In writing My Father, My President, many of the observations were the collective memories of my whole family, a product of our years together. I depended heavily not only on my own recollections, but also those of my parents, my four brothers—George, Jeb, Neil, and Marvin—and my aunts and uncles as well. As I began to share some of our stories and memories with my mother and father, the amorphous themes that were to become My Father, My President soon took shape. My parents and I began discussing the book in earnest during the summer of 2005 in Maine, and my entire family was invaluable to me as work progressed throughout most of 2005 into 2006.
Many of the personal letters and family documents that I used came to me from the private and never-before-seen files kept by Patty Presock during Dad’s vice presidential and presidential years. Unless otherwise noted, all photos herein came from our private family files: from my grandmother, my mother, and, in many cases, my own family photo album. All of these photos have now been donated to the George Bush Presidential Library. As I mentioned in the acknowledgments, the highly talented staff of the library not only provided original source materials but also helped me tremendously in tracking down specific facts and clarifying hazy memories.
I relied on the following six “Bush books” throughout many chapters of this book: my mother’s original autobiography, Barbara Bush: A Memoir, and her sequel to it, Reflections: Life after the White House; my father’s collected letters, published under the title All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings; Dad’s book with Brent Scowcroft, A World Transformed; and Jim McGrath’s collection of Dad’s “wit and wisdom,” titled Heartbeat: George Bush in His Own Words. Dad’s 1987 book, written with Vic Gold, Looking Forward: An Autobiography, was useful as well.
Among the strengths of this book, I hope, are the entries taken from my father’s diaries. Some of them are available to the public through the Bush Library and some were previously published in All the Best; the rest will remain private until they are available posthumously. Many of the letters and documents I relied on are from Dad’s personal files and our family records. Some of these papers are at the Bush Library, but many of them are not yet available to the public.
Every letter we received and every interview we conducted was tremendously valuable in the process of writing this book, each in its own way. Whether or not each source was quoted in the text of the book, every letter and interview led us to new insights, further recollections, and, many times, a few laughs—or even tears—at a story well told. I am tremendously appreciative of the hundreds of Dad’s friends—world leaders, Secret Service agents, congressmen, friends—who were so generous with their time in support of this book.
Chapter 1. The End Depends upon the Beginning
In writing about Dad’s early childhood, I relied heavily on observations from his siblings—Prescott Bush, Nancy Ellis, Jon Bush, and William (Bucky) Bush—and have acknowledged their contributions in the text. An interview with Nancy Ellis by Amalie Moses Kass, “The Childhood of a President,” published in 1989 in Wellesley magazine, was the source of several quotes from Aunt Nan. For additional information about Dad’s childhood, I interviewed Betsy and Spike Heminway, who were childhood friends of my parents.
Dad’s letter of September 21, 1996, to my daughter, Ellie, is from my own personal files; and the May 22, 1920, letter from George Walker to his sons and Dorothy Walker Bush’s inscription in Dad’s Bible are from my father’s personal files.
For insight into his years at Andover, I received many letters from his classmates and was able to interview Frank “Junie” O’Brien. My interview with Mr. O’Brien provided the quote that begins the chapter. The Phillips Andover Web site, www.andover.edu, was helpful in confirming facts about the school. The quote about Andover’s influence on Dad’s life came from his 1998 interview with David Frost, for the A&E Network special “George Bush: A President’s Story.” The early chapters of What It Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer, also helped me fill in specific details about this time.
The anecdote about Dad carrying Bruce Gelb’s chair is taken from Ambassador Gelb’s remarks at a conference at Hofstra University, April 17–19, 1997. Four books resulted from the transcripts of that conference, and Gelb’s remarks appear in the first book, A Noble Calling: Character and the George H. W. Bush Presidency, edited by William Levantrosser and Rosanna Perotti, under the panel discussion “Ending the Cold War.”
Chapter 2. A Wartime Wedding
First and foremost, I depended on my mother’s and father’s many memories for this chapter. Again, I relied on the recollections of Dad’s siblings, especially my Aunt Nancy Ellis, and friends such as Spike and Betsy Heminway and Junie O’Brien in describing my parents’ courtship and dating.
The reference to Dad joining the Royal Canadian Air Force came from an interview with Jim Nantz on CBS Sunday Morning, March 30, 1997. The information about Prescott Bush’s involvement in the founding of the USO was corroborated on the official USO Web site, www.uso.org.
Of course, my father’s discussions with me about his wartime experiences formed the backbone of this chapter. For additional details, I referred to the chapter on my father in Tom Brokaw’s book The Greatest Generation, particularly Dad’s description of his being charged with reading his crewmates’ mail and seeing a fellow sailor killed in a plane accident on deck. My interview with Jack Guy, a member of Dad’s squadron, was particularly helpful too. The letter to Jim Wyke’s mother is available at the Bush Library, as is the letter from Prescott Bush to Ted White’s mother. The letters between my parents and between my father and his parents are also at the Library.
The best eyewitness account my father has seen of his being shot down by the Japanese appears in F. Willard Robinson’s interview of Lt. (jg) Nathaniel Adams in Robinson’s 2004 book, Navy Wings of Gold. The details about reports of cannibalism on Chi Chi Jima also came from Robinson’s book. I relied on details from Lou Grab’s unpublished 1996 essay, “Fly Boy,” which was in Dad’s private files. Dad also discussed the cannibals on Chi Chi Jima in his 1998 interview with David Frost.
My interview with Paula Zahn was tremendously helpful, as was her making available to me the transcript of her 2003 documentary A Flyboy’s Story, about Dad’s 2002 return to Chi Chi Jima. I used a quote from my interview with General Norman Schwarzkopf to begin the chapter, and my interview with former Secret Service agent John Magaw provided the anecdote about his calling my father every year on September 2.
For the material on Dad and Mom’s years at Yale, I’d like to thank many of Dad’s classmates, especially Lud Ashley and Junie O’Brien, for sharing their memories with me (Junie went to both Andover and Yale with my father). The stories told to me by my Uncles Johnny and Bucky were also invaluable. I found a 1991 article from the Daily Princetonian by Dan Klein, “June 5, 1948: Yale Rips Tiger Baseball, 14–2. Pregame Ceremony Unites Bush with the Babe,” to be helpful too.
Chapter 3. Go West, Young Man
This chapter opens with a quote from Martin Allday, taken from the Hofstra University conference transcript titled A Noble Calling, under the panel discussion “Molding Presidential Character: The Bush Apprenticeship.”
Dad’s recollections of being locked out of his own bathroom came from his 1998 interview with David Frost on the A&E Network, George Bush: A President’s Story. His anecdote about the drunken Democrat voting in the GOP primary also came from this interview.
For the Odessa and Midland years, a letter to me from Earle Craig was very helpful, as was a good accounting of the Martini Bowl courtesy of John Ashmun. I relied on an article Dad wrote in 1986 for American West magazine (“Texas 1948: Some Fond Memories”) in which he described the culture surrounding the Odessa-Midland high school football games. Joe O’Neill’s letter to me about my father’s coaching of the Little League team was very useful.
In writing about Robin’s death, I relied on not only my parents’ recollections but also those of their friend Lud Ashley, as well as a letter from Melinda Cox describing how Dad continued to teach Sunday school throughout this time. I also used excerpts from the previously cited 1998 David Frost interview.
Information on the Zapata companies came from the 1965 Zapata Annual Report to its shareholders (provided by Don Rhodes); Dad’s book Looking Forward; from my Uncle Johnny’s memories; and from information Dad recently recounted about his offshore drilling days. My brother George is the source of the story about my father meeting Lyndon Johnson.
My father’s memories of Prescott Bush’s Senate career formed the basis of that section. I also relied on Prescott Bush’s official papers, which came to me from the Bush Library, and on the official U.S. Senate Web site, www.senate.gov. My interview with Governor Michael Dukakis, while focused on the 1988 campaign, brought to light additional memories of my grandfather and the effect he had on Governor Dukakis’s career.
No account of my father’s life would be complete without the input of one of Dad’s best friends, James Baker. My interview with Secretary Baker followed up on a long letter he had written me about my father, and both were very insightful.
Chapter 4. Jumping into Politics
Herbert Parmet’s 1997 biography of my father, George Bush: The Life of a Lonestar Yankee, provided many of the details about Dad’s role in the 1968 Nixon-Agnew campaign, as well as background information on Texas politics and the race against Ralph Yarborough. I also used the Handbook of Texas Online, at http://www.tsha. utexas. edu/ handbook/online/articles/CC/fcosf.html, under the entry “Ralph Yarborough.” Pete Roussel’s memories of that period were taken from the Hofstra book A Noble Calling, although I personally interviewed Pete as well.
I relied on the 1965 Zapata Annual Report for the information on the losses attributed to Hurricane Betsy. I am grateful to Taylor Blanton for his responses and e-mails as I tried to clarify my own foggy memories throughout this chapter. Senator Alan Simpson was invaluable, as he recalled my parents buying his parents’ home in Washington, D.C., as well as many other stories used in later chapters. I am grateful to my old friend Olivia Crudgington for sharing the letter my father wrote her when her father died, which, until this book was published, had only been seen by one other person.
The account of Dad’s vote on the Housing Rights Act of 1968 came from a number of sources: a 1978 oral history of Jimmy Allison found at the Bush Library; a letter to me from Allie Page Matthews; and a November 18, 1968, Houston Chronicle article “Bush’s Life Threatened Over Rights Vote,” by Ken Sheets. President Bill Clinton’s memories of my father’s vote on that bill were also very insightful. I also utilized Dan Gillcrist’s letter to me about Dad’s visit to an African American church shortly after the historic vote.
I again relied on the oral history of Jimmy Allison for the stories about Dad selling his shares in Zapata and his writing to Paul Dorsey, the cancer patient.
I am grateful to Lady Bird Johnson for her letter to me recalling Dad’s attending the Johnsons’ departure from Washington. Hugh Sidey, Dad’s great friend and the longtime Time magazine correspondent, wrote to me about this episode as well, several months before he died.
The story about Dad visiting LBJ at his ranch came from my interview with my brother George and appears in Looking Forward as well.
Chapter 5. Baker and Bentsen
Of course, for this chapter I utilized Secretary Baker’s recollections from his interview and letter to me, as well as remarks he made at the Hofstra conference found in A Noble Calling. I also relied on a letter to me from Senator Bentsen for his memories of the 1970 Senate race.
For facts on Texas politics in the 1970s, I relied on the Handbook of Texas Online, under entries for Ralph Yarborough, John Tower, and John Connally. I also utilized Herbert Parmet’s George Bush: The Life of a Lonestar Yankee for background information on Texas in those days.
My brother George shared many memories of the campaign with me in my interviews with him. The quote about Dad saying “We can win this race” and George learning from Mom and Dad that life goes on came from an article by David Shribman, “Casting a Long Shadow,” in the January 9, 2000, Boston Globe. Of course, my brother was the source of the story about taking Tricia Nixon to the Alibi Club.
Pete Roussel’s memories of the 1970 Senate race came from the Hofstra conference, published in A Noble Calling under “Molding Presidential Character: The Bush Apprenticeship.” The newspaper article that reported on me crying in the corner was titled “Bush Concedes, Wishes Bentsen ‘Best of Luck,’” from the Houston Chronicle of November 4, 1970.
Chapter 6. Eloise at the Waldorf
The chapter opens with a quote from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who wrote me a wonderful letter with a number of very good anecdotes about Dad. I’m grateful to her taking time from her busy schedule to help me. The fact that Dad had performed the hat trick of attending U.N. sessions as president, vice president, and ambassador came from a memo on the U.S. Mission to the United Nations dated January 4, 2000, at the Bush Library.
The letter from President Nixon to my grandparents on their fiftieth wedding anniversary and my grandmother’s eulogy of my grandfather are both from family files and are now at the Bush Library.
Perhaps more than any other source, General Brent Scowcroft was exceptional in his support of this book. His remarks about Dad’s service at the U.N. came from the Hofstra book A Noble Calling, under the panel discussion “New World Order: Nationalism and Internationalism.”
Dad’s friend Spike Heminway provided the story about going to the Mets game, as referenced in the text; Tom Lias and Arthur Fletcher recalled key votes in the United Nations General Assembly in their 1978 oral histories at the Bush Library; Dean Burch’s 1978 oral history was also critically important and was the source of all quotes from him. The information on the Overrated Party came from Dad’s personal files.
Chapter 7. The Titanic Boiler Room
The above-referenced oral histories included one from Congressman Bill Steiger, who has since passed away; I excerpted from it for the opening quote. I also used Arthur Fletcher’s remarks about Watergate from those histories later in the chapter, as referenced in the text.
For the facts and chronology of events that took place during Watergate, I relied on an Associated Press document, “Watergate Break-in to Pardon: A Chronology,” published on Houston Chronicle Interactive, June 7, 1997. Information about John Connally came from the Handbook of Texas Online, and the account of Congressman Whitehurst submitting Dad’s name for vice president came from his 1978 oral history. I utilized a Washington Post article by Carroll Kilpatrick, “Nixon Tells Editors, ‘I’m Not a Crook,’” published November 18, 1973, for background information on that day. I also consulted President Ford’s memoir, A Time to Heal.
I’d like to thank my brother Marvin for his excellent recall of his photographic adventure at Jeb and Columba’s wedding; the letter about Watergate to my brothers from my father is from his personal files.
Dad’s Watergate diaries are available at the Bush Library. I am grateful to my friend Liz Grundy for her recollection of carpooling the day after the Saturday Night Massacre.
I found a fascinating account of the Watergate era on the Arizona State University Web site, http://www.asu.edu/lib/ archives/ rhodes/essay4.htm. Along with original newspaper articles, it contains a 1995 essay by former House Minority Leader John Rhodes, “I Was There” (augmented with 1974 notes kept by his press secretary, Jay Smith). Rhodes’s memories of the day Dad learned about the “smoking gun” tape came from that essay. Dean Burch’s memories of the “smoking gun” tape, of the final Nixon cabinet meeting, and of his observations afterward all came from the 1978 oral histories. The late Caspar Weinberger’s letter to me was very useful, and I appreciate the assistance of the Nixon and Ford libraries in verifying the various accounts of that final cabinet meeting.
Dad’s letter to President Nixon urging him to resign is at the Bush Library. His anecdote about Bob Strauss’s phone call about making love to a gorilla came from Dad’s 1998 interview with David Frost.
Chapter 8. Land of Contrasts
The quote from General Scowcroft that opens this chapter came from A Noble Calling, under the panel discussion, “New World Order: Nationalism and Internationalism.” For recollections about the day that Gerald Ford asked Nelson Rockefeller instead of my father to be vice president, Pete Roussel and Spike Heminway were very helpful, as was my interview with former president Ford. Dean Burch’s memories of Ford’s decision came from his 1978 oral history.
I appreciate the information shared with me by Harry Thayer about the brunch my parents held for Chinese diplomats and, later, the incident involving the Vietnamese-American diplomat. James Lilley’s memories were also very helpful, as was his essay “The Unlikely Alliance: On the centenary of Deng’s birth, memories of his bond with a U.S. President,” published in Time Asia on August 30, 2004. For background information, I used “The Beijing-Washington Back-Channel and Henry Kissinger’s Secret Trip to China, September 1970-July 1971,” edited by William Burr and found in the National Security Archive on the George Washington University Web site, www.gwu.edu.
“George and Barbara Bush: A Breezy Yankee Style in Peking,” from People magazine May 5, 1975, and “George Bush Is Picked to Carry the Flag to China,” also from People magazine September 23, 1974, were very helpful.
I’m grateful to Spike Heminway for his memories of our spending the holidays with their family that year, as well as my brothers Neil and Marvin for their accounts of our trip on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
Dad’s China diaries are available at the Bush Library.
Chapter 9. A Year at Langley
I thoroughly enjoyed my interview with Bob Gates, former director of the CIA and now president of Texas A&M University, home of the Bush Library, for his insights into Dad’s tenure at the CIA. Ambassador Lilley was also very helpful in this chapter, as was Hank Knoche, Dad’s former deputy and a longtime CIA employee. I appreciate Mr. Knoche taking so much time with me, and I also relied on his 1978 oral history for additional details from that time.
My father’s letter to Bill Steiger was in Dad’s personal files, now at the Bush Library. Secretary Baker and General Scowcroft were insightful about President Ford’s “Grand Shuffle,” which resulted in Dad being named CIA director. I also quoted from Dean Burch’s 1978 oral history about that time.
The quote about nervousness inside the Agency came from an interview with Angus Thuermer, a former public affairs officer there. Former U.S. attorney general Bill Barr, who used to work at the CIA, was very helpful in explaining the work of the Pike and Church Commissions, and the effect their hearings had on morale. The quote from the anonymous government official came from Alexander Cockburn and James Ridgeway’s article “George Bush” in Rolling Stone magazine, March 20, 1980.
Former congressman Rob Portman’s letter to me was very helpful, as were his remarks on the day that the CIA headquarters building was named for my father.
Chapter 10. An Asterisk in the Polls
For this chapter, I relied heavily on the memories of many of Dad’s longtime political friends and advisers, including Andy Card, David Bates, James Baker, Margaret Tutwiler, Karl Rove, Pete Teeley, Joe Hagin, Tom Collamore, and Becky Beach. Each of them was very generous with their time as I conducted long interviews and asked many questions, and I appreciate their support. My Uncle Bucky and brothers Jeb and Marvin also were very instrumental.
The story of the 1977 trip to China was enhanced by the contributions of Ambassador Lilley. My brother George and his wife, Laura, were very helpful in taking time out of their busy schedules to share stories of their marriage and his 1978 congressional campaign.
Dad’s stump speech, “Why I Want to Be President,” first delivered in Union City, New Jersey, on February 8, 1979, is in Dad’s private papers at the Bush Library. The quote from Hugh Sidey about Dad’s qualifications to be president came from his remarks at the Hofstra conference recorded in A Noble Calling under “Ending the Cold War,” which was a panel discussion. I’m grateful to Newsweek editor Jon Meacham for his terrific insights and historical expertise.
The details of the “I am paying for this microphone” incident came from President Reagan’s autobiography, An American Life, and from contemporaneous accounts in the Los Angeles Times and Newsday. The story of Dad’s rule about not kissing babies without permission came from John Magaw, former head of Dad’s Secret Service detail. I appreciate the many anecdotes John shared with me for the first time ever. Bernie Shaw, the former CNN anchor, was also very generous with his time and memories of this campaign. Ron Kaufman and Vic Gold provided the stories about Dad raising money to pay employees after the campaign ran out of funds; John Magaw and Becky Beach helped with the stories about the day Dad withdrew from the presidential race, as stated in the text.
Chapter 11. Out of the Clear Blue Sky
Again, my interviews with Vic Gold, Andy Card, Margaret Tutwiler, Pete Teeley, David Bates, and James Baker provided the bulk of the information for this chapter, and I hope they know how much I appreciate their generosity. I have tried to accurately reference their contributions throughout the text of this chapter. Most important, my brother Jeb’s memories of the night at the Detroit Convention when Dad was asked to be President Reagan’s vice president were crystal-clear, and a great help to me. The source of the joke President Reagan told on the elevator—“Charlie, can you change the heads on 13 and 14?”—was David Bates, in his interview with me.
I am very grateful to former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw for his time on the phone. His anecdote from the 1980 campaign trail in Nebraska was the first of many helpful contributions to the project.
Pierce O’Neil wrote a letter to me about his experiences with my father in Kennebunkport over the years, and the story about the broken propeller on Dad’s boat came from that letter.
Chapter 12. Mr. Vice President
I began writing this book a little more than a year after the death of President Ronald Reagan, and I am saddened by the fact that his personal recollections are missing from it. The quote that opens this chapter came from his remarks at a campaign rally on August 24, 1988, in Los Angeles when my father was running for president. A copy of it is available in The Public Papers of the Presidents, under “Ronald Reagan, 1988.” I appreciate the assistance of both the Reagan and Bush Libraries in helping me find a wealth of information on their relationship.
I found the details about the vice president’s residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory on the White House Web site, as part of an online tour conducted by Mrs. Cheney at http://www. whitehouse.gov/history/life/vpresidence.html.
Former congressman Dan Rostenkowski was exceptionally helpful to me in recounting the early days of the Reagan Administration, and Dad’s role in his becoming chairman of Ways and Means.
Many of the facts about the 1989 inauguration came from the book 200 Years of the American Presidency, published by the Donning Company in 1989. Laurie Firestone was key in remembering some of the details of the inaugural balls and my parents’ entertaining during the vice presidential and presidential years. The anecdote about Dad’s talk with his new staff on the first day came from Joe Hagin. Again, Jon Meacham’s perspective on the impact of the Reagan-Bush administration was terrific.
I pieced together the events that took place on the day President Reagan was shot—and my father’s role in them—from a number of sources, including Pete Teeley, Chase Untermeyer, John Magaw, Don Gregg, Joe Hagin, James Baker, and Rich Bond. The story about my parents’ visit with the Cameroonian couple came from Chase Untermeyer.
Lud Ashley was the source of the story about the 1982 midterm elections and Dad’s campaigning in Ohio; Marty Russo told me about Dad’s tennis and paddleball games on the Hill; John Newcombe shared with me the story of playing tennis with Dad in Australia. Secret Service agent Jim Burch sent me a letter with anecdotes about my father’s tennis adventures, and the former head of the Secret Service, Ralph Basham, was very kind in allowing me to interview him; he provided the story of weighing Dad in the locker room.
My father’s letter to my niece Lauren when she was born and my brother Neil’s 1986 letter to Mrs. Resa Ward, a teacher at Breckinridge Jr. High School in Roanoke, Virginia, about her struggling students came from family files. Neil’s, Marvin’s, and George’s comments in this chapter came from one of the many times I interviewed each of them for this book. My brothers, as always, were tremendously helpful to me.
I am grateful to former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney for allowing me so much time in my interview with him, and his stories added a special touch. Don Gregg was the source for the story about meeting President Mitterrand, and Joe Hagin and James Baker discussed Dad’s travels during his vice presidency.
John Magaw was instrumental in his recall of Dad’s initial meetings with Soviet leaders Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko. Dad’s observations of the Brezhnev funeral came from his 1998 interview with David Frost. The anecdote about my parents’ lunch in Zambia after the Brezhnev funeral came from remarks he made at St. Martin’s Church in Houston on December 26, 1982. Excerpts from Dad’s cables to President Reagan after each funeral appear in All the Best. I am extremely grateful to the library staff for double-checking the accuracy of the facts surrounding the three funerals.
My sources for the account of my parents’ 1983 trip to Europe were Helmut Kohl, who served as German chancellor from 1982 to 1998; Ambassador Donald Gregg; and Chris Buckley (Buckley’s was one of the funniest interviews I conducted during the process of writing this book). General P. X. Kelley’s letter to me provided the facts for the account of the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.
The details of my family’s history in Kennebunkport came from my parents and from a history of Walker’s Point supplied by the Bush Library. Aunt Nan’s comments came from my interview with her and from the Wellesley magazine article by Amalie Moses Kass previously cited. The Bush Library also helped me piece together events surrounding the nor’easter of 1978, and Tim McBride was the source of the story about the dinner with the visiting diplomats. Emile Roy’s very detailed letter to me provided the anecdote about Dad not wanting him to “lose his head” during a fishing trip. President Bill Clinton was the first person outside our family whom I interviewed for this book, and one of the first stories he told me was his memory of meeting my father in Kennebunkport in 1983.
Sean Coffey had spot-on memories of the July 13, 1984, Old-Timers Game in Denver, and I also relied on a video of that game provided to me by the Colorado Republicans and Channel 9-KUSA in Denver. The video was the source of Dad’s quote about the evening being a “Walter Mitty” night. Pete Teeley also shared his memories of that game with me.
My interview with Geraldine Ferraro was fascinating, and I appreciate her kindness to me. She provided me with many of the facts about her nomination as vice president. Lynn Martin was also generous with her time when I interviewed her about her key role in preparing my dad to debate Ms. Ferraro. Boyden Gray was the source for the story about the debate rehearsal session in the Old Executive Office Building. Bob Barnett, who played my father in Democratic debate preparations, was instrumental in helping me write about those debates and his postelection lunch with Ms. Martin, Ms. Ferraro, and Dad.
For background information on the debates and on the “spin” that followed, I utilized a segment from the McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, “Debating Our Destiny, 1984,” available on NewsHour Online at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/debatingourdestiny/dod/ 1984broadcast.html.
Sean Coffey supplied me with the details of the “kicked a little ass” comment and its origins. My mother provided the details of the “rhymes with rich” incident and its aftermath, and Ms. Ferraro’s comments here were invaluable. I also appreciate her memories of the postelection lunch with Dad.
Chapter 13. Master of the Small Gesture
Former congressman Marty Russo was the source of the paddleball story from inauguration day. Tom Collamore told me the details of Dad’s typical day at the White House, and of the grueling pace of his travel.
Ray Siller wrote me a long letter with his funny recollections over the years he has known my father, and he was the source of the story about the fake dog poop in the closet. Shirley Green’s letter to me provided the details of her home being robbed and Dad’s response.
Marlin Fitzwater provided the insights that created the title of this chapter and an account of the 1986 dinner in China. Chris Buckley told me of the staff meeting on the morning after a leak to the press. Marlin Fitzwater, David Cunningham, and David Bates remembered Dad blacking out on the tennis court during President Reagan’s surgery.
Tim McBride was the staff member who commented that Dad always believed in our better sides; Tim, Tom Collamore, and Joe Hagin told me stories of Dad’s high regard for the Secret Service. John Magaw told me of C. Fred getting sick in the limo and of Dad’s reaction to obscene gestures by roadside observers; my cousin Debbie Stapleton told me of Dad diving into the water to unsnag the propeller before the agent could. Tim McBride was the source of the story about Dad not keeping people waiting in motorcades. My brother George told me about his resulting desire to stay on time, and he provided the quote that begins the chapter in an interview with me.
My brother Marvin, his wife, Margaret, and my parents were the sources for the section on Marvin’s battle with colitis. My interview with former senator Rudy Boschwitz produced many of the details about Operations Joshua and Solomon, as did Wolf Blitzer’s interview of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Meir Rosenne, published in the Jerusalem Post, June 5, 1987, and an undated editorial in the New York Daily News, “An Act of History.”
Tim McBride recalled his experiences with Dad the day of the Challenger tragedy; the passage from President Reagan’s speech that day was from his Address to the Nation on January 28, 1986. Boyden Gray’s comments to me about Dad’s role as Reagan’s vice president came from my interview with him, as did his story about why crack cocaine was so addictive. The facts about the drug issue came from my interview with Boyden, as well as from the second Hofstra book, Principle Over Politics? The Domestic Policy of the George H. W. Bush Presidency, edited by Richard Himelfarb and Rosanna Perotti. I used Boyden Gray’s and Philip Brady’s remarks from a panel discussion transcribed in it, titled “Civil Rights, Drugs, Housing and Education,” for the details of the South Florida Task Force. John Magaw’s interview with me provided insights into how my father handled intelligence matters.
The memo to Patty Presock about sending gifts to George P. at camp, as well as George P.’s letter to Dad, came from family files. My niece Barbara told me the story of Spikey the stuffed animal in my interview of her, and my sister-in-law Laura told me of Dad opening the drain to retrieve her contacts.
Marlin Fitzwater was the source of the discussion about my father’s press strategy. He also told me about the beginning of the press coverage of the Iran-Contra affair. The quote from the Tower Commission report came from the Executive Summary of the Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair, November 1987. I appreciate the help of the Bush Library staff in locating this publication, since it was out of print.
I relied on my own memories of meeting Billy Graham as well as those of my brother George, taken from my interviews with him.
Chapter 14. Pointer Man
I am extremely grateful to Governor Michael Dukakis for graciously agreeing to speak with me; his quote to me about Dad opens this chapter.
In addition to my own recollections, I used the actual cover story, “Fighting the Wimp Factor,” from the October 19, 1987, issue of Newsweek magazine. My parents and Aunt Nan supplied supporting details to my own memories of that incident. Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, Ede Holiday, and Jon Meacham all shared their memories and opinions with me. My interview with Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post was particularly helpful for this section.
The details of Dad’s announcement in 1987 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston were corroborated by Dad’s private files and in All the Best. Background information on the 1988 campaign came from a variety of sources, including the Washington Post and New York Times archives, and Richard Ben Cramer’s book What It Takes.
Roger Ailes, in his interview with me, detailed the leadership of Dad’s campaign staff, and Ede Holiday also provided many specifics. My brother Marvin told me the story about “Fast Eddie” Verdeliac, and Jeb and George both told me about meeting Lee Atwater for the first time. My sister-in-law Laura described moving to Washington for the campaign, and Karl Rove explained my brother George’s role in Dad’s campaign.
The 1989 Esquire article referred to in the text was titled “One Leg at a Time,” and it was discussed in John Brady’s 1997 book, Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater.
The quote about my brother George telling Newsweek magazine the answer to the “Big A” question came from a Washington Post article by Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., dated July 31, 1999: “Bush’s Move Up to the Majors.”
Michael Dukakis discussed firing Donna Brazille for spreading rumors about Dad in my interview with him. Dana Carvey, in a hilarious interview with me, told me about meeting Dad for the first time and how he began his impersonation of my father. Debbie Romash Dunn provided memories of the early days of the campaign, and my brother Marvin and Ede Holiday remembered Lee Atwater day-to-day.
Andy Card and John Sununu were the source for the information about both men’s initial involvement in the campaign and the New Hampshire primary. Mary Matalin told me about the Iowa campaign, and Sally Atwater’s letter remembered what happened after Dad lost Iowa. My brother Jeb also talked to me about the night of the Iowa loss. Ede Holiday and Bob Mosbacher told me of the importance of winning the New Hampshire race after Iowa, and Mosbacher and Sununu told me the story of getting the “Senator Straddle” ad aired. Therese Burch’s memories of campaigning with Dad in New Hampshire were priceless.
The sources for information about the South Carolina primary and the Super Tuesday primaries came from Bill Canary, the Brady book about Atwater previously mentioned, and a report by Robert MacNeil, “The First Super Tuesday,” on NewsHour Online, March 9, 1988, which I accessed at http://www.pbs.org/ newshour/ retro/ super_tuesday_88.html. The results of the Super Tuesday primaries came from this latter source.
I also used an interview of Lee Atwater by Jim Lehrer, “Lee Atwater: Campaign Strategy,” NewsHour Online, August 23, 1984, found at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/convention96/retro/atwater.html, for additional background information.
Mary Matalin’s work on the Michigan primary was explained in her interview with me and in her 1994 book with James Carville, All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.
Ann Richards’s remarks at the Democratic Convention came from her keynote address on July 19, 1988. Ted Kennedy’s November 17, 1989, letter to my father afterward is from Dad’s private files. Michael Dukakis was the source of the section detailing how the Democrats chose their VP nominee, and about his grandmother being at the convention.
Ronald Reagan’s remarks came from his address to the 1988 Republican Convention. Jeb told me the story of George P. nearly throwing up onstage. Fred Malek’s letter to me contained the story about Dad’s friends trying to guess his VP choice. Dan Quayle added many details about the day he was chosen to be Dad’s running mate.
The information on Marilyn Quayle came from Mark Hatfield’s chapter on Dan Quayle in his book written with the Senate Historical Office, Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993, written in 1997 and available on the Senate Web site, www.senate.gov.
My brother Marvin provided the account of casting the states’ votes the night of Dad’s official nomination as president; Ray Siller’s letter to me was the source of the Pointer Man story. Fred Malek’s memories of Dad the night of his acceptance address were in his letter to me; Roger Ailes’s notes to Dad for the speech were in Dad’s private files. Insights from my brother Jeb and Tom Collamore were essential to the section on the writing of that speech and its impact on the convention. Roger Ailes was the source of the account of Dan Rather’s interview of Dad.
Roger Ailes and Sig Rogich provided me with a lot of information about the campaign ads and the strategy behind them. The quote from Lee Atwater about Willie Horton came from “What Lee Atwater Knows About Winning,” by Jan Collins Stucker in Southern Magazine, April 1989. The briefing paper on Willie Horton that Dad sent us was written by the late White House researcher Bob Simon and was in Dad’s private files.
Information about the death of Eddie Byrne and the endorsement of the Boston Police came from a video of the Republican National Convention produced by the RNC. The economic figures I cited came from a Bush campaign issues document titled George Bush: Leadership on the Issues, and the “line of the day” information came from Mary Kate Cary, a campaign writer at the time. Andy Card discussed opposition research on Dukakis, as mentioned in the text, and Roger Ailes told me about the debate negotiations he and James Baker conducted with the Democrats. Jeb remembered the debate specifics, as did Dick Darman in both his letter and his interview with me. The anecdote about Marvin and George going to the movie theater during the second Bush-Dukakis debate came from my interviews with Marvin and Pat Quinn. Secretary Baker, Roger Ailes, Michael Dukakis, and Bernie Shaw all discussed the actual debates with me.
The letter to Mom from Dad about their public displays of affection appears in All the Best. Jeb’s memories of the final days of the campaign were key, as were Joe Hagin’s of election night. The final line of the chapter is a reference to Dan Jenkins’s 1984 book, Life Its Ownself.
Chapter 15. Age of the Offered Hand
The opening quote for the chapter is taken from Mom’s interview with David Frost for his 1998 A&E special “George Bush: A President’s Story,” and the quote from President Reagan in the second paragraph comes from All the Best. Additionally, Tim McBride provided the anecdote about Dad’s overcoat on inauguration day, and Jon Meacham gave me his insights as well. Dad’s letter to President Reagan is at the Bush Library.
The information on Statuary Hall can be found on the official Web site of the Office of the Clerk in the United States House of Representatives at http://clerk.house.gov/. Specifics on the inaugural parade were provided to me by the Bush Library; and I also appreciate all the information supplied to me by Gary Walters, chief usher at the White House.
My parents, as well as Marvin and Margaret, shared their memories of inauguration day with me. I found the transcript of Dad’s first press conference in Public Papers of the Presidents, George Bush, 1989, volume 1. The eight-volume collection of Public Papers that cover Dad’s four years as president is published by the Office of the Federal Register for the National Archives and Records Administration and proved an invaluable resource for double-checking facts and dates for this and subsequent chapters that touch on Dad’s White House years.
The story about Wendy Robbins calling Uncle Johnny came from the latter, and Aunt Nan recalled my grandmother’s reactions to seeing the White House.
The White House Historical Association provided the information on previous vice presidents’ offices and the use of the Resolute desk. The note from President Reagan that Dad found in his desk on his first day in office is at the Bush Library. Dad’s eulogy of President Reagan, given June 11, 2004, is the source of the quote about that note. Dad’s January 20, 1989, note to the Reagans is also at the Library. Jay Allison told me the story of the flag on Dad’s desk in his letter to me.
Dick Darman wrote me a letter that contained the anecdote about Dad’s behavior in the Oval Office, while Judge Webster’s observation came from his remarks to the Hofstra conference recorded in the book A Noble Calling: Character and the George H. W. Bush Presidency previously mentioned.
The transcript of Dad’s first press conference as president-elect, on November 9, 1988, is available through the Bush Library and also the New York Times archives. Governor Sununu spoke with me about the transition between the Reagan and Bush staffs, and Joseph Verner Reed’s story detailing Dad’s first dinner party as president came from the Hofstra University Conference.
I greatly appreciate former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s gracious letter to me about Dad’s phone call to her husband on the first Thursday after he left office. Former vice president Quayle, in my interview with him, told me of his subsequent weekly lunches with Dad.
President Gorbachev wrote me a long letter in response to my questions about his relationship with my father, and I am grateful to him for his thoughtful responses. I have quoted extensively from them for this section and several others from Dad’s White House years. I also gleaned details concerning the December 1988 Armenian earthquake from a front-page article in the Washington Post archives (“Bush’s Son Visits Quake Victims: Injured Armenian Children Receive Candy, Teddy Bears,” by John Thor Dahlburg of the Associated Press, December 25, 1988). My nephew George P. added his recollections of the visit he and his father made to help with relief efforts. Dad’s letter to George P. came from our family files.
For information on Graves’ disease, I consulted the National Graves’ Disease Foundation Web site, at www.ngdf.org. The stories about Uncle Lou came from various family members.
The assertion that President Franklin Roosevelt was the first chief executive to have his first “100 days” analyzed was drawn from an observation made by PBS commentator Mark Shields during an April 28, 1989, broadcast of the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour and corroborated by several online media sources. My interview with Tony Coehlo provided the story about Dad’s first meeting with the congressional leadership.
Background information on the Tower nomination came from the Handbook of Texas Online, under the heading “John Tower.” I quoted Dad’s February 21, 1989, letter to Charles Bartlett about how vicious the Tower nomination process had become. Sam Skinner told me the story of Senator Tower signing “the pledge” in his interview with me.
General Scowcroft told me the details of the NSC internal review of policies and the formation of the Gang of Eight. General Powell also added details. A quote from President Gorbachev’s letter to me closed the chapter.
Chapter 16. Greasing the Skids
The opening quote for the chapter came from my interview with former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney. Dad’s personal papers and published writings provided the details concerning his visit to Asia in February 1989. For background information on Emperor Hirohito’s life, I consulted a documentary on General Douglas MacArthur from the PBS series The American Experience, found at www.pbs.org.
The source for the fact that Dad has made sixteen postpresidential visits to China was his personal papers at the Bush Library.
Much of the information on my trip to Paraguay came from the White House briefing book I was given in preparation for that trip. I also shared the memories of my friend Jodie Dwight. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s letter to me provided the story of Dad calling Chancellor Kohl, and former CIA director Bob Gates filled in the details of Dad’s telephoning other world leaders. Through the good offices of General Brent Scowcroft, many world leaders responded to my questions, former Japanese prime minister Toshiki Kaifu being one of them. His letter to me provided the anecdotes about Dad’s call to him on New Year’s Day and, later, his horseshoe game with Dad.
General Scowcroft’s memories of President Mitterrand’s visit to Kennebunkport enhanced my own memories of that trip. Walter Curley’s recollections came from his remarks to the previously cited Hofstra conference recorded in the book A Noble Calling.
In his personal letter to me, Secretary Baker supplied the anecdote about speaking in code if the meeting with the Soviets went well. Dad’s remarks about Gorbachev calling Europe a “condominium” came from his 1998 interview with David Frost. The “smaller the country, the longer the speech!” story came from Prime Minister Mulroney in his interview with me.
My brothers Marvin and Jeb both recounted their match with Chris Evert and Pam Shriver for the record, but Chris Evert provided the bulk of the details in the book. I relied on A World Transformed for the historical details on China and the Tiananmen Square episode; Dad’s letter to Deng Xiaoping is in the Bush Library; and General Scowcroft provided the details of his secret trip to China during the summer of 1989. I am very grateful to Jiang Zemin, the former president of the People’s Republic of China, for responding to numerous questions regarding Dad and relations between our countries.
The background information on Dad’s summer 1989 European trip, such as the details of lunch with the U.S. ambassador to Poland John Davis and other attendees, came from A World Transformed. Bob Gates also shared his memories of that lunch with me. The translation of Sto Lat came from the Polish American Center Web site, at www.polishamericancenter.org. Several people recalled the incident with the raincoat in the main square in Budapest; I relied on accounts of it from Condoleezza Rice, General Scowcroft, Tim McBride, and my mother.
Boyden Gray and John Sununu provided the details of Dad’s work on the savings and loan crisis and his signing of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act. My brother Neil provided many of the facts about his testimony before Congress, and his insights on the effect the controversy had on our family. I supplemented Neil’s insights with facts and figures obtained from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Web site at www.fdic.gov and from a January 16, 1990, New York Times article titled “Where Savings Crisis Hits Hard,” by Richard W. Stevenson.
I appreciated Dan Rostenkowski telling me the story of visiting Dad at the White House early in his presidency during my interview with him. President Clinton shared with me his memories of the Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia.
General Scowcroft explained the end of the Cold War in his remarks at the Hofstra conference, found in the panel discussion “New World Order: Nationalism and Internationalism” in A Noble Calling, and in my interviews with him. For background about the fall of the Berlin Wall, I referred to numerous sources, including the Newseum’s Web site at www.newseum.org. German chancellor Helmut Kohl was kind enough to share his thoughts about that critical time; and the quote from my father about Senator Mitchell and Congressman Gephardt came from his 1998 interview with David Frost and numerous other speeches and public utterances. Secretary Baker, General Scowcroft, and President Gorbachev were also extremely helpful to me in writing about this crucial time in history.
For the Malta Summit, I relied on Dad’s recollections and President Gorbachev’s memories in his letter to me. The account of Dad thanking the seaman on the bow came from Ariel de Guzman’s 2005 book, The Bush Family Cookbook: Favorite Recipes and Stories from One of America’s Great Families.
Chapter 17. The Right Thing
The opening quote from Jon Meacham came from my interview with him. The Public Papers of the Presidents, Dad’s many writings, and interviews with key members of the National Security Council informed my treatment of the circumstances leading up to the Panamanian invasion in 1989. The letter from Private James Markwell came from the Bush Library archives.
I relied on Dad’s personal diaries, personal files, and my own recollections for the Christmas 1989 observations. The section on Europe and Germany grew out of Dad’s writings and recollections and my interviews with Chancellor Kohl and General Scowcroft.
I appreciate Ed Eckenhoff and my former colleagues at the National Rehabilitation Hospital for confirming the details of my time working there. Dad’s private papers and recollections, as well as a letter I received from Dr. Burt Lee, Dad’s White House doctor, formed the basis for the material on the 1990 Drug Summit in Colombia.
Dad’s private files and our family’s collective memory also contributed to the section about Dad’s travels outside the White House. I also consulted the 1946 book Starling of the White House, by Colonel Edmund Starling, as well as my interviews with the many agents who served on Dad’s detail for the material on the Secret Service.
Dad’s statement concerning his aversion to broccoli in March of 1990 can be found in volume I of his 1990 Public Papers, and Carlo Cacioppio’s broccoli recipe came from the Bush Library archives. For the section on Lee Atwater, I relied on my interviews with Dad, Sally Atwater, Mary Matalin, my brother Marvin, and Ede Holiday, as well as John Brady’s 1997 book, Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater.
I appreciate having former attorney general Bill Barr’s insights on how my father approached the line-item veto issue. The Jan Burmeister memo regarding Uncle Lou came from the Bush Library archives.
My interviews with Congressman Tony Coehlo and Boyden Gray, respectively, provided the basis for the material on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act amendments. I also consulted volume II of the 1990 Public Papers for facts, numbers, and the key figures who shaped that legislation. On the 1990 budget deal, I solicited input from Dad, senators Alan Simpson and Bob Dole, congressmen Dan Rostenkowski and Lud Ashley, and White House Communications director David Demarest and OMB director Dick Darman. Marlin Fitzwater’s book Call the Briefing also provided useful details.
My interview with Laurie Firestone served as the backbone for the narrative on Dad’s social activities as president. I also retrieved the “Table 8” letter from Dad’s personal papers at the Bush Library archives. My interviews with Lee Annenberg, my brother Marvin, and a letter from my cousin Grace Holden provided the balance of insights and anecdotes.
The United States Air Force Web site provided many of the details on Air Force One, and former president Menem of Argentina kindly responded to my questions related to our trip to South America in December 1990.
Chapter 18. A Sense of Honor
The opening quote came from the text of the speech that former British Prime Minister John Major intended to deliver in Houston, Texas, during Dad’s eightieth birthday at Minute Maid Park. Because the program was running very late, however, President Gorbachev spoke on behalf of the world leaders in attendance, and Prime Minister Major never gave his prepared remarks. I am grateful that he shared them with me.
Dad’s writings and recollections, my interview with General Scowcroft, and media reports by BBC and CNN formed the nucleus of the section covering Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. I also consulted the Public Papers; British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s memoirs, Downing Street Years; and Secretary Baker’s Politics of Diplomacy. The information about General Schwarzkopf’s background came from his biography on the Academy of Achievement Web site.
My interview with Marlin Fitzwater gave me insights into the negotiations that Dad undertook in Maine in August of 1990. President Gorbachev and Vice President Cheney also shed light on the U.S.-Soviet relationship as the Iraqi crisis deepened. Sig Rogich, John Magaw, and General Schwarzkopf also shared anecdotes from that fall when Dad addressed a joint session of Congress and visited Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Major, Vice President Cheney, and General Scowcroft augmented Dad’s recollections about Lady Thatcher’s fall from power in November 1990.
Mom, Spike and Betsy Heminway, and Senator Simpson shared anecdotes from early 1991, as the Gulf War neared. The Tony McPeak anecdote came from a January 6, 1992, story written by Time magazine journalist Hugh Sidey, which Mr. Sidey retold during the previously mentioned 1997 conference on Dad’s administration held at Hofstra University.
I am grateful to journalist Bernie Shaw, who shared his perspectives about CNN’s historic broadcasts as the Gulf War started. I also interviewed Nurse Ellen Tolten of the White House Medical Unit, who detailed how the stress of that time weighed on my father; and Prime Minister Major and Secretary Colin Powell, who added their thoughts to Dad’s concerning the end of the Gulf War and its aftermath.
Secret Service detail leader Rich Miller and General Schwarzkopf added personal observations about Dad’s mood and the parade on the National Mall celebrating the war’s end. The closing section regarding Peter Arnett arose from my interviews with Dad and Senator Simpson, with additional details from Senator Simpson’s 1997 book, Right in the Old Gazoo: A Lifetime of Scrapping with the Press.
Chapter 19. Almost a Miracle
My brother Marvin and Gary Walters also provided much of the information about the White House horseshoe tournaments, while Governor Sununu recalled the DiMaggio/Williams visit to the White House and subsequent trip to Toronto. I interviewed California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about his service on the Council for Physical Fitness, and I appreciate his time and helpful comments very much.
The section on Dad’s atrial fibrillation came from my interviews with my parents and former Secret Service agent Rich Miller; and Joseph Verner Reed’s insights about Queen Elizabeth’s 1991 visit are from the Hofstra University conference. The anecdote involving my brother George and Her Majesty came from Mom.
Pete Teeley told me the story about Dad’s role in averting his near-death experience, and I also consulted Pete’s book, The Complete Cancer Survival Book, to confirm the details surrounding his ordeal.
For the section covering Justice Clarence Thomas’s nomination, I spoke to Dad and Justice Thomas and reviewed the Public Papers. The comment regarding Benjamin Hooks, to be clear, is taken from a question asked by a journalist during the July 1, 1991, press conference in Kennebunkport at which Dad announced the Thomas nomination.
The “Scowcroft Award for Somnolent Excellence” was derived from my interviews with Dad and General Scowcroft, from Dad’s private files and other writings, and from his 1998 interview with British journalist David Frost. The Secret Service boating section was drawn from my interview with John Magaw, as was part of the section recounting President Gorbachev’s release following the 1991 coup attempt. President Gorbachev also provided his personal recollections from that tense period. Marlin Fitzwater gave me the details regarding Dad’s fishing slump during the summer of 1991.
Details surrounding Governor Sununu’s demise as White House chief of staff came from Dad, Governor Sununu, his then-deputy Andy Card, my brother George, and Governor Sununu’s eventual replacement, Secretary Skinner. For the demise of the Soviet Union, also in December of 1991, I received insights from President Gorbachev, Chancellor Kohl, General Scowcroft, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, and Bob Gates.
Chapter 20. A Steep Incline
Many of the 1992 campaign details such as polling figures and key dates came from the 1993 book Mad as Hell: Revolt at the Ballot Box, 1992, by journalists Jack Germond and Jules Witcover.
Secretary Robert Mosbacher provided much of the background for the January 1992 Asia trip. Multiple sources shared with me their perspectives on the night Dad became ill at the Japanese state dinner: principally, my parents, Secret Service agents John Magaw and Rich Miller, and members of the White House medical unit. The Tokyo restaurant anecdote came to me from a member of the press.
The Governor Thornburgh anecdote came from his remarks at the previously mentioned conference at Hofstra University in 1997. The section about the “grocery scanner” and the New York Times came from Dad’s recollections and writings, Marlin Fitzwater’s book Call the Briefing, the New York Times archives, and my interviews with Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz and my father-in-law George Koch, who was then president of the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
The Uncle Lou story about his dog Gilbert came from my mom and Uncle Jon Bush. Vice President Quayle, Pat Buchanan, and Fred Malek talked to me about the 1992 New Hampshire GOP primary. Mr. Ross Perot declined to be interviewed for this project, so the background information on him and his candidacy came from my interviews with CNN’s Larry King and Perot confidant Tom Luce, as well as multiple online sources, including www.famoustexans.com, the EDS Web site, and Mr. Perot’s biography at www.perotsystems.com.
My Aunt Nan helped me recall the details of our 1992 trip to France, where I led the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics. My parents and husband, Bobby, told me how he went to Camp David to ask for my hand in marriage.
The recollections I gleaned from Dad and Secret Service agents Rich Miller and John Magaw about his June 1992 trip to Panama were supported by additional material from the Public Papers. Dad’s private office in Houston, Texas, shared the February 2006 letter he sent to Balbina Herrera, and Panamanian president Torrijos confirmed the details by e-mail.
The background information concerning Camp David came from several online sources: the National Park Service Web site, the White House Web site, and www.infoplease.com.
The analysis of the Perot campaign going into the summer of 1992 was drawn from media reports and from the Germond/ Witcover book, Mad as Hell. The Mary Matalin anecdotes came from my interview with her, and Senator Simpson told me about his visit with Dad following the David McCullough lecture in 1992. The GOP convention section is largely drawn from my own recollections, though the Bush Library archivists confirmed the details.
Dad’s former White House director of political affairs Ron Kaufman gave me the anecdote about the Catholic League of Illinois. So many of Dad’s political colleagues also shared their thoughts regarding the fall campaign with me: Secretary Baker, Sig Rogich, Andy Card, and David Bates chief among them. The source for James Brosnahan’s political contributions was a February 25, 2002 National Review article by Byron York, “American Tali-Lawyer: Defending John Walker Lindh.”
My brother Jeb recounted the Election Night anecdote about Mom, and Joe Hagin shared his experience with Dad from that evening. The November 19, 1992, note from Patty Presock informing my parents about my grandmother’s death came from Dad’s personal files, as did my grandmother’s self-written eulogy.
Chapter 21. Mountaintops and Valleys
Secretary Baker’s postmortem analysis on the 1992 election came from my interview with him. My brothers George and Marvin, and Dad’s longtime political supporter and aide Margaret Tutwiler, also shared their thoughts with me. General Scowcroft’s comments were drawn from the Hofstra University conference.
Andy Card provided me with useful insights on how Dad handled the transition both professionally and personally. My father’s letter to Corinne Quayle and senators Bob Dole and Bob Kerrey were from his personal files. I also appreciate Senator Dole taking the time to share his recollections with me by phone.
Former White House usher Chris Emery sent me a letter with his detailed diary entries recorded the same night he visited the Vietnam Memorial with my parents, on November 10, 1992. Dana Carvey’s observations from his December 6–7, 1992, visit to the White House are drawn from my interview with him. I relied on the published collection of Public Papers for the section covering Somalia, Russia, and Dad’s final major addresses as president at Texas A&M University and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
White House nurse Mary Jackson’s note came from Dad’s personal files, and Prime Minister Mulroney spoke with me about Dad’s final weekend at Camp David. Finally, the material for Inauguration Day 1993 arose from Dad’s personal papers and writings, and from my interview with Special Agent Rich Miller.
Chapter 22. Ultimate Freedom
Dad’s ever-faithful friend Don Rhodes confirmed the details about the lot in Houston where my parents built their present-day home, and neighbor and friend Jack Fitch sent me a letter detailing my parents’ first twenty-four hours back home as private citizens. The letter to Patty Presock came from his private files. The Chase Untermeyer anecdote came from his letter to me for this project.
I deeply appreciate Jimmy Carter sharing with me his thoughts about the role of a former president. Dad’s March 1, 1993, letter to friends came from his personal papers. Both my brother Neil and family friend Lud Ashley shared their recollections of the April 1993 trip to Kuwait with me. Also, some of the details surrounding the failed assassination attempt against my father were drawn from George Mason University’s History News Network at http:// hnn.us/articles/1000.html.
The Reverend Billy Graham wrote me a letter regarding his and his wife’s encounter with my parents during a 1993 speaking engagement in Mexico. Also, the story about Ranger’s death came from my parents’ recollections and writings.
Dad and Nurse Ellen Tolten provided the recollections around the nurses’ and Whittakers’ Maine visit in summer 1993, and Dad’s fishing buddy Bill Busch shared with me several anecdotes about my father’s passion for the sea and fishing. Canadian journalist Art Milnes was the first “outside” person to contact me about this project, at Dad’s urging, and I appreciate his detailed letter to me. I also appreciate our friend in Venezuela Gustavo Cisneros for sharing his anecdotes from the visits Dad and I have made to his country.
My parents shared with me how my brothers George in Texas and Jeb in Florida approached their respective 1994 campaigns for governor starting in 1993. The background information about the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Bath came from the official British royal Web site, http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/ Page495.asp.
Information surrounding my family’s golf heritage came from Dad, golfer Ben Crenshaw, CBS announcer Jim Nantz, and my own recollections. Information about my brothers’ 1994 political campaigns in Texas and Florida came from their interviews with me. Finally, my sisters-in-law Laura and Margaret shared many of the “Idea Man” anecdotes with me, while my niece Lauren and my Uncle Scott Pierce shared stories detailing Dad’s competitive nature in sports.
Chapter 23. The Spring Colt
The details about my parents’ fiftieth anniversary trip to Sea Island, Georgia, came in a letter to me from resort owner Bill Jones. The information from the Nashville celebration and the yearly activities came from my parents’ writings and recollections.
The background information on Jeb’s resurgence in Florida and John Thrasher came from a National Review article titled “Gentle Jeb,” October 26, 1998. The background information on the 1993 Branch Davidian assault in Waco and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing came from the BBC Web site and www.oklahomacity
nationalmemorial.org, respectively. I also interviewed my father and consulted his private papers concerning his resignation from the National Rifle Association.
The information regarding Dad checking in on former congressman Rostenkowski came from my interview with Illinois congressman Marty Russo and was corroborated by Dad; a June 12, 1997, Chicago Sun Times article by Michael Sneed; a January 24, 1998, Congressional Quarterly article by Jackie Koszczuk; and the New York Times archives.
The Hugh Sidey excerpt about the former world leaders is taken from his comments at the previously mentioned Hofstra University conference. The background information about Dad’s involvement with the Bush School students came from his current chief of staff, Jean Becker.
Secret Service detail leader Jim Pollard also sent me his reflections on Dad’s penchant for pushing the limits of his personal safety, and some of the material surrounding Dad’s 1997 parachute jump came from All the Best. The information about the 1999 seventy-fifth birthday celebration came from Dad’s personal files in Houston as well as Dr. John Mendelsohn at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Dad’s comments about the news media came from a panel he hosted at his presidential Library at Texas A&M in 1999. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who participated in that panel, was also thoughtful enough to send me a lengthy e-mail responding to questions. The anecdotes from Mom’s seventy-fifth birthday in 2000 came from Mom, Dad, Senator Simpson, and Jean Becker. My brother George offered me insights into his 2000 campaign, and Dad’s traveling aide at the time, Gian-Carlo Peressutti, filled in key details throughout.
I appreciate Dad’s former aide Michael Dannenhauer sharing with me his very personal anecdote.
For Election Night 2000, Dad and Mom; my brothers George, Jeb, and Marvin; Dad’s aides Jean Becker and Gian-Carlo Peressutti; and George’s confidant Karen Hughes all offered details to drive the narrative of that unforgettable night. I relied on Dad’s recollections, my brother George’s, and Margaret Tutwiler’s for details about the recount period and subsequent declaration of victory. Finally, I am deeply grateful to former vice president Al Gore, who shared his insights on the emotional phone call my father made to him on the night the vice president conceded the 2000 election.
The concluding quotes from Dad were taken from his December 20, 2000, interview with Paula Zahn, who was then with the Fox News Channel.
Chapter 24. Family Continuity
Dad’s comments about George’s victory were taken from a 2001 interview he gave to PBS’s Ernie Manouse. Karen Hughes’s comments about President Bush 43 in the Oval Office came from my interview with her.
The anecdotes about how my brother’s election as president has changed our family all came from my parents and family members. Dad’s letter to Hugh Sidey about the Adams family came from my father’s personal files.
The anecdote about Jeb and the mackerel came from Dad’s fishing buddy Bill Busch.
The information about the 9/11 attacks came from the official 9/11 report, from the Federal Aviation Administration Web site, from my parents’ writings and recollections, and from my own memories. Another fishing friend of Dad’s, Jimmy Dionne, sent me a letter detailing his interactions with my father in the aftermath of 9/11. Dad commented about George’s leadership and his address to the joint session of Congress during a December 2001 interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer. Houston golf professional Paul Marchand described to me how Dad reacted to the 9/11 anniversary a year later, on September 11, 2002.
For the section about Dad’s return visit to Chi Chi Jima in 2002, I relied heavily on my interview with CNN’s Paula Zahn and the transcript from her historic on-site interview with Dad.
I reached out to all of Dad’s grandkids for their thoughts, anecdotes, and—best of all—e-mails they had received from Dad. My father shared the emotions he felt during the funeral for President Reagan with aide Jim McGrath the morning after the service in Houston. The information about Dad’s eightieth birthday party came from his private papers, published news reports in the Houston Chronicle, the letter I received from President Gorbachev, and the interview I had with Larry King.
I gleaned key details about Election Night 2004 from www.uselectionatlas.org and corroborated them using published media reports. Finally, my sister-in-law Laura offered the anecdote about Dad and Kate Cheney.
Chapter 25. Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited
I consulted USAID for the facts and figures surrounding the death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. President Clinton, Jean Becker, and Dad offered insights into the February 2005 trip to Asia, and Dad’s letter to Hugh Sidey in March of 2005 was obtained from his personal files.
The information about the Bush-Clinton Houston Tsunami Fund came from Bush staff sources.
Jim Nantz provided key insights from President Clinton’s historic visit to Kennebunkport in June 2005. My sister-in-law Tricia Koch and I were also present with our children.
The background information on Mom and Dad’s sixtieth wedding anniversary celebration at the White House came from my parents and their friend David Rubenstein; pro golfer Phil Mickelson also sent me a letter with the anecdote about crashing a wedding with Dad during their summer 2005 visit; and personal aide Tommy Frechette shared the “new-old” party in Maine with me.
My cousin Hap’s e-mail he sent to me captures the essence of Walker’s Point.
Dad’s concluding letter came from the same letter that produced the opening quote for this chapter, to each of his kids in 2001.
Every effort has been made to ensure that each reference used in the production of this book has been properly sourced and cited. My sister-in-law Tricia and I have double- and triple-checked every section to be sure we have fully adhered to the accepted industry standards for a work of this nature, and I want to thank my partners at Warner Books and Larry Kirshbaum of LJK Literary Management for the diligence they demonstrated in guiding us through this vital section of the book.