[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[March 16, 1992]
[Pages 458-461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Bush-Quayle Fundraising Dinner in Chicago

March 16, 1992
    Thank you very much, Jim Edgar. And Brenda, thank you for being 
here. And may I say how very lucky I am to have Jim Edgar heading my 
campaign here in this so important State. He's doing a superb job as 
your Governor, and I'm lucky to have him as our chairman.
    And there are a lot of Members of Congress here, I think. Bob 
Dornan, I'm very pleased that Congressman Dornan could be here, winning 
the long-distance award. Bob Mosbacher, our former Secretary of 
Commerce, was to be here. I haven't seen him, but he's doing a superb 
job as the cochairman of our national campaign. You met Bobby Holt, who 
is our national finance chairman. And let me quickly thank Andrea Parish 
for her beautiful rendition of ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' and my old 
friend, my dear friend Henry Hyde for participating in the program and 
the invocation, great Illinois Congressman. And of course, Pat Ryan, who 
just outdid himself, bossing everybody around and raising all this 
money. What a superb job he's done putting together this event. Thank 
you very, very much.
    And let me also salute one that Pat singled out, my good friend Rich 
Williamson. Believe me, Illinois needs this man in the United States 
Senate. And so please vote for him. And I noticed the fitting hand you 
gave Bob Michel, and I want to salute him as our leader in the House and 
the other Republican Members of the Illinois congressional delegation 
with us today. And a special thanks to our Bush-Quayle finance chairman, 
Bill Cellini, from downstate; and Jim Kenny--Bill, I see the Cellini 
family is here--and of course, another old friend, a regional chairman, 
Bill Ylvisaker here. I am very, very grateful to all of these people.
    And as a bit of a name dropper, I too would like to salute the 
Chicago Bears who are with us tonight and say how very pleased I am 
they're here. And I often say when I'm away from Washington, I worry 
that I've left Congress ``Home Alone.'' [Laughter] Well, Barbara and I 
got a kick out of meeting Macaulay Culkin there who is with us tonight. 
Where are you, Macaulay? Here he is, this guy; he's wonderful.

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And thanks for being with us. That's it. I recognize him. He goes like 
that.
    But anyway, it's a great evening, and it's great to be back in 
Chicago. And I might point out with great pride that I've imported my 
own Illinois army to Washington. And you've heard their names, but the 
Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Madigan, doing a superb job trying to bring 
this GATT round to a successful conclusion; Ed Derwinski, working well 
in the Veterans Administration and helping us through all the great 
ethnic communities of Illinois. Ed's the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
And of course, you know and I know Lynn Martin so well, former 
Congresswoman, now Secretary of Labor, and also doing a great job. And 
when I was looking to hire a Chief of Staff, once again we turned to 
Illinois, and Sam Skinner rose to the challenge. And I think he's doing 
an outstanding job, and I'm glad he's here.
    Someone once wrote that ``Chicago does not lie there, waiting for 
things to happen. Chicago moves, making things happen.'' This year, the 
people of Chicago and the people of this great State are going to make 
things happen again. The choices we make will affect not only the next 
election, they will really affect the next generation as well. We are 
now in a battle for our future. We want America to lead the world in 
good jobs with productive work. We want to remain a force for world 
peace and freedom. And we're fighting to protect our most basic 
institution, and that is the American family.
    That's why this year of decision is so important for America. That's 
why tomorrow's primary election and November's general election are 
vital to our future. I'm asking you to get out the vote and create a 
resounding mandate to literally transform America. Let's nominate and 
elect men and women who share our values. We've got more to do to get 
America on the right track. We've got more to do. So I'm asking you for 
4 more years as your President to get this job done.
    America was built on family and faith and freedom. These form the 
foundation of our great country. And we must now renew those sources of 
our strength. We must, for example, allow common sense to prevail in our 
welfare system. We've got to forge a new connection between welfare and 
work. When Chicago, the ``City That Works,'' finds that 17 percent of 
its population dependent on welfare, something's wrong.
    Americans aren't cold-hearted. We're a caring people. Americans 
support welfare for families in need. But Americans want to see 
government at every level work together to track down the deadbeat dads, 
the ones who can't be bothered to pay child support. They want to see us 
break this cycle of dependency that destroys dignity and passes down 
poverty from one generation to the next. That's wrong. That's cruel. And 
I'll tell you this: We are working hard to change it. My administration 
will continue to encourage the States to innovate with plans that help 
people break welfare dependency and begin learning work skills.
    Here's another way that we can fight for the family: We can give 
parents the right to choose their children's schools. Our students learn 
and grow by competing in school, and our schools will improve by 
competing for students. School choice is one of the things at the heart 
of America 2000; that's our new education strategy to literally 
revolutionize American education.
    You hear a lot of people on the other side in these campaigns 
complaining and talking about what they're going to do. We have an 
outstanding program right now to revolutionize education in this 
country. And it's based on this: We believe that parents, not some 
bureaucrat in Washington, know what is best for their children. That's 
why we also worked in the same vein to win a child care bill that gives 
parents the right to choose who provides the care. We know America is 
first as long as we put the family first.
    For 3 years I've had to fight--Bob Michel knows this, and Henry and 
the others here, John Porter--we've had to fight the liberal leadership 
of Congress on these issues. And I will continue to stand and fight for 
principle even when Congress stands in the way. And I will use the veto 
when I have to, to stand for principle, to stand up for these family 
values. As it is, some say, some of my friends have said that at times I 
was courting defeat by casting a veto instead of cutting a deal. But 
we've never lost a veto

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fight. And I will never hesitate to use the power of the pen when 
principle is at stake.
    One more thing, and it's important: I am going to continue to put 
judges on the bench who know that their role is to interpret, to 
interpret the law, not legislate from the Federal bench. And we are 
making dramatic moves in that direction.
    You remember I've asked Congress to pass tax cuts and incentives to 
get the economy moving, back in the State of the Union Message, to get 
real estate up and running, to reward the risk-takers who create jobs. 
It's about time Congress does what it should have done long ago, get 
more American jobs by cutting the tax on capital gains.
    But instead of passing my plan, the big spenders that control the 
Congress have other ideas. In the House, a temporary tax cut for more 
people. In the Senate, a permanent cut for less people. How much? 
Twenty-five cents, a quarter a day for each man, woman, and child. And 
you say, ``What's the catch?'' A permanent tax increase of $90 billion. 
Temporary cut, 25 cents a day, and a permanent increase of $90 billion. 
The Democrats call that new revenue. I call it your money. If the 
liberal leadership sends me their scheme, I am going to veto it the 
minute it hits my desk. And there's going to be no fooling around, 
compromising with that.
    Remember, I set a deadline, March 20th. That's just 4 days away. 
This deadline was set back in January, moons ago. Four days away, and I 
said to Congress, ``Pass our plan. Do something that will really move 
this economy. Get it moving. Do something now for the American people.''
    Well, we'll fight, and we will win. And we'll keep to our course of 
leadership in the world economy because if we want to succeed 
economically at home, we have got to lead economically abroad. I spoke 
about this in December when I visited the Merc over here, the Mercantile 
Exchange. And those folks are out there on the front line, on the 
frontier of the global marketplace, and they know what I mean. So do 
your exporters in this great State. Illinois exports about $35 billion a 
year in manufactured goods. Over 400,000 Illinois jobs depend on 
exports. Think of it: This is the city that gave the world Sears and 
Wrigley and Motorola and McDonald's hamburgers. That's free markets. 
That's free trade. That's my idea of how America competes and how 
America succeeds.
    But what are we hearing now, because economic times are hard? We 
hear the opponents peddling protectionism, a retreat from economic 
reality. You cut through all the patriotic posturing, all the tough talk 
about fighting back by closing shop, and look closely. That is not the 
American flag they're waving. It's the white flag of surrender. And that 
is not the America that you and I know. We do not cut and run; we 
compete. Never in this Nation's long history have we turned our backs on 
a challenge, and we simply are not going to start doing that now.
    I put my faith in the American worker. And I'm not about to sell our 
workers short. So what we're trying to do is open more markets, level 
the playing field. And you watch, the American worker will outthink, 
outproduce, outperform anyone, anywhere, anytime. The answer is not 
protection. It is more competition.
    We must let the world know this: Whatever the challenge, America 
will meet it because we are in it to win. Think back, if you will, to a 
year ago, to the calm after Desert Storm. Ask any one of the proud sons 
and daughters of Illinois who became liberators of Kuwait, and they'll 
tell you military strength doesn't mean a thing without moral support 
right here at home.
    Yes, I understand it, there were some who didn't support us then. 
There are those who second-guess us now. But not here, not in this 
State. When I drew that line in the sand, you stood with me. Never would 
this country tuck tail and let aggression stand. And we did what was 
good, and we did what was just, and we did what was right.
    There are those who act as if America's work in the world is over 
now. To them I say this: We will never neglect America's vital national 
interests. We are never going to pull back. And as far as our national 
defense goes, I will continue to keep this country strong. Our worldwide 
credibility--ask anyone here that's traveled abroad--our worldwide 
credibility is now at an all-time high. And it will help us strengthen 
democ-

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racy, freedom, and peace around the world. And only the United States of 
America can lead the world. And as long as I am President I will stay 
involved and do just exactly that. We are not going to pull back.
    So, let these opponents sound the retreat and run away from the new 
realities and seek refuge in a world of protectionism or gut our defense 
so we couldn't guarantee anybody security. Let them talk about the high 
taxes and provide us with more big Government. Let those analysts on TV 
tick off everything that's wrong in America. And I think it's time that 
somebody stood up and said what is right about this great country. And 
that's what I plan to do right now, on into the end of the year.
    And one more thing: I'm counting on the good people of Illinois to 
reject the ugly politics of hate that is rearing its head lately. 
Remember, America is great because America is good. And racism and anti-
Semitism and bigotry have no place in the United States of America at 
all, a campaign or in life, any other way. And we ought to denounce it 
for what it is.
    Now let me just close by just saying that Barbara and I are blessed. 
We talk about it. I don't know that she will be pleasant to live with 
after that warm ovation you gave here--[laughter]--but I do think it's 
deserved. I think she's doing a first-class job out there for the--
[applause]. But we talk about this, just as other families talk about 
things. And we are very, very blessed, blessed to serve this wonderful 
country of ours at a time when so many of the old fears have been driven 
away, when so many new opportunities stand within our reach.
    And since the day I took the oath of office, I made it my duty 
always to try to do what's right for the country. I've given it my 
level-best, and I'm not done yet. I'm not finished. You and I have much 
more work ahead before we've finished our mission. I think we've done a 
lot. I think it's a wonderful thing that little Andrea there or our 
``Home Alone'' guy might go to sleep at night with not having the fear 
about nuclear weapons that the generation before them had. I think 
that's a wonderful thing. And I'm proud to have had a little part in 
that.
    But there's so much more to do. And what it is, is a battle for our 
future, and it is about jobs and family and peace and the kind of legacy 
we're going to leave our kids or our grandkids. And I am absolutely 
convinced of this, believing in the goodness of our country, believing 
that this economy that's been so troublesome is fixin' to turn and move, 
I am convinced that together we can renew the miracle of American 
enterprise. We can strengthen our values, the underlying values of our 
family, faith, and freedom.
    And now we're approaching an hour of decision tomorrow. And please 
don't wait until November. I'm asking you to vote on March 17th in the 
Republican primary. And give me your vote in this important election 
tomorrow. And help me win the greatest opportunity an American can have, 
4 more years to fight, to lead the fight for the value we share.
    And thank you, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank 
you very, very much. Thank you all.

                    Note: The President spoke at 8:10 p.m. at the Hyatt 
                        Regency Chicago Hotel. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Brenda Edgar, wife of Gov. Jim 
                        Edgar; Patrick G. Ryan, dinner chairman; James 
                        Kenny, Illinois Bush-Quayle campaign cochairman; 
                        and Representative John Porter.