[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[September 29, 1992]
[Pages 1700-1704]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee
September 29, 1992

    The President. Thank you, Naomi. And may I welcome just a few 
people: first, our Secretary of Education, a great Tennessean, Lamar 
Alexander, what a job he's doing for education; and Senator Howard 
Baker, great American leader. Congressman Sundquist, your great 
Congressman, is here with us today, and Congressman Duncan. And may I 
salute the president, President Oscar Page, and thank him for this 
hospitality; and Coach Ray Gregory. Coach Gregory, congratulations on 
being named Tennessee football coach of the year, a great honor. May I 
also salute my introducer, Naomi, I'm

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very, very proud that she's been with us today; and thank Ricky, Ricky 
Skaggs, who you heard from, who's a wonderful entertainer and a good 
friend to Barbara and me. And my special appreciation to a great friend 
and a great entertainer, the legendary, one and only Crystal Gayle. 
Crystal, thank you so much. And Crystal's sister Peggy Sue is here. Four 
years ago we went on a bus trip across Illinois, and we won the State. 
So this is a good omen. We are going to win Tennessee.
    Before I make a few campaign remarks I have a few things to say 
about a topic that's been on a lot of minds recently. And I hope you'll 
bear with me because I want to talk to you and to the rest of the Nation 
from this wonderful campus about Presidential debates.
    Two weeks ago, I proposed to Governor Clinton that we debate. I 
proposed that we do so on the same terms and conditions that have been 
used in prior Presidential debates, and that the Vice Presidential 
candidates do so as well. Governor Clinton has failed to respond to this 
proposal. But, in fact, it is reported that he is afraid for his 
campaign to sit down with our campaign to negotiate arrangements for the 
debate.
    I have debated in all of my prior campaigns for President. I 
continue to think that it's important that debates be held. You see, I 
believe strongly that it is not up to any self-appointed body to 
determine the basis on which debates will be held but rather up to the 
candidates themselves. This basic principle was expressly recognized by 
both national political parties when the resolution establishing the 
Commission on Debates was first adopted.
    Because of the importance of this election, the strength of my 
convictions about what is right for this country, and my belief that a 
Clinton Presidency would be wrong for America, I think it is important 
that voters have an opportunity to see and hear from the candidates 
themselves in publicly televised debates. I also believe that the 
candidates should not be afraid to accept and respond to questions from 
the press during the course of Presidential debates.
    Americans will go the polls 5 weeks from today. I regret that 
Governor Clinton has not accepted the traditional approach to 
Presidential debates, the approach that's been in effect for many, many 
years. But nevertheless, in order to move this process forward, I hereby 
challenge my opponent to a debate on every Sunday evening between 
October 11th and November 1st.
    This would mean that there would be four televised Presidential 
debates, more than ever held in any Presidential election. And if Ross 
Perot decides to enter the race, I'd be pleased to see him included in 
these debates.
    Now, furthermore, to allow these arrangements to move forward 
quickly, I would be willing to see two of the debates proceed under the 
format which has been used in all these previous Presidential elections 
and two proceed under this single moderator format. In addition, I think 
that during the 5-week period, there should be at least two Vice 
Presidential debates with one based on each format.
    I feel quite confident that Governor Clinton will accept this 
proposal, since his campaign chairman has indicated in the past that 
Governor Clinton would debate, and now I quote, ``with moderators, 
without moderators, in a studio, out of a studio, three questioners, one 
questioner.'' So I have no doubt that there will be organizations 
willing to sponsor these debates. If Governor Clinton is serious about 
debating, he will accept this challenge, and he will instruct his 
campaign officials to meet promptly with my campaign officials to work 
out the details directly between the parties. Let's get it on!
    What are we going to be talking about in these debates? What are we 
going to be talking about in them? Well, this campaign, like every 
campaign, is about a simple question: What kind of America do we want 
for the graduates of this great school, for all the young people here 
today? My opponent will tell you that America is in decline. I would 
remind him of what anyone will tell you on the streets of Europe or 
Asia: America is still the most respected, the most admired, the most 
dynamic nation in the entire world. I'm tired of hearing Clinton drag 
down the United States of America.
    I'm proud. I am proud of our leadership, proud that we led the way 
in reducing nu-

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clear weapons so that our kids can sleep free from the nightmares of 
nuclear war. It's a fitting place to say this, right near Fort Campbell, 
and I am proud of how we stood up to Saddam Hussein, kicking him--
[applause]--proud of the Screaming Eagles from Fort Campbell's 101st 
Airborne. In the sands of Saudi Arabia, they showed that no other nation 
can match the courage of the men and women of America.
    Now our challenge is to put our talents to work to win the new 
global economic competition, to create a high-tech, high-growth economy 
with good jobs for you and all your classmates. I have laid out my 
agenda, detailed Agenda for American Renewal, a specific, comprehensive, 
integrated agenda to create in America the world's very first $10 
trillion economy. I want to use this international experience, 
international leadership to open up new markets for American products, 
because that is how we will create good jobs for American workers.
    Small business will create two-thirds of the new jobs in the new 
economy. Governor Clinton promises small business higher taxes and more 
redtape. I promise relief from taxation, regulation, and litigation. Get 
the regulations off of the back of the small-business people in this 
country.
    With Lamar Alexander's leadership and assistance, we're proud that 
today half the students in 4-year colleges across Tennessee receive 
Federal grants or loans. No one told you what college you had to go to. 
You had the freedom to choose your school. Now we are fighting to 
reinvent America's elementary and high schools by giving every parent 
the right to choose their children's schools, public, private, or 
religious.
    We have a good plan to give Government vouchers to soldiers and 
others caught in the transition of the economy so that they may learn 
new skills and find the dignity of work.
    Here's something else I want: to limit the terms of Members of the 
United States Congress. Governor Clinton says he's the candidate of 
change, but he opposes this, the most profound change offered this year. 
Presidents serve limited terms. The same rule ought to apply to the 
other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. So let's approve term limits and give 
Congress back to the American people.
    I might add this, that if we had more Congressmen like Don Sundquist 
up there, everybody wouldn't be yelling at me, ``Clean House!'' But 
while we're at it, let's have that little chant, ``Clean House!'' We've 
got to get rid of that old 38-year-old governance that has controlled 
Congress for 38 years. Let's change it. You want to make real change in 
America? Help me change the Congress and move this country forward.
    These are just some of my ideas and some of what I'm fighting for. 
I'm proud of my record, and I'll stand by it in November. But if 
candidate Clinton wants to talk about the past, I say okay, let's look 
at what's going on in Arkansas.
    The people there--and I know them; I've been there many, many times, 
lived next door--they are decent and hard-working people. But the more 
you know about their Governor, the more you know that he's wrong for 
America. Governor Clinton says he's for civil rights. But Arkansas 
doesn't even have a basic civil rights law. He says he's for high-tech, 
but under Bill Clinton, Arkansas has been falling behind in high school. 
Three out of every four Arkansas graduates spend their first year in 
college relearning what they were supposed to learn in high school. That 
is not fair to the people of Arkansas.
    Bill Clinton says he wants to get tough on crime. But his crime rate 
rises faster than the Nation's. I support the law enforcement officers 
all across the country, and I am very proud that the police in Little 
Rock, Arkansas, endorse me for President of the United States of 
America. America deserves better than that sorry Arkansas record of 
Governor Clinton.
    Look at the economy, the major issue in this campaign. I know 
America's endured some tough economic times. Families are hurting. But 
understand, we are being affected, and all students know this, by a 
global economic slowdown. 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 special 
interest spending, and more taxes on

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the middle class. That is not good for America.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As Governor--I know I hate to ruin a beautiful 
afternoon like this, but listen to this one--as Governor, Bill Clinton 
raised and extended the sales tax, including a tax on baby formula, 
vegetables, and other groceries. He raised the gas tax. He taxed mobile 
homes and cable TV. And, oh yeah, he slapped a tax on beer.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Yes. I had a feeling that would not be very popular 
here. Now the Governor says he's seen the light. In this campaign he's 
proposing at least $150 billion in new taxes, plus at least $220 billion 
in new spending. But don't worry, he says, ``I'll get it all from the 
rich,'' people who make it over $200,000, the top 2 percent.
    But here's the truth and problem: To get the money he needs for his 
plan, the $150 billion he's promised in new taxes, Governor Clinton 
would have to get his money from every individual with taxable income 
over $36,600. That's just the start of his tax campaign against the 
middle class. Governor Clinton will need hundreds of billions of dollars 
more to pay for all the programs that he's promised.
    The newspaper in his own backyard, the Pine Bluff Commercial, says 
that ``If Congress follows Bill Clinton's example, it would pass a tax 
program that would hit the middle class the hardest.'' These are not 
people, Governor Clinton, on ``Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.'' 
These are your parents, your parents, my friends. These are the people 
that work hard and pay the bills and sweat it out at tax time. They 
deserve a break, not a new tax.
    Let me give you one example. Let's say after you graduate, you get 
your first job with about, say, $22,000 a year in taxable income. 
Governor Clinton could have you fork over another 430 bucks a year to 
the tax man. I say you ought to be able to use that money to pay the 
rent or spend a week at the lake on vacation, not have to send it back 
to the IRS in Washington, DC.
    So, at this time in the great history of the United States, I don't 
think we can take the risk on a tax-and-spend candidate with no 
experience. You see, I've been in the Oval Office, and I have faced some 
very tough decisions, and of course, I've made mistakes. When I make a 
mistake, I admit it. But I believe I've been a good leader, willing to 
make the tough calls, and I'm a leader whose ideas are right for 
America.
    I stand before you today, asking for your support so that we can get 
to work with a new Congress to fix the problems that stand in the way of 
this country; so that we can reform our health care system; that we can 
literally reinvent our schools; so that we can retrain workers from one 
generation and create jobs for the next; so that we can cut Government 
spending and taxes and get this economy moving again.
    This is the agenda that I have to offer. If you are looking for a 
leader of experience, a leader of ideas, a leader who shares your 
values, and a leader who understands that America's real strength is not 
in Government but in places like Clarksville, then I know I can count on 
your support on November 3d.
    I have only one regret today, and that is that the greatest First 
Lady this country--well, I'd better be careful, but our great First Lady 
is not with me. I'm very proud of Barbara Bush. I see a sign over here 
that's talking about the family. I think that my wife has done an awful 
lot, when she holds an AIDS baby in her arms or when she sits and reads 
with kids in the lobby there at the Diplomatic Entrance to the White 
House, to show what we mean as a family when we say, let's strengthen 
the American family. Read to the kids. Teach them discipline. Help them.
    I've been privileged to be your President. We did it through some 
very, very tough times. One of the things that shaped my life is that I 
served my country in uniform, and I'm very, very proud of that. I salute 
those here from Fort Campbell and elsewhere who are also serving their 
great country.
    Don't listen, don't listen to the other side that is tearing down 
this country. We are the greatest, strongest, fairest, freest country on 
the face of the Earth. Let's keep it that way.
    May God bless you all. May God bless the United States of America. 
Thank you very,

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very much. What a great rally. Thank you all.

                    Note: The President spoke at 4:04 p.m. in Dunn 
                        Center.