i think gene becker would describe it as a roller coaster. he would have marvelous days, and then he would not have great days. i saw him last tuesday. so not quite a week ago when president obama came to pay his respects. i m not sure this is true, but i suspect president obama was his last public visitor. which is interesting because imagine a country that managed to. within the space of 30 years 20 years, sorry. 20 years. managed to elect two of the most different people you can possibly imagine. right? when george herbert walker bush was born in that relatively dark victorian house in milton, massachusetts, in 1924, it was not implausible that the grandson of george h. walker g.h. walker of st. louis and s.b. bush of columbus, ohio industrialist and early venture capital guy, his maternal
president bush 43 told him he was a wonderful dad, i love you, and president bush 41 responded, i love you too. and reportedly those were his last words. moving scene, with an irish tenor singing silent night. you know, he was mouthing the words along with the singer. it was an incredibly touching moment. his minister was there, some of his family was there, his friends were there, his caregivers who had been important in his life the last few years, his chief of staff, gene becker, longtime aide, and it was described as the most peaceful passing as you could
politics, his point of view, it didn t matter. he didn t have a mean-spirited bone in his body. friend to all. friend to all. friendless. just knowing what i know, the kind of guy he is, if he wasn t your friend, he would make you his friend. that s just the way he makes people feel. comfortable. so it was a totally different time period where people like me really thought our jobs were on the line if our bosses maybe knew that we were gay. at this point i was president bush s chief of staff, having worked for him for maybe ten years. a couple of months after i became chief of staff i told gene becker that i was gay. and she had asked me then if i was going to tell the bushes. and i said, you know, that s not something i feel that i could ever talk to them about. it was just too personal and they meant too much to me and i just didn t think i could ever have the conversation with them. and then i expressed to her i was worried that he would be embarrassed of me. that he you
i m john berman. good morning, i m christine romans, it is 4:00 a.m. 92-year-old former president george h.w. bush has been hospitalized in houston according to local media. his office chief of staff gene becker tells the houston chronicle that the elder bush is doing fine, although the reason for the hospitalization is not immediately disclosed. bush s office expects him to go home in a couple days. he s 92 years old. he s one person that is not attending the inauguration. that had been decided because of ongoing health issues. i will tell you when he s not in the hospital even when he is, he s living life to the fullest. two days before the president goes out of office, the outgoing president drops a big surprise. president obama rocking washington by commuting chelsea
big backlash after president obama commutes the sentence of chelsea manning, how did this move affect interaction among those who leaked classified material. the president-elect making preparations for his presidential inauguration friday as more democrats decide to boycott. and a critical day on capitol hill. the man charged with overhauling obamacare faces the senate after the education nominee runs into pushback. good morning, everyone, welcome to early start. i m christine romans. i m john berman. 92-year-old former president george h.w. bush has been hospitalized in houston, that s according to local media. his office chief of staff gene becker tells the houston chronicle that president bush is doing just fine. although the reason for his hospitalization not immediately