Presidents' passings rise above politics. This American will be mourned and remembered as a Statesman. Chinks in his armor may be described later, but let those come much later, and let our current focus be on more uplifting thoughts.
Many obits will appear but for now I'll quote part of a tweet: "Grandson George P. Bush said on Twitter Friday night, "He was more than a great man; he was a good man." We'll soon be overwashed but for now I'll cling to poetry that goodness might exceed greatness.
Was playing a round of golf at the club just outside Kennebunkport with my wife's father and brother and the brothers wife, none of them were golfer's, Bush senior and his two political son's and the club pro came up behind us, along with 6-8 secret service carts, the Bushes play very fast, we moved off the fairway to let them pass, it was a par 5, (I outdrove them all, the pro obviously didn't want to outdrive them, so actually, it wasn't such a feat), after they hit their second shots and were speeding past us, of course we were waving, I yelled, "We'll Try Not To Hit Into You", and laughed, Bush Senior, whom I was actually looking at, put his hand to his ear and indicated I should repeate myself, I did, the three people I was with were trying to melt into the ground, Bush Senior let out a belly laugh and called off the Secret Service whom were headed in a beeline toward us, I was also laughing, at the next hole a par three next to the lane in and out of the club, we were putting and they stopped their car and watched us all putt and then genially waved as they left. (Six "I's" egads)
GHW Bush had a series of boats named Fidelity. Here is IV: This one is not as long and narrow as a Cigarette boat. So, OK, maybe a cigar.
There are probably photovoltaics on roof because why not? There is some serious seahorsepower on the stern though.
DC funereal viewing Dec 3 to 5 suggests Ceremony with Eulogizing on Dec 5. Canada's Brian Mulroney is only speaker yet announced for that. Jeb Bush shined with comments at Barbara Bush's funeral, so one might anticipate a repeat performance. No prior President would turn down an invitation to speak, I suppose. Bill Clinton seems particularly likely, given their late-blooming friendship. Protocol does not require remarks from sitting President. There are many reasons to anticipate very high public participation in all aspects of this Event.
I always thought he should have been reelected based on his success with the coalition against Iraq. I guess the "read my lips...no new taxes" quote he made but didn't keep was too overpowering.
cnn superlatives are over the top and phony. i would like them to rerun some of their headlines when he was president.
For the sake of decorum, hang bunting for a few weeks. Balanced or far-reaching assessments can come later. Surely they will; they always do.
I didn't speak particularly well of him at the time, especially after he kowtowed to the Reagan wing. But as reference standards change, he looks continually better in hindsight. More on that next year ... For now: 'Mission complete': Sully the service dog to accompany Bush one last time "A highly trained service dog, Sully will now go back into service to help other veterans and is going to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, former President George W. Bush wrote in an Instagram post. "As much as our family is going to miss this dog, we're comforted to know he'll bring the same joy to his new home, Walter Reed, that be brought to 41," Bush wrote."
Presidents always look bigger in the rear-view mirror. It's a nostalgia thing. One of the many things that speak to the character of 41 is the fact that he put 42's number in his Rolodex, and offered his in return. The two men put aside their differences and maintained a decades long congenial relationship. This may seem quaint and anachronistic in this time of elbows and low blows, but for at least some of the 'greatest generation' this was ops normal. Thanks 41. For everything. Happy landings. ...maybe I'll see you topside, sir.
Sully The Dog gets well-deserved praise here and elsewhere. His next assignment is at VA Hospital. Let us not lose focus that service animals (most often dogs) are many and that pipeline is (always) short on funding, No doubt there are ways to $upport such work, and it would not seem wrong to provide links even in this most solemn discussion. It is now a low-traffic time for Viewing in Congress' Rotunda, so if you are out of sync and inclined, go and see and feel. Several media streams are on this, but it is hard to ignore that one (beginning with letters Fo) is not. Not for me to place any particular meaning on that. Not that anyone should care, but were I in DC now I'd be among these overnighters. At every opportunity I voted against GHW Bush, but things went another way. He is no small fixture in what America is, was and does, did and the tangible end of that is just now an historical moment for anyone to connect with.
