George H.W. Bush

Your greatest contributions, I'm convinced, lie ahead.

Well, I enjoyed it--as you could tell--very, very much. Thank you. Note: The interview began at 7:55 a.m. in the Burton Room of the Four Seasons Hotel. The following persons were referred to: Gov. Pete Wilson of California; President…

Well, you're already seeing some of that on both sides. You're seeing people defending their votes, and you're seeing people attacking some on their votes.

What I see is the most important criteria is what's best for the overall defense of this country. We pledged to get defense spending down, and it is moving down dramatically. We've seen in the war the need to have a rapid-deployed force…

I gave you my answer. Don't try to get me--and listen, I've learned a lot since I saw you guys last, and that is to answer what I want to answer, not what you want to ask.

Thank you for the contribution to this great country, thank you for what you are doing.

Hey, listen, you're talking to the number one butt of the jokes for Leno and Letterman and Johnny Carson for 8 years. I think I led the parade. Every once in a while, Ronald Reagan, popular as he was with the people, would take a couple of…

No, not at all. What's frustrating to me is using Federal taxpayers to promote or counsel on abortion. That's against the policy of this and previous administrations. But whatever somebody else at State levels do, I can't argue with the…

I'm going to take an heroic position on that one and say let Californians decide. [Laughter] That's the federalist system. That's the way it works, the way it should work. I've got to get out of here now. Come on----

By the end of the day I'm probably a little more tired than I would have been, but I have a full schedule. Go to work at 7 a.m. and all of that; work normally. Like yesterday, though, I came home before going to the ball game and took a…

Well, because I think there are too many abortions, and I favor life over abortion. I think there are other means. I've said this in the past, but I think adoption is a good one; I think education is one. The spiraling rate of abortions in…

But if the family appealed that I not do it, I'd have to say that would weigh with me. Our kids differ, incidentally. Some of them are enthusiastic: ``Hey, Mom, I'm on TV.'' [Laughter] And others want to shun the--they want to protect…

As Senator Seymour just told us, Asian-Americans have made the American dream a reality.

Oh, you're pressing me a little early. Why wouldn't I? Can't really think of a reason except, certainly health. I'd owe it to the American people to say, hey, I'm up for the job for 4 more years. I'm absolutely convinced on that one. If…

Actually, I got it down. I was, normally, weighed out about 198. Got it down to 185 in a not-very-pleasant way. The medicine drove it--now I'm at 190.

The haunting images compel us to guard against tyranny and inhumanity.

Well, may I remind you a little history. The policy was not to get him out of office; the policy was to get him out of Kuwait. International statements by the United Nations in concert said, this aggression won't stand. The original call…

And they're just so unfair and so grossly wrong that I can think of no other answer than it goes with the territory. I really believe that. I see the guy every day in action. He asks the tough questions. And I ask him--I challenge him on…

This is Saturday. What is this--Saturday. I'm going to go tee it up. A quick one for him, one for her, and then I'm history.

The implications are that he is violating agreements with the overall peace agreement. The implications are that he's got to--I mean, the answer to these charges is that we're going to have to find out how much of all these allegations are…

Same way it started with me. Same way it starts with any Vice President. So, it just goes with the territory. Don't you remember what Herbert Hoover said--I mean, who was it said--Vice President Garner--``The Vice Presidency isn't worth a…

In many ways it's less hard. But the one thing that's harder, or if I could substitute the word frustrating, is the inability to get my domestic program through. We're in a fight on civil rights, for example. I pride myself on having a…

I'm suggesting that when I was Vice President for 8 years, I was the subject of such barbs. It goes with the territory. So, look at it that way. And I tell Dan that. I say, hey, start the word with a B, not a Q, and put history in…

I haven't seen any evidence to support it. None. But if Congress concludes it, I'd welcome it. But I've seen enough rumormongering and hatemongering, accusing me of things inferentially that I don't like, that I can categorically deny it…

I will not sign any civil rights bill that allows quotas, directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly.