Private conversations that have recently been released between President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair while the two held office reveal Clinton's disdain for President George W. Bush and Blair's love for Clinton's wife.
Clinton labeled Bush a 'fraud' and later said 'he is not ready to be president' as he waged his campaign for the White House, while Blair heralded Hillary as 'fantastic,' adding 'she was so strong and brave' after she was elected to the Senate.
The conversations, 532 pages in all, were released by the Clinton Presidential Library.
Not close: Clinton calls George W. Bush (above in 2005) a 'fraud' at one point
Clinton's first major attack on Bush comes in October 1999, and has to do with how Bush and his team are positioning themselves in the upcoming election.
'He is making people think he is saving them from the right. But it's a fraud because he is really for them on everything else,' said Clinton.
'I have to figure out how to expose the fraud that Bush is the new Clinton, establishing a new Republican party like I made a new Democratic party.
'It's helping Bush but it's killing Al [Gore].'
Bush is a frequent topic of conversation over the next few months, as is Gore, who at the time was Clinton's vice president.
It becomes clear that Clinton sees Bush as more and more of a threat as time goes along, saying in early 2000 that he 'is a skilled politician, but he is not ready to be president - maybe not ever, certainly not now,' and then just a few weeks later discussing how impressed he is with the man.
'Bush is really smart. The campaign against McCain was the most vicious in modern memory. He has these right-wing foot soldiers do his dirty work so he can be nice,' said Clinton.
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