The Earthquake in Haiti II

January 16th, Obama, GW Bush, Clinton: Together on Haiti

Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are joined by U.S. President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington while speaking about disaster aid to Haiti January 16, 2010.

By David Jackson / USA Today

President Obama thanked predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton today for heading up a new Haiti fundraising project, and asked them to tap America's compassion to help the impoverished nation devastated by a deadly earthquake.

"In times of great challenge in our country and around the world, Americans have always come together to lend a hand and to serve others and to do what's right," Obama said at the White House, flanked by the former presidents.

During brief remarks in the Rose Garden, Bush and Clinton both praised Obama for the government's initial response to the earthquake disaster. Both told Americans the best way help is to give money as soon as possible to finance relief workers who are already arriving in Haiti.

"I know a lot of people want to send blankets and water," Bush said while making his first visit to the White House since his presidency ended. "Just send your cash."

Clinton said the new project -- The Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund -- is designed to be "a place where people can know their money will be spent."

It can be accessed at clintonbushhaitifund.org.

Bush and Clinton are heading up the same kind of fundraising effort for Haiti that Bush's father and Clinton did for the victims of tsunami that hit Asia in late 2004. Obama called it a "model that works," one with a big advantage.

"America has no greater resource than the strength and the compassion of the American people," Obama said.

The two ex-presidents also sat for television interviews to be aired tomorrow on the Sunday morning talks shows -- the questions were restricted to Haiti only.

In the Rose Garden, Clinton spoke of his long-time personal connection to Haiti, including the fact that he and wife Hillary honeymooned there. "I was in those hotels that collapsed," he said. "I've had meals with people who are dead."

Bush -- who took major heat for the government's response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 -- commended Obama for "a swift and timely response to the disaster."

Obama said the new Bush-Clinton partnership is a signal to the world that "in these difficult hours, Americans stand united." He also warned that rebuilding Haiti will take time -- lots of it.

"Our longer-term effort will not be measured in days and weeks," Obama said. "It will be measured in months and even years."

Before their remarks, Obama, Bush, and Clinton met privately in the Oval Office.

Oh, to be a fly on that wall.

Bush had not been back to the White House since his last hour as president, a year ago Jan. 20.

In the months since, Obama and his aides have repeatedly cited "the mess" that they "inherited" from the Bush administration, from the financial crisis to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush, who left office with very low approval ratings, has been silent on Obama's presidency. But high-ranking backers such as former Vice President Dick Cheney have assailed Obama on items ranging from his health care plan to counter-terrorism policies.

The Obama-Clinton relationship has also been in the news lately, thanks to a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign. In Game Change, authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin report that Clinton regularly blasted Obama as the latter fought Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination; Obama often returned the favor to the ex-president.

Since Obama became president, however, he and Clinton have worked on a variety of issues, including the nuclear threat from North Korea.

The authors of Game Change also reported that Clinton and Bush speak regularly by telephone.

So we suspect this morning's chat was fairly comfortable. After all, these three guys belong to a rather exclusive club.

Meanwhile, here's a White House statement on how the Haiti project came together:

Shortly after learning of the magnitude of the destruction in Haiti, the President determined that any relief effort would have to be sustained over the long term, and would require a substantial private component. Furthermore, as donations and offers to help immediately began to pour in, it became clear that a point of coordination was necessary to facilitate the contributions of individuals and other non-governmental organizations.

The President admired the substantial success of the effort to raise money and awareness in the aftermath of the Tsunami, and believed that a similar effort would be necessary to respond to a challenge of this magnitude.

The President called George W. Bush at 6:35 PM on Wednesday, January 13th to discuss the idea. The President also discussed the idea with Secretary Clinton.