Oct. 28 / Administration of George Bush, 1992

make all my records available on the draft.’’ Japan, better than Germany, better than Fine. We haven’t heard it yet. You cannot Western Europe, and better than Canada. waffle. You’ve got to tell the truth to the I am sick and tired of hearing this Clinton American people. And that is what I’ve and the Ozone Man saying—the only way been doing. I guess the bottom line is, you that they can win, the only way they can can’t lead by misleading. do it, is to convince us we are second rate. Let me tell you this: Sometimes in the We are the United States of America. We White House in critical moments the phone are the most respected country on the face rings at night, or over there in the Oval of the Earth. Office. You have to make a tough decision. Now I ask for your trust. I ask for your And you cannot keep every single person trust. I ask you to take this great en- happy. Barbara—I wish she were here to thusiasm to the polls on Tuesday. We are see this. She is a great First Lady, and going to show these crazy media talking I wish she were here. But we have tried heads wrong. We are going to win the elec- very hard. When we talk about family values tion. And then we will lead America and or caring about people, I think she’s done lift these kids up. I don’t need the job, a first-class job in showing that we care. but I want to finish the job because I want But my point is this: I have tried to be to help every child here. They’re living in a decent custodian of the public trust. a world now far less fearful of nuclear war. We see now that our economy is moving. We’ve changed the world. Now let’s help Let’s not set it back. Governor Clinton— us strengthen every family in America and the only way they can win is if they convince lift America up. everybody that we’re in an economic reces- Thank you, and may God bless you on sion and things that are worse than we are. this beautiful day in Ohio. This is fantastic. They say that we are less than Germany Thank you. Great rally, Strongsville, fantas- and a little better than Sri Lanka. Well, tic. Thank you very much. Great day. Work let me tell you something, Millie knows now. Go to the polls. Get out and vote. more about foreign policy than these guys We need you. do. They ought to open their eyes. They ought to open their eyes. Yes, we’ve had a tough time. And yes, some families in Note: The President spoke at 1:33 p.m. at Ohio are hurting. But we are not a nation Strongsville Commons. In his remarks, he in decline. We are the most respected na- referred to Walter F. Ehrnfelt, Mayor of tion on Earth. Our economy is better than Strongsville.

Remarks to the Community in Columbus, Ohio October 28, 1992

The President. Thank you very much. every single State, and he is doing a first- What a fantastic rally. Thank you. Thank class job, all pro bono, for this country. you very much. Thank you. Well, let me And I am very, very grateful to him. first say that I get this wonderful feeling I am delighted that Bruce Willis—let me that things are really moving across this tell you about that one. Arnold and I have country. And you look at this crowd and been together for a long time. In fact, it say, ‘‘This is it. It’s going to happen. It was 4 years ago that he was at my side, is going to happen.’’ not very far from here, as we were coming May I thank Arnold Schwarzenegger. We down the stretch. Bruce Willis called me up all know him and respect him. But let me and he said, ‘‘I have had it with the United tell you one thing in all seriousness. A while States Congress.’’ The polls weren’t so hot back I asked him to head our fitness pro- then, and he said, ‘‘I want to help you.’’ gram for the entire Nation. He’s been to And here he is, and I am very, very grateful

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to him. As for the Oak Ridge Boys, the but let me just give you a few statistics. same thing. You may remember the conven- We have heard everything that’s coming out tion back in 1988. They have been at my of Governor Clinton and the Ozone Man. side through thick and thin, and I am de- We’ve heard everything that they think is lighted that they came all this way to be wrong. Well, let me tell you about Arkansas. with us. They are 50th—and they’re good people, Two members of the family are with me, we lived right next door to them, good peo- my daughter-in-law Margaret and my sister, ple and they’re entitled to something better Ann Ellis. We’re going to put the family than this—50th in the quality of environ- push on this thing now as we come down mental initiatives; 50th in the percentage to the wire. of adults with college degrees; 50th in per And of course, I am so proud to have capita spending on criminal justice; 49th heading up our effort here your great Gov- on police protection; 48th—getting better— ernor, . And speaking of on adults with a high school diploma; 48th Governors, I was so pleased to see the Cari- on spending on corrections; 46th in the bou Man, Jim Rhodes over here, a former whole country on teachers’ salaries; and Governor of this State; and Chalmers Wylie, 45th in the overall well-being of children. the Congressman; and and so And Governor Clinton said in that debate many others. I especially want to say thank ‘‘I want to do for this country what I’ve you to your Mayor. Greg is doing a great done for Arkansas.’’ No way! No way! job, . I am proud to see him And I’ve got only two more things here, every time I come here. I believe, to say about Arkansas. But you’ve Now, I want you all to do something: got to hear them, and then I’ll get on to Everyplace we go, we see a lot of signs the positive aspects. He talks about Arkan- that reflect changing Congress. How about sas leading in job growth. They had one changing Senate and sending Mike DeWine good year. That was 1991, when he’s out to the ? And elect Debbie Pryce to the House of Representa- of the State 85 percent of the time. And tives. Clean House! Clean House! No more he’s been Governor for 10 years and they gridlock! We are going to sit down with were 30 percent of the Nation on that one. that new Congress and get things done for And the other one is there’s an AP story this country. today—talk about the Arkansas miracle— And may I thank another one from Co- AP story today detailing how the Arkansas lumbus, Dewey Stokes, who is the president Medicaid program has been mismanaged, of the National Fraternal Order of Police. projected now to be $120 million in the I am very proud to have been endorsed hole, a huge amount for a tiny little State. by the National Fraternal Order of Police. And the story includes tales of secret meet- We back our law enforcement officers, and ings—go read it—between Governor Clin- we’ll continue to do that. ton and the legislature to try to figure out And I want to thank John Fisher and whether to raise taxes after the election. Dick McFerson of Nationwide Insurance It sounds like Governor Clinton better clean for letting us use this fantastic facility and up his mess in Arkansas before fooling being a part of all of this. around with the United States of America. And now to the business at hand: You’ve No, we can’t have that kind of change. got a choice on Tuesday between a vast Governor Clinton and Ozone, all they do difference in experience, difference in phi- is talk about change. Well, let me tell you losophy, and, yes, character. And on that something, what kind of change we get— basis I ask for your support. I don’t want if you went back to the last time we had to ruin this beautiful rally, but I think it one of those Democrats in the White House is only fair right down to the wire that we and a Democrat Congress, you had interest point out the record of the person that rates at 21.5 percent, and you had inflation would like to have this job. And I’m talking at 15 percent, and you had a ‘‘misery index’’ about the Arkansas record of Governor at 20. Clinton. Sorry to ruin this upbeat meeting, Audience members. Boo-o-o!

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The President. We are not going to go coach for fear some nutty trial lawyer will back to those failed days. You talk about come along and sue them, why, that means change, you talk about change, that’s all we are suing each other too much and car- you guys will have left in your pocket if ing for each other too little in this country. we get those people in there. Let’s put a cap on these lawsuits. Now, there’s bad news for Governor Clin- So in addition to holding the line on ton, because there is good news for the spending and taxes, I want to get a good Nation. If you listen to them, you’d think health care program. Governor Clinton everything was a recession and disaster. Yes- wants to set up, of course, a Government terday it came out that for the sixth straight board. We don’t need the Government to quarter we have had growth. It grew at do it. Here’s what we need to do. Provide 2.7 percent, and personal income is the insurance to the poorest of the poor through highest in 9 months. The country’s begin- vouchers; give credits to those, the most ning to move. Don’t set it back. overtaxed Americans; get pooling of insur- A lot of people are hurting in this country. ance so we can bring it to every single fam- And we care about them and we’ve got ily. But keep the quality of medical care to help them. But the last thing we need up by keeping the Government out of the is to get the Federal Government further medical business. We’ve got the best health involved. Governor Clinton talks about Gov- care plan. ernment investing. Government never cre- And we’ve got the best education plan. ated a decent job in its life. It is small business that needs to be stimulated, and And it’s already working, because the grid- small business that does the investing. He lock guys don’t get too much of their hands wants to raise taxes and raise spending so on this one. Seventeen hundred commu- the Government can invest. I want to get nities have already started revolutionizing the taxes down and spending down so the education. We spend more than every coun- people can invest. try per capita than Switzerland, and we’re You know, Governor Clinton’s got one not getting the results. Let’s help us put idea. He wants to tax foreign investment the emphasis, and support the teachers and that would threaten here in this State not the teachers union. Let’s give the par- 150,000 jobs. They’re bringing jobs here ents a choice of public, private, and reli- from overseas. Let’s not seek retaliation. gious schools. That will make public edu- Let’s open markets abroad. Free and fair cation better. That will make public edu- trade, not protection. cation better, not worse. It worked for the And if there are any auto workers out GI bill after World War II. It will work here—this is a great auto State—if there now if we try it for K through 12. are any auto workers or any people who On crime, let me be very clear where work in companies that supply things for I stand. I am not interested in legislation the auto industry, Governor Clinton and that shows more sympathy for the criminal Ozone want to go for 40- to 45-miles-per- than for the victims of crime. Toughen it gallon CAFE—that’s the fuel efficiency up. Toughen it up, and back our law en- standards—that would cost Ohio 20,000 forcement officers. Bring in these good pro- jobs. We’ve got a good environmental grams like our ‘‘Weed and Seed’’ program record, but let’s not go to the extreme. that weeds out the criminals and then seeds Small business, small business creates these tough neighborhoods with hope. two-thirds of the new jobs. And they need That’s what we’ve got to do. Homeowner- relief, they don’t need more taxation. They ship. Enterprise zones. We’ve got to en- need relief from taxation, relief from regula- courage the communities, not try to legis- tion, and yes, relief from these crazy law- late from Washington, DC. suits. You know, we spend too much on And while we’re at it, with this new Con- this, and we need to put some caps on gress, we’re going to sit down with them these crazy lawsuits. When a doctor is afraid right after the election—we’re not going to to practice medicine and deliver a baby, wait for anything to happen—sit down with when a Little League coach is afraid to them. And I’m going to say, all right, we

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want to get the deficit down. Here’s a three- on that war. And we brought along this point plan, we’ll make it a four-point plan. country. We did the right thing when we Here it is: Give us a balanced budget kicked Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. And amendment; give us what the States have. where was Governor Clinton? Where was Give us a check-off, give us a check-off Governor Clinton? Here’s what he said. so every taxpayer—don’t have to do this, Here is what Governor Clinton said: ‘‘I but you can—check 10 percent of your in- agree with’’—I’m not giving him hell. It’s come tax if you want to, to be applied to like Truman said. Do you remember? He lowering the Government deficit and mak- says, give ’em hell. He said, ‘‘I’m just telling ing Congress comply. Three, give us what the truth, and they think it’s hell.’’ 43 Governors have. If these big spenders Okay. Here’s what he said. Here is what in Congress can’t do it, let the President the man said. You remember, think back have a shot, a line-item veto. And four, to what it was like then: all the demonstra- let’s give the Congress back to the people. tions; all the press fighting us; all the dif- The President’s terms are limited. Why not ferent struggles going on; Congress drag- limit the terms of Members of Congress? ging its feet; people telling me, well, you As we drive down to the wire here in haven’t sold the American people. Here’s this wonderfully exciting rally, let me point what Governor Clinton said when it came something else out. I’ve been talking about to that vote. He said, ‘‘I agree with the it, and I feel very strongly about it. Gov- arguments of the minority, but I guess I ernor Clinton said in the debate it’s not would have voted with the majority.’’ You the character of the President, it’s ‘‘the cannot make the White House into the waf- character of the Presidency.’’ Wrong. They fle house. You can’t do it. are interlocked. You cannot separate the character of the President from the char- The Arkansas Gazette today said Bill acter of the Presidency. You can’t do it. Clinton is a master politician, but what prin- And you cannot be Commander in Chief ciples, if any, informed his politics. The bot- of the Armed Forces if you flip-flop on tom line is, you cannot lead by misleading. every issue. You cannot be all things to You can’t be all things to all people. You’ve all people as President. And if you make got to do it like the umpire does, call it a mistake, and yes, I have, you look the as you see it, and then go forward and lead people in the eye and say, I blew it, now this country. let’s get on about leading this great country. Let me say this. First place, I wish our Governor Clinton will go to the auto guys, great First Lady, Barbara Bush, were here. and he’ll say that he’s against CAFE stand- She would be thrilled to see this. And yes, ards. And yet he and Ozone go out and we plan to keep Millie in the White say, well, we’ve got to have 45 miles per House—I see the sign—because, you see, gallon. That will drive auto workers out of if I want foreign policy advice, I’d go to business. On the one hand—you heard in Millie before I’d go to Ozone and Governor the debate—the NAFTA agreement, the Clinton. free trade agreement, yes, he’s for it, ‘‘but.’’ You know, you haven’t read anything You cannot have a lot of ‘‘buts’’ sitting there about—I haven’t attacked the media yet. at that Oval Office, I’ll tell you. In one Stay tuned. Wait a minute. No, I want you part of the world he’s for right-to-work, and to be kinder and gentler to the media travel- then he’ll go up and tell Mr. Kirkland and ing with us, especially those guys that are the rest of the labor guys he’s against it. taking the pictures, carrying the mikes, and You can’t do it. You’ve got to say what carrying those cameras all around. And yes, you’re for. be grateful. Amnesty for the White House And when it comes to war and peace, press. Take it out on these talking heads, you can’t do what he did. Let me tell you, Republicans, Democrats, whoever they are, it is not easy when you have to commit come on every Sunday, tell you how to somebody else’s kid to go into battle. But think, saying we’re dead. We are going to I was tempered by fire. I believe in honor, show them they are wrong. We are going duty, and service. I made a tough decision to prove them wrong. And here’s why.

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Audience members. Four more years! grandkids, you’ve got it made. Why do you Four more years! Four more years! want to do this?’’ Well, let me tell you, The President. Here’s why, here’s how I finish what I start. I want to see us lift it’s going to work. Here’s how it’s going up these young people here today and make to work and why all these critics and all them understand that if we do what I’ve these naysayers and all these people telling told you today I want to do, their lives are you that we have no chance are going to going to be better than the lives of their be wrong. It’s going to boil down to this: parents. And we are going to lead the entire First place, I believe that we’re not a coun- world into economic recovery, and that try in decline. I’m absolutely convinced that means jobs for every American that wants we are a rising nation, not a declining na- to work. tion. Secondly, I know it’s been tough out And so I’m not done yet. I ask you to there for families and for kids, but we’re go to the polls on Tuesday. I ask for your moving. And I can say as the President support on the basis of character and trust. of the United States I take great pride in And I will do my level-best to lead this the fact that these young kids here go to country to new heights and new prosperity. bed at night without the same fear of nu- Thank you, and may God bless the United clear war as their mothers and dad did. States of America and keep her. Thank you And that is a significant accomplishment. very much. The world is more peaceful, and the world has changed. Note: The President spoke at 4:32 p.m. at People say to me, ‘‘Listen, with Barbara Nationwide Plaza. In his remarks, he re- at your side and your 5 kids and your 12 ferred to Bob Taft, .

Question-and-Answer Session in Columbus October 28, 1992

Moderator. Mr. President, I would like to my predecessor, because you’ve got to to ask the first question tonight. And first go back 12 years. A lot of what it was about of all, let me just say thanks for joining then was peace through strength versus the us. It’s a pleasure to have you in Columbus, nuclear freeze movement. And some people and welcome to our fine State. were so frantic about nuclear war they felt The President. Nice to be back. the only way you’ll get peace is if you have Fall of Communism a nuclear freeze. We didn’t believe that. We stayed strong. Moderator. I want to start with a cam- We tried to work with the Russians. Com- paign flap that surfaced today, as far as munism is—international communism or I know. Your opponent, one of your oppo- nents, Bill Clinton, has waved a copy of outreach communism—imperial com- New Yorker magazine, which claims that munism is dead, and I’m very proud that you said to former Soviet Premier Gorba- it happened when I’ve been President. But chev, ‘‘Don’t worry about what I might say I don’t know what they’re talking about. during the campaign about the fall of com- I’ve had many conversations with Mr. munism in the Soviet Union; don’t worry Gorbachev. I still salute him. I am very about that. I’ll explain it to you later.’’ What proud that Mr. Yeltsin has said, ‘‘It was exactly did you say to Mr. Gorbachev? George Bush who first stood up for me,’’— The President. I said a lot of things to when he was on that tank—‘‘first world Mr. Gorbachev—I don’t recall exactly leader, and he never wavered, and that that—because I did worry about the fall meant more to the failure of the coup and of communism, and I’m delighted that it the success of Russia going truly democratic happened on our watch. I give great credit than anything else.’’

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