[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[September 29, 1992]
[Pages 1704-1706]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Community in Nashville, Tennessee
September 29, 1992

    The President. Thank you very much for that warm welcome. Thank you, 
thank you, thank you. Hey, listen, how do you ever adequately--please be 
seated, and let me just say what a joy it is to be here today. I don't 
know how I possibly can begin to thank these fantastic entertainers that 
are standing up with me right now, I'll tell you, Baillie and the Boys, 
the Oak Ridge Boys, and Paul Overstreet, and Mark Chestnut; of course, 
Lee Greenwood and Chet Atkins and, oh, there's so many. Naomi, thank you 
for being with us all day long, and, Crystal, thank you for appearing 
with me. It really makes a tremendous difference. It really brings the 
crowds alive. And I'm grateful to each and every one of you. And, 
Goober, your jokes were all right, too. [Laughter] And thank you.
    May I salute Roy Acuff. My heavens, what an inspiration he's been to 
all of us in this country. And as President, you get to do many 
wonderful and happy things, and one of the things I've enjoyed the most 
was when I had the honor of presenting to Roy the most prestigious award 
we have for the arts, the National Medal of the Arts, up at the White 
House. He deserved it, and he's a fine, fine, fine legend in his own 
time.
    You know, I don't know whether Naomi or Crystal are still speaking 
to me, or Ricky Skaggs, who was with us on this trip. But as far as I'm 
concerned, this is a wonderful day, traveling all across the width and 
breadth of this great State. I can't think of a better place to finish 
this swing than right here at the Mecca of country music.
    You know, last week on one of the networks there was a story asking 
why country music had become such a big part of national politics. I 
won't speak for any other politicians, but I love country music. Leave 
politics aside, I love it because country music loves America. I don't 
start listening--listen to this crowd--just at election time. I listen 
to it every night of my life, and I love it. I can flip on 98.7 on the 
dial at Washington, DC, and all the cares of all these talking heads and 
media freaks and everybody else go flying out. It is wonderful.
    May I salute Howard Baker who's with us here today. Congressmen 
Sundquist and Duncan; and of course, our great Secretary of Education, 
Lamar Alexander.
    It's a funny thing, who was it, Naomi talked about family. I get a 
funny feeling that some on the opposition camp want to have us stop 
talking about the fundamental importance of strengthening the American 
family. But I'm not going to stop talking about it because we must find 
ways to stand for the values of family and faith. Sometimes those values 
like family and faith become unpopular, a little out of sync in some 
places. But never, never here and never in country music. It's always 
there. Country music reminds us that for all our faults, America still 
is the very best, the finest country on the face of the Earth.
    We've had a lot of difficulties, but I don't like it one single bit 
when I find somebody trying to be President and the only way he can get 
there is by tearing down and talking down the United States of America. 
I want to talk it up. I believe in our country. I am very proud.
    To listen to Clinton and Gore, they don't think foreign affairs or 
national security is important. I am proud of how we helped win the cold 
war so that our children can sleep without that nightmare of nuclear war 
and nuclear weapons and dream the sweet dreams of peace.
    I am proud that when Saddam Hussein stuck his forces across into 
Kuwait that we were the country, we were the ones, the sons and 
daughters of Tennessee, that said,

[[Page 1705]]

``No way. You're through. You're out.'' Right there we showed that 
courage is a fundamental part of the American character. We are not 
going to forget what those men and women did, no matter how the other 
side tries to move the debate away. We're going to stay with the pride 
that we feel in this country.
    I'm not going to get into the one subject that's racing all around 
the politics, but let me just put it this way: I am very proud that I 
served my country in the uniform of the United States of America. I hope 
it has made me a better Commander in Chief. And I hope it has made me a 
sensitive one, because the toughest decision that a President has to 
make is to commit somebody else's son or daughter into combat. I think 
that experience has been extraordinarily useful.
    But now what we've got to do is to take the leadership that helped 
shape the entire world, that brought an end to the cold war, that 
brought democracy to countries all across the world who have lived 
behind communist tyranny, and say, now take the leadership that did that 
and change things dramatically here at home. That's what the debate is 
about, and that's what the election is about.
    We can feel the impact in our neighborhoods now as we take this 
message of hope and economic opportunity all across the United States of 
America. You see, what I must do now in the last 5 or 6 weeks, whatever 
we have left--should be able to tell you right down to the hour; it's 
been that kind of a year, but--[laughter]--we've got two entirely 
different views as to how to respond to the challenge. Beneath all his 
rhetoric and all of his talk of partnership and new ways, Governor 
Clinton basically offers America more of the old way, more Government, 
more spending, more redtape, more middle class taxes.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You know, I had the honor, coming in here, to call a 
real legend on the phone, Minnie Pearl, beloved daughter of Nashville. 
Leaving the politics aside, Barbara and I just love her, and we wanted 
to just wish her good health. Ronald Reagan used to describe the liberal 
spending programs as being something like Minnie Pearl's hat: ``They 
look great, but they have all these big price tags dangling from them.'' 
[Laughter] And so that's the way I look at the Clinton program.
    I don't think we can afford that kind of a program of tax and spend. 
And yes, I believe that Government can do good things. But 
fundamentally, I believe that the key to renewing America won't be found 
in some Washington bureaucracy, but right here, right here in the 
heartland of America, in places like Nashville, Tennessee.
    So in this campaign we're talking about turning the power, giving 
the power to the American people. I want to break down the barriers, 
bureaucratic barriers, to world trade, so that we can create more jobs 
for the American workers. I want to get rid of all of these crazy 
lawsuits that keep mothers and fathers from coaching Little League, 
these lawsuits that keep doctors from practicing medicine. As a nation, 
frankly, we've got to sue each other less and care for each other more.
    With the great leadership and help of Lamar Alexander, I want to 
give parents, not the Government, the right to choose their kids' 
school, whether public, private, or religious.
    But most of all, we've got to get the Government under control by 
cutting Government spending and cutting taxes, because I believe that 
you can spend your money better than any Government subcommittee or 
Government bureaucrat. So we've got some big differences. I believe 
Governor Clinton, just to put it mildly--I'm an objective observer 
here--I believe Governor Clinton's ideas are wrong for America. That is 
the bottom line, and I've got to take that case to the American people.
    A couple of hours ago, over at Austin Peay University, I challenged 
Governor Clinton to a debate, the last four Sundays of this campaign, 
four nationally televised debates. I said that I'd be flexible about the 
format, but I believe that the American people deserve to hear our ideas 
because only they can make the right choice in November. I hope that the 
Governor will respond and accept. We've been hearing a lot about him. 
I've seen all those chickens out there at these various 
events. [Laughter] I

[[Page 1706]]

didn't know whether they were talking about the draft or the pollution 
in the Arkansas River.
    Look, I know, I don't pretend to be the world's greatest debater. I 
didn't go to Oxford. I know, I know I'm not very good on statistics. 
This guy's got more statistics than there are problems. [Laughter] But 
what I do have is a fundamental commitment to values and hopefully some 
character to go with it.
    Something else I have is faith in the American people, faith in all 
the beauticians and bartenders and Boy Scouts and great singers. I 
believe that America will win the economic competition if Government 
just gives these people the tools and then gets the heck out of the way 
and lets America get the job done.
    I'll tell you what really gets me about this. I don't want to get 
wound up here, these guys have lots to do--but it burns me up right in 
the bottom of my gut to hear Governor Clinton talking about this country 
being a nation in decline. He says we're south of Germany and a little 
north of Sri Lanka. Well, he ought to open his eyes and look around the 
world. We are the most respected, the fairest, the most decent country 
on the face of the Earth. Thank God I don't have to get reelected by 
going around tearing down the United States of America.
    I wish Barbara Bush were here. Not only does she keep me in line, 
but I think she's been the greatest First Lady we've had. I'll tell you 
something; I'll tell you why we're going to win this election: We really 
care. We have been honored--I say we, the both of us--to live in this 
wonderful White House, the symbol to countries all around the world of 
freedom and democracy. We've tried very, very hard to keep the public 
trust, to honor the office that we've been privileged to hold.
    Now I'm going to ask the American people: Let us finish this job. 
Let us have this economy recover. Let's offer hope and opportunity to 
all Americans. Give me 4 more years to finish the job.
    Thank you, and may God bless our great country. I can't do it as 
well as Lee Greenwood, but God bless the United States. God bless the 
U.S.A. Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 7:20 p.m. at the Roy 
                        Acuff Theater. In his remarks, he referred to 
                        entertainers Baillie and the Boys, the Oak Ridge 
                        Boys, Paul Overstreet, Mark Chestnut, Lee 
                        Greenwood, Chet Atkins, Naomi Judd, Crystal 
                        Gayle, George ``Goober'' Lindsey, Roy Acuff, and 
                        Ricky Skaggs.