George H.W. Bush: “I don't give them hell, I just tell them the truth, and they think it's hell. You know, it's like Truman said. But let…”

“I don't give them hell, I just tell them the truth, and they think it's hell. You know, it's like Truman said. But let me point this out: Governor Clinton has the 50th record, 50 out of 50, at the bottom, in environmental initiatives. I came to this State 4 years ago and said we're going to clean up those beaches, we're going to stop ocean dumping; we're going to get a Clean Air Act. We've got a good record on the environment, and Governor Clinton has the 50th in the entire country down there in Arkansas. As we approach the environment, we ought not to go to the extreme, like Ozone Man does. He'd throw everyone--he's backtracking so fast he looks like the guy on the unicycle we just saw, going backwards. We've got to have a little more concern about the working man and the working woman in this country and still be good for the environment. And that's what we've been. You know, 48th in the percentage of adults with high school diplomas, 48th in spending on corrections, 46th on teachers' salaries, 45th on the overall well-being of children. Then Governor Clinton gets up and says, ``I will do for America what I've done for Arkansas.'' No way, Bill! No way! The bad news for Governor Clinton is that there's good news for this country. We've got a long way to go. We've got to help people. But when the economy is showed to be not in a recession, as he's been telling the country, but growing at 2.7 percent, that came as bad news, because the only way they can win is to convince the people of America that we are in decline and that the economy is awful. Yes, it needs to improve, but the worst thing we could do is put a tax-and-spend liberal back into that White House. You know, in this campaign Governor Clinton said, ``Well, I'm a different kind of a Democrat, especially on the economy.'' He says he doesn't favor middle class taxes, he wants investment. He's talking about Government investing. Now, remember that, and listen to this. Here's what he said in Newsweek magazine: Bill Clinton says, and this is an exact quote, ``There's a lot of evidence you can sell people on tax increases if they think it's an investment.'' Those were his own words, his own duplicity. When he says ``investment,'' America, watch your wallet. He's talking about taxes. Now, you got plenty of that message right here in New Jersey, deja vu all over again with Jim Florio, higher taxes, more spending, economic stagnation. We're going to change all that. When Bill Clinton's blowing that ``taxophone''--[laughter]--middle class America will be singing the blues. We just can't let that happen to the United States. Governor Clinton says he's the candidate of change. What he means by that is he wants--and this is his numbers--``I want to tax $150 billion more. I want $220 billion more in new spending.'' You talk about trickle-down, that is trickle-down Government, take it from you and let Government spending. We cannot do that. And I would remind America what it was like the last time we had a man coming in with exactly the same approach. When Jimmy Carter left office, or just before, we had inflation at 15 percent. We had interest rates at 21 percent, 21 percent. We had the ``misery index'' at 20. America was then in decline until Ronald Reagan and I came along and straightened it out and gave hope for this country. The way we're going to do that--New Jersey is a great export State. We are going to create more American jobs by selling the best product in the world, ``Made in America'' products, overseas. We're going to open these foreign markets. And it is small business that creates the jobs. Instead of putting the money in Government, how about a little tax relief for the people along Main Street? How about less taxes, less regulation, less lawsuits? We need legal reform. We are suing each other too much in this country and caring for each other too little. And the trial lawyers won't let the slippery one do anything about it at all. They won't let him do anything about it at all. The head trial lawyer in Arkansas said he's never been for reform. And we are going to reform it so doctors can practice medicine, Little League coaches can coach, good Samaritans along the highway can help their fellow man without fear of a crazy lawsuit. Health care: We've got the best plan. Make insurance available to all, but do not let the Government screw around with the quality of health care in this country. In education we've got the new approach: reform. More than that, it is actually revolutionizing education. Bypass the powerful NEA, and let the teachers and the parents and the communities have more say in education without mandates from the Federal Government. And beside that, one way to make all schools better is for parents to have the choice of whatever school they want, private, public, or religious. Given them competition and give those parents a needed break. Crime: Let me be clear where I stand on that one. I support the men and women who are out there in our neighborhoods every single day, trying to fight against the criminal elements. I'm talking about the police, the local police, the State police, whoever it is. I support the police officers and not the criminals. You know, we need more--I think of Dean Gallo here and what he's doing for the victims of crime. He's been a leader in Congress for that. And I believe we need more sympathy for the victims of crime and a little less, a little less for the criminals themselves. They talk about getting the deficit down. With the new Congress--and there's going to be over 100, maybe 150. And you know why they're going there? Because the leadership that's controlled the Congress for 38 years has messed it up so bad they can't even run a two-bit bank, say nothing about a tiny little post office. They're going to clean House. And with them will come a lot of new Members of Congress. And when that happens, how about protecting the taxpayers with this: a balanced budget amendment; a taxpayer check-off so the taxpayer gets to allocate 10 percent of his taxes to making the Congress bring that deficit down; a line-item veto so the President can do--[applause]. And I like that concept of giving the Congress back to the people and having term limits so these people don't become entrenched over the years. And now let's talk a little about character, because I really believe that the Presidency is shaped by the--you know, Governor Clinton said it's not the character of the President, it is ``the character of the Presidency.'' Wrong, Bill, wrong. They are interlocked. You have to have the trust of the people through character, and you have to have the trust of the world when you are President of the United States. You know, I quoted Horace Greeley in one of the debates. And here's what he said. He said, ``Fame''--and think about this now--``Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing; only character endures.'' That is so true. And I think it is especially true of the Presidency. It matters not just because of the plans you make but the crises that you never foresee. And we simply cannot take a risk on Governor Clinton. He is wrong for America on the issues, and I believe I am better for America on character. He goes after me with a vengeance. And let me tell you something, I'm not the guy who invented the word ``slick.'' I did say ``slippery when wet,'' and I'll stand with that. But I did not say ``slick.'' That came from the primary. That came from his own hometown newspapers. So I am going to say, let them speak for them; I'll speak for me. I am a better, I will be a better President for the young people in this country for 4 more years than Governor Clinton ever would. Here's why. Here's why. Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!”