Political Quotes

“Well, the answer is we're living in an interconnected world. In fact, our economy today--and this may come as a surprise to some, because don't listen to the evening network news if you want to get any good news. You're not going to get it. But it will surprise some to know that our economy is doing better than Japan, and we are doing better than Europe, and we're doing better than Canada. But we're not doing good enough. But we're in something that's--I'll take my share of the blame. But I don't think it's fair for Clinton and Gore to say it's all George Bush's fault when the whole world is caught up in a slowdown. What's going to save us is your question, is how we handle international affairs. We've made the world more peaceful. With me today is a guy who was a real leader in that--I don't know whether he's standing around modestly in the background--but our Secretary of State, now with me in the White House, Jim Baker. Where is he? He's out here someplace. Anyway, I say for him and Dick Cheney and Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft in the White House, we have done something about establishing world leadership. And I took a lot of gas at the time we were trying to mobilize the world to stand up against aggression in the Middle East. But we did it. I might point out a difference: Governor Clinton said on the war, he said, ``Well, I agree with the minority but I guess, I guess I would have voted with the majority.'' What kind of leadership would that be for the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces? Now, we made a decision; we made a decision. The sons and daughters of this State and all the rest busted up the fourth largest army in the world, kicked him out, and in the process we established the United States as the only military superpower and the most credible leader for democracy and freedom. And that means that as we move into this internationally connected economy, that we are going to be the ones to lead on trade. The things that saved us in a slowdown, as I'm sure you know, are exports. And we are fighting to increase our exports by getting a satisfactory solution to this GATT round, the Uruguay round on trade. That is in the interest of American jobs. American agriculture will sell more abroad. I was annoyed to read a London Daily Telegraph article saying that the Clinton campaign intervened with the leaders of the European Community to say, don't make a deal before the election. What kind of statesmanship is that? We ought to make a deal this minute if it's a good one for American agriculture and a good one for the American interest. So world leadership is important. World leadership is important. And let me say one last point on this question: Do not let them tell you that we are a nation in decline or are not respected. Governor Clinton, I believe, or someone around him used the word ``mockery,'' and they say we're something less than Germany and just above Sri Lanka. He ought to open his eyes, open that Little Rock narrow vision, and look at the world. We are the most respected country on the face of the Earth. Barbara Bush”