My brief encounter with George H. W. Bush

I rode the elevator in the old Houston Club Building with the future President in the late 1970s before he was constantly surrounded by the Secret Service.  Bush was a close friend of the owners of the investment banking firm in which I worked as a lawyer and later became general counsel.  It was the oldest such firm in Texas and the Underwood's and Neuhaus's also attended the same church as Bush.

In my brief encounter, I thought Bush was both genial and kind.  That did not really surprise me, because the Underwoods and Neuhaus were also genial and kind.  I can certainly understand why so many people outside of the media had an affection for him. 

Bush 41 was a good President who managed to overcome the Vietnam effect on the use of force.  His biggest political mistake was allowing the Democrats to talk him into a tax increase.  I think that was the main reason Clinton was able to defeat his re-election bid.

He will be laid to rest a few miles from where I now live.

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