Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323151983
label
President's Dinner 4/28/92 [OA 6101] [1]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323151983
contentType
document
title
President's Dinner 4/28/92 [OA 6101] [1]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13618-007
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Draft Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323151983
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
754b9168cc8f31d9
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Draft Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13618
Folder ID Number:
13618-007
Folder Title:
President's Dinner 4/28/92 [OA 6101] [1]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
18
1
5
1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
THANK YOU.
I AM GRATEFUL TO so MANY FOR THIS VICTORY. IT'S
WONDERFUL TO BE OFFICIALLY OVER THE TOP. I WANT TO
START BY THANKING BOTH DAN QUAYLE AND MARILYN -- THEY
HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN THIS CAMPAIGN. NEXT, I THANK
ALL THOSE WHO'VE HELPED IN so MANY WAYS -- VOLUNTEERING
THEIR TIME, THEIR EFFORTS. BARBARA AND I WANT TO THANK
YOU AND ALL THOSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO PARTICIPATED
IN THE PRIMARY PROCESS TO MAKE THESE 1105 DELEGATES
POSSIBLE.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ELECTION PROCESS -- AND WE'RE
ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE JOURNEY, HALFWAY TO THE
GOAL
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WANT TO SAY.
FIRST, I'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THIS CAMPAIGN. I KNOW
BETTER THAN I DID THE DEPTH OF THE CARES AND CONCERNS
OF THOSE WHO CHOSE TO SUPPORT US -- AND OF THOSE WHO
DIDN'T. AND LATELY I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF WHAT WE
HAVE IN COMMON, ALL OF US WHO TOOK PART, ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE, IN THIS CONTEST.
- 2 -
WE ALL BELIEVE IN A MIRACLE CALLED AMERICA. WE ALL
BELIEVE THE FAMILY IS AT THE CENTER OF SOCIETY, AND
SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR THOUGHTS AS WE MAKE, IN
WASHINGTON, DECISIONS THAT AFFECT IT.
THE FACT IS, PARTIES, LIKE PEOPLE, HAVE TENDENCIES.
AND WE REPUBLICANS HAVE BELIEVED IN AND PROTECTED SOME
VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
WE BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENT HAS A PLACE -- BUT IT
ALSO HAS LIMITS ON WHAT IT CAN AND SHOULD DO.
GOVERNMENT CAN'T SOLVE EVERYTHING. IN FACT, YOU ALWAYS
HAVE TO MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T START PROBLEMS.
WE BELIEVE TAXES SHOULD BE SMALL, NOT BIG. WE
BELIEVE THOSE WHO PAY THEM HAVE RIGHTS, AND THOSE WHO
BENEFIT FROM THEM HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES.
- 3 -
WE BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES -- COLD
WAR, HOT WAR, RELATIVE CALM OR NEW AGE OF PEACE AND
FREEDOM -- WHATEVER THE HAND HISTORY DEALS YOU, THERE
IS ONE KEY TO A SAFER, MORE PEACEFUL WORLD: AND THAT
IS AN AMERICAN DEFENSE STRUCTURE SECOND TO NONE.
HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THIS -- AND REPUBLICANS ALWAYS
REMEMBER.
- 4 -
WE BELIEVE IN COMMON SENSE. WHEN SOMETHING'S
BROKE, YOU FIX IT. TONIGHT, so MANY OF YOU CAME HERE
TO HELP ME PUT AN END TO THE OBSTRUCTION AND ABUSES OF
THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN CONGRESS. YOU KNOW, WHEN
RONALD REAGAN HAD A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE SENATE,
HE MADE REAGANISM A REALITY. HE GOT A LOT OF HIS
PROGRAM THROUGH. MY ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORTH GOOD
IDEAS AND NEW SOLUTIONS AND SEEN THEM KILLED BY THE
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY UP THERE ON HEARTBREAK HILL OR
WORSE, HAS SEEN A DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP THAT REFUSES TO
LET THE CONGRESS EVEN VOTE ON IDEAS THAT THE VOTERS
BACK IN '88 OVERWHELMINGLY ENDORSED. YOU KNOW, THE
OTHER DAY SOMEONE ASKED ME HOW I COULD BE FOR CHANGE.
I SAID, CHANGE THE CONGRESS AND I'LL GET THE JOB DONE!
WE NEED A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE -- AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THIS ELECTION
YEAR IS ABOUT. AND AS I SURVEY THE SCENE AND LISTEN TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THIS COULD WELL BE THE YEAR WE
GET CONTROL OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
- 5 -
FINALLY, WE REPUBLICANS BELIEVE IN THE OLD WISDOM -
- THE ENDURING SOCIAL VALUES THAT WE LIVED BY AS WE
BUILT A GREAT NATION: RELIGIOUS FAITH, HONESTY,
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, HARD WORK AND MERIT. STYLES
COME AND GO, FADS AND FASHIONS FADE, BUT THE OLD
ENDURING VALUES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. AND I BELIEVE THAT A
PRESIDENT WITH THE RIGHT IDEAS -- THE RIGHT INTENTIONS
-- THE RIGHT BELIEFS -- CAN GET THEM THROUGH THE RIGHT
KIND OF CONGRESS.
- 6 -
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE AGREE ON THE BIG
ISSUES: ON THE ISSUES THAT SHAPE THE WORLD -- AND ON
THE VALUES CLOSE TO HOME. AS PRESIDENT, I'VE MADE IT
MY MISSION TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THREE LEGACIES CLOSE
TO ALL OUR HEARTS: A WORLD AT PEACE -- AND WE HAVE A
GREAT RECORD TO TAKE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON THIS.
AN ECONOMY WITH GOOD JOBS -- REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
AMERICANS -- AND THINGS ARE LOOKING MUCH MUCH BETTER
FOR THE ECONOMY NOW. AND WE MUST PRESERVE A NATION OF
STRONG FAMILIES -- COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS
SOMEONE HE CAN COUNT ON, SOMEONE WHO CALLS HIM BY HIS
NAME.
I AM VERY PROUD OF BARBARA BUSH AND OF HER LOVING
CONCERN FOR THE CHILDREN OF THIS COUNTRY.
- 7 -
HISTORY HAS TAKEN A TURN THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND
GIVEN US A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. IF WE APPLY OUR GOOD
BELIEFS TO THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY, THEN WE WILL MAKE A
CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COUNTRY, A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR
CHILDREN'S LIVES, AND A CONTRIBUTION TO HISTORY. THE
STAKES ARE THAT HIGH.
ONE MORE THING: I INTEND TO WIN THIS THING.
I INTEND TO WIN.
WITH YOUR HELP I WILL WIN.
THANK YOU. TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT.
# # #
1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
THANK YOU.
I AM GRATEFUL TO so MANY FOR THIS VICTORY. IT'S
WONDERFUL TO BE OFFICIALLY OVER THE TOP. I WANT TO
START BY THANKING BOTH DAN QUAYLE AND MARILYN -- THEY
HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN THIS CAMPAIGN. NEXT, I THANK
ALL THOSE WHO'VE HELPED IN so MANY WAYS -- VOLUNTEERING
THEIR TIME, THEIR EFFORTS. BARBARA AND I WANT TO THANK
YOU AND ALL THOSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO PARTICIPATED
IN THE PRIMARY PROCESS TO MAKE THESE 1105 DELEGATES
POSSIBLE.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ELECTION PROCESS -- AND WE'RE
ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE JOURNEY, HALFWAY TO THE
GOAL... BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WANT TO SAY.
- 2 -
FIRST, I'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THIS CAMPAIGN. I KNOW
BETTER THAN I DID THE DEPTH OF THE CARES AND CONCERNS
OF THOSE WHO CHOSE TO SUPPORT US -- -- AND OF THOSE WHO
DIDN'T. AND LATELY I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF WHAT WE
HAVE IN COMMON, ALL OF US WHO TOOK PART, ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE, IN THIS CONTEST.
WE ALL BELIEVE IN A MIRACLE CALLED AMERICA. WE ALL
BELIEVE THE FAMILY IS AT THE CENTER OF SOCIETY, AND
SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR THOUGHTS AS WE MAKE, IN
WASHINGTON, DECISIONS THAT AFFECT IT.
THE FACT IS, PARTIES, LIKE PEOPLE, HAVE TENDENCIES.
AND WE REPUBLICANS HAVE BELIEVED IN AND PROTECTED SOME
VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
WE BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENT HAS A PLACE -- BUT IT
ALSO HAS LIMITS ON WHAT IT CAN AND SHOULD DO.
GOVERNMENT CAN'T SOLVE EVERYTHING. IN FACT, YOU ALWAYS
HAVE TO MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T START PROBLEMS.
- 3 -
WE BELIEVE TAXES SHOULD BE SMALL, NOT BIG. WE
BELIEVE THOSE WHO PAY THEM HAVE RIGHTS, AND THOSE WHO
BENEFIT FROM THEM HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES -- COLD
WAR, HOT WAR, RELATIVE CALM OR NEW AGE OF PEACE AND
FREEDOM -- WHATEVER THE HAND HISTORY DEALS YOU, THERE
IS ONE KEY TO A SAFER, MORE PEACEFUL WORLD: AND THAT
IS AN AMERICAN DEFENSE STRUCTURE SECOND TO NONE.
HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THIS -- AND REPUBLICANS ALWAYS
REMEMBER.
- 4 -
WE BELIEVE IN COMMON SENSE. WHEN SOMETHING'S
BROKE, YOU FIX IT. TONIGHT, so MANY OF YOU CAME HERE
TO HELP ME PUT AN END TO THE OBSTRUCTION AND ABUSES OF
THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN CONGRESS. YOU KNOW, WHEN
RONALD REAGAN HAD A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE SENATE,
HE MADE REAGANISM A REALITY. HE GOT A LOT OF HIS
PROGRAM THROUGH. MY ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORTH GOOD
IDEAS AND NEW SOLUTIONS AND SEEN THEM KILLED BY THE
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY UP THERE ON HEARTBREAK HILL ...
OR
WORSE, HAS SEEN A DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP THAT REFUSES TO
LET THE CONGRESS EVEN VOTE ON IDEAS THAT THE VOTERS
BACK IN '88 OVERWHELMINGLY ENDORSED. YOU KNOW, THE
OTHER DAY SOMEONE ASKED ME HOW I COULD BE FOR CHANGE.
I SAID, CHANGE THE CONGRESS AND I'LL GET THE JOB DONE!
WE NEED A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE -- AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THIS ELECTION
YEAR IS ABOUT. AND AS I SURVEY THE SCENE AND LISTEN TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THIS COULD WELL BE THE YEAR WE
GET CONTROL OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
- 5 -
FINALLY, WE REPUBLICANS BELIEVE IN THE OLD WISDOM -
- THE ENDURING SOCIAL VALUES THAT WE LIVED BY AS WE
BUILT A GREAT NATION: RELIGIOUS FAITH, HONESTY,
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, HARD WORK AND MERIT. STYLES
COME AND GO, FADS AND FASHIONS FADE, BUT THE OLD
ENDURING VALUES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. AND I BELIEVE THAT A
PRESIDENT WITH THE RIGHT IDEAS -- THE RIGHT INTENTIONS
-- THE RIGHT BELIEFS -- CAN GET THEM THROUGH THE RIGHT
KIND OF CONGRESS.
- 6 -
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE AGREE ON THE BIG
ISSUES: ON THE ISSUES THAT SHAPE THE WORLD -- AND ON
THE VALUES CLOSE TO HOME. AS PRESIDENT, I'VE MADE IT
MY MISSION TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THREE LEGACIES CLOSE
TO ALL OUR HEARTS: A WORLD AT PEACE -- AND WE HAVE A
GREAT RECORD TO TAKE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON THIS.
AN ECONOMY WITH GOOD JOBS -- REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
AMERICANS -- AND THINGS ARE LOOKING MUCH MUCH BETTER
FOR THE ECONOMY NOW. AND WE MUST PRESERVE A NATION OF
STRONG FAMILIES -- COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS
SOMEONE HE CAN COUNT ON, SOMEONE WHO CALLS HIM BY HIS
NAME.
I AM VERY PROUD OF BARBARA BUSH AND OF HER LOVING
CONCERN FOR THE CHILDREN OF THIS COUNTRY.
- 7 -
HISTORY HAS TAKEN A TURN THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND
GIVEN US A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. IF WE APPLY OUR GOOD
BELIEFS TO THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY, THEN WE WILL MAKE A
CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COUNTRY, A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR
CHILDREN'S LIVES, AND A CONTRIBUTION TO HISTORY. THE
STAKES ARE THAT HIGH.
ONE MORE THING: I INTEND TO WIN THIS THING.
I INTEND TO WIN.
WITH YOUR HELP I WILL WIN.
THANK YOU. TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
$
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
the right kind of Congress.
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
$
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are, some things I
want to say.
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
the right kind of Congress.
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/27/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
---
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28 - 9:00 p.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
FITZWATER
YEUTTER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
see Gail Wa lensky
comments / P P45(5)
HILLIP D. BRADY
stant to the President
d Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
2 APR 27 P2:02
April 27, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
DAVID F. DEMAREST
FROM:
ANDY FERGUSON
at
SUBJECT:
PROPOSED REMARKS FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
I. SUMMARY
On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:00 p.m. you will deliver remarks
Convention Center.
to an audience of 4,200 in the Grand Ballroom of the Washington
The audience includes members of the House and Senate.
II. DISCUSSION
Your remarks, (approximately 12 minutes /
agenda. teleprompter), focus on Republican leadership and your reform
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 27, 1992
Draft Three
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:20 PM
[Acknowledgments: Thank you, Guy Vander Jagt for that kind
introduction. Greetings to James Thompson, Tom Loeffler, Robert
Day, William Schreyer and Jack McDonald. Let me offer special
thanks to Howard Baker for his three years of outstanding
leadership as Chairman of the President's Dinner. And my
congratulations and thanks to XX, who will be taking over as
chairman this year.
((I especially want to thank Senator Baker and the entire
leadership of the 1992 President's Dinner for this record-
breaking event. Even more amazing, you managed to break all
fund-raising records without asking Millie for a single dime.)
((If there's one thing Millie really resents, it's being
called a "fat cat."))
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
2
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. These special interests are small,
entrenched constituencies who put their narrow wants before the
common good. They block change because change threatens the
status quo, and their power is out of all proportion to their
size. But they are about to learn a painful lesson this election
year: The American people have had enough of the way they do
business.
Let me give you a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
3
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws. We first sent it to
Capitol Hill in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the
special interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again
in '91. And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up
for a vote. Over in the House our reform is bottled up in two
committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a first-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our educational achievement is sliding every year.
4
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, even surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, world-class standards and voluntary testing;
we're fighting to give teachers and communities maximum
flexibility. We've got to rid our schools of drugs and violence.
And whether it's among public schools, private or religious,
parents must have the freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
5
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
Of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play," whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
and their clients who control Congress want a program -- some
vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can manipulate for their own
purposes. But this steady, unthinking expansion of government
power is coming to an end. In my State of the Union address I
announced a 90-day moratorium on excessive government
regulations, and we've seen results across the board -- from
biotech to banking to energy. Tomorrow I'll announce the next
stage of our continuing battle against excessive regulations.
But I can tell you this right now: the days of over-regulation
are just that -- over.
You'll remember our friends on the Left used to talk about
"getting on the right side of history." Well, they were wrong
about which side history was on.
6
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Recall the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
#
#
#
#
3228
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 28 P2: 54
4/28/92
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/28/92 NOON
REVISED PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than NOON, TODAY, APRIL 28, with a copy to this
office. Thankyou.
RESPONSE:
April 28, 1992
TO:
DANIEL B. MCGROARTY
The NSC staff has reviewed the above-referenced matter and has no
objection to the revised Presidential Remarks.
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
Brent Scowcroft
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
CC: Phillip D. Brady
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
32 APR 28 A8:56
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
&
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
the right kind of Congress.
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
324013ss
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 27 P5: 43
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/26
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
>
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
KAUFMAN
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
To
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
APR24 All 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
2
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
obstac
I. And so do the American people.
They are the special
interests -- small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed -- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws -- introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two -- that's
right, two -- committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our kids seem to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play, whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
6
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
324013ss
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/26
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
N/C
MOORE
jenny Lamp 3055
DARMAN
N/C
PETERSMEYER N/C
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH N/C
CALIO by phone Dan
ROLLINS N/C
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY Nelson 2896 lind N/C
KAUFMAN
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTM
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
22 APR24 All 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
2
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
I. And so do the American people. They are the special
interests -- small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed -- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws -- introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two -- that's
right, two -- committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our kids seem to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
Of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play," whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
6
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
324013ss
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 27 P2: 52
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/26
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
KAUFMAN
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
See Comments
Maua Sheeh for DS.
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
APR24 All 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
2
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
I. And so do the American people. They are the special
interests -- small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed -- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws -- introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two -- that's
right, two -- committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
fillow student all a gun In he or her
to schools where they don't find a gun-in-someone's locker, or
(how world they find a sun in some one else's
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the locks?)
classroom, our kids seem to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play," whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
Serms like up to here the demestic/ political
message was so clear. why muddle it with the
foreign. It goes largely without saying, especially
with this crowd. The civelusin cened follow from
the right side of history on domestic issues.
6
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
DIVING TIVRET VENIER
76-17-17
11.29
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218;# 1
324013ss
Document No.
92 APR 27 WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
P12: 32
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/26
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
KAUFMAN
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Faced to 12:30 Speechwrtong
Comments on pp. 2-3 shoned to
4-27-92
Dan Rebroarty
4/27 a.m.
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Josh Bolten
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
; 4-27-92 ; 11:29 ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 2
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
APR24 All 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo - who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
; 4-27-92 ; 11:30 ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 3
forum to complain
wrong about particularly special interest in light funding of body press about dinner
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
I. And so do the American people. They are the special
interests - small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed --- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient - not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies - parents not coaching Little League -
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws - introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
; 4-27-92 : 11:30 ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 4
[two is not tras many]
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrate refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two
that
committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom --- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our kids seen to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
;
4-27-92 ; 11:31 ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 5
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play,' whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
;
4-27-92 ; 11:31 ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 6
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual man
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
; 4-27-92 ; 11:32 LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 7
6
with your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
324013ss
Document No.
3127
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 27 APR 27 A9: 19
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/2
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
>
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
KAUFMAN
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
April 27, 1992
FOR DAN MCGROARTY
The NSC staff concurs with the attached Presidential remarks
Needs some unk
PHILLIP D. BRADY
BRENT SCOWCROFT
Assistant to the President
CC: Phillip D. Brady
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
APR24 All 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
2
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
I. And so do the American people. They are the special
interests -- small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed -- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws -- introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two -- that's
right, two -- committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our kids seem to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play,' whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
6
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
324013ss
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 24 P4: 23
DATE:
4/24/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 9:00 A.M. MONDAY 4/26
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT"S DINNER
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 P.M.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
KAUFMAN
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm 122,
Ext. 2930, NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 26, with
a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
asish
by Rucy PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant
to
the
President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Bunton)
April 24, 1992
Draft Two
APR24 All : 13
DINNER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
9:00 PM
[Acknowledgments]
I'm delighted to be here, with the men and women who are
going to change America. I know there's been a lot of talk about
change this election year. And most of it has been just that --
talk. But the time for talk is over.
America needs men and women of purpose, of experience,
people who know how to get things done. We need people who
aren't afraid to rattle the business-as-usual crowd. We need
people who will stand up to the status quo -- who'll tell them
the old ways of doing things just aren't good enough anymore.
What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is a Republican
president and a Republican Congress. That's what we're moving
toward tonight, with your generous help. And that's how we will
build a better America.
Over the past three years, I've spoken often of the need for
reform. I've made specific and far-reaching proposals to change
our education system, and our health care system. I've made
proposals to reform our legal system and our election campaigns.
Right down the line, on issue after issue, the Republican
party has proposed fundamental changes to solve the problems that
burden our country.
2
And against heavy odds, we've had our successes. But you
know as well as I that we've come up against some obstacles in
the past three years. You know who those obstacles are. So do
I. And so do the American people. They are the special
interests -- small, entrenched constituencies who put their
narrow wants before the common good. They fight change for a
simple reason: change threatens the status quo.
Yes, the special interests are powerful. Yes, they're
influential. And heaven knows they're well-financed -- after
all, they've been able to buy their very own political party.
But the special interests are about to learn something else
this election year: The American people have had enough of the
way they do business.
Let's look at a few examples.
It used to be that a doctor's first worry was about the care
of the patient -- not the threat of a malpractice suit. Every
American knows what I'm talking about: lawsuit madness. Doctors
not delivering babies -- parents not coaching Little League --
volunteers not helping the elderly -- all from fear of nuisance
lawsuits.
That's just plain wrong. That is not the kind of America we
want. People should spend more time helping each other and less
time suing each other.
We're trying to do something about that. You'll remember
our bill to reform product liability laws -- introduced it first
in 1990. But the liberal Democrats, coached by the special
3
interests, refused to budge. So we introduced it again in '91.
And guess what -- Senate Democrats refuse to bring it up for a
vote, and in the House our reform is stuck in two -- that's
right, two -- committees.
Make no mistake: We will ensure that every American's rights
are protected. But we will reform our legal system to get rid of
these frivolous lawsuits -- and no lobby of trial lawyers will
stand in the way.
Here's another example. It used to be that when we sent our
kids to school, we knew they were going to get a world-class
education. They'd learn how to read and write and multiply and
divide, and they'd learn something about the world. And we knew
the values we taught them at home would be reinforced in the
classroom -- like knowing the difference between right and wrong.
But now we consider ourselves lucky if we can send our kids
to schools where they don't find a gun in someone's locker, or
catch some punk dealing drugs on the playground. And in the
classroom, our kids seem to be learning less every year.
That's wrong. That's got to change. We must reinvent
American education, top-to-bottom -- for our kids, and for our
teachers, who too often have to double as social workers,
counselors, and surrogate parents. God bless America's teachers
for the work they do.
We know how to help them. Our America 2000 reforms are
gaining steam, community by community. We're encouraging break-
the-mold schools, national standards and testing; we're fighting
4
to give teachers and communities maximum flexibility. We've got
to rid our schools of drugs and violence. And whether it's among
public schools, private or religious, parents must have the
freedom to choose their children's schools.
This is a revolution long-overdue. And the entrenched
special interests, the business-as-usual-crowd, the liberal
Democrats had all best understand: This revolution is going to
happen, with or without the permission of the NEA and its friends
in Congress.
Another example: It used to be that going to the hospital
didn't conjure up visions of financial ruin. American health
care is still the best in the world, but too many Americans can't
qualify for health insurance or can't afford it. The cost of
even minor surgery has gone through the roof.
This too has got to change. And we know how to change it.
Our health care reform is comprehensive; it preserves what works,
changes what doesn't. It makes health insurance accessible and
affordable -- without throwing out the highest-quality care in
the world.
of course, the other side doesn't like our reform. For
them, freedom of choice -- whether in medical care, education or
child care -- will always take a back seat to some bureaucratic
mandate. They've got other ideas -- very expensive ones, as
always. They can call it "national health insurance," "pay-or-
play," whatever they'd like. But it's socialized health care any
way you cut it -- and that would be a national disaster. We are
5
not going to let the government come between doctors and their
patients.
You see, no matter what the problem, the special interests
want a program -- some vast, unaccountable bureaucracy they can
manipulate and Congress can micromanage. You'll remember our
friends on the Left used to talk about "getting on the right side
of history." Well, they were wrong about which side history was
on.
It wasn't theirs. It was ours. A movement sweeps the world
today: a movement away from bureaucratic mandates and centralized
authority and towards the freely made decisions of individual men
and women. And there's a reason freedom is on the march from
Managua to Moscow. Think back to the 1980s, to the climax of the
Cold War. Liberal Democrats called for gutting the defense
budget, then for a nuclear freeze, then an end to weapons
modernization. But the Republican party was there to say: No!
We stood squarely with the American people for a strong defense.
And because we stood firm, imperial communism today is a four-
letter word: D-E-A-D.
The Republican party has always sensed the inevitability of
freedom's march. It is woven into everything we are as a party.
Remember the first Republican president. Government's greatest
purpose, Lincoln said, was "to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all."
6
With your continued support, we will see this mission
through, as a party and as a nation -- the greatest, freest
nation on earth.
Thank you. God bless you and the United States of America.
# # # #
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
4/28/92
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/28/92 NOON
REVISED PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER Findlay
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT N/C
MOORE
NickRestow
6538
DARMAN NK
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
Byptone
ROLLINS N/C
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
N/C
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY N/C
KAUFMAN
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than NOON, TODAY, APRIL 28, with a copy to this
office. Thankyou.
RESPONSE:
MASTER + R,Porter
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
32 APR 28 A8:56
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
&
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
Portu:
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
delete
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
Porder
We all believe in a called America. We all believe
miracle deal no
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe that the best tax is
Bolton- Cabo
a small tax.
(no toy.
We believe Comen can are taxed too much
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
Rolton- Calio:
(we believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
should
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
be once-
responsibilities.
here p.l. or on
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
DSMITH
opeats p.l.
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
delike
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
control of
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
Bobton
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
Calio
what is a "maponty?
Why not: What I'd like more Then any they olse is
to call B Dole May leader my off Fruit
DMichel . - MR. Speaker...
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
I
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
Findlay- delete:
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
His those
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
Repub. botiefs
l intent this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
that to w/
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
the right kind of Congress.
a a
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
his memo
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
92 APR 28 Pl:
April 28, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR DAN MCGROARTY
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: The President's Dinner,
Tuesday, April 28 (Revised Remarks)
Americans admire candor and humility. They also admire
strength. At least twice in the revised remarks for the
President's Dinner, the President calls explicit attention to a
lack of pride, and his imperfections. I have made some minor
suggestions that I believe can help convey not only candor and
humility, but strength.
1. On page one, I recommend deleting the phrase "I'm not
too proud to tell you" at the beginning of the third
paragraph. The point is made by simply stating: "First, I have
learned some things in this campaign."
2. In the last paragraph on page one, I recommend
changing "a miracle called America" to "the ideal called
America." It is an ideal that we are holding up to the world
as something to which they can strive.
3. In the last sentence of that paragraph I recommend
shifting the focus to controlling spending rather than taxes.
Some have argued that the tax increase in the 1990 Budget
Agreement was modest. But that was not the part of the
agreement that we like or sought. What we sought was to
restrain the growth of government spending. I recommend
changing the last sentence of this paragraph to read: "We
believe -- we ALL believe -- that government spends too much. "
Another way of making the same point would be "We believe -- we
ALL believe -- that the government spends too much of our
money." But this second formulation may unnecessarily draw
attention to the income level of the audience.
4. In the third paragraph on page two, I recommend a
parallel change. It would read: "We believe government spends
too much and that we must vigilantly control spending and
taxes. We believe that those who pay taxes have rights, and
that those who benefit from them have responsibilities."
5. In the last paragraph on page two we should emphasize
that the Republican Party controlled the Senate not Ronald
Reagan. I recommend changing the fourth sentence to read:
"You know, when Ronald Reagan e@uld work with a Republican
-2-
controlled Senate, he made Reaganism a reality."
6. In the second full paragraph on page three, I
recommend rewording the paragraph to read: "I have learned
from the last three years, from the triumphs and the
disappointments. I am wiser and more determined, more
determined than ever to lead this country to greatness at home
]
and abroad."
If you have any questions, or I can help in any other way,
please let me know.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/28/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/28/92 NOON
REVISED PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than NOON, TODAY, APRIL 28, with a copy to this
office. Thankyou.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
32 APR 28 A8:55
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
&
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
First, m not too proud to Lte tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
THE IDEAL
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
could work w/a Repub
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
Del
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
memo
the right kind of Congress.
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 28 PI: 41
4/28/92
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/28/92 NOON
REVISED PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than NOON, TODAY, APRIL 28, with a copy to this
office. Thankyou.
RESPONSE:
To
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
02 APR 28 A8: 56
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
tB
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you always have to make sure government
doesn't start problems.
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring values are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
It
is
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
those
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
core
Republican beliefs
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
I
that tend
the right kind of Congress.
Refublican Feture to
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
Corgress
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
second
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
term.
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #
Document No. 324013ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
4/28/92
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/28/92 NOON
REVISED PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: THE PRESIDENT'S DINNER
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than NOON, TODAY, APRIL 28, with a copy to this
office. Thankyou.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
02 APR 28 A8:55
April 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DAVID DEMAREST
&
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Sir, attached are the proposed remarks (seven minutes,
teleprompter) for tonight's President's Dinner. The dinner will
begin at 7:55 p.m. and you will speak at 9:20 p.m. The event
will take place at the Convention Center with an expected
audience of 4,300.
DRAFT 1
April 27, 1992
7:45 P.M.
[PRESDIN]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: 1992 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 28, 1992
8:45 P.M.
Thank you.
I am grateful to so many for this victory. I want to thank
those who worked for me in small state offices and county
officials throughout the country. I thank those who've helped in
so many ways -- volunteering their time, their efforts. I thank
my family, the children, our grandchildren. And I thank the
woman who stands at the center of it all, a lady named Barbara.
This has been a long campaign. We're only halfway through
the journey, halfway to the goal
But there are some things I
want to say.
First, I'm not too proud to tell you I have learned some
things in this campaign. I know better than I did the depth of
the cares and concerns of those who chose to support us -- and of
those who didn't. And lately I have been thinking of what we
have in common, all of us who took part, on the Republican side,
in this contest.
We all believe in a miracle called America. We all believe
the family is at the center of society, and should be at the
center of our thoughts as we make, in Washington, decisions that
affect it. We believe -- we ALL believe -- that the best tax is
a small tax.
2
The fact is, parties, like people, have tendencies. And we
Republicans have believed in and protected some very important
things.
We believe that government has a place -- but it also has
limits on what it can and should do. Government can't solve
everything. In fact, you (You always have to make sure government
Just
exectly
doesn't start problems.
said
this
Refere)
splacement
We believe taxes should be small, not big. We believe those
who pay them have rights, and those who benefit from them have
responsibilities.
We believe that whatever the circumstances -- cold war, hot
war, relative calm or new age of peace and freedom -- whatever
the hand history deals you, there is one key to a safer, more
peaceful world: And that is an American defense structure second
to none. History has taught us this -- and Republicans always
remember.
We believe in common sense. When something's broke, you fix
it. Tonight, so many of you came here to help me put an end to
the obstruction and abuses of the Democratic majority in
control of
Congress. You know, when Ronald Reagan had the Senate, he made
Reaganism a reality. He got a lot of his program through. My
administration has put forth good ideas and new solutions and
seen them killed by the Democratic majority up there on
Heartbreak Hill
You know, the other day someone asked me how
I could be for change. I said, Change the Congress and I'll get
the job done! We need a new majority of Republicans in the House
3
and Senate -- and that is one of the things this election year is
about.
Finally, we Republicans believe in the old wisdom -- the
enduring social values that we lived by as we built a great
nation: religious faith, honesty, personal responsibility, hard
work and merit. Styles come and go, fads and fashions fade, but
the old enduring valués are never go out of style.
I haven't been a perfect President. But I'll tell you:
I've learned from each mistake, and learned again from every
triumph -- and I am going to fight to be the kind of President
this country deserves. A President with the right ideas -- the
right intentions -- the right beliefs -- who gets them through
the right kind of Congress.
We're here tonight because we agree on the big issues: On
the issues that shape the world -- and on the values close to
home. As President, I've made it my mission to preserve and
protect three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at
peace. An economy with good jobs -- real opportunity for all
Americans. A nation of strong families -- communities where
every child has someone he can count on, someone who calls him by
his name.
History has taken a turn the past few years, and given us a
wonderful opportunity. If we apply our good beliefs to this
great opportunity, then we will make a contribution to our
country, a contribution to our children's lives, and a
contribution to history. The stakes are that high.
4
One more thing: I intend to win this thing. I intend to
win.
Will you help me?
Thank you. Together, we can do it.
# # #