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323152216
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[Chattanooga Airport Welcome] [9/29/92] [OA 5813]
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323152216
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[Chattanooga Airport Welcome] [9/29/92] [OA 5813]
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13643-013
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Draft Files
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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:
13643
Folder ID Number:
13643-013
Folder Title:
[Chattanooga Airport Welcome] [9/29/92] [OA 5813]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
18
5
2
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Chattanooga, Tennessee)
For Immediate Release
September 29, 1992
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT WELCOME
Chattanooga Airport
Chattanooga, Tennessee
2:20 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Four more. That's who we need! What a
great Tennessee welcome. Thank you all. Thank you so much. Thanks
for that Chattanooga welcome.
Let me thank two special guests with us today. of
course, an old friend of mine and Barbara's -- Ricky Skaggs, one of
the great entertainers -- great American. (Applause.) And also, I'm
the one that's honored to be introduced by Naomi Judd, also a great
American talent. (Applause.) And I love country music. (Applause.)
Because country music loves America. And today we get to hear it all
across Tennessee.
And may I also welcome those others here standing with
me -- Senator Howard Baker, one of the great leaders of this country.
(Applause.) All across the country we hear words of "Clean House.
Clean House." People are tired of the Democrats that have controlled
Congress for 38 years. And if we had more like Don Sundquist here,
and Jimmy Duncan we wouldn't be yelling that. But we need more.
Where's Jack? Here's a way to help clean. Get Jack up
there. (Applause.)
And may I pay my special respects to the Forrester
Sisters -- Forrester Sisters who are here. I'm told that they have a
popular song called "I'd Choose You Again." Well, I take that
personally. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
(Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: This campaign, like every campaign, is
about a very simple question: What kind of America do we want for
the young people here today? And I'll tell you the kind of America
that I want: An America that is not just a military superpower, but
the greatest economic superpower in the world, and an export
superpower. And I have laid out a detailed Agenda for America's
Renewal -- a specific, comprehensive, integrated agenda to create in
America the world's very first $10-trillion economy. And we can do
it if you give us the support in Congress and reelect me for four
years. (Applause.)
The other side acts like foreign affairs and national
security means absolutely nothing. But I am very proud of our
leadership in winning the Cold War and proud of the way the sons and
-- (applause) -- proud of the way the sons and daughters of Tennessee
stood fast and proud in the sands of Saudi Arabia, standing up
against aggression. (Applause.)
MORE
- 2 -
And now I want to use that leadership and that
experience in international affairs to lead the new market for
American products; because that is how we will create more good jobs
for the greatest workers on the face of the earth, the American
worker. (Applause.) And if we're going to compete in the global
economy -- and I'm confident we will -- we've got to reduce that
budget deficit and remove the burden from the backs of these kids
that are here with us today. (Applause.)
You know, Governor Clinton has gone through the entire
federal budget --
AUDIENCE: Boooo!
THE PRESIDENT: -- and he has spelled out exactly one
federal program he would cut out -- and that is the $11-million
federal honeybee subsidy. Believe me -- nobody will be stung by that
courageous decision on the part of the Governor of Arkansas. And I
have put specific programs forward to eliminate 4,000 projects, 246
programs, and to control the growth of the spending that's out of
control -- the mandatory spending program, saving almost $300 billion
over the next five years.
But I want to go further. I want that line-item veto to
discipline the Congress -- (applause) -- and I want a balanced budget
amendment to the Constitution to discipline that spendthrift
Congress. And I want to give you, the taxpayer, the right to make a
check on your income tax return, earmarking up to 10 percent of your
tax return to go to reduce the federal deficit. (Applause.) And if
the Congress doesn't have the guts to take a whack at the budget
deficit, let the taxpayers have the axe and give it a try.
(Applause.)
You know, I'm proud -- this guy's fired up over here --
-- (applause) -- I am proud of my record, and I'll stand by it in
November. But if Governor Clinton, Candidate Clinton wants to talk
about the past, let's look at what's been going on over in the great
state of Arkansas -- and they're wonderful people there. But let's
look at the record. There's a lot you don't know about my opponent.
And the more you find out, the more you know that he is wrong for
America. (Applause.)
Look at health care reform. Take a look at health care
reform. We need it desperately. But he says, no more pressing
problem faces America. And, yet, after five terms in office, 40
percent of Arkansas residents don't have health insurance with their
job -- it's one of the highest rates in the entire nation. And we
can do better than that. (Applause.)
It's the same on every issue. Tennessee is a fair play
state. Governor Clinton says he's for civil rights, but Arkansas
doesn't even have a basic civil rights law. And he says he's for a
clean environment, but the Institute for Southern Studies ranked
Arkansas fifth in environmental policies.
And I'm told that there's a new aquarium in town.
(Applause.) And maybe they'll have a live fish from the polluted
White River in Arkansas. (Applause.) No, really -- that would be a
"rare species" exhibit. I love to fish. Sometimes I fish at night.
In the river over there you can fish at night because the fish light
up at night from the pollution in that river. (Applause.)
You talk about a polluted river, you talk about cheap
chicken -- I've got to be careful -- chicken fecal chloroform*
bacteria -- that's what dumps into the river, and it's the only place
where the mother fish don't teach their fish to swim, they teach them
MORE
- 3 -
to jog -- it is so polluted in that Arkansas river. A lousy record.
We don't need that for the United States.
You know, Bill Clinton says -- here's another issue --
one of real concern. Because when I see the police officers here,
members from the Sheriff's Department, I think of our bill hung up in
the Congress to back these law enforcement officers, to support them.
Because they're supporting our families. But Bill Clinton says he's
tough on crime? Listen to this: Arkansas prisoners get let out of
jail after serving one-fifth of their sentence. And his hometown
police force endorsed me for President of the United States of
America. (Applause.)
And I am proud --
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more
years!
THE PRESIDENT: And I am you guys are too much.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: And I will continue to battle in the
Congress --
AUDIENCE: Kick 'em again. Kick 'em again. Harder!
Harder!
THE PRESIDENT: And I will continue to battle in the
Congress with the help of these congressmen to get a crime bill that
gives a little more sensitivity and support for the victims of crime
and a little less for the criminals themselves. (Applause.)
You know, I know that many families are worried, and I
know we've had some really tough economic times. But understand --
we are being affected not just by what's at home, but by a global
economic slowdown. And our competitors in Europe would trade places
with us in a minute. And, yet, Governor Clinton offers America the
European social welfare state policies -- more government, more
regulation, more special interest spending, and spending more tax
bills or putting more taxes on the middle class, and we simply cannot
let that happen to our great country. (Applause.)
He's been going after me for 11 months, but how about
this one: Governor Clinton raised and extended the sales tax,
including: A tax on baby formula, vegetables and other groceries.
He raised the gas tax, he raised the tax on mobile homes, and for
those of you ESPN watchers, he even taxed cable TV, and then for good
measure he put a tax on beer. Try that one on.
AUDIENCE: Boooo!
THE PRESIDENT: But now, here's good tidings of great
joy. Governor Clinton says he's seen the light. And in this
campaign he is proposing at least $150 billion in new taxes, plus at
least -- that's not the worst of the news -- a $220-billion new
spending bill. And don't worry -- he's going to take it all out of
the very rich, those that make -- the top two percent.
But here is the problem, and here is the truth: To get
the money, he needs for this plan of his -- the $150 billion he's
promised in new taxes -- he would have to get his money from every
individual with a tax income of over $36,000. That is not the
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous, that is going after your
pocketbook.
AUDIENCE: Boooo!
MORE
- 4 -
THE PRESIDENT: We're going after him, don't you worry
about it. Just the start of his tax campaign -- wait a minute, you
haven't heard the worst of it. I'm sorry. That's just the start of
his tax campaign against the middle class. He will need hundreds of
billions of dollars more to pay for all the spending programs he's
promised. And he's going after the nurses, the teachers, the
hardware store owners. And I say you can spend your money better
yourself on your home or educating your kids. (Applause.)
And you ask him about it, and he'll take both sides.
He'll say on the one hand I'm for you, and on the other I'm for you
over here. And when you're President of the United States, you've
got to make the tough decisions. You can't waffle. You can't go
around like a chameleon all the time. You've got to say what you're
for and vote that way. (Applause.)
I'll give you an example. I think of the sons and
daughters of Tennessee that served in Desert Storm as among the most
patriotic people in the entire world. (Applause.) And consider
Governor Clinton's principled stand on both sides of the Gulf War
when he said -- and here is an exact quotation -- remember now, this
man wants to be Commander-in-Chief. And here is the exact quotation
-- remember now, this man wants to be commander-in-chief. And here
is the exact quotation. I quote: "I guess I would have voted with
the majority if it was a close vote, but I agree with the arguments
the minority made." What kind of leadership position is that?
AUDIENCE. Booooo!
THE PRESIDENT: He's like that on a lot of issues. He
turns up in more places than Elvis Presley. (Applause.) You know, I
saw a tape on this the other day, looking right into the camera
saying I will not run for President. I will finish my four years if
the people of Arkansas elect me. And the very next year he says I'm
running for President. And one day he says he's for the North
American Free Trade Agreement, and then he says "Well, I've got to
study it. I haven't made up my mind yet."
And one day he says the middle class deserves a tax
break, and the next day he's finding new ways to hit the middle class
for all his programs. One day he's for an automobile fuel efficiency
standard, CAFE standard of 45 miles per gallon -- and that would
throw a lot of Tennessee auto workers out of their jobs -- and the
next day he says, well, I'm studying it. When you're President of
the United States, privileged to sit in that Oval Office, you've got
to make a decision. You cannot sit there being all things to all
people. (Applause.)
We do not expect the man to win, but don't expect him to
level with the American people. And if he ever got to be President
we'd have to turn the -- take off the American Eagle as our symbol
and put on a chameleon. And we don't need that for the head of the
United States of America.
So it boils down to this -- I'm having fun, because for
11 months I've wanted to go after this guy and his record, and now
we're doing it. (Applause.) It is great. It simply boils down to
this: We cannot take a risk on Governor Clinton to become President
Clinton. (Applause.)
You know, I've been in that Oval Office and I've faced
some tough decisions, made some mistakes, hopefully called a lot of
them right. But, believe me, I've tried hard to be a good and
principled leader, willing to make the tough calls. And I am a
leader whose ideas are right for the United States of America.
(Applause.)
And so I came here to this great part of Tennessee today
asking for your support so you can get -- so I can go to work with a
new Congress to fix the problems that stand in our way. We've got to
- 5 -
reform our health care system, reinvent our public schools. And let
me salute Lamar Alexander, our great Secretary of Education.
(Applause.) What a job he has done.
For Lamar and for me, it's not enough to change things,
we want to reinvent them and back up our teachers and the people --
the local people that know what's best for Tennessee education.
(Applause.) We're going to reform or reinvent the schools, and then
we want to retain the workers from one generation and create jobs for
the next, so that we can cut government spending, cut these taxes to
get this economy moving again. And pass term limits for Members of
Congress and give the government back to the people. (Applause.)
Let me tell you something: I am very proud that I
served our country in the uniform of the United States of America.
(Applause.) And that helped me make a tough decision when Saddam
Hussein moved out and tried to take over another country. And,
again, I salute every person in the United States that was willing to
stand up and fight against aggression and for the United States of
America and for freedom. And as a result of what happened, you have
ancient enemies talking to each other in the Middle East, you have
democracy on the move in Russia. Who would have thought that
possible? You have far less fear of nuclear war today than when I
became President of the United States. (Applause.)
And now what we've got to do -- and what I can do with
your help -- is to take that same principle leadership and lift up
and renew America. I ask for your support for four more years as
President of the United States. (Applause.) And may God bless our
great country. May God bless the United States of America.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank
you all.
END
2:40 P.M. EDT