8 women say George H.W. Bush groped them. Their claims deserve to be remembered as we assess his legacy.

Those we entrust with power need to use it for all of us.

By Laura McGannlaura.mcgann@vox.com Dec 1, 2018, 1:55pm EST

George H.W. Bush died at his home in Houston, Texas, on Friday night, launching a blizzard of obituaries praising his legacy and successful stewardship of the country as a one-term president. But it is not too soon to talk about the accusations by eight women that Bush Sr. touched them inappropriately.


Sexual harassment or assault can’t be bracketed off as part of a politician’s private life. It’s an important part of the story of their leadership, their use of power, and their policy. The same is true for Bush.


Relatively little has been made of the accusations against Bush since they emerged last year. A woman initially accused Bush of groping her and telling her a dirty joke as she stood beside him, seated in a wheelchair, for a photo op. The family responded, suggesting the aging former president might be slipping a bit. “President Bush has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures,” a spokesperson, Jim McGrath, said on Bush’s behalf. Read more here:

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