‘Humble’ Bush pays a visit to Clinton, Gore

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — President-elect Bush, who made Bill Clinton’s character a central issue in his campaign against Al Gore, paid a visit to both men Tuesday: the one who conquered his father and the one on whom he exacted revenge.

The meetings were emotional and at times visibly awkward. President Clinton had hoped to be sitting instead with his chosen successor, a feeling shared by Gore. And Bush had to sit down with Clinton after pledging at almost every stop during the bitter presidential campaign to restore "honesty and dignity to the White House." Bush once told rival John McCain that comparing him to Clinton was "as low a blow as you can give in a Republican primary."

But Tuesday, the victorious Bush came with humility and gratitude, a fact he sought to mention regardless of the question asked while sitting with Clinton. Bush refused to be provoked into criticizing the outgoing president.

"Are you going to inherit a recession from President Clinton?" a reporter asked.

Clinton looked amused. Bush looked stricken. "I really don’t have any comment," said Bush, whose transition has been regularly warning of just such an economic slowdown as evidence of the need for a tax cut. "I look forward to talking to the president. I’m so honored that he … extended his hospitality to me and my wife yesterday. He didn’t need to do this, and I’m most grateful that he would do so."

Later, Bush was asked how it felt to come to the White House as president-elect. He repeated that he was "humbled and honored."

"And I can’t thank the president enough for his hospitality. He didn’t need to do this," Bush said.

"Yes, he did," a reporter pointed out. "It’s protocol."

The effusive Bush was unswayed by this information. "I hadn’t quite finished yet," he said, returning to his previous point. "And I’m grateful …"

Clinton, for his part, used the recession question to highlight his strong economic record and at the same time tweak Bush for suggesting otherwise.

"Well, a recession is two quarters in a row of negative growth," he said. "I don’t think we’re going to have that. But we couldn’t keep up 5 percent growth a year, you know, forever. … I think 49 of the 50 blue-chip forecasters think that growth will be 2.5 percent or better next year, and that’ll keep unemployment low."

It was left to a Bush spokesman to give Bush’s rejoinder. "There is indeed a slowdown," the spokesman said in a briefing before Bush left the White House. "We hope it won’t be a recession, but there are troubles and we will be vigilant."

As the current and future presidents sat in matching yellow chairs in the Oval Office, Bush sat with both feet on the ground, looking neither left nor right, repeating his mantra of gratitude and honor. Clinton, looking at ease, was freer with his words. In response to one question, Clinton launched into a long dissertation on whether he would travel to North Korea before his term ends, to which Bush added only, "I haven’t had a chance to talk to the president yet."

In a wet snow, Bush’s motorcade passed a few anti-death penalty protesters and made its way into the vice presidential compound. Bush arrived to see Gore at 2:50 p.m., 20 minutes late. Gore strode from the front porch of his residence to greet Bush as he left his presidential limousine, where they exchanged pleasantries. Gore gave his old foe a vigorous handshake, then put his arm on Bush’s back. Bush bent down to pet a dog on the front porch.

Gore had nothing publicly to say about his meeting as it began. "We’re going to have a private discussion," he said. Did he have a message for the country? "I gave that Wednesday night."

Apparently, Gore and Bush had little more to say to each other privately than they did publicly. After a long and bitter campaign, their post-mortem discussion lasted fewer than 20 minutes.

"It was never supposed to be more than a courtesy call," a Gore aide said. Bush, he added, wanted to get to the airport before he was snowed in.