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American Morning

Interview with George Bush Sr.

Aired September 25, 2002 - 07:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Last week, we presented a series of reports on former President Bush's return to the Japanese island off where he was shot down during WWII. And as I traveled with the father of the current president, I asked him about the challenges faced by his son, including what is perhaps the biggest challenge right now, the president's push to build worldwide support for his Iraq policy.
His father thinks the president will be helped in rallying the people here at home by his strong faith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE BUSH SR., FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wasn't as good in saying what my faith meant as I think our president is. I think he, I think people sense that he is lifted up by prayer and that he is, he feels the prayers of other people, and, as we're supposed to do, and that faith in god gives him an inner strength. Not dictating to others what they ought to do, but this is what he feels. And he's better at discussing that than I was ever as when I was president.

ZAHN: How has your son's faith informed his sense of leadership?

BUSH: I think people at first were saying well, he wears his faith on his sleeve too much and some deliberately misconstrued it, he's trying to put his kind of religion and make us believe that. And then along came September 11 and you didn't hear that when he stood up there in the, at the National Cathedral and talked about faith in god, and subsequently in different public performances rallied the country through his leadership and mentioned faith.

But, again, I couldn't have done that. I didn't when faced with problems, not as tough as he's facing, but there were some of them that were pretty big. And I just couldn't do that. I just was too held back, tied up inside.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And the former president admitted that his own inability to communicate his faith and his feelings at times hurt him with the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: You talked about how when you were describing before you were president the first word that came to mind was privileged. Do you think you were misunderstood by the American public? BUSH: Yes, but I think it was my own fault. I think when the media talked about he's privileged, I think they meant out of touch, that I didn't understand the heartbeat of the average American, that I didn't, when I said the economy is getting better or didn't realize a lot of people were hurting, that I, you know, was kind of Ivy League elitist and all of that.

But I don't think they understood my heartbeat. I don't think they understood what I really think. I think the president of the United States today is much better at communicating his feelings and his feelings about life, about the purpose for the United States and about faith than I was. He's doing a wonderful job, far better than his dad did, in conveying what his real heartbeat is and what, his vision for America.

ZAHN: What would your son, the 43rd president of the United States, be up against if he decides to go into Iraq?

BUSH: If he decides to into Iraq, he'll do it right and we will, we would prevail, no question about it. But I don't know. I don't know. This is just beyond my pay grade. I don't know what they're planning. And I don't, I shouldn't speculate on it without having information. I'm not asking for information about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And the president also went on to say he's not advising the president on Iraq. But as a war hero who very nearly lost his life during WWII and as a former president who sent troops to war in Desert Storm, it is likely that he's made his son very well aware of the consequences of war.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 25, 2002 - 07:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Last week, we presented a series of reports on former President Bush's return to the Japanese island off where he was shot down during WWII. And as I traveled with the father of the current president, I asked him about the challenges faced by his son, including what is perhaps the biggest challenge right now, the president's push to build worldwide support for his Iraq policy.
His father thinks the president will be helped in rallying the people here at home by his strong faith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE BUSH SR., FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wasn't as good in saying what my faith meant as I think our president is. I think he, I think people sense that he is lifted up by prayer and that he is, he feels the prayers of other people, and, as we're supposed to do, and that faith in god gives him an inner strength. Not dictating to others what they ought to do, but this is what he feels. And he's better at discussing that than I was ever as when I was president.

ZAHN: How has your son's faith informed his sense of leadership?

BUSH: I think people at first were saying well, he wears his faith on his sleeve too much and some deliberately misconstrued it, he's trying to put his kind of religion and make us believe that. And then along came September 11 and you didn't hear that when he stood up there in the, at the National Cathedral and talked about faith in god, and subsequently in different public performances rallied the country through his leadership and mentioned faith.

But, again, I couldn't have done that. I didn't when faced with problems, not as tough as he's facing, but there were some of them that were pretty big. And I just couldn't do that. I just was too held back, tied up inside.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And the former president admitted that his own inability to communicate his faith and his feelings at times hurt him with the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: You talked about how when you were describing before you were president the first word that came to mind was privileged. Do you think you were misunderstood by the American public? BUSH: Yes, but I think it was my own fault. I think when the media talked about he's privileged, I think they meant out of touch, that I didn't understand the heartbeat of the average American, that I didn't, when I said the economy is getting better or didn't realize a lot of people were hurting, that I, you know, was kind of Ivy League elitist and all of that.

But I don't think they understood my heartbeat. I don't think they understood what I really think. I think the president of the United States today is much better at communicating his feelings and his feelings about life, about the purpose for the United States and about faith than I was. He's doing a wonderful job, far better than his dad did, in conveying what his real heartbeat is and what, his vision for America.

ZAHN: What would your son, the 43rd president of the United States, be up against if he decides to go into Iraq?

BUSH: If he decides to into Iraq, he'll do it right and we will, we would prevail, no question about it. But I don't know. I don't know. This is just beyond my pay grade. I don't know what they're planning. And I don't, I shouldn't speculate on it without having information. I'm not asking for information about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And the president also went on to say he's not advising the president on Iraq. But as a war hero who very nearly lost his life during WWII and as a former president who sent troops to war in Desert Storm, it is likely that he's made his son very well aware of the consequences of war.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com