Bush welcomes Clinton back to White House and offers praise

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President Bush offered a glowing tribute to former President Clinton on Monday as the White House unveiled the official portraits of the 42nd president and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Bush rode into office on a promise ``to restore honor and dignity'' to the White House after eight years of Clinton, and he was bitter at Clinton for defeating his father in the 1992 presidential contest. But on Monday, Bush delivered a lengthy, forceful defense of his predecessor, and welcomed dozens of Clinton administration officials back into the White House.

``As a candidate for any office, whether it be the state attorney general or the president, Bill Clinton showed incredible energy and great personal appeal,'' Bush said. ``As chief executive, he showed a deep and far- ranging knowledge of public policy, a great compassion for people in need, and the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president.''

Bush left Clinton laughing so hard that his face turned red with a jibe about Clinton's service in Texas to George McGovern's failed 1972 presidential campaign.

Mostly, though, Bush gave an almost nostalgic tribute to the Democratic former president.

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/06/14/national/14cnd-clint.184.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I REACT THUSLY

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw part of this this morning. it was kinda weird. i was mostly annoyed by bush when he was bantering about how he and his dad refer to each other as 41 and 43. douches.

ps: wtf did they do that portrait of hillary? do they usually paint the first ladies too?

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/14/clinton.artist.ap/

transscript:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4827679.html

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I40548-2004Jun14L

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

hilary looks like she's going to swivel her neck around and eat bill's head!!!

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Hillary's all like gritted teeth and "Bill, why is that bitch looking at me like that?"

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Hil and Laura don't exactly not look a lot like each other.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

OH SHIT IT'S THE STEPFORD (PRESIDENT'S) WIVES!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

We should just start cloning first ladies and be done with it. xxpost nickaliciousmindmeld

― bnw (bnw), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i have it on good authority he also offered ginger snaps

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I wonder if Bill Clinton reads Douglas Adams. If so, he's probably happy to be 42.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

whoaaa!

― Jon in R'lyeh (ex machina), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Bush isn't speaking his mind, he's performing a ceremonial duty.

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

haha thanks for all the fish jon :(

― ARL (Adrian Langston), Monday, 14 June 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

meanwhile on the other side of the building: The White House rejected calls Monday from Ronald Reagan's family and others to relax President Bush's restrictions on stem-cell research in pursuit of potential cures for illnesses.

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

The last thing Bush wants to do right now is chase away the Christian fundamentalists, since he seems to be losing support everywhere else.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

on Chris Matthews this weekend, Clarence Page forecasted an early-Fall major p.r. offensive on stem cells by Nancy Reagan

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040607/i/r4244541708.jpg

Clinton always be laffin'!

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Reagan pluck out Clinton's eyeballs and put them in that jar?

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I am so proud of Dubya for waiting 'til the latter days of his administration to finally be a "uniter, not a divider."

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

insert "simple addition is easier than long division" joke here

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't hear Bush deliver this speech, so I can't tell how much his smirking-chimp act may have ruined it, but on paper it reads very nicely.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

GWB (whispering in WJC's ear): "Dude, I found your stash of Penth0use Letters. Sweet stuff!"

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't even want to think about W. consuming porn. Ewww, too late.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Lipsmackingly good.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

the whole "41/43" thing just makes me think of the inmate number i hope george w bush has in due time.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 14 June 2004 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"43 & Life"

― captain gay, Monday, 14 June 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

George these cigars are stinky........

― brg30 (brg30), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bill, that's not a cigar..."

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"I know. Another pretzel?"

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 08:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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