Via CBS News this morning:
Former President Bill Clinton admitted Monday that although he didn't always agree with former President George W. Bush's decisions during the latter's presidency, the two developed a personal relationship that resulted in the two learning a lot about each other.
"When he decided what he thought was right, he went for it," Mr. Clinton said, flanked by Mr. Bush, during an event announcing a presidential leadership initiative. "And sometimes I didn't agree with what he thought was right, but I recognized that he was doing what he thought was right, not what he thought the politics of the moment required or what the constituencies even within his own party required," Mr. Clinton said.
cont..
Mr. Clinton said that Mr. Bush used to call him twice a year during the second half of his presidency to talk about the world for 30 to 45 minutes, a fact they have never discussed publicly before.
"He asked my opinion, half the time he disagreed with it," Mr. Clinton said. "But I felt good about that, I thought that was a really healthy thing."
Mr. Bush called Mr. Clinton an "awesome communicator" who is talented at laying out a case and getting people to listen to him. But he also said Clinton shared some of the qualities that his predecessor had admired about George H.W. Bush.
"You two have got great empathy for people, and if you have empathy for people like you do then people are going to want to listen to you, and then when they start listening you actually can convince him. You two made tough decisions and I think listened carefully and decided," he said. "At some point in time a leader has to decide. And you did that."
The two former presidents are joining forces to help train the next generation of leaders by offering them the chance to study presidential decision-making at four libraries across the country. They announced the presidential leadership scholars program during an event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Monday.
poll: