[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 26, 1992]
[Pages 1998-2002]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 26, 1992

    The President. Thank you, New Mexico. And thank you especially to 
one of the truly great, decent, honorable, committed United States 
Senators, Pete Domenici. And, you know, you've got a great Republican 
delegation to the Congress in Steve Schiff, the local Congressman; Joe 
Skeen is with us here today. Former Governor Garrey Carruthers is over 
here. I want to thank our New Mexico State chairman, John Lattauzio, and 
our special guest, my dear friend Ricky Skaggs, just back from Russia, 
one of the great entertainers and a really decent guy.
    Let me say I am very, very pleased to be in Albuquerque. And let me 
tell you this: Ignore the pundits, annoy the media, and let the people 
decide who's going to win this election. We are going to win the 
election.
    Let me tell you why. There's a clear choice before the American 
people, a vast difference in experience, a vast difference in 
philosophy, and a vast difference in char-

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acter. And character counts when you're talking about the President.
    Now, I hate to ruin a beautiful day in this lovely plaza with this 
magnificent unbelievable turnout. But let me tell you a little bit 
inasmuch as Clinton has been misrepresenting mine, let me tell you the 
facts about his record in Arkansas. Sorry, I've got to do it.
    Here's what it is. You like your environment? Arkansas is 50th in 
the quality of environmental initiatives. They are 50th in the 
percentage of adults with a college degree. They are 50th in per capita 
spending on criminal justice. They are 49th in per capita spending on 
police protection. They are 48th, sorry, in percentage of adults with a 
high school diploma. They are 48th in spending on corrections. They are 
46th--they're moving up--46th in teacher salaries. They are 45th in the 
overall well-being of children. And listen to this one, New Mexico, 
Governor Clinton signed into law a prejudicial English-only statute for 
Arkansas.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. We do not need that kind of leadership in Washington, 
DC. He calls this change. All you hear out of him and Mr. Ozone, Al 
Gore--[laughter]--I've never seen a guy with such crazy ideas. They'd 
screech this country to a halt, I'll tell you.
    But Governor Clinton talks change, change, change. But let's just 
take a look at what he wants. He's already proposed $150 billion in new 
taxes, $220 billion in new spending. You talk about trickle-down 
Government, that's it. His numbers do not add up, and he is going to 
sock it to the middle class, and we're not going to let him do that.
    Remember what it was when the Democrats controlled the White House 
and have these silly liberals controlling Congress. Remember how it was. 
The last time they controlled it, inflation was 15 percent, interest 
rates were 21 percent, the ``misery index'' was out through that ozone 
layer, and the country was in a disaster. And we're not going to let him 
go back to that.
    Watch your wallets, men. You've heard it before: Sock it to the 
rich. He means sock it to the working man, the nurse, the teacher, the 
cab driver. And we're not going to let him do that. You listen to this 
guy, and change, change is all you're going to have left in your pocket 
if you hear from him.
    You know, Governor Clinton can only win if he tells everybody how 
bad everything is. Today, employment is at 93 percent; inflation is only 
2\1/2\ or 3 percent; home mortgages are about 8 percent. Ask yourself 
this question: Can Bill Clinton do better, or is he going to make it 
worse? He is going to make it worse.
    And maybe some New Mexico issues. On defense, we've got a good 
defense. I have cut defense where we're able to. But I've accepted the 
recommendations of the respected Colin Powell and Dick Cheney. We're not 
going to cut into the muscle of our defense. And Clinton wants $60 
billion more, throwing a lot of New Mexicans out of work. We cannot let 
them cut the muscle of our defense. Clinton is no expert. He has no 
feeling for foreign affairs or defense. He was the guy that said the 
Patriot missile was the one that goes down chimneys. Governor, that is 
Santa Claus. [Laughter] That is not the Patriot missile. That shoots 
down other missiles. I mean, come on. This guy wants to be Commander in 
Chief, and he doesn't know the difference between a Patriot and Santa 
Claus. [Laughter]
    The energy bill, I was proud, with the help of Pete Domenici and the 
Members of Congress with us here today, to sign an energy bill that's 
going to get our domestic energy industry moving again. We have changed 
the alternative minimum tax. And that frees up the independents to go to 
drill for more oil. We are too dependent on foreign oil. Let's get the 
domestic industry moving.
    And beware of environmental extremists, these crazy people that say 
that we cannot--you want to protect the owl but throw the timber worker 
out of business. You want to protect CAFE, car efficiency standards, 
throw the auto workers out of business. But around here, I favor 
multiple use of public lands. And I will stop these environmental 
extremists.
    And here's something that New Mexico understands and I'm not sure 
the Clinton-Gore ticket understand, the thing that has saved us in a 
global slowdown. And remember, the United States is doing better than

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Japan; we are doing better than Germany and the rest of Europe; we are 
doing better than Canada. And all you hear from these guys, assisted by 
these talking heads on the news, is how bad everything is. But the way 
we're going to lead this world actually into recovery is by creating 
more jobs for Americans as we export more products. And I am proud that 
we negotiated the North American free trade agreement with Mexico. This 
is sound and solid. And it will create 175,000 jobs.
    Small business, look, small business creates two-thirds of America's 
jobs. Let's get the regulatory burden off of small business. Let's 
reduce the tax burden on small business. And let's reform our legal 
system. We're suing each other too much. We're suing each other too much 
and, frankly, caring for each other too little. And what we've got to do 
is put a cap on some of these frivolous lawsuits.
    Governor Clinton is in the pocket of the trial lawyers. I am trying 
to reform this legal system so doctors can practice medicine without 
raising the cost, Little League people can coach without fear of some 
crazy lawsuit. And if you drive by and you see somebody hurt on the 
highway, you don't want to have to worry whether some lawyer's going to 
come and say you shouldn't have tried to help that person; you did the 
wrong thing.
    I have the best plan for health care reform. It is to keep the 
Government out of the business and provide insurance for all, the 
poorest of the poor through vouchers, the over-taxed rest of the people 
through tax assistance. Get these malpractice suits under control, pool 
the insurance so you bring the cost down, but do not let the Government 
get into the business of rationing health care.
    On education, my administration has increased spending for education 
tremendously. But let me tell you this: We need a new approach, and 
we've got one. Seventeen hundred communities are literally reinventing 
their schools. One out of two college students gets financial aid. But 
we've got to do better. And I want to give parents a choice. Parents 
should choose private, public, or religious schools and get help as they 
do that.
    Those merchants of change, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore, aren't even 
willing to try a new idea. They wouldn't know one if it hit them in the 
face.
    I've got a big difference with those two guys on crime also. You 
know, the Arkansas prisoners spend 20 percent of their sentences--they 
serve only 20 percent; the Federal criminals, 85 percent. And my view is 
we ought to have a little less respect for the criminal and a little 
more to the victims of crime.
    I support our law enforcement people, and they're getting a bum rap. 
We ought to back them up more. You know, the other day in the White 
House I had a visit from eight people from the South. They came, and 
they were real down-to-earth, wonderful family people. They said, 
``We're supporting you.'' They were from the Fraternal Order of Police 
from Little Rock, Arkansas, and they endorsed me for President of the 
United States.
    Governor Clinton says he wants to take more tax money to invest. 
Since when is the Government able to invest in anything? You can't do 
it. I want to see private business invest by giving them tax relief and 
by getting this deficit down.
    Do you want to know how we should do that? I'll tell you: We need, 
right, we need a balanced budget amendment. The Democrats fight us, and 
we're going to get it done in the new Congress. We need a taxpayer 
check-off. The taxpayer should say, ``Look, I'm going to allocate, if I 
want to, 10 percent of my income tax to go to reducing the Government 
debt.'' That should be enforced by the Congress, and it will if I am 
reelected.
    We need term limits. The President serves limited terms. Let's limit 
it for these Congressmen.
    The last point on getting this deficit down, let's try something new 
for the Federal Government. Forty-three Governors have it. They can take 
a pen and wipe out the pork. Give me the line-item veto, and let's get 
this budget down.
    No, we've got a world of difference between the Clinton-Gore ticket 
and the Bush-Quayle ticket. And may I say I'm very proud of my running 
mate. I love the

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equity in the news media. They beat up on Dan Quayle for going into the 
service, and they apologize for Clinton for staying out of the service. 
Come on. Where's fairplay out there? Where is fairplay?
    Now, I'll tell you what's going to make the difference, though. The 
newspaper generously referred to it. It really does have to do with 
character. My argument with Governor Clinton is, as President of the 
United States you cannot be all things to all people. You cannot say 
you're for one issue and then flip-flop the next day. When you make a 
mistake you ought to look to the American people in the eye and say, ``I 
made a mistake, and I'm sorry. And I'm going to go on and lead the 
American people to greater heights.'' You cannot cover up. You cannot 
cover up. I have a big difference, as you know.
    But here's a test of leadership. I had to make a tough call, a very 
difficult call for any President when you have to commit someone else's 
son or daughter to go into harm's way. I did it. I led, and we brought 
along the Congress. We formed an international coalition, and we kicked 
Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. We busted up the fourth biggest army. And 
we restored the United States as the one leader in the world.
    Now, where was Bill? Here's what he said. Here's what he said about 
the Persian Gulf: ``I was for the minority''--meaning let sanctions 
work, let Saddam Hussein march into Saudi Arabia--``I was for the 
minority, but I guess''--this is an exact quote--``I guess I would have 
voted with the majority.'' My friends, you cannot do that as the 
President of the United States.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He comes from Arkansas, a right-to-work State, says 
he's for it there; goes up to the labor leaders in Detroit and says he's 
against it. He's for term limits one place, against them in another.
    The biggest argument I have with him on the draft is this: I have 
said, and I feel it viscerally, I do not believe that it is proper when 
your brothers or when the guys out of the ghetto are drafted, to be over 
in a foreign country leading, organizing demonstrations against your 
country no matter how strongly you feel. But I recognize that people 
differ on that question. But I recognize they differ on serving in that 
war.
    But let me tell you something, what I don't think is right is to try 
to have it both ways on there. He said on April 17th, ``I'm going to 
reveal all my records on the draft''--was he inducted, wasn't he; was he 
drafted, wasn't he? He has not done that. You cannot equivocate and 
obfuscate. You've got to tell the truth if you want to be President of 
the United States of America.
    There is a pattern of deception, and you cannot lead America by 
misleading. You darned sure can't turn the White House into the waffle 
house. The phone rings over there sometimes in the Oval Office or 
sometimes upstairs where Barbara and I live in the White House, and you 
don't have time to equivocate. You have to make up your mind and call 
them as you see them, as the umpires do, and do your level-best.
    Here is why, in conclusion, I believe we are going to win. I 
believe, in the final analysis, when people go into that booth, I think 
they're going to say the President has the best agenda for renewing 
America. I think they're going to say we have the best record because we 
are saying to these young people here, you don't grow up with that same 
fear of nuclear war that your mother and dad had. We have led and 
dramatically changed the world, and I want to take that leadership now 
and help lift these kids up and give them a better life.
    But I'll tell you why I believe it. I believe I will win because I 
believe in the final analysis that my wonderful wife--and I think we've 
got a first-class First Lady in that White House, and I am very proud of 
her. We have tried--the reason I'll win this election is I have tried 
very hard to keep the public trust. You have placed in me a trust, and 
we have had a clean, a decent administration. We've made some mistakes, 
admitted them. We are leading. Don't believe it when Governor Clinton 
and the Ozone Man tell you, don't believe it when they say we're a 
nation in decline. They had the nerve to tell the American people that 
we're less than Germany and a little more than Sri Lanka. Forget it. We 
are number one in the entire world. We are the fairest, the most decent, 
the most honorable

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country in the world. I ask for your support and your vote to lead this 
country for 4 more years.
    Thank you, and may God bless the United States. Thank you very much. 
Thank you very, very much. Thank you all.

                    Note: The President spoke at 2:15 p.m. at the Civic 
                        Plaza.