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George Herbert Walker BushCongressman and DiplomatThe call to serve my country lured me from business; I was elected congressman from the Seventh District of Texas. Later, I served my country as a diplomat, working as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations during 1971-72. I was chairman of the Republican National Committee (1973-74) and then I got to travel to China and serve as chief of the US Liaison Office in Peking.
In January 1976, I joined the honored circle of intelligence officers when I was appointed Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). I carried on the work started by my predecessor, William Colby, putting in place reforms begun by him, but I also realized the Agency was at a low point. I needed to restore the Agency's confidence in itself and the public's confidence in the Agency. This was tough to do because intelligence agencies can't always talk about their successes. I believe all the jobs I had before helped me to restore confidence in the year I was there. I also believe that my time as DCI prepared me for the vice-presidency and presidency; it taught me to see the hard work put into pulling together the intelligence reports delivered to our policymakers each day. I could appreciate my President's Daily Brief because I knew the dedication poured into that and every other intelligence report I received from the agency. I might not have a display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, like Moe Berg, but you can find my portrait in the White House!
I strongly believe that having the best intelligence in the world is a must for any president. I strongly support the CIA. O'Toole, G.J.A. Encyclopedia of American Intelligence and Espionage. New York and Oxford: Facts on File, 1988.
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