George H. W. Bush

== Nixon and Ford administrations (1971–1977) ==
{{See also|Presidency of Richard Nixon|Presidency of Gerald Ford}}

=== Ambassador to the United Nations ===
[[File:George Bush as United Nations Representative, 1971-72 - NARA - 186386.tif|thumb|Bush as ambassador to the United Nations, 1971]]

After the 1970 Senate election, Bush accepted a position as a senior adviser to the president, but he convinced Nixon to instead appoint him as the [[U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations]].{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=153–154}} The position represented Bush's first foray into foreign policy, as well as his first major experiences with the [[Soviet Union]] and China, the two major U.S. rivals in the [[Cold War]].{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=152, 157–158}} During Bush's tenure, the Nixon administration pursued a policy of détente, seeking to ease tensions with both the Soviet Union and China.{{sfn|Herring|2008|pp=773–775}} Bush's ambassadorship was marked by a defeat on the China question, as the [[United Nations General Assembly]] voted, in [[Resolution 2758]], to expel the [[Republic of China]] and replace it with the People's Republic of China in October 1971.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Austin |first1=Anthony |title=Crushing Defeat for the U.S., or A Blessing In Disguise? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/31/archives/crushing-defeat-for-the-us-or-a-blessing-in-disguise-enter-peking.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 31, 1971 }}</ref> In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 crisis in Pakistan]], Bush supported an Indian motion at the UN General Assembly to condemn the Pakistani government of [[Yahya Khan]] for waging genocide in [[East Pakistan]] (modern Bangladesh), referring to the "tradition which we have supported that the human rights question transcended domestic jurisdiction and should be freely debated".{{sfn|Saunders|2014|p=39}} Bush's support for India at the UN put him into conflict with Nixon who was supporting Pakistan, partly because Yahya Khan was a useful intermediary in his attempts to reach out to China and partly because the president was fond of Yahya Khan.{{sfn|Saunders|2014|pp=38–39}}

=== Chairman of the Republican National Committee ===
After Nixon won a landslide victory in the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]], he appointed Bush as chair of the [[Republican National Committee]] (RNC).{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=162–163}}<ref>{{cite web |title=President Richard Nixon and the Presidents |url=https://www.nixontapes.org/presidents.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409154628/https://www.nixontapes.org/presidents.html |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |access-date=March 30, 2020 |website=nixontapes.org |quote=CDHW 156-016 11/29/1972 Unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm P, GHWB}}[https://www.nixontapes.org/ghwb/156-016.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211181759/https://www.nixontapes.org/ghwb/156-016.pdf|date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> In that position, he was charged with fundraising, candidate recruitment, and making appearances on behalf of the party in the media.

When Agnew was being investigated for corruption, Bush assisted, at the request of Nixon and Agnew, in pressuring [[John Glenn Beall Jr.]], the [[U.S. Senator from Maryland]], to force his brother, [[George Beall (attorney)|George Beall]] the [[U.S. Attorney]] in Maryland, to shut down the investigation into Agnew. Attorney Beall ignored the pressure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/msnbc/maddow-bag-man-podcast/transcript-episode-4-turn-it-n935286|title=Transcript - Episode 4: Turn It Off|date=November 13, 2018 |publisher=NBC News|access-date=January 30, 2020}}</ref>

During Bush's tenure at the RNC, the [[Watergate scandal]] emerged into public view; the scandal originated from the June 1972 break-in of the [[Democratic National Committee]] but also involved later efforts to cover up the break-in by Nixon and other members of the White House.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=163–164}} Bush initially defended Nixon steadfastly, but as Nixon's complicity became clear he focused more on defending the Republican Party.<ref name="ea" />

Following the resignation of Vice President Agnew in 1973 for a scandal unrelated to Watergate, Bush was considered for the position of vice president, but the appointment instead went to [[Gerald Ford]].{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=166–167}} After the public release of an [[Nixon White House tapes|audio recording]] that confirmed that Nixon had plotted to use the CIA to cover up the Watergate break-in, Bush joined other party leaders in urging Nixon to resign.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=170–173}} When Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Bush noted in his diary that "There was an aura of sadness, like somebody died... The [resignation] speech was vintage Nixon—a kick or two at the press—enormous strains. One couldn't help but look at the family and the whole thing and think of his accomplishments and then think of the shame... [President Gerald Ford's swearing-in offered] indeed a new spirit, a new lift."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060716/16bushonnixon_eye.htm |title=George HW on Nixon resignation |date=July 16, 2006 |access-date=March 29, 2008 |work=U.S. News & World Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624230333/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060716/16bushonnixon_eye.htm |archive-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref>

=== Head of U.S. Liaison Office in China ===
[[File:George Bush as United States Liaison to China, 1974-1975 - NARA - 186378.tif|thumb|upright=0.7|left|Bush as U.S. Liaison to China, {{circa|lk=no|1975}}]]

Upon his ascension to the presidency, Ford [[1974 United States vice presidential confirmation|strongly considered]] Bush, [[Donald Rumsfeld]], and Nelson Rockefeller for the vacant position of vice president. Ford ultimately chose Nelson Rockefeller, partly because of the publication of a news report claiming that Bush's 1970 campaign had benefited from a secret fund set up by Nixon; Bush was later cleared of any suspicion by a special prosecutor.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=176–177}} Bush accepted appointment as Chief of the [[De facto embassy#China and the United States|U.S. Liaison Office]] in the People's Republic of China, making him the de facto ambassador to China.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bush |first1=George H. W. |editor-last1=Engel |editor-first1=Jeffrey A. |title=The China Diary of George H.W. Bush: The Making of a Global President |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRvdwoKQOgQC&pg=PA36 |date=2011 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-2961-3 |page=36}}</ref> According to biographer Jon Meacham, Bush's time in China convinced him that American engagement abroad was needed to ensure global stability and that the United States "needed to be visible but not pushy, muscular but not domineering."{{sfn|Meacham|2015|p=181}}

=== Director of Central Intelligence ===
[[File:CIA Director George H.W. Bush listens at a meeting following the assassinations in Beirut, 1976 - NARA - 7064954.jpg|thumb|Bush, as CIA Director, listens at a meeting following the assassinations in Beirut of [[Francis E. Meloy Jr.]] and [[Robert O. Waring]], 1976]]

In January 1976, Ford brought Bush back to Washington to become the [[Director of Central Intelligence]] (DCI), placing him in charge of the CIA.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/todays-cia/george-bush-center-for-intelligence/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612191537/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/todays-cia/george-bush-center-for-intelligence/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2007 |title=The George Bush Center for Intelligence |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |date=April 5, 2007 |access-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref> In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and the [[Vietnam War]], the CIA's reputation had been damaged for its role in various covert operations. Bush was tasked with restoring the agency's morale and public reputation.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=189–193}}{{efn|Biographer Jon Meacham writes that it was widely assumed at the time that Donald Rumsfeld had engineered Bush's appointment as CIA Director since the post was regarded as a "political graveyard". Meacham writes that it is more likely that the key factor in Bush's appointment was that Ford believed Bush would work better with Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]] than would [[Elliot Richardson]], his original pick for the CIA post.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=189–193}}}} During Bush's year in charge of the CIA, the U.S. national security apparatus actively supported [[Operation Condor]] operations and right-wing [[military dictatorship]]s in [[Latin America–United States relations|Latin America]].<ref>{{cite news |title=FIFA's Dirty Wars |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/146303/fifas-dirty-wars |magazine=The New Republic |date=December 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Quand Pinochet tuait hors du Chili |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/amerique-sud/quand-pinochet-tuait-hors-du-chili_491779.html |work=L'Express |date=October 30, 1999}}</ref> Meanwhile, Ford decided to drop Rockefeller from the ticket for the [[1976 United States presidential election|1976 presidential election]]; he considered Bush as his running mate, but ultimately chose [[Bob Dole]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dowd |first1=Maureen |date=November 28, 1988 |title=Will Bush and Dole End Their Grand Old Rivalry? |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/28/us/will-bush-and-dole-end-their-grand-old-rivalry.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> In his capacity as DCI, Bush gave national security briefings to [[Jimmy Carter]] both as a presidential candidate and as president-elect.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/cia-briefings-of-presidential-candidates/cia-8.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613144129/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/cia-briefings-of-presidential-candidates/cia-8.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |title=CIA Briefings of Presidential Candidates; Chapter 5: In-Depth Discussions With Carter |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency: Center for the Study of Intelligence |access-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref>