CANADA
Agreeable Bush, Clinton strike cordial tone during joint forum
TORONTO — Former U. S. President George W. Bush called ex-President Bill Clinton “his brother,” and the two rarely disagreed in their first-ever appearance together on stage.
The Republican and Democratic ex-presidents defended each other Friday night at a Toronto forum, disappointing some in the crowd of 6,000 who expected a more heated debate.
Bush said that he never liked it when previous administration officials criticized his government but that Clinton was respectful and never did.
Bush declined to criticize the Obama administration, in contrast to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has been a vocal critic of President Obama. Bush, who wasn’t asked about Cheney, said there are “plenty of critics in America.”
Bush and Clinton did differ on Iraq. Clinton said that U. N. inspectors should have been given more time to conduct their search for weapons of mass destruction and that Bush should have concentrated on Afghanistan.
Bush disagreed. “I don’t buy the premise that our attention was diverted,” he said.
Bush joked about how much time his father, former President George H. W. Bush, and Clinton spend together. He said his mother, Barbara Bush, “said President Clinton and father share the stage so much, he’s like a son to her.”
He said, “So brother, it’s good to see you.”
Clinton and the elder Bush have worked together to lead fundraising after disasters such as the southeast Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and last summer’s Hurricane Ike.
While both Bush and Clinton received polite applause from the audience at Toronto’s convention center, a couple of hundred protesters demonstrated outside.
The organizers declined to say how much the former presidents were paid for the event. Ticket prices ranged from $180 (U. S.) to $2,250 (U. S.).
Bush joked about the speaking fees, which are normally lucrative for former presidents.
“President Clinton and I used to believe in free speech,” Bush said before pausing. “So thanks very much for coming— we are glad you’re here.”
The two gave speeches before taking questions from moderator Frank McKenna, Canada’s former ambassador to the United States.
Asked why he didn’t stop the killing in the Rwanda genocide when he was president in 1994, Clinton said he had no excuse or defense. “It’s one of the two or three greatest regrets of my presidency,” he said.
Clinton said the U. S. could have saved up to 400,000 of the 800,000 people who died had he sent 20,000 troops.
Bush defended Clinton, saying 20,000 troops could not have been mobilized quickly.
Clinton praised Bush’s AIDS initiatives and the diversity of his cabinet choices.
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