President Bush Honors George Washington

In the recently published book George Washington's Leadership Lessons, Mount Vernon Executive Director James Rees bemoaned the lack of patriotic respect paid to the nation's father, George Washington.

In the book's foreward, Rees took aim not only at America's pop culture, but at Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as well. "Even those who should be the most knowledgeable about George Washington seem to following the public's lead," wrote Rees. "Although the White House is just 16 miles from George Washington's home, President Bill Clinton never entered our gates-though invited dozens of times-during eight years of office. As of late 2006, President George W. Bush has yet to find the time to improve upon this record."

Well, President Bush finally improved upon the record! This past Monday, President George W. Bush visited the home of America's first President to pay tribute to George Washington's legacy. In remarks at the estate, Bush declared: "We've been celebrating this holiday for more than two centuries, and this morning we continue this tradition by honoring a man who was our first President, the father of our country, and a champion of liberty."

Bush's visit restores a precedent broken by Clinton (and, until Monday, by Bush as well). In fact, Clinton missed even the reenactment of George Washington's funeral at Mount Vernon, a significant event commemorating the bicentennial of Washington's death. It was televised on C-SPAN and attended by several officials, including the governor of Virginia. But not the President of the United States.

According to Rees, Mount Vernon has been graced by virtually all the Chief Executives of the 20th century. Rees says that past Presidents often referred to Mount Vernon as "a national shrine." The lack of recent presidential attention and respect to Mount Vernon, however, is part of a larger trend, says Rees. "From the highest levels of leaders to the newest immigrant reciting his first Pledge of Allegiance, it is clear to me," writes Rees, "that we are not encouraging Americans to learn from their past like we should be."

In addition to praising Washington for his virtue as well as his military and presidential legacy, Bush associated Washington's commitment to liberty and freedom with America's mission in Iraq. "As we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world, we remember that the father of our country believed that the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not meant for Americans alone," declared Bush.

Mount Vernon is owned and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, a private, non-profit organization founded in 1853. It is directed by a Board of Regents, comprised solely of women, who represent over 30 states. A Board of Advisors of prominent citizens from across the country meets twice a year to provide additional input on Mount Vernon's governance. The estate, gift shops and dining facilities are operated by about 450 paid employees and over 400 volunteers.