George H.W. Bush: NYTs “Shoots At The President Every Single Day”

Peter Maer: Mr. president. You., along with the President, and former presidents Clinton and Carter, were the main speakers at the funeral for Coretta Scott King earlier this week. What did you think of the eulogizing and, some would say, politicizing, that went on there?

George H.W. Bush: Peter, I hate to be less than frank with you. But if I told you what I really think, I would make headlines. And as I’ve indicated earlier, I don’t want to be in the news. I want to lay back, and I don’t want to do anything that would be detrimental to the president. But let me put it this way: I thought the president gave a wonderful speech about Coretta. I thought president Clinton, maybe the best. It was his crowd. They talk about Bill Clinton being the “first black president.” Well, when you walk into that church, 12,000, or whatever it was. It was very clear who that crowd loved and respected.

In terms of the political shots, at the president, who was sitting right there, with his wife, I didn’t like it, and I thought it was kind of ugly, frankly. And, that’s about all I can say about it.

PM: You’re talking Reverend Lowry and former president Carter?

GHWB: I’m telling you, anybody that shoots at the President of the United States at a funeral… I just didn’t appreciate that….without singling anybody out.

PM: Alright. The tone in Washington. You know, that we go through these cycles, people writing about the tone in Washington. We talked about 25 years ago when you and president Reagan were in office. How has the tone changed since you were in office?

GHWB: That’s a good question. The press is very adversarial today. Much…well I always felt it was when I was president. But, I think even moreso now. Particularly the New York Times. It just shoots at the president every single day. They can do it on the op-ed pieces, the columns, that’s expected. But when you see it creeping in, subtlely into the news columns, I’m concerned about it. Is it unique? Peter, I don’t know. I don’t think so.

PM: Part of the tone now of course is this whole wiretapping controversy. You were a provider of that information as the CIA director, such a unique role, as also being the consumer of it, the president. So, what are your thoughts about this whole concept?

GHBW: The country are correct in supporting the president’s position. And I support it. And I’ve had some background in all of this. But I support it without reservation. And, having hearings, the Senate may recommend changes, the House may recommend changes. That’s all fine. But I support what the president is doing, particularly, given the horrors of 9-11.

PM: No concerns about constitutionality or legality on your part?

GHWB: None of my part.

PM: Was this an issue at all when you were in office?

GHWB: Oh yeah. Yeah. The encroachment of…when I was in office?

PM: Yeah. Did you have to approve wiretaps?

GHWB: I don’t go in to all that, what we do. But, it’s kind of interesting at the Kennedy funeral, I mean, at the Coretta King funeral, when you think back to the Kennedy’s, and uh, J. Edgar Hoover. I mean, it’s kind of interesting. Some things go on. But I believe, in this instance, the president is right. I think national security calls for it. And you’ll find that most of the people, even the critics aren’t saying, “we shouldn’t do it.” They’re just saying, “You ought to do it in a more orderly way, in a more legal way.” And maybe they’ll come up with legislation that’s satisfactory to the administration. And I have some doubts…that’s not just the father speaking. I have some background in my various positions in the past, that conclude that he’s doing the right thing. And, I’ve told you more than I would ever tell anybody about my views on this NSA business, because I don’t hold press conferences, because I don’t want to get into that stuff. So, this is an exception that proves my rule.

PM: Is this Clinton partnership going to endure come politics or highwater?

GHWB: Well, my relationship with president Clinton will endure. You know, people go back, they fail to remember, that Clinton and I got along very very well when I was president and he was governor. He led the democratic governors in this educational summit we had. In fact, he reminded me of that the other day. So, in my view, and I get flack on it from the right, and he gets flack on it from the left. But I think we’ve established a genuine, friendly relationship. Now, when the politics of ’08 get on the scene, my personal feeling will be, “Hey, this guy, I know where he’s coming from, and I can respect him and like him, and go on with our lives.” But I don’t know what other challenges will be there.

George H.W. Bush, interview with Peter Maer, CBS, 2/10/06