Political Quotes

“No, we've actually--well, let me get to dividend in a minute. But in terms of--I always had a different concept of dividend-- [laughter]--you have a profit, you pay a dividend. If you don't, why, you don't. We're operating at 300-and-some-jillion-dollar deficit-- [laughter]--so we're not in exactly a dividend-paying mode, but the fact of the matter is that we have reduced defense spending. It is substantially reduced with almost every other account going up in this budget. When you take a look at what we put out there yesterday, you'll see that defense spending is down. I think it's robust enough to have the kind of rapid deployment force that's going to be required in the future. You heard Cheney yesterday doing a superb job testifying about why we're having to lay up some of the battleships that are proving themselves today off Kuwait. He said he had to make the tough choices, and we've done that. But we are not going to do it to the degree some of the antidefense Members of Congress want, where they want to go in and slash 30 percent out of the muscle of defense. And I think if there ever is a reason not to do it, you just have to look halfway across the world today. So we're not going to stand for that. And I think that we are going to try to find ways to further reduce defense spending, but not at the risk of weakening our fundamental defense. And I think that some of the criticized high- technology weapons are paying off. I am annoyed at the propaganda coming out of Baghdad about targeting civilians. This has been fantastically accurate. And that's because a lot of money went into high-technology weaponry--these laser-guided bombs and a lot of other things, Stealth technology--many of these technologies ridiculed in the past now coming into their own and saving lives, not only American lives, coalition lives but the lives of Iraqis. And so, we are going to have to have a high-tech, a highly mobile force. And it ain't going to come cheap. It's not going to come cheap, not going to be achieved by slashing the muscle of our defense. And I will keep it strong. And I think yesterday's budget, which is at a reduced number from what we had before, is going to provide us that kind of force. But anything less I won't stand for. Block Grants”