his ability to improvise. to be almost like a guerrilla fighter and live off the land. to do what we need to do to get the job done. >> from the very beginning, not all groups were included in what an american was. certainly, minority groups were not. and women were not. they were not considered citizens. that changes over time. over time, more and more people are brought into the american family. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's you in a. -- q and a. >> former president george h.w. bush has died in houston at age 94. along with being the 41st president, he was a world war ii combat pilot, republican congressman from texas, a party chairman, ambassador to the u.n. , head of the cia and vice

president to president reagan. this morning, during the takeington journal" we your calls on the life and legacy of george herbert walker bush. your calls and comments live next on "washington journal." >> -- we treated the white house as the people's house and treated the office with respect (202) 748-8001. that is much more important than any individual piece of legislation. >> here here. host: good morning, and welcome to "washington journal." remembering the life of the 45th u.s. president, george herbert walker bush. bush was the youngest navy pilot in world war ii and the last world war ii veteran to serve as u.s. president.

he became the first president since john adams >> >> to >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> this >> 43rd president, -- george herbert walker died friday at age 94. we want to hear what you have to say about president george h.w. bush, so if you live in the eastern or central time zones, we want you to call in at (202) 748-8000. in the mountain or pacific time zones, (202) 748-8001. if you are in the military, active duty or retired, we have a special line for you, (202) 748-8002. you can always reach us on social media at c-span wj on and on facebook at facebook.com/c-span.

received a statement from the office of former president george h.w. bush this morning, which i want to read to you. we also received a tweet from president donald trump this morning a couple of hours ago. president george h w bush led a

long, successful, a beautiful life. whenever i was with him i saw his absolute joy for life and true pride in his family. his accomplishments were great from beginning to end. he was a truly wonderful man and will be missed by all. i would also like to read you one more statement from president bush's son, president george w. bush.

let's hear from ken calling from free mount, -- fremont, california. caller: i think president george h.w. bush did a great job as our 45th -- 41st commander in chief. he organized operation desert storm and desert seal. he signed the most comprehensive clean air act into law and sign the americans with disabilities act into law. as a disabled american, my hat goes off to him. 1997,e him a letter in during the lewinsky scandal, and he wrote me back a very nice response. i love president bush very much and i'm going to miss him very much. host: we have a tweet that just

came in from former governor jeb bush from florida which says -- i already miss the greatest human being that i ever will know. love you, dad. here is a story sent out this morning by "the associated press." "he was the man who sought a kinder, gentler nation, and who sternly invited americans to read his lips, he would not raise taxes. he was the popular leader of a mighty coalition that dislodged iraq from kuwait and was turned out of the presidency after a single turn. wasblooded and genteel, he elected in one of the nastiest campaigns in recent history. george herbert walker bush was many things, including the only second american to see his son follow him into the nation's higher -- highest office, but

more than anything else, he was a believer." "there is no higher honor than to serve free men and women come no greater privilege -- the american flag." in 1989,enior staffers days after he told -- took office. josephine is calling from livingston, new jersey. caller: what can you say about the man? he had prestige. he was respected, loved, especially by the troops. you are going to hear that time and again. his wife and he were with the troops, not on the phone. he was there, physically for them, and they knew that. he had their back. , man like that with integrity

and the other more important he, withmpassion, that the wall finally coming down it not go -- he did not go, we are the greatest. he thought it would be better to quietly end the berlin wall, a wall that everybody hated. walls are hated by the people in the world but we seem to have one that thinks a wall now will be the creation of safety. it is not. it creates hate. here is a man who exemplifies what this nation when they are at our greatest. host: let's go to sean from spring, texas. good morning. caller: how are you doing? let me interrupt you. can you turn your television down and then start again? caller: i had my television

muted. i turned it off. a few years back, i met jeb bush's son, george p. bush. i was impressed. most people thought they lived a very good life and were out of touch, but when you make them, they are very down to earth. they talk to the average person the same way they talk to an important government leader. everybody i have talked to in the houston area has said the same thing, they really are a remarkable family to meet. the are very laid-back. they do not have a lot of pride or carry themselves with arrogance. it is really refreshing. i think every american should have had an opportunity to meet a member of the bush family. i walked out with a lot of respect for them.

a lot of people say the bushes are very down to earth, and every american should have a chance to meet one of them. from dealio is calling albuquerque, new mexico. caller: thank you for c-span. god bless president bush. he was one of the best that we had. he will be greatly missed. compared to the abomination we have in the white house right now, the class act that we see in president bush, oh my goodness. , civility, ira hope they can continue this. listen, president trump. listen. we need some unity. god bless you all. thank you. to amwell calling from calabash, north carolina, active duty.

good morning. can you speak up? we can hear you. them.m to have lost former president bush sat and talked with c-span back in 1999 a little bit about his life and career. here is a portion of what he had to say. [video clip] >> go back to when you started your presidency. you were vice president, had all these other jobs, and all of a sudden you raised your hand. do you feel different? >> yes. >> what happens? >> i vowed when i went to the white house that i would not complain about the loneliness of the job. if anybody understood the burdens on my shoulders, then they would understand, would be more understanding of why i did this or that. i am alone here. i cannot turn to anybody. that is a bunch of malarkey.

i was blessed from day one with a first-class team, a team of experts in foreign policy that knew more about it than i did, arms control or defense strategy and all of this. i was blessed on the economics side with smart, knowledgeable people. to have confidence in somebody else and you are willing to delegate, all of this burden stuff is not gone forever, but partially reduced so the day i walked in, i knew what my team was going to be for the most part. i had seen ronald reagan under pressure, so at least i was prepared for the magnitude of the job, not that you ever can think i am capable of solving every problem. it was not as if i had never been close. if i had not seen it operate, maybe it would have been more awesome. it was still awesome.

i remember sitting there with my mother, the first pictures that were ever taken as president, and the first day in the oval office was with my mother. it was some kind of symbolism to that, because she had taught me a lot about values and taught me a lot about trying to do it right in life. ,he fact that she was there kind of was setting the tone for how i want to treat other people. [end video clip] host: sean is calling from nashville, tennessee. good morning. caller: i just want to start off with saying, read my lips. that was his quote. whoou go back and look at his father was, prescott bush, they tried to do a coup on the government in the united states. i know people will not look at that and a kind of buried that. when you move forward, when he

became president -- jimmy carter was president and they had 11 an issue with the plane, -- lebanon issue with the plane, they had hostages, that is how he became president. then he tried to assassinate reagan and reagan became the , proppingug dealer crack and stuff to los angeles neighborhoods. i could go on. it is what it is. host: let's go to clay, calling from aurora, north carolina. caller: i just want to have my condolences out to the bush family, a great family, great patriots. , i got to meet him when he was campaigning for president, and then got to play in a parade for his inauguration. my heart goes out to him.

this is a time we should all come together and just honor the life of a great american. god bless america and god bless north carolina. host: just in the last couple of months, president bush still continued to participate in american democracy. jim mcgrath, one of president bush's friends posted this picture on twitter. the 41st president accompanied by his two best friends, jim baker and sully, discharging his civic duty and voting today. this is a president -- of picture of president bush voting in the midterm. he was one of the few presidents who continued to be good friends with both the men who replaced him as president and the men who came after him. former president barack obama was one of the last men to meet

with president bush in houston before his death. we have a statement from the office of barack and michelle obama. "america has lost a patriot and humble servant in george herbert walker bush. while our hearts are heavy, they are also filled gratitude, not merely for the years spent as our 41st president, but for the more than 70 years he spent as a devoted surgeon for the country he loved, as a decorated naval aviator who nearly gave his life, to commander in chief of our armed forces, with plenty of posts along the way. u.s. envoy to china, vice president of the united states. george h.w. bush's life is a testament to the notion that public service is a noble and joyous calling and he did tremendous good along the way, expanding america's promise to

immigrants and people with disabilities, juicing the scourge of nuclear weapons and expelling a dictator from kuwait. when democratic revolutions loomed, it was a steady diplomatic hand who made possible ending the cold war without firing a shot. it is a legacy of service that may never be matched, although he would want all of us to try. " a statement that came from the office it -- office of president and hillary clinton. we mourn the passing of george h w bush and give thanks to his long life of service. . will be forever grateful struck by the kindness he showed to chelsea, and by his devotion to barbara and their

growing brood. few americans have been or will be able to match president bush's record of service to the united states and the joy he took every day from it. from his service in world war ii to his work in congress, the central intelligence agency, the vice presidency, and the presidency, where he worked to --e the post-cold war world w r after hurricane katrina. his mark of a leadership and great heart were always on full display. i am profoundly grateful for every minute i spent with president bush and will always hold our friendship is one of my life's greatest gifts. with theirare families and the entire bush clan." james is calling from chapel hill, north carolina. good morning. caller: thank you for having me on.

i just want to give my condolences to the bush family. served this have country very honorably. as a historian, and i am an academic historian, one of the debates about the h.w. presidency and serving one turn -- term, and one thing that stuck to me, he was a well-liked president but i think so -- i think when he says read my lips, no new taxes, and when they shut down the government for a short time, that more than anything else probably hurt him during his reelection campaign, along with the candidacy of ross perot. possibly it is a lost opportunity. who really knows how that kind of thing works out? definitely, thank you all for giving the coverage to this. it is a really important story.

host: carl is calling from the bronx in new york. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. first, i disagree with many of lovedsh's policies but i the man. he was probably one of the most genuinely nice human, caring, friendly, empathetic person we have ever known. perhaps one of the rare great republican presidents of this country's history. bush leaves a complicated legacy. he gave us the end of the cold war, the fall of the berlin wall . the clean victory over iraq without the endless wasnglements that his son sent to. from to becoming president

his service in world war ii to his ambassadorship to china, leaving the cia and as vice president -- leaving the cia and as vice president, he also gave us dan quayle and the invasion of panama. to think he could get away with invading kuwait, the economy. after becoming reagan's running i think it was first mccain and it is now bush. it is as though god is trying to shame republicans into remembering what the party once represented. thank you so much. thank you, c-span. the: one of the things that george h.w. bush president will be remembered for is his famous "read my lips",. here is republican presidential

nominee george h.w. bush at the 1988 republican national convention in new orleans delivering that line. [video clip] bush: my opponent will not rule out raising taxes but i will. congress will push and i will say no. they will push again and i will say to them -- "read my lips, no new taxes." [cheers and applause] [end video clip] host: marilla is calling from washington, d c -- washington, d.c. caller: there are so many wonderful things that people are saying and i will not repeat them, so i thought i would share a vignette of his life. i was a political appointee although i did not work directly in the white house.

i was on two commercial sites reflectswhich to me the great humility of this man. on the one flight i had with him from honolulu, hawaii to houston, texas, i sat right next to him. the man could not have been nicer, more engaged with me. we had an hour-long conversation about his administration, the people we knew. he was just as nice to me and as nice as he was to the flight attendants. i just left with the same feeling i had always had about him, that he is just a humble with the soul of great humanity that anyone can ask for. the other flight was from houston to washington, d.c. he went up and went to the galley and talked to the flight

attendants and entertained autographs to the passengers in the back. it is a great testament to this wonderful man and what a great loss and is for our country -- great lost it is for our country. i have hope that yet another loss of a great republican like john mccain will serve to highlight the horrible situation that we are in under the current president. thank you so much. host: mark is calling from novelty, ohio. caller: good morning. thank you for c-span. it is about time, after his wife kicked off a few months ago. a lot of people do not know. barbara, daughter of alastair crowley, one of the biggest satanists in the world, that is what these people followed. callingt's go to jim

for more chester, massachusetts. -- worcester, massachusetts. caller: i am very proud of president bush, although i did not vote for him. for viceor him president twice and that is the only time i ever did vote republican, and successfully. , reading with him political sites when he was the when stuff wasan changing from democrat to republican. he was one of the pioneers and that probably led to the presidency of the republican party or national chairman. when i was in washington, d.c., i worked across the street from the white house and then i moved to lincoln, massachusetts, where one day on a snowy day outside, i was at the post office and i went into a little side shop

handicrafts,ad and and i was talking to this lady for a long time. she, i later learned, was his sister. she was so modest. she mentioned one thing. my brother rides on air force one. it was at the air force base that time next to lincoln. they were wonderful family. and hisreat values example of public service is something we do not get very often. i am also very proud of our current president who came out of the business world. there is a lot of pluses and minuses. whoot to look at every man puts his foot up there to be president is going to take a lot of criticism, and a lot of

accolades. george bush deserves the highest of them. the one hesitancy i have is a retired military member is that in the 100 day war, we did not go all the way to baghdad and at that don -- sadam time. that is the only criticism i have. he did get us out of there weekly. -- quickly. that is what we need to see from future presidents, get us out of wars as soon as possible, but if possible win and win decisively, putting the enemy down. president bush, thank you, thank you so much for your life. host: tributes are still coming in from around the nation. we have a tweet from former texas governor rick perry -- our nation honors the

life and legacy of president george h.w. bush. his unwavering service to our country and his family are unparalleled. we also have a tweet from greg abbott -- texas mourns the loss of one of our greatest residents, george -- presidents, george h w bush. he was an american hero, an icon. he was a friend to all he met. he embodied class and dignity. on behalf of the lone star state, celia and i -- cecilia and i offer our thoughts and prayers to the entire bush family. president george h w bush loved was texas a&m for all . this was in a texas a&m game in college station. he will always be cherished for his love of texas tradition. let's go to andy from owensboro, kentucky. caller: good morning.

alluld like to thank you for the good job you do every day. i take my hat off to you. i remember when mr. bush went to illinois, and my dad was a coal miner. one of his partners that they was down working, the guy told my dad, i have never seen a president. my dad said, we will go through a couple of these tunnels and be there when they bring him down. they made their way through and sure enough, when mr. bush landed they was able to meet mr. bush and shake his hand. another thing i remember is when the war did break out, before that i remember when mr. bush called billy graham and billy graham came to the white house and they prayed before mr. bush did anything. praying ateed more

the white house and all over. i just think the lord for mr. bush -- thank the lord for mr. bush, for the service he did. my prayer goes out to his family, because i lost my dad and i know how it is. i know what they are going through right now. we just need to be praying also for our president right now, mr. trump. he is facing a lot on his plate, and we need to be praying, america. we need to turn back to the bible. host: justin is calling from petaluma, california. i just wanted to respond to the last person who was speaking. when georgeager bush was the president.

i have always been raised but we have had so many republicans before that, that when clinton won the we were, something hoping was going to happen. this last man is talking about wasbilly graham, i think it come went and saw the president. -- i think it was, went and saw the president. they prayed together and something. i just wanted to know if that gentleman knew that really graham was caught with a -- billy graham was caught with a prostitute. i feel sorry for the younger bush family.

i would not want anybody in my family to die. i am really not going to say much anything bad about bush, except that there were people who thought he was coming from the cia, that he was very dangerous. times, and nowe i am us wish we had somebody like him. he actually disagreed with our current president on many issues. thank you, and i watch your show every night. host: let's go to tammy from new york. good morning. caller: yale skull and bones. host: let's go to william calling from northampton, massachusetts. caller: how are you doing?

i just wanted to say that president bush back in the 1990's, i was a younger person. votes my first time to during the third-party candidate when ross perot came on the ticket. first time a third-party candidate took enough votes from either party to swing the vote totally in the other direction, and that is why clinton had his administration for eight years after that. that was pretty significant. while ross perot had every right to vote, he used his money and power in a different way and really disrupted the chain of things, the natural progression, with his third-party entry. host: tweets are in tribute to president bush coming in from

all sides of the aisle. here is a tweet from senator amy klobuchar -- george h.w. bush was the last world war ii veteran to serve as president, but also remember him as a statesman. he treated friends and rivals with great dignity, and viewed the world through the lens of history. americans have lost a true leader. justin is calling from montgomery, texas. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you so much for taking my call. he was the sort of man who forged documents in order to dodge the draft. that says it all about this person. however, people often ask me where i stand politically. i believe he was a child of satan sent to destroy the planet. george h.w. bush was a criminal. going to be joined by presidential historian

douglas brinkley on the phone right now to talk about george h.w. bush. good morning. guest: good morning. host: how will president george h.w. bush be remembered? how should he be remembered? guest: he will be remembered as a man of great dignity and character, somebody who represented the best of the great world war ii generation, and as president, we are always going to remember what an amazing job he did in u.s. foreign policy. he got sworn in, in 1989, and that his inaugural we call it the new breeze inaugural. philosophy --f one did not believe a democracy was going to spread that quickly as inferred in his speech, but sure enough, by 1989, a series

of events happened, mainly the berlin wall coming down. that had been the symbol of soviet to tell a tear in his him and divide -- totalitarianism, and dividing. young people in blue jeans listening to rock 'n roll music, nobody responded, nothing happened. bush suddenly got to be the president to oversee the berlin wall coming down, then germany reunification, making sure there were no loose nuclear weapons around that part of the world and eastern europe or in the former soviet republic because the former soviet union collapsed in 1991. the point being, there was a great help of this presidency of a democratic world order that was triumphing over communism, and he was the perfect agent to that change because he was up

upbeat,er rubbed -- never rubbed winning in other spaces. he was self-motivated and self-deprecating, and the public loved him. 1992 and that led to bill clinton coming into power. he is seen as a patriarchal .igure in the republican party he is the father of george w. bush and jeb bush. a political story of the family looms large in the same way that john adams and john quincy adams did. host: in his one term, his popularity did a jump after desert storm, but then went down with the economy. how do we judge the one term that he served as president, considering those two high and low points? caller: on foreign affairs, it was excellent. guest: -- on foreign affairs, it

was excellent. his handling of the gulf war was masterfully done. bush organized the coalition of the willing, nato countries, united nations countries, basically got the world to agree that that was an act that could not be tolerated, invading the sanctity and takeover of kuwait. he did a masterful job of not rushing to action, but to organizing world working together. that is exactly what we need to do in the modern world. he will be remembered, i think, for that. the wartime president who won his war. economy, remember in 1992 when james garfield said the economy is stupid, he started the year, bush 41, he threw up in a british prime minister's lap and it was kind of a strange visual moment.

the economy cap getting worse and worse, and then ross perot entered the campaign is an independent. seldom does a third-party candidate garner as much is 19% of the vote, but that is what perot did in 1992. it allowed the clinton to become president. he is never going to be seen as one of the mount rushmore presidents because when you are one term, it is hard to be that. he is going to be seen perhaps is our best one term foreign-policy president and has a dynasty in politics with his children, who became a symbol of the old america-i of patriotism and can dosm which was part of the world war ii generation. host: you had the generational shift between president george h.w. bush, a member of the greatest generation, and his successor, bill clinton, a baby

boomer. was president bush's term the end of an era for the u.s. presidency? guest: i think it was. you do see the republican party continuing to go to war heroes and veteran politics. nomination.l get a he loses. hero,ccain, vietnam war got to run against obama, loses. there used to be an american history. having military service was very important because you were able to see through the military, your leadership abilities. by the time you became president , your military background mattered. bill clinton never see your dish served in vietnam. -- served in vietnam. he avoided the draft and was protesting it.

he took a rhodes scholarship to england and did anything he could to have deferments from the war. 1992s an odd spectacle in where you have this extraordinary navy pilot from world war ii running against somebody who avoided military service. once bill clinton won, we recognized he was the face of the new way of american being. no longer are people putting their military background front and center to run for office like they used to do. , andwas a man of many hats the fact that he had run for congress in won, that he had been a leader of harris county , bytics in houston, texas age 40 he had become a millionaire working in the oil and gas world. the fact that he was a andomatic envoy to china our ambassador to the united nations and director of the cia. in eight years, ronald reagan's vice president, they start

piling up, and you recognize this is a man devoted to public service in the best sense of those words. we now miss him. it seems like the song, "where have you gone, joe dimaggio, our nation turns its lonely heart to you?" what happened to the diplomat and states person in american international affairs? host: wrap up for us, tell us the one thing that president george h.w. bush will be remembered for. caller: i think the one thing -- guest: i think the one thing is interacting with mikhail gorbachev and overseeing the end of the soviet union, the fact that the u.s. s r -- ussr collapsed during his watch on president and help astutely he handled that collapse by not gloating and realizing things could go amiss, but doing

everything he could to help russia transit from its breakup in a way that did not create mass instability in the balkans, into central europe. he was able to stay optimistic but not gloating when the fact of the matter was, he was the president in charge when the united states did indeed win the cold war after all those long decades. host: we would like to thank presidential historian douglas brinkley for being with us this morning and sharing his memories of president george h.w. bush. guest: thank you. host: let's go to sandy, calling for more stint, tennessee. --orriston,en m tennessee. caller: it is sad that i can see why now our country is in the state it is in.

when people call in with vile and repulsive remarks, they cannot show compassion for family that just lost a father and grandfather. they want to blame it on our current president, but listening to their comments, our current president does not have anything to do with the hatred in their heart. it is not even to say that not even on one day when we are trying to show respect for former president that passed away, they still have to skew their hatred for the president we have now. host: let's go to samuel calling from new york. good morning. caller: good morning. george w. bush was it -- george h.w. bush was a genuinely decent person. he was the best president ever. why are people saying he is satan? he is satanerves -- incarnate, he was a traitor to this country.

host: there were several phrases that president george h.w. bush entered into the american lexicon. during his campaign for the republican nomination against soon-to-be president ronald reagan, we got the term voodoo economics. during his presidency, the points of light phrase entered the american lexicon. here is a clip of george h.w. bush at the 1989 inauguration, discussing points of light and his philosophy for governing. [video clip] >> i have spoken of a thousand of theof light, of all community organizations spread like stars throughout the nation doing good. we will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding,

we will work on this in the white house, in the cabinet agency. i will go to the people in the programs that are the brighter points of light and i will ask every member of my government to become involved. the old ideas are new again because they are not old. they are timeless. duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part in pitching in. [end video clip] host: tributes are coming in from around the nation and both sides of the political spectrum for president george h.w. bush. here is a tweet from senator pat roberts.

here is another tweet from texas senator john cornyn. cassandra calling from fort washington, maryland. caller: thank you, sir. how are you? host: just fine. go ahead. caller: i want to give my deepest condolence to the bush family and i also want to say that those coming in and making main comments, do not bother calling in. host: calling from falls church, virginia, good morning. caller: good morning, and thank you for taking my call. i am calling to express the gratitude of the tibetan american community to george

h.w. bush for being the first american president to meet. that meeting has changed the american political course. successive -- presidents have met, including his son george w. bush, who they consider a close friend, and president obama and president clinton. despite president bush having some interest in engagement with china, he did not feel that the dilemma was an impediment to u.s.-china relations. host: peggy is calling from surely, new york. caller: good morning. i am calling because everything is not daisies and butterflies. president bush was involved with the iran contra scandal, which brought a lot of crack into them nine states -- into the united states.

there was money used for weapons . the collusion with saudi arabia after 9/11 to get the bin ladens out of the country. they invaded kuwait for oil. he was an oilman. that is all i have to say. host: here is former president bush's answer when asked about the role former presidents should serve, at an event in houston. [video clip] >> i think each one has to make up his own mind, and there should not be one formula fits all. harry truman wrote this book about after you get out of the presidency, and it had one chapter, what to do about former presidents . he suggested making former president numbers of congress for life, no right to vote, the worst idea i ever heard of. [laughter] sitting around and doing nothing, not voting.

i respect the others for what they do, but what we have decided to do is try with barbara's literacy and my help on some of these relief efforts, and possibly be what i used to call 1000 points of light, helping the community, going to our library, and helping others. one definition of successful life does not include service. the reason for less visibility is if i started getting low -- high profile and giving press conferences, they would rush down and say, look what the nutty father said. me tois no reason for still be elbowing my way onto the stage. largely, because i do not want to complicate the life of the 43rd president. it has been a little bit of adjustment, but it is a pretty

easy way to do it, and we are very happy. we have a great life. [end video clip] host: andrew is calling from white plains, new york. .aller: thank you for c-span i am a democrat and i do not have an affinity for mr. bush, but there was an anecdotal story that during the first gulf war, the united states air force was essentially having a shooting match, wiping out retreating iraqi armies moving north toward baghdad. when bush saw what was happening, he called and end to it. i thought that showed a certain amount of compassion and i admire him for doing that. i hope that people who call respect the fact that we should not speak ill of the dead. host: there is a tweet from peter baker. one of the things he pointed out -- here's the tweet -- one of the last people to visit george h.w. bush, barack obama, who saw my buddy 41 in houston.

in that visit, obama said bush and james baker deserve a norma's credit for managing the end of the cold war in a way that could have been sideways. we have a statement here from james baker, who was a longtime of presidentworker george h.w. bush. the legacy of george h.w. bush will forever be etched in the history of america and the world. it is a lifelong record of selfless patriotic service to our nation. he was the youngest navy pilot in world war ii, texas congressman, u.n. ambassador, america's first envoy to china, cia director, vice president, and president. in each position he led with strength, integrity, compassion, and humility, characteristics that to find a truly great man and effective leader. with a singularly unique

consistency, he always demonstrated these traits, whether on the global stage or interacting with people in his everyday life. his passion was a deep love of family and our country. it was my pleasure and great joy to of had him as my special friend from our than 60 years. susan joins me in grieving the passing of our dear friend and sending the entire bush family our deepest love and condolences. gary is calling from east brunswick, new jersey. caller: good morning. thank you. i am 80 years old. was onegeorge h.w. bush of the great presidents of the united states. i am a student of history, and the beautiful message of secretary baker is unbelievable. george h.w. bush did not wear his wealth on his sleeve. he was a great man, a great humanitarian, a great

politician, and he was the common man come opposite of today. it is unfortunate we do not have leaders like this today. he was not only director of the cia, he was also besides being the president, the vice president. daughtermy young late and i and my wife came to the eggroll on the lawn. george h.w. bush handed her and easter egg. we are not of the christian faith, but we came to participate in the american tradition. i mourn this morning the passing of george h.w. bush. host: let's go to michael calling from watkins glen, new york. caller: good morning. my vision of george h.w. bush was one, he was a great politician, and he did a lot for our country in the service he gave. he was the representation of a good institution of family

across the united states. i leave with that note. the last thing i would like to say is, it is a shame we cannot say that about the current president. let that sink in. have a good day. host: here is george h.w. bush's 1989 inaugural address where he talks about freedoms vital role in our democracy. [video clip] peaceful, in a prosperous time, and we can make it better. for a new breeze is blowing in a world refreshed by freedom seems heart ifor in man's not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. [applause] passing.itarian era is it's old ideas, blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree.

a new breeze is blowing and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. there is new ground to be broken and new action to be taken. there are times when the future seems thick as a fog. you sit and wait, hoping the lift and reveal a clear path. it seems this is a door you can walk right through, in a room called tomorrow. great nations across the world are moving toward democracy through the world of freedom. men and women move through free markets through the door prosperity. people of the world agitate first -- first free expression door of thought to the satisfaction that only liberty allows. we know what works. freedom works. we know what is right. freedom is right.

we know how to secure a more just and prosperous life for man on earth, through free markets, free speech, free elections, and the exercise of free will unhampered by the state. [end video clip] host: domingo is calling from midland, texas. caller: good morning. i would like to talk about the bush,on of president number 41, and also barbara bush of the the other members bush family who were politicians , who put their hands on their hearts when it comes to the u.s. constitution and the flag of the united states being raised, because the u.s. constitution

says government must justly compensate when private properly is used. they are promised to defend the united states constitution. bushhen president bush, gw was asked by a reporter, $300, wasbush, that that your idea? president bush, 43 was caught unaware, and he just simply got got that thinghe from me, you know. maybe four days before, i told bushto c-span, that gw just got this idea for me. that is why he gave everybody $300 weekly, which was my $300

that i put to everybody as an example of what government should do, and give $300 to these people. react?d this bush family did they ever compensate me for this? printed billions of dollars to give these people, to give them $300. phone,oining us on the we have usa today's washington bureau chief susan page to talk to us about george h.w. bush. good morning. guest: it is great to be with you. host: what will president george h.w. bush be remembered for? guest: he will be remembered for being a president, for being the father of another president, and for being the leader who

negotiated the perlis end of the perilou -- para less -- s end of the cold war. he had the perfect background to deal with those days. also, marshaling an international coalition to expel iraqi invaders from kuwait. he was a consequential president. host: during his one term as president, he had the highest approval rating directly after operation desert storm, but by the end of his term his writings have gone down because of the domestic economy. what caused that huge swing in popularity for him? guest: he did have that record popularity after the war that lasted just six weeks. was in that way, a very commanding victory.

it was a time when people were feeling uncertain about their own lives, their economy, the future of jobs and education for bush had trouble pivoting to a domestic agenda. then he was facing this charismatic younger politician, as young as his son, bill clinton. he was focused entirely on people's lives in america and the anxiety they were feeling. he was defeated for reelection. that was a painful defeat for him. it took him some time to get over it. in one of those remarkable turns, t.n. bill clinton became such good friends. he and bill clinton became such good friends. host: you have a book coming up about former first lady barbara bush. what role did she play during the george h.w. bush presidency?

how is a relationship inside the white house with president george h.w. bush? guest: i think barbara bush took pains to not make it clear how much influence she had. she had a traditional approach that he was the president and she was not. that was a great contrast to what was up publicly with the clintons. behind-the-scenes she was enormously influential. she was influential in some ways we knew. her focus on adult literacy, a cause she pursued for most of her adult life. she was influential on things like pushing the president to do more to address the hiv-eight crisis. --aids crisis. she was an important sounding board for him during those difficult days before the iraq war. only with the benefit of history and some reporting, we know he

relied on her common sense in her judgment about what was happening. he had her in some important secret meetings that were very closely held because he wanted the sense of what should be done. host: how much influence and how much advice did there son, george w. bush get from his father and his mother during his presidency? guest: that is such a great question because his father, george h.w. bush declared he was not going to give advice that was not asked for. george w. bush did not ask his father for a lot of advice. he made a point that he was the one at the intelligence and briefings, and not his father. his mother did not take such a vow. she gave her some quite a bit of advice in his two terms. host: president george h.w. bush

for his more foreign-policy achievements during his domestic policy achievements. how was he as a former president? how involved with the in affairs around the nation and around the world when he left the white house? guest: president bush made a decision he should try to step back from public affairs, from speaking out because it was a new president. a president who had defeated him. i think he quite consciously thought it was not his time in the spotlight. he continued to give speeches. he co-authored a book about foreign-policy challenges he had faced. he chose not to play a public role in the nation's politics. even in more recent times with another sun running for 2016, the jeb bush in

campaign for him and supported him but he did not get involved in the political back and forth in the way that politicians who are on the scene running for office were doing. he thought that was not the right role for a former president. host: one of the more interesting things seems to have been his friendship with the man who defeated him for the presidency, bill clinton. they seem to have become really good friends. can you talk about the relationship they had after the time of the white house? guest: it is such a remarkable story and reflects the openness that both men had to turning a new page. they had quite a bitter election intle, which clinton won which wounded george h.w. bush for some time. yet for the benefit of some time passing they worked on projects together, and especially after

clinton himself had left the white house. they formed a remarkable bond. some people think it was almost the bond between a father and son. they used bush family to jokingly call bill clinton the brother from another mother with the idea that george h.w. bush was in some ways the father of both george w. bush and bill clinton. i interviewed the clinton about his relationship with the bushes a few months ago for the book i have done. he talked about how much it meant to him, how much he enjoyed going up there to kennebunkport to see the former president. host: we will like to thank susan page for coming on the phone with us this morning and talking about her memories and work with president george h.w. bush. thank you so much. guest: thank you. from let's go back to lou

greenlawn, new york. caller: thank you, c-span. thank you for everything you do. i went to a specified condolences to the bush family. president bush was a great american and a great patriot. that is really all i have to say. thank you so much. host: i want to read to you from the new york times about the death of president george h.w. bush. bush, the 41st president of the united states and the father of the 43rd, who steered the nation during a tumultuous a secondt was denied term after support for his presidency collapsed under the weight of an economic downturn and seeming inattention to domestic affairs, died on friday night at his home in houston. he was 94. his death came less than eight months after that of his wife of 73 years, part of bush.

mr. bush had a form of parkinson's disease that forced him to use a wheelchair, and he had been in and out of hospitals during that time as his health declined. in april, a day after attending mrs. bush's funeral, he was treated for an infection that had spread to his blood. former president george w. bush listed his ideas for a eulogy, but he proved resilient. he told well-wishers to put the harp back in the closet. 1993,ved from 1989 to capping a career of more than 40 years of public service." earl from danville, illinois. good morning. caller: good morning. host: go ahead. 1984,: i wanted to say in

george bush was campaigning for ronald reagan in my hometown. i was down on the street corner. i am a military veteran. he turned the corner in his limousine. i saluted him and he returned my salute. i wanted to say how much i appreciated him doing that. he was a good man. that is all i have to say. maine,arold from retired military. caller: i wanted to say president bush and my dad were in the same -- in world war ii. night fighter. ansked, how do you find aircraft carrier at night? he said is like trying to find a postage stamp on a football

field. those guys had guts. i'm awfulted to say -- it is kind of tough. host: joe from fort lee, new jersey. caller: george bush, he had a very good career. i was living in staten island at the time. i was caught up in pop culture, michael jordan. did not know much about politics. i started getting into politics when i went to college. some of his rhetoric could be a question but yet a very good career and a good life. he could bring it on to his family. i am sorry for his loss. 2010, president barack

obama presented the medal of freedom to president george h.w. bush in a ceremony at the white house. here is a little bit from that ceremony where president george h.w. bush received the medal of freedom from president barack obama. [video] --from his time as a neck or as a decorated navy pilot to this time as president of the united states, president george herbert walker bush has served others. as president he upheld the american value of liberty during the time of renewal and promise. as a private citizen he has united americans in times of crisis, blending his tireless efforts to men and women whose lives have been upended by disaster. over the arc of his life, president bush served his nation as a force for good and we proudly salute him for his unwavering devotion to our country and our world. [applause]

host: we are getting tribute from around the world and around united states on the passing of former president george h.w. bush. here is a statement from the secretary-general of nato. this is coming through twitter. down the iron curtain came the world leader politicians with vision and will. george h.w. bush, capable and committed. he seized a moment and shaped history. he will be remembered as one of the architects of the post-cold war era and is a true trans-atlantist. we have tweets coming in from congress for george h.w. bush. senator todd young.

" resident george h.w. bush was a remarkable leader and he will be missed. i extend my condolences to the entire bush family during this difficult time." "im senator rob portman, have cherished my visits with george h.w. bush and mrs. bush since they left office. kerry are a few ago with his famous -- here we are human to go with his famous companion,, sully when i surprised him with a bush ada cap. we all mourn the loss of a great man. " morgan, good morning. caller: thank you for c-span. democratto say i'm a but i was at the highest respect for george bush. because of the example he set as a man at a father and as a husband. especially now compared to what we have in the white house

today. thank you for c-span. calling from her beer, massachusetts. -- revere, massachusetts. mourn the loss of this great american. someone mentioned his friendship with bill clinton. carvey,y thing is dana the comic on saturday night live who spoofed him also became a close friend of george herbert walker bush and his family. that shows his character and ability to laugh at himself. my father was in the army air corps, and aviator during world war ii. i just think there was something about these men who -- the president 41, also was very much aware of the controversies and mistakes of his own father.

i think that spurred him to be such a wonderful public servant because he really took his service to the nation from start to finish with great reverence. i just -- it is funny how progressive he and his wife were socially. they were beloved by the gay community because apparently they officiated at many gay weddings up in kennebunkport. one last thing. my family and i go to kennebunkport quite a bit. we would always get such a thrill. we would go to the caper rundle inn from walker's point. we would get a thrill when the flag was at high mast. barbara and the visitors were all there. people whenll they came into the inn though we

never got to meet them. i have great admiration for this man in this world of crass, opportunistic politicians in the white house and congress, i was blessed to not only vote for him but also to just live in an era where someone like that came. rest in peace, mr. president. host: sean from virginia, retired military. good morning. caller: good morning, sir. he was a great president. he did what he had to do in a troubled time. the wall came down. betweenover there and that time in desert storm, which we were also are part of, he did a lot for the military back then.

he really turned things around when it came to europe and the middle east. thank you. host: one of our previous colors talked about the impression that dana carvey used to do on saturday night life. here is a little bit about his relationship with the media during this time in office in an interview here on c-span. [video] president bush: i did not write the editors and publishers. i wrote one letter when i thought i was smeared by an ugly story about being disconnected, the scanner. i did not know what a scanner was. most of the other media people reported it that way. it was in a convention, unveiling new machinery. how you can take a crushed package and show the price tag on that side. i said this is amazing. some reporter for the new york

times who wasn't even there wrote he is out of touch. he does not know you can scan groceries. the damn story lived on even a cvs said this is unfair -- cbs said this is unfair. it's caught up in one of your big computers somewhere. an unfavorable story in the wall street journal about me this year. too bad he wasn't connected in the scanner thing shows up. that kind of thing would give me angrier than maybe it should, but i wrote a letter. -- the rest of my presidency some guy will watch this and say here's the letter -- i don't think i ever directly personally appealed to a publisher or picked up a phone and said that's a lousy story. maybe i should have done more of it. host: gabriel from clayton, north carolina.

caller: good morning. i just want to give praise to somebody i think was a decent man, a good man with a history of service. there are definitely a lot of things i disagree with that went on in terms of the reagan administration of which he was vp and played a huge role in a lot of policies that went on, especially when he was president for four years. i do think because of his military background and because of his service to the country he was a fairly balanced man. in the same vein as john mccain i would say to some level. back toels with him go the history of oil, which is no doubt a major destabilizing impact on the middle east and his involvement then and donny rumsfeld.

this is not the time to say those things. giving him honor and respect and to say he served well, and also acknowledge thoughts and prayers to the family and hope they are doing well at this time. a good american. host: let's go to eric from seattle, washington. good morning. caller: good morning. i have a lot of respect for for the fact he served our country in the military. policies know, his affected what actually happened to the united states, the blacks. he was part of the reagan administration that started the war on drugs. brought a lot of crack cocaine into the united states. were continuedes

with the tax cuts, but he got pragmatic. he realized it was not working and raised taxes. this is the respect i have for this man. when you see something not working, you must change. willie horton and limited one of the worst ads on african-americans in history. i lived through this war on drugs, the war on crime and three strikes. all of this was bad for the black community, but also he scapegoated black people. during this time hispanics were given amnesty. plan, play onee part against the country. i respect his service in the military. thank you. host: here is the story in today's washington post about president george h.w. bush. , the 41st. bush president of the united states

was a steadfast force on the international stage for decades. from his stint as an envoy to beijing, to his eight years as vice president and his one term as commander-in-chief from 1989 to 1993. the last veteran of world war ii to serve as president, he was a consummate public servant and helped guide the nation and the world out of the four decade cold war that it carried the threat of nuclear annihilation. 3, death at 94 on november marks the passing of an era. although mr. bush served as president three decades ago,'s values and ethics -- his values and ethics seem removed from today's culture. nature andmpetitive considerable ambition that was not easy to discern from his earnest generosity. he was capable of running hard edged political campaign and

took the nation to war, but his principal achievements were produced at the negotiating table. " when the word moderation becomes a dirty word, we have some soul-searching to do," he wrote of friend in 1964 after losing his first bid for elected office." russell from south carolina, retired military. good morning. caller: good morning. remembert my heart to during the rodney king beating president bush came on tv the same night of the beating and talked to the nation about how wrong it was to receive that kind of brutality. when you take the contrast between the current president, he said it the day after the young men wrestled the gun away from a guy at a waffle house in tennessee, he said the next a he

was at an nra meeting and said nothing about the job and he wrestled -- about the gentleman who wrestled the gun away. in the kentucky shooting when he could not get into a black church and he shot two people at kroger. the president said nothing about it at all. then the alabama shooting. the good guy with the gun who was shot in the current president did not say anything. as a military member, the having soetween bush much honor and the current president. i'm sorry, people don't like this kind of comparison but it is there. if no one says anything about it, that would be wrong also. that is my comment. host: patrick from st. louis, missouri. good morning. caller: good morning.

president as a child still. i look up to him. i see him as a good man. things i might not like now but now is not the time for that. now is the time for civility. he had prudence. to let him pass into the mist with honor and dignity. what he treated so many people. i'm not a republican. i am not a democrat. i am an american. as was that man. thank you. host: billy from tennessee, retired military. good morning. caller: i just wanted to give my condolences to the family. i like him. i really liked him as a

president. he was a fine gentlemen, i think. thank you. host: one of the things president george h.w. bush is going to be reminded for is his famous "read my lips" comment he made during his presidency. here is a little bit of george h.w. bush remembering that famous comment during an event in houston where he and his wife were receiving a medal for community service. [video] president bush: i said "read my lips." [laughter] "no more taxes." world and ihe real found congress was controlled by the opposition party, in the senate and the house. to get the spending constraints that we eventually got after a hard negotiation we had to compromise on revenues.

it killed me. the right wing of the republican party deserted me like rats sinking of -- like rats leaving a sinking ship. democrats loved it because they knew i would be more vulnerable. if it had not been for the rhetoric, my own, it would have been easy for them to focus on -- on what i said and fully intended. when you are a president in dealing with the opposition party in the house and senate, you have to find ways to get things done. sometimes that means compromise. this one hurt, but it would have hurt less if i had not used the high-profile rhetoric. think we knew in your heart you meant it when you said it. president bush: the economy did well. it grew in excess of 5% for the

whole year of 1992. but that is history. i can revise that. host: when he left office president george h.w. bush left a letter for his successor, president bill clinton. i want to show you a copy of the letter that was left. january 20, 1993. 101 into this office i felt the same sense of wonder and respect i felt for years ago. i know you will feel that too. i wish you great happiness here. i never felt the loneliness some presidents have described. they will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. i am not a very good one to give advice, but just to let the critics discourage you or push you off course. you will be our president when you read this note. i wish you well.

i wish your family well. your success now is our country's success. i am rooting hard for you. good luck, george." gary from jamestown, maryland. good morning. caller: good morning. actually jamestown, north dakota. host: my mistake. caller: that's ok, sir. no offense. president h dubya creditedit -- h.w. bush for standing up to saddam hussein and rallying the world in 1991 when he invaded kuwait. on the other hand, in regards to the comment, "read my lips, no bushaxes," president h.w. should have gotten the spine and told the democrats in congress to go pound sand.

that is my comment. thank you very much. host: michael from maryland, good morning. caller: good morning. say, i would like to president bush was not all bad but not all good either. he did some good stuff for our economy coming in the thing, but did raise taxes. that was not a good thing. nobody wants to see somebody died that lived in our era. condolences to his family and that is it. host: once again, i want to remind everyone we are taking calls on the life of president george h.w. bush. you can always call in. eastern and central time zones, (202) 748-8000. the mountain and pacific time zones, (202) 748-8001.

if you are active or retired military, we want to hear from you. we have a special line at (202) 748-8002. you can always reach us on social media on twitter and facebook. tributes onng the life of president george h.w. bush. here is a tweet from senator tom cotton. "president george h.w. bush's dedication to public service inspired as all. in mourningrkansans the loss of this great man." another tweet from representative dave joyce. wasesident george h.w. bush trenton when he

came to lake county in 1992." bernie, good morning. caller: good morning. i would like the country to a knowledge the grace of this president -- scratch that. the grace of george h.w. bush with the vulgarity of donald trump. thank you very much. host: one of the defining moments of president george h.w. bush's time in office was operation desert storm where american troops were sent across the middle east to stop the invasion of kuwait by saddam hussein. here is president george h.w. bush in the oval office discussing the reasons for deploying american troops to saudi arabia. [video] president trump: we are called upon to define who we are and

what we believe. sometimes these choices are not easy. today i asked for your support in the decision i have made to stand up for what is right and condemn what is wrong, all in the cause of peace. elements of the 82nd airborne division, as well as key units of the united states air force are arriving today to take up defensive positions in saudi arabia. i took this action to assist the saudi arabian government and the defense of its homeland. no one commits america's armed forces to a dangerous mission lightly, but perhaps unparalleled international confrontation -- consultation, it became necessary to take this action. let me tell you why. less than a week ago in the early morning hours of august 2, iraqi armed forces, without provocation or warning, invaded a peaceful kuwait.

facing negligible resistance from its much smaller neighbor, irawq's tanks stormed through kuwait in a few short hours. with more than 100,000 troops, along with tanks, artillery and surface to surface missiles, iraq now occupies the weight. irawaggression cames -- occupies kuwait -- iraq occupies kuwait. this came hours after saddam hussein said it would be no invasion. there was no justification for this outrageous and brutal act of aggression. a puppet regime imposed from the outside is unacceptable. the acquisition of territory by force is unacceptable. foe, shouldnd or doubt our desire for peace and no one should underestimate our determination to confront aggression. host: let's go to ronald from

ohio. good morning. caller: hi. god bless you. i just called to extend my condolences about the president. although i had different views on many occasions, he was a man who did what he thought was right. deborah from st. louis, missouri. caller: good morning to you. i have such a funny story. louisesident came to st. when i worked for the united states coast guard. i was assigned to escort him to the auditorium but we got locked out. someone had locked the doors and we could not enter. the funny part was when he

finally did take the stage he made a joke about it and put everyone at ease about us being locked out. he was such a nice man. i don't think anybody really knows he had such a hell of a sense of humor and he helped with the disability act. disabledmonumental for individuals. his greatness cannot be expressed over time. one.ve lost a great host: ralph from charlottesville, virginia. retired military. caller: yes. bush did a very good job when he was there. thatd saddam hussein boasted during his presidency

about this and that. he is a man and stood up and made a decision, like all presidents should do. we have another man currently in the office right now which trump is the same way. he is a man and can make a decision. i wish all the condolences to his family. we will miss him very much. that's all i have to say. host: we are getting to be some members of congress on the life of president george h.w. bush. here is a tweet from senator bob corker. life wash.w. bush's defined by service to the country he loved. he leaves behind a remarkable legacy. his selfless service and devotion to family set an important example but only during his time in elected office, the long afterwards of what it really means to lead. his character and decency were unparalleled, especially in the

way he prevented political foes. reminding americans there is always more that unites us than divides us. i cherished the memories we have hosting george and barbara at our home in chattanooga, enjoying the nation -- enjoy the nation and celebrity the life of the faithful husband, father, grandfather and statesman." caller: i would like to say on a day like today, even though i was never a republican, i appreciate president bush so much when we compare him and his grace,'s presidential stature and all he did for this country as a patriot. we compare all that to the person we have currently posing as president in the white house. hewitt from indiantown, florida. caller: good morning. to send myg

condolences to the bush family. it is like the world is totally changed. george bush was a good president. the current president, god only knows. will straighten things out for this country and get us away from this current president. host: rick from fort wayne, indiana. retired military. good morning. caller: yes. bushes when they met with quayle during the campaign. i was in desert storm. i flew fighter planes. i wanted to pass my condolences to the family. i remember a time when i was there with quayle. he took flak for taking quayle

for being in the guard during vietnam. that was some strength he showed during that time and i thought it was good that he weathered the storm of quayle being in the guard during the amount. -- during vietnam. host: we have a statement from former vice president dan quayle. "i had true affection for the man, george bush. he was a completely genuine, decent and honorable person. he went into and out of the office as absolutely the same man. i think that he typifies his character. i have often told my children if you want a role model in your life, close to president george herbert walker bush. the world mourns the loss of a great american, but it also celebrate a life well lived." we've a statement from al gore.

" president george h.w. bush served our nation with extraordinary integrity and grace. i will remember him for his personal kindness and for his love of this country. dr and bipartisan respect for speaking up and taking action for what he believed was right, even when doing so was unpopular. he inspired countless americans to volunteer and improve their communities through his points of light foundation. president bush leaves behind an american legacy of the lifetime of service that will be revered for generations." luis from fredericksburg, regina. cried whenemember i he was defeated. i lived in washington state. at 11:30 in washington state in the morning, my husband called me from spokane. he told me president bush had been defeated. i lost all hope in politics.

defeatedr -- he was actually by ross perot. i remember when the wall came and, and when the democrats right-wing republicans were encouraging him to go jump on the wall, stand on the wall. it would be like spiking the ball and a victory dance of the soviet union. he refused to do that. he did not do that. i think this man is more than what anybody could possibly imagine. he was one of the greats. the greatest. that was george herbert walker bush. i think god for him and i remember him. he is my idol. thank you. host: a few people mentioned this morning dana carvey's

impersonations of the former president. here is a bit from when they met at the white house in 1992. [video] >> no, no. -- [applause] >> thank for having me. thank you. [applause] [cheers] >> i did not know we could do that. [laughter] >> never mind. i just want to wish you all a merry christmas and thank you

very much, god bless you all. he is lucky i did not hit him right on the head. [laughter] [applause] president trump: don't dare move my hands. [laughter] i have very grateful to dana and paula for being here. dana has giving me a lot of laughs. he said to me on the phone, are you sure you want me to come there? i said yes. he said i hope i have never crossed the line. i knew exactly what he meant. as far as i am concerned he never has. the fact we can laugh at each other is a very fundamental thing. thenot sure on november 4 invitation would have gone out and have the same enthusiasm,

but we are shifting gears. he has given us a wonderful kickoff to what i hope will be a joyous, totally friendly, very happy, somewhat nostalgic but merry christmas for everybody. in a few minutes barbara will show the press this spectacular house we have been privileged to live in for four years. we wanted to share with some of you the majesty of this place which i hope many will get to see in these various receptions. i think it is something special seeing it for the first time when it is just beginning. let me take this opportunity to thank dana carvey for brightening our lives and giving us a little joy. we wish each and every one of you and merry christmas. we can never adequately say thanks for all you have done for us, for your country and for the bush family. thank you so much and god bless you. [applause] if you would like to see

that full video, and quite a few other videos and times president george h.w. bush spent with c-span and these cameras, go to c-span.org. search "president george h.w. bush" and you will see the thousands of videos we have a president george h.w. bush, is time inside the white house and his time after the white house. go to c-span.org to see that full video and other videos from president george h.w. bush. espy from brooklyn, new york. good morning. caller: how are you? my condolences to the bush family because they are a remarkable group and they always represent us with dignity. aboutk we have to think why we have this president and

who voted him in. we did as voters. when we walked into that voting booth we don't think about the person we are voting for. we are thinking about republican, democrat and parties. that should be set aside. we need to think about the human beings we are putting into the office. that he is a true human being who will represent our interests and the country, and represent us with dignity and be the role model that we want the world to see. , president bush for your support and your service. you will truly be missed. thank you. host: luba from spokane, washington. caller: good morning. i had the privilege to meet

president george h.w. bush twice. the first time in 1981 in moscow, russia. and in 1992 in spokane, washington. i would like to express my condolences to the whole bush family. george h.w. bush was a great man. host: we have received a statement from former president jimmy carter on his successor --one of his successors, president george h.w. bush. "his administration was marked by grace, civility and social conscious. he espoused a uniquely american volunteer spirit, fostering bipartisan support for citizen service and inspiring millions to embrace community volunteerism as a cherished responsibility." paul from farmingdale, new york. good morning. caller: how are you?

i had the privilege of being in the motorcade of president bush 41 in california in 1988. seeing the airplane, air force one, attended rallies and a party in l.a. they closed off the 405 for him. the last summit would republican was for bush's -- the last time i voted republican was bush senior. i met bush and trump. the chasm of difference between both. president bush had class, elegance and statesmanship, compared to the imbecile in the white house we have now. i met jeb. i want to extend my condolences and sympathy to the bush family. i just wish i could attend the funeral. by the way, i did a video project once on the life of george bush. i wanted to say thank you for allowing me to converse and thank you for c-span. happy holidays. host: david from connecticut.

retired military. good morning. caller: good morning and thank you for c-span. the passing of president george h.w. bush is a surprise to me. i am 39. my parents divorced during his presidency. i am a republican with a short fuse. , i camellecting his suon to see him as a friend. i was illicit would he eulogized president reagan. enlisted when he eulogized president reagan. you're in my prayers. ohio.anne from overall, ura, ohio. joanna from maryland. caller: i don't know if anybody has put this forward yet. this signature legislation was the americans with disabilities act.

that has enabled millions and millions of people with disabilities to go to college, to work, become taxpaying citizens, to enjoy things such as transportation and restaurants and theaters and such things like that. that's an important thing to talk about. it was a major, major piece of legislation and a signature piece of legislation for him. even though i am a democrat i respect his decency, which is what i feel we are lacking now in the white house. and i love barbara bush because she was genuine and down-to-earth. she did not put on airs. i thought she was a very lovely woman. that is what i wanted to talk about. host: president bush said that with c-span in 1999 to talk a little bit about his career as president. here is a little of what he had to say. [video] >> looking back in your career,

what are the two or three things that really made you what you are as president? impact?e the biggest president trump: my values. my respect for the office. >> which job before that? bush: they all can together. navy pilot fighting for his country at 20 years old in combat. i think that experience which lost twolife when i friends and felt responsibility for the death, in my life was spared. there was something profound for that scared little navy pilot at 20 years old. i learned something about the pride of the military and duty and honor for the country. >> we come back to this library. 100 years from now people come in this place and they see your career.

what up there on the walls is the most important? bush: they will see desert storm and see i tried to end that peacefully. a brutal neighbor will not with impunity takeover the neighborhood. certain moral lines you cannot cross. this was one of them. we could not let that aggression stand. that is the moral underpinning. this aggression will not stand. it's against the backdrop of raping 14-year-old muslim girls and brutalizing the community and setting fire to the environment. if you had to put one incident, i think you would be --i it would be desert storm with his trials, to relations, politics,

diplomacy, and its culmination in victory from the best all volunteer force in the world. to have that happen on my watch and giving credit to others was wonderful. host: during the interview he talked about his time as a naval aviator. because he was one of the youngest, if not the youngest navy pilot during world war ii. wrote about the incident president bush was just talking about when he was shot down. i want to read a little bit from that article. this was on september 2, 1944. as they go there bomber through antiaircraft fire towards a , 150 milesdio tower north of iwo jima, the airplane was hit at 8000 feet and caught fire. droppedhed his dive,

his bombs successfully on the target and headed out to sea. he could've tried to make a water landing, something he had done once already when another avenger he was flying lost power. his crew gotand out of the plane and into the life raft before the plane sank. avengere the burning blew up before they got to the water. he ordered his radio operator and gunner, neither of them he " nod see, to "hit the silk, response. the planers banking to the right to lessen the slipstream pressure on the rear door and help his crewmates exit. at 3000 feet, bush bailed out and hit his had on the ti ail. ed -- heof injured div

secured his revolver and started hand paddling furiously away from the japanese gunboats that were heading out to get him. avengers and the hellcat fighters streaked the votes and soon had to return to the san jacinto. young george would be awarded the navy's distinguished flying cross but did not feel like a hero. he feared correctly his crewmates were dead, and the raft het -- in the life began asking himself questions that still haunt him at age 92. did i do all i could to save them? in the raft he cried." paul from st. francis, maine. good morning. are you there? caller: yes. the -- for years, i was

a staunch republican hater. i did not like reagan because i did not feel i needed a tax break because a tax break was truly not a wage increase in my net pay. president ibecame was just the same mindset that i did not want another republican. but when this man, george h.w. he watched and i was amazed when dan quayle started to say something negative and mr. bush waved his hand and said no. they won fair and square.

i turned my respect around for that man. thank you. david from san angelo, texas. good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to extend my sympathy to the bush family. president bush was a good man. commentsstened to the that have been made this morning, and what seems to me that is missing is you are comparing president bush with president trump. the circumstances of those two are completely different. when bush was elected, he was supported by the republican party and even some democrats. there wasn't the negativity there is now. he was not called a coward. he was not called anything that

was so insulting. the present president, before he was elected, he was tagged with all sorts of bad names and called bad names in public and it has continued. if bush had been under the same pressure our present president is under, how well would he have stood up? that the question we can never answer. it should be considered when you consider the two. thank you very much. host: larry from baldwin, missouri. good morning. was thegeorge h.w. bush most decent person i have ever known in my lifetime. i was an independent. i voted for the man. he was the most decent man i've ever known as a president. he wrote me a wonderful letter telling me how the government can't help the family that much.

it is limited in the amount it can do. it is up to husbands in this country to show the necessary love, the respect for our wives that is needed in our society. i thought that letter was absolutely beautiful. i thought george h.w. bush was a wonderful vice president and a wonderful president. god bless him. i hope he is up in heaven. he was a great patriot. thank you. host: tributes are coming in from all sides of the political spectrum for president george h.w. bush. from incomingweek house speaker nancy pelosi. life wash.w. bush's defined by an inspiring commitment to public service. i am deeply grateful to his family for having shared such a wonderful man with us all. may it be a comfort to them to know that so many

them. representative garrett graves writes -- "prayers to the family of george h.w. bush, a great american hero. and is not measured in power or luxury, but by who we are and how we treat one another. so we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society." here's a tweet from president bush's grandson -- "my grandfather was the greatest man i ever knew. his life spanned the american century. he fought in world war ii, took part in the texas oil boom, served out a distinguished career in public service including serving as president in the final days of the cold war." sayset from the u.s. navy

-- "we have the watch." dave is calling from irvine, california. caller: good morning. is president bush was a good man, good person, and he cared about the american people. he is not like trump who does not care about the american people. he is tearing this country apart . he was for the american people and was helping them. donald trump is not for that. he hates everyone, blacks, muslims, mexicans. the worst thing he ever said was he loves the analyses -- nazis. they were good people. now he is a dictator and says the whole world loves him, but we despise him. we have got to get him out of there. host: rick is calling from

montgomery, alabama. caller: good morning. to presidente george h.w. bush. he demonstrated courage and dignity versus bone spurs and embarrassment. thank you. host: we are just getting notification from the white house that president donald trump will be attending the funeral of president george h.w. bush, and here's a statement from the white house pool. "the president and first lady were notified of george h.w. bush is passing. president trump is scheduled to speak with george w. bush this morning and offer his condolences on behalf of himself , the first lady, and the entire country. a state funeral is being arranged with all the accompanying supports and honors. the president will designate wednesday, december 5, as a

national day of mourning. he and the first lady will attend the funeral at the national cathedral in washington, d.c.." laura is calling from turner falls, massachusetts. good morning. caller: good morning. host: go ahead. we can hear you. caller: good morning. i would like to send my condolences to the bush family. host: i think we lost laura. mike is calling from oak grove, missouri. good morning. caller: good morning to you. i want to say that my condolences go to the bush family. the caller just a couple minutes ago tried to compare donald trump with bush, saying donald

trump has been called all kinds of nasty, dirty names. he is and has earned every one of those. george w. bush was a hero. he was decent. he was honest. all the things that donald trump isn't. show theat this will republican people have far the republican party has slid. once again, my condolences to the bush family. the republicans will see the difference between a decent president and what we have now. int: president bush talked 2006 about how he would like to be remembered, at an event where he received -- he and his wife received medals for outstanding community service. [video clip] >> i will be remembered for a lot of things that did not go

weht, but one thing i hope are remembered for is we traded the white house as the people's house and treated the office with respect. that is much more important to me than any individual piece of legislation or individual act. >> here here. thank you. [end video clip] host: we are receiving tributes from all sides of the political spectrum for the life of former president george h.w. bush. a tweet from senator tim kaine does president bush stands as a flyingf dignity, from combat missions to signing the americans with disabilities act and bringing the cold war to a peaceful end, he carried his competence with such humility. my condolences to the bush family. here is a treat -- tweet from bobby scott -- president george h.w. bush was a good and decent

man who loved his country and dedicated his life to public service. my thoughts and prayers are with the entire bush family. brenda is calling from manchester, washington. good morning. caller: good morning. i actually want to echo what the fellow from missouri just said. that is why i was calling it. i am a liberal but i loved the statesmanship of mr. bush, president bush. i adore how he loved his family and put them first. his service and his devotion to the country, and the whole reason i called is exactly what the man in missouri said. you cannot say that george h w bush would have behaved this way if these were the times he was in. he would have been the same statesman. character is at the core of each of us and i just want to disagree with people saying that

it depends on the time you are dollop into. that is true to some degree to the policies you might support or oppose, or how you might lead, but never at the core of one's character. my condolences definitely go out to the bush family. i really appreciate his service to our country. thank you. host: kathleen is calling from temple hill, maryland. caller: good morning. i just wanted to say, president bush was a great president, a patriot, and i wanted to give my condolences to his family and friends. host: let's go to share in calling from whiting, indiana. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to send out my condolences to the bush family.

i think george bush was a good man. i like how he reached across the aisle to all the other presidents, and they are all talking about that. nobody is talking about how he reached across the aisle and became such good friends with geraldine ferrero. she was the first woman to run for vice president. land l --ynno to ynn from lenore, north carolina. caller: i want to give my condolences to the bush family. for all the people calling in about trump, why can't they focus on bush? learned a lotve of things because he used his office as a weapon against the republicans. from here is some video george h.w. bush's 1989 inaugural address where he talks

about freedom, the vital role in our democracy. [video clip] >> we live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better, for a new breeze is blowing in a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn, for in man's heart if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. [applause] totalitarian era is passing, it's old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. in a breeze is blowing and a nation, refreshed by freedom, stands ready to push on. there is new ground to be broken and the action to be taken. there are timest when the future seemshi -- times when the fog, butems thick as a

this is a time when the future seems a door you can walk right into, a door called tomorrow. world areons in the moving toward democracy, toward the door for freedom. men and women of the world move to free markets toward the door to prosperity. the people of the world agitate for free expression and free thought through the door to the moral and intellectual satisfaction that only liberty allows. we know what works. freedom works. we know what is right. freedom is right. a more how to secure just and prosperous life for men on earth, through free markets, free speech, free elections, and the exercise of free will unhampered by the state. [end video clip] mcgrathsh spokesman jim

just tweeted this editorial cartoon for marshall ramsey -- from marshall ramsey that shows his last tributes to his friend. remembering 41. from go to john calling wisconsin, good morning. caller: good morning. i'm surprised i got through so quickly. first of all i want to say president bush is probably one of the last of the greatest generation. thatire a man of wealth would volunteer to go to combat instead of jail and put -- yale and play the political game. he came back and i admire him greatly. i do not understand all the people that are against trump. i know he is course -- coarse.

he is not a politician, but his views are correct. i flew helicopters in vietnam. combatingntly prostate cancer. they say it may be from agent orange. i am not sure. all i want to say is i would like to follow a man like president bush. is calling from jackson, mississippi. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i would like to send my condolences out to the entire bush family. man,s a good man, great and served our country. thell never forget during first iraq war, there was video

of these prisoners that were just weeping uncontrollably because they thought they were going to be killed by american troops. they gave them food and water, and president bush at the time said, that is the way america is. we do not do things that other countries do. that kind of hit me. i was about 25 then. he will be missed. rhonda callingto from auburn, nebraska. good morning. caller: good morning. lot aboutnow whole the politics and all that, but i do remember that i really

admired george h.w. bush. , even though i consider myself a democrat. i really thought that he was a fair and awesome president. i really do believe that. i do not know a lot about what everything he did. steve calling to from chagrin falls, ohio. retired military, good morning. caller: good morning, sir. i felt that president bush was a very honorable man. honor is the key to military life. ofm a veteran of two tours vietnam, and i give all my condolences to the bush family. i hope that their lives will be fulfilled event at the deaths of

their loved one. callingt's go to lionel from bolivia, north carolina. caller: good morning. to wish myd like condolences to the bush family and just to say that he was a very decent man. i myself am a democrat, however i did not always agree with things that he did, but he was a decent and honorable man. dignityed himself with that the office requires a person to carry themselves with, unlike 45. again, we are talking about the life of president george h.w. bush who died yesterday at age 94. if you want to call in and talk about president bush, we are opening up the lines for

regional forums. if you are in the eastern or central time zone, you can call in at (202) 748-8000. if you are in the mountain or pacific time zones, you can call in at (202) 748-8001. if you are active or retired military, we have a special line for you today. you can call in at (202) 748-8002. you can always reach us on social media, on twitter at c-span wj and on facebook at facebook.com/c-span. all morning we have been receiving tributes to former president george h.w. bush from people on all sides of the political spectrum. i want to read a few more of the statements coming from lawmakers about the life of president george h.w. bush. we have a tweet from representative kathy castor -- sending condolences from tampa bay to bush family and friends

during this sad time. bush was anrge h w honorable man who loved america and devoted his life to service. from representative crist nolan -- toward h w bush was a man of unmatched character that was built upon a foundation of faith , always armed with incredible wisdom and wit, he served his country without hesitation and raised his family to do the same. our nation has lost a great man and an american hero. let's go to bill calling from birmingham, alabama. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to remind your listeners about the famous phrase that george bush made famous -- "read my lips, no new taxes ." what did he do? he raised taxes. why? donald -- ronald reagan raised

taxes at the end of his presidency because america was in debt. dust of your audience does not know that. ronald reagan -- most of your audience does not know that. ronald reagan raised taxes. fast-forward to bush. he raised taxes because the country was in debt. the country had to pay off the debt. fast-forward to today, the republican philosophy, trickle-down economics. where are we? we are still in debt and nobody is paying it off. the republicans, i say, are responsible. thank you. host: let's talk to albert calling from bedford, maine. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to say thank you to george w. bush. bush.rge h.w. he was the most honorable and qualified president we ever had and gentlemen.

was experienced in the state department as secretary of state, vice president, and also the cia. how better qualified president can we get than that? find ae honorable can we man than george w -- edge to be bush? i am there sorry to see him pass. host: let's go to cj calling from bridgeville, minnesota, and cj is retired military. caller: good morning to you, and thank you for taking my call. my condolences go out to the bush family. he is one of the few republican presidents that i voted for. i also want to add that through the time he was in office, the mitch mcconnells and john boehners were in congress or the

senate, they were around him. which goes to show you the difference in boehner and them being in too long. the things they are doing now, they would never have been doing under george bush. he would not have allowed them to act that way, so you can tell they have been in too long. when they were younger, they were smarter, but now that they are older, the congresses and the senate are complacent and think they are above the law. lawmakers are the biggest lawbreakers, which is unfortunate for the country, but they -- for the country. the auto be ashamed of themselves but they have no shame. host: here is republican presidential nominee george h.w. republican 1988 convention in new orleans, delivering his famous line. [video clip] >> my opponent will not rule out raising taxes, but i will and

the congress will put us to raise taxes and i will say no. and they will push and i will say no. they will push and i will say to them -- read my lips. no new taxes. [end video clip] host: details are slowly emerging about how the nation will honor the passing of former president george h.w. bush. in "the washington post," philip rucker writes -- president bush drop lands tod -- attend the funeral. trump, who is traveling for the summit of the group of 20 nations, was notified of the passing rate last night.

he's expected to offer his condolences on behalf of himself, the first lady, and the nation. president trump in the first lady will attend george h.w. bush's funeral at the washington national cathedral. "a state funeral is being arranged with all the a company support and honors," sanders said. president trump will designate wednesday and national day of mourning. drop did not attend the last major funeral in washington, that a former senator john mccain of arizona. the president was not welcome at the services. trump also did not attend the funeral of former first lady barbara bush. it trump attended that -- melania trump attended that as well as the obama's. wanda, good morning. caller: good morning.

i just wanted to offer my condolences to the bush family. george h as my very first vote as a young person. however, we can learn a lot from ability.ce, from his i wish you would ask some of these people when they are calling in and if they want to say that trump has always been vilified, what were they doing to obama for eight years? putting rings in his nose, calling him monkey, all this bull.f bowl b --u -- give me a break. host: lisa is calling from crystal springs, mississippi. .aller: good morning, c-span thoughts and prayers with the

bush family. i was also honored to place my first presidential vote for george h.w. bush at age 21. the election cycle is in such a way that i did not cast my first vote until i was 21, for president. second of all, today is not an appropriate day to talk about president trump or anything going on. today, it is about george h.w. bush and i do wish callers were just the knowledge that and don't worry about what is going on today, or our current president. host: let's go to rosemary calling from texas. caller: good morning. i say amen to the lady who just called. she stole my thunder. i want to remind all the people who are using this time to make political statements, that you are this matching the memory of

a very -- besmirching the memory of a very great man. it is time to express her condolences and say goodbye. host: arch is calling from pennsylvania, good morning. caller: i totally disagree with the last two callers. i think this is a great opportunity to compare the life of this wonderful man, this former great president, to our current, situation. perhaps it is an awakening for the people who support the current president to see what a real president looks like, a man of great temperament, a man of great courage, a man who loved everybody and treated everybody the same. i think technically that this is a huge opportunity for people who support donald trump to look at him and look at this great man. my condolences, of course, to the bush family.

i am a democrat but i really like this man. from connie is calling georgia, good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to express my condolences. he was a wonderful president. my husband, whom i just lost five weeks ago, thought the world of him. my husband was three terms of vietnam. i just want them to know that they have -- they should be very proud, everyone should be very proud of him. thank you so much. is a tweet that tells me something about george h.w. bush i did not know, coming from that buys and -- george h.w. bush was a coffee fanatic, sipping one to three cups a day while reading usa today and the portland press herald. he loved his electric coffee bedside atch he kept

the white house to fix the pesky problem of cold coffee. let's go to william calling from culpeper, virginia, good morning. caller: i would just like to say oneted for george w bush time and then i voted for clinton and never voted republican ever since. let's go to david calling from tempe, arizona. caller: good morning. i would like to express our condolences, but i do not feel quickly talk about bush and the media. when he was running for the second term, the media came out lying bill backed clinton and said it was the worst economy in 50 years. they said it so often that it was believed.

the economy was actually running a little over 5%. it is a shame what the media can when ithe power it has wants to be corrupt. that is going on with our current president. he has accomplished great things in many respects. rse and hettle coa fights back, and the media is not used to that. i pray our nation will eventually come together and realize it is the great things that need to be done. host: john is calling from chicopee, massachusetts. i am watching the coverage today and i think you are doing a great job for our country. i was just wondering, would now be nice if we could get nancy pelosi, senator mcconnell, president trump, and the head of

the white house correspondents association together to make a public statement that from now on they will conduct themselves in a way that would make george and barbara bush proud. i think that would be great for the country. our previous callers just brought up president bush's relationship with the press. here is a little bit of what president bush had to say in an interview at c-span about his relationship with the press while he was in the white house. [video clip] not write the editors or publishers when i was president. i wrote one letter when i thought i was smeared by an ugly story about being disconnected because of a scanner. i never knew what a scanner was. what we had do was see brand-new technology and most of the other media people reported that way. >> in a grocery store. >> know, in a convention, unveiling new machinery how you can take the crushed package for

the first time in history and scan that package. some lazy little reporter who he doeseven their said, not know you can scan groceries, and the story lived on. most everybody else jumped on the guy that wrote the story, but it is still there, caught up in one of your big computers. i saw a favorable story about me in the wall street journal this year, and it referred to, too he was not -- too bad he was not connected. that kind of thing would get me angrier than maybe i should. -- some think i ever guy is going to watch this -- i do not think i ever directly personally appealed to a publisher or picked up a phone and said, that lousy store you guys are doing. [end video clip]

host: we just received a statement from vice president mike pence and second lady karen pence on the passing of former president george h.w. bush. "karen and i were saddened to learn of the passing of president george h.w. bush, and we send our deepest sympathy to the entire family. president bush loved his family and this country, and his lifetime be a legacy of service. we send our prayers and deepest condolences to the entire bush family. we join them and the american people in mourning the passing of this good and great example, his lifetime of service will be enshrined in the hearts of american people forever. god bless george h.w. bush. jenny is calling from honolulu, hawaii. caller: i am originally from st. louis, missouri. bushn was chosen by george

to be his personal escort while he was in st. louis delivering the thousand points of light address. my son and i were both democrats at the time, but we are republicans today. let's go to christina calling from waynesville, north carolina. good morning. caller: good morning. i wasust calling because never really into politics, but i have been really watching bush's life. he was in all the offices and everything. i think he did a really good job. i am so proud of him. i am sorry for his family. death is a hard thing. i wish the people would not call in about democrats or

republicans. i am sorry if i messed up. host: let's go to lisa from louisville, kentucky. caller: i just want to send out my condolences to the bush family. they lost a great man. as the daughter of a navy man, i am a democrat. i just want to let you know we do care about service to our country. the difference is, we go to war when we need to, not when we are told to. i also want to thank him for his great sportsmanship. what a great sportsmen. i think he would be disgusted today with the immigration policies of president trump. he has a real humanity to him, and i admire him for that. host: gary is calling from personnel, virginia. elville, virginia. caller: as an appointee of the

george h.w. bush administration, i was so proud to be able to serve with people who had tremendous abilities, ethics, who really believed the country had to act like a nation, not like a collection of special interests. i think we got a lot done, especially linking education to the world of work. programs were reestablished under people like lamar curran,r and david former ceo of xerox as the deputy secretary. not many people conserve under a one-to punch like that. major thing that impressed me was there wasn't any corruption. there wasn't any ethical violations. the bush family has always cared about hiring people in the government who care about the public.

have ise only regret i that i kind of knew he was going to lose the election way back before anybody else did. we had a christmas party with all the appointees to go there and go to this dance, a very fancy occasion. i would've thought the year when a person is running for reelection, he would've made the attendance himself, or sent as he did the previous year, the vice president, dan quayle. but he didn't. that you always want to thank the people who help serve you and he did not in that case. i know he was mostly concerned with foreign policy and had many a cop assurance, a great man. i was privileged -- accomplishments, a great man. i was privileged to serve with him.

as ronald reagan used to say, are you better off than you were two or four years ago? after being under president trump even though i do not admire his style, he is a very smart guy and has gotten us a much better position in the world then we were in two years ago. the ethical tone that was set by president h w bush is one that i think every administration should try and model. host: james is going from greenville, north carolina. caller: good morning. i amt wanted to say that sending out my condolences and presidentsorrow for george herbert washer book -- george herbert walker bush. i was 23 years old when i enlisted in my unit was an armored unit.

we had a presidential unit of distinction and ended up serving in bahrain and kuwait. during the time of operation desert storm and desert shield. my heartfelt condolences go out to the entire bush family, to george w, and all those in that family, jeb, and the grandchildren. sorry about the loss of your mother. it is a sad day for the entire country. we lost a great man. the cold war came to any and d, , with bush 41end and late president reagan. during the time i spent in western europe, we spent a lot of time dealing with having to look at moscow as the enemy.

we got away from that because of terrorism that is going on in the middle east. so anyway, for that, for the entire country, i am sorry for this loss. host: one of the things that people are remembering now is president george h.w. bush's military service. the daily signal has put up this tweet with a photo of president bush in his fighter plane. 1943, george h.w. bush was the end is pilot in the navy at the time, flying 58 combat andions in world war ii, was awarded 3m metal medals and the distinguished flying cross for his service. in 2010, president barack obama presented president h w bush with the medal of freedom in the white house. here is that ceremony. [video clip] >> from his time as a decorated

navy pilot to his years and the white house as the 41st president, george herbert walker bush has led a life dedicated to profound commitment to serving others. he upheld the american value of liberty during a time of renewal and promise. he has united americans in times of crisis, lending his tireless efforts to men and women offended by disaster. over the arc of his life, he served as a force for good and we salute him for his unwavering devotion to our century in our world. [applause] [end video clip] host: earlier in the show, we had on susan page, the washington bureau chief from "usa today."

she has written an appreciation of president george h.w. bush. at a white house news conference in january 1990, then president george h.w. bush called on me for a question and then repeated my name three times in his answer, throwing jitters from the press corps. that is because he kept calling me ann. an error of unimportance. handwritten, a note on white house stationery arrived. will you forgive me? say yes. that note, which i framed, hangs above my desk at home, was vintage george bush at but it's thoughtfulness and corny humor. many have notes of their own. the death of the 41st president on friday marks the nation's

loss of a world war ii navy pilot who hid any hint of bravado, the senator who became the patriarch of one is america's premier political dynasties in one of politics' most courteous people. he was not the most triumphant president of recent decades. unlike the president he served as vice president and the one who succeeded him, he failed in his bid for a second term. his effort to address the budget deficit, a green to tax hikes -- agreeing to tax height -- hikes as well as spending cuts was seen as an object lesson for republicans. he served as united states ambassador, u.s. liaison to china, and cia director before becoming president. soviet union disintegrated on

his watch and the white house. let's go to anthony, calling from new london, connecticut. caller: good morning. i would like to give my condolences to the bush family and i would like to say that he is in a better place. host: robert is calling from cleveland, ohio. good morning. caller: i would like to say rest in peace, president bush. you have been a good and faithful servant to all the veterans and all the people in the united states, black, white, whatever, and a good republican. host: paulette is calling from saint rosa, new mexico. good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to extend my sympathy and wishes and prayers to the bush family. in the white house is

a very honorable man i'm a lifelong democrat, but tend to vote for the man. i am very sorry about his loss today. that is all i would like to say. host: we are getting tributes from all spectrums, all across the political spectrum. we have a tweet from governor last -- asa hutchinson -- night, the world witnessed the passing of george h.w. bush. all americans identify with the heart of a man we watched serve our country through world war ii and the liberation of kuwait. susan and i will be remembering the bush family as we reflect on a friend, leader, and servant.

from representative terry a soul -- in the navy, caa, and oval office, president george bush dedicated his life to serving. well we may have disagreed on some issues, bush senior was a true patriot who put his country first. and from representative stephanie murphy -- george h w bush was the academy of a statesman. world war ii pilot, ambassador, cia director, vp, and 41st president he was beloved by his family, exuded grace and integrity, and will be deeply missed by the nation he served so well. mr. president. joseph is calling from randolph, minnesota. caller: i am calling actually from rosemont minnesota -- rosemont, minnesota. navy but iars in the was not in the navy when bush

was. as a navy pilot, they are the hardest working type people because of 18 or 19 i worked and trained passenger -- pilots to land on aircraft carriers. i was on the flight decks when they used to land. i admire bush for that. at the time i was a democrat and i've turned republican. i wish that he would conduct a little bit and behave himself. i think bush set the example of how you should talk. he was a great person. host: michael is calling from melrose, massachusetts. caller: i just wanted to call and offer my condolences to the bush family, and express my gratitude for the service that he provided to our country. i think something that is really important to recognize is just the integrity an