THAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO WITNESS
TOGETHER.
JOINING US NOW WE'RE VERY
PLEASED TO HAVE CONDOLEEZZA
RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
GEORGE W. BUSH JOINING US
BEFORE YOU HEAD IN.
SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
WE LISTENED TO BILL HEMMER
TALKING ABOUT THE LINEUP OF
THOSE WHO WILL EULOGIZE
PRESIDENT BUSH 41 TODAY AND
YOU'LL WATCH YOUR FORMER BOSS
W., A BIG DAY FOR HIM.
>> IT IS A BIG DAY FOR HIM AND
A BIG DAY TO REMEMBER THE
PRESIDENCY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF
GEORGE H.W. BUSH.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ON HIS
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFF
AND HE IS THE EPITOME OF A
PUBLIC SERVANT AND TAUGHT ME A
LOT.
>> Bret: YOU WERE ON THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AS
THE SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN
EUROPE AFFAIRS ADVISOR DURING
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE SOVIET
UNION, THE REUNIFICATION OF
GERMANY.
ANGELA MERKEL IS HERE BECAUSE
SHE IS SAYING HOW MUCH HE MEANT
TO GERMANY.
>> I'M SO TOUCHED BY HER
PRESENCE HERE.
THE HUMILITY OF THIS MAN WAS
SUCH THAT HE RARELY MADE IT
ABOUT HIMSELF.
HE NEVER DID.
AND HE RARELY EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED
HOW IMPORTANT HIS ROLE HAD BEEN
IN ENDING THE COLD WAR
PEACEFULLY.
I REMEMBER THE STORY WHEN WE
WENT TO THE OVAL OFFICE AFTER
THE BERLIN WALL FELL AND WE
SAID YOU HAVE TO GO TO GERMANY.
HE SAID THIS IS A GERMAN
MOMENT, NOT AN AMERICAN MOMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THE GERMANS
APPRECIATED WAS HIS FAITH IN
THEIR DEMOCRACY AND FRIENDSHIP
AND OUR ALLIANCE AND HE MANAGED
TO EASE A GREAT SUPER POWER TO
ITS END WITHOUT REALLY RANKOR
OR DANGER.
>> Martha: HE DIDN'T WANT TO
RUB IT IN THE FACE OF GORBACHEV
AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT HIM
IN A DIFFICULT POSITION WITH
THE SORT OF IRON GUARD OF THE
KREMLIN REBELLING AGAINST THAT.
AND ALSO WITH REGARD TO THE
REUNIFICATION OF GERMANY, IT'S
SOMETHING THAT BUSH 41 REALLY
NUDGED BEFORE SOME OTHER
LEADERS WERE QUITE READY FOR IT.
>> NOT ONLY LEADERS BUT HIS
STAFF.
I REMEMBER WHEN HE SAID WELL
GERMANY OUGHT TO UNIFY.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A POSITION AS A
GOVERNMENT ON GERMANY BUT THEN
WE DID NOW AND WE WORKED TO
BRING OTHERS ALONG.
FOR MARGARET THATCHER OR THE
FRENCH PRESIDENT WHO WERE
CHILDREN DURING THE WAR IT WAS
HARD TO IMAGINE A UNIFIED
GERMANY THAT COULD BE A
PEACEFUL AND DEMOCRATIC GERMANY.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH REALLY LED
THEM TO THAT PLACE THROUGH HIS
PERSONAL DIPLOMACY AND
REASSURANCE, THROUGH HIS LACK
OF WANTING TO DANCE ON THE
GRAVE OF THE SOVIET UNION HE
ALLOWED GORBACHEV TO TAKE
REALLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS
ALONG THE WAY.
WE JUST CAN'T OVERESTIMATE THAT
ROLE HE PLAYED AT THAT TIME.
>> Bret: WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FOREIGN
POLICY AND DOMESTICALLY.
A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING ARE
THE STORIES ABOUT HIS HUMANITY,
THE STORIES ABOUT THE PEOPLE HE
TOUCHED THAT DIDN'T THINK THAT
THEY WERE GOING TO GET THE
LETTER, OR THE ATTENTION, OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> YES.
HE WAS THE CONSUMMATE PERSONAL
TOUCH PERSON.
EVEN WITH LEADERS HE WANTED TO
BE IN TOUCH WITH THEM TO
DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS BEFORE HE
HAD TO ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING
HARD.
TO MY MIND IT'S FITTING THAT
ONE OF HIS GREAT DOMESTIC
ACHIEVEMENTS WAS THE AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ACT BECAUSE
IT SPOKE TO HIS COMPASSION.
IT SPOKE TO HIS HUMANITY.
I'M ALSO JUST ALWAYS AMAZED AT
HOW FRIENDS AROUND THIS FAMILY
FROM DECADES AND DECADES AGO,
THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHO THE
BUSHES ARE AND MY OLD BOSS
GEORGE W. BUSH VERY MUCH MADE
IN THAT MOLD.
THIS IS THE PATRIARCH OF A
GREAT FAMILY AND HE AND HIS
GENERATION WILL BE MISSED.
>> Martha: HE LIKED TO RIDE HIS
BOAT VERY FAST.
>> JUMP OUT OF AIRPLANES.
HE NEVER STOPPED LIVING.
THAT'S THE ONE GREAT THING WE
CAN CELEBRATE IN THIS LIFE.
THIS WAS A LIFE REALLY WELL
LIVED.
>> Bret: HE LOVED TO SERVE THE
COUNTRY.
YOU, LIKE HIM, SERVED IN A
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT JOBS.
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR,
SECRETARY OF STATE.
THINK ABOUT GOING BACK IN?
>> NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'VE DONE MY PART.
IN SOME WAYS THIS IS A REMINDER
THAT YOU GET YOUR TIME TO TRY
AND SERVE THE COUNTRY.
YOU DO YOUR VERY BEST.
YOU MAKE YOUR MISTAKES BECAUSE
HUMAN BEINGS DO.
BUT WHAT GEORGE H.W. BUSH STOOD
FOR AND REMINDS ALL OF US WHO
HAD THE HONOR TO BE IN PUBLIC
SERVICE IS THAT YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A DEEP AND ABIDING LOVE
FOR AMERICA, A BELIEF IN WHAT
AMERICA CAN ACHIEVE, A BELIEF
IN WHAT AMERICA IS BOTH AT HOME
AND ABROAD, AND THE FACT THAT
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.
THEY WILL BE HERE FROM
KENNEBUNKPORT AND HOUSTON, FROM
HIS TIME IN THE NORTHEAST AND
THEY'LL BE HERE FROM ACROSS THE
WORLD BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY
THAT HE TOUCHED PEOPLE AS A
PUBLIC SERVANT.
IF WE CAN GET TO THE END OF OUR
LIVES AND THINK WE'VE DONE
THAT, IT'S ENOUGH.