PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH.
AT THIS MOMENT WE NEED TO TELL
YOU THE BUSH FAMILY IS IN THE
AIR HEADING TO TEXAS FOR A FINAL
CEREMONY.
THE BODY OF PRESIDENT BUSH WILL
BE WELCOMED HOME TO HIS FINAL
RESTING PLACE IN HOUSTON.
THE FAMILY PLOT AT THE GEORGE
H.W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
AND MUSEUM.
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL DAYS OF ICONIC
MOMENTS AS THE NATION REMEMBERS
PRESIDENT BUSH AND ONE OF THE
MOST POIGNANT CAME YESTERDAY
WHEN FELLOW MEMBER OF THE
GREATEST GENERATION, SENATOR BOB
DOLE, WHO RAN AGAINST GEORGE
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT IN 1980 AND
'88, STOOD UP WITH SOME HELP AND
PAID HIS FINAL RESPECTS, ONE
WORLD WAR II HERO TO ANOTHER.
DOLE SUFFERED INJURIES IN THE
WAR THAT LEFT HIM MOSTLY
IMMOBILE ON HIS RIGHT SIDE.
HE SALUTED WITH HIS LEFT HAND.
HE STILL MANAGED TO DO THAT TO
SALUTE A POLITICAL RIVAL WHO
BECAME A FRIEND.
EVERY LIVING PRESIDENT FROM
PRESIDENTS TRUMP TO CARTER TO
CLINTON TO OBAMA, EVERY FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT, EVERYBODY'S
SPOUSES IN ATTENDANCE.
JUST ABOUT EVERY BUSH FAMILY
MEMBER, BOTH IMMEDIATE AND
EXTENDED, LISTENED AS BUSH 41
WAS EULOGIZED AS SOMEONE WHO
LIVED LIFE AT FULL THROTTLE.
PRINCE CHARLES, HEIR TO THE
BRITISH THRONE, ATTENDED AS WELL
AS KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN, ALL
PAYING THEIR RESPECTS.
LONG-TIME BUSH FRIEND ED ROGERS
SERVED AS DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH.
YOU COULD HAVE BEEN THERE BUT
YOU GAVE YOUR TICKET AWAY THAN
WAS A VERY GENEROUS THING TO DO.
TELL US WHO YOU GAVE IT TO.
>> I GAVE IT TO HALEY BARBOUR'S
SON SO THEY COULD GO TOGETHER
AND I DID COMMENTARY ON PBS.
LIZ: TELL US ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS
WHEN YOU SAW ALL THE CROWD
GATHERING AND PAYING RESPECTS TO
SUCH A GREAT WAR HERO AND GREAT
MAN.
>> WELL, IT WAS A SOLEMN MOMENT.
THERE WERE SOME POWERFUL MOMENTS
TODAY AT THE END OF GEORGE
BUSH'S EULOGY, THE BOB DOLE
SALUTE, IT'S GEORGE BUSH'S LAST
ACT OF SELFLESSNESS AND
GENEROSITY, WHAT HE'S GIVEN US
FOR THE LAST DAY, A SERIOUS
FOCAL POINT FOR THE NATION.
IT'S BEEN SAD BUT INSPIRING AT
THE SAME TIME.
MOMENTS AND HOURS REALLY FILLED
WITH DIGNITY AND WITH POISE,
REMEMBRANCE OF THE CHARACTER
TRAITS THAT ARE SOMETIMES
LACKING THAT WE SO ADMIRE IN
GEORGE BUSH.
IT'S DONE THE NATION, I THINK, A
LOT OF GOOD.
I THINK IT DID A LOT OF GOOD
HERE IN WASHINGTON.
BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER SORT OF
IN THE SAME WAY INAUGURATIONS
BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, LEADERS
FROM OUT OF STATE ALL COME TO
TOWN BUT EVEN THAT IS THE
CELEBRATION PARTIALLY OF AN
ELECTION VICTORY.
THIS WAS SOMETHING MORE SOLEMN,
SOMETHING MORE PERSONAL,
SOMETHING A LITTLE DEEPER.
I THINK IT SERVED A GOOD
PURPOSE.
LIZ: HE WAS ALWAYS ONE WHO SAID
THAT JUST BECAUSE HE HAD
OPPONENTS DIDN'T MEAN HE LOOKED
AT THOSE OPPONENTS AS ENEMIES.
TELL US, YOU HAVING BEEN ONE OF
HIS TOP AIDES, YOUR BEST MEMORY
OF HIM, AND YOU WOULD SEE
PRESIDENTS WHEN YOU ARE AN AIDE
THAT CLOSE TO THEM AT BOTH THEIR
BEST AND THEIR WORST.
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT
THERE'S A BEST MOMENT.
THERE WERE A LOT OF GOOD
MOMENTS.
ONE THING ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSH,
HIS WORKPLACE WAS HEALTHY.
A LOT OF LEADERS, WHEN THEY GET
TO THE TOP, THEY RULE THROUGH
INTIMIDATION.
THEY DON'T LIKE PEOPLE TO TELL
THEM NO, THEY DON'T LIKE PEOPLE
TO CHALLENGE THEIR BIASES.
GEORGE BUSH WAS A CONFIDENT
LEADER.
HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH HIMSELF,
WITH THE DECISIONS HE WOULD
MAKE.
IF YOU PESTERED HIM TOO MUCH, HE
WOULD TELL YOU YOU'RE PESTERING
ME TOO MUCH AND MOVE ON.
BUT AGAIN, HE WAS A CONFIDENT
LEADER.
YOU LEARNED A LOT FROM JUST
BEING IN PROXIMITY TO THE MAN.
YOU LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE
WORLD, YOU LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
MANAGEMENT, YOU LEARNED A LOT
ABOUT HUMAN NATURE AND HE'S A
GREAT EXAMPLE, A ROLE MODEL.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH STUDYING AND
HISTORY THAT CAN BE READ ABOUT
GEORGE BUSH.
LIZ: I THINK THERE WILL BE NOW.
I HAD A CHANCE, I NEVER GOT TO
MEET HIM BUT I COVERED HIS
ELECTION, THE QUAYLE/BUSH
ELECTION AGAINST CLINTON/GORE.
I WENT TO KENNEBUNKPORT THIS
SUMMER ON VACATION AND I TOOK A
PICTURE OF THAT BUSH COMPOUND.
HE WAS ALIVE THEN AND I SORT OF
FELT HOW NICE IT MUST BE TO LOOK
OUT AT THAT VISTA AND TO SEE ALL
OF THE BEAUTY OF AMERICA AND ALL
THE DIFFICULT ASPECTS THAT HE
HAD DEALT WITH AS WELL, AND NOW
WE SEE THE MEMORIALS TO IT.
I'M SURE HE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU
HAVING IN YOUR MOMENT BE ABLE TO
GIVE THAT TICKET TO SOMEBODY
ELSE AND SAY KIND THINGS ABOUT
HIM.
>> I HOPE SO.
BUT KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE WAS A
SPECIAL PLACE FOR HIM.
IT'S WHERE HE WENT TO REFLECT
AND RECHARGE.
IT'S WHERE HE WENT TO SPEND TIME
WITH HIS FAMILY.
SO IT REALLY IS AN ICONIC PLACE
FOR AMERICA AND THERE'S A LOT TO