George W. Bush Delivers Stirring Tribute to Father at State Funeral
*By Carlo Versano*
Financial markets closed, mail delivery stopped, federal offices shut down, and bells tolled as the nation paused to remember the life of President George H.W. Bush, who was memorialized during a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral on Wednesday.
At 11:00 a.m., right on schedule, the famously punctual George W. Bush led his family into the cathedral under cloudy skies and chilly temperatures. In the front pew sat the other four members of what's known as the most exclusive club in the world ー Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and their wives.
It is believed to be the first time Presidents Trump and Obama have met or spoken since the former's inauguration. As Trump sat, he shook the hands of the Obamas as Bill Clinton glanced over. Hillary Clinton stared straight ahead.
The 43rd president delivered a stirring and humorous eulogy for his father, with whom he had a famously complicated but loving relationship. He was joined by Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister, Alan Simpson, the former senator from Wyoming, and Jon Meacham, the presidential biographer.
Meacham called President Bush the "last great soldier-statesman," and said his famous "thousand points of light" phrase was uttered alongside Lincoln's "better angels of our nature" line from his first inaugural as "companion verses in America's national hymn."
George W. Bush remembered his father as "the brightest of 1,000 points of light," again hitting on a phrase that President Trump once [mocked](https://youtu.be/ZbYZOHq2LEQ?t=3508).
"Through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could have," Bush said, breaking down.
"Dad is hugging Robin, and holding mom's hand again." Robin was the three-year-old daughter that the Bushes lost to leukemia in 1953.
The Bush family made a surprise visit to the Capitol rotunda on Tuesday evening to thank mourners who paid respects over two days as president lied in state. That followed a touching moment in which former senator Bob Dole was helped out of his wheelchair to salute the casket of his fellow WWII vet.
Bush, who served as the 41st president for a single term at a critical time for geopolitics, led a life that intersected with key moments of modern American history. A naval aviator turned congressman, RNC chair during Watergate, ambassador, CIA chief, vice and finally president, was also the patriarch of a political dynasty, as well as a respected family man and statesman.
"Some have said this is an end of an era," Rev. Russell Jones Levenson said from the pulpit. "But it doesn't have to be. Perhaps this is an invitation to fill the void that has been left behind."
Jill and Carlo discuss the scenes of joy at American airports as borders reopen, another tool in the Covid toolbox, the latest in the Astroworld crowd crush tragedy and more.
Frank Lee, Managing Director at Miracle Mile Advisors, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why markets are soaring after the Dow, S&P, Nasdaq, and the Russell 2000 all reached new record closes to begin the trading week.
The Biden Administration's mandate for COVID vaccinations by large employers has been put on hold by federal courts as GOP-led states and some businesses push back on the order's legality. Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, joined Cheddar to discuss the legal challenges to implementing such mandates through OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). "Certainly expanding vaccinations is a good thing, and as vaccination rates go up that's better for all of us," Adler said. "But there are some legal questions about whether or not it's appropriate to use a law about occupational safety and health as the means to do that."
The Biden administration is giving businesses a deadline to implement a vaccination mandate, saying companies can take until after the holiday season. Andew Noymer, Associate Professor of Population Health and Disease Prevention at the University of California, Irvine, joined Cheddar to discuss.
Jacob Rubashkin, reporter and analyst at Inside Elections, joined Cheddar to discuss Republicans' wins on election night and what they mean for Democrats going forward.
James Astill, Washington Bureau Chief at The Economist, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest issue, 'ONE YEAR ON: The calamity facing Joe Biden and the Democrats.'
Elon Musk asked Twitter if he should sell about $20 billion worth of his Tesla stock and about 58 percent of those who answered said yes. The Tesla CEO pledged to abide by the results of the poll, whichever way it went. Arun Sundararajan, NYU Stern professor & author of "The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism," joined Cheddar to discuss what the Twitter poll says about America's attitude towards billionaires and the nation's tax system.
Dr. Nasia Safdar, Doctor at UW Madison, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the implications of Merck sharing its antiviral pill, which has been shown in early trials to cut hospitalizations and deaths by half, with poorer nations around the globe.
The Federal Reserve finally announced its taper plan on Wednesday saying that it planned to scale back on bond purchases as growth slows, and would not rush to raise interest rates. Ross Mayfield, Investment Strategy Analyst at Baird spoke on whether or not a decrease in inflation could be in the country’s future amidst comments made by Fed chairman Jerome Powell. Baird also broke down ADP jobs numbers ahead of the Labor Department's October jobs report.
