Analysis: Bush Follows Dad, Clinton in Crisis Mode By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
President Bush (news - web sites) is taking pages from his steely father and emotive predecessor, Bill Clinton, as he leads America's response to the attacks he said have become the dominant issue of his presidency.
Bush has sought to show resolve like his father, former President George Bush, demonstrated in leading the United States in the Gulf War (news - web sites). He has also followed the elder Bush's example of seeking support from abroad and from Congress for his response to Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon (news - web sites), believed to have killed thousands.
But Bush has also reached for the sort of empathy and emotional outreach exhibited by former President Clinton (news - web sites) in speaking for the nation at times of tragedy -- a style that led to Clinton's being dubbed the country's ``healer in chief.''
``I'm a loving guy,'' Bush said on Thursday. ``I am also someone, however, who's got a job to do, and I intend to do it.'' The president spoke standing at his desk in the Oval office, his eyes welling with tears as he vowed to defeat terror in what he called the ``first war of the 21st century.''
The elder Bush was criticized, and some say lost his bid for re-election to Clinton, for showing little empathy for the problems of ordinary Americans.
The younger Bush also was criticized for delaying his return to Washington on the day of the attacks, and for White House foot-dragging in explaining that the zigzag return was due to a ``credible threat'' to Air Force One and the White House.
But Bush says the battle now dominates his presidency. ``The nation must understand, this is now the focus of my administration ... now that war has been declared on us, we will lead the world to victory.''
The battle is also forcing Bush to depart from a go-it-alone foreign policy he was criticized for following as he withdrew from an international global warming treaty, threatened to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, and kept his distance from the troubled Middle East peace process.
In the last two days, Bush has been busy calling international leaders to build what he calls a global coalition to defeat terrorism.
The administration has identified Saudi exile Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), based in Afghanistan (news - web sites), as the most likely mastermind but it has avoided tipping its hand on any military response.
The elder Bush prepared methodically for the Gulf War by assembling an international coalition to repel Iraq from Kuwait. He also obtained a congressional vote supporting his actions -- while taking care to maintain his prerogative to act without explicit congressional authority.
President Bush now is seeking a similar endorsement from Congress, saying on Thursday he wanted a ``strong resolution ... supporting the administration and what we intend to do.''
And like Clinton did amid national tragedy, Bush has tried to highlight the human toll and emotional fallout of the attacks.
He made plans to visit New York on Friday, announcing them to New York Gov. George Pataki and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (news - web sites) in a telephone call from the Oval Office.
A CHANCE TO 'HUG AND CRY'
``It will be a chance for all three of us to thank, and hug and cry with citizens of your good area,'' Bush said.
He visited rescuers at the Pentagon a day earlier, watching as firefighters unfurled a giant flag alongside a gutted portion of the building and rescuers sang ``God Bless America.''
And he visited injured survivors of the Pentagon attack with first lady Laura Bush providing a steadying arm at the Washington Hospital Center.
Former President Bush said in a speech in Boston on Thursday he had been speaking regularly to the president.
The surprise attacks should ``erase the concept in some quarters that America can somehow go it alone in the fight against terrorism or in anything else for that matter,'' the elder Bush said.
And he voiced confidence in his son's leadership.
``I know that George is strong ... I know that in reaching out to the Congress, as we're seeing now, and in reaching out to our friends and allies and others around the world, he is doing the right thing,'' the former president said.
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