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CLINTON How much should we allocate to the Governors as opposed to education as opposed to the religious institutions? There was never any political thing in it, just trying to figure out the right thing to do. We had mini-public-policy discussions, really, as if we were all still in government.
TIME President Bush, has having a son and, President Clinton, a wife, both still at the center of our national political life made this partnership harder or easier to forge?
BUSH It just makes it different. The President asked us to take this project on, and that makes it different. But I don't think it makes a fundamental difference in the personal relationship.
CLINTON When Hillary went to the Senate, I said, "You'll have a lot more fun if you do things with the Republicans as well as Democrats. There are enough differences. You'll never be bored if you are looking for differences. But if you want to get something done, you gotta find common ground." And that is always his instinct and always mine.
TIME How should other former Presidents best use their unique skills after they have left office?
BUSH I don't think there's one formula that fits all. In a book, Harry Truman wrote a chapter, "What to Do with Former Presidents," and he had a suggestion to make them nonvoting members of Congress for life. Well, who the hell needs that? It's ridiculous. I say, "Go out and do your own thing." It's individual. If future Presidents decide to work together, then great. But I don't think one size fits all.
CLINTON I agree with that. Anybody who gets out and pursues a low profile, that's their prerogative. But on the other hand, there are two things happening in the world that make it more likely that our successors will be able to do more things like us. One is that we are living longer and staying in better shape longer. I mean, look at George--he was jumping out of airplanes at 80, and that was unheard of not very long ago. The other thing is that you gotta learn to let go of some things. My advice is pick a couple of things that matter and then leave yourself the flexibility to seize opportunities as they come up. Most of us feel we've had a pretty good shot at life. And we feel we owe our country and maybe the world at least some measure of our time and talents. And if we can do it together so that there doesn't seem to be any political edge to it, so much the better.
TIME Tell me about your golfing in Maine last summer. President Bush golfs very fast--an hour for 18 holes or something.
BUSH No, no, one hour and 24 minutes.
CLINTON I take four or five hours.
TIME So how did that go?
BUSH It was fine.
CLINTON Tell the truth! I was 2 under par after seven holes!
TIME Maybe you should have stopped then.
CLINTON I should have stopped then. 'Cause I shot 81 that day. I collapsed at the end. But I had a really good time.
TIME One more thing: What happened out there on that speedboat the day before?
CLINTON He drove like a bat out of hell.
BUSH It's fast--
CLINTON He's got these three giant engines that were so quiet--
BUSH Until you rev 'em up--
CLINTON Until he revs 'em up, right, and then it was--well, we were practically levitating across the water at the speed of sound--