdouts in joining the nations of the world to combat the greatest threat faced by our planet in many eons and biggest peril faced by the US in its short history.
William J. Clinton blasted for U.S. 'Holdout' in Rio and said he would have signed various treaties and issued his own ecological position paper. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-13/news/mn-181_1_earth-summit
With all of his personal failings, Clinton was the moral giant.
4
@Eli George HW Bush championed "cap & trade" to reduce the sulfur dioxide emissions that were causing acid rain. He saw this as the closest thing to a market based approach to reducing pollution and from what I've read, it worked exactly as intended. So much so that the same approach is being employed to reduce carbon emissions but without the power of federal legislation behind it. Back in 1991, I not sure if climate change was "settled science" the way it is now. Had it been so during the Bush presidency, he might very well have gone against party and his cohorts in Texas in the interest of the bigger picture. We'll never know but I think characterizing him as a climate change denier is not accurate.
Rest well. Sir. You have earned respect and honor.
1
I thought the reference to GHWB in the photo as the group's "point of light" was going to lead into his Thousand Points of Light program, the like of which is simply unimaginable for a Repub to initiate and carry out today (unless they celebrated the donor class, e.g., the Adelsons and Kochs of the world).
At least one of the recipients of a TPOL award was a founder of an environmental education program - imagine that from a Republican today!
Yes, his legacy also includes dirty campaigning and Clarence Thomas, but we'll always have his immortal putdown of supply-siders as purveyors of "voodoo economics."
1
As Einstein taught us relativity was everything in his work.
Same with leaders, compared to Lincoln, Bush 1 was a lightweight, compared to Trump, Bush 1 looks like another Lincoln.
3
I recall my delight when Hinkley shot Ronnie, then quickly realized that the VP was more dangerous and smarter than Ronnie--delight changed to dread. I still thank the Lord for Hinkley's bad marksmanship.
1
Geoge H.W. Bush is indelibly defined by his hiring of Lee Atwater and the Willie Horton travesty of political theater. When confronted with a moral choice about how low he was willing to go to fulfill a lifelong ambition, he opted to exploit a racist trope, revealing for all to see an essential part of his character.
His patrician demeanor and his relative rectitude exalt him far above the miscreant that now occupies the White House. But the same could be said about Frank Bruni and most if not all of his friends.
George H.W. Bush, born of privilege and a better man than his son George W., was a good and decent person, but no better or worse than countless others never exposed to the limelight.
1
George H.W. Bush was the last Republican President that I really liked. Although I didn’t agree with everything that he supported, he was not a vindictive man. George and Barbara must have done something right in their family life because their son George, probably no more intelligent than our current president, appears absolutely godlike when compared to our current president.
Pardon me for raining on everybody's parade, but this idealization of George Bush is getting a bit hysterical.
Please stop imagining that the man was kinder and gentler because he did a fair job of reading the phrases his speechwriter, Peggy Noonan, wrote for him.
I remember his Presidency well. He certainly did not exemplify that which was kind when it came to AIDS. My friends were dying like flies and my fellow activists in ACT UP skewered Bush for this in our demonstrations. AIDS cases surged through the misery of the Reagan Bush-years, and many of us are irrevocably scarred and embittered by those years. Reagan and Bush were extremely cheap in spending funds to try to find medications to combat the pandemic.
At the end of article, Bruni quotes Bush as saying that he did not need any special attention, prizes or positions. Bruni writes as if we should give the poor sucker a medal for not coveting more awards. But after all, he had already been President -- if he had still been antsy for awards he would have had the emotional maturity of a two year old, in which case he would have been almost as bad as the current occupant of the oval office, a man who has the emotional maturity of an embryo.
3
A very touching and well done piece. Thanks you Frank.
1
As I read this and all of the other NYT tributes to #41, I have one question: Have we lost our collective minds?? The Bush Sr. era was not good for women. His agenda was fraught with restrictions on abortions, overseas family planning access and federal support for clinics. Bush 41 nominated Clarence Thomas and reiterated his support, despite Anita Hill's compelling testimony of Thomas' sexual harrassment. Bush 41's disregard for women was met with such a strong showing of women in the House and Senate, that 1992 was regarded as "The Year of the Woman".
2
Uncommon for the current period. But we are in a period of nihilism with Trump as the avatar of the worst aspects of American politics.
2
George H. W. Bush ran an illegal war in Nicaragua as VP. Then he started wars in Panama and the Persian Gulf as president. He also ramped up the War on Drugs.
Anyone can say, “I want a kinder and gentler nation.” Bush took as in the opposite direction.
5
I wish all of our Presidents were as intelligent, reflective, and kind as George HW Bush.
1
Bush's passing leaves me wondering about how we see leadership, morality and politics. And the media's role in its constant barrage (and often thin and erroneous) characterizations of our leaders, all in the name of the sensational, amounting to baiting the fleeting attention of the American consumer. Bush was not perfect, perhaps he wasn't a visionary... or terribly charismatic. Recall the press coverage that said he was a wimp, weak, incapable. Here we have a guy who survived a near death plane crash in WWII and held numerous, important roles leading our government. Must we wait for someone's death before news coverage doesn't pick someone to pieces? Conversely, romanticizing individuals post mortem isn't wise either. My plea to the press... please get your act together.
One of the bylines in this day's online edition of the NYT reads "It's is now Trump's America, but Bush's stamp endures." I hope that this is not a true reading. In fact I trust that the America I know and that the world knows is still the ethical, generous, well mannered America which it always was. I would say it is still Bush's America, that is the America which preceded him and which still exists, and that it is the Trump stamp, a shameful stamp, which will not endure.
Cordial. Nurturing. Kinder. Gentler. The presidency of George H. W. Bush seems like a lifetime ago. What happened to the values of the Republican party and conservatism, without the subtle race-baiting that defines the GOP today? No, Bush was no saint. He was sold on the odious Willie Horton campaign ad and bought into Lee Atwater's unvarnished racial venom.
Yet, to Bush, America and Americans came first. The racism was always out there. Exhibit A is the sitting president. He certainly didn't need Atwater's campaign ads to stir up right wing vigilante fever. One look at the majority Republican Senate will explain why the country is so angry and on the verge of a civil war.
President Bush didn't seek a Pulitzer Prize, unlike another president. Service to others meant more to him than anything else. He didn't want attention. Maybe his passing will remind Americans of just how great America always was.
He was polite. He was also willing to change any position to gain power. He and Barbara had been publicly pro-choice, but gave up that stance and became anti-abortion for the religious right.
There was really only one issue he spoke about frequently and consistently: the need to cut the Capital Gains tax. He brought himself down with the "Read My Lips" pledge when the Democratic congress forced needed tax increases. But G.H.W. Bush still managed to cap the Capital Gains rate at 28%. And then his son got it down to 15%.
Mission accomplished, aristocrats!
He also had the aristocratic attitude of noblesse oblige. As in "we don't need government to help the poor, people will volunteer!"
"1000 points of light" was a seemingly virtuous idea that could only come from the LaLaLand brain of someone with inherited wealth.
Most volunteer labor is female, and most volunteers could really use more money, because most people are poor.
Bush Sr. now appears to be a reasonable President only because his son was a disaster, and Trump is a monster.
3
Humility? Respect? These are quintessential American values now trampled in the current stampede to greed and selfishness. When the time comes, these honorable words will never, ever be associated with Zuckerberg, Bezos or Trump.
2
Rachel Maddow’s “Bagman” podcast revealed that when George Bush was RNC chair, he was recruited by Nixon and Haig to pressure the Baltimore federal prosecutor to back off the probe of Agnew. If he did it, he egregiously put party over country. No one is perfect, but I can’t help but think of that when I read your salute to 41 as this ‘kinder and gentler’ Republican that if only we can have again. Times have changed, but not that much.
4
I suppose everyone looks kinder and gentler in retrospect: like some kind of mental cotton wool that embraces and softens memory. In this era even Nixon looks less of a crook. It's all your perspective.
1
Is there no politician that the American public does not heap praise on when they die? Does anyone mourn George Bush's crew mates that were with him when he intentionally ditched at sea and did not survive? Bush got 70 more years of life than they did by making that decision.
Relative to today's leadership President Bush's seems not only kind and gentle but noble. However, the overtly racist 'Willie Horton' disgrace serves as the progenitor for today's vile racist politics. It can not be overlooked, forgotten or dismissed.
1
Amazing legacy, comforting to know President Bush had a comforting last few days.
What a grace towards Bill Clinton who beat him in the election.
Grace is completely gone in trump’s politics . What a shame the Country has to endure trump, I simply hope for the sake of the Country it will be a one time presidency
1
According to former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, during the first Gulf War the US Military deliberately targeted civilians - including water filtration plants, electricity power stations, hospitals - resulting in the deaths of 500,000 Iraqis.
George H. W. Bush was a War Criminal and what this has to do with grace is incomprehensible to me
3
It was sad for us to see President Bush without Barbara Bush since April 17th. Think about how lost, after 73 years, he must have felt.
Condolences to the Bushes. They had two great losses this year. That’s a lot for any family.
1
Let us also remember Barbara Bush’s reaction to Katrina’s evacuees in the Astrodome
It wasn’t like her husband’s
HE was compassionate
A republican this flaming liberal admired and respected. a fair man, a man with proven courage, a unifier who sincerely sought who to bring out the best in us.
What a difference.
Willie Horton. To me, that campaign sums up his true character. Indeed, this particular Bush was a kinder and gentler racist. In addition, he was a practitioner of supply-side economics he once correctly called "voodoo." On the plus side, he didn't start groping women until he was safely in a wheel chair and nearly senile. This was not a selfless man.
1
He looks pretty good from the perspective of our current experience of an utterly debased Republican Party, but we should not forget his prefiguring of the McCain/Palin idiocy by selecting the obviously incompetent-to-be-president Dan Quayle. Nor should we forget the outrageous appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, a man that Bush had the shameless audacity to refer to as the "most qualified" person for the job. He appointed Thomas, who was at the time not a federal judge but at the EEOC, to the the U.S. Court of Appeals, then 16 months later appointed him to the Supreme Court. All this is a important part of Bush's legacy, and it is clearly revealing, in a very unflattering way, of the man.
34
@Greg Weis
Not to mention any possible involvement he may have had in delaying Iran's hostage release until the last day of the Carter presidency - the "October Surprise" that has been talked about though never actually confirmed or disproved.
The subsequent Iran-Contra scandal was potentially facilitated by communication channels with Iran established earlier (with possible help from Israelis) and Mr. Bush's connections developed while he was the head of the CIA.
Speculation? Perhaps, but these whispers have never been conclusively confirmed to be false.
6
GHW Bush served admirably steering is through the dangerous waters of a collapsing Soviet Union and correcting our fiscal course with a tax increase, despite GOP resistance, when our debt began to balloon. However, we should always recall with strong censure the cynicism of his 1988 campaign (from its full, if uncomfortable embrace of the Un-Christian Coalition through the Willie Horton add) and his acquiescence to massive Pentagon use of unconventional weapons of near-nuclear destructive power (e.g., Fuel Air bombs) in the first Iraq War.
1
Sometimes it can be hard to remember that politicians are people. And that some of them, like President George H.W. Bush, are exceptionally good people.
Thank you for this moving tribute.
1
Thanks for this. Expresses exactly how I felt about the “thousand points of light” thirty years ago, and how I now I mourn the loss of half our body politic that wouldn’t offer ten points of light to people in need, let alone a thousand.
1
Although I disagreed with President Bush I always respected him. I wish I could say the same for Trump. Thank you, Frank Bruni for such a beautifully written piece.
8
Wonderful prose in the letter that explains Bush’s happiness and service to others. We should all write and reflect so well. Speed ahead to a future funeral of our current President. This is where I keep my thoughts silent and try to invoke the grace of those that have modeled it so well, such as GHWB.
8
I always admired GHW Bush's eloquence and wondered why the media touted Reagan, and not his Vice President, as the great communicator. GHW's thank you messages were the best examples of his eloquence. He wrote them at every opportunity and they never failed to touch the recipient. Often they expressed kindness in a humble yet eloquent style.
He could be eloquent on the stump too. His term, voodoo economics, rings as true today as when he used it in his 1980 primary campaign.
7
Thank you for your paean to our 41st president, Frank.The photograph of George Herbert Walker Bush taken 4 months ago after the Texas funeral of his beloved Barbara, our First Lady and Mother of another President, is American iconography at its most moving. Not only is President Trump missing from that picture -- he was disinvited from her funeral by Barbara Bush -- of the four most recent American presidents and their wives, but it is worth more than thousands of words in paeans to our 41st President. A man of The Greatest Generation, a man of letters and intellect and kindness, who wrote letters his whole life, George H.W. stands in stark contrast to our 45th president who is unlettered, unkind, ungraceful, and -- alas -- powerful as Ozymandias today. Tomorrow is another country.
10
The time to criticize, complain and blame a man or woman for mistakes and less than stellar decisions they made should be made when they are alive to at least defend themselves. Making harsh, snarky and mean comments when the person has passed on is in itself harsh, snarky, and mean.
No president has been perfect and I don't doubt they have regretted decisions they made when in that position.
As Mr. Bruni stated, "Bush was a kinder and gentler breed of leader. He believed in courtesy, as any lawmaker who dealt with him and any journalist who repeatedly crossed paths with him can attest." This president had class, style, integrity, grace and kindness. The way he conducted himself while in the role of President seems oddly foreign and sadly missed in comparison to today's current occupant.
Thank you Mr. Bruni for highlighting this President's intrinsic qualities. As my mother used to say, if you can't say something nice about a person, especially when they've died, don't say anything at all.
10
@Marge Keller
Thank you, Marge Keller. Isn't it funny that what you and I take for granted and could practice in our sleep---good manners---doesn't come so easily, if at all, to countless others.
2
@David Bartlett
Thank Mr. Bartlett for the kind words. I don't regard "good manners" as being "old school" like so many others see it today. Some behaviors should be timeless.
2
@Marge Keller
There are always people who deride those who comment about a public person as inappropriate, hiding falsity behind "manners". That he died does not negate his many wrongful policies. It is always appropriate to comment about a public figure's life in a democracy and this false sense of decorum negates a democratic exchange and whitewashes history.
1
Does Bush's uncommon grace include the Willie Horton ad? Or nominating a justice to the Supreme Court who is so far to the right that he is almost full circle to the extreme left?
8
@athenasowl
Kinder, gentler also comes with the concept of the “glass house”.
All of our presidents have legacies of wars and killing. This one also is included in the lies and deceit that created the ongoing empire of murder and exploitation of other countries, even though his war was way less messy than most. Still..innocent people died and provided the excuse for the next wars which killed many many people needlessly. Personally, this president was genteel as Obama was charming, but scratch the surface, and they are all corrupt. It is a heartbreak.
6
You say "all of our presidents have a legacies of wars and killing", yet in this respect, our presidents are merely reflecting or deflecting the savagery that is part and parcel of the human condition. It is in moments of kindness and decency that the embers of redemption are stirred. In a violent world, George H.W. Bush used force decisively and yet in a restrained and proportional way. Innocent people die in wars, but wars aside, innocent people die at the hands of despots. And as far as the Obama drone strikes are concerned, I will live with the death of innocents living among those who would do us harm. Ask anyone who lost someone close on 9-11 if they would countenance that bargain. Similarly, your use of the word "corrupt" is flaccid. Facing nothing but bad options, Presidents still have to make decisions but until the present occupant of the Oval Office, they did not enrich themselves at our expense. When we perfect the human condition, then we can afford to make the perfect the enemy of the good.
1
@Carolyn Egeli
This is not true; there were no bullets during the Carter administration.
2
It might be good to recall that the Walker in GHWB's name refers to a forebear who made his money on Wall Street at a time when the Street was fiercely competitive, as it always is, but with an important difference from today. Back then the Street was largely a group of partnerships and, by and large, the partners in each were general partners, meaning that the capital of each one of them was at risk every day. The overhaul of the Securities and Exchange Act in 1973, if I recall the year correctly, changed all that. To the extent that GHWB was a "patrician", he took the values with which he was raised as imposing obligations to live by. We are the poorer for their loss.
4
He cast America in a positive light, doing more for America's soft power than many presidents. His brief war in Iraq was a huge success, with limited civilian casualties, the objective of freeing Kuwait achieved, no messy regime change, the Iraqi prisoners of war were treated humanely, and the war quickly ended.
He smoothlt finished the transition out of the cold war. He was an effective negotiator. And he was not zero sum; he was country before politics. He would work with democrats. He was a moderate most Americans could be comfortable with.
Now more than ever, his style of governing is sorely missed.
3
My father wrote a fictionalized account of George's war exploits years ago. "Kataki" the novel didn't sell very well, but my parents were invited to lunch with George and Barbara when Bush was in California campaigning for President. Their politics were very different, but my folks had a wonderful time. My mother still fondly tells funny stories about her brief encounter with Barbara. During these polarized times, it's good to remember how important simple human contact can be. Thank you Mr. Bruno for reminding me.
5
George H. W. Bush, in addition to leading an exemplary life, was the last Republican president I respect as a serious, self-aware adult.
10
A lovely tribute to the last vestige of the dignity and morality of the WWII generation where individuals had a sense of honor and duty DNA'd into their character. My parents, even though they were not important as someone of President Bush's rank, comported themselves with a strong sense of right and wrong as well as the grace of humility and verisimilitude. There weren't any grey areas or a muddying of truth and distortion. There wasn't a sense ever that they were trying to exploit or "get something out of" other people. That type of behavior would be frowned upon as a "lowly character". What I will say bothers me most about the Bush Sr. presidency was the green light communicated to Saddam Hussein through US Ambassador April Glaspie, which gave him the impression that his incursion into Kuwait would not cause ire amongst the Americans. Many saw this meeting as the start of the entire US-Iraq conflict which as spiraled into the current tragedy in Syria and the damage done by ISIS. There has been speculation that this "green light" signaled by Bush was deliberate to give the US military reason to invade the country and allow the USA to establish control over Iraqi oil and keep a check on Iran. Other than this moral complication and the problems with Noriega, Bush Sr. does come off smelling like a rose compared to other Republican presidents. So far, surprisingly, Trump's greed has prevented any major foreign conflicts from arising even as he seeks to unravel agreements.
2
@Dunca
You say there weren't any grey areas or a muddying of truth and distortion and maybe you are right.
Both Bush in Rio and Trump in Buenos Aires were holdouts in joining the nations of the world to combat the greatest threat faced by our planet in many eons and the biggest peril faced by the US in its short history. Both exhibited uncommon servility to toxic coal, oil, and natural gas interests. This is was not a grey area or a muddying of truth and distortion, it was a black of white issue. They both chose black.
2
l am a keen observer of the American system of Government and the men and women who seek, gain or fail to attain the office they strive for. The Opinion piece by Frank Bruni offers insights into Bush Snr the man and how the man shaped the Presidency. The quote from the letter to his grand daughter is one l have written and will keep in my wallet... " l have found happiness. I no longer pursue it, for it is mine". What more can any person hope to hold as an aspiration, having served your country, raised your family, being loyal to your life partner/ wife. A man who, though flawed was loved and most importantly respected by friend and foe alike. Vale George HW Bush.
11
George H.W. Bush is an excellent--maybe the best--exemplar of the decency and positive, universalist spirit which has been largely eradicated from our politics.
Mr. Bush was imperfect, as he'd be first to admit. But, given the opportunity to replace every member of our government with men and women of his high character and grace, there'd be no hesitation, regardless of my agreement or lack thereof with their political persuasions.
I doubt he ever looked "across the aisle" at the "enemy". He looked across all and served as well as he could.
16
Whenever anyone on the Left condemns 'white-male patriarchy' for all its supposed evils, I think 'Ah, but you've never known men like my father.' Men, in fact, exactly like George H. W. Bush---born into the Greatest Generation. Men whom would become the fathers of one of history's most blessed generations, the Baby Boomers.
The quiet, genteel manners. The Rotary-Optimist Club-type affability. The thank-you notes because-you're-supposed-to honor and integrity with which they dealt with all, public and private. The utter devotion to their wives and families. And to their country.
So it is, when I see that photograph of the late Mr. Bush, surrounded by fellow former presidents and their wives, I am reduced to tears. In his face---the unforced smile, the enthusiastic embrace of those around him---I am recalling that same mien in the countless family photos of my father and uncles, all part of that Greatest cohort. All now, with the death of my Uncle Robert W. Bartlett last year in San Diego, gone.
God Bless these men. I thank them for their graciousness and the lessons I live by each and every day.
40
@David Bartlett
David I am sure George Bush Sr. was a great father just like your father and mine, who also fought in WWII contributing with uncommon valor. I am sure Bush's children George W., Jeb, Dorothy, Neil, and Marvin lost a wonderful father.
But Bush Sr. was not a great leader. While Bush was courageous in rescuing the economy from the ballooning deficits of Reagan's belligerent economics, he failed the greatest leadership test of his administration at the global climate change summit in Rio. In the face of the biggest threat faced by our nation in its short history, he opted to remain faithful to the fossil fuel interests that had supported his election.
This was one of the reasons that Bill Clinton blasted his environmental record during the 1992 campaign and beat him in the election. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-13/news/mn-181_1_earth-summit
Bill Clinton helped to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol, designed to establish a worldwide commitment to control atmospheric pollution.
5
@David Bartlett I can tell you, he is nothing like the "condemned" white male patriarchy. He was absolutely as advertised - life on the line, honoring human beings, including himself. He was a reasonable and educated man.
Doubtless he had his flaws - Lee Atwater key among them. In fact, compare the man Lee Atwater with President Bush the elder and you see exactly the difference. At the least, he was a man who acknowledged and regretted his flaws rather than advertise them all day, every day.
We won't see his like again.
1
Mr. Bush impressed with his graciousness. Just how much is implied by President Trump’s comment about him today, the most generous praise he’s ever expressed for any leader not an adversary of this country, yet. Apparently, Trump had met Mr. Bush before and liked the way he was treated.
3
@Casual Observer
I'm reminded of the vaunted and real Southern graciousness and genteel manners that hid(e) the underbelly of racism. As William Styron wrote in The Confessions of Nat Turner, those who put a beatific face upon very bad policies are the most insidious and dangerous because they make it palatable. I believe Mr. Bush was no racist personally, but he didn't do a lot to stem its rise in his Republican party. And if he didn't, then how is he different from a racist?
A good man and a principled leader. Though he did sign off on the Willie Horton ads in '88, the effectiveness of which validated race- baiting as a legitimate Republican campaign strategy. That strategy did certainly play a role in Trump getting elected.
16
@EP
Good man certainly, but principled leader?
Not so much!
At the Rio Global Environmental Summit against air pollution Bush stood steadfast with the fossil fuel interests that had supported his elections, not with the people of our country.
5
An unintended gift from our current president was to make us realize that we had, in the past, presidents we disagreed with about many things - but who didn't cause us to doubt that they were fierce in their dedication to supporting and protecting the United States of America. May that be a beacon to guide us as we move forward.
38
Though I disagreed frequently with President Bush, I have long admired him. Indeed, he is the only Republican I ever voted for, in 1970 when he lost the Senate race in Texas to Democrat Lloyd Bentsen. If only today's Republican Party had people like him.
13
George H.W. Bush was not perfect, of course. Most of us are not perfect either.
But Bush 41 was a man who could laugh at himself and there is a lot to be said for that. Of the many things--both good and bad--that I remember about Bush 41, the one that always makes me laugh is the way he and Dana Carvey, who impersonated 41, did a skit. It was priceless.
After Dana Carvey finished his impersonation of Bush 41 at the White House in December 1992, the President said, “Dana has given me a lot of laughs, and the fact that we can laugh at each other is a very fundamental thing.”
50
On balance, I take the major points made in Mr. Bruni's column about former President George H. W. Bush. I will never forget, however, that his political fixer, Lee Atwater, established the destructive template for a host of succeeding political operators who followed him.
H. W. also gave the nation the enduring gift of Clarence Thomas, a Supreme Court justice whose rulings have been nothing more than unexplained ideological knee jerks, and a man who reveals nothing about the motivations that drive his decisions.
George H. W. Bush was a very good man but he was a middling president. His flaws were deep. They exacted a substantial long-term cost to the nation whose final accounting is still to come due.
40
@John lebaron I'm sure President Bush had plenty of time to regret his nomination of Clarence Thomas.
I have to disagree with your comment about the mystery of CT - he is simply a self-hating person of color. There's nothing special, or unique or opaque about him. And sadly, no matter how much he supports big money, or big business, or the far right, even at the cost of any discernable integrity, he is still black.
It was only recently when Sen. John McCain bid us all farewell after a long and distinguished life in the service to his country. At the memorial services in the Capitol's Rotunda, it was his friends from the Democratic Party who shared the fondest of memories and tributes to the man with whom they could disagree yet, hold in high respect. The Republican tributes seemed rather spare compared to the tribute from former VP Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama.
I mention John McCain because in his passing, most Americans could parse his errors from his victories without losing respect for for the man.
With the passing of George H.W. Bush, we are once again hearing from the Democrats praising Bush the Senior as a kind and honorable man who, like all of us, made his share of mistakes. Yet he was likable. Honorable to the core. Even loveable to colleagues as well as family.
And so, it has occured to me, had Bush41 defeated Bill Clinton in 1992, could the kinder, gentler president been able to control the power-hungry, darkest forces of Newt Gingrich? Could he have been able to bring a rapidly rightward-leaning Congress back to the fulcrum of reason in order to govern a complex and fragile democracy without poisoning it with the radical ideology of trickle-down economics and a resurgent Jim Crow South?
Newt Gingrich was like a stage 4 cancer. And I am left to wonder if Bush41 could have stopped it before it matasticized into the madness of today's conservative tumor.
46
Yes, but. In his very first campaign, running for US Senate from Texas in 1964, he trumpeted his opposition to the Civil Rights Act that passed Congress that year (with considerable support from Republicans in both the House and Senate) and was signed into law by President Johnson. He knew better, but he did it. Willie Horton. He knew better, but he did it. He supported abortion until he didn't (although his wife Barbara remained true to their former shared pro-choice views.) He pardoned the Iran-Contra conspirators. He appointed Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld to power positions that would bring them even greater power in his son's administration, to disastrous consequences. Everyone looks better thanks to Trump (even Nixon, who was evil, but at least wasn't stupid.) But you're cutting George H.W. much too much slack.
57
Frank Bruni's column serves to illustrate that no one is all bad or all good. While there is much fulsome hagiography issuing across the land for Bush 41, I know it's motivated to feel better about ourselves as a culture (particularly given the contrast in style and manner - and manners - to the current Oval Office occupant). I simply wish peace to a labored human being and his loved ones in their loss.
Honor the good aspects of the man, and honor the office, but keep our feet on the ground and our heads out of the clouds. GHWB was personally well-mannered most of the time, and served his nation, but let's not kid ourselves. His was the well-mannered velvet glove over a still-dominant iron fist: a smooth salesman, he served uppermost his class, a pluto-kleptocracy, an oligarchy, that wages a greed-first capitalism, white supremacy, neo-imperialism, and violent wars of repression and exploitation. It espouses American Triumphalism and patriotism when they serve its ends, and is extra-national in its true loyalties.
Our culture cannot continue those errant quests, that bogus triumphalism and exceptionalism, and gross unaccountability if it, and the world, are to survive. And likely the human species and many others...
George Herbert Walker Bush doesn't model the way forward, except for a human courtesy that would be valuable if it were genuinely consistent; he models instead a past we must transcend.
20
George H.W. Bush conducted two wars during his four years in office when the fear had been for the previous eight that Reagan would take us into wars. Reagan only managed Grenada and a dirty war in Nicaragua.
I have never understood, nor fully accepted, why it was deemed necessary to invade Panama just to get rid of Noriega. The excuse was that he became deeply involved in the drug trade but then so were major banks around the world and the US never sent an army to take care of HSBC. There had to be more to it but we are a busy people, easily distracted and short term in our concerns. Always.
Then there was Iraq War 1.0. Surely, something needed to be done about Saddam's invasion and expropriation of the oil fields in Kuwait, but it turned out his Republican Guards were a classically exposed army, trapped in a virtual triangle of death and no good way to defend themselves from air bombardment. Good practice for our military?
Part of the reason was to rip back the oil fields, another to hem in Saddam and yet another to warn Iran of the potential troubles it might face if it got aggressive beyond its borders. Yet, that war was undertaken with no clear vision of the end game and Saddam was left in power only to "require" removal by Bush, the son.
This is not a glorious record, as the subsequent decades have demonstrated. Presidents come and go but history flows like a mighty river, twisting and turning and, often, burying victories and making the best efforts look foolish.
22
Kinder and gentler? In words yes, but not remotely in the actions. You have to wonder: is this country capable of having a president die without instant hagiography? George H.W. Bush came from a family in which the corruption started long before him, notably with his family’s relationship to the Saudis. As for statesmanship, being forced by the Democrats to raise taxes on the rich isn’t statesmanship; it’s politics. Anyway, Bush said he later regretted it. Republicans don’t like raising taxes on the rich and much prefer to raise taxes on everybody else. George HW Bush was no different.
25
Willie Horton
War Crimes
Racist war on drugs
Iran Contra
Such grace!
30
@PeterCPlease,
I was no fan of HW, but Iran Contra was St. Ronny's, not George the first's, as was the war on drugs. There were few if any, at least any out of the ordinary, war crimes on his watch. The coalition against Sadam's invasion of Kuwait included all our allies and other first world countries, unlike Dick Cheney's "coalition of the willing" that eventually wrecked George W's reputation. But, yes, Willy Horton was his and he should own it.
On the other hand, and in light of his son's failings and the horror of the current occupant of the White House, he was a kinder and gentler, and far more responsible human being. Bruni is not singing faint praises, but giving credit where credit, now more than ever, is due.
24
@Eric Berendt You may wish to consider that there is a considerable school of thought that GHWB's hidden fingerprints were all over Iran-Contra, and that is why his son immediately moved to push back the National Archives release of the Reagan Administration documents. And a equally strong school of thought that Saddam was deliberately green-lit into Kuwait to establish a stronger footprint in the Middle East. One of GHWB's talents was a very slick operation. He was an old spook, you know.
3
@PeterC:
Yes!
I wrote similar things but didn’t get through the sophomore censor.
2
It all sounds so nice and yet, when I think about former presidents, I’m left mystified as to why, why have some or all of the formers not penned a joint letter protesting the influence of Russia in our congress, the president, and the election?
If the former presidents can’t cohere a message now, when will we see any light at the end of this tunnel.
23
Every once in a great while the Angels in Heaven send us a POTUS truly worthy of the office at a critical time for our nation. And make us both eternally thankful for a life of distinguished public service and honor to our nation. President HWBush was thee singular post-War President for whom “duty, honor, country” was his powerful Legacy. We desperately need his character, honor and powerful commitment to public service more than ever. He was the best of us and will be sorely missed.
6
@Peter I Berman
My astonishment continues minute by minute. A man born in corruption, descended from corruption, who supported corruption, who with his cronies Atwater and Rove eventually embodied the corruption of the Republican party itself. What is our problem? Why must we praise the dead simply because they are dead? A corrupt pol with good manners is just that. A corrupt pol with good manners. But God has a sense of humor. George H.W. Bush, who served the AIDS-denying monster Ronald Reagan, died on World AIDS Day.
2
Let's all try to be kinder and gentler. Let's all try to be a point of light.
31
Honestly, the maudlin gushing about chit chat. The symbolic deconstruction of the illustration. The warm embrace of the plutocratic president's club. Give us a break. Talk about journalists deluding themselves that they are in the social class as the feudal barons and emperors.
Here's what I remember: Willie Horton and "card carrying liberal."
(PS Passing taxes post his "read my lips" nonsense, was actually evidence of some character).
32
Sorry, Mr. Bruni. Yes, HW had more social grace than Trump. But I recall quite a few things about him, one of which was his defense, when Chair of the RNC, of Nixon. Beyond that, in my 50 years of voting, I can recall no worthwhile Republican president. The only good ones I recognize are Carter and Obama. In general, I advise you and others to recall Mark Twain's words about funeral etiquette:
"Listen, with as intense an expression of attention as you can command, to the official statement of the character and history of the person in whose honor the entertainment is given; and if these statistics should seem to fail to tally with the facts, in places, do not nudge your neighbor, or press your foot upon his toes, or manifest, by any other sign, your awareness that taffy is being distributed."
29
We would have all been better off if Bush, Sr. had beaten Reagan and gone on to serve as president in 1980. He called it clear and honest when he referred to Reagan's soon-to-be-disastrous economic policies as "voodoo economics." Of course, I cannot agree with everything Mr. Bush did, but now is a time to think with respect of the good.
16
While compared to the awfulness of the Trump presidency, Bush Senior seems almost idyllic. But tell that to the thousands of people with AIDS who were infected and died during his presidency while he and his administration did nothing. This, too, must not be forgotten.
Blair Fell is a writer and was an ACT UP member during the first Bush administration.
37
Thank you Frank Bruni. Beautifully written, brought tears to my eyes. Voted for him both times in the days when the GOP was welcoming and generally reasonable.
6
@cherie49
It brought tears to my eyes, too. Tears for the thousands of men who died of HIV because Reagan and Bush refused to appropriate money for research. Those men deserve our tears more than George HW Bush.
1
Good tribute. I voted for him twice and don't regret either vote. Alas that the descent that of his party has not bottomed out since he left the scene.
@Iconoclast1956
Good for you!
Iraq take 1
Great decision.
Boy, we will never learn. Will we?
Mr Bruni: HW opposed the Civil Rights act of 1964. A sign of his grace and decency? Had he opposed rights for Gays I suspect that you would have mentioned it.
36
@Big Frank Four years later HW would vote for the fair housing act of 1968 breaking his conservative voting record. That shows a kind of bravery and growth that we don't see much of today.
@Big Frank Funny you should bring that up! During his presidency, H.W. opposed the rights of thousands of gay people living with HIV / AIDS. And to disastrous, lethal effect! Looks like the Frank who wrote this article doesn't know much about his own people's history let alone the history of people of color in America. Thanks for bringing attention to this exemplary exploration of useless nostalgia and harmful erasure!
1
@Big Frank
Actually, Big Frank, Bush did oppose rights for gays to the extent that he refused, with Reagan, to appropriate any money for AIDS research. Mr. Bruni is at least consistent in being historically selective.
2
It’s astounding how far the Republican party has changed
It’s not Trump alone. He is beloved amongst his white male and female voters
With few exceptions he has complete support of GOP House, Senate, and state officials
In Florida attaching your name to Trump, as Desantis did, and parroting racist statements is a ticket to victory.
The world that Bush so bravely fought for as a young man, of alliances with out allies is being blown up by the new Republican party. A party that prefers Putin and Saudi Arabia over our long standing western allies.
Bush wouldn’t get anywhere in the new Republican party. And the country, and the world is going to be worse for that.
9
Dignity, service and character count. Truly the last of fhe Republican presidents to reflect all three
9
I guess I have been lucky over my 70 years I have met many people who possessed the grace humility and integrity of George HW Bush.
I suspect few Americans understand how vile the GOP became when it was taken over by Goldwater, Nixon , Reagan and Buckley. I've heard tell that the lead lemmings take a hard right turn before the stampede heads over the cliff.
10
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s) ...
18
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s)...
4
Absolutely no question about it. Bush was more competent and had far better manners than Donald Trump. Does that really mean we give him a pass on everything else?
18
It’s interesting that both of our recent one-term Presidents - Carter and GHB - are both derided as wimps, or noted for their fundamental goodness. I don’t know what that says, if anything.
10
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
...Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s)
4
I'm a little tired of hearing past presidents, despite terrible flaws, being praised by everyone in the media simply because our current president is much, much worse. This is yet another column of that kind.
Did the elder Bush have good qualities? Sure. On the other hand, when we talk about the way the GOP has for decades used racist appeals to win votes for the leaders of the party's establishment, the elder Bush is certainly one of the people we have in mind. After Trump's victory, Times columnist Peter Wehner, a White House aide to Bush's son, lamented the fact that "the guests took over the party." He meant that the racists the GOP has long tolerated in its ranks had finally decided to stop supporting establishment types like the Bushes and pick someone openly aligned with their beliefs instead. Who invited those guests to the party? The Bushes, among others. They are as much to blame as anyone.
17
Why must we indulge in such hagiography when a president dies? Why should we forget that the grace and charm of his privileged life enabled his rise to power in the CIA and then the presidency where he brought us into the Middle East wars that still rage today. A leader who could keep close men like Cheney and Wolfowitz certainly have another side worth recalling. "No blood for oil" we cried over his invasion of Iraq. That's what I'll always think when I think of him--all the deaths to save the fossil fuel industry.
29
One thing we know for sure:
Donald Trump's grammatically correct, nicely flowing statement today about the late President Bush was not penned by him.
Other presidents do, of course, get help with their writing, but Trump has never gotten past crayons.
My mother adored George H.W. Bush. And why not? He was an old-school Republican who could have skipped World War Two but, like my dad, volunteered ASAP and saw combat fast.
America, weep, and more than for Mr. Bush.
19
Where can we find another pure-hearted, honest, patriotic, intelligent, patient man to serve as our leader? God bless this man and give his family peace as they lay him to rest. I've come to love and appreciate them for who they are, and who they are not.
4
Until now, I hadn’t seen this photo of President George H.W. Bush and his successors and First Ladies. It’s such a touching photo taken on what for him was such a sad day. I didn’t vote for him or his son. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the bravery and class H.W. brought to the office. I hope we get it back someday.
14
Kinder, gentler sounds great on paper, but hardly fits with quite a few of the actions his administration took. It is a disservice to whitewash. Of course next to the current incumbent almost any predecessor can look like they were half way to sainthood. But there is precious little that has been kinder or gentler in living memory of Republican politics.
17
It is amazing how far we have come since the Presidency of GHW Bush. Though a progressive, I voted for President Bush. To this day I think he was one of our finest.
He wasn't an ideologue, he was just a leader who looked at the facts and tried to come up with the best solution, as he understood it, for the American people.
The contrast with the Trump and the modern GOP is striking.
Bush was actually asked if he would be interested in adding Trump as his VP. Bush rejected the idea immediately - he was appalled by Trump even then.
Bush referred to the "Supply-Side Economics" (the completely discredited theory) as "voodoo economics." In contrast, men like Paul Ryan, though knowing it was a fraud, used the theory to sell their ridiculous tax cuts to the American people.
When Bush saw spiraling deficits and an exploding national debt brought on by Reagan's excessive tax cuts, Bush made the politically damaging decision to do the right thing rather than the easy thing - he raised taxes.
Republicans are now self-immolating. May the fire cleanse the party of the Trumps, McConnells, Grahams, Ryans, Kings, Meadows, and Gingrichs. When the GOP rebuilds, may GHW Bush be their model: a man of courage, honor, decency, and service to country.
16
That photo is remarkable. There's no fear, no barely suppressed impulse to lash out and hurt before someone else does. Only affection.
9
I know on the day of death it is polite to forget misdeeds. However I cannot help remembering George H.W. Bush was a holdout in the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Bush opposed a firm timetables for curbing carbon dioxide emissions and refused to sign the treaty to protect the planet acting as global climate denier back them just like Donald J. Trump today.
The headlines proclaim Trump is the lone holdout taking action on climate change at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires just like Bush was a quarter of a century ago in Rio.
21
Lovely column. Yo have quite a bit of "uncommon grace" yourself Frank. Your columns reach out to something good in all of us.
15
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s) .
6
@FunkyIrishman
You hit the nail on the head. At the end of 1987 I had just become a naturalized American citizen. At the time, as a permanent resident of ten years, I was expected to be subject to the draft (Selective Service), but as a non-citizen I would not be able to vote for the president who could actually conscript me into another of America's needless wars. I purposefully became a citizen and an informed voter.
Couple of years later, with G. H. W. Bush as president, his administration was looking for any financial cuts to the social net that they could get away with; one idea floated was to eliminate permanent residents from being eligible for things like unemployment or social security, even after years of their having paid taxes into those systems.
I then had a conversation with my father that if he knew what was good for him and my mother, he'd better start the naturalization process right away because in this country, the Republicans, no matter how well-mannered or graceful, are always looking for ways to take from others more vulnerable. Even basically good people can do great harm.
17
If you go by popular vote there are four former presidents and one current president in that picture.
12
As with almost all the presidents before Trump, Bush seems like a gift from God. Actually he was our last hero president who exemplifies what a patriot looks like. He was a smart man, firm but gentle. I'm proud we had such a great man to lead us. My hope is future presidents will look to how he conducted himself as president rather than the rude man we have now. I also think Obama was a good and kind president... and he used his smarts as well to guide us.
9
The public's attitude in Bush's second run for president baffled me. That his son achieved one term, let alone two, and that he was president instead of John McCain, baffled me even more.
5
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s)
3
When talking about any President (or head of State) that has passed, we must separate the policies from the person.
I believe in the kind words that many have said or written in the last day, but I also think they are overblown. What does it take of a person to do abhorrent things to achieve political power, and then what of them, when they wield that power ?
I think this man was a divisive one (with the Willie Horton ad, and other things) that came from a time (WWII era), that to ''win'' was to do so at all costs, and by any means necessary.
The race relations of the country were galvanized into opposite camps when they need not have been. You can trace them to today's politics and to this President of the same party.
The continued insistence of having America dominate oil production and delivery in the world, meant invading the Middle East. Successive Presidents have had to carry that mantra and send soldiers (flesh and blood men and women) to their demises over nothing, except for that oil.
He might have been civil in his ways and his dealings, but he also left a mark upon us through his policies and agendas that will for a long time be very hard to overcome with great sacrifice.
Rest in peace for the man, but bury the image(s)
3
President Bush was a man of integrity and decency that is missing from our society today. He was a family man who represented the best of America. I voted for him and volunteered on his campaign. He wanted the best for us and always thought of others. We will unlikely see the kind of president he was ever again and that is so unfortunate. He was the consummate gentleman and a dying breed. He will be sorely missed.
2
With what we know of Mr. Bush, history would suggest that the idea of “family man” applies to him only seen through the hypocrisies of the 1950s when men could do what they want and women put up with it. I guess if that’s our standard, he was a great family man.
2
Thank you, Frank Bruni for reminding us of George HWBush’s grace and valor.Even though he lived a busy life in the service of his country he was human and relatable.His self deprecating humor was refreshing.I will never forget his declaring that once he became president he would not have to eat broccoli anymore.His valor was amazing but he was above all a lovable human being.He was not proud of just his accomplishments but was generous in supporting and praising others .His was indeed a kinder, gentler world.
8
What a beautiful piece. What you have captured about him is his obvious authenticity, which you let us see served him in every situation, and which is even that much more remarkable in a long political life. Thank you. The note to Clinton moved me to tears. Why? Its simplicity. And its awe, without its writer being in awe of himself.
8
I am reminded of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and the main character Brutus. He was the noblest Roman of them all and a most honourable man. Two thousand years and the job of leadership still demands uncommon wisdom. George HW Bush was an honourable man but only history if there is any will decide on his wisdom. I have watched America evolve for 70 years and still regard it with great fondness. I regard Reagan as the most disastrous president ever. I do not recognize Trump America as the America I knew, but I am old and maybe my memory is failing but somehow I can't believe that somehow Trump just happened.
8
The Bush Senior administration should be remembered for its cool and restraint during the massive, peaceful transition of Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. People forget now how quickly events unfolded, and how peacefully (with some notable exceptions). This reordering of the Europe, which surely brought greater freedom to tens of millions of people, undoubtedly benefited from calm in the White House. The temperament of George Bush Senior was important to this, and should be remembered.
7
President Trump was famous for writing notes to people. My cousin was a lucky recipient of one of those letters. He and his wife were active in Republican politics in Texas and gave a lot of their volunteer time to President Bush's campaign. After my cousin's wife passed away, Mr. Bush sent a lovely condolence letter to him saying how sorry he was for her untimely death. This meant so much to my grieving cousin and showed how thoughtful and kind President Bush was. If only we could return to these nicer and kinder days. This was a gesture from a wonderful and giving gentleman. A rare breed indeed today.
5
I am so sorry I meant to say President Bush in my first sentence. It was definitely a note written by President Bush to my cousin's wife. It was most appreciated by my cousin's family and to repeat it showed how kind and caring President Bush was. A gem and a gentleman if ever there was one.
6
The party of John F. Kennedy was the last time my parents voted for a Democrat. It is not only the Republicans who have changed. Politics have become nasty and mean spirited on both sides of the aisle. We need to return to a nicer and more civil time in America and our politicians can lead the way. They must stop calling each other unflattering names and learn to get along with one another. President Kennedy and President Bush worked with their opposite parties and were quite successful. Our current crop of politicians should follow in their footsteps for the sake of the success of our nation.
7
The idea that the Republican Party worked closely with Kennedy is a bit of rewritten history. Nothing Kennedy wanted was going to happen while Kennedy was president. There would be no Civil Rights Act, no Voting Rights Act, no Medicare. Those happened under Lyndon Johnson, who, unlike Kennedy, knew a thing or two about twisting arms and getting Congress to do his bidding. While the Cuban missile crisis might colorably not have happened were it not for Kennedy, the restraint he displayed when it did happen is what we’ll remember him for. His generals wanted to blow the globe up and he said no. But alongside all of this, the only way Republicans gave an inch to either Kennedy or Johnson was by having their fingers cut off so they were inches closer. Otherwise they wouldn’t have cooperated in anything. And that hasn’t changed much.
6
Thank you for conveying so much of the true grace of this stellar person.
9
For what it's worth, those words from Bush's inauguration--“We as a people have such purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.”--have a long history: Aeschylus originally and then, via Edith Hamilton, spoken by Robert F. Kennedy after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
I'm glad Frank Bruni has called attention to the words and the need for them today.
16
@Pine Hill - Empty rhetoric. His wife's comment that the poor people sheltering in the Astrodome "look like they never had it so good" is more exemplary of the family line.
10
Well captured, Frank. Of course he was flawed, but there was no question that he truly appreciated the gravity of the office and took pains to uphold its dignity. To say only that he was qualified in temperament and experience would be to shortchange him. History will judge his presidency...his life of service is worthy of praise right now.
19
It is no easy task to write a column in memory of President George H W Bush, knowing full-well that so many others will likewise be writing about him too. Once again Frank Bruni lays his heart and words on the line and writes one of the best, if not the best column of the day. To capture the late president and his significance while we are all enduring a total lack of a president one incapable of modesty or diplomacy is the mark of a gifted writer. Thanks for the column.
42
My father was a Navy man in WWII who was 4 years older than HW when he died at 88.
HW always reminded me of my father.
After graduating from Duke in May ‘42 Dad went into the Navy OCS and became a supply officer after 6 months training at Harvard Business no less.
He saw action at Guadalcanal, Saipan, Bouganville and other garden spots in the South Pacific. He got scurvy for lack of vitamin C.
My father came back to Duke law in 46 after the war and became a estates and trusts lawyer in Ft. Lauderdale where he lived with my mother until his death in 2009. He was a gentleman from the old school, which is never really old.
Growing up there were no war stories, no outer indicia of what is know known as PTSD. Just carrying on after the war as if it never happened.
HW was the same cut of cloth as my father, as were many of their peers in the Greatest Generation.
But HW was a mere pup when he went into the Navy and became a decorated fighter pilot and war hero. He then went on to be successful in business and politics at the highest levels-all with the quiet intelligence and humility that most truly great men evince.
His last act, that of dying, was a fitting bookend to his life of service to America, for it brings his courage, character and sagacity into stark contrast with that of the common criminal who occupies the people’s house for the present.
As an inveterate left wing Democrat I say:
Thank you HW for a life well lived that benefited us all.
68
Tears came as I read Mr. Bruni's homage to President Bush 41 who, like other deceasing Republicans, are symbolic of what is dying in the Republican Party's morality, civility and the respect for the rule of law. Two political parties can and should be philosophically in staunch opposition for a healthy democracy, but you cannot abandon the universal cores of what it is to be human and expect our descendants to thrive or even survive.
29
I really like that photo of the former presidents and current and former first ladies. It gives me hope that -- occasionally -- the humanity of our leaders can transcend political differences, at least for a day.
14
While George H.W. Bush will never be known for being our best president, since he certainly had his share of serious flaws, one can only hope that he will be known as a decent man who proudly served his nation and his family. And while he will be always be associated with the words 'kinder,' 'gentler' and 'wimpish,' he was also firm, fair and old fashioned in a very classic way that is sadly absent and sorely missed in our country today.
32
Yes, we could certainly use more "wimps" like him. The crowd in power right now (including their base) believes that strength is found only in bullying, nastiness, and interactions with others (including other nations) where "me first" is the guiding principle. Yet, all truly successful human interactions whether marriage, friendship, parenting, or community of any size, must have kindness, consideration, and, most importantly give and take in order to thrive. The current model of strength & power is ultimately only destructive.
29
Although I did not vote for him, and did not agree with some of his policies and opinions, I always admired George Bush Sr, and regarded him as worthy of the office, and as a true gentleman. He will be missed.
35
The Willie Horton ad that helped get him elected was made by Floyd Brown. After '88, Brown formed an organization to get Bush nominees onto the courts. One of those nominees was Clarence Thomas. The name of that organization was Citizens United.
23
@Ross
Sure. Presidents have high points and low ones. Clearly Justice Clarence Thomas was not what was intended at the time of his appointment. But the late President was far too urbane and proper to ever publicly express his regret for that appointment. Juxtapose that to the braggert-in-chief who fully intends to claim all of the votes on the Court by his nominees are due to him. Or for that matter the Republican led Senate that refused to consider the Obama appointment of Garland. The late President embodied all we do not have today: statesmanship, class, respect for our history and institutions. Be thankful we had him and remember him well. We need those memories these days.
11
I'm sorry to see another one from my parent's generation go. That group, who lived through the Great Depression and WWII, are almost all gone now. I knew and loved so many of them, (including my folks), and now it is my generation who are the "elders." I wish my grandchildren could have known their great grandparents and their friends, they were a loving and uniquely hardy group of people. With the passing of another one (who happened to be a President), I can't help but notice that we have big shoes to fill.
Thanks George Bush Sr., for your service to your country, and everything else.
18
I'm not writing to blast him or anyone else. Thanks Frank, for allowing me to remember back to the character that existed in the White House up until 2017. Your article is a great tribute to him and to kindness, empathy and partisanship. I did not agree with many of his decisions, but I certainly was not ashamed of him. I hope that, even for a moment, we can relinquish anger and replace it with respect.
13
Simply lovely retrospective, Frank Bruni. Thank you.
I agree: if by "wimpy" those editors wished to embarrass him, they didn't. We could use more.
During his wife's viewing, I recall hnow he sat in that wheel chair greeting every citizen who came to pay their respects. I marveled at his stamina, and when a few days after the funeral he ran a fever, I wondered, is this it?
The note he wrote to Clinton was so kind, I heard it read on the news today and teared up. I don't think the man had an insincere bone in his body.
That he appreciated achieving happiness makes me think he wasn't just happy, but grateful too. Many say the antidote to depression is gratitude,a feeling that can be cultivated.
Those to whom serving others comes naturally know that gratitude, even forced, precedes it.
Because one of the best ways to get out of, or over yourself is to help others--sometimes just by listening, as I understand Bush did so well.
As I listen to all the remembrances pouring in, I'm struck by how much I miss simple acts of kindness in public affairs. Perhaps this will be one of this president's greatest legacies, if we can bring back decency and grace to civic life.
45
@ChristineMcM
Dear Christine McM,
You have expressed very elegantly how Americans, even though political foes, used to maintain respect for those who deserved it.
I would give much to regain such political comity.
All the best,
Garth
7
George H.W. was an okay president. Neither of the Bushes will go down in the history books as indispensable to the nation, certainly not the son. But George H.W. was the perfect motif for post-war U.S. politics: patrician Connecticut ivy league background, Senator dad, war record, Texas transplant businessman, geniality that propelled him up the GOP ranks to the tippy top prize of president. Under that demeanor was an enormously ambitious person, as one must be to reach the upper echelons of government, including his stints in China and at running the CIA.
Now that the man is gone, it's past time for Republicans everywhere to stop excoriating womanizer Bill Clinton, when everyone in DC knew George H. W. had a mistress for 20 years, his secretary Jennifer Fitzgerald, along with several other women on the side as far back as the 1970s. It was problematic in the 1980s when Bush was veep. Everyone kept quiet, including Barbara Bush, James Baker and the Reagans (Nancy disliked Bush for that), and the press. That was still when WaPo and papers kept the secrets of powerful men. More than once, the Secret Service was called upon to get V.P. Bush out of compromising situations, a car accident in DC with his mistress present, as well as a hotel fire when he was with another woman. It's hypocritical, to say the least, that Bush in the 1992 campaign encouraged the womanizing attacks on Clinton. Let's grow up and stop pretending there are angels among politically ambitious men.
20
@Maggie
Low standards. The problem with our nation!
1
Thank you for sharing. I much prefer the ugly truth to any pretty lie.
Whenever a man passes within months of his wife, I know, in my heart, he is a good man. I did not agree with GHWB, but when he was our President I did not doubt him. He is probably the last person to be "groomed' for the Presidency who will actually succeed, and I believe he is currently being called to account for Lee Atwater. But he had a good heart. Godspeed, sir.
8
Old age and history soften the public perception of most political figures and so far, all former presidents. Young people reading about Bush 1 today would not know that he was savaged by the left and was routinely parodied as dimwitted at best (SNL). The Willie Horton episode was his to own, hopefully with regret, and he had more than a few political blunders and hard-edged moments. But he was never thought of as a self-promoter. His dedication to service was derided by some as stereotypically blue-blooded in focus, as if that were bad, but the criticism never really stuck. Ultimately he came to be viewed as a decent man whose politics while in office were disagreeable to the left. And later, to the right. Along the way, he earned everyone’s respect. And he loved his family and they him. Not a bad way to go.
8
"Integrity". "Honor". "Duty." "Selfless service." The tributes and articles remarking the death of George H. W. Bush all feature these same words; they are all structured around themes sharing these elements. There is always a 'clean up' of the political divisions that seemed so significant when the person was alive, and in power, but in Bush's case these themes were relevant even while he was in power.
Even when GHW Bush was president, you might dislike his decisions but you never doubted his integrity, you never suspected any motive but that he would do and decide what he truly believed was best for the United States. There was no question that he was making any decision for personal benefit first. There was no suspicion that he might be compromised due to personal indiscretions. You might have disliked his choices, but you always knew that the man himself was honorable and respectable.
I am surprised by how affected I am to learn of his passing. I think it has hit me so strongly because of the huge contrast with the current president's behavior, history, and 'merits'. When Trump dies, will -anyone- remark on his honesty, his integrity, a lifelong selfless service to country? Not a chance. We have lost so much, and GHW Bush's passing puts the losses in stark perspective. Rest in peace, GHW Bush.
12
Simply beautiful - a thoughtful editorial for a life well lived.
17
President Bush will be remembered as a great public servant. Given the recent passing of John McCain, and now the death of the 41st president, I hope all Americans will pause again and reflect, despite our differences, on what character and morals and human decency, kindness and generosity mean to the security of our democracy, the welfare of our citizens and our hard-earned place in the world as a beacon of liberty. Nothing could be more urgent for us to revisit, revive and restore.
27
A timely, pointed reminder that GOP'er politics needed a very large dose of 'kinder and gentler' - unfortunately, GOP'ers went exactly the opposite direction, creating all sorts of disasters in the Mideast, on Wall Street, and now in the Oval Office itself.
11
I witnessed that Inauguration, on a terribly cold day, one among many standing through a ceremony that seemed, at the time, a bit disappointing. No soaring rhetoric, no sense of historic change; more like watching a family gathering.
"There is a new breeze blowing..." he said.
Within months, he had taken ownership of the festering Savings & Loan crisis, establishing the Resolution Trust Corporation, where I was honored to serve in a senior role. He had exactly the right instincts about how to approach the post Soviet era: not with arrogance, but in a constructive dialog, realistic but hopeful. I also had the opportunity to work in Russia after that, and tried to model that behavior, listening before speaking, hopeful but realistic.
Authenticity is de rigueur, but he lived it.
Let us honor him by coming together, calling forth that new breeze, and rediscover common decency, personal integrity, humility, and personal courage. It's not too late.
30
Mr. Bush was a good president. But more importantly, he was a great and soulful man who knew deep in his most private self that love is the most powerful force in the universe. RIP.
21
Thank you, Mr. Bruni, this is a lovely piece. A rich life; well lived to be sure.
20
@peggy2
I echo Peggy's thanks!
1
@peggy2
I don’t echo Peggy.
Willie Horton
First Gulf War
Ozone Man - sick
Skull & Bones
Reagan Sidekick
Totally aloof (supermarket scanner as innovation in 2000)
Etc
The unfortunate thing about the Bush political dynasty was how low they were willing to go to seize and hold power. There probably was a decent, admirable side to the character of GHW Bush (and to GW Bush). But before we get carried away by tributes to his saintly character, let´s not forget his association with Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, dark operatives who paved the same low road that helped Roger Stone drive Trump to the presidency. We know the late president had little affection for Trump. But it´s hard to imagine Trump in office without the example that Bush set with his Willy Horton ads. I wonder how the Bush family feels about Trump´s attendance at the funeral.
26
There will be leaders in the future with the grace and humility of 41. I'm sure of that.
What I'm not sure of (but hopeful) is that a majority of the country will follow that path of grace and humility.
The midterm elections gave me a bit of that hope. Put aside all the issues of immigration, and health care, and trade and whatever else. The results were as much as anything a national yearning for simple decency.
May that continue to guide us.
13
@Jonathan Rodgers
I agree
The refrain of "Kinder Gentler" in this piece hits the nail on the head. Like so many others, I did not agree with many of Bush's policies, but he was a kind, gentle, decent man. His kindness and generosity is stuff of legend among American Foreign Service Officers. When traveling abroad a President of VP, he always went out of his way to make people feel appreciated, even when things didn't go according to plan. White House staff continue to look back on the term of Bush '41 as one of the highlights of their careers because he somehow made the whole, competitive, stressed-out, success-obsessed place more humane and more human. He led from the front and never sought to pass blame (even when there was good grounds for doing so). His Oval Office letter to Bill Clinton reflected his genuine outlook -- that we can disagree but still respect each other and hope for the very best for those on the other side of the political isle.
45
@Ken: Correction: I meant "as President or VP" rather than what I wrote. Mea Culpa. My bad for not being a better proofreader.
1
This morning's monthly breakfast meeting of Norfolk, VA Democrats did not begin with the pledge of allegiance. Instead it began with an apolitical and respectful moment of silence for President George H. W. Bush.
I'm no fan of 41's politics or political party as he brought us Justice Clarence Thomas and the infamous Willy Horton campaign ad to mention a couple examples BUT he was a genuine advocate for public service - a concept that may seem quaint in today's hyper-partisan hateful political landscape.
So now we have 4 living ex-presidents - Jimmy Carter (who made Human Rights a regular ingredient in public discourse, including foreign affairs), Bill Clinton (who presided over prosperity and a balanced federal budget), George W. Bush (who made a commitment to the fight against AIDS that was recently renewed in Congress), and Barack Obama (who presided over an end to the Great Recession & began a period of sustained economic growth that continues to this day and took important steps towards taking health care from a privilege to a right).
Partisans and honest observers of history can find faults with all of those presidents but it's not a bad idea to remember their best attributes too (even before they are eulogized).
117
The Willie Horton ad was not racist. It was factual. I worked in and close to State government in Massachusetts during the second Dukakis term. Dukakis would have been a slow-learning disaster for this country.
@Jeff Cosloy Interesting that you used "racist" as an adjective while I had said only that it was
"infamous." Most people think both adjectives apply, including the man who was most directly responsible for it. In a NY Times column from Jan 13, 1991, Lee Atwater, is quoted thus: "While I didn't invent negative politics, I am one of its most ardent practitioners."
He later apologized explicitly for that most distasteful and unfortunate ad. (Sadly, thirty years later, such vile attack ads are de rigueur. But in 1988 such an ad was considered extreme - which it certainly was.)
1
@tomreel, You mention the four living ex-presidents, let's hope there are five in the coming months.
2
As a lifelong Democrat, I suspect I failed to recognize the formidable skills and abilities George H.W. Bush displayed during his term as office as our president.
He was a true public servant, dedicated to protecting and serving our nation throughout his life. President Bush was calm, deliberate and purposeful in executing his duties as president.
Although I did not always agree with Mr. Bush’s policies, I remember him as an honest, honorable gentleman who stated his ideas clearly and concisely, with no intention to mislead.
Above all, I will remember the example George Bush set for the entire nation as a husband and father. His devotion to his wife, Barbara, and hers to him, were an inspiration to all who hold fidelity and family in high esteem.
In our current state of divisive partisan madness, I dare to suggest that we each take time to reflect on the positive character that politicians from the “other” side have displayed in the service of our country. And to honor their contributions to our nation.
84
@Tom W
the republicans are destroying the country that my father and grandfather fought for. Reflect on that.
@Tom W
You know he cheated on his wife pretty routinely, right? For 20 years with his secretary and others along the way? I am all for memorialize get the guy, but let’s try to veer away from pure fiction.
Nice piece, Frank, but after twenty-two months of Trump many are grading on a different curve. In the absolute sense GHWB is a middling President at best, his charm and grace covering up a set of actions that pushed America closer to its appointment with the cesspool. He was an unwitting enabler of those partisans champing at the bit to take back the nation—take it back to a grotesque recasting of privilege and caste. And he made one of the three worst SCOTUS choices of all time, leaving us with a sullen, festering blight that continues to sully the court even now. While he was not simply a “fortunate son,” he was lucky that the mores of the day took down Gary Hart, a man who would likely have beaten him and who would have been a much better President.
67
@Uncle Donald As a lifelong democrat who supported Clinton through his scandals, it is only with the benefit of hindsight that I can see my mistake and our country's mistake. Character is transcendent. It is the difference between someone whose actions are born out of a sense of duty, purpose, and service and someone whose actions are mere calculated opportunism. Now, faced with a president who embodies opportunism, I think we finally understand that. If a man is willing to cross the line in his personal affairs, why would we think he will not do the same at work? If he cannot be faithful to his wife, why would he be faithful to us?
A lack of character is what has led the United States down this dark path. Older generations who faced true personal sacrifice and service in eras of war, disease, and scarcity understood the importance of character. Along this important dimension, GHWB was far more qualified to be President than Gary Hart.
24
@Uncle Donald
With all due respect, I gently remind you and other commenters that while there is plenty of time for criticism, there is one time set aside for either statements of fond remembrance or for silence.
President Bush passed away yesterday.
Shouldn’t we set partisan concerns aside for the moment to honor his positive achievements?
UD, I do not fault the accuracy of your comment, and would not take the liberty of questioning its mannerliness.
However, it occurs to me that when it’s my turn, when I’m the guy lying face up in the coffin, I hope that the focus of those in attendance might be on those few correct actions I managed to take in life. And that all my foolishness and failures, at least on that day, be left unmentioned.
4
@Uncle Donald
You message makes me shake my head. This is not the time for such banter. Read some of the other Democrats' comments and follow the class they showed in honoring, not agreeing with, a dead president.
1
Bruni is much too kind.
It’s a sign of the times when the best people can say about a man is that he wasn’t “very” corrupt. That’s a positive these days. Bush senior’s final reputation has been elevated by the inevitable comparison with his son, “W,” who was very corrupt.
Bush was an aristocrat, the product of wealth. We’ve learned the hard way (remember the “middle class”?) that money influences politics, and not in a good way. What we get from electing aristocrats is not necessarily “the best and the brightest” we would hope for, but merely the most privileged who are mainly concerned with the interests of their small but powerful tribe.
Bush’s "kinder, gentler nation” was a mask for a conservative movement begun with Reagan’s toxic economic policies. He was at the helm when the decades-long radicalization of the Right - a calculated conservative crusade to take over the court system fueled by Big Money and the Christian Right - was in full swing.
Bush’s 1989 inaugural speech was a gushing paean to conservative values and the inability of government to solve our problems. Let the Thousand Points of Light organization do it he claimed. When you are powerful and wealthy it’s always convenient to get others to do the work you should be doing.
And now the overburdened taxpayers (not the wealthy of course) are going to be asked to foot the huge bill for Bush’s elaborate state funeral.
Read my lips – let the Bush family pay for it. They’ve cost us enough already.
82
@Michael: How are you going to feel when the overburdened taxpayers have to foot the bill for TRUMP'S funeral some day?
1
Perhaps I am just getting older, but it does seem politicians on both sides of the aisle are getting smaller and more venal. And while you paint a superb picture of the man, what is most disturbing are comments diminishing Bush’s attributes due to the purported ease of his upbringing. This sort of class envy should be eliminated from our politics - who cares why he turned out to be a good man, it’s simply important that he was, and that America needs more men and women like him in government.
21
@LTJ: Class envy will not be eliminated until class distinctions are eliminated - which will be never!
There is no doubt that the Bush family benefits greatly from their money, and that "ease of upbringing" has a lot of value. For one thing, life is a lot better if you never ever have to worry about affording the roof over your head, nor about having enough food, nor about being able to clothe & educate your children. The Bush family has that advantage, and it is enormous!
4
@L. Your post proves my point nicely. Ideology and envy destroy humanity and decency. Well done.
The media label of "wimp" for having more than blunt instruments and bile for a personality was truly a sad turn. We now have a junk presidency with a juvenile and undeveloped person who is not just being rude but being a stone-cold liar occupying space in our White House. This photo is a reminder of what we are throwing away.
My 94 year old mom also just passed and kindness and humility were indeed embedded in the values of that generation. I hope we can honor that again. But we have to choose it- and recognize it as strength again.
23
One of the last living heroes of the Greatest Generation departs this life. A generation that knew how to pull together regardless of political differences and that understood who America's true enemies were - never applying that label to their fellow Americans 'across the aisle' or in the media.
Rest in peace President Bush. Thank you for your lifetime of service.
23
"He’s reminded, in that tableau, of the continuum of American history and the honor of belonging to it."
"...the honor of belonging to it."
Americans forgot about that "honor of belonging to it" when they elected the current president who is as far from "the honor of belonging to it" as the night is from the day.
If we, as a nation, truly held to the principles of "the honor of belonging to it," we would, perhaps, be enjoying a different kind of "kinder and gentler."
For, if we do not want that, we don't deserve to be called Americans. Too many of us do not consider it an "honor" to be called an American. We have recently witnessed that in the hateful message splashed across t-shirts: "I'd rather be a Russian than a Democrat."
Over the quarter-millennium that is America, this nation has never wholly embraced the ideal in the template of its governance. We have come close but have never fully accepted its premise. Most American presidents have attempted to nudge us over that third rail, to acceptance of others.
"The honor of belonging to it" is fearful and frightful, but President George H.W. Bush, for all of his political and personal flaws, sought to remind us--not just some of us but all of us--that a national nobility does oblige us to follow the true course of nationhood.
And no one ever said it would be easy.
37
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, '18
Oh, have we seen Trump junior recently?
If you think Bush junior was bad, Trump junior is the Nightmare on Elm Treet!
Lovely essay. One adjective which comes to mind when describing George H.W. Bush is "honor." We didn't realize it at the time while critiquing his executive actions for better or for worse, but we certainly see it now. The driving force of a democracy is not just policy, but just as if not more crucial is morality. Without a moral compass, ethics, and self-service toward those in one's trust, our nation can not sustain itself. We see it now..corruption and havoc multiplying exponentially. How President Bush must have often wept for a country he fought for all of his life, for a Party which he was once proud to represent. Frank's colleague Jon Meacham just today wrote that what mattered to him "was whether one was principled and selfless once in command." What a wonderful legacy for our 41st if we American voters can once again return that very honor of his to our presidency. Yes, indeed, we can "use more wimps like him."
32
Kinder, gentler, happy, forgiving, in love with his wife family and America, aware of history, the future and his place in that continuum. You seem to have covered it all Frank but the last word goes to the man himself. "I have found happiness. I no longer pursue it, for it is mine." I wonder if the founders envisioned that anyone would complete the "Pursuit of happiness"? It intrigues me that he only found true peace after the race was run, after the heights were reached, the work was done and the pursuit ended. Great column.
46
I did not share President Bush's politics, but I admired him as a man of honor, courage and patriotism. His life was dedicated to service to country. He is someone that I could point out to my children as a role model.
46
@JP Tolins
Yeah, so true.
Kindler and gentler was a GREAT marketing phrase.
So, his son, GWB missed out on the sermon?
Why?
Last night's televised clips of President Bush and the tributes from former presidents including his son were striking in tone and content.
They sounded like adults. They sounded like Presidents. I miss that.
The Bushes, father and son, were not great political orators but they could form a sentence and make a coherent point. They did not seem out of place compared to Clinton or Obama, better speakers both.
President Bush and the others did not drip bile and ooze contempt and hatred with every word. You did not question their sanity. I miss that.
You may not have liked President Bush's politics or even his person, but you could never question his loyalty to country. Or his son's. Or Obama's. Or Clinton's.
I miss that too. I hope to see that again. Soon.
Rest in peace, Mr. President.
447
@LT
Well said. Kudos.
On a day such as this, when tradition and mannerliness lead us to remembrance of the positive contributions a recently fallen leader made, your comment is well-stated and most appropriate.
Your statements about “presidential” conduct and bearing are particularly poignant.
In our current national dilemma, the behavior of our unpresidential president is nearly unbearable.
A reminder of presidential presidents, Republican and Democrat, on this day, is both useful and healthy.
31
If the American decline consolidates, he'll be remembered by most Americans as "the last good POTUS".
To the rest of the world. he'll simply enter History for that end of the Cold War speech.
He'll also be remembered as the last "Imperator" POTUS, i.e. the last POTUS who declared a war against another country and definitely emerged victorious. The hawks will be very fond of him because of that.
Serious historians will remember him as a largely ineffective POTUS (his incompetence as POTUS can be attested by the fact that he was a one-term President) who also inaugurated the "full-spectrum dominance" (full-fledged dominance) era of the USA, with the aforementioned Gulf War -- the first (and, to this date, the only) war where the USA openly waged for strictly economic reasons.
5
@VK I disagree. If the US falls completely apart under Trump, then to many, Bush I will have been simply the last great Republican President. To others, the last great President will have been Obama.
4
@VK
If the decline continues, I think a lot of Americans, myself included, would consider Obama the last great POTUS.
4
@VK with no disrespect to Pres. Bush, I don't think it's fair to call him the "last good POTUS." That would be Obama.
And let's hope we can append "so far" to that.
The Last Gentleman
Rest in Peace, Mr President
9
Rest in peace George H.W. Bush. I didn't vote for you but was always comfortable with you in the White House. I knew you'd take care of us, play fair, work hard, and never take your job for granted.
31
An insightful and steady portrait of a true public servant-thank you. Just one quibble-it's Jenna Bush Hager.
6
I was horrified when Democrats ran Dukakis against him, and terrified when he won. As a freshly arrived student, I recall sitting in a college library - cramming for the finals - when I was asked by a student rep from the college newspaper about 'Bush or Dukakis' for their poll; I was afraid to answer (I thought then, given his background in the CIA, I might just be disappeared if I said something wrong). It now seems a dangerously self-serving notion, and funny sentiment now.
I thought he knew of Iran Contra, drugs for guns, given his background in the CIA. I thought of him as a very clever person with a bumbling idiot persona (camouflage) who precipitated the second Iraq war with mishandled outcomes (slaughter of Shia in Iraq, the liquidation of Kuwaiti civilians who wanted political freedom), the key promoter of China (a relationship from which his family personally benefited and profited). He did give us Bush II's total disaster years - for which we are still paying dearly.
But he was all about noblesse oblige, uncommon grace, class, and patriotism - and he did serve the country in WWII. I am surprised that I am thinking back to his time wistfully; I was plain horrified for the four years he served. Yin and yang. Now he seems sagacious, prescient, classy, elegant, uncommonly patrician, senatorial, unassuming, and graceful; a man who knew how to build a coalition of brilliant minds.
18
Lee Atwater and George W. H. Bush showed great grace when they married Michael Dukakis to Willy Horton, exploiting rank racism throughout the country to gain an electoral edge for plutocracy.
This is evil. The devil has no grace.
88
@Iced Tea-party
Thank you. The GHW Bush presidential campaign was notably slow to disavow these dishonest smears of Mike Dukakis. Further details on the Willie Horton ad and the atmosphere in which it was created, can be found in this Times editorial from Nov. 1988: https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/04/opinion/george-bush-and-willie-horton.html
1
President, George H.W. Bush - the last of a true Republican!
6
@NNI Until he teamed up with Reagan.
1
I came across Mr and Mrs Bush several times during my numerous stays in Kenebunk. In restaurants, delis, stores and Mrs on the beach walking her dogs.
They were the most wonderful, sincere, humble people that one can meet. A handshake, a few words sufficed to show the warmth generated by these extraordinary couple.
18
Undoubtedly the couple generated enormous warmth. But some of the warmth coming from Mr. Bush had to do with a woman you never met in the restaurants at the deli’s. Whatever we do, let’s paint that picture as prettily as we can. On the other hand, if we’d told the truth we might have avoided a lot of pain in the past 25 years.
2
@Georges This is the same Barbara Bush who commented that the Katrina victims sheltering in the Astrodome were better off than they had been in their pre-hurricane lives in New Orleans as they were "underprivileged anyway." She went on to say that she found it "scary" that many of these evacuees said they wanted to remain in Texas. I don't think Kennebunkport has too many poor black citizens. Barbara was in her element there.
7
There is such a clear demarcation in grace, sophistication, and style between the U.S. presidents from the G.I. Generation (such as John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush) and those from the Baby Boom Generation (such as Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump). I fear something is being lost as this unique American generation passes away and is replaced by Boomer leaders.
Jim Spencer and Curtis Ellis expressed this sentiment in a famous LA Times article: “The often-overlooked truth about the 1960s is that the great accomplishments we associate with the era — civil rights, putting a man on the moon — were not made by post-war Baby Boomers but by the generation born before World War II, which accepted shared sacrifice and saw it as an expression of their belief in duty, honor and country, not as socialism.”
30
@Sándor
The WW2 generation was also willing to accept top marginal tax rates of 70% or greater so as to not burden future generations with the debt accrued from the costs of their contributions/sacrifices (fighting WW2, Korea, Cold War; the Marshal Plan, Interstate Highway system, etc.).
How ironic then is it that those who now chant 'Make America Great Again' ignore the actual sacrifices that made America Great and consider their self-serving tax cuts their crowning achievement. Along with ignoring the danger of climate change, they are sacrificing the well-being of future generations for their short-term gratification. They are disgusting.
2
A thoughtful, fair, and caring piece about a president I respected very much, although I rarely agreed with him. In this hyper-partisan era, remembering George H. W. Bush makes me feel less divided from the citizens on the other side of the aisle.
24
@John Boylan
Except that many of those 'citizens on the other side of the aisle' would derisively label George HW Bush as a 'RINO.'
Years ago as the captain of a commercial flight from Chicago to Portland, Maine, I was approached in the cockpit by the Secret Service advising me that former President Bush would board last. I asked them to inform the president that he was in the good hands of a fellow Naval pilot. When he boarded, he greeted all the flight crew and asked about details of the flight as any fellow pilot would.
My father, a fellow WWII Naval Officer, was in poor health at the time. En route, I wrote a short note about my father’s combat experience in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres, about his failing health, his admiration for the president’s service, and my Naval retirement letter that has his signature.
Departing the aircraft, he stopped and inquired about my father’s recovery, handing me a presidential pin and personal letter addressed to my father thanking him for his service. President Bush’s passing reminded me of that experience, of the time when a gentleman occupied the WH.
731
@Bobbogram. I am so moved by this story - a tale of selfless humility and gratitude. Bob, as a progressive, his passing makes me realise that regardless of our political beliefs, it is the core human values that leaders must possess. I was in my late teens / early twenties during the time and, even as a young Australian, I really admired him as an authentic person.
Thank you for such a moving story that exemplifies the simplicity of great leadership.
37
Bobbogram, did Bush also tell you about his fellow crew mates he sacrificed by not landing on a nearby beach? There were two other men in his aircraft that went down with it.
6
HW was one of those politicians of either party whom everyone could respect as a generally decent person who usually had the nation's interest in mind. Would that we had more leaders of character.
Rest in peace, HW.
28
George HW brought Lee Atwater to the forefront. That begat Gingrich and Karl Rove and the complete decline of any civility in politics. Now we are stuck with McConnell who could care less about our Country, only cares about power and politics without regard to to effects on the people. Sad.
90
@wirelessenabled
And speaking of Lee Atwater -- don't forget his use of Willie Horton to revitalize a solid Republican South...something we're still stuck with today.
36
Didn't vote for him, but I always knew he had class and was up to doing the job. As a country, we can only hope H.W.'s example helps a sadly debased Republican Party to find its way home and once again play a useful role in our nation's political life.
13
@Innocent Bystander
Would that it were true but alas it's a dream that won't come true.
Class in the WH ended with Obama.
20
This whole legend of Poppy Bush's "uncommon grace" and classiness really got revved up during Junior's reign of error. The fact that Bush the Elder had pulled back from all-out war with Saddam Hussein, and then W recklessly began an invasion whose effects are still being felt through the ongoing refugee crisis would make any long-suffering Dad seem kind and gentle. Elder Bush righteously called the architects of this war a bunch of "iron asses."
Of course, Junior himself has also now been fully rehabbed in the court of liberal opinion, despite the fact that he recently stumped for the reactionary Brett Kavanaugh, who of course once stumped for Bush and later became part of the White House team "legalizing torture."
Once this frenzy of hagiography ends, perhaps we can examine some of the inconvenient truths about Bush and his dynasty, not least of which were George Sr's roles in the Iran-Contra scandal and earlier, his helping to arrange the delayed release of American hostages in order to swing the 1980 election away from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan. This meddling and collusion with foreign terrorists kind of makes Trump's clumsy sleazy bribery schemes with Russians seem almost benign by comparison.
https://consortiumnews.com/
But hey, since Bush Sr. was so classy and bipartisan and aristocratic and devoted to the norms of the World Order, let's forget all about the past and revel right along with the plutocratic Duopoly as they celebrate one of their own.
139
@Karen Garcia
Actions speak louder than words.
Let's compare the actions of the last 5 presidents and see what we get, yeah?
2
@Karen Garcia Most of us are aware of these things. He just died. This is normally a time when people try to speak of the good of the deceased, not rant about the bad. Please don't speak at my funeral; it would greatly distress those who might be grieving at the loss of me, at least a few. Later they will be willing to revisit my flaws, but not on the day I leave them.
This is precisely what Mr. Bruni is illustrating: the capacity for grace, kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness....and manners. It is not the time to drag the deceased through the mud. At least give it a couple of days. Thank you.
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@Jrb
Agreed, thanks. But in all fairness, public figures and their families should not expect the same treatment - good and bad - that occurs for common people. I think most people would choose to enjoy the benefits of celebrity even with hazards like this (or paparazzi, fanatics, etc..)
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Grace and class are virtues of the privileged (at least, in America). In this country, people who act or appear dignified are generally affluent. Why celebrate this? George Bush lives in a "compound" - not a home (or even house) - at the end of a geographical feature described on maps for many years as "Walker Point".... the "W" of George Herbert Walker Bush - and town of Kennebunkport is probably the most affluent and fake in the state. Age has presented my 83 year old dad with the same viewpoint of the headlined quote by Bush. But my dad wouldn't use the term "for" here. Trump has delivered the working class to the republicans. If the democrats can't be there, well, more power to him.
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@carl bumba
I apologize. I didn't get that the article was a eulogy! I sure hope I don't do THAT again. I was more critical here than I would have wanted... This should teach me to do more homework before typing away.
Decency, kindness, manners, ethics....almost quaint descriptions that don't seem to fit anyone in Trumps family or his political orbit, or in the crowds at his rally's.
Decency, kindness, manners, ethics - these descriptions fit George H.W. Bush, and certainly fit with the Obama's.
The big mystery: how did we crash - not slip - so suddenly into the Swamp in 2016?
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We slipped into the swamp with a great deal of help from Republican operatives spawned by George HW Bush. He did it better, and more cleverly, and with more style than the current occupant of the White House but it’s not as if Bush surrounded himself with legions of men of principle.
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@Pat Boice
It's not a "big mystery."
The 'crash' took several years to play out - and was driven by a relatively small number of self-serving individuals.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833494-dark-money
All of these article today keep bringing me back to what in my childhood was the guiding principle of my parents household---good manners. It didn't matter how smart you were, how athletic you were, or what awards you received, at the end of the day it was all about good manners---whether passing food around the table, responding to adults, you were measured by please, thank you, patiently waiting in line, opening doors for the elderly, etc. That was it in your household---I know those days appear to be long gone...but, at least in my small bubble of a family, this quality is still observed.
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Mr. Bruni you say, "But in reality and in retrospect, Bush was a kinder and gentler breed of leader."
No. He may have been a supposed "christian" kinder gentler man. It's easy to be kind and gentle when you sit at the top of the economic ladder.
The men who actually did his "management" of OUR United States of America were not kindler and gentler - Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Baker and his fellow Robber Barons - the Koch brothers et al.
Nothing good came of the Regan/Bush reign for 99.9% of us. Just the opposite in fact
Nothing for me to celebrate.
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@njglea
Dear njglea,
Good manners are not just for patricians. My parents inculcated them into my sisters and brother and me.
President Bush was not a perfect man, but I would give a lot to see the civility he practiced in our public square today.
My father taught us that good manners will get you further in the world than membership in MENSA. I am 63 and can say he was absolutely right.
RIP President George HW Bush.
I salute you.
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We were also taught not to talk about politics or religion in public, gpickard.
Of course, that's because those at the top of the economic ladder were afraid WE THE PEOPLE would figure out how they were robbing us with their politics and keeping us ignorant with their supposed "christian" mind control.
Fortunately many of us have finally figured it out and, for a time, have let manners take a back seat to saving democracy in OUR United States of America.
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@njglea
I usually agree with your sentiments but I think hating one's political opposition and painting every person in that box as uniformly evil will grow nothing. It is a waste of energy. It is not a truism that it is "easy to be kind and gentle when you sit at the top of the economic ladder"- witness Trump. He has no traditional American values anywhere in his personality or value system.
Some things can be built on and other things rejected - and there is plenty to reject these days. But political fundamentalism is not the answer either.
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I realize that the passing of a politician lends itself to this kind of ritual hagiography. And that in comparison to Trump, Bush, Sr., seems like a paragon of virtue. But references to Bush's thoughtfulness and kindness should be tempered by what he did when in power.
Bruni mentions Lee Atwater but ignores Bush's role in the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal; his complicity in prosecuting an illegal war against the Sandinistas; his pardoning (i.e., silencing) Elliott Abrams, Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, Jr., Clair George, Robert McFarlane, and Caspar Weinberger; his invasion of Panama presumably to silence Manuel Noriega (causing hundreds of civilian deaths); his role in first arming and then attacking Saddam Hussein; his appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court; his role in escalating the war on drugs.
That would seem to speak much more about Bush than his body language.
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@Jim @Bobbogram the things you say are true, but it’s impossible to be the President of the United States and do no bad things. Name me one.
Historians will remember GHB with all his faults. Why is it wrong to give him one day of mourning and soft focus?
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@Jim
I will bet you any amount of money that if you name anyone in history who has had to lead a nation state/ political organization involved in actual conflict, I will be able to rattle off a similar list. That is the unsavoury nature of politics and power. Presidents and prime ministers can not be saints; it would have been a dereliction of his duties, if Bush were to behave with the kind of moral clarity you demand.
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@Mercury S
In 1992 George Herbert Walker Bush shamelessly defended fossil fuel interests in Rio opposing action against global climate change. In my opinion it was not doing "no bad things". In my view it was a gigantic dereliction of duty.
"Bad things" were the Willie Horton and such campaign dirty tricks, the Iran Contra scandal leading to humanitarian catastrophe in Central America, the miscalculation that something good will come out giving aid to a vicious despot like the Shah of Iran (if you think vicious is an overstatement read an account in the New York Times reporting on the Shah's terror organization. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/18/archives/savak-agent-describes-how-he-tortured-hundreds-trial-is-in-a-mosque.html )
I am willing to forget and forgive these "bad things" as necessary part of governing in a complex world. But not the betrayal of "duty first" when Bush sabotaged the The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, held from June 3 to 14 1992.
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Tributes to George HW are justified and this one is particularly elegant.
But I worry that in tribute we lose perspective. HW's genteel manners and traditionalism are celebrated, but they are also qualities that need examination, not fawning celebration.
Traditionalism and noblesse oblige are, to be sure, vastly preferable to the coarse and dishonest tone of Trump era politics. But those are not the only choices.
My old friend William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was "Poppy's" classmate at Yale. Coffin was a vital anti-war voice as Yale Chaplain and dedicated his life to social justice. He had little enthusiasm for HW, seeing him as a somewhat vacuous prep school sort, whose pleasant demeanor was endearing, but lacking conviction.
The problem with patricians like Prescott and George HW is that to them good manners meant not rocking the boat, even when the "boat" needed a good rocking. HW was a true conservative in that he conserved white, elite privilege. Gentle and kind are marvelous qualities until and unless passion and resistance are necessary.
Coffin, who died in 2006, was also unfailingly polite and kind, but not gentle. He used his privileged background to thunder at injustice and was constantly reexamining his understanding of a complex, inclusive world.
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@Barking Doggerel I was brought up in a highly opinionated family that had been Republicans for nearly 100 years. I was brought up to believe that one must have passion, conviction, grit. My father felt that GHW Bush had none of these qualities. He felt the same way about my FIL.
Over the years, I came to see that we need BOTH kinds of people in this world. My FIL served on the BOD of many non-profits, community organizations and some publicly held companies as well. Like President Bush, he was a genial man who was not at all into "rocking the boat". What he WAS very good at was getting the "boat" stable and making sure that it was sea-worthy.
If one has only people with strong, passionate ideals at both ends of a spectrum, nothing is ever accomplished. A truly great leader is one who can convince BOTH sides that they agree on more things than they disagree on, and bring them together, toward the middle, to reach a compromise that is palatable for all and is doable.
Sloane Coffin was a controversial and divisive man. Yes, he inspired people to think about the status quo but such men will never bring people together.
We need a LOT more people in government today who can do what GHW Bush did and who will have the respect of both parties.
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GWH Bush was a gentleman, a very kind person, a patrician with "uncommon grace" (Frank Bruni). But also, he is sadly with the Willie Horton add and the place he gave to Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson at the 1992 Republican Convention one of those responsible with Nixon, Reagan,... of the transformation of the Republican Party from a conservative party with an extremist fringe to an extremist party with a conservative fringe. And we know the result: Donald Trump.
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A beautiful paean to a kind, gentle man. Thank you, Mr. Bruni.
Why do we appreciate what we had only when it's gone?
How do we appreciate kindness and gentleness when life in so many ways, from politics to capitalism to culture, has become blood sport?
"I have found happiness. I no longer pursue it, for it is mine." I may not have always agreed with your politics but I respect, applaud, and will do my best to learn from your wisdom.
Thank you, President Bush, and best wishes to the Bush family.
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Frank, you’ve captured exactly what I feel. In poetic and obviously heartfelt language. You, Sir, are the collective soul and grace of the NYT. I sincerely thank you.
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@Phyliss Dalmatian
Well said Phyliss. Seriously.
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George HW Bush was first and foremost a gentleman , a trait so valued in a President and head of the Republican Party. That today's Republicans are but a shadow of him is a fall from grace from which they will not soon recover.
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Like George H.W. Bush or dislike him, there's no way to argue that he didn't recognize the true worth of diplomacy, having served for years as a diplomat himself and something that makes the contrast between his presidency and the one we have now all the more unsettling.
And it's especially not difficult to miss the hypocrisy of Donald Trump's sudden public ruminations of Mr. Bush's desire to put a Kinder, Gentler face on this nation. Something that so far he has made no effort in doing.
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I get so weary of all this. Usually, I don't even bother to read this stuff. The "extraordinary" photograph of former, very rich, government elites getting along and just loving the heck out of each other. In the name of civility, they can brush aside inconvenient truths such as torture, illegal wars, ecocide, bailing out the banks, soldiers unnecessarily maimed or killed due to unnecessary military adventures and crimes, drones, people without health insurance, the homeless, the safety net shredded, illegal surveillance on the citizens of this country, war crimes, hundreds of thousands dead around the world. But look how pretty and civilized they are together. It's beautiful. Makes my heart sing. And all of them with their untold tens of millions of dollars are still being subsidized by the American taxpayer. This is the nonsense that's perpetuated by media and political elites, like Mr. Bruni. They tell themselves and the people nice bedtime stories about what this country is and what our lovely values are. People delude themselves into believing one side or the other is the good guy - when the truth is that they're all in it together - and the people who get all caught up in their PR, are the dupes in their particular game of thrones, while people suffer under all their "leadership."
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@Kate Flannery
It's for this purpose that the Frank Brunis of the world are offered lifetime employment.
The step from from restaurant reviews to amnesiac op-ed hagiography is one but appetizer away.
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Thanks, @Kate Flannery, for saving me the trouble.
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@Kate Flannery
Very well said. Yes, they are playing the "mutual admiration society" game. Having witnessed all the carnage they have wrought, encouraged, or failed to document during my 71 years on earth, I am weary of ALL of them.
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It is interesting to note whom history treats kindly in hindsight and whom it does not. I was not a fan of GHWB's politics or presidency, but what, and whom, followed him offers important context, and perhaps room to apply the wisdom and kindness that he sought to affirm later in his own life as well. It is impossible to imagine a president who achieves the office without employing or benefiting from some of politics' dark arts, but some who end up sitting in that chair believably seem to seek some measure of redemption. The contrast between then and now is sharply painful, for it is a measure of the portion of our nation's soul and moral compass that we have sheared off and apparently foresworn. There is reason to hope -- and work for -- the pendulum's return from the venal, harshly divisive position it now occupies. RIP, President Bush.
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@Stephen
As the director of the CIA you might have engaged in one or two "dark arts"?
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I am one of those older liberals who had a hard time with Bush 2 (not to mention those who came after), and longed for the earlier days of Bush 1, with more decorum and class and the ability to compromise. Although he didn't succeed all the time, I felt he resisted strongly the worst that politics could bring out. And he may have been the last president to truly embody the concept of Service. It seems that in politics, as in other areas of conflict, we are driven to the lowest common denominator (most aggressive or violent) in order to "win." His resistance to those forces can be an example for us all. That is one way to make America great again.
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