SPECIAL MISSION 41.
MAKING ITS WAY TO JOINT BASE
ANDREWS OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON,
D.C.
SAM SKINNER, JOINS US NOW.
HE SERVED AS CHIEF OF STAFF FOR
PRESIDENT BUSH.
AS YOU WATCH THIS ALONG WITH THE
REST OF US, WHAT IS GOING
THROUGH YOUR MIND TODAY?
>> I AM WATCHING IT AND I'M ALSO
THINKING OBVIOUSLY AS WE HONOR
THIS GREAT PERSON.
I LOOK AT AIR FORCE ONE, I THINK
OF MANY TRIPS I TOOK WITH HIM ON
THAT AIRPLANE.
AND YOU KNOW, HOW GENEROUS HE
WAS.
ONE OF THE STORIES I REMEMBER,
EVERYBODY KNOWS HIM AS A WAR
HERO AND A PRESIDENT AND A WORLD
LEADER BUT AS A PERSON, ONE DAY
I WAS ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE
HITCHING A RIDE DOWN TO FLORIDA,
HE WAS GOING WITH A GROUP OF HIS
FRIENDS, HE SAW ME ON THE
AIRPLANE, AS SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
I AM SAVING THE GOVERNMENT
MONEY.
WHAT DO YOU NEED WHEN YOU GET
DOWN TO FLORIDA?
I'M LOOK, MR. PRESIDENT.
HE CAME BACK TWICE.
AS YOU GOT OFF THE RAMP, ARE ARE
YOU SURE, YOU DON'T NEED
ANYTHING?
THAT IS THE KIND OF PERSON HE
WAS.
THAT IS MY MEMORIES I LOOK AT
AIR FORCE ONE THIS MORNING.
CONNELL: SO MANY STORIES AS SAM
POINTS OUT HE SERVED AS BOTH A
CABINET MEMBER FOR PRESIDENT
BUSH, SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT?
THEN AS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
THERE IS SO MANY OF THOSE
STORIES WHERE WE HEAR, I THINK
SOMEWHAT UNIQUE WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT A FORMER LEADER
LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY A FORMER
PRESIDENT, WHERE THE OTHER
PERSON COMES FIRST.
AND I KNOW OVER THE WEEKEND SO
MANY PEOPLE MADE, I THINK IT IS
RIGHT TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF
THIS, HOW THE PRONOUN I WAS
ALMOST FOREIGN TO THIS
PRESIDENT.
HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT.
>> I USE THAT A LOT.
HE ALWAYS SAID WE, NEVER I.
NEVER TALKED ABOUT I, FIRST
PERSON.
WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WHAT
WE'RE DOING, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
YOU AND WE, THANK YOU, WHAT WE,
SO, I ALSO THINK AS WE TALK
ABOUT HIM, HE HAD SOME GREAT
PEOPLE, EXCLUDING ME OF COURSE,
BUT OTHERS, WORKED WITH HIM,
FOLLOWED HIS ROLE MODEL.
HE WAS THE ROLE MODEL FOR THE
REST OF THEIR LIVES.
WATCHING HIM GIVE BACK HELPED ME
UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS
TO GIVE BACK FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I'M ONE OF THOUSANDS THAT SAW
THAT FIRST-HAND.
OF COURSE HE HAD THE POINTS OF
LIFE WHERE HE RECOGNIZED PEOPLE
THAT REALLY GIVE BACK.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A ROLE MODEL
LIKE THIS, YOU WORK FOR, KNOW
FOR 38 YEARS, IT RUBS OFF.
YOU HAVE REALLY AN OBLIGATION TO
GIVE BACK.
THAT IS WHAT HE WILL BE
REMEMBERED FOR.
NOT ONLY AS A GREAT PRESIDENT,
BUT A PERSON GIVES BACK AND
WANTS OTHERS TO GIVE BACK.
THAT IS ALL HE ASKS IN RETURN
FOR WHAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU.
CONNELL: PUTTING PRESIDENTS IN
HISTORICAL CONTEXT TAKES TIME.
SOME TIME PASSED SINCE THE TERM
PRESIDENT BUSH SERVED.
HIS SON IN THE 60 MINUTES
INTERVIEW AIRED LAST NIGHT, HIS
CLOSE FRIEND JAMES BAKER, THEY
BOTH SAID THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS
PRESIDENT MAY BE REMEMBERED AS
THE BEST ONE-TERM PRESIDENT,
WHOEVER SERVED ONLY ONE TERM.
WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOUR
OWN REFLECTIONS OF THAT BE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK I WAS
ADDING IT UP THE OTHER DAY, I'VE
BEEN ALIVE I THINK DURING 12
PRESIDENTS, CLEARLY THE BEST IN
THAT GROUP WHEN YOU PUT THE
WHOLE THING TOGETHER, I DON'T
MEAN TO INSULT PRESIDENT
BUSH 43, HE WOULD BE THE FIRST
TO AGREE.
NUMBER ONE HE IS OBVIOUSLY
FIRST-TERM PRESIDENT DIDN'T GET
A CHANCE TO CONTINUE ALL HE
WANTED TO DO BUT WHAT HE
ACCOMPLISHED IN THOSE FOUR YEARS
IS INCREDIBLE.
HE DID IT.
I WOULD SAY, HE WAS A WORLD
LEADER.
YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS WEEK BUT
I WAS WITH HIM AT THE U.N. WHEN
WE VISITED IN 1992 WITH 20 SOME
WORLD LEADERS, EITHER HEADS OF
STATE, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT, I
SAW HOW MUCH THEY REVERED AND
RESPECTED HIM IN ONE-ON-ONE
SITUATION UP IN THE UNITED
NATIONS.
HE WOULD BE REMEMBERED, VERY FEW
PRESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO DO THAT IN THEIR LIFETIME,
LET ALONE IN FOUR YEARS.
I WOULD AGREE WITH PRESIDENT
BUSH, GEORGE W. BUSH HE WILL BE
CLEARLY THE GREATEST FOUR YEAR
PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.
CONNELL: YOU WERE READY TO ADD
TO IT, BETTER THAN MANY OF THE
TWO-TERM PRESIDENTS.
>> I THINK HE RIGHT THERE AT THE
TOP.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT ALL, WHAT HE
DID.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY I AM FROM
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, LINCOLN
IS NUMBER ONE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT AND THERE IS
SOME REALLY GREAT PRESIDENTS
THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS
WHO ACCOMPLISHED A GREAT DEAL
BUT MOST OF THEM WERE TWO-TERM
PRESIDENTS.
CONNELL: YEAH.
>> THIS IS A FIRST-TERM
PRESIDENT THAT ACCOMPLISHED
MOST, HE IS RIGHT ON THAT TOP
TIER LIST.
I THINK HE WAS VERY COMFORTABLE,
EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T LIKE TO
LOSE, HE WAS A PERSON THAT
COMPETED ALL THE TIME.
YOU SAY WHERE THERE IS FIRE,
NINE PEOPLE RUN OUT AND ONE
PERSON RUNS IN.
HE IS THE ONE PERSON THAT RUNS
INTO THE FIRE.
I THINK THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE
WORLD THIS WEEK.
IT IS WELL-DESERVED.
CONNELL: LIVE PICTURES YOU'RE
LOOKING AT FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS
HERE, EARLY AFTERNOON EASTERN
TIME AND LATE MORNING CENTRAL
TIME SHOWING THE CROWD GATHERED
AT ELLINGTON FIELD TO BID
FAREWELL TO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT.
AIR FORCE ONE, OR SPECIAL
MISSION 41 THE JET HAS BEEN
DESIGNATED TODAY, WILL BE TAKING
OFF MOMENTS FROM NOW.
FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO
PRESIDENT BUSH SAM SKIN LETTERS
SERVED AS TRANSPORTATION
SECRETARY.
HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO JOIN US
HERE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HIS LEGACY.
I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED, MANY
OTHERS MENTIONED IT IN TERMS OF
WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED IN FOREIGN
POLICY.
WHETHER IT BE THE GULF WAR, SO
MANY OTHER, THE END OF THE COLD
WAR OF COURSE.
AND SO MANY OTHER
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NOT ONLY WHEN
IN OFFICE AS PRESIDENT BUT TIME
AS VICE PRESIDENT BEFORE THAT,
IN THE CIA.
HIS TIME IN CHINA AS ENVOY
THERE.
HE IS REMEMBERED FOR THAT,
RIGHTFULLY SO.
WHAT ABOUT DOMESTIC POLICY?
THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS
LOOKED UPON THAT PRESIDENT BUSH
DIDN'T GET A SECOND TERM IN
OFFICE BUT I KNOW PEOPLE CLOSE
TO YOU LOOK AT MORE OF HIS
DOMESTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN A
MORE FAVORABLE LIGHT.
WHAT DO YOU MOST REMEMBER THERE?
>> I REMEMBER THE AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITY ACT.
I WANT EVERY AMERICAN WHEN THEY
SEE A RAMP, CHOKING UP A LITTLE
BIT HERE, SEE A RAMP, SEE
BATHROOM BEEN FACILITATED
BECAUSE OF GEORGE BUSH.
CONNELL: HE GOT THAT DONE.
>> HE KNEW PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS NEEDED SPECIAL CARE AND HE
DROVE THAT BILL.
CONNELL: YEAH.
YOU CAN SEE YOU'RE EMOTIONAL
ABOUT IT, UNDERSTANDABLY.
>> A LITTLE BIT.
CONNELL: YEAH.
I THINK THE NATION FEELS A LOSS
AFTER A LIFE THAT WAS SO
WELL-LIVED BUT ON A PERSONAL
LEVEL I'M SURE YOU FEEL IT AS
WELL.
DID YOU STAY CLOSE TO HIM AFTER
HE LEFT OFFICE AS WELL?
>> I DID.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND
TIME WITH HIM LAST SUMMER UP IN
MAINE.
HE WAS ALWAYS IN GOOD SPIRITS.
HE WAS A WONDERFUL SENSE OF
HUMOR.
SOME OF HIS JOKE AS THE LO OF US
DON'T GET BUT THEY'RE FUNNY TO
HIM.
HE LOVED TO TEASE,
SELF-DEPRECATING.
SO MANY STORIES, HE IS A MAN OF
HONOR, WE PLAYED GOLF.
HOW MUCH DO I OWE YOU.
MR. PRESIDENT, YOU LOST TWO
DOLLARS.
MY MOTHER SAID NEVER COMPLAIN
AND ALWAYS PAY OFF.
HE SAID TO AN AIDE, DO YOU HAVE
TWO DOLLARS.
I DON'T KNOW I EVER GOT PAID BUT
THAT WAS HIM.
CONNELL: THAT IS FUNNY.
>> HE WAS THINKING LET'S DO IT
THE RIGHT WAY, DO IT THE
HONORABLE WAY, DO IT WITH
INTEGRITY, LET'S CARE FOR
OTHERS, LET'S CARE FOR OTHERS.
THE MILITARY HE LOVED.
I SEE THE MILITARY DOWN IN
TEXAS.
OF COURSE HE LOVED TEXAS AND OF
COURSE WHAT IT MEANT TO HIM AND
WHAT THEY DID FOR HIM.
TEXAS LOVES HIM.
I THINK OF THE MILITARY.
HE LOVED THE MILITARY.
HE WAS ONE OF THEM.
WHEREVER HE WENT HE ALWAYS
TALKED ABOUT THE MILITARY AND
THEIR SERVICE AND THE SACRIFICE.
OF COURSE HIS SACRIFICE, I THINK
HE, BECAUSE HE ALMOST WAS
CAPTURED BY THE JAPANESE IN
WORLD WAR II, JUST SECONDS AWAY,
I THINK HE ALWAYS LOOKED BACK ON
THAT HE WAS BLESSED TO BE ALIVE
AND THAT HE HAD AN OBLIGATION TO
TAKE CARE OF THE MILITARY, TAKE