Transcript: Charlie Gibson Interviews President Bush

BUSH: Yes, that's right.

GIBSON: And it's not --

BUSH: It's going to be an interesting adjustment. We'll adjust. We got each other, we've got our kids, we've got fabulous friends in Texas. One of the great things about our lives is that we have a bunch of friends in our state that were our friends before politics, they were our friends during politics, and they'll be our friends after politics. We're going to a society where we got a lot of folks that will help us adjust from the big-time to just normalcy.

GIBSON: So what do you anticipate the feeling will be? I'm always wondering what's going through the mind of that -- it's always been a man -- walking down the Capitol steps, getting on the helicopter, flying out for the last flight on Air Force One, and suddenly realizing his life has just changed totally.

BUSH: Yes, it's an interesting question. It will certainly be a contrast to that moment when you get sworn in as President and realize your life has just changed totally. One of the things I'm beginning to realize is that you get prepared for that moment during these final months. Today was my last pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey. (Laughter.)

MRS. BUSH: We're on the lasts.

BUSH: And so in other words --

GIBSON: I don't think that's going to keep you up nights -- missing that.

BUSH: No -- but, no, but seriously, there's a lot of last moments.

GIBSON: Yes.

BUSH: And I suspect that by the time the moment comes, that you will have said goodbye to so many people and goodbye to places like Camp David, that it may not be quite as difficult as you would think. I don't know. Listen, I've never done it. This will be an interview that you need to come down and find me in about six months from now --

GIBSON: I'll be there.

BUSH: Thank you.

GIBSON: I'll be there. But is it -- do you anticipate it will be a relief? A longing? And if it's a relief, I wonder if you'll be more relieved than your folks.

BUSH: Well, first of all, no one will be more relieved than my mother and dad, because one of the things I learned during his presidency is being the son of the President is a lot tougher than being the President. I mean, it is really agonizing to have somebody you truly love get banged around in the political process. It was hard. And so, no doubt they're going to be relieved to have their boy out of the limelight. And I bet a lot of our friends will be relieved, too.

GIBSON: You're only 62, though.

BUSH: Right.

GIBSON: Is there one more deal in you? Is there one more thing you really want to achieve?

BUSH: That's an interesting question. I'm confident -- look, first of all, you don't get to be President unless you're a "Type A" personality who's driven to do things. And I am confident I'll be driven to do something; I just can't tell you what it is yet.

Steve Hadley and I were sitting around -- he's the National Security Advisor -- sitting around; I said, wouldn't it be interesting for baby boomers not to retire in nice places, but to retire -- during their retirement, go help people deal with malaria or AIDS. In other words -- and I'm not suggesting that's what I'm going to do, but it is the kind of thing that intrigues me.

But I, frankly, Charlie, haven't had time to figure it out yet. But I will. I mean, look, I'm going to have a lot of time to think. My day is going to go from getting up early-early, and being at the Oval Office at 6:45 a.m., and having a lot to do when you get there, to waking up at 6:45 a.m., getting Momma the coffee -- (laughter) -- and kind of wandering around trying -- what's next, boss?

GIBSON: How about you? One thing you want to do after you leave?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I want to keep working on a lot of the things I've worked on, but obviously, from another -- not from the government side, not from the inside side. But there are plenty of things for everybody to do, and there are lots of ways to serve. And we'll figure out those other ways to serve.

BUSH: This institute is going to be an interesting place, a public policy forum. It will be -- it's non-partisan. It's not going to be George Bush's wonderful place. It's going to be a place where smart people come and debate issues and talk about issues. But it will also be a launching pad for a variety of projects. I mean, I could conceivably help organize people going to volunteer on the President's Malaria Initiative, for example. I keep talking about malaria, because it happens to be the type of initiative where it is easy to plug in volunteers.

GIBSON: You've called on former Presidents to fill various roles -- your Dad obviously, President Clinton. Is there one area that you think you can really be helpful to President Obama, President-Elect Obama, soon to be President Obama?

BUSH: Yes, that's right. I don't know, Charlie. Obviously, one of my parting words to him will be: If I can help you, let me know. The interesting thing about being President, though, is that these issues come so hard and so fast, that you really do rely upon the people that are close to you, because they've got the latest information, they've got the latest intelligence, they're people whose judgment you trust. Obviously, you reach out beyond the White House, but the decision-making is -- ends up being with a trusted group of people.

GIBSON: Is the President too much in a bubble?

BUSH: Oh, I don't know. I mean, you're going to have to be in a bubble during this here because the enemy would like to do nothing more than do you in. So, I mean, that's a necessary part of the job.

You know, yes -- I mean, believe me you understand what's going on in the world. This idea about how the President doesn't understand this, that, or the other, just simply is not the case. I mean, there's a lot of information that comes through the White House.

GIBSON: One thing you'll miss most?

BUSH: Well, I'll miss being Commander-in-Chief. I have gotten to be -- grown to be so appreciative of our military. It's hard to believe that so many kids, and some not-so-kids, have volunteered to fight in a war. And I'll miss -- and it's going to sound strange to you -- I'll miss meeting with the families whose son or daughter have fallen in combat, because the meetings I've had with the families are so inspirational. They -- I mean, obviously, there's a lot of sadness, and we cry, and we hug, and we occasionally laugh. And we share -- I listen to stories. But the Comforter-in-Chief is always the comforted person.

Believe it or not, I'll miss going to the hospitals as the Commander-in-Chief, and looking a kid in the eye, and have him say, heal me up, Mr. President, I want to go back in. And so, there will be a lot of these special moments that we'll miss.

GIBSON: How about you? The thing you'll miss the most?

MRS. BUSH: > I'll miss living at the White House, of course, and all the people that are there that we're with every single day that -- my staff that I laugh with and talk to every single day, and the President's staff, and then, of course, the people that work at the White House who we've known for years because we knew them when we visited President Bush and Barbara. So, it's the people that I'll miss the most.

GIBSON: And final question, just to finish the sentence: I will leave the presidency with a feeling of?

BUSH: I will leave the presidency with my head held high.

GIBSON: And I will leave the White House with?

MRS. BUSH: With gratitude for everybody that we met the entire time.

GIBSON: Good to talk to you.

BUSH: Thank you, sir.

MRS. BUSH: Thank you.