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[Pool Report, 7/18/89]
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[Pool Report, 7/18/89]
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Tony Snow Subject Files
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
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:
Snow, Tony, Files
Subseries:
Subject File, 1988-1993
OA/ID Number:
13897
Folder ID Number:
13897-016
Folder Title:
[Pool Report, 7/18/89]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
18
29
2
5
RETURN to us 7/18/89 speciminiters XA
Pool Report, July 18, The Hague to Andrews
The President came back shortly after takeoff, wearing
a cream V-neck sweater, of yellow golf shirt and his suit slicks.
He and his Team seamed euphoric, in of fatigued sort of a way,
and Bush nad at range of inrressions about Eastern Europe, ? ris
The Netherlanis and other tories of current events.
He was in ? good mood until ne WAS asked about the new
book by Jack Germond and Jules intocuer, "Whose Foroad
Stripes and Bright Stars? Che Irivial Pursuit of the Frasidency
1988" in which Ed Rollins, Stu Spencer and Joe Cangeri eng ge
in S.ILS serious Quayle-bashing, saying he was childlike, and
in the case ofRollins, that Bush received bad advice about
selecting nim since everyone in the Sen: elsnew ae was
"a lightweight."
Ir. Bush seemed to jump at the chance to answer
the question, giving defe nse of HIS running mate.
"I saw a shuib in the Post on it, but which
offended IE.
"I don't know vust thiy've thought and but I know what
I've thought all along, he said, refer ing to the handlers
quoted in the book. "And = think if judgment early on is
being vindicated all along. The can is serious and he's doing
a first class job. But what troubled Le about it, I found those
ouotations personally offensive because that's the ugly side
of politics. I don't know whether they're true or not, referr ing
to the veracity of the quotes, rather than their meaning,
"3 t I've supported the Vice President when he was the nominee
and I support him as Vice Resident, and he surchas Supported ze.
And SC when somebody ARS seen the curtiful personal comments of
that nature, find it offinsive Con't like it. Strong
letter follows."
Helen Thomas said: Here and now, can you x-lain way
you picked him, because 70 this day
people are questioning the choice."
Now the President got heated. "Yeah, be cause, take 2. look
at the space council, take it look 31 the his trips to South Americi.
Take a look at the contribution ne makes at the deliberations
of our Administration every morning at 8 0 clock th re.
And that will e Cxplain why Ficked nin. Because I knew he would
handle those jobs well. Because I knew the man and I'd seen
him in action before. As at Senator. And he advisedme on defense
before he was chosen. He's = good man and he deserves Something
better than 21 post-mortem kick in the. ankles."
Asked if anyone had ever defended him like that when he was
VP, he shid: "I would uote Barbara Bush in the Netherlands. What
would we diwithout friends and I an blessed by many, many friends.
So the answer to your question is yes, all the time, and prob bly,,
for lots more reason they have to defneend me than these attacks.
2
When President Bush first came back, John Sununu was
talking to the pool about the President's globe-trotting
style, but then ceded the floor to Bush, saying he had been
one-upped.
"I certainly don't have that in mind, image-enhancement
at all, " he said, asked if ne was trying to polish his persona
at home with showy trips. "I don't know how our travel abroad
compares with previous presid nts, but I haven't felt that
it's been too intensive."
"Tnis last st.p was a gcod one, 11 He said about The
Netherlands. First place no President has been there. And
secondly, you get a good feel for big issues of East-West
and environment b b, talking to the leaders of the Dutch government
and their opposition. "And also to Her Majesty, no WILE very
interested, more so than some onarces in the
day to day problems the country is involved in. So I d, find
teat it's very helpful to have a lively discuss ion with
all these people, sometimes bordering on argument, but a wave
stopping short of that, as we did at breakfast
today with sime of these leaders who were properly and
frankly chall snging our position or things and we go right
back st 'em. So I learned from all of that. " Asked what they
had talked about, he said: "Anything. Arms. East -West, ai
to the South, economic development , environment WIS 2. big one. "
He said it was not that such discussions get SO touchy,
but that "the discussion gets lively. There's a strong sentiment
smong theNserty people there for the U nited States to nick un
the check for everything. And lease balance your budget at
the same time SD you don't draw our capital over there.
But it was just 3 good, lively discussion. So I think some of
met we were = cout in this trip WO.E tast -- certainly that WEE
true in Hundary and Polani as well as
The Netherlends.
Mill then of course we had the business of the summit. It was
substantive. And not a trin just to enhance international
credentials, or something. "
Asked if the trin showed that the U.S. power is diminished
because we had t) continually eng we were shiring the le dershin
role with Restern Europe, he replied: "I don )- think it dinir ishes
the power of the United States, nur the risnect for the United
states. I didn't sense that. As you know I've off and on been
feal ng with these met ers since the early '70s. It's amazing.
Che respect for the United States sround the world. -I think
it's still viry, very strong. Very strong."
in the subject :f our buint construints, he continued
"I taink reunle realize that for many years, we've been carrying
very signficant defens hund PM for the free 0 rld.
logincing to SEE an enomous bayoff 117
tue nse that
Income
'3
and
time
77208.
They
see
bein-
usie
ares
the
decision
ti
of
toolt
place
3
And I think THEN clso Lee the navelence of our econo. ic
system. An: they underst nd that we are not rolling in
money because of our federal deficit. Sc the pressures .Y n't
enormous, at least at the mestings te'vebeen in.
because I say, No: wait of minute, you ell want DE to keep our
*eficit forn, and you want to keep our economy growing.'
There vas en interesting dicussion this norning on businiss
cycle. But we can't do everything. Everything
Te'd
like to do. Set our prirorities.
There are
priorities that are toing to ennance the freedom and the
democracy of other coun tries the best 7e can. And we help
treserve the Peace nd we're go.ng to continue to to tart And
that 00875 m.ney. .5 're going to have to do it.'
Asked about reports that the U.S. and Soviets and
lettled key issues on F. cherical weapons han treaty for
40 nations, Fush stid: "Mell, I'd like to Fee that in writing
before I get eunhoric about it. But I home it's true."
lie shi6 he hasn't seen the agreement, if there is me.. ".e
haven't sten it here."
About Thursday's space announcement, he s.id he did not
know if it would be "E hig space arniuncement" or simply
"on vent commenmorating those years. "
He soid he had talked to Vice Pr sident (usyle, head
of theSrace Council -- :
"Incidentally, " he
interpolated, "I'm very pleased with the work he's ding.
He's very interested in it, and I think in invigorated: Space
Council can give very sound advice to 0 Presid nt 11'
but he seid "I'm not ready to say thether we're goin E to
ave 2. new smace initiative.
I men't to be sure that what
I propose passes any test of fiscal sanity, fiscal reasonableress.
Asked for a hig light of his trin, Mr. Fush said: "I think
user Nemeth handed me that barbed wine gets pretty closs to it.
I love our country E0 much that when people express their
lov. of America by their tears, which we SRW among some of the
older people in almost every place, that moved me 2 lot.
Every time I come to Hollend and I've been hare a lot, long
before I was in public life, I 3m reminded of what hey vent
thro ush. And I got a little emotional in the church there
yesterday thinking of the Dutch outriots that were just
brutalized by the Fazis. They still feel it. The ?ueen
wastelling me at length the agony they had in releasing these
two Nazi prisoners of war that had been there for 40 years,
and the turnoil inside that they had on that. I don't know
if I could single cut one. Maybe standing
in Gdansk there next to Lech Malesa in front of that
monument with all the people around. There were SO many
nonderful things un that trip. "
4
Maired whatcer :.= had gotten sry sanse that the people in
Polani and Hungary liste the Corimunists and hate the Russisns,
the President renlied: "You get some feeling that -- and in
Hungary because of that hanrenedin '56, but they aren't
ivelling in n that. There's too much hope now. They're hoping
to keen going. Political reform.
Economic
reform. So I don't think it WHS the Find of mesting where
you!dwell on it. Tut I think, to = degree, it still is there
clearly in the linis .f some. But it's laost overnov tred
by the Loves that are. going on n.w. (nce in F while I get
a feding th to submebody might be thinking, 'Well, I hom
we're permitted to keep it going .n. And that ould rel te
to what's happening inside he Soviet Union. Or how the
Soviet Union night view too ranid change in these countries.
But I cen't elabor te too much because I don't member
the specifics but it certainly didn't dominate."
Pressed _: the point, which some pool reporters thought
as more of an obsession in those countries, the Pr sident
recalled the Luncheon in the Ambassador's S residen ce in warsaw,
here Solidarity leaders who had once been in jail were
" talking in = very friendly way with Jaruzelski about who
was going to be the next President. e picked up a lot of
that,
from Walesa himself, so rithout trying to predict
what's going to Happen, I would say there's uite an oven
mindedness on both sides about what might happ en.'
Asked what ne would say to Jesse Helms if Helms said
"Nyet" about money for Polani and Hungary, the President
replied: "I'll surre with him, we all will. and others who
haven't beenifited from the EX 0 erience that 11 of us have
had from this trin. Say, 'Look there were times when I felt
exactly as you night have felt. I say might have because I
don't want to assign any motives to Jesse Helms, with whom
I have at very -leasant relationship. Any Senitor who's
interested in listening to the collective observ tions of
=77 of U.S here -- our secretary of State, N tional Securyity
Adviser, John -- we all C ome away we real genuine fedings
of genuine change. I ould think it's not just a Senstor.
...
But I think the American people need to
Know now strongly we feel about this. But our eyes are wide
open. liobody's guaranteeing that everything's swimmingly rosy.
And I will cake that noint clear, too."
Asked if Aghanistan was getting to be an irritant now,
the President replied: "It's more of an irritant to the Soviets,
I think. But we are not happy with the status 300 either.
.e'd love to see reconciliation and peace in that country.
And let me say we have no interest in seeing installed on the
border of the Soviet Union a regime that's hostile to them."
And that is E key point that they must understand and I hope
they do. I don :- know whether
we think they do
understand that, " he said, turning around too look inouisivitively
at Erent Scoweroft, who was standing behind him.
5
"But it is very important that they do unferstand. I'll
keep saying it. E ving said tnst, It's not something that we
can ave a. wand and: solve that problem. But if we cen be
= cat Calyst somehow for that reconciliation, fine. We'd like
to do that. But we're not trying to work against Soviet interests
in halping the Muj. as 1.]ong as the govenrmetnt which has been
rerressvive and is not rerresentative is being funded to the
levels they are, sombedoy has to help those who have been
battling for
Asked about reports today that China was ngry at the
Group of Seven's condemnation, he said: "I thought the
collective statement there WE E about right."
Asked about further thoughts on China, said, " . e 've got a
good ambassador, " a a joked "Leve got to go home. I'm going
t. et in trouble with you guys."
It was at this point, as he started to leave, he E
asked about the Tuayle uotes in the new political book.
The he was asked how he felt about his first six in nths
in office anniversary.
"Well, you're'. ask me on as good day. Ask Ie tomorro:
after we go back and
wrestle with some of these
domestic problems. If
on schedule?
"Yeah, there's things that I.'d like to have seen
resolved, particularly on the legislative sife of he
house that are not resolved yet. So I c'n't claim any great
legislative accomnlishments.
I "on't rieasure it in winning
or losing. I think generally we're on the right
side of foreign policy and initatives. 11 Citins Jim ker,
ne srid, "I'm sure we're uniling it with a certain purpuse
and direction. As I say it a time then we're 3ll clad to be
coming home and I think the visit from he standpoint of
the United States has gone prettywell. But I reserve the
right to gripe andchange my mini if things don't EO my way
this week in the Congress. "
DOWD N.Y.T.
SIDEY , TIME