The first presidential lunch since 1981: Carter, Bush sr, Clinton, Bush, Obama: 7th January 2009
Outgoing US president George W Bush hosted an extraordinary event at the White House on Wednesday 7th January 2009: a lunch for only all living US presidents to attend and no one else.
Meaning only the members of the world’s most exclusive club were allowed in for the reunion of sorts: a mere five of them:
(i) Democrat Jimmy Carter (1977-81)
(ii) Republican George HW Bush (1989-93)
(iii) Democrat Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
(iv) Republican George W Bush (2001-2009)
(v) Democrat Barack Obama (2009- )
I think many people would be willing to pay big money to be included in this group photo at the Oval Office, taken before they had lunch:
Video:
Everybody kept saying they’d love to be flies on the wall listening to what these guys talked about. Asked about it, Bush said:
I don’t know. I’m sure (Obama’s) going to ask us all questions, I would guess. If not, we’ll just share war stories.
President-elect Obama, who mooted the idea for the lunch, said:
All the gentlemen here understand the pressures and possibilities of this office and for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel, and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary.
US presidents usually only meet together in one room for things like funerals and historic ceremonies – but this time it was different.
For the record:
(i) Carter lost the presidency to Reagan, whose running mate was George H.W. Bush.
(ii) Bush senior later won his election but lost after only one term to Clinton.
(iii) Bush’s son, the outgoing president, defeated Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore.
(iv) Obama won after consistently linking his rival, John McCain, to Bush.
Even now ex president Carter has issued statements critical to Bush’s foreign policy.
Bush, Carter, Clinton and W Bush last gathered, but not in the White House, in January 2007, attending President Gerald Ford’s funeral.
The last time presidents gathered at the White House was in November 2000 for the White House’s 200th anniversary; however one of them, Ronald Reagan was not able to attend due to his Alzheimer’s affliction.
The last presidential lunch in 1981 was attended by all living presidents: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, then the current president.
That means Carter’s the only one who’s attended both lunches.
Source
Fox News, 7th Jan 2009
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aiyaaa.. i was late blogging about it……………..
A guy from sabah is supposed to be there too – MR SABUD!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wish i was there too… and why not organise a lunch at pyongyang – hosted by Kim Jong Ill and would be atendee include – LTTE Supremo – Vellupilai Prabhakaran, Iron Mike Tyson, Osama bin Laden, Mullah Muhammad Omar, Muhammad Ali, Beast from the East and Wayne Rooney…. and served by Queen Latifah as the Maitre-d-attendee… and Chung Fook Hing as the royal butler???
and you as the MC??? and after that ask each and everyone of them to sing Love Hurts at the highest level over 50 bottles of Chivas and the finest wines in the world!!!!
And after that, ask a very drunk Kim Jong Ill to push any one button to ignite and lauch of of North Korea’s WMD – Weapon of Mass Destruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s “maître d’” lah….
Just for argument’s sake, what business do CFH and myself I have for even being present in such a gathering, if it ever did, or will take place???