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                                                                        BUSHISMS


"It's no exaggeration to say the undecideds could go one way or another."
--at a campaign rally in Troy, Ohio, speculating to local voters that Ohio's
  twenty-three electoral college votes might be the 'swing votes' that would
  determine the entire election. 10/21/88


"I am less interested in what the definition is. You might argue technically,
are we in a recession or not. But when there's this kind of sluggishness and
concern--definitions, heck with it."
--in an interview with WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. 12/17/91


"If you're worried about caribou, take a look at the argu`ments that were used
about the pipeline. They'd say the caribou would be extinct. You've got to shake
them away with a stick. They're all making love lying up against the pipeline
and you got thousands of caribou up there."
--at a Bush/Quayle '92 fundraiser in Houston, Texas, defending his plan to offer
  oil companies 'environmentally responsive access' to the Alaskan National
  Wildlife Reserve. 10/31/91


"If you want to have a philosophical discussion, I take your point, because I
think it is important that if we--if you presented me with a hypothesis, 'You've
got to do this or you've got to do that,' and I would accept it and understand
the political risks that'd be involved if I showed any flexibility at all in
even discussing it--I would have to say that--that a--that you make a very valid
point in your question, because, as I tried to indicate in my remarks, it's job
creation, and that is attraction of capital that is really the best antidote to
poverty."
--at the American Business Conference in Washington, D.C., on the
  unadvisability of shifting the tax burden from producers to consumers. 4/4/89


"You cannot be president of the United States if you don't have faith. Remember
Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil War and all that
stuff. You can't be. And we are blessed. So don't feel sorry for--don't cry for
me, Argentina."
--to employees of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Dover, New Hampshire,
  while campaigning before the New Hampshire Primary, stressing the importance of
  prayer. 1/15/92


"Get this [economic plan] passed. Later on, we can all debate it."
--during his remarks to the New Hampshire State Legislature in Concord,
  Bush appealed to Congress to pass his economic growth package. 2/12/92


"Obviously, when you see somebody go berserk and get a weapon and go in and
murder people, of course it troubles me."
--on the Killeen massacre, in which a lone gunman murdered 23 people in a Texas
  cafeteria. Though troubled, Bush did not see the tragedy as a reason to
  rethink his opposition to gun control. 10/17/91


"I'm delighted that Barbara Bush is with me today, and I--She got a good, clean
bill of health yesterday from Walter Reed Hospital, I might add, and then--But
I'm taking another look at our doctor. He told her it's okay to kiss the dog--I
mean--no--it's okay to kiss your husband, but don't kiss the dog. So I don't
know exactly what that means."
--during a speech, 'Project Education Reform: Time for results,' delivered at a
  Union, New Jersey, high school. Bush, who once said his wife 'epitomizes a
  family value,' usually tries to work her into his speeches. 4/13/89


"High tech is potent, precise, and in the end, unbeatable. The truth is, it
reminds a lot of people of the way I pitch horseshoes. Would you believe some of
the people? Would you believe our dog? Look, I want to give the high-five symbol
to high tech."
--at the Ford Aerospace Systems Division, Palo Alto, California, on the
  importance of high-tech and his support for a capital gains tax break. 4/25/89


"I've got to run now and relax. The doctor told me to relax. The doctor told me
to relax. The doctor told me. He was the one. He said, 'Relax.'"
--upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, ending a press conference. 5/12/91


"I put confidence in the American people, in their ability to sort through what
is fair and what is unfair, what is ugly and what is unugly."
--at a White House press conference, defending himself against charges of
  negative campaigning during the 1988 elections. (Bush then offered the
  ultimate defense of his campaign advertisements: 'I was elected.') 11/7/89


"When I need a little free advice about Saddam Hussein, I turn to country
music."
--at a country music awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. Bush also turns to
  country music whenever he's on the campaign trail. In New Hampshire, he quoted
  lyrics from a song by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but had some trouble with
  the group's name, referring to them as the 'Nitty Ditty Gritty Great Bird.'
  10/2/91


"We have a complicated three-way conundrum at this point."
--during a press briefing in Houston, Texas, on the difficulty of restoring the
  economy of postinvasion Panama while ensuring democracy and respecting the
  country's sovreignty. 12/30/89


"I've had no indication from home, nor have we picked up any here that they felt
that the U.S. economy was going to move towards a recession."
--7/16/89


"The economy is moving in the right direction."
--10/4/91


"I don't want to buy into the predicate about [the U.S. being in] another
recession. I don't feel that way."
--10/25/91


"The economy's turned the corner, headed for recovery."
--10/31/91


"I'm not prepared to say we are in a recession."
--11/8/91


"It will not be a deep recession."
--1/4/92


"The economy is in free-fall."
--1/15/92


"The Democrats choked the throttle--pulled the throttle back of a slowing
economy while they hunted for every last morsel of partisan advantage."
--at a fund-raiser for Bill Price held at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma
  City, Oklahoma, taking the Democrats to task for delaying a budget
  agreement. 10/29/90


"I just am not one who--who flamboyantly believes in throwing a lot of words
around."
--at a press conference in Kennebunkport, Maine, on his reluctance to call U.S.
  interference with Iraqi shipping a 'blockade.' Bush was concerned this might
  give the wrong impression. 8/11/90


"I don't know that it would be my judgment--my--the function of the president to
suggest what employment somebody should take. If you ask me, would I like to go
out and go to work for this sheik when I get through being president, no, I
wouldn't like to do that."
--at a press conference on Sununu aide Edward Rogers' possible conflict of
  interest in accepting a position with a Saudi sheik for a reputed $600,000
  compensation despite having absolutely no experience in the private sector.
  10/25/91


"I happen to be one who has learned in one short year that faith is important,
and I think we got--I have a philosophy of what happened, a theory. We came out
of the Vietnam War: it was very divisive. We had that post-Watergate period that
increased a certain national cynicism, it seemed to me, and that spills off on
young people, maybe on their teachers. So, we're now coming into a new period.
We look around the world, and we see the darndest, most dramatic changes moving
towards the values that--that have made this country the greatest, freedom,
democracy, choice to do things--you know."
--with students at Taft High School in Cincinnati, on changes that move teens
  away from hopelessness. 1/12/90


"We're enjoying sluggish times, and not enjoying them very much."
--1/2/92


"I think there were some differences, there's no question, and will still be.
We're talking about a major, major situation here...I mean we've got a major
rapport--relationship of economics, major in the security, and all of that, we
should not lose sight of."
--during a press conference aboard Air Force One before takeoff from Japan, on
  his trade talks with Prime Minister Miyazawa and the need for perseverance.
  1/10/92


"To kind of suddenly try to get my hair colored, and dance up and down in a
miniskirt or do something, you know, show that I've got a lot of jazz out there
and drop a bunch of one-liners, I'm running for the president of the United
States...I kind of think I'm a scintillating kind of fellow.
--defending his own particular brand of charisma to reporters in Ohio during a
  campaign stop. Bush asserted that voters weren't looking for 'pizazz.'
 'What's wrong with being a boring kind of guy?' he asked. 4/26/88


"The concept of the Dukakis family has my great respect."
--during the presidential debate in Los Angeles, when asked if he had anything
  nice to say about his opponent. 10/13/88


"I will never apologize for the United States of America, ever. I don't care
what the facts are."
--to the Bush '88 Coalition of American Nationalities in Washington. 8/2/88


BUSH: Let me be clear, I'm not in favor of new taxes. I'll repeat that over and
   over again. And this one compromise that--where we begrudgingly had to accept
   revenues, revenue increases, is the exception that proves the rule...
REPORTER: The exception that proves what rule?
BUSH: The rule that I'm strongly opposed to raising taxes.
--at a press conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, defending his decision to break his
 "no new taxes' pledge. Later, he justified his change of heart to reporters:
 "I'm doing like Lincoln did, ÒThink anew.Ó I'm thinking anew.' 10/27/90


"My running mate took the lead, was the author, of the Job Training Partnership
Act. Now, because of a lot of smoke and frenzying of bluefish out there, going
after a drop of blood in the water, nobody knows that."
--on NBC-TV's Today show, defending his vice presidential nominee. Bush also
  defended his choice of Quayle with, 'There's something very exciting about
  putting some confidence in someone in his 30s or 40s.' 11/3/88


"Boy, they were big on crematoriums, weren't they?"
--during a tour of Auschwitz, 9/27/87


"And let me say in conclusion, thanks for the kids. I learned an awful lot about
bathtub toys--about how to work the telephone. One guy knows--several of them
know their own telephone numbers--preparation to go to the dentist. A lot of
things I'd forgotten. So it's been a good day."
--at the Emily Harns Head Start Center in Catonsville, Maryland. 1/21/92


"We've got the best health care plan there is and it does not socialize medicine
in this country. It preserves the quality of care. It mades health care--gives
health care access to all and it does it without reducing the quality of
American education."
--4/8/92


"All I was doing was appealing for an endorsement, not suggesting you endorse
it."
--to Roy Romer, governor of Colorado, at a meeting of the National Governors
  Association. After Bush detailed his economic growth proposal, Romer had
  attacked the plan as not reflecting the position of many governors. 2/3/92


"Watch quite a bit. I watch the news and I don't like to tell you this, because
you'll think I'm some weird TV freak here, but we--I have a set upstairs that
has five screens on it and I can sit on my desk and whip--just punch a button
if I see one off on the corner, that moves to the middle screen, the other one
goes to the side. Then I can run up and down the dial. So I--and you can record
all four--four going at once, while you--while you're watching. I don't quite
know how to do that yet. But I cite this because Barbara accuses me of being too
much--not too much, but plugged into TV too often, put it that way. Love sports
on TV."
--during a C-SPAN interview with the president, on his preferred pastimes.
  12/22/91


"This is not a tax break for the rich, it is a creation of small jobs."
--during a round table discussion with New Hampshire community leaders while
  campaigning at Pease Air Force Base, on his time-worn proposal to stimulate
  growth by cutting the capital gains tax. 1/15/92


"These, they're very dangerous. They trap you. Especially these furry ones...
it's these furry guys that get you into real trouble. They can reach out and
listen to something so--keep it respectful here."
--at a photo op with Arnold Schwartzenegger, on the need for caution when
  speaking near microphones. 9/13/91


"So tomorrow there'll be another tidal wave, so keep your snorkel above the
water level and do what you think is right."
--during a question-and-answer session aboard Air Force One, on forthcoming
  budget negotiations. 5/11/90


"I think in politics there are certain moral values. I'm one who--we believe
strongly in separation of church and state, but when you get into some
questions, there are some moral overtones. Murder, that kind of thing, and I
feel a little, I will say, uncomfortable with the elevation of the religion
thing.
--on the TV show Meet the Press, on the tension between religion and politics.
  In the 1984 vice presidential debate, Bush explained his position on church-
  state issues his way: 'we don't believe in denominationally moving in.'


"You know, every day, many important papers come across the desk in that Oval
Office, and very few items remain there for long. Got to keep that paper moving
or you get inundated. Your snorkel will fill up and there will be no justice."
--in remarks made before the Disabled American Veterans in Washington D.C., on
  the difficulty of keeping up with presidential duties. 9/12/91


"So far it did not reverberate in the negative there. The signature is being
checked through the master computer, which is located someplace else, and we'll
get an answer back after we leave."
--using a signature-verifier at a National Grocer's Association convention in
  Orlando, Florida. This was the convention at which Bush made his legendary
  gaffe viewing a supermarket price scanner: 'This is for checking out?' 2/4/92


"I say the same thing I say to a person whose family was maimed by a pistol or
an explosive charge or whatever else it might be--a fire--this is bad."
--during a White Hose press conference, on his response to the victims of gun
  violence. Bush went on to lament the difficulties of limiting AK-47 assault
  rifles 'and still, you know, do what's right by the legitimate sportsman."


"And the other thing, and I guess--is that I respect that it's difficult for
somebody working in a plant here in New Hampshire to wonder, to know if the
president really cares about what's happening in the economy. And I think I know
this state. I went to school a thousand years ago across the border and--would
go up every summer of my life, except 1944, to Maine, spending a fair amount of
time. Almost--you could see it, practically, coming in on the plane. So when you
get clobbered on the seacoast by a storm, I get clobbered on the seacoast by a
storm. It goes further than that. When you get hurting because you worry whether
you're going to have a job or get thrown out, I do care about it and just wanted
to say that."
--to employees of Davidson Textron in Dover, NH, explaining that because of the
  time he spent vacationing in Kennebunkport, that he 'cares' about their
 "hurting.' During a campaign stop, 1/15/92


"I've learned the power of the word of a president. Not maybe necessarily to
make--get something done, but the power of the word."
--12/22/91