Fred Ryan:
Good afternoon. I'm Fred Ryan, Chairman of
the Board of the White House Historical Association. The Association is honored to
be part of today's historic ceremony and to have played
a role in arranging for the magnificent portraits that
are about to be unveiled. The White House Historical
Association was founded 50 years ago by First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy with two specific missions. The first is to educate and
inform the public about the history of the White House
and the distinguished group of Americans that
have inhabited it. In this regard, it is an
exciting time for us as we mark our 50th anniversary campaign
for White House history. To the north of the White House
at the historic Decatur House we have just launched the new David
Rubenstein National Center for White House History. Next year, to the south
of the White House, we will open a newly redesigned
White House visitors center. It will give the millions of
visitors to Washington each year a chance to gain a broader
understanding of life in the White House. If we can just acquire
something on the east and west, we'll have the place surrounded. (laughter) The other mission of the
association is to provide funds to preserve the White
House public rooms and enhance its incomparable collection
of decorative and fine arts. Over the five decades and ten
presidents since our founding, the Association is proud to have
provided nearly $40 million in financial support for
refurbishing and making important acquisitions
for the White House. Through the portraits of our
presidents and first ladies, it's a wonderful tradition that
here in America's house our country honors those
who have honored us. The tradition began with
the acquisition of George Washington's portrait in 1800. It was purchased by the
United States government. It was viewed as such an
important national treasure, it was the object of Dolly
Madison's greatest concerns when the British burned
the White House in 1814. The White House Historical
Association has been privileged to commission the official
portrait of every president and first lady over
the last 50 years, and to acquire historical
portraits of those who were previously missing from
the White House collection. In our digital world, where so
many images are mere flashes on a screen, these enduring
portraits of great Americans by acclaimed artists are lasting
tributes to our presidents and first ladies and will
forever be part of the White House collection. Today, the portraits
of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush
will be added to this unique collection of those who have
occupied this house and served our nation with distinction. And to those great presidential
portrait artists whose works here include Gilbert Stuart,
John Singer Sargent and Aaron Shikler we now add
John Howard Sanden. So today's event may once
again prompt one of those great debates that's taken place
often within the White House. Strong arguments will
be made on both sides. It's not a debate over
issues or between parties. It's a debate as to whether the
portrait actually looks like the President and First Lady. (laughter) And we will soon find that out. It is now my distinct pleasure
to introduce the President of the United States. (applause) President Obama:
Thank you. Thank you so much. (applause) Thank you. Please, everybody, have a seat. Well, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you, Fred, for
that introduction. To President George
H.W. Bush and Barbara, to all the members of the
Bush family who are here -- it is a great privilege
to have you here today. And to President and Mrs. Bush,
welcome back to the house that you called home for eight years. The White House is
many things at once. It's a working office,
it's a living museum, it's an enduring symbol
of our democracy. But at the end of the day, when
the visitors go home and the lights go down, a few of us are
blessed with the tremendous honor to actually live here. I think it's fair to say that
every President is acutely aware that we are just temporary
residents -- we're renters here. We're charged with the upkeep
until our lease runs out. But we also leave a piece
of ourselves in this place. And today, with the unveiling
of the portraits next to me, President and Mrs. Bush will
take their place alongside men and women who built this
country and those who worked to perfect it. It's been said that no one can
ever truly understand what it's like being President until they
sit behind that desk and feel the weight and responsibility
for the first time. And that is true. After three and a half years
in office -- and much more gray hair -- (laughter) -- I have a deeper understanding
of the challenges faced by the Presidents who came before
me, including my immediate predecessor, President Bush. In this job, no decision that
reaches your desk is easy. No choice you make
is without costs. No matter how hard you try,
you're not going to make everybody happy. I think that's something
President Bush and I both learned pretty quickly. (laughter) And that's why,
from time to time, those of us who have had the
privilege to hold this office find ourselves turning to the
only people on Earth who know the feeling. We may have our
differences politically, but the presidency transcends
those differences. We all love this country. We all want America to succeed. We all believe that when it
comes to moving this country forward, we have an
obligation to pull together. And we all follow the humble,
heroic example of our first President, George Washington,
who knew that a true test of patriotism is the willingness
to freely and graciously pass the reins of power
on to somebody else. That's certainly been
true of President Bush. The months before I took
the oath of office were a chaotic time. We knew our economy
was in trouble, our fellow Americans
were in pain, but we wouldn't know until
later just how breathtaking the financial crisis had been. And still, over those two and a
half months -- in the midst of that crisis -- President
Bush, his Cabinet, his staff, many of you who are here today,
went out of your ways -- George, you went out of your way -- to
make sure that the transition to a new administration was
as seamless as possible. President Bush understood that
rescuing our economy was not just a Democratic or
a Republican issue; it was a American priority. I'll always be
grateful for that. The same is true for
our national security. None of us will ever forget
where we were on that terrible September day when our
country was attacked. All of us will always remember
the image of President Bush standing on that pile of
rubble, bullhorn in hand, conveying extraordinary strength
and resolve to the American people but also representing
the strength and resolve of the American people. And last year, when we delivered
justice to Osama bin Laden, I made it clear that our success
was due to many people in many organizations working
together over many years -- across
two administrations. That's why my first call once
American forces were safely out of harm's way was
to President Bush. Because protecting our country
is neither the work of one person, nor the task
of one period of time, it's an ongoing obligation
that we all share. Finally, on a personal note,
Michelle and I are grateful to the entire Bush family for
their guidance and their example during our own transition. George, I will always remember
the gathering you hosted for all the living former Presidents
before I took office, your kind words
of encouragement. Plus, you also left me a
really good TV sports package. (laughter) I use it. (laughter) Laura, you reminded us that
the most rewarding thing about living in this house isn't
the title or the power, but the chance to shine a
spotlight on the issues that matter most. And the fact that you and
George raised two smart, beautiful daughters -- first,
as girls visiting their grandparents and then as
teenagers preparing to head out into the world -- that obviously
gives Michelle and I tremendous hope as we try to do the right
thing by our own daughters in this slightly odd atmosphere
that we've created. Jenna and Barbara, we will never
forget the advice you gave Sasha and Malia as they began
their lives in Washington. They told them to surround
themselves with loyal friends, never stop doing what
they love; to slide down the banisters occasionally -- (laughter) -- to play Sardines on the lawn;
to meet new people and try new things; and to try to absorb
everything and enjoy all of it. And I can tell you that
Malia and Sasha took that advice to heart. It really meant a lot to them. One of the greatest strengths of
our democracy is our ability to peacefully, and routinely, go
through transitions of power. It speaks to the fact that
we've always had leaders who believe in America, and
everything it stands for, above all else -- leaders and
their families who are willing to devote their lives to
the country that they love. This is what we'll think about
every time we pass these portraits -- just as millions
of other visitors will do in the decades, and perhaps
even the centuries to come. I want to thank
John Howard Sanden, the artist behind
these beautiful works, for his efforts. And on behalf of
the American people, I want to thank most sincerely
President and Mrs. Bush for their extraordinary
service to our country. And now I'd like to invite
them on stage to take part in the presentation. (applause) (portraits are unveiled) (applause) President Bush:
Thank you, sit down. Sit down. Behave yourselves. (laughter) Mr. President, thank you
for your warm hospitality. Madam First Lady, thank
you so much for inviting our rowdy friends -- (laughter) -- to my hanging. (laughter) Laura and I are
honored to be here. Mr. Vice President,
thank you for coming. We are overwhelmed
by your hospitality. And thank you for
feeding the Bush family, all 14 members of
us who are here. (laughter) I want to thank our
girls for coming. I thank Mom and Dad,
brother, sister, in-laws, aunts and uncles. I appreciate you
taking your time. I know you're as excited as
Laura and me to be able to come back here, and particularly
thank the people who helped make this house a home for
us for eight years, the White House staff. I want to thank Fred Ryan and
the White House Historical Association and Bill Allman,
the White House curator. I am pleased that my portrait
brings an interesting symmetry to the White House collection. It now starts and
ends with a George W. (laughter and applause) When the British
burned the White House, as Fred mentioned, in 1814,
Dolley Madison famously saved this portrait of
the first George W. (laughter) Now, Michelle, if anything
happens there's your man. (laughter and applause) I am also pleased,
Mr. President, that when you are wandering
these halls as you wrestle with tough decisions, you will now be
able to gaze at this portrait and ask, what would George do? (laughter) I am honored to be hanging near
a man who gave me the greatest gift possible, unconditional
love -- and that would be number 41. (applause) I want to thank John Howard
Sanden for agreeing to use his considerable talents
to paint my likeness. You've done a fine job
with a challenging subject. (laughter) In the portrait, there's
a painting by W.H.D. Koerner called, "A Charge to Keep." It hung in the Oval Office for
eight years of my presidency. I asked John to include it,
because it reminds me of the wonderful people with whom
I was privileged to serve. Whether they served in the
Cabinet or on the presidential staff, these men and women --
many of whom are here -- worked hard and served with honor. We had a charge to keep
and we kept the charge. It is my privilege to introduce
the greatest First Lady ever -- sorry, Mom. (laughter) Would you agree to a tie? (laughter) A woman who brought such
grace and dignity and love in this house. (applause) Mrs. Bush:
Thank you all. (applause) Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much. Thank you, darling. Thank you, President
and Mrs. Obama. Thank you for your kindness
and your consideration today. It was really gracious of you
to invite us back to the White House to hang a few
family pictures. (laughter) And I'm sure you know nothing
makes a house a home like having portraits of its former
occupants staring down at you from the walls. (laughter) This is not the first time I've
had the opportunity to confront an artistic likeness of myself. A few years ago, just
after the 2008 election, a friend sent me something he'd
found in the gift shop of the National Constitutional
Center in Philadelphia. It was a Laura Bush
bobblehead doll. (laughter) He said he found it on
the clearance shelf. (laughter) But I'm flattered and grateful
to know that this particular work has a permanent home. And thanks to the masterful
talent of John Howard Sanden, I like it a whole lot better
than I do that bobblehead doll. (laughter) Thank you very much, John Howard
Sanden -- you're terrific to work with. And thanks to Elizabeth
and your family who have joined you today. Thank you very, very much, John. (applause) And, of course, it's meaningful
to me as a private person to know that these portraits will
be on view at the White House, that my portrait will hang
just down the hall from my mother-in-law, and that George's
portrait will hang very close to his dad's. But what's more meaningful
is it's meaningful to me as a citizen. This was our family's
home for eight years. It was our home, but
it wasn't our house. This house belongs to the people
whose portraits will never hang here, the ordinary and
not-so-ordinary people whose lives inspired us and whose
expectations guided us during the years that we lived here. In this room are many of the
people who stood by us as we faced the tragedy
of September 11th, and who worked with
us in the years after. Thanks to each and every
one of you for your service to our country. (applause) I hope others will see in this
portrait what I see: a woman who was honored and humbled to live
in the White House during a period of great challenge,
and who will never forget the countless American faces
who make up the true portrait of that time. Thank you all very much. Thanks so much. And thank you, Michelle,
if you want to come up. (applause) The First Lady:
Well, I don't think
we have enough tissue to go around. (laughter) Jenna and Barbara,
they're just a mess. (laughter) But I want to thank
President and Mrs. Bush for joining us today. I'd like to take this
opportunity to thank Laura for providing such a wonderful
model of strength and grace for me to follow as First Lady. It is an interesting job, and
it's just been amazing to learn from your example not
just as a First Lady, but as a mother of two
wonderful daughters. You're on the other side
of where we hope to be -- (laughter) -- in a couple of years -- two
daughters that sit up straight and cry when they're -- (laughter) -- and think lovingly about
their mom and their dad. (laughter) We're working towards that goal,
but you've done a terrific job. And I also want to echo Barack. We couldn't be more thankful for
the warmth and graciousness that both of you showed -- all of you
showed -- our family when we moved in three years ago. It is truly, truly a privilege
for us to occupy this house. And hopefully, we are setting
the same example of warmth and love and hope that you
all have provided as well. The warmth is truly
reflected in these portraits, and I promise you -- (laughter) -- I promise, I'm
going straight for -- (laughter) -- and I'm sure it will be
closer right down the stairs, and I'll get right to it. So I am thrilled for all of
the White House visitors who will soon have the chance
to enjoy them as well. And I'm thrilled for both of you
as you join these incredible Americans whose portraits are
already displayed here at the White House. So congratulations again. Congratulations on the
work that you have done, the example that you have
provided to this country, and what it means to
be an American family. We are so happy and proud
and honored to be a part. And with that, it is my pleasure
to invite you all to join us for a reception right outside
in the State Room. Now it's time to eat. (laughter) Thank you all so much. (applause)
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Lol, what a deep cut! Thanks... I guess?