[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[September 26, 1992]
[Pages 1662-1664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Centennial Family Picnic in Arlington, Ohio
September 26, 1992

    The President. Thank you very, very much. What a wonderful welcome 
to Arlington. Thank you so much. I just wish each and every one of you 
could have been on this train ride from Columbus here. It has been 
magnificent, a wonderful turnout of the true American spirit, a welcome 
by Ohio that has warmed our hearts. Then to come here for this icing on 
the cake, this fantastic rally. We are very, very glad to be with you on 
your 100th anniversary.
    In case you didn't see him when we walked in, I want to be sure you 
salute and honor a great, a truly great Governor, George Voinovich. What 
a job he's doing for this State. Your Congressman, Mike Oxley, and I go 
back a long, long time. You've got one of the best. If we had more like 
him, everybody wouldn't be yelling, ``Clean House!'' We need to clean 
House, but we need more like Mike Oxley to get the job done for America.
    I believe Mike DeWine is with us. I haven't seen him on this stop. 
He's been along with us. But let me say, whether he's here or not, we 
must clean House, and that means we need a new Senator. Please elect 
this great Lieutenant Governor to the United States Senate.
    Mayor Suter, may I thank you and all the citizens here for this warm 
welcome. I'll tell you, as we were leaning out of the train coming 
around the bend here, you could just sense the feeling of this marvelous 
community gathering. And we are very, very grateful to you.
    I understand that your local deputy, Kreg Sheets, is here, or he was 
here a minute ago, he's the guy all dressed up because he's getting 
married in less than an hour; there he is, right here. We wish him well. 
Kreg, we want to wish you and Kris Martin all the very, very best in a 
great life of happiness ahead.
    Now, today's been a wonderful day for Barbara and me: the sendoff 
from my dad's birthplace in Columbus, Ohio; then a stop in Marysville, 
which is where Barbara's mother was born; and then the trip here through 
this gentle, beautiful, highly productive Ohio farmland. People greeting 
us on both sides of the Spirit of America, great sounds and sights, it 
has been a wonderfully moving day where you can't help but count your 
blessings and say America is the greatest, freest country on the face of 
the Earth.
    We saw all kinds of farmers lined up along the railroad tracks. We 
saw a dairy farmer holding up a sign. It said he'd be ``pulling for 
me.'' Well, that ought to ruin your lunch, but that's what I saw. 
[Laughter]
    We knew the best still lay ahead of us: this town, this lunch, 
Rosemary Orwick's pasta noodles. I'm not quite sure what's more 
difficult, working with Congress or getting Rosemary to divulge her 
secret recipe I'm about to sample here.
    There's a lot at stake in this election. We have won great victories 
around the world. The kids here in this beautiful cross section of 
America can go to bed at night without the same fear of nuclear war that 
the older generation had. That is a wonderful accomplishment for the 
United States of America, and we ought to take great pride in it.
    Now, it's time, with all these dramatic changes around the world 
that we've helped bring about--decline and fall of the Soviet empire; 
Middle Eastern enemies talking to each other; democracy on the move 
south of our border; the great countries of Eastern Europe free, free at 
last--it's now time to roll up our sleeves and renew America, just as 
our ancestors did. We want an America of the best schools in the world. 
We want safe neighborhoods and safe streets. And that's what I'm 
fighting for against
this Congress in Washington, DC.

[[Page 1663]]

We want lower taxes and less regulation. An America working and hoping 
and building, where every day is like the Fourth of July for our 
families and for these young people here today.
    I'm not going to ruin this magnificent picnic with a long political 
speech, but let me just say that the question before you in this 
election is very simple. My opponent believes that America should pay 
more taxes because Government planners, senior little chairmen up there 
in the Congress, bureaucrats can spend your money more wisely than you 
can. And I don't believe that for one single minute.
    You know, all of this talk about class warfare and a talk of 
moderation and going after the rich, he's got a big tax increase aimed 
right at the heart of middle America. I don't think we need that. I 
believe you should keep more of your hard-earned dollars because you can 
invest them more wisely.
    In my second term, and believe me there will be one, I will continue 
to be doing for this Nation which your great Governor is doing for Ohio, 
opening up new markets for our products and creating new jobs for our 
workers. We can outhustle the workers in any other country if we open 
those foreign markets to American expertise. That's what I'm trying to 
do.
    So we will be working to hold the line on Government spending and 
taxes and regulation, to cut the health care costs down with my health 
care program that provides everybody in this country that needs it 
insurance. We keep the quality of health care, but we then provide 
insurance to people, and we do not get the Government further involved 
like some of the socialist systems around the world. We've got the best; 
we want to make it better and make it available to all.
    The liberals in Washington don't like it, but let me tell you 
something: I am going to keep trying to find ways to strengthen the 
American family. The family is our strength, and the family needs to be 
supported, not divided. And how do you do that? You do it by giving 
parents more choice in child care or in schools. You do it by reforming 
welfare so that the young girl is in school and tries to save a little 
money, save over $1,000, her mother doesn't get thrown off of welfare. 
Reform the system to keep families together, rather than trying to drive 
them apart.
    Strengthen the family by making our neighborhoods safer. I strongly 
back our local law enforcement people, our firefighters, our policemen, 
our county sheriff's people. I back them all the way because they are 
fighting for the American family by cutting down crime in our 
neighborhoods all across America.
    So when I talk about strengthening the family, it's this and so many 
things else. And I might say something about our First Lady. When she 
holds in her arms a baby stricken by AIDS or cancer, she's sending the 
signal that we ought to love each other more. And when she sits there in 
the White House and reads to a group of kids, she's setting an example 
for parents and families all across this country, because reading to 
kids is important. So don't let the liberals scare us away from 
strengthening the American family. We are right, and you are right. And 
this part of America knows exactly what I'm talking about.
    In its great 100 years, Arlington has seen its children march off to 
war, its young men and women; seen its old cry, in the old seen the cry 
of the tears of depression. And you've marveled at the arrival of new 
technology and treasured this sturdy foundation of the traditional 
values that we're talking about here. Through every change, America has 
emerged stronger, and it is the same today.
    Our challenges look difficult, and we've got big challenges. If you 
look around the world, you'll see the whole world is facing economic 
challenges. Whether it's in Europe or wherever else it is, there's 
enormous economic change taking place. In spite of what my opponent 
says, the United States, although we've got to do much better, is the 
envy of the entire world, whether it's our economy, our military 
strength, our system of freedom.
    So I am not one who wants to get to be President again by 
complaining about the United States or tearing it down or saying, as 
Governor Clinton does, that we are somewhere less than Germany and a 
little

[[Page 1664]]

better than Sri Lanka. We are the United States of America, the envy of 
the entire world because we have stood for freedom. And we can do 
anything we set our sights on.
    My faith is in the American people. My faith is with the people, to 
give the people the power that comes from less Government, less taxes, 
less regulation, and more confidence in the neighborhoods and in the 
communities and in the young people we're surrounded with here today.
    So I come here as an optimist about America, and I want to finish 
the job that I have started. I believe this: It's not that I need to be 
President, but it is that I want to finish the job and strengthen the 
institutions, and particularly the family that we've talked about. We've 
made a big start. We are the envy of the world. And I am proud that 
these kids go to bed at night without the same fear of nuclear war that 
their predecessors did, much, much prouder than I could be of anything 
else.
    But now, I ask for your support; 4 more years to strengthen America, 
bring us back, bring economic opportunity to all. And may God bless our 
great country. And thank you all very, very much.
    And Mayor, will you come up?
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. This is a little symbol that's flown over the 
Capitol. This is for Arlington on its 100th birthday. Many, many thanks 
and congratulations.

                    Note: The President spoke at 2:21 p.m. at Arlington 
                        Park. In his remarks, he referred to Dean Suter, 
                        Mayor of Arlington.