Presidents Bush and Clinton: Be humble in
victory, responsible with power
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[July 14, 2017]
By Lisa Maria Garza
DALLAS (Reuters) - Former U.S. presidents
George W. Bush and Bill Clinton told a forum in Dallas on Thursday that
they were able to forge mutual bonds of respect and friendship because
the other had been gracious in victory and respectful of presidential
power.
The two did not mention President Donald Trump once during a nearly
hour-long discussion where they traded quips and insights. But they
offered indirect references that many in the crowd of about 300 people
at the George W. Bush Presidential Library took to be references to the
current president.
"He (Clinton) was humble in victory, which is very important in dealing
with other people," Bush said at the event to mark a graduation at the
Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a partnership among the Bush,
Clinton, Lyndon Johnson and George H.W. Bush presidential centers.
Clinton said: "If you want to be president, realize it’s about the
people, not about you.
"You want to be able to say 'things were better off when I quit, kid’s
had a better future, things were coming together.' You don’t want to
say, ‘God, look at all the people I beat.'"
Current President Trump has come under criticism from Democrats who have
said he fires off excessive and unwarranted criticism against his
predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama and the person he beat in
the election, Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Republican Bush said while in office he sought Democrat Clinton's
advice. Clinton said when he left office he told incoming President Bush
that he would offer him help and treat him with respect.
Bush and Clinton said they have enjoyed their lives after the presidency
but would not trade their current status for their eight years in
office.
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Former U.S. President Bill Clinton (L) and former U.S. President
George W. Bush participate in a moderated conversation at the
graduation class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program at
the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas, U.S., July
13, 2017. REUTERS/Brandon Wade
"The decisions you make have a monumental effect on people,” Bush
said, adding humility is a key quality for any president.
“Presidency is often defined by the unexpected. It makes the job
interesting," he said.
Clinton said: "If you don’t deal with the incoming fire, it will
undermine your ability to do anything else. If all you deal with is
incoming fire, you can’t keep the promises you made when you were
running."
The two also exchanged jokes about being grandfathers, with Bush
saying his grandchildren call him "jefe," Spanish for "chief."
"The best thing that can happen to you when you are in politics is
to be consistently underestimated," Clinton said.
"I was pretty good at that," Bush returned.
(Reporting by Lisa Mariua Garza and Jon Herskovitz in Austin;
Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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