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Posted on 03/06/2005 4:05:40 PM PST by Jean S
NEW YORK - On their tour of tsunami damage in Southeast Asia, former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites) once allowed his predecessor, former President George H.W. Bush, to sleep on the plane's only bed while he stretched out on the floor.
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The government plane in which the presidents toured the disaster area had one large bedroom and another room with tables and seats, according to an interview with Bush in this week's Newsweek.
Bush, 80, said Clinton offered ahead of time to give the older former president the bedroom so he could lie flat and avoid paining his body. Clinton, 58, decided to play cards in the other room that night.
The next morning, Bush said he peeked in and saw Clinton sound asleep on the plane's floor.
"We could have switched places, each getting half a night on the bed, but he deferred to me. That was a very courteous thing, very thoughtful, and that meant a great deal to me," Bush said.
Bush said he and Clinton are not close, but have been compatible on the tour, partly because Clinton respects his age.
The March 14 issue of Newsweek hits newsstands Monday.
No, not necessarily nice, but common male courtesy.
Which is something I can't accuse Clinton of having an abundance of.
It must have been an all male flight crew.
The media must be hunting for pro-dem news. This is a no brainer that any half-way, human, decent person would do - why it makes the news is a desperate attempt to glorify Clinton.
Actually, believe it or not, that's two. At W's first inaugural, shown from a camera above and behind, as W and Laura headed up to the podium for the swearing-in, both Jenna and Barbara hesitated, unsure if they should follow. And, in his last official, and first decent, act, the Toon kindly motioned to them that they should go on up, and so they did.
Perhaps he, Clinton, sees in X41, the kind of father figure he never had and respects that, even acknowledges the strong bond between 41 and 43. I'm no Clinton fan, but being around father Bush (without the politics) could be a positive influence on one who never had a good relationship with his own dad. That said, he's not going to change his politics, so, enough said...move on!
So big deal, at home Hill gets the bed and he sleeps on the floor there too. (atually that was very nice of Bill to do that)
A 58 year old man giving the only bed to someone who is 80 years old and this is considered a good deed? BARF!
In related news, 41 let Slick Willie use the airplane sink.
I'm guessing that they're trying to rehabilitate the man in order to preserve the dignity of the office.
Eight beats a four, I guess.
It's also dangerous for older people to remain seated for long periods of time.
Yeah, it's real "kind" of him to defer a bed to an EIGHTY year old man.
People shouldn't be praised for behavior that even a low level of manners dictate.
It reminds me of the story a young (obnoxious 40-ish) program manager at my company who was assigned to share a billet on a Navy ship with a much older engineer from our company. The PM insisted on lower berth, although the older gentleman had problems getting in and out.
I don't know if it was the decisive factor, but the Navy informed my company that their bids for any future work would not be considered if they proposed using a certain program manager. Definitely a career limiting move. He has since left the company.
That was very nice of Clinton, but why in the world did we send two former presidents on a plane with only one bed?
They both deserve better than that. Out of respect for the office.
Clinton isn't stupid. He knows how bad it would sound if he took the bed and let an 80 year old man sleep on the floor.
"Clinton isn't stupid. He knows how bad it would sound if he took the bed and let an 80 year old man sleep on the floor."
Yeah, but I'm betting that a staffer had to explain it to him first.
...into the ground?
God save us.
Yeah, I wondered the same thing. Why was Clinton given the bedroom over Bush in the first place?
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