Podcast

This week, Sam LeBlond talks with Gian-Carlo Peressutti, former aide and press secretary to George H. W. Bush. They focus on the years following his presidency… a busy period filled with international travel, speeches, and quite a bit of fun. Gian-Carlo also shares stories about rubbing shoulders with world leaders, Barbara Bush’s surprisingly disarming nature, George H. W. Bush’s amazing sense of humor, and the humility shared by the couple.

In this episode, Sam LeBlonde sits down with Matthew Wendel, who started as a dishwasher and ended up entertaining and cooking for the First Family during the George W. Bush administration at The White House, Camp David, and at the family’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. They also discuss his role as the General Manager of The Blair House, offering barbeque tips to world leaders, how food is a great equalizer, and his cookbook (and how it was partially inspired by Laura Bush’s mother).

In this episode, Sam LeBlond talks with the Presidential Historian and President/CEO of the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation, Mark Updegrove. They discuss preserving Presidential legacies during a pandemic, the consequential father-son relationship of Bush 41 and Bush 43 (and why it is so historically significant), the importance of compromise, and valuable advice from Barbara Pierce Bush.

In this episode, Sam LeBlond sits down with Peggy Swift White, who served as the Personal Aide to First Lady Barbara Bush from 1989 until 1993. In addition to being responsible for the First Lady’s daily schedule, she also orchestrated domestic and international travel plans for Mrs. Bush to over 30 countries and all 50 states. They talk about Mrs. Bush’s remarkable commencement speech at Wellesley College, the unique relationship between Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Gorbachev, and they remember George H. W. Bush, the man… and the statesman. They also recall the Bush’s transition from the White House to private life and the solid (yet practical) wisdom of Barbara Pierce Bush… as seen from a true insider.

This week on All The Best, Sam LeBlond talks with Captain Robert Aguilar, the Commanding Officer of The USS George H. W. Bush, a Nimitz class nuclear powered aircraft carrier. They discuss the captain’s unlikely path to being a CO, how a ship’s namesake can inspire, the way the ship honors the former president, and the bright future for the mighty warship.