When I first read that comment about Bush on the White House site several years ago, I quietly thought 'rewrite'.
In thirty plus years since Nixon resigned, I've never seen Bush given the credit for talking him into it, even once. Barry Goldwater was the elder statesman tasked with the job, and that's all there is to it. Nobody but nobody credits the Elder Bush. I can't change that. I can only describe what realtiy has been for thirty plus years.
It was Goldwater that was eight to ten years past his run for the Presidency. It was Goldwater thought of as the modern father of conservatism. It was Goldwater who had the juice to get Nixon to accept reality.
Goldwater tells Nixon that his support has evaporated in the Senate. Even if Bush did say what he did, was he implying that he was stupid enough to think Nixon didn't already get it? Grown men know how to say things without stooping to grade school terminology to get the message across.
Goldwater said all the needed to be said, but I guess if Bush wanted to shine his shoes to feel important, we should at least acknowledge he shined the shoes of a man far superior to him, at that time.
I do believe this will be lost on one person in particular.