Bill Clinton Regards George Bush Sr. As “The Father He Never Had”

Former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush (Bush the elder) make an unlikely duo, but the two seem to have a marked affinity for each other and have chummed it up on the political trail over the past several years, with Clinton even regarding Bush Sr. has a father figure of sorts.

Though Bill Clinton rousted Bush the elder from office in the early 90s, there’s no hard feelings between the Bush and Clinton tribes. Former First Lady Barbara Bush is particularly fond of Clinton, gushing that he is “a good fellow” and “very thoughtful about calling.” Barbara continues, “He never said a mean word about anyone,” in an interview with Parade Magazine, set to hit shelves this weekend, reports NY Daily. She also revealed that her children – including former president George W. Bush – also regard Clinton highly. They reportedly refer to Bill as “My brother by another mother.” Clinton loved the compliment, later joking, “Barbara began to refer to me as her black sheep son.”

The bromance between Clinton and Bush Sr. is also very strong. “He’s very nice,” Barbara Bush continued. “I think he thinks of George [Sr.] as the father he never had.”

Bush Sr. himself had a handful of nice things to say about his former rival, whom he has personally grown close to since the duo buried the hatchet in 2004 in order to raise money for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. “He knows a lot about everything. He’s a very knowledgeable, right man,” George Bush said of his former rival, reports the LA Times. The two regularly lunch at Bush Sr.’s homes, and talk on the phone frequently.

Jeb Bush is also quite taken with Clinton, his brother’s predecessor. “He’s been incredibly gracious to our dad,” said the former Florida governor. “And if somebody is gracious to our father – he ingratiates himself to us.”