[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[November 1, 1992]
[Pages 2129-2133]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 2129]]


Remarks to the Community in Stratford, Connecticut
November 1, 1992

    The President. Thank you. Thank you all. What a fantastic rally. 
Four more.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you all. Thank you so very much. What a great 
welcome back to Connecticut. Thank you very much. Thank you very, very 
much for that warm welcome back. And to all of you inside and the 10,000 
outside, thanks for that welcome back.
    May I start by saluting our great congressional delegation, the 
Members of Congress, Chris Shays, Gary Franks, and Nancy Johnson. We've 
got a great delegation. And now help them clean House by electing more 
to the United States Congress. We need Brook Johnson, we need Tom Scott, 
we need Phil Steele, we need Edward Munster all to go to Washington.
    I salute John Rowland, our emcee. I thank Paul Overstreet and the 
Gunsmoke for the great music. And let me thank the others that made this 
great rally possible, Doc Gunther, Betsy Heminway, Brian Gaffney, Dick 
Foley, and Fred Biebel--came to Connecticut in late 1988 just before the 
election. We won then, and we are going to win now and annoy the media.
    Audience members. Bush! Bush! Bush!
    The President. I am very grateful to all of you, and I thank my 
brother Pres for the introduction. The choice before the American people 
this year is very different, a vast difference in experience, a vast 
difference in philosophy, and a vast difference in character. And we are 
going to win on all three.
    There's another collateral reason, not nearly as important, but 
people are beginning to take a look or have already looked at the record 
in Arkansas. And without ruining a fantastically upbeat rally, let me 
just click off a couple of numbers for you. I think of Connecticut as an 
environmentally sound State. Arkansas is the 50th in the quality of 
environmental initiative. They are 50 in the percentage of adults with 
college degrees.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I don't want to ruin the evening, only a few more 
here. They are 50th in per capita spending on criminal justice. They are 
49th in per capita spending on police protection. They are 48th in the 
percentage of adults with a high school diploma. They are 48th in the 
spending on corrections. They are 46 on teachers' salaries. They are 
45th in the overall well-being of children. And Clinton has said, ``I 
want to do for America what I've done for Arkansas.'' No way! Governor 
Clinton, we do not need that kind of change in this country.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. We got it.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. For a long time, the Governor's been running around 
talking about change. Well, let's take a look at what 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 don't add up. 
And as I say to the middle class, he says he's going to sock it to the 
rich, but everybody that's got a job, every teacher, every cab driver, 
every farmer, watch your wallet. The guy's coming after you, and we're 
not going to let him do that.
    Change, change, change, change, that's all he talks about. Remember 
what it was like when we had a Democrat in the White House and a 
Democratic liberal leadership in the Congress? You had inflation at 15 
percent; you had interest rates at 21 percent; you had the ``misery 
index'' at 20. And we are not going back to that kind of change. Change, 
that's all you'll have left in your pocket if we go his route, I'll tell 
you. [Laughter]
    You know, the bad news for Governor Clinton is that there's been 
some good news for our economy. The economy grew at 2.7 percent. It's 
grown for six quarters. Clinton and the Ozone Man tell you that we are 
worse off. They tell you that we're worse off than Japan and Germany. 
We're not.

[[Page 2130]]

We've been in an economic international slowdown. It is the United 
States of America, with knowledgeable leadership on international 
affairs and increasing our exports, that's going to lead the way to new 
recovery. And the answer to it is not tax and spend but hold the line on 
taxes and put a cap on the growth of these mandatory spending programs 
and then stimulate small business, investment tax allowance, capital 
gains to get people to start new businesses, a credit for that first-
time homebuyer that wants to live the American dream. That's the way to 
do it, not bigger Government.
    I have a responsibility as the Commander in Chief and in charge of 
the national security to be sure we don't cut into the muscle of the 
defense. Because we've been successful with world peace and because 
we've stayed strong and made some tough decisions, I've been able to cut 
defense. But now along comes Governor Clinton, and he wants to cut the 
muscle of our defense $60 billion more. We cannot let him do that. And 
besides that, besides the national security, we don't need to throw an 
additional 1 million people out of work, including 9,500 right here in 
Connecticut. So we are going to hold the line and keep this country 
secure, because who knows where the next threat is coming to. We'd 
better have a leader that understands international affairs.
    You know, Connecticut is a great trading State. We've got some of 
the best made products in the world right here by Connecticut workers. 
And what we're going to do is expand our exports. Exports have saved us 
at a critical time, and we are going to create more American jobs by 
increasing exports, by increasing free and fair trade.
    I mentioned small business. You know, small business creates about 
two-thirds--has about two-thirds of the jobs. I don't want to slap a tax 
on them for any reason. What I want to do is give them less taxes, less 
regulation, and less litigation, fewer of these crazy lawsuits, so we 
can move small business ahead and create jobs for everyone in 
Connecticut that needs jobs.
    I mentioned legal reform. We're having a big battle in Congress. We 
must put a cap on some of these outrageous lawsuits. You know, when a 
Little League coach says, ``Hey, it's not worth it; I don't want to get 
sued by somebody''; when a person along the highway sees somebody that's 
been hurt and hesitates to help his or her fellow man because they're 
afraid of getting sued; and when we've got baby doctors that refuse to 
deliver them because they're afraid of malpractice, it is time to stand 
up to Governor Clinton and the trial lawyers and do something about it. 
I think the bottom line is we ought to sue each other less and care for 
each other more in the United States.
    Health care: we've got the best health care plan. The first thing we 
don't need is what Governor Clinton wants, is a big Government board to 
ration health care. What I want to do is provide insurance to the 
poorest of the poor through vouchers. I want to give the next tax 
bracket up a break with some tax credits. We want to pool the insurance 
so everybody can get the benefit of a lower premium for these ever-
increasing insurance costs. Then I want to keep the Government from 
mandating prices. I want to keep the Government out of the business, 
because we've got the best health care quality in the entire world.
    And education: we've got a great program, America 2000. It's 
beginning to work, 1,700 to 2,000 communities across this country 
already sitting down, the teachers, the parents, the school boards, to 
literally revolutionize education in this country. I believe that 
parents ought to have a right to choose the school of their choice, 
public, private, or religious, and get some help from the Government. 
It's been tried, and where it's tried it works. It works. And those 
schools that aren't chosen do a better job. It worked for the GI bill. 
It is separation of church and state. Let's try something new in this 
country. Let's help these young kids have the best education possible.
    Welfare reform: we've got to break the back of welfare dependency. 
We've been working with the States to give them waivers so they can try 
learnfare or workfare and try to help people get off of welfare. And we 
can do it. But we've got to do it by giving waivers to the States and 
reforming our welfare system.
    I've got a big difference on Governor Clinton on crime. You know, in 
Arkansas

[[Page 2131]]

prisoners spend 20 percent of their sentences and that's all; Federal 
Government, it is 85 percent of their sentences in jail. It's my firm 
belief that we need to back up our police officers more. We need to have 
a little more compassion for the victims of crime and a little less for 
the criminal element. Thank God for the local police that are out there 
standing up against these drug and criminal elements. Our police 
officers are trying to make our neighborhoods safer. And the other day I 
was endorsed by eight people, came up from Arkansas, and they were the 
Fraternal Order of Police from Little Rock, to endorse me for President 
of the United States.
    I wish we had more Members of Congress like the ones----
    Audience members. Bush! Bush! Bush!
    The President. I wish we had more Members of Congress like the ones 
here who care about the Federal deficit. And here's some ideas for 
getting it down. Give us a balanced budget amendment to discipline the 
Congress and the President. Give us a taxpayer check-off so you, the 
voters, can say--if the thing that concerns you the most is the deficit, 
you can check off 10 percent of your tax return and compel the Congress 
to bring that spending down to meet that contribution. Then if the 
liberal leadership in the Congress can't do it, and they haven't been 
able to do it, why don't we give the President what 43 Governors have: 
Give him the line-item veto, and let the President draw a line through 
these pork barrel projects.
    And now let's talk about what people are going to decide on, in 
addition to who's got the best program and who has the best record on 
world peace. Let me tell you this: I see these kids here, and I take 
great pride that our administration did an awful lot to help eliminate 
the fear of nuclear weapons from the minds of these kids. That is major. 
That is significant.
    But now let's talk about character and trust. Over the past few days 
you've seen Governor Clinton kind of panic, afraid that the power for 
which he has lusted--do you remember when he wrote back from Oxford, 
when he was over there organizing demonstrations against this country 
when his country was at war? Do you remember that? In the letter to 
Colonel Holmes, he said something about protecting his political 
viability. Well, we are going to give his political viability a chance 
to mature a little more in Arkansas, because he is not going to win the 
Presidency.
    Do you remember that old expression ``Sticks and stones hurt your 
bones, but names will never hurt you?'' He called me a liar the other 
day, but that doesn't hurt. It's like being called ugly by a frog. It 
doesn't matter. I didn't invent the word ``Slick Willie.'' He got that 
long before I started running against him. I have a confession to make. 
I did say in the convention ``slippery when wet,'' and I refuse to take 
it back. Because look, he's on one side of an issue and then on the 
other side of the issue. And as President you simply cannot do that.
    A lot of people objected to the war. I've no problem with that. I 
happen to be proud that I did serve my country in uniform and served 
with honor. What I object to is trying to have all sides of it. He ought 
to level with the American people on the draft. In April he said, ``I'm 
going to come up with all my draft records.'' And we haven't heard a 
peep out of any record yet. And even today there was new evidence: an 
affidavit that when he first ran for office, Governor Clinton's friends 
used special connections to seize his ROTC file and destroy all others. 
He ought to level on these kinds of things.
    He'll talk about term limits one place--may be good; then in the 
debate says he's against it. He goes to the auto workers and said, oh, 
he's against the fuel efficiency standards, but then he goes to the 
environmental group and says he's for them. He says one thing on one 
place, another thing in another place. And you simply cannot be all 
things to all people.
    All during this campaign Governor Clinton has been talking about, 
``Let's get Government to invest.'' I have a different philosophy. I 
don't think the Government invests anything. I think it's private 
business and private individuals that invest.
    But here are his own words from 4 years ago in Newsweek magazine. 
Here's what Clinton said. He said, ``There's lots of evidence you can 
sell people on tax''--exact

[[Page 2132]]

quote. Let me start. ``There's lots of evidence you can sell people on 
tax increases if they think it's an investment.'' His own words revealed 
this duplicity. We're talking about investment, and he means tax 
increase.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Hey, listen, this is Halloween, but you can't have a 
pumpkin with two faces on it. You know what I mean? We simply cannot let 
the American people fall for this scam. Let me tell you what he said on 
the Gulf war. It was a tough decision. Let me tell you what he said. 
When I had to make this very difficult call, a call to which 
Connecticut's sons and daughters responded with great patriotism, great 
service, and great pride, Governor Clinton put it this way. He said, ``I 
agree with the arguments the minority made, but I guess I would have 
voted with the majority.'' You talk about a waffle iron. You can't have 
that in the White House. You cannot take a risk for the White House on 
character, on inexperience. His do not add up and don't meet the demands 
of this high office that I'm honored to hold.
    You know, the world is still a dangerous place, and I think we've 
got to remember that. Who knows where the next crisis is going to come 
from? You know, I loved this yesterday, the message out of Baghdad. I 
don't know if they covered it in the Connecticut papers. Saddam 
Hussein's government is planning a party for 500,000 people in downtown 
Baghdad predicated on the fact that I'm going to lose. They're wrong. No 
party. No loss. A big win. A big win. And we are going to keep the 
pressure on the Bully of Baghdad. We are going to keep the pressure on 
him until he lives up to every single United Nations resolution; until 
we can bring peace and relief to his people, the people of Iraq. Stay 
strong. Do not vacillate.
    And one other thing, I don't mean to be hypercritical of Governor 
Clinton, but the other night he started--at one point--no, no, I'm not 
giving him hell. No, no. I don't give him hell. It's like Truman said, 
you know, you tell the truth, and they think it's hell. That's the 
difference.
    You know, the other night in Michigan he told a voter that he's 
already thought hard about what he's going to do. He said he'll play his 
saxophone in the White House. He's already planning an inauguration 
parade. Recently he said he was the underdog, and yesterday he's got his 
saxophone hanging in the Oval Office. Only Bill Clinton can change his 
mind that fast.
    I know that he studied at Oxford. He's a very bright fellow. But 
maybe he doesn't understand exactly how it works. You see, it's not 
these pollsters, it's not the pundits, it's not these talking heads on 
television that tell you how to vote. The American people make up their 
own mind on election day.
    I don't know why it is there's been such a hot-selling item as that 
bumper sticker that says ``Annoy the Media. Reelect Bush.'' There it is. 
Everyone knows what it means, including the press. But I should caution 
you, we've granted amnesty to all these that are traveling with us. My 
ire is not at most of them. It's certainly not at the photo dogs and all 
these guys with the boom mikes. So grant them amnesty and welcome to 
Connecticut. But I'll tell you where it is. I'll tell you where it 
stands. It's with these network know-it-alls and these talking heads. 
They tell you what to think, and we're going to prove them wrong. I love 
a good fight, and we're going to take it right to them, right around the 
media and right to the American people.
    No, this has been a strange political year. But we're on the move. 
And I honestly in my heart of hearts tell you, I believe I am going to 
win this election on November 3d. I have never wavered, and I never 
will.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I really believe that the American people want a 
person with experience, certainly don't want one with a pattern of 
deception, and they want a leader who's been tested. Let me just take 
you back into history. I'll never forget a cold and rainy day up at Camp 
David just before I had to make the toughest decision of my life. Kuwait 
had been invaded, and it stood to the United States to demonstrate to 
the entire world that aggression would not stand. And yes, Barbara and I 
went to our little chapel there and prayed that our

[[Page 2133]]

young men and women would return alive, victorious, and well.
    And let me say this: This town and all the good people of this State 
responded in a way that brought this country together unlike anything 
since the end of World War II. We lifted up the country and with it the 
veterans of Vietnam and every other occasion, all because we stood firm 
and did what was right.
    I learned then the agony of making a really difficult decision, one 
where you have to send somebody else's son or somebody else's daughter 
into combat. And it isn't an easy decision. I believe that you have to 
have the experience. I think you have to have the character. I hope you 
have to have the strength to be able to make a difficult call like that 
in the face of all the controversy; in the face of all the press telling 
you hadn't made your case; in face of all those experts telling us how 
many body bags would be taken overseas. I made a tough call. I did it 
not to be popular but because it was right. I know I can do it. I know I 
can lead this country to 4 more years of prosperity.
    So your call is: Who best to lead the United States of America into 
new prosperity? Who best? Who best to say to these young kids, our best 
days are ahead of us? Who best to accept the trust, the trust of the 
American people to be in that Oval Office?
    Thank you for all you've done. Thank you in the inside and the 
10,000 people outside. Thank you for what you're doing. Now, go to the 
polls, elect these people here with me. Do something for your country. 
Keep America on the move. And don't let them tell you we're a nation in 
decline. We are the freest, the fairest, the greatest nation on the face 
of the Earth. Now, let's go and win this election.
    May God bless you all. May God bless the United States of America. 
Thank you. Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 7 p.m. at Sikorsky 
                        Memorial Airport. In his remarks, he referred to 
                        the Paul Overstreet and Gunsmoke bands; George 
                        L. (Doc) Gunther, State senator; Betsy Heminway 
                        and J. Brian Gaffney, Connecticut Bush-Quayle 
                        '92 cochairmen; Richard Foley, Connecticut 
                        Republican State Central Committee chairman; 
                        Fred Biebel, former Connecticut Republican Party 
                        chairman; and Prescott Bush, his brother.