>> AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, I CAN
REPORT TO YOU OUR ARMED FORCES
FOUGHT WITH HONOR AND VALOR AND
AS PRESIDENT, I CAN REPORT TO
THE NATION, AGGRESSION IS
DEFEATED, THE WAR IS OVER.
>> Chris: PRESIDENT BUSH
ANNOUNCING THE END OF THE
GULF WAR AND JOINING ME NOW, TWO
MEN WHO KNEW HIM WELL, FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY, WHO
SERVED AS BUSH'S SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE DURING THAT WAR, AND
JAMES BAKER, THE SECRETARY OF
STATE.
WELCOME BACK TO
"FOX NEWS SUNDAY."
SECRETARY BAKER, LET ME START
WITH YOU, YOU HAVE CALLED
GEORGE BUSH ONE OF OUR MOST
UNDERRATED PRESIDENTS.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE
FAILED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT
GEORGE BUSH, AND WHY DO YOU
THINK SO MANY PEOPLE MISSED HIM?
>> James: I'M NOT SURE WHY
THEY MISSED IT, EXCEPT PERHAPS
HE WAS NOT REELECTED.
HE WAS A ONE TERM PRESIDENT.
IN MY VIEW, AND I WOULD BET THIS
IS TRUE WITH DICK CHENEY AS
WELL, HE WAS THE VERY BEST ONE
TERM PRESIDENT THIS COUNTRY HAS
EVER HAD.
AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE VERY BEST
PRESIDENTS OF ALL TIME.
BUT HE DIDN'T BLOW HIS OWN HORN.
ONE OF HIS WONDERFUL CHARACTER
TRAITS WAS TO LET OTHER PEOPLE
TAKE CREDIT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING HE WAS
BROUGHT UP WITH AND THAT'S THE
WAY HE OPERATED.
BUT HE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY --
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU GO
BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE RECORD,
IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY
CONSEQUENTIAL PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, PARTICULARLY IN
THE ARENA OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
>> Chris: LET ME PICK UP ON
THAT WITH VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY,
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT
CLEARLY THE CENTERPIECE OF THE
BUSH PRESIDENCY WAS THE VICTORY
IN THE GULF WAR OVER SADDAM
HUSSEIN.
WHAT STANDS OUT FOR YOU ABOUT
THE WAY THAT HE LED THAT FIGHT
AND WHAT ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY
THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR, HIS
DECISION NOT TO GO ON TO BAGHDAD
AND TOPPLE SADDAM?
>> Dick: IN TERMS OF HIS
LEADERSHIP, THE IMPORTANT THING
TO REMEMBER IS WHAT WE PUT
TOGETHER THOSE YEARS, THE
PRESIDENT'S COMMANDER IN CHIEF,
WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER BACK
DURING THE 40 YEARS AND IT WAS,
IN MY OPINION, I'M PROBABLY
BIASED, ABOUT THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL SECURITY
FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEFENSE TEAM IN
MY EXPERIENCE TO WATCH OPERATE.
>> James: ARE ABSOLUTELY
ACCURATE.
SPEAK TO THE PRESIDENT OBVIOUSLY
WAS A KEY PART OF IT.
AND JIM AND BRENT AND I WOULD
HAVE BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING AND
MOST OF THE TIME WE COULD SOLVE
OUR PROBLEMS AMONG US, ONCE IN A
WHILE WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT
TO HIM AND HE WOULD RESOLVE IT.
BUT HE WAS A CONSEQUENTIAL
LEADER, HIS KNOWLEDGE OF FOREIGN
LEADERS, PEOPLE HE'D WORKED WITH
OVER THE YEARS, HIS
UNDERSTANDING OF THE MILITARY,
HIS WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT THE
MILITARY.
WE GAVE HIM A VERY LONG LIST OF
THINGS WE WANTED TO HAVE IN THE
GULF BEFORE WE WATCHED DOMINIC
LAUNCHED OFFENSIVE WEAPONS.
HE DIDN'T TURNED ON ANYTHING.
HE APPROVED ALL OF THEM AND SAID
HUMBLY SHOW ME HOW YOU'RE GOING
TO DO IT.
>> Chris: SECRETARY BAKER, ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT STRIKES ME
ABOUT GEORGE BUSH IS THAT HE
DIDN'T TAKE THE EASY PATH, HE
LEFT YALE TO VOLUNTEER AND
BECOME THE YOUNGEST NAVY PILOT.
HE LEFT CONNECTICUT, HE COULD
HAVE HAD A VERY COMFORTABLE LIFE
THERE, TO STRIKE OUT ON HIS OWN
AND BECOME AN OIL MAN IN TEXAS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS ABOU
ABOUT?
>> I THINK IT WAS ABOUT TAKING
ON THE HARD CHALLENGES.
HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO TAKE RISKS,
NO RISKS, NO REWARD KIND OF
THING.
BUT LET ME A QUICK WORD IF I
MIGHT ABOUT THE CENTERPIECE, AS
YOU SAID, FOR FOREIGN POLICY
PRESIDENCY, THE FIRST GULF WAR,
WHICH WAS, AND MY VIEW A
TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF A WAY TO
FIGHT A WAR.
YOU TELL THE WORLD WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO DO, YOU GET ALL THE
REST OF THE WORLD BEHIND YOU,
YOU DO THAT AND NOTHING MORE.
YOU BRING THE TROOPS HOME AND
THEN YOU GET THERE COUNTRIES TO
PAY FOR IT.
WE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
THAT IS A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF A
WAY TO FIGHT A WAR.
WHILE THAT MAY BE THE
CENTERPIECE OF HIS FOREIGN
POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, IT
CERTAINLY WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.
YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT HE WAS
ABLE TO MANAGE AN END A PEACEFUL
END TO THE COLD WAR, THAT WAS A
HUGE HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
>> Chris: MR. VICE PRESIDENT,
IN 2015, PRESIDENT BUSH TOLD A
BIOGRAPHER THAT HE WORRIED THAT
HE WOULD BECOME TOO MUCH OF A
HARD-LINER IN HIS SON'S
WHITE HOUSE AND HE CALLED YOUR
APPROACH, EXCUSE ME, HIS QUOTE,
IRON ASS.
I WONDER WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE
CRITICISM, AND TWO, WHAT DID
THAT DUE TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GEORGE BUSH?
>> Dick: FIRST OF ALL, I WAS
MORE I GUESS OF AND IRON ASS.
THE THING THAT HAD INTERVENED
WITH MY TIME AT DEFENSE FOR 41
AND MY TIME IS VICE PRESIDENT
WAS 9/11.
WE HAD 3,000 OF OUR PEOPLE
KILLED ON 9/11, MORE PEOPLE THAN
WE LOST IT FOR HER DORM AT
PEARL HARBOR AND WE MOVED, I
THINK LEGITIMATELY INTO A
WARTIME SITTING RATHER THAN
SIMPLE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DO
THAT.
AFTER HE MADE THOSE COMMENTS HE
SENT ME A NOTE, THIS ONE SAID I
DID IT.
AND THEN HE WENT ON AT GREAT
LENGTH TO TELL ME WHAT A GREAT
AMERICAN I WAS.
BUT HE ALSO, THAT YEAR, WE WENT
TO THE ANNUAL ALFALFA CLUB, HE
ENJOYED THOSE DINNERS AND HE
INVITED ME TO SIT AT THE HEAD
TABLE WITH HIM AT THE DINNER AND
THAT SORT OF DAMPENED DOWN ANY
NOTION THAT THERE WAS A
FUNDAMENTAL BREAK BETWEEN US.
>> James: THAT'S THE KIND OF
PERSON HE WAS.
LET ME SAY, THAT'S THE KIND OF
PERSON GEORGE BUSH WAS.
THERE WAS A STORY EARLY IN HIS
ADMINISTRATION IN 1989 TO TOT
ADMINISTRATION IN 1989 TO TOE
EFFECT GENERALLY THAT THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL IS
RUNNING FOREIGN POLICY -- AND I
GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE
PRESIDENT.
HE SAID I WANT YOU AND SUSAN TO
COME UP TO CAMP DAVID WITH ME
THIS WEEKEND.
WE DID SO AND THERE WAS NEVER
ANOTHER STORY LIKE THAT FOR THE
ENTIRE FOUR YEARS.
THAT'S THE KIND OF PERSON HE WA
WAS.
>> Chris: SECRETARY BAKER,
GEORGE BUSH WAS NOT JUST HER
COLLEAGUE, NOT JUST YOUR BOSS,
HE WAS YOUR DEAR FRIEND FOR MORE
THAN 60 YEARS WE HAVE LEARNED IN
THE LAST FEW HOURS THAT YOU WERE
WITH HIM WHEN HE PASSED AWAY ON
FRIDAY NIGHT, TO THE DEGREE YOU
FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING IT, CAN
YOU SHARE WITH US HIS LAST
MOMENTS?
>> James: HE HAD A VERY GENTLE
AND PEACEFUL PASSING.
ONLY ONE OF HIS CHILDREN WAS
LIVING IN HOUSTON, NEIL BUSH.
NEIL AND HIS WIFE MARIA WERE
THERE.
MY WIFE SUSAN AND I, HIS RECTOR
FROM OUR CHURCH IN HOUSTON.
THE DOCTORS, SOME OF THE
WONDERFUL AIDES THAT TOOK CARE
OF HIM IN HIS LATER YEARS, AND
IT WAS A SWEET SITUATION.
THEY MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALL
OF HIS CHILDREN TO CALL IN TO IN
EFFECT TELL HIM GOODBYE IN HIS
LAST WORDS, THE LAST WORDS
GEORGE BUSH EVER SAID WERE I
LOVE YOU AND HE SAID THOSE WORDS
243, PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH 43,
WHO HAD CALLED IN TO SAVE DAD, I
LOVE YOU, I WILL SEE YOU ON THE
OTHER SIDE AND PRESIDENT BUSH
SAID I LOVE YOU, AND THOSE WERE
HIS LAST WORDS.
ANOTHER TENDER MOMENT ABOUT THAT
WAS THE IRISH TENOR WAS IN TOWN.
IN TOWN JUST TO PAY A COURTESY
CALL AND HE HAPPENED TO BE THERE
AND HE SAYING A COUPLE OF SONGS
FOR PRESIDENT BUSH ON THAT LAST
EVENING AND ONE OF THEM WAS
SILENT NIGHT AND AS HE WAS
SINGING, PRESIDENT BUSH WAS
MOUTHING THE WORDS OF SILENT
NIGHT.
HE HAD A VERY GENTLE AND EASY
PASSING, THE KIND WE OUGHT TO
ALL HOPE WE HAVE.
>> Chris: SECRETARY BAKER,
MR. VICE PRESIDENT, WE WANT TO