Bush Says Clinton Is Like a Brother to Him

The audience probably expected a throw-down. What they got was a sewing circle. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush sat down for a friendly chat yesterday in Toronto, emphasis on the friendly. The ex-presidents went out of their way to be agreeable, at times almost seeming like a support group, the New York Times reports. Bush even said that his mother thinks of Clinton “like a son,” then turned and said, "So, brother, good to be with you."

Clinton said he regretted not intervening in Rwanda, saying, "I have no defense." Responded Bush: “You’re being a little tough on yourself.” When Bush was asked about Darfur, Clinton returned the favor, saying, “He did about all he could.” They did manage to disagree on a few things, however: Iraq, Cuba, gay marriage, and the joys of the office. Clinton misses it. “All of a sudden, nobody plays a song” when you arrive, he lamented. Bush doesn’t. “Free at last,” he said. (More Bill Clinton stories.)