President Clinton and Preseident Bush were both characteristically gracious to each other at the Opening of the Clinton Library in Little Rock this week. C linton on Bush:
What are those values? And I want to say this; this is important. I don't want to be too political here, but it bothers me when America gets as divided as it was. I once said to a friend of mine about three days before the election -- and I heard all these terrible things. I said, "You know, am I the only person in the entire United States of America who likes both George Bush and John Kerry, who believes they're both good people, who believe they both love our country and they just see the world differently?"
Transcript: Former President Clinton Speaks at Library Dedication (washingtonpost.com)
And Bush on Clinton:
"President Bill Clinton led our country with optimism and a great affection for the American people. And that affection has been returned. He gave all to his job, and the nation gave him two terms.
During his presidency, Bill Clinton seized important opportunities on issues from welfare to free trade. He was a tireless champion of peace in the Middle East. He used American power in the Balkans to confront aggression and halt ethnic cleansing.
And in all his actions and decisions, the American people sensed a deep empathy for the poor and the powerless. " It would be easy to dismiss both sets of remarks as mere professional courtesy. But lesser polticians consitently miss the opportunity to do the right thing in similar situations. Both sets of remarks were on target and they show why both Clinton and Bush 43 were two termers. They think like winners; they act like winners.
