er and first time i met barbara, i had just been powelled out of my command in germany and put in the white house. and shortly after i got there i went to a lunch at the french emacy and i introduced myself and sheets i have know who you are. call me barbara. i said no, ma am, i can t do that. she said bhie? i can t it s not proper. call me barbara. miami, if i call you barbara, my mother would kill you. and she said if you don t call me barbara, i will kill you and that s the way it was for the rest of her life. general colon powell we really appreciate your words. thank you so much for joining us. thank you.
people thought he was weak. barbara did that for george h. w. bush. she didn t do it in public. if she did, you knew you were way over the line. n george w. would talk about not the words from mom but the looks from mom. another chief of staff andy card there arriving as well. this is the funeral, kate, of a first lady and former first lady but for all practical purposes, it could be the funeral, almost, given all the dignitaries that are there, of a president. it s incredible. as kristan said, she was so humble to think not this many people would show up to celebrate her tochlt john s point, barbara bush told laura bush, if you have a disagreement with your husband, keep it between the two of you while he s president. and that was about not wanting to undermine her husband s policies. and i think it s just incredible how beloved she was. this is also a wing of the republican party that s changing a lot. james baker, former secretary of state. susan baker will be delivering
door was shut, i always knew what she thought. and i think she handled that role with an incredible amount of grace. critical political partner? an essential political partner. she would always say, you know, i don t really get involved in policy. i just leave that all to george and whatever he wants to do is just fine. i m just a grandmother with these great big pearls. and behind the scenes, she was very smart, very focused, looked out for his interests. and she was a very good judge of people. i ll never forget the first time i met her was at a lunch at the french embassy. and i just arrived in the white house. i m a three-star general. and i m seated next to mrs. bush. and i turn and say good afternoon, mrs. bush. it s a great pleasure to meet you, ma am. she said call me barbara.
meet you, ma am. she says, call me barbara. i said, i can t do that, ma am. why can t you do it? ma am, you are the wife of the vice president of the united states. and she says, i don t care, call me barbara. i said, ma am, my mother would kill me. and if you don t do it, i ll kill you. yes, barbara. i have enormous admiration and affection for mrs. bush. i know what it s like to be a spouse as well as the candidate. and i imagine it took her a lot longer to forgive me than it did him. and maybe she never did. i m crazy about her, i think she s immensely impressive. i get why they fell in love and how they stayed together all those years. back now with the panel, joining the conversation as well as dana bash, dana, we haven t heard from you tonight, i m wondering what your thoughts
know, anything this is your home. but you do know that we make our own beds and i said, okay, mrs. bush. i get it. i ll make my own bed. she is she s just wonderful. i ll never forget the first time i met her was at a lunch at the french embassy and i just arrived in the white house. i m a three star general and i m seated next to mrs. bush and i turn, good afternoon, mrs. bush. great pleasure to meet you, ma am. she said call me barbara. i said i can t do that, ma am. why can t you do it? you re the wife of the vice president of the united states. and she says, i don t care call me barbara. ma am, my mother would kill me. if you don t do it, i ll kill you. yes barbara. jamie, that s great. that really tells you she was she was plain spoken.