mr. meacham: typhoid mary. mr. obama: i felt bad for the guy because he became a cause re inside the republican, the limbaugh, fox news media world, which is how marco got elected, essentially saying you are not a true believer. and i think the challenges we continue to have -- it has gotten worse, not better with the internet and all these .hings taking place is one of the things you discover as president is that the post-world war ii order that was constructed by fdr, truman, and eisenhower, and george marshall, that that basic notion of liberal -- not liberal in , you know, partisan terms, but a pluralistic, liberal, market-based, rule of law-based democracy and those sets of universal principles, democratic and republican leaders believed in those things. and that is the running thread basically from 1945 all the way through reagan. there were certain ideas that jim, regardless of how it was viewed, whether it was far right or right, there were certain ideals that you assumed you had to follow because that was

mr. meacham: mrs. bush raised a family, endured the loss of a daughter to leukemia, and kept everything and everyone together. as the wife of one president and the mother of another, she holds a distinction that belongs to only one other american in the long history of the republic, abigail adams, who was present at the creation. from the white house to camp david to walker's point, in hours of war and peace, of tumult and calm, the bushes governed in a spirit of congeniality, civility, and grace. instinctively generous, barbara and george bush put country above party, the common good above political gain, and service to others above the settling of scores. the couple had met at a christmas dance in greenwich in 1941, not quite three weeks after pearl harbor. she was wearing a red and green holiday dress. he endeavored to get introduced. she was 16, he was 17. he was the only boy she ever kissed. her children, she remarked, always wanted to throw up when they heard that one. [laughter] mr. meacham: in

mr. meacham: he is a very handsome man. [laughter] was 0-2.am: so i funny was a fair and point, as were so many of the points that barbara pierce bush made in her long and consequential life. , asn as barbara and bar mom, as mother, as ganny, as the silver fox, and as the enforcer, she was candid and comforting, steadfast and straightforward, honest and loving. barbara bush was the first lady of the greatest generation. as the fiancÉ and wife of a world war ii naval aviator, she waited and prayed in the watches of the night. during the war, she worked at a nuts and bolts factory in port chester, new york, and she joined george h.w. bush in the great adventure of postwar texas , moving to distant odesza in 1948, 70 summers ago. from rye, mrs. bush's mother would send boxes of soap and detergent to her daughter, on the grounds they probably did not have that kind of thing in west texas. [laughter] waved -- raised a thely, and your -- endured loss of a daughter to leukemia, and kept everything and everyone together. as the wif

mr. meacham. david: it makes a point. mistake to think that president bush was simply a nice guy. he was a nice guy to those who knew him well but there was a field to him. when he needed to fight in a campaign, he knew how to fight and do not hesitate. richard: he made very tough decisions. he was a fighter. but in a way in which we have respect. david: i want to thank my alsoague, tom king, and former indiana senator richard lugar. thank you both very much. we watch the hearse the part with the motorcade for the national cathedral. i want to welcome now kevin cirilli. he is on the scene right there at the national cathedral. we have seen some of the dignitaries. i think i saw president obama and chancellor merkel. described the scene if you could. now isas the bush family in route to the national cathedral behind me for the funeral services for former president george h.w. bush, some top global dignitaries will be a accompanying this funeral in addition to president trump and the first lady as well as german chancellor

when he realized his mistake, asked, never know.to gosk. >> woodruff: meacham called mr."america's last great soldier-statesman," presiding over the fall of the soviet union, and rallying a coalition to fight the first gulf war. >> he stood in the breach in the cold war against totalitarianism. stood in the breach in washington against unthinking partisanship. he stood in the breach against tyranny and discrimination. and on his watch, a wall fell in berlin. the george herbert walker bush, who survived tery fall into the waters of the pacific three-quarters of a century ago, made our lives and the lives of nations freer, better, warmer, and nobler. that was his mission. that was his heartbeat. and if we listen closely enoug we can hear that heartbeat even now, for it's the heartbeat of a lion. a lion who not only led us, but who loved us. that's, why him. that's why he was spared. >> woodruff: the funeral drew world leaders past and present, including former canadian prime minister brian mulroney, whose term in office overlapped mr. bush's vice president.nt and he recalle

mr. meacham: in truth, it had been the closest of calls. george she said, and their great old age lost in reminiscence -- you must have been saved for a reason. i know there had to be a reason. president bush sat silently for the briefest of moments, then raised that big left-hand and pointed his finger across the table at his wife. you, he said hoarsely, you were the reason. gov. bush: as i stand here today to share a few words about my mom, i feel her looming presence behind me, and i know exactly what she is thinking right now. jeb, keep it short. don't drag this out. people have heard enough remarks already. and most of all, don't get weepy. remember, i spent decades laughing and living a life with these people, and that is true. barbara bush filled our lives with laughter and joy, and in the case of our family, she was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning. on behalf of our family, we want to thank the thousands and thousands of expressions of condolence and love for our precious mother. we want to tha

mr. bush well, jon meacham, who wrote a biography of the former president. good to have you with us.ou described him as a politician and a gentleman. do those two roles ever come in conflict? how did it shape him as a president? >> he was driven by two forces, by an urge to serve, a compulsion really in many ways to put the national interests ahead of his own. but that was when he was in office. seeking office, seeking power, he was not a perfect man, he would be the last person to tell you he was. he never claimed it. i remember once at kennebunkport we were sitting on the porch and i was chasing him around, figuratively, trying to get him to talk about these od manners and grace, and what you have to do in campaigns. he said, politics isn't a pure undertaking, not if you want to win, it's no >> few have learned more about him than you. thank you for spending some time with us. >>> drea mitchell covered george h.w. bush for decades. this was a presidency of highs and lows. the success at the end of the cold war, the gulf war and the collapse of the economy. what was it like to cover

mr. meacham's excellent biography.ashington, the toxic atmosphere of partisanship and tribalism that we bemoan now is not simply a creation of the current president, it's a creation of all of us in an era that has gone by. to look back on that bush moment is -- jon used the word in his book quaint. i hope we manage to summon that quaintness and get back to it in some way. and i want to say that fundamentif you want to know more about president clinton's relationship with president bush, he wrote an op-ed with us that starts with that beautiful, beautiful letter. the thing that's so amazing about that letter is the relationship between those two presidents, one leaving and one entering, was not exactly warm and fuzzy at the time. it had been a very bitter campaign. he summoned the grace to understand that the new president was our president, the country's president and then that beautiful relationship developed afterwards. >> michael, this weekend frank fleming wrote, george h.w. bush had the most boring presidency duri

mr. bush well, jon meacham, who wrote a biography of the former president. you described him as a politician and a gentleman. do those two roles ever come in conflict? es> he was driven by two fo by an urge to serve, a compulsion really in many ways to put the national o interests ahe his own. that is when he was in office. seeking office, seeking he was not a perfect man, he would be theast rson to tell you he was. he never claimed it. i remember once at kennebunkport we were sitting on the porch ng and i was cha him around, trying to get him to talk about these tradeoffs between good manners and grace, and what you have to do in aigns. he said, politics isn't a pure undertaking, not if you want to win, it's not. >> few have learned that. >>> president trump is flying home from the g-20 summit in argentina. andrea mitchell covered george h.w. bush for this was a presidency for highs and lows. the gulf war, the cold war and the collapse of the economy. what was it like to cover it? >> it was a difficult time to cover thi man, the political side versus knowin

. >> glor: jon meacham is mr.biographer. >> george herbert walker bush was america's last great soldier statesman, a 20th century founding father. ♪ in the long and honored history of america ♪ there are names that shine like beacons in the night ♪ >> glor: alan simpson, the former wyoming senator, praised mr. bush as a humble man. >> those who travel the high road of humility in washington, d.c. are not bothered by heavy traffic. ( laughter ) >> glor: and finally, george w., the son who earlier this year helped bury his mother, barbara, said his goodbye. >> last friday, when i was told he had minutes to live, i called him. the guy answered the phone and said, "i think he can hear you, but he hasn't said anything for most of the day." i said, "dad, i love you. and you've been a wonderful father." and the last words he would ever say on earth were, "i love you, too." a great and noble man. the best father a son or daughter could have. and in our grief, i just smile knowing that dad is hugging robin and holding mom'

jon meacham has been telling the story of the president for 21 years. he's also a beloved confidante and friend of mrs. bush and the 41st president. karen tumulty and peter baker and former congressman david jolly is with me on set for the hour. let me start with you, jon meacham. you've been on television nonstop since friday night when this news broke. we just saw the first image of what the celebration, what the official government celebration of the life of our 41st president looks like. and you and i both know it's something that the family and gene becker, his devoted chief of staff have planned for, for not months but years. what's it like for you to see these moments unfold? >> well, as you say, it's been inevitable. obviously, this was going to happen. but there's something -- there's an interesting combination here. an intersection of two things. there's the majesty of state which we're watching and there's the warmth and fundamental decency and generosity of spirit of the man being honored. and so for me and for tens and tens and tens of thousands and maybe more americans who felt a connect

. ♪ >> john meacham actually read his eulogy to former president bush before he passed away with his trademark, humility. mrbush said, that is a lot about me john. >> bret: live here in washington as we look live, ellington field in houston. standing by there, senior correspondent rick leventhal. good evening. a crowd letter to see this arrival. >> a large crowd. the landing was graceful, now mission 41 is passing behind us. we have been asked to stop our broadcast and here you can continue to watch the images. we will step out of the way let the pictures speak for themselves. >> bret: as we look live here, our senior advisor to the 43rd president, kyle road. as a look at this landing here in houston, you were at the service today and now the 41st president is returning home soon to make it to his internment at the library. talk about today. >> it was an extraordinary moments. we had two presidents, father and son. john adams and john quincy adams, john quincy adams was president when his father died. john adams was buried before his son could even hear the word of it. this is a unique moments. never in our

.♪ ♪ [music] reporter: john meacham actually read the eulogy to the former president bush before he passed away. and with his trademark committee, mrut me, john. >> thank you very much. mike emanuel. joining a site with some perspective on the days events and the 41st president of the nine states, presidential historian, formal special assistant to george h. w. bush. doug, good to have you with us. an impressive sendoff. your thoughts about all that was said today. the man's biographer e -- biography and achievements. >> i think history will rank him is great because he ended the cold war. some of the confusion today, there are people saying, you cannot live donald trump and george h. w. bush. but i live donald trump and what he is doing to turn america. i also logged george h. w. bush for ending the cold war and dismantling that soviet union. >> in managing the end of what was the soviet union, i think most would argue that the fall of the berlin wall marked the beginning of the end of the soviet union and that it was under the administration of ronald reagan which actually the soviet union itself and -- was defeated. >> he deserv

mr. rogers trying to be john wayne. >> and jon meacham joins us now. that you had actually been able -- you read your eulogy to the president while still alive. what was his reaction? >> it was fascinating. it was a great honor, of course, and i've always had, as you all probably have, the impression of sitting in churches, sitting in memorial services and thinking, gee, if only the person we're talking about could hear this. and so i decided, well, why not just solve this, so i called up last summer, i think, and said, would you like to hear it? yes. and so he was at that point pretty much in his bedroom there in walker's point, and i went in and we chatted a while, and then i pulled up an ottoman next to the chair where he was in a recliner and read it to him. and, boy, his eyes didn't move. he was following everything. and at the very end, he said, that's so nice. you know, it was an awful lot about me. and i said, in a rather smart alecky way, you know, that was kind of the mission here, sir. it was a great honor. i know prime minister mulrooney di

there who know that very well, too, jon meacham and andy card, arguably one of the closest people to this family. and i'm honored to n this today with them and with mr. brokaw, too. you know, t reflections, i think for all of us in these past seven months have reall been very deep and such a reminder of how lucky and how to beeged all of us were, a part of theirlooiftsives. this is a beautiful family and this is a beautiful man. and barbara bush was a beautiful woman. and they gave us such examples of courage, fpatriotism, love country, of friends, of family. all the good things in life that all of us would want and i think they're all also very heartened and encouraged by all thel, wonderwell-deserved recognition of george and barbara bush and the legacy of service that they have had, not only to the local community, but to the country and to the world. and i think it's just such an honor and privilege to have even a few moments to share that on behalf of ,myse my own family, the trajectory of my life and my husband'slife, as andy notes, because he was there thr igh a lot o with us, was in great part due to the bushes. and particularly to georg so

mrs. clinton looking straight ahead. then george h.w. bush thissing s guests. every living president together. jon meachamailing bush as the last soldier statesman comparing him to the first republican president. >>incoln and bush both called on us to chuds the right over the convenient, to hopeather than to fear, and to heed not our worst impulses, but our best instincts. >> reporter: a def ing moment in bush's life when the world war ii aviator was shot down. >> the george herbert walker bush who survived that fiery fall into the waters of the pacific three quarters of a century ago made our lives and the lives of nationsfreer, better, warmer, and nobler. >> reporter: former senator alan simpson praising his humility. >> those who travel the high washington, ity in d.c. are not bothered by heavy traffic. >> reporter:he most powerful tribute from 43 about 41. a son celebrating his father. >> he was born with just two settings. full throttle, then sleep. >> reporter: and sharing what hm learned f his dad. >> he showed me what it is to be a president who served with integrity, leads with courage and agents

meacham who spent four years working on his biography. alan simpson has been friends with the family since the 'sixth. and brian mulroney was in office while mrbush was in office and they used to fish together. >> as we mentioned there are 3,200 people attending the service. capacity inside the national cathedral is supposed to be 3,000. so it will be packed. we have seen longtime establishment figures like dig cheney, defense secretary during mr. bush's presidency and other members of his dplrgs including colinoe biden and his wife. arriving a short time ago. we have seen non-political figures as well. including peyton manning, the great peyton manning. new england patriots owner bob craft is here. there are dignitiary. prince charles, king abdullah of jordan appear angela merkel who was working in the east german government when mr. bush was president. a merkel spokesperson tweet add photo of her with mr. bush in the oval office when they first met in 1991. look at that. >> yes. >> i just spoke to the secret service. it was interesting. they said they'd been working obviously around 24/7 to coordinate this. but they were getting calls up un