Pence Now Looking to George HW Bush as 'Example'

ByABC News
January 18, 2017, 2:35 PM

— -- Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who has previously pointed to Dick Cheney as someone he'd like to model his vice presidency after, told ABC News' Martha Raddatz he has spent a lot of time thinking about the "life and example" of George H.W. Bush in the role.

"I’ve been spending a fair amount of time thinking about the life and the example of Vice President George H.W. Bush because I think then as now was a president taking office who came to Washington, D.C. to change Washington who had a bold and fresh leadership, and who had marshaled the support of millions of Americans that carried him into office," Pence said.

Pence previously told Raddatz that he hoped to have a "very active vice president" like the last Republican to hold the job: Cheney.

“Vice President Cheney had experience in Congress as I do, and he was very active in working with members of the House and the Senate,” he said in September.

Pence told Raddatz he spoke to the former president "a few weeks back" and had a "wonderful conversation."

"We talked a little bit about his years as vice president, because I think what he was able to do for President Ronald Reagan, I hope and pray to be able to do for President Donald Trump and that is simply be a support, bring whatever life experiences I can bring to bear to help communicate the president’s agenda to Capitol Hill and all across this country," he said.

In addition to Bush, Pence noted he has been in touch with other past vice presidents, including Cheney, who he said he mostly talked to about foreign policy issues, and Vice President Joe Biden.

"I’m just very grateful for these predecessors and the way they’ve reached out to give me the full range of their counsel and also the kind encouragement apart from politics of people who have done the job," he said.

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