Bush back in Washington to unveil First portrait

And the two worked together again when Frist was named to the board of directors of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund helping the Caribbean country recover from a massive earthquake last year.

In Washington Wednesday, the faces of the Bush-Frist era peppered the crowd. Cheney was there. So was Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary Bush fired when the war was going badly.

The event was a reunion. But Bush and Frist made clear they're glad to cede business to the current crop of policymakers.

At one point, Frist invited the crowd to gaze upon Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who are locked in a fierce budget battle.

"The president and I were over there smiling and (having) a good time, while they look kind of sad," Frist said.