updated 1:26 PM EDT, Thu April 25, 2013
President Barack Obama and former
presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy
Carter arrive on stage for the George W. Bush Presidential Center
dedication ceremony in Dallas, on April 25. Only a few times in history
have three or more American presidents been photographed together. Click
through to see some of those historic moments.
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The presidents club
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Former Presidents Carter and Clinton praise Bush for his initiatives in Africa
- NEW: Bush says the country's greatest days lie ahead
- NEW: The George W. Bush Presidential Center is dedicated
- Bush tells CNN he is aware it will rekindle debates about his legacy
At Thursday's event in
Dallas, Democratic former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton
praised Bush for his initiatives in Africa, and Bush defended his
record.
"The political winds blow
left and right, polls rise and fall, supporters come and go, but in the
end, leaders are defined by the convictions they hold," Bush said at
the ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Center. "My deepest
conviction, the guiding principle of the administration, is that the
United States of America must strive to expand the reach of freedom."
Bush has said he is aware
that the opening of his presidential library would reopen debates over
the Iraq War and the policies he pursued after the September 11
terrorist attacks. History will show, he said at the dedication, that he
always stuck by his convictions.
"A free society thrives
when neighbors help neighbors and the strong protect the weak and public
policies promote private compassion," Bush said. "As president, I tried
to act on these principles every day. It wasn't always easy and
certainly wasn't always popular ... but when future generations come to
this library to study this administration, they're going to find out
that we stayed true to our convictions."
Photos: George W. Bush Center
Clinton praises Bush at ceremony
Recalling 43: 'Bush was a terrific boss'
9/11 marks turning point at Bush Library
Time lapse of Bush library construction
Carter told a story of
how he asked, on Bush's inauguration day, for a meeting to talk about a
civil war in Sudan that was entering its second decade. Bush kept his
word and acted, Carter said.
"In January of 2005,
there was a peace treaty between north and south Sudan that ended a war
that had been going on for 20 years," Carter said. "George W. Bush is
responsible for that."
The last time the five
living presidents were together was right before President Obama took
office. It is a rare and special occurrence when the five gather, Obama
said.
"This is a Texas-sized
party," Obama said. "When all the former living presidents are all
together, it is a special day for our democracy."
The presidents on the
stage definitely differed on many policy matters, but they all share one
quality, Obama said: They did what they believe is right.
"That's what President George W. Bush chose to do," Obama said.
Bush became a little
emotional as he closed his speech: "Whatever challenges come before us, I
will always believe our nation's best days lie ahead."
The center's library and
museum take visitors through the turning points of Bush's two terms.
The first exhibits recall the 43rd president's initial priorities on
education, faith-based community initiatives and tax cuts. And they show
how the September 11 terrorist attacks changed everything.
At one exhibit, the
bright red dress that first lady Laura Bush wore to her husband's first
state dinner, just six days before 9/11, stands in contrast to the next,
most talked-about artifact in the museum: the twisted hulk of two beams
from the World Trade Center.
In an interview with
CNN's John King, the former president said he knows that the center's
dedication will rekindle the debate about his presidency, and he
conceded the library is in part an effort by him and supporters to
influence history's verdict.
But he predicted
visitors would find it "more objective" than they might have imagined,
and he showed little interest in revisiting flashpoints like Iraq,
Hurricane Katrina or the 2008 financial crisis, or the scorn with which
many look back at the Bush presidency.
"You know, I'm really
not that concerned about why people did what during my presidency," he
said. "I'm more concerned about being an effective person for the rest
of my life.
"I know this: that Laura
and I gave the presidency eight years of our life. We gave it our all.
Made the best judgment calls I could. I didn't compromise my principles.
And I'm a content man. And I am excited about what we're going to do
here."
As the son of another former president, Bush said he wouldn't mind seeing his brother Jeb Bush run for the highest office.
If he could make the decision for Jeb, he would tell him to run for president, Bush said.
But in an interview
Thursday on NBC's "Today," former first lady Barbara Bush said that
while Jeb Bush is able to do the job, she would like to see other
families in the White House.
"There are other people out there that are very qualified, and we've had enough Bushes," she said.
In addition to the library and museum, the Presidential Center includes the George W. Bush Institute, a public policy institute.
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