[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 20, 1992]
[Pages 1887-1889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Beginning a Whistlestop Tour in Norcross, Georgia
October 20, 1992

    The President. What a great Georgia day. Thank you for that great 
welcome. It is great to be in the land of the free and the home of the 
Braves. Thank you all very much.
    You know, everywhere I go I see signs that say ``Clean House!'' We 
need more Members of Congress like Newt Gingrich. And I'm delighted to 
have been introduced by him. So send us more like Newt and also, while 
we're at it, let's clean Senate and elect Paul Coverdell to the United 
States Senate.
    I am very proud to have at my side today the Governor of South 
Carolina, Carroll Campbell, one of the outstanding Governors in the 
entire United States. I'm glad he's here, and of course, my friend and 
supporter in the Senate, Strom Thurmond. I'll tell you, he does a great 
job for this country. May I thank Brooks Coleman, our master of 
ceremonies. And may I salute the world's best First Lady, Barbara Bush. 
I'm proud she's out here today.
    Audience members: Barbara! Barbara! Barbara!
    The President. And I like all these signs around here. I referred to 
that one the other night, last night in the debate. I love it. And we're 
going to show them on November 3d exactly how it works.
    You know, baseball is like politics. So forget about all these 
polls. Forget people telling you how you think. On election day, on 
election day we're going to show America that it ain't over until 
Cabrera swings, and that is exactly the way it's going to be.
    Anybody out here see the debate last night?
    Audience members. Yes.
    The President. The thing I like about it is we had a chance to lay 
out the differences, the choice for the American people: a vast 
difference between experience, a vast difference on philosophy, and a 
vast difference on character and confidence in the United States. I hope 
I stand for all four, and I challenge my opponent on all four.
    You know, there was one scary moment in that debate last night, and 
that's when Governor Clinton said that he would do for America what he's 
done for Arkansas. You talk about a real threat.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Here he is, running with Mr. Ozone, Senator Gore, and 
Arkansas is 50th in the environmental initiatives; 49th in high school 
dropouts; 45th in overall well-being of children; 75 percent of the kids 
that graduate from high school have to get remedial reading, remedial 
education when they go to college; and their income and their jobs and 
their wages lag the Nation. We cannot let him do for the United States 
what he's already done to Arkansas.
    I've got to admit, I agreed with the feisty little guy from Dallas 
on one thing, when he said the grocery store is no preparation for Wal-
Mart. I thought that was a pretty good line. Let me put it in baseball 
terms: The Little League ain't any preparation for the Atlanta Braves, 
either.
    You know, we had a chance to talk about the economy. And yes, we've 
been going through some tough times, but what we don't need is a dose of 
lousy medicine. He wants to raise taxes by $150 billion and increase 
spending by $220 billion.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And we cannot let him do that to the United States.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And you know who's going to pay it. He says, ``I'm 
going to sock the rich.'' That won't get him any money at all. What he's 
going to do is sock it to the cab driver and the nurse and the 
beautician and the housewife. I will protect against all

[[Page 1888]]

these tax increases that Clinton wants to load on you, the taxpayer.
    You know, I've got a difference in philosophy. I think that we're 
taxing too much and spending too much. He wants to tax more and spend 
more. Do not let this happen to the United States of America.
    I believe in a State like Georgia one of the things that's going to 
save us and lead the recovery is more exports, more free and fair trade. 
I will continue to fight to expand our exports, because we have the best 
workers, the best products anywhere in the world. Let them have 
competition in foreign markets, and we will create more American jobs.
    Another big difference--I can't even remember whether I mentioned it 
last night; I think I did--is the difference I have with him on legal 
reform. I want to reform our legal system and stop these crazy lawsuits. 
We've gone too far. Doctors are afraid to practice medicine; Little 
League guys are afraid to coach; somebody along the highway sees a 
victim, and they're afraid to stop because if they move the body a 
little bit to bring comfort, somebody's going to sue them for doing the 
wrong thing. We sue each other too much and care for each other too 
little in this country. And we've got to change that.
    You saw the differences last night on education. I want to give 
parents the right to choose their schools, public, private, or 
religious. Give the middle class a break. Give the middle class a little 
relief.
    Health care: He wants to put a Government board in there. I want to 
reform health care and make insurance available to all, the poorest of 
the poor, give the middle class a break on it. Keep the Government out 
of the health care business, and let's compete and make our health care 
the best and most affordable in the entire world.
    Very candidly, we've got a big difference on crime. I was delighted 
the other day when the FOP, the Fraternal Police Officers came up to 
Washington from Little Rock, Arkansas, and that police group endorsed me 
for President of the United States. They did it because I agree with 
Strom Thurmond, who is fighting for tough anticrime legislation. We need 
to support the police officers more and have a little less sympathy for 
the criminals themselves.
    I am for reforming Government. I am with Newt Gingrich and Strom 
Thurmond because I want a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 
I want a line-item veto. I want to give you, the people, a taxpayer 
check-off so we must compel the Congress to get this Federal deficit 
down. And I want to give the Congress back to the people by having term 
limits up there, too--there are term limits on the President--term 
limits for the Members of Congress.
    Lastly, I made a distinction last night. Governor Clinton said in 
Richmond, it's not the character of the President that counts, it's 
``the character of the Presidency.'' I repeat today, especially to the 
young people, these two are inseparable. These two are inseparable. You 
cannot flip-flop on the issues every single time. One day you said you 
told the full truth on your sorry draft record, and the next day it 
comes out you haven't.
    On Desert Storm, that was a proud moment for the sons and daughters 
of Georgia. Governor Clinton said, ``Well, I probably was with the 
minority,'' or ``I supported the minority, but I probably would have 
voted with the majority.'' You cannot waffle. You cannot turn the White 
House into the waffle house.
    It is his pattern. It is his pattern of trying to be all things to 
all people. You simply cannot have a pattern of deception. You cannot 
separate the character of the Presidency from the character of the 
President. I have tried to be a faithful custodian of the trust you have 
placed in me. Barbara and I have tried to protect and revere the White 
House, where we are privileged to live, and I will do that for 4 more 
years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. You cannot literally flip-flop on all these issues 
and lead. You cannot lead by misleading. You can't say one day, ``Well, 
I think Toronto is great, but I'm for the Braves.'' You've got to take a 
position. I am for the Braves, courageously.
    My last point is simply this: The opposition would have you believe 
that the United States is a nation in decline. Gover-

[[Page 1889]]

nor Clinton said, well, we're something less than, paraphrasing, we're 
something less than Germany, but a little better than Sri Lanka. Let me 
tell him something. We are the best, the fairest, the most decent, and 
the strongest country on the face of the Earth.
    And yes, our economy needs fixing, but we're caught up in something 
global. We're in an interdependent world. Our economy, in spite of its 
ailment, is doing better than Germany and Japan and England and France. 
With our leadership and our agenda for America's renewal, we are going 
to lead our way to economic recovery around the entire world, meaning 
jobs for the American worker.
    Thank you for this fantastic turnout, and don't let him say we are 
second class. We are the United States, the freest, fairest, greatest 
nation on the face of the Earth. And I need your support, and I ask for 
your vote. Thank you all, and God bless you.

                    Note: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. beside the 
                        Spirit of America train.