Sometimes, It Only Takes a Bit of Goodwill
Americans have always been justifiably cynical about politicians. So when public figures set aside partisanship and display a simple commitment to altruism, it's truly a moment to savor. That's why last week's meeting between Bill Clinton and Laura Bush is so noteworthy. They joined forces at the former president's annual conference on global concerns in New York, where Mrs. Bush announced a U.S. government commitment to deliver clean water to 10 million Africans by 2010. Their common purpose provided a striking example of how political figures can work together-despite the raw hostility now rampant in official Washington. Their gentle amity was all the more striking because it was Clinton who ousted George Herbert Walker Bush from the White House in 1992, causing deep resentment within the Bush family toward the first baby boomer president. Over the past few years, however, the Bushes and Clintons have made a kind of peace, with Clinton and the elder Bush raising $1 billion for tsunami relief in Asia and with Clinton generally muting his criticism of the current Bush White House. As these two formidable families continue to find more common ground, there are echoes not only of Hillary Rodham Clinton's communitarian book, It Takes a Village, but also of George H. W. Bush's "a thousand points of light" campaign to promote volunteerism during his presidency. And there is another connection-to Jimmy Carter's post-presidential work of fighting disease and poverty.
Clinton has found his own post-presidential mission by creating his Clinton Global Initiative, through which he arranged $2.5 billion in assistance projects in the past year. Last week, Clinton announced an additional $7.3 billion in commitments from more than 215 sponsors, including the British entrepreneur-adventurer Richard Branson.
As this fall's congressional elections continue to build toward their infelicitous conclusion, it is oddly comforting to see the Bushes and the Clintons, those old adversaries, joining hands to make a difference in the lives of millions around the world.
This story appears in the October 2, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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