own lives, about the economy, but the future of jobs and education for their kids. george h billy bush had difficulty pivoting to a domestic agenda. he was facing this charismatic younger politician. as young as his son. bill clinton. who was focused entirely on people's lives in america and anxiety they were feeling. .e was defeated for reelection that was a really painful defeat for him. it took him some time to get over it. in one of those remarkable turns he and bill clinton later became such good friends. of timeu has been a lot with the bush family. you have a book coming out soon about former first lady barbara bush. what role did barbara bush play during the george h w bush presidency?

caller: it is interesting. i think barbara bush took pains to not make it clear how much influence she had. she had a divisional approach that he was the president and she was not. in that way, a great contrast to the equal partnership that we so publicly with the clintons. behind the scenes, she was enormously influential. she was influential in ways that we knew. her focus on adult illiteracy. the cause that she pushed for most of her adult life. she was also influential on things like pushing the president to do more to address the hiv aids. that was something she was doing behind the scenes. she was also an important sounding board for him during those difficult days before the iraq war. we know that only with the benefit of history and some reporting that i've done for the

book that he relied on her common sense and her judgment about what was right and he had her in some important secret meetings that were very closely held because he wanted her sense of what should be done. how much influence and how much advice did their son, getident george w. bush from his father and mother during his presidency? caller: that is such a great question. his father declared that 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 when he was president he makes the point that he was the one who was fully informed, had all the intelligence come all the briefings. and, not his father. mother, did not take a such a vow. she, in fact, i think, gave her son quite a bit of advice during his two terms. president bush is known

more for his time for his foreign policy achievements during his term than his domestic policy achievements. how was he as a former president? caller: president bush made a decision that he should try to step back from public affairs, from speaking out because there was a new president. a president who defeated him. i think he quite consciously inught it was not his time the spotlight. he continued to give speeches. he co-authored a book with -- about foreign-policy challenges he had faced. he chose not to play a public role in the nation's politics. within more recent times, another son running for president. jeb bush running for president, in 2016, he campaigned 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 just not the right role for a former president. more adjustinge things about his post-presidency life, seems to be his friendship with a man who defeated him for the presidency. ill clinton. they seem to have become really good friends. can you talk a little bit about the relationship those two had? it is such anow, remarkable story. it reflects the openness that both men had to turning a new page. electionquite a better battle, which clinton one. and which wounded george for some time. benefit of time passing they worked on some projects together and, especially after clinton himself had left the

white house, they formed a remarkable bond. some people think that it was almost the bond between a father and son. inside the bush family, they used 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 clinton. bush and bill i actually interviewed bill clinton about his relationship ago the bushes a few months for the book i have done. he talked about how much it meant to him. how much he enjoyed going up there every summer to kennebunkport to see the former president. host: we would like to thank washington bureaus chief for coming on the phone with us this morning and talking about her memories and work with president george h w bush. susan, thank you so much. caller: thank you. announcer: george h.w. bush died

friday evening. this is a look at the funeral home in houston where just a short time ago members of the bush family and presidents service dog were departing the funeral home. to casket also being taken the airport in houston where it will be departing at about 11:30 eastern time for joint base andrews in washington dc.

announcer: president bush his casket making its way from the funeral home in houston to the airport set to arrive in washington dc this afternoon. the crew has been cast by president trump with carrying out special air mission 41, the reference to president bush's place as the 41st president of the united states. we will bring you back here live from the departure. expected for about half an hour from now.

members of the house and senate will be taken part in an arrival for the former president in the capitol rotunda. after the ceremony with lawmakers, the public will be able to pay their respects starting this evening and continuing through wednesday morning. coverageave live starting with the arrival ceremony at 5:00 eastern. the state funeral for the former president will be held at washington national cathedral on wednesday at 11:00 a.m. eastern. afterward, his remains will be returned to texas for a public viewing in houston wednesday night. thursday, a funeral at st. martin's episcopal church with a burial in the afternoon at the george bush presidential library and museum in college station. talked about the former president earlier today on washington journal. host: on the phone joining us of is lauren, the director the george h.w. bush presidential library.