>> george w.ission was not george h.w. bush, the mission was: how do we serve the united states? how do we help the united states? how do we make the united states better? which is very important in establishing a culture that can succeed. >> o'donnell: that the office was more important than the man. >> george w. bush: the office is more important than the man. it's really one of the most important things for americans to understand. dad taught me this. and, therefore, one of the jobs is to strengthen the institution of the presidency, bring honor to the office. and that, clearly, george h.w. sh did >> o'donnell: and bringing honor to the office, that institution, why is that so important? >> george w. bush: the institution of the presidency is a shock absorber. look, every president has got strengths and weaknesses, west - the country, the ballast of the ship estate, you know, is strong enough to-- withstand either tumultuous times or-- you know, the foibles of mankind. >> o'donnell: you said th

-- i wonderfor legacy is of george h w bush? -- i wonder for you. legacy is of george h w bush? ush? -- i wonderfor you. well, i think george hw wonderfor you. well, i think george h w bush leaves the real legacy of civility in american politics. he clearly had mainstream conservative convictions but he was someone who was respected and admired across party lines. he forged a post— presidency relationship with clinton family, he was well thought of by the 0bama family, and so he really did happen back to an era where american politics was a bit more bypartisan, a bit more characterised bypartisan, a bit more characterised by class and decorum, and i think it is something that people will look at with fondness and see him as a real exemplar of that tradition. whoever is in the us presidency often defines the moon, perhaps you would say internationally. and he was president, what kind of tone and it is set for the rest of the world? —— when he was. it is set for the rest of the world? -- when he was. well, i think he set a profoundly optimistic tone. when you think about the year i

here are attending george w. bush is presidential library dedication in 2013, and sharing a few words. >> glad to be here. god bless america, thank you very much. bush even kept up with public by joining twitter where he often shared photos of his colorful socks that became part of his signature look. each brought health challenges of course, parkinson's disease left them in a wheelchair and brief hospital stays in his 90s for pneumonia, bronchitis and a fall and his home. but not enough to keep him out of the limelight throwing out the first pitch before 2016 baseball game and pregame ceremonies month later at the super bowl in his houston hometown. reuniting with his former running mate and vice president dan quayle in july, and then catching a glimpse of the rare eclipse tcthat cross the countr alongside his family in maine i august. one of his last public appearances was at his beloved wife barbara's funeral where he met with former presidents, first ladies, and the current first lady melania trump. bush arre

george h. w.ush was the father of a reunified germany, the real impact he had on a floebl stage. let's go to nancy who is at the capitol waiting for the funeral service to get underway. >> good morning. over one shoulder you see the navy band has now moved into position over our other shoulder the hearse carrying president george h. w. bush here from the capitol to the national cathedral. and a large fleet of black cars, a motorcade has just pulled up. the extended members of the bush family now getting out. they will flank the hearse as the casket of the 41st president is carried down the steps here at the east front of the navy capitol. the navy band will play "hail to the chief," a 21-gun salute and members of the joint chiefs of staff will serve has an honor guard. really fitting. and two days of honors we have seen at the u.s. capitol. thousands of people streaming through the capitol rotunda to pay respects, very silently waiting, sometimes three to four hours to get in to witness a little p

that was john meacham and the former president george w. bush on the life of the first president bush. he died friday he was 94 years old. starting now we want to bring you another program about george hw bush he looks at the impact of the bush family that evening as chairman it's my true privilege to welcome all of you to this program tonight. i happen to think that the library is a pattern. we had two starts --dash mike stars on the stage. they have them moderation conversation. they had two more stars on the stage. he is a true rising star in this country in the media and journalism award. johnny got his start as a speech writer for rudy giuliani. both when he was mayor of new york and later as presidential candidate. he has way more than that. he is a very active writer in this country. moreover, she is on --dash mike he is on television all the time. you can look at c-span. and you will see john avalon. i will also tell you he is a terrific writer of books. it's about washington's farewell address. and he reminds us that it's truly topi

george w. bush felt it should. he had the ability to pull that off. there was the gulf war which was one of the great successes, getting iraq out of kuwait in 1990, the coalition he put together, nafta, which he expanded to include canada, the agreement with mexico. acid rain agreement, the precursor of global warming. it really was international affairs that interested him the most. i will say the team he had, jim baker, dick cheney on defense, colin powell, that was one of the most impressive foreign-policy teams ever assembled. >> on where george hw bush received the lowest marks in that survey, coming in 27th when it comes to setting an agenda the vision, 23rd on public persuasion. >> that vision thing. having the vision and public persuasion, being able to sell it, the most instructive issue for bush was the issue of read my lips, no new taxes. as he was doing that i love to hear what you think. as he said that at the republican convention he is reading the lines, his heart isn't in this b

george w. bush wasn't a great national or talented competiti competition. he was a great public servant and there was a difference. he knew the pros of governing. he didn't know the public treats the well. apropos of what mclaren said, that's quite right. he suffered tremendously because of the tax increase, particularly because of the republican party led by newt gingrich. that reagan did raise taxes, the increase in 82 was the largest in history. he could get away with it for a couple of reasons, one was that was a bond ronald reagan had in the conservative movement that nobody else have so he could do that but it was not a revolt. there was a lot of hesitancy and in trepidation with george h. w. bush that felt like he was not one of them so it was a lot shorter. he didunderscore the quality of george w. bush which was a threat and that was courageous enough he would pay a price to it. >> host: remind the viewers of what you're role was in the administration. >> guest: i worked for william be

to watch a president, george w. o be part of the agreeing of the body of a president, his father, eight years after george h.w. bush leaves washington, george w. bush in the oval office, remember that first day after the inaugural parade, where george w. bush is sitting at the desk and then his father comes into the office. i remember conversations with him about that, and just how moving it was. and one of the interesting things, and george w. bush will eulogize his father, that president george h.w. bush, the bush men cry. and when you talk to jeb bush or you talk to george w. bush about their father, their mother they viewed as sort of the force of the family. >> she was known as the enforcer. >> and the father was more the gentle soul to them in the family. but whatever stories they were telling about their father, they would well up in tears. and during their father's political campaigns, i was on the receiving end of this a couple of times from w. george h.w. bush is known as this kind, gentle man. but he ran s

within a decade, there was another bush in the white house, george w bush. was the last of america's cold war leaders and the demise of communism during his period was managed deftly as former soviet satellites embraced the values of democracy and freedom. george herbert walker bush remained active in the old age, even parachute jumping in his 80s. and of course, the one constant throughout all that, his wife barbara. they were married for over 70 years. that is george bush win senior, who has died at the age of 94 after serving a term as president of the united states. —— george bush senior. he served between 1989 and 1993. he has now passed away. that is breaking news if you havejust joined us here on bbc world news, the former president of the united states, george herbert walker bush, has died. he was 94 and the 41st president of the us. he also helped guide the world out of a four decade cold war. we are seeing pictures here of george h w bush, who has passed away. his wife barbara bush passed away. his wife barbara bush passed away earlier this year, i

and i felt as if george w.et george h.w. bush in 1973 and our relationship has gone from little red chevy chevette to experiences i never would have dreamed i would have and he inculcated everyone with a sense of public service and of all the people i have known he is by far the most noble public servant. >> mr. secretary, thank you very much for joining us. andy card, former chief of staff to the president george w. bush 43. back here with our group as we watch the various motorcades splinter out around town. nicole, for those who don't want this to be an end of an era, who's the flame carrier to come out of this event? >> you know, the bushes have not spent this much time in the limelight in -- since george w. bush was president. so to see so much of them and to see how they're received, you know, i think it says a lot about hungering something different, for the way things were, partisanship. both partisans and civility. i think that what you saw today was george w. bush picking up the flame, becoming the pa

one last note, george w. sh was giving a speech, george, back when bill clinton was having heart surgery and he made a joke, he said bill clinton just woke from heart surgery surrounded by those who love him, hillary, chelsea and my dad. >> neil bush called him the brother from another mother. and of course president trump will also be there today. he's had a great hand in this ceremony as well. jon karl also at the national cathedral. >> reporter: president trump made air force one available to transport george h.w. bush's casket here to washington. after this ceremony he will board that plane that is air force one to go back to texa this is a truce, a truce in what is a very tense relationship between donald trump and the entire bush family. i mean, you really can't overstate it, george. george herbert walker bush in his last political act actually voted for a democrat, voted for hillary clinton, he was so upset by the way donald trump had treated his son, jeb bush, during that campaign. but there was certai

george h. w. vy today there also filled with gratitude, not merely for the years he spent as a 41st president, but for the more than 70 years he spent in devoted service to the country lapeer bill clinton. i'll be forever grateful for the friendship we formed. from the moment i met him as a young governor, i was struck by the kindness he showed to chelsea by his innate and genuine decency. by his devotion to barbara, his children and their growing brood. carter, we are deeply saddened by the death of former president, george h. w. bush. is it ministration was marked by grace. civility and social conscience. but not just former presidents or remitting him, mikhail gorbachev, it was a time of great change, great responsibility from everyone. the result was the end of the cold war and nuclear arms race. my wife and i deeply appreciated the intention, kindness and simplicity typical of george and barbara bush as well as the rest of their large, friendly family. the dalai lama.he was in fact the first a

george w. love in his heart for the citizens of our country. he said his dad's brushes with death made him young even as he grew old and that that genuine optimism steered his life. >> it was very moving, especially when george w. bush, the 43rd president, talked about how his father was the best father that any son or daughter could ever hope for. he's an emotional man. he's known for crying, george w. bush, for being weepy on occasion. he almost made it through the entire speech but choked up quite a bit at the end. it was very emotional, very moving. the four men that the former president, the late president george h.w. bush, picked to eulogize him here at the national cathedral all addressed different parts of his biography. you had jon meacham talking about bush focusing to a large degree on his service in the military during world war ii. you had the former canadian prime minister, brian mulroney, talking about bush the statesman, bush the world leader, and former senator alan simpson tal

george w. bush, the 43rd president, here for the final good-bye. he's there with general michael howard, who is the head of the command here in d.c., which includes the honor guard. >> all the family on the tarmac getting ready for this final departure ceremony. they'll be boarding this plane and heading off to houston with the casket of course. there will be more state services tomorrow in houston followed by the burial at texas a&m university, where the george h.w. bush presidential library is based. >> look at how george w. bush is becoming right before our eyes the patriot yack of tarch of th family. he was the oldest brother of the children who had come to grieve and mourn their father and today he is the patriarch of the family, the head of the family. >> it's another moment and it's another emotional moment. i just want to listen in and watch. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> they'll be boarding the aircraft now. the flight should be about three or four hours to houston, and then the burial tomorrow. i

the passing of george w. everyone participated and celebrating his life and mourning his loss. here at college station on the campus of texas of texas a&m, this will be a private moment. and i can give you a little bit of a preview of what we are going to see. they will form -- that is to the left of me. it is difficult to see, but we will see it a little bit later. the entire line of cars will form behind me, and we will ask to be quiet at that point. the george bush library and museum, and they will head behind that area where the trees are. they will head back into there, and that is where we will will be able to see a part of the final goodbye ceremony here at texas and a&m. and that is where the final ceremonies will take place and they will say their goodbyes. >> shepard: we will get a little look at that. >> i did, with permission. it is very quiet. it's quite beautiful. something that they designed themselves. they did spend a lot of time here on the campus of texas a&m. you can see that their small p

president george w. bush on hand to honor his bush on hand george w. and to honor his late father.... george h.w. bush... for a lifetime of service to the country. the casket carrying the remains of the 41st- president has arrived at the u.s. capitol ... for the nation to begin its formal farewell. and this is a live picture from the capitol rotunda. the former president's casket will remain there for 41-hours --- ahead of his funeral on wednesday. (pam)thank you for joining us, i'm pam moore.(ken)and i'm ken wayne. president bush will be honored in several ceremonies this week before his body is returned to his final resting place in texas. kron 4's alexandra lin is live in washington d- c tonight with the details. alexandra? natsspecial air mission 41 brought the body of president george herbert walker bush to joint base andrews... along with members of the bush family .. including his sons president george w. bush and former florida governor jeb bush.nats the motorcade carrying the remains of the 41st president arrived at the capitol at sunset...

george w. bush greeted three fellow former presidents and the current commander in chief donald trump german chancellor angela merkel was there as well as other world leaders in tribute bush's military service in world war two was celebrated as was his sense of humor he never slowed down. on the primary campaign trail in new hampshire once he grabbed the hand of an apartment store manik and asking for votes . when he realized his mistake he said never no got to ask. old friends remembered his ability to work across political lines and his selflessness. but he often said when the really tough choices come it's the country not me. it's not about democrats or republicans it's for our country that i have fought for. george w. bush delivered the main eulogy a moment unique in american history a former president telling his father also a president good bye and we're going to miss you your decency sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever. so through our tears let us know the blessings of know

the world that george w. bush inhabited change tremendously. >> he's the only president in our lifetime to win the third term for his party. you've got to remember that. >> he has a lot of vision in terms of foreign policy. he wanted to see the reunification of germany perhaps earlier than the others were fo for, and a way that we still see a lot of the ramifications of it in the structure of europe. >> absolutely. those are lasting achievements that pave the way for the expansion of nato, the strengthening of the atlantic alliance, the collision he built in the gulf war, set in motion that ended up challenging al qaeda. he did a lot of great things. he also made mistakes. we've been debating a lot about u.s. politics for saudi arabia in the wake of the killing of khashoggi. it was president bush to make the decision to keep our relations alive in beijing after tiananmen square. there is the famous picture of -- even his foreign policy wasn't without controversy. probably things in retrospect done differently

here, attending george w.ush's presidential library dedication in 2013, and sharing a few words. >> glad to be here. god bless america and thank you very much. [applause] >> bret: bush even kept up with public debate by joining twitter, where he often shared photos of his colorful socks that began part of his signature look. each brought health challenges, of course. a form of parkinson's disease that left him in a wheelchair, and brief hospital stays in his 90s for pneumonia, bronchitis, and a fall in his home. but not enough to keep them out of the limelight, throwing out the first pitch before a 2016 baseball game, and pregame ceremonies months later at the super bowl in his houston home town. reuniting with his former running mate and vice president dan quayle in july, and then catching a glimpse of the rare eclipse that crossed the country alongside his family in maine in august. one of bush's last public appearances was that his beloved wife, barbara, a part of his funeral, where he met with former presi

president george h w bush returning george h w president george h w president president george h w bush returning home to texasovernight-- home to texasbush returning george h w president president george h w bush returning home to texas overnight-- crowds gathering at st martin's church in houston--to say a final farewell to the political icon before he is taken to his final resting place--next to his beloved wife barbara and daughter robinworld leaders past and present--gathering at the national cathedral in washington wednesday --a funeral fit for political royaltycelebrating the life of the 41st president--as a leader...jon meacham, presidential historian and author: "he was our shield in danger's hour."friend...alan simpson, former wyoming senator: "the most decent and honrable person i ever met was my friend, george bush."and father..george w. bush, former u.s. president: "the best father a son or daughter could have. and in our grief, let us smile, knowing that dad is hugging robin and holding mom's hand again"..president george h w bush died friday at the age of 94-- known for h

think about it, ronald reagan, vice president, george w. bush, won the cold war, the soviet union ended on the watch of george h.w. bush, and it required diplomacy in order to make certain that that moment came, not as one of exaltation of the united states bragging about his victory over russia, but instead, a quiet diplomacy that allowed russia to begin to move in a democratic direction and for the world to be safe, and to reduce the nuclear armament, to end the missiles that were aimed at the u.s., because extent, and elsewhere, bring that nuclear material out. and then, on the watch, too, the invasion of kuwait, and the leadership was strong and effective, to bring the world together, and to remove saddam hussein from kuwait. but the man -- bret was right. this is a man of enormous character. he made a long list of public accomplishments. we could keep going. remember, this was the captain of the ncaa national college baseball champions, one of the things that he had in the office at the republican national committee was a picture of him

here, attending george w.ush's presidential library dedication in 2013, and sharing a few words. >> glad to be here. god bless america and thank you very much. [applause] >> bret: bush even kept up with public debate by joining twitter, where he often shared photos of his colorful socks that began part of his signature look. each brought health challenges, of course. a form of parkinson's disease that left him in a wheelchair, and brief hospital stays in his 90s for pneumonia, bronchitis, and a fall in his home. but not enough to keep them out of the limelight, throwing out the first pitch before a 2016 baseball game, and pregame ceremonies months later at the super bowl in his houston home town. reuniting with his former running mate and vice president dan quayle in july, and then catching a glimpse of the rare eclipse that crossed the country alongside his family in maine in august. one of bush's last public appearances was that his beloved wife, barbara, a part of his funeral, where he met with former presi

george w. bush. we are joined by hallie jackson. let me start with you because we have heard from the current -- i'm sorry. that is my mistake. we will be hearing from her in a minute. we are going to pause here just for a few seconds because we're going to be joined by our network affiliates and pick up the network coverage. >>> this is an nbc news special report. >> steve kegeorge h.w. bush has away at the age of 94. that word coming to us just over an hour ago. a statement released by his son, the 43rd president george w. bush. he had governed this country from 1989 to 1993, a time of moment momentous change. the fall of the berlin wall, the reunification of germany, major global events that played out under the watch of george h.w. bush, a one-term president whose legacy in the last 25 years in the generation since his presidency has in many ways been enhanced in a way that few one-term presidents before him we have seen. hallie jackson, who's covering the current president donald trump on

george w.ush and popular florida governor jeb. bush left the navy and guatemalaed from yale before he and barbara moved to texas to find his dreams on an oil field. by the age of 30, he was co-founder and president of pota offshore which pioneered experimental drilling equipment. just like his father, bush was attracted to public service and politics. after losing his first political race for a senate seat in 1964, he was elected to the house of representatives two years later. serving two terms, encouraged by richard nixon to run again for the senate in 1970, he was defeated a second time. he moved on to high government positions. in 1971 richard nixon appointed him ambassador to the united nations. and in 1973, he became chairman of the republican national committee at the height of the watergate scandal. in that role, bush urged nixon to resign for the good of the party. >> i shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. >> president gerald ford sent bush to china as chief of the u

george w. bush. he had governed this country from 1989 to 1993, a time of momentous change. >>> this is an nbc news special report. >> steve kornacki here in new york for nbc news, again with the breaking news. former president george herbert walker bush has passed away at the age of 94, that word coming to us just over an hour ago, a statement released by his son, the 43rd president george w. bush. he had governed this country from 1989 to 1993, a time of momentous change not just in this country, but in this world. a president who saw the fall of soviet commune im, the fall of the berlin ball, twall, the reunification of germany. a one-term president whose legacy in the last 25 years and the generations since his presidency as in many ways been enhanced in a way that few one-term presidents we have seen. hallie jackson, who's covering the current president in buenos aires joins us live. we have heard from president trump in the last few minutes. >> we have. in a statement from both president

(carin) remembering a towering politics remembrances from across the globe-- honoring president george h-w bush.president george h.w. bush// "read my lips, no more taxes."the leader of the powerhouse bush political family passed away friday in his houston home--where a memorial is now growing outside.clarissa dockett, paying tribute// "he had a good life, but it's still sad. he was the first president i ever voted for."world leaders and politicians are sharing heartfelt memories of the world war two combat pilot. angela merkel, chancellor of germany// "he was the father or one of the fathers of the german unification. and we will never forget that."at the g-20 in argentina-- president a bush's memorial service and praised the 41st president for his commitment to faith, family and president donaldtrump// "hwanumerous occ just a high-quality mas family." grandaughter jenna bush-hager posting this picture on instagram, writing "i will miss him desperately but so happy he and my grandmother ."f president president obama also remembering bush's life and legacy.... tweeting "america has lost a p

the final farewell for president george h-w bush. ght now in houston texas. let's listen in. this is a live look inside the houston church where former george h-w bush will have funeral service this (james)check of weather and traffic... skies will continue to gradually clear out with mostly sunny skies after a few lingering morning showers. look forward to a mild day with upper 50's and low 60's and no need for the umbrella but still a good day to keep the sweater handy. no major hot

♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) (♪ ♪) ahora el expresidente george wpÁ se podÍa acercar a toda la gente, era un hombre lleno de empatÍa, valoraba mÁs el caracter que el pedigree y no era un cÍnico, Él buscaba lo bueno en todo el mundo y usualmente lo encontraba. Él nos enseÑÓ que el servicio pÚblico era algo noble y necesario, que se puede servir con integridad y se pueden defender valores como la fe y la familia. Él creÍa que era importante devolverle a la comunidad y al paÍs en el que uno vivia, y Él reconociÓ que servir a otros enriquece ahÍ el alma de quien daba, para nosotros Él era el mÁs brillante de esos mil puntos de luz y Él aceptÓ que los reveces son parte de la vida, pero nos enseÑÓ a no dejarnos doblegar por los fracasos. dijo que esas cosas nos fortalecen ninguna decepciÓn es comparable con la mayor de las tragedias, la pÉrdida de una hija, jeb y yo Éramos muy jÓvenes para saber del dolor de nuestros padres cuando muriÓ nuestra hermana, vinimos a saber despuÉs que papÁ oramos a diario por ella. se afianzoaba en el amor del todopoderoso y

attending george w. bush's dedication of the president a library and a few words. >> glad to be here, thank you very much. [applause] >> was kept up with public debate by joining twitter where he shared photos of colorful socks that became part of his signature look. age brought health challenges, former parkinson's disease that left him in a wheelchair and brief hospital stays in his 90s for bronchitis and a fall in his home. but not enough to keep him out of the limelight, throwing out the first pitch before the 2016 baseball game and pregame ceremonies months later at the super bowl in his houston hometown. reuniting with his former running mate and vice president dan quayle and catching a glimpse of the rare eclipse across the country alongside his family in maine in august. one of bush's last public appearances was at his beloved wife barbara's funeral where he met with former presidents, first ladys and current first lady milania trump, he recently returned to his vacation hometown kennebunkport ma

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 c

george w., he became a father, himself. bush was a standout at yale, captain of the baseball team, graduating in 1948. but he left his new england roots and with family help got into the oil business in texas. >> hello, everybody. i'm prescott bush, republican candidate for the united states senate. >> in 1950, prescott bush got into what would become the family business. politics, running for the senate from connecticut. in this early campaign ad, the emphasis was on family. >> i hope all of you have as much fun and happiness in your family life as we do. >> my father was totally honest, totally committed to service per se and that inspired me, not just there, but in his whole life. >> prescott bush lost in 1950 but one a senate seat two years later as reported on election night by nbc news' richard hartness. >> prescott bush, mr. bush is a new york investment banker. he's a partner of able ahrleman, bush will be in the senate as a republican. >> in texas, george bush prospered. george w. late

bush forty one and bush forty three as we often refer to them george bush sr and his eldest son george w. but that really dissipated in the final months of his life in fact while we know he suffered from parkinson's george bush sr in fact george w. bush wrote a book to him which was published very quickly so that his father could read it was really a testimonial of how much his father had contributed to his life and his success and really almost worshipful in terms of the relationship which many times say had been rather tense so it'll be interesting to listen to this eulogy many say that it will be difficult to deliver without tears because of their close bond and of course there are so many here to honor him not only did george bush sr have a significant domestic public service aspect to his presidency but also it was one very much dominated by foreign policy and so we know that german chancellor angela merkel is here as well as the king of jordan even prince charles he really touched the lives of so many that will be present in the cathedral behind me simply how can a white house corr

george h. w. bush lying in repose in houston, texas. his body arrived there moments ago returned from a funeral service in washington d.c.. attended by four living presidents. including president trump. >> mike emanuel has the story. >> he was no cynic. he looked for the good in each person and he usually found it. dad told us public services noble and necessary. the former president george w. bush eulogized his father just eight months after losing his mother. >> the best father a son or daughter can have. and in our grief, a smile knowing that dad is hugging mommy. and holding moms hand again.♪ ♪ >> the majestic national ♪ cathedral was packed with ♪ more than 3200 invited ♪ guests honoring the life and ♪ legendary public service of ♪ george h. w. bush. ♪ president trump was on hand ♪ with four former living ♪ presidents but the sitting ♪ president did not get the ♪ warmest of welcomes. ♪ a handshake from his predecessor while the former first lady, not making eye contact. the former canadian pri

that was the real george w. bush. -- george h w bush. a loving man with a big, vibrant, all enveloping hearts. so we asked as we commit his soul to god, and as he did, why him, why was he spared? the workings of providence are mysterious. but this much is clear-the this is clear, george herbert walker bush who survived that fiery fall into the pacific made our lives and the lives of nations freer, better, warmer, and nobler. that was his mission, that was his heartbeat. if we listen closely enough, we and can hear that heartbeat even now. for it is a heartbeat of a lion, a lion who not only led us, but who loved us. that is why him. that is why he was spared. >> do you remember where you were the summer you left your teenage years behind and turned 20? i was working as a laborer in my hometown. in quebec. trying to make enough money to get back into law school. it was a tough job but i was safe and secure. and had the benefit of my mother's home cooking every night. on september 2, 1944 as we have just heard so eloquently from john, 20-y

i thought president george w.'ms of laughs and, you know, maybe it seems in congress for people to be saying funny things but george h.w. bush was a funny guy. he loved jokes he loved seeing the humor in life whether it was great accomplishments and good times or bad, he instinctually knew that humor helped us all get through the challenge ks we fac. it was part of his life and appropriately was part of the ceremony. >> can you help us understand what the conversations were like upon arrival today, say, at the cathedr cathedral? what were people saying person to person? >> well, first of all, we all got here very early. we were reporting for our motorcade between 7:00 and 8:30 in the morning so most of us, because of all the security, got into the cathedral very early so there was a period of three hours or two and a half, three hours where people are -- have found their seats and then nothing's happening yet. and so that period of time is somewhat of a large reunion. people walking around the church and seeing fri

bush, george w. bush, the 43rd president, the 41s preside president and the iraq decision the son made, what was your sense of that? >> my sense of that very, very definitely was the father would not have done anything to under cut the son. he was so respectful of the office and relationship but it was very clear just by knowing how those closest to george herbert walker bush, the former national security advisor and co-author that took his residence to spend more time were in semi retirement boats and as they entered elder years and had many health issues, as well. they really were closely connected and it was clear from the very day that brent wrote the op ed column against going to war in august or september of 2002 against that decision, he was exiled from the white house by the son. even though he was his father's very closest trend and advisor and had to step down from the head of the president's foreign intelligence advisory board. they were painful moments. the bridge between them, former whi

his son, george w. bush, breaking down while honoring his father, president george herbert walker bush. all living u.s. presidents and first ladies, their hands to their hearts. tonight, what brought a son to tears. and the moment president trump arrived, the nation watching. the interaction between him and former presidents and first ladies. a rare moment to see all of them together. >>> also tonight, the breaking news. two marine planes plunging into the sea. an f-18 and a c-130. several american service members onboard. tonight, an urgent search and rescue under way. at least one rescued. >>> the scare inside the amazon warehouse amid this holiday shipping season. dozens suddenly sickened. at least one critical tonight. what's behind it? >>> the dangerous storms on the move this evening coast to coast, all the way east. heavy snow, freezing rain, ice on the way. travel on the roads and in the air will be affected. >>> the major new development. the american woman murdered on vacation. her emotional fa

president george w.eople who came to pay their respects.

obviously george w. bush and his family. we will also see barack and michelle obama, bill and hillary clinton, jimmy and rose carter. it will be the first time all of them have been together since the trump inauguration. for political junkys and the public, the body language should be fascinating. although, it is anticipated that differences will be set aside for this moment, especially for the moment when bush 43, george w. bush eulogizes his father and we expect this to be very emotional and personal for him. he's not going to be talking about necessarily moments of import beyond george h.w. bush, the family. >> yeah. this is understandably so very emotional. this is a son speaking about his dad. it will be powerful. let's get more on what we can expect. chris cuomo is over at the capital for us. they have new details on what we will see and hear at this historic funeral. chris? >> reporter: this is historic on a lot of levels. with all these presidents and dignitaries here, the security is unusual here, unusual in its dep

i think the tie between george w. bush and george h.w. bush will be on display. i can say with high confidence it will be an incredibly emotional endeavor for the 43rd president. >> i always thought, nicolle, for what it was, it was just a magazine cover after all, the "ne "newsweek" cover, "the wimp factor." in many ways i thoughtd his son became 43. that was a huge political moment. >> you can pull the thread all the way through that as far as the people he surrounded himself with. and the 41st president was pretty public in some of his, you know, views about some of the people around him. but i think a lot of what we understood was that 41 had a hard time with the tough press coverage for the 43rd president, his son. but i think the 43rd president had an equally tough time when the press and other politicians beat up on his father. >> here is the line of suvs. the secret service vehicles that will proceed the body coming to the national cathedral that contain members of the bush family. >> a lot of bushes. >> you see the salt on the road surfaces. we had a lig

bush or his son, former president george w. bush, that was a father, a son, paying tribute to his father as he was brought up the capitol steps. the bushes are known -- they'll be the first to tell you that they are emotional. that they cry easily. i know that he was steeling himself. you could certainly see on his face the emotion as he, you know, struggled to keep it together. >> tom friedman of the "new york times" is with us. like me and john and jamie, you spent a lot of time covering the president of the united states in various capacities. as you look back and watch what's going on right now in the rotunda, what goes through your mind? >> well, the biggest thing that goes through my mind now, wolf, is looking at the friends and colleagues that are there lined up. what a high-quality team he had around him. i covered secretary of state james baker, traveled virtually all 750,000 miles with him during those four years, including several trips with the president. and when you think about the people who were around baker at

the funeral of george h w bush was both a commemoration of the 41st president and a celebration of americanhip in tumultuous times. george herbert walker bush was the last us leader to have served in the second world war and as president he helped navigate the end of the cold war. more than 3,000 dignataries came to say goodbye to the leader, who died at the age of 94 last friday. here's our north america editorjon sopel. a nation prepares to bid farewell to the last of the greatest generation. those political leaders who fought in the second world war and then served their country with distinction. the extended bush family looked on as his flag—draped coffin was moved to the national cathedral. among the mourners, prince charles representing the queen and sirjohn major, prime minister during the first gulf war and close friend of george h w bush. the german chancellor, angela merkel, had come ever grateful for the role that president bush played in the reunification of her country. and in the front pew all the living former us presidents were there and, of course, the serving president don

george w. bush treated his service members like family. g and former head of president george h.w. bush is security detail. john, we have got a split screen right now. and we are showing the train. people lined up. everyone eager to pay their last respects. this will be the final resting place for bush 41. and it's college station, texas. a lot of anticipation here. >> yes, this has been on momentous 60s. as you can imagine, we have been involved with the plans for his funeral for a long time as it has developed. prepare to execute it in the best and most respectful manner way that we could. i think that has happened. as 43 said, bush said yesterday, you know, my dad only knew two things. run, run, run all day, and sleep all night. it reminds me of how he used to play golf. he would hit a shot, and he would run. nobody would want to play with him. he would run to the next job. he said to me between deep breaths, i don't understand why he can't put. now he is at rest. i am so pleased that the secret service meant so much to them. that we cou

when george w. bush asked me to thehe advertising for presidential campaign, i was at first really excited and then i was petrified. it was a huge job. i had never done anything on that scale before. i went back and studied presidential advertising. i talked all the people who had done it. one thing i noticed is it is constantly evolving. you do something for a cycle or two and voters get used to it. kind of like a virus. then it evolves. the one thing i had noticed right into our era that was happening and is a powerful ingredient to successful communication -- nobody believes -- people are very skeptical about any political communication, especially political ads. you can say whatever you want, you do not have to tell the truth. people know that. there is a real -- our challenge is how do we break through that? in our era, it was be authentic. do something that says this is real. i did very few ads with george w. bush that were scripted. he was not good at it. he looks like he was reading a script

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

i had come of the george w.tial library releasing excerpts from thinks he wrote in a diary for almost 80 years. it has been any father, and what he told his son when they were together for the first time in the oval office as presidents. stay tuned. ♪ are you a veteran, own a home, and need money for your family? newday usa can help. we earned a lot of va benefits with our service. but the va home loan benefit is a big one. by re-financing up to 100 percent of your home's value, you could take out 54,000 dollars or more. you could use that money to pay credit card debt and other expenses, plan for retirement, and get back on your feet financially. call newday usa right now. call 1-855-510-4063. ♪ >> welcome back. we are learning more about the life of george h.w. bush, the husband, the father, patriarch of the bush family. he never wrote a memoir, but he did send letters and kept a diary from the age of 18. now, the bush presidential library is releasing excerpts of those writings. there is a letter he wrote his