AMBASSADOR, CIA DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT AND
ULTIMATELY PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> I COME BEFORE YOU
AND ASSUME THE
PRESIDENCY AT A MOMENT
RICH WITH PROMISE.
>> FOR GEORGE BUSH,
BECOMING PRESIDENT WAS
THE CAP STONE OF A
LIFETIME OF PUBLIC
SERVICE THAT WOULD
ALSO INCLUDE BEING THE
FATHER OF A PRESIDENT.
IN FACT, THE BUSH
FAMILY HAS BEEN AMONG
THE MOST PROMINENT IN
AMERICAN POLITICAL
HISTORY.
WHILE GEORGE HERBERT
WALKER BUSH GREW UP IN
WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE,
HE ALSO LEARNED THE
IMPORTANCE OF SERVING
HIS COUNTRY.
A NAVY PILOT DURING
WORLD WAR II, HE WAS
SHOT DOWN OVER THE
PACIFIC.
AND RESCUED BY A
PASSING SUBMARINE.
THE MOMENT INCREDIBLY
CAPTURED ON CAMERA.
HE RETURNED HOME,
MARRIED HIS
SWEETHEART, BARBARA
PIERCE AND STARTED A
FAMILY, MOVING TO
TEXAS IN 1948 TO GET
INTO THE OIL BUSINESS.
THEY SUFFERED THE LOSS
OF DAUGHTER ROBIN TO
LEUKEMIA.
BUT RAISED FIVE
CHILDREN.
IN 1964, THE YEAR HE
TURNED 40, BUSH GOT
INTO POLITICS, RUNNING
FOR SENATE.
>> I CERTAINLY HOPE
AND I’LL BET YOU DO
TOO, THAT OUR CHILDREN
CAN GROW UP KNOWING
WHAT FREEDOM REALLY
IS.
>> HE LOST, BUT LATER
WON A HOUSE SEAT.
AND RAN FOR SENATE
AGAIN IN 1970.
THIS TIME WITH HELP
FROM PRESIDENT NIXON.
>> GEORGE BUSH IN MY
OPINION, IS THE BEST
MAN FOR AMERICA.
>> WHEN HE LOST AGAIN,
NIXON APPOINTED HIM
AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.
>> I CONSIDER MYSELF A
VERY LUCKY GUY.
>> BUT HIS NEXT JOB
WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY
DURING WATERGATE.
>> YOU TRY BEING
CHAIRMAN OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY
DURING THE WATERGATE
DAYS.
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A
GHASTLY ASSIGNMENT.
>> HE ESCAPED
WATERGATE UNSCATHED.
AND GERALD FORD MADE
HIM HIS ENVOY TO
CHINA.
>> I’M DARN HAPPY.
>> JUST A YEAR LATER,
AN EVEN BIGGER
ASSIGNMENT.
>> DIRECTOR OF THE
CIA.
>> CIA, I LOVED.
ONE YEAR ONLY.
I LOVED DEFENDING THE
CULTURE AT A TIME
EVERYONE WAS DOWN ON
IT.
>> WHEN FORD LOST TO
JIMMY CARTER, BUSH
LEFT THE CIA.
>> WHAT HE WILL DO
NEXT, HE DIDN’T SAY.
>> WHAT HE DID NEXT
WAS RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
>> I DO PLEDGE A NEW
CANDOR.
>> HE LOST TO RONALD
REAGAN IN 1980, AND
HIS POLITICAL CAREER
SEEMED OVER.
UNTIL THIS STUNNING
ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> GEORGE BUSH
NOMINATED --
>> FOR EIGHT YEARS,
BUSH WAS REAGAN’S
LOYAL VICE PRESIDENT.
SURVIVING QUESTIONS
ABOUT HIS ROLE IN THE
IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL TO
BECOME REAGAN’S HEIR
APPARENT.
>> I’M HERE TODAY TO
ANNOUNCE MY CANDIDACY
FOR PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
>> BUSH EMERGED FROM
REAGAN’S SHADOW.
>> I WANT A KINDER AND
GENTLER NATION.
>> AND MADE A PROMISE
HE WOULD LATER BREAK.
>> READ MY LIPS.
NO MORE TAXES.
>> GEORGE BUSH
DEFEATED DEMOCRAT
MICHAEL DUKAKIS IN 19
1988 AND BECAME
PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
>> SO HELP ME GOD.
>> THE BUSH YEARS SAW
EPIC EVENTS ON THE
WORLD STAGE.
THE TIANANMEN SQUARE
MASSACRE.
AND THE COLLAPSE OF
THE SOVIET UNION
ITSELF.
>> BY THE GRACE OF
GOD, AMERICA WON THE
COLD WAR.
>> BUT HIS
PRESIDENCY’S DEFINING
MOMENT WAS SADDAM
HUSSEIN’S INVASION OF
KUWAIT.
>> THIS WILL NOT
STAND, THIS AGGRESSION
AGAINST KUWAIT.
>> BACKED BY AN
INTERNATIONAL
COALITION, BUSH
LAUNCHED "OPERATION
DESERT STORM" AND
DROVE IRAQI FORCES
OUT.
>> AGGRESSION IS
DEFEATED, THE WAR IS
OVER
OVER.
OVER OVER. >> BUT SADDAM HUSSEIN
REMAINED IN POWER
UNTIL BUSH’S SON
TOPPLED HIM 12 YEARS
LATER.
>> I THOUGHT SADDAM
HUSSEIN WOULD FALL OF
HIS OWN WEIGHT WHEN
THE WAR ENDED.
AND I THOUGHT THEY’D
THROW HIM OUT OF THERE
AND THEY DIDN’T.
>> BUSH’S POST WAR
POPULARITY SOARED,
THEN SANK OVER
ECONOMIC CONCERNS
CLOSER TO HOME.
IN 1992, HE LOST TO
BILL CLINTON, BECOMING
A ONE TERM PRESIDENT.
>> I HAD MY CHANCE.
I GAVE SERVICE TO THIS
COUNTRY.
AND NOW I’M PERFECTLY
CONTENT TO LET HISTORY
BE THE JUDGE.
>> GEORGE BUSH ENJOYED
AN ACTIVE RETIREMENT
FULL OF GRANDCHILDREN,
FISHING, EVEN
SKYDIVING.
AND HE SAW HIS ELDEST
SON BECOME PRESIDENT.
BUT HE KEPT HIS ADVICE
TO A MINIMUM.
AND HIS SON CHARTED
HIS OWN COURSE.
BUSH WAS NO STRANGER
TO PARTISAN POLITICS,
BUT HE ASPIRED TO A
HIGHER IDEAL.
AS WHEN HE TEAMED UP
WITH BILL CLINTON ON
GLOBAL RELIEF EFFORTS.
>> YOU CAN BE
POLITICAL OPPONENTS
AND STILL WORK
TOGETHER FOR SOMETHING
MORE IMPORTANT THAN
YOUR OWN POLITICAL
FUTURE.
>> A FORMER PRESIDENT
FOR DECADES, HE SAW
GRANDDAUGHTER JENNA
BUSH HAGER BECOME A
"TODAY" SHOW
CORRESPONDENT.
>> WHAT’S AGING LIKE?
>> IT’S ALL RIGHT.
BETTER THAN THE
ALTERNATIVE.
>> HE SAW REPUBLICANS
TURN AWAY FROM THE
BUSH BRAND AND THE
PARTY ESTABLISHMENT IT
REPRESENTED.
>> I DIDN’T WANT TO --
EXCUSE ME, ONE SECOND.
>> REJECTING SON JEB’S
BID FOR THE
PRESIDENCY.
AND HE SURVIVED HIS
WIFE OF 73 YEARS,
BARBARA BUSH.
AND WELCOMED AN
OUTPOURING OF
AFFECTION FOR HER.
THEIRS WAS THE LONGEST
MARRIAGE IN
PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY.
THROUGHOUT HIS LONG
LIFE, GEORGE BUSH WAS
ADMIRED AS A MAN OF
DECENCY, MODDESSTY AND
UNCOMMON ACHIEVEMENT.
VALUES THAT TO THE END
REFLECTED WHAT WAS
MOST IMPORTANT TO HIM.
HIS FAMILY.
>> I JUST WANT TO GET