[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[April 28, 1992]
[Pages 654-656]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 654]]

Remarks at Bush-Quayle Campaign Headquarters

April 28, 1992
    The President. Good to see all of you.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you so much. I've just had a wonderful tour of 
the headquarters. And now for the best part, to thank the volunteers who 
have done so much already. And we haven't really begun to fight yet. And 
this is good. I am grateful to each and every one of you. I had a chance 
to thank many on the professional staff here, but I just would never be 
able to adequately thank you who do so much in the way of volunteering. 
So I wanted to start with that.
    Bob referred to the fact--Bob Teeter, who is doing a superb job--
referred to the fact that if things go about the way we expect tonight, 
we'll have that magic number of 1105, and that is a very good one. I 
know it seemed like forever, but it's been a long, long election year. 
What I've decided to do is to concentrate on leading this country, to 
concentrate on bringing about the same kind of change domestically that 
we brought about in foreign affairs.
    You know, when I look back to when I started and became President 
back in January of 1989, one of the great concerns that the young people 
of this country had was about nuclear war. I think because of the 
leadership that our administration has been able to bring to this area 
of foreign affairs, because we stood up against aggression when a lot of 
our critics in the Congress would not have us do so, we set an example. 
We proved that the United States is the only true leader of the entire 
world, and in the process, we bought significant change.
    We're trying to implement and fulfill that promise of change in what 
used to be the Soviet Union. In the Middle East, ancient enemies are 
talking for the first time in history. And that is something very, very 
significant and very important. We look south of our own border and we 
see dramatic moves for democracy and freedom. We look all around the 
world, and you see things moving much, much better. These are big things 
when you're talking about war and peace and saying to a whole generation 
of Americans you don't have near as much to worry about because of the 
fear of nuclear weapons. That's big, and that's important, and we did 
it. Now what we want to do is to take that leadership that you all have 
been a part of, take that leadership and bring it to bear on the key 
domestic problems in this country.
    This is an important election. We're talking about who is going to 
lead this country for 4 more years and who is going to be President. 
This isn't some kind of a charge and countercharge event. We're talking 
about significant change. And some of the cynics say, ``Well, you've 
been President. What about it?'' And I'm saying, ``Well, let me tell you 
about it.''
    We have the best, most innovative education program that's ever been 
designed to raise the education standards in this country. And I'll be 
saying to the American people: Give us that kind of change. We've got 
it; it's out there; it's spelled out. And now help us, help us in the 
election. Help us with the Congress to bring to these kids what they 
need, quality education that's going to make the United States 
competitive into the next generation. So we're going to fight for that 
one.
    I believe that we sue each other too much and aren't kind enough to 
each other. And so we are fighting for liability reform. So you let the 
status quo people say that we've been standing still. We have programs 
up there 3 years in a row to do something about limiting the liability 
that says to a Little League coach, ``You know, you had better not coach 
because somebody is going to sue you,'' or to an obstetrician, ``You had 
better not deliver this baby because you've got to be worried about some 
outrageous lawsuit.'' We are the party of change. I am the leader that's 
trying to change it. And with your help and the help of the American 
people, we're going to get that change brought to the American political 
scene. So that's another one.
    The same thing is true in health care. We

[[Page 655]]

are trying to change the health care system. Not by socializing 
medicine, like these nationalized plans would have you do, that some of 
the Democrats support. Not by these ``pay or play'' plans that would 
break every small business in the country but by our plan that makes 
insurance coverage available to every American, rich or poor alike. Some 
pay, obviously, but those at the lower end of the spectrum don't. We are 
going to revolutionize and change our health care system, but we need 
the support now of the American people. We've got to keep the high 
quality of American care, but make access available to all. That's what 
we're trying to do on our health care program.
    We're talking also about Government reform. I've got an old-
fashioned idea. I think Congress ought to live by the same laws that 
they make us live by. And so we need to reform the Congress itself or 
our whole method of Government. I happen to think that term limitations 
are good. They've got them on the President. Why shouldn't they be on 
the Congress of the United States? I happen to think that a President 
ought to have the same thing that 43 Governors have, a line-item veto. 
Let's take that one to the American people and see how it would work. 
I'm glad to hear the Democrats now getting on board for a balanced 
budget amendment, something I've been talking for, a change I've been 
trying to bring about for the last 3 years. So we've got these wonderful 
changes that we are working for. And now, all we need to do is change 
the Congress so we can get these changes through to benefit the American 
people.
    The last of these five points relates to free and fair trade. We are 
not going to pull back into some isolationistic sphere or some 
protectionist sphere because of some outrageous promises by Democratic 
Congressmen that, if you only pull back, we can protect American jobs. I 
want to increase American jobs. And that's why I'm fighting hard for a 
successful conclusion of the GATT round, and that's why I want that 
North American free trade agreement with Mexico. It will create new jobs 
and expand our markets abroad. And we ought to be looking with optimism 
to the future instead of pulling back in some pessimistic scared mode. 
We're the United States of America. We are the undisputed leader of the 
free world, and we ought not to retreat. We ought to go forward. And 
give me 4 more years and give me a few changes in that Congress, and you 
watch us move this country forward.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Let me tell you this. This enthusiasm makes me want 
to change our game plan, but I don't think I will. The game plan is 
simply--might get killed by Teeter and Malek and Mosbacher, all of whom 
are doing a great job--but our game plan is this: Run this country; 
spell out these priorities; get these programs up to the Hill and try 
again to reach out and get these things passed to benefit the American 
people.
    But the other part of it is, I have not been attacking any opponent. 
I hope you know that. I haven't done it. We've had able surrogates 
trying to put these people into proper perspective, but I have not been 
engaged in that. [Laughter] I have not been engaged in that because I 
believe it is important to be President of the United States. But let me 
tell you something. This enthusiasm here today gets my adrenaline 
flowing. I can't wait to get the proper signal at the proper time to get 
into that arena, not in a negative sense but to point out the positive 
things I've talked about today, to take on these opponents head on, 
whoever they prove to be, after the Republican Convention, because I am 
convinced that our values, our emphasis on family values is something 
that's stronger, not weaker, today than it was before. I think we need 
to perform for the American people, and I have suggestions as to how we 
can strengthen the American family. That's one example.
    There are many other questions of values that I think our 
constituency is just as strong as it's ever been. I believe that when 
the campaign rolls around and we get the gloves off and we get into the 
arena with these people, we can conduct ourselves with a certain sense 
of honor, a certain sense of decency, a certain compassion, and

[[Page 656]]

a certain caring. But I'll be damned if I'm going to roll over for a lot 
of these outrageous charges that are coming out of the opposition day-in 
and day-out. We don't have to take that. So, since the air conditioning 
man didn't make it today, I will now finish my speech.
    Audience member. He's a Democrat.
    The President. He's a Democrat. That's all right; maybe he is. 
[Laughter]
    But listen, really, let me end where I began. I've been in politics 
a long time. I figured it out the other day because this one actually 
has some political significance: Half of my adult life has been in 
public life and half of it in the private sector. I think that's a 
pretty good mix, so you don't lose track of what the fundamental 
problems are in this country or how to go about solving them. But I have 
always felt that there is no way, even for a President, to adequately 
express his appreciation for what you do.
    In a few days, Barbara Bush--who I happen to think is doing a superb 
job as First Lady of the United States--she'll be coming over here to 
say thanks. I don't know whether George minded his manners the way he 
should have; he was in here. Somebody told me he went on for about 15 
minutes, but nevertheless, I hope he said thank you. All of our kids who 
are in this ugliness of this campaign, they are very, very grateful. And 
there is no way to say thanks. So you keep up the work. I will keep up 
the work. We are going to win, and I think we're going to win big, come 
November.
    Thank you very, very much. Thank you.

                    Note: The President spoke at 1:44 p.m. In his 
                        remarks, he referred to Bush-Quayle '92 officers 
                        Robert Teeter, campaign chairman, Fred Malek, 
                        campaign manager, and Robert Mosbacher, general 
                        chairman, and to his son George W. Bush.