If the world had grown darker over the past few years, at least his passengers were kinder. The Bush Administration had left a profoundly different impression on him than had the Clinton Administration.
It started while he was waiting on Laura Bush to arrive for her first flight aboard Air Force Two, when one of the flight attendants told him, “Colonel Payne, she doesn’t really want to tell us what she wants for meals. She just says, ‘Whatever you do, I’ll be fine with.’”
Johnny had to smile at that. It was certainly an easier problem to deal with than Gore’s Dove Bar debacle. When Mrs. Bush arrived, Johnny said, “Ma’am, our people are very serious about making sure you get what you want, and if there’s anything you want or don’t want, you need to let us know.”
The First Lady looked at him and said, “Well, I’ll tell you what, I prefer Starbucks coffee to anything else, and I really detest cheesecake. If you give me Starbucks coffee and no cheesecake, I’ll be very happy.”
It was the only request she ever gave them.
After the flight, Johnny checked the State Room where Mrs. Bush had been staying. A devotional book and Bible lay open beside her chair.
