Bush as President had a special phone friend.

[denem]

A Very Honest, Good Friendship

(AP) -- George W. Bush had a special phone friend during his White House years: Bill Clinton.

Asked on CBS' ''Face the Nation'' whether it was true that he often called Clinton, Bush replied: ''I don't know about often, but I did. I called him. He didn't call me because he knows how busy a president is. I called him and we chatted on occasion.'' ...

''I was always pleased when he called me,'' Clinton said as he sat beside Bush for the interview. ''I make it a practice never to bother the president. I don't call President Obama either. ... They got plenty to do.''

Bush's eight years in office followed Clinton's two terms. While poles apart politically, the ex-presidents said they consider themselves to be friends.

''We have developed a very honest, good friendship,'' Clinton said. ''And we've made out disagreements respectful and we've had a good time doing it.''

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/17/us/politics/AP-US-Bush-Clinton.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. It's a big club, and you're not in it. n/t

[denem]

2. How about a nice round of Golf.

[givemebackmycountry]

4. eh, eh, eh - Now watch this drive....

eh, eh, eh.

[Wapsie B]

3. One more reason why * will never answer for what he did.

[treestar]

7. How could I be in it?

And it would be unseemly to have them at each other's throats in public.

They share a rare thing, having to deal with the minutiae of that office.

I hate Republicans due to what they stand for, but see no reason to hate them personally.

[denem]

9. GWB: No WMD's over here. WJC: Can see 'em here either. (laughs all round)

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. There's ample reason to hate them personally. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

5. Bubba loves the presidency, it's that simple. I'm glad someone with a brain talked to W. nt

[denem]

6. Had a very good time disagreeing.

Like taking candy from a baby I imagine.

[blm]

11. What did they 'disagree' on? Both Clintons were on same page as Lieberman in their support for Bush

and Cheney's decisions on handling terrorism and Iraq war. In fact, Bill used his summer2004 book tour to VIGOROUSLY defend Bush publicly on those decisions at the very time the Dem nominee was attacking Bush forthose decisions.


The Bushes and Clintons love to feed the corpmedia myth that the two families are rivals. What serious issue did they really disagree on during W's time in office?

[denem]

12. See #9

[Lint Head]

8. Why would a former Democratically elected President converse with a person

installed by the United Supreme Cowards, who is a murderer, war criminal and torturer? This despicable person ignored dead and dying people in New Orleans for a week! He ignored the threats that Bin Laden would fly planes into buildings on our soil. The Obama administration should be putting this jerk in jail.
That is one of my great disappointments with the current administration.

[denem]

10. Heck of a job, Georgie.

[midnight]

14. Yes... I do have hesitations about this phone friend business too.

[Bragi]

17. My guess is it involves $$$ for Bill

I think the big oil backers of Bush want to spend some $ rehabilitating his tarnished image, since it also tarnishes them. They are probably paying Bill Clinton to shill and front for Bush.

Me, I've donated to the Haiti effort despite Bush's involvement, but I think Obama should be ashamed of himself for going along with this, and politicizing the effort by making this dreadful appointment.

Let Bush pay Clinton for his PR effort without getting the White House or the poor people of Haiti involved.

[Clio the Leo]

15. O WHY cant we have Nixon's tape recorders....

.... for these phone conversations. Perhaps one of the great down sides of Watergate is that we forever lost the ability to hear the President speaking frankly and openly to the political elite ... think of the history....

[Bragi]

16. Clinton is a PR shill for Bush

Clinton been doing reputation-restoring PR for W for more than a year now. He ran flack for Bush at his initial public appearances after leaving the White House. It was sickening to watch Clinton sit beside Bush in an attempt to give him credibility, and to avoid negative audience reaction which would have happened if Bush was by himself.

For example, see http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/05/29/toronto-traffic.html

Since Clinton will apparently do just about anything for money, I'm assuming Bush's big oil backers are paying Clinton to back Bush, or that Clinton just has a soft spot in his heart for this dreadful war criminal.

I am deeply disappointed and offended that Obama made this appalling political appointment of Bush to co-chair the fundraising effort, no doubt at Clinton's suggestion. I've donated to the Haiti effort despite Bush's involvement.

[lunatica]

18. The word 'friend' to a politician is he/she who can make them more powerful

It means they're in it for what each can get out of it.

[lunatica]

19. Bush's new found favor with Democratic Presidents guarantees no trials

Up to now I had hopes that someday the war crimes would be investigated seriously. Now I know it will never happen. This is how they help each other in that rarefied upper class.

[Flying Dream Blues]

20. Sickening, but not surprising.

I agree with Bragi that there is probably some financial reward in this for WJC, and there is obviously a lot at stake for *. By WJC's not shunning * (as Carter has done, and BRAVO to him) he is bringing him back into the circle of respected ex-presidents. I can slightly understand Clinton talking to * when he was president in the off-chance of making a difference, but this post-presidency burnishing just reeks.

And let's face it, has anyone else considered the idea that some of this is being shall we say, forced on Obama and Clinton? I'm pretty sure Obama hasn't changed his mind about *, and since I do still believe Obama is a man of character and principle, I have to wonder.