Bush Unveils Clinton Portraits

Calling her "a woman greatly admired in our country," Bush said Sen. Clinton "inspires respect and loyalty from those who know her, and it was a good day in both their lives when they [the Clintons] met at the . . . Yale Law School Library."

Bush also noted that as of today, Hillary Clinton "is the only sitting senator whose portrait hangs in the White House."

In response, Bill Clinton said he was honored to join Bush for the third time in recent days, the previous two occasions being the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington and the state funeral Friday for former president Ronald Reagan.

"The president, by his generous words to Hillary and me today, has proved once again that in the end, we are held together by this grand system of ours that permits us to debate and struggle and fight for what we believe is right," Clinton said.

Clinton allowed that he had "mixed feelings" about attending today's ceremony. He recalled visiting a grade school in Cleveland during his presidency and assuring a small boy that he really was president.

"But you're not dead yet," he said the boy replied.

Clinton also remarked that he received three letters in 1992, the year he defeated president George H.W. Bush, offering him free plastic surgery on his face.

"I worked hard for this face and would like to live in it a little while longer," he said he replied to one of the surgeons.

Hillary Clinton, standing before her own portrait, paid tribute to Knox, who she said was "more than understanding" in painting the likenesses of two impatient people.

Knox, a self-taught artist, is known for his portraits of Supreme Court justices Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, comedian Bill Cosby, boxer Muhammad Ali and baseball star Henry Aaron.