41st president and father of 43rd: A look into the life of George H W Bush

Former US president George H W Bush, who helped steer America through the end of Cold War, has died at age 94, his family announced late Friday

BS Web Team Last Updated at December 1, 2018 14:33 IST

The 41st US president dies at the age of 94

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George H W Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the father of the 43rd, died on Friday at age 94. His presidency, which ran from 1989 to 1993, was defined by two events - his aggressive response to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the soon-to-be-broken "read my lips" pledge he made not to raise taxes while running for president in 1988.

At a time when the Cold War was ending and the influence of Soviet-style communism was withering, Bush's military and diplomatic actions firmly cast the United States as the world's leading superpower.

George HW Bush is survived by his five children and 17 grandchildren

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"Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died," his son, former president George W Bush, said in a statement released on Twitter by a family spokesman. "George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. His death, which was announced by his office, came less than eight months after that of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush -- to whom he was married for 73 years.

A decorated war hero and a foreign policy realist

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George Herbert Walker Bush was a moderate Republican known for his diplomacy and ability to compromise with Democrats. He was a symbol of a relatively collegial period in Washington that nevertheless set the stage for the divisive, partisan gridlock that now plagues the U.S. capital.

When he accepted the Republican nomination for president in 1988, Bush, then Ronald Reagan's vice president, was trying to win over conservatives who had more enthusiasm for Reagan. He answered questions about his conservatism with an emphatic pledge.

"Read my lips," he told the Republican National Convention."No new taxes."

Later as president, Bush agreed to raise taxes to help reduce the government's deficit. The reversal angered conservatives and led in 1992 to an unusual primary challenge of the incumbent president by another Republican, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan.

Bush easily defeated Buchanan for the Republican nomination, but his stance on taxes, the country's debt and the lagging economy led Texas billionaire Ross Perot to launch an independent presidential campaign.

Clinton ended up winning the race with just 43 percent of the popular vote, ousting Bush from the White House after one term.

Bush's loss in the 1992 election made him a cautionary tale for a generation of Republicans, a lesson that endures in today's showdowns over the federal budget and spending.

A skilled bureaucratic and diplomatic player

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Bush ran for president in 1980 and squared off in the primaries against Reagan, a former actor and California governor who cast himself as a tough-talking conservative in contrast with Democratic President Jimmy Carter.

Bush defeated Reagan in several primaries and ridiculed Reagan's devotion to supply-side economics, which holds that the best way to spur growth is through lower taxes on income and capital gains. Bush called Reagan's plan "voodoo economics." Reagan eventually swept aside Bush to win the Republican nomination and then asked Bush to be his vice presidential running mate, in part to help ease concerns among independent voters about Reagan's conservative views.

After Reagan's two terms, Bush was able to campaign for the presidency as the anointed heir to Reagan's conservative mantle.

Even so, Bush sought to distinguish himself from the incumbent, and reach out to those who thought Reagan's policies had been too harsh on the poor and other vulnerable people. He famously called for a "kinder, gentler nation" in his 1988 speech accepting his party's nomination.

He breezed into office, thrashing the Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, in 40 of the 50 US states.

Bush had been derided by political detractors as a "wimp" when he was vice president, but he did not hesitate to use force as a foreign policy tool during his presidency.

He sent paratroopers to overthrow Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in December 1989 and provided air cover to help Philippine President Corazon Aquino survive a coup attempt the same year.

Then came Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Bush's strong response and the overwhelming allied victory in forcing out Iraqi troops led for a time to a national euphoria.

The war against Saddam pushed Bush to a level of unprecedented popularity that was equaled only by his son after the 9/11 attacks on America. A decade later, the younger Bush would invade Iraq and drive Saddam from power.

The 41st and father to the 43rd president

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In one of his last public appearances, Bush was on the field as son George W Bush threw out the first ball at a Houston Astros' World Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in October 2017.

Bush had kept a low public profile after George W. won the presidency in 2000 so his son would not be seen as merely an adjunct to his father. But when seen in public, such as during his son's swearing-in on the Capitol steps in January 2001, the father could not hide his pride.

In 2014, George W. Bush penned "41 - A Portrait of My Father," a book he called a "love story" about his dad.

"He was daring and courageous, always seeking new adventures and new challenges," the son wrote, describing his father as a humble family man who was "determined to live his life to the fullest - to the very end."

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At the time of his death, Bush was the American president to have lived the longest. Jimmy Carter was born a few months later, so he could quickly reset the record.

"America has lost a patriot and humble servant in George Herbert Walker Bush. While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude," former president Barack Obama said in a statement.

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Bush had a form of Parkinson’s disease that forced him to use a motorized scooter in recent years, and he had been in and out of hospitals during that time as his health declined.

In April 2014, he made a surprise appearance on the tarmac in Houston to greet the Obamas on Air Force One, sporting his trademark colorful socks in his wheelchair. "When the president comes to your hometown, you show up and welcome him," Bush told reporters.

In April 2018, a day after attending wife Barbara Bush’s funeral, he was treated for an infection that had spread to his blood.