WASHINGTON -- President Bill Clinton made history Tuesday by hosting an unprecedented dinner for three of his predecessors -- Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George Bush.
'I was stunned when I heard that this is the first time that three former presidents had dinner with the president in the White House -- and that two former presidents spent the night,' Clinton told reporters Tuesday.
Carter and Bush spent Monday night at the White House after attending the signing on the South Lawn earlier in the day of the framework of a Middle East peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Ford did not attend the ceremony, but he showed up at the White House for dinner Monday and joined the other presidents Tuesday for breakfast as well as a united show of support for the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement.
Clinton said that he and the former U.S. presidents 'had a terrific session' talking late into the night about a variety of issues.
The 47-year-old president went for an early morning jog Tuesday, but none of his somewhat older predecessors joined him.
Asked if his meeting with Bush was somewhat awkward -- considering that their bruising 1992 presidential campaign against each other ended just 10 months ago -- Clinton said, 'I wouldn't say it was awkward, but it was obviously more informal as it went along.
'I think it's a real tribute to him that so soon after the election he cared enough about this issue (the Middle East peace process) to come back and be part of this,' Clinton said.
Bush, on his first visit to the White House since moving out Jan. 20, resorted to something he rarely, if ever, used during the campaign -- self-deprecating humor.
After Clinton gave an impassioned speech on NAFTA to a cermony in the East Room of the White House attended by several hundred people, Bush moved to the podium and said, 'I thought that was a very eloquent statement....Now I understand why he's inside looking out and I'm outside looking in.'
All shared a hearty laugh.
President Clinton made history Tuesday by hosting an unprecedented dinner for three predecessors -- Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George Bush.
'I was stunned when I heard that this is the first time that three former presidents had dinner with the president in the White House -- and that two former president spent the night,' Clinton told reporters.
Carter and Bush spent Monday night at the White House after attending the signing on the South Lawn earlier in the day of the framework of a Middle East peace agreement between the Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Ford did not attend the ceremony. But he showed up at the White House for dinner Monday and joined the other presidents Tuesday for breakfast as well as a united show of support for the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement.
Clinton said that he and the former presidents 'had a terrific session' talking late into the night about a variety of issues.
Clinton took an early jog Tuesday, but wasn't joined by any of his predecessors. Bush and Carter are avid joggers, but the had meetings that they needed to attend, Clinton explained.
Asked if his meeting with Bush was somewhat awkward, considering that their bruising campaign against each other ended just 10 months ago, Clinton said, 'I wouldn't say it was awkward, but it was obviously more informal as it went along.'
'I think it's a real tribute to him that so soon after the election that he cared enough about this issue (the Middle East peace process) to come back and be part of this,' Clinton said.
