My Father, My President Page 59

  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 fro
m 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.