George H.W. Bush: “Let me just add a word about that. Let me add a word about that decision. It is just plain irresponsible and out of…”

“Let me just add a word about that. Let me add a word about that decision. It is just plain irresponsible and out of touch with reality to suggest that a President should take a poll and get a tax increase before he leads the world against aggression. What the people want from their leaders is leadership, and that's exactly what the American people got in Desert Storm. I don't need to take a poll to know what's right when it comes to standing up against aggression. So you can write that one down, some of these opponents out there. And would I like to see our domestic agenda off and running? You bet. And I understand the frustration that's out there, the same as you: family values under siege, second-rate schools, too much violence on too many streets. An old-thinking Congress can't get the job done. And for 35--now, listen to this statistic--for 35 out of the last 35 years the Democrats, the liberal Democrats, have controlled the House of Representatives. And what do the people see as a result? A crooked post office and a lot of bounced checks. Let's change that. Let us change that. We must break this gridlock and recapture the trust of the American people. And the way to do that is Republican control of the House, Republican control of the Senate. You give me a Congress like that, and you watch this country move again. Go, Aggies. There's a right way and there's wrong way to set a new course. And the wrong way is to give up when things get tough, pick up your marbles and go home. And I will not give up on America, not now, not ever. We are going to get the job done. There has been too much pessimism, too many people trying to get elected by saying how bad things are, too many gloomy TV news stories about what's wrong with America. It is my view that America will always be a rising nation. And we can and we will make this country better. I am an optimist about the United States of America. After a tough, tough recession, a tough recession where many families have been hurt, confidence is returning. Confidence is beginning to come back, to return to our economy. Some good fundamentals are in place: low interest rates, low inflation, stronger growth in the first quarter. The United States is still the largest, the most productive economy in the entire world, and don't ever forget that. The biggest mission, the biggest idea of this campaign is to accelerate economic growth to create hope and opportunity for everyone. And with our exports still climbing, there's solid proof that Americans can outcompete anyone, anytime, anywhere in the world. Look right down a Texas road for examples: Texas beef on the market in Japan, Texas cotton to Europe, Texas oil and gas technology in demand everywhere. And I am going to fight to keep that technology state-of- the-art and to help keep our independent oil and gas producers competitive. I will keep pushing for a revised alternative minimum tax. And I'll keep pushing for cleaner fuels like natural gas. And I'll keep pushing to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, not by conservation alone, which is important, but by opening projects for domestic production like the ANWR in Alaska. A rising nation educates her young people, and all across America a revolution in education, we call it America 2000, to bring back excellence to our schools. Well, we were the ones to start this revolution, and we are the ones that are leading it, and we will be the ones to complete it. And before we're done, whether it's public, private, or religious, parents are going to have the right to choose their children's schools. And this audience knows it better than most, but there's another great and dynamic movement transforming our country. It's a volunteer movement of ordinary people solving problems right where they live, millions of courageous people taking direct and consequential action on their own. This is how we help create whole and good communities. And lest anyone forget, under my Presidency, this movement, this big idea is a national crusade. The real heroes of America, God bless them, are the ones we call the Points of Light, one American helping another solve these problems. Despite the odds, we've had some successes on Capitol Hill. Legislation like the Child Care Act which said parents raise kids, not the Government; the Clean Air Act, linking a strong economy with a clean environment; the Americans with Disabilities Act, guaranteeing the disabled their rightful place in the mainstream. Give these people a chance, and that's what that legislation did. And sometimes my job up there, given the control of the Congress, is to keep bad things from happening. And when it comes to stopping bad legislation with my veto pen, it's Bush 26, the Congress 0. And it's going to stay that way. I'm proud of our record. We've had to make the tough calls every day and every week. We proposed a better way for America, a new track for America. And like Texas, it is a big idea. And when Congress blocks the way, stuck in the muck of old thinking, we'll keep that heat on, keep pushing for change. One specific on that: The Congress may have a vision problem on that, the Congress may have a vision problem, but don't for a minute think that we're going to give up on the superconducting super collider. It is forward-looking, and the country needs it, and the world needs it. It's good for Texas, and it's good for the United States of America. And when the American people send me a Congress with a commitment to change, we'll pass the laws and do the work that the American people deserve. But let me say this: With or without the Congress, we are going to give the American people what they want. And that's not excuses; that is action. This is an age of great change for America. And that's what makes November 3d so important. Change can seem to threaten the most valuable legacies that we hope to leave our children: good jobs, strong families, a Nation at peace. Change breeds uncertainty and skepticism, and I understand that. But, look, we are the United States of America, one Nation under God. And the genius of America is everywhere. It is in a society that places a premium on performance, not glitz; on service, not selfishness. A society that captures what Texas is all about. And let the skeptic say that it can't be done. The optimist will say, let's get to work. And I am ready. And, yes, we're in the fight of our lives, but it's worth the fight. And we are in it to win. And I appreciate this sensationally warm Texas welcome. And may God bless you all. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you all so much. Note: The President spoke at 4:06 p.m. at the Dallas Convention Center. In his remarks, he referred to Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas State treasurer; Rick Perry, Texas commissioner of agriculture; Beverly Kaufman, president, Texas Federation of Republican Women; Jim Oberwetter, Bush-Quayle '92 Texas chairman; Barbara Patton, Bush-Quayle '92 Texas cochairman; and Frederick D. McClure, managing director, First Southwest Co., and former Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. The President also referred to the Texas A&M University Aggies.”