George H.W. Bush

It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces.

When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation I, as president, am responsible for the problem and for the solution.

I failed my own test.

And to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility.

Yesterday I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana. And this morning, I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi.

The storm didn't discriminate and neither will the recovery effort. When those Coast Guard choppers, many of whom were first on the scene, were pulling people off roofs, they didn't check the color of a person's skin. They wanted to save…

There is progress being made. But there is a lot of serious and hard work that is yet to be done.

We need to make sure that this country is knitted up as well as it can be in order to deal with significant problems and disasters. In the meantime, we've got to keep moving forward, and I know there has been a lot of second guessing. I…

One of the things that people want us to do here is to play a blame game.

I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.

What I intend to do is lead an investigation to find out what went right and what went wrong. And I'll tell you why. It's a very important for us to understand the relationship between the federal government, the state government, and the…

I understand the damage. I understand the devastation. I understand the destruction. I understand how long it's going to take. And we're with you. That's what I want you to know.

The federal government's job is big and it's massive and we're going to do it. Where it's not working right, we'll make it right.

The results are not acceptable.

The great city of New Orleans will be back on its feet. And America will be a stronger place for it.

Right now, the days seem awfully dark for those affected. And I understand that. But I'm confident that, with time, you get your life back in order, new communities will flourish.

This recovery will take a long time.

Don't abandon your shelters until you're given clearance by the local authorities. Take precautions because this is a dangerous storm. When the storm passes the federal government has got assets and resources that will be deploying to help…

To turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean.

We could hunker down, retreating behind a false sense of security. Or we could bring the war to the terrorists, striking them before they could kill more of our people.

So long as I'm the president, we will stay, we will fight, and we will win the war on terror.

Do they want to live in a society that's free? Or do they want to live in violence?

I understand her anguish. I've met with a lot of families. She doesn't represent the view of a lot of the families I met with.

I think immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake. I think those who advocate immediate withdrawal from not only Iraq, but the Middle East, would be -- are advocating a policy that would weaken the United States.

It would be a mistake for the security of this country.