The American Mission

Here Comes Ross

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"Ross Perot regretted not running for President in 1992. When he saw Clinton's campaign implode he figured he would have posed an obvious alternative. He immediately decided to run for President in 1996, and so he began to get his name back in the public eye. At an Anti-NAFTA rally in New Hampshire, Perot showed up as the Keynote and scolded the Bush Administration for throwing away real American jobs. He led the Anti-NAFTA movement, spearheading operations to block the ratification of the treaty. This produced a cold relationship between him and President Bush, as Bush fought overtime to get the treaty ratified as soon as possible. Perot was his roadblock, lobbying legislators and turning public opinion."
-Excerpt from H. Ross Perot and His Times by Bob Woodward published 1998

"Now I wish I had run for President last year so I could have told you about the dangers of this treaty! What you're going to have is a giant sucking sound - the sound of American jobs being pulled into Mexico. Now, the simple truth is: NAFTA is not a two-way street. There are no environmental controls, no pollution controls, none of that. Let's make sure that your Senators and Congressmen read the bill! Not only do they have to read it, now, but they've gotta make sense of it. I read it - couldn't understand all of it - so I brought in the people who know what its consequences will be. You're going to see American jobs lost. You're going to see the end of this economy, and you're going to see the destruction of the nation. Now these are - it's very serious, very serious down there in Washington. What y'all gotta do is call your Senators and Congressmen, call other Senators and make sure that this thing gets voted down so that together we can save this economy!"
-Excerpt from Ross Perot's speech at an anti-NAFTA rally; April 3, 1993

"The NAFTA Agreement is in danger. I'm working overtime to get it passed, but things aren't looking too good. Well, not as good as they once were. I'm putting significant pressure on the GOP and the Democrats to come together and pass the damned thing, and there's real support there, but when you got idiots like Ross Perot running around saying it'll ruin our economy, it's not hard to see why they can't make up their minds on the thing. I can't stop trying, but I'm hoping that some big Democratic names will come out and push the agreement through."
-From the Diaries of George H.W. Bush; April 25, 1993

"If the President will support a side agreement that protects the environment, I will support NAFTA. Until he does, I will work to prevent that treaty's ratification, because the environment is an all-important issue, but one that often gets ignored. If we do not fight for a cleaner planet, there is nothing else worth arguing about. I can support NAFTA, yes, but there needs to be an agreement on the environment."
-Senator Al Gore (D-TN) on Larry King Live; April 30, 1993

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Conversation in the Oval Office about NAFTA; May 12, 1993
JAMES BAKER: "By agreeing to the environmental regulations you're guaranteed passage of NAFTA."
PRES. BUSH: "And what if Mexico and Canada back out of the deal?"
JAMES BAKER: "That's a big gamble, personally, I don't see it."
PRES. BUSH: "I can guarantee passage with those environment amendments?"
JAMES BAKER: "Basically, yes. The majority of the GOP is with you and Democrats will warm to it with the environmental aspects."
PRES. BUSH: "So it's basically worth the risk?"
JAMES BAKER: "I'd say so, Mr. President."

"Ratifying NAFTA will cost this nation millions of jobs. It's going to be the end of the American economy as we know it."
-Ross Perot on the TODAY Show; May 17, 1993

"I think the NAFTA treaty is going to bring about a significant amount of jobs and it's going to level the playing field between the United States in Mexico. We have to pass the treaty because NAFTA is going to open up trade and spur economic growth. I call on my party - I call on all Senators to stand up and make a difference. To do as President Bush called for during his State of the Union Address and put politics aside, put the next election aside, and worry about what is best for our nation. Our economy is in trouble, NAFTA will help us get out of that trouble."
-Excerpt from a speech delivered on the Senate floor by Bob Dole; May 28, 1993

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"The House Democrats will support NAFTA if the President is willing to support amendments that would hold Canadian and Mexican products to the same environmental standards as those products in the United States. It is is worth in the long run and I call on the President to work with us here, we're ready to deal, we're ready to support NAFTA, but we can't do it if NAFTA remains unamended. We just came back from a meeting with the President and he seemed open to the idea, I hope he'll realize that if NAFTA is going to be passed it is going to include environmental standards for Canada and Mexico."
-Dick Gephardt's press statement after meeting with the President; June 1, 1993

"Pressure was increasing on the President, and eventually he agreed to the amendments proposed by the Congressional Democrats and when the Congress returned from recess, they passed the NAFTA treaty and George Bush eventually signed it. It was a proud accomplishment for the President who had negotiated the agreement and been in office long enough to sign it into law after it was ratified. He always regarded it as one of his biggest achievements while in office."
-Excerpt from 41: Profile of a President by Michael Beschloss; published 2000

"NAFTA will mean more jobs and better products. It will mean a stronger economy for all three nations. I am very proud to be signing this treaty today. It is my goal that the Congress will continue to put the interests of the American people forward as we have done here today, to forget about the politics and think about the effects the bills we pass and I sign into law have on the nation. I am sure that this agreement will have nothing but positive consequences for the nation."
-Excerpt from President Bush's statement while signing NAFTA into law; September 3, 1993

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing? (Sept. 5-7)
APPROVE: 52%
DISAPPROVE: 41%
UNDECIDED: 07%
 
A Thirst For Work

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"Unemployment in this nation is still going up, we're still losing jobs, and people are starting to lose hope. I don't want to paint such a pessimistic picture for our future, but President Bush has left me no choice. It is time that we saw a jobs plan from the President - he owes that much to the American people. He's just like Ronald Reagan in the sense that when he says the economy's doing well, that people aren't hurting, he's talking about the people he wants to see - his rich pals. President Bush is forgetting about the American middle class and in the process the nation is suffering.
-New York Governor Mario Cuomo on Larry King Live; September 2, 1993

"The problem with President Bush's jobs plan, which he unveiled in September, was that it cost so much money. It was really a spending bill, one you would've expected to see from a Democrat, not a Republican, but it was one that Bush truly thought was the best way to get America out of the recession. It invested millions in infrastructure development and focused on modernizing the economy, placing stock in technological advancement. Most Democrats felt it didn't do enough, and for the cost they didn't see it was worth it. Losing the battle on his jobs plan would be devastating to the Bush Administration."
-James Baker in HISTORY's "George Bush: A Presidency Revealed" Documentary; 2006

"The Democrats seem unwilling to pass a jobs plan, and I hate playing the blame game - you all know that, but the simple truth is: I can't do it alone! I need you to call your Senators and your Representatives and push them to support you, push them to do the job they were elected to do. I am asking for your help, my friends, to make this happen, and I hope you'll join me in doing this."
-President Bush delivering a speech on his jobs plan in Minneapolis, MN; September 18, 1993

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing? (Sept. 21-24)
APPROVE: 49%
DISAPPROVE: 43%
UNDECIDED: 08%

"This is exactly what I told everyone in 1988. George Bush can't understand our problems and our concerns because, like I said, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth! Now, I'd like to believe that there's hope - that the President will see the light, but it's not going to happen. We made a mistake in 1988 and a bigger one in 1992, I can't see us getting out of this recession with George Bush in the White House - I can't. We still have three years to go though, and I get that. The Democratic Congress needs to put their foot down and defend the middle class because we all know George Bush and the rest of the Republicans just aren't gonna do it. If the Congress can pull the President to the left, or even the center, America will benefit."
-Ann Richards on Good Morning America; September 25, 1993

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"President Bush was in Michigan today to gather support for his jobs plan. He'll be in Ohio and Pennsylvania tomorrow before returning to the White House. Support for the President's jobs plan is growing weak with the sheer cost of the plan scaring away Democrats and Republicans alike. The President isn't giving up, however. He and Vice President Quayle have hit a combined total of 16 states to gather support for the measure since he announced the plan earlier this month."
-CBS Evening News Broadcast; September 28, 1993

Conversation on Air Force One; September 28, 1993
PRES. BUSH: "What about an address to Congress?"
JAMES BAKER: "To accomplish what, exactly?"
PRES. BUSH: "I go to them and I say, the debt can wait, our biggest enemy is unemployment."
JAMES BAKER: "Aren't you worried about how the right of the party will react?"
PRES. BUSH: "No, and I'm done worrying about them - it's time to act, James!"
JAMES BAKER: "It could work, I'll talk to some people in Foley's office and seek an invitation."

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President Bush delivering an address to a Joint-Session of Congress; October 6, 1993

"Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, and members of this congress:

"I stand here this evening after weeks of partisan arguments and discussions. My administration has worked with Congressional leaders to pass a jobs package that would revitalize a stalling American economy. If we do not act, if we do not respond to a thirst for work in this nation, the fault will lie with us. If we do not take responsibility for turning this economy around, all the other work we've done won't matter. It is imperative that we begin the work today to pass a jobs package that will jumpstart America's economy.

"I've put forward my plan. It's imperfect, sure, but I am confident that it is what America needs at this time. It begins where all jobs packages should begin, by placing emphasis on rebuilding our bridges and highways and airports. That segment of my proposal is the largest piece of the puzzle. It will immediately create jobs, but it will cost $15 billion. It is not the larges the plan could have been, but the Congress has made it clear they feel it is large enough. Yes, the price tag is steep, and yes, the Congress is reluctant to pass such a plan after cutting taxes, but our biggest fear should not be a mounting debt, our biggest fear should be a mounting unemployment. If we allow the number of Americans who do not have a job to grow, this economy cannot recover. Now, I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful that this plan will set the wheels of growth in motion, and I can understand the concerns of those of you who feel that such a large price tag is not worth it. I assure you it is.

"The tax cuts we passed this year will also serve to benefit the economy. That money will go to the pockets of middle class Americans and our job creators so that they may spur their own economic growth. Recognize that. Recognize that the money we put in the wallets of our citizens will go to serve this economy in the long run. We have to be serious about economic growth, and if we're going to do that we need to care more about unemployment than elections and sound bites and slogans. We need to worry about the Americans who cannot afford to put food on the table than the expenditures of this government. Some may view this position as radical, I view it as necessary for the United States to get out of this economic slump."
-Excerpt from President George Bush's Address to a Joint-Session of Congress; October 6, 1993

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"After coming back from a meeting with a President - and let me stress we've met with him once for the last three days in a row - I can see the potential benefits of his jobs plan. He's right. In order to spur economic growth right now, in the short term, we need an infrastructure bill that will help America rebuild, and America also needs rebuilding. I can pledge the support of a near-united Democratic Caucus as we work with our Republicans colleagues to make sure that the American people are not ignored, that their concerns are represented, and that the unemployed are given the ability to find work."
-Speaker of the House Tom Foley to the press; October 12, 1993

"The Republican Caucus is willing to support the President's jobs package, and we feel that it is worth the cost. I cannot promise unanimous support, but I can promise the unemployed that the Republicans are ready to work for them and to help them find work. We're ready to act, and we look forward to seeing the Speaker bring the legislation up for a vote in a timely manner, one that emphasizes expediency, to make sure that the economy can see immediate benefits from the President's plan."
-House Minority Leader Robert Michel to the press; October 14, 1993

"The President's plan was eventually passed and signed, and it did benefit the economy in the short term by providing for some growth and some job creation to allow Americans to find work, while, at the same time, benefiting America's weakening infrastructure. The plan was not a catch-all and did not completely resolve the economic recession, but it did some good and in the long-term it helped to modernize government facilities by advancing technology. President Bush saw this and was very proud of the achievements from that jobs plan, but as 1993 drew to an end, so was the window of time in which he could pass meaningful legislation. With the mid terms approaching and, soon after that, the 1996 Presidential election, the President was worried about the future of his administration."
-Excerpt from 41: Profile of a President by Michael Beschloss; published 2000
 
Particularly Difficult

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"As the year draws to a close there is a lot coming-up in 1994. The biggest event will be the midterm elections. They're a chaotic time and it typically means that Congress doesn't give a damn about pushing through substantive education, and that means I need to find a program that has broad appeal. That's why I'm going to work on one of my biggest goals, the 1,000 points of light that I speak of so frequently. I want to give back to communities and charities and youth organizations, help them get a solid footing as they are truly the guiding light in America today. I'm optimistic that we'll see this pass the Congress, funding for youth programs and whatnot. There's so much I want to get accomplished this year, but so little I'll actually be able to do."
-From the Diaries of George H.W. Bush; November 29, 1993

"Oh yes, I'm very confident that you'll see some strong Democratic victories a year from now. The party is getting ready for the midterm elections and I can tell you, personally, that I'm beginning the work of restructuring my campaign organization and building the foundations of a strong campaign. I'm ready to run for reelection, yes, and I will, as I've said before. On the whole though, the Democrats are very prepared. This upcoming January will mark 13 consecutive years of a Republican President - the American people are suffering from a very real Republican fatigue that is going to set the Democrats up very well for victory this November. I know I'll be out campaigning for Democrats across the South and Midwest."
-Texas Governor Ann Richards on ABC World News with Peter Jennings; December 3, 1993

"The Democrats are ready to take back America, and we will take back America. I would look for some heavy gains in the midterm elections next year. We're bracing for the fight early, and we're not going to let up. It's time to keep the Congress blue and I'll be travelling this nation to make sure that the congress stays blue as we prepare to reclaim the American dream for so many Americans who are struggling."
-New York Governor Mario Cuomo on The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour; December 9, 1993

"The Democrats are already starting their talking points, but I've spoken with the Republican leadership in Congress and they're expecting some gains this year. The economy is showing some early glimpses of recovery, and that's good. I'm more worried about making sure my approval ratings don't dip to low, I need a Republican Congress to push through any real agenda. I don't want to be like Reagan and spend eight years here without my party in charge of Congress, no President can govern like that, or should have to. As I prepare for the State of the Union I'm thinking about what kind of plans I'll put forward, the economy still needs our attention, but working on economic policy is a drag. I hate it."
-From the Diaries of George H.W. Bush; December 18, 1993

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"Working on the State of the Union Address is a long, complicated, and drawn-out process. You don't begin a week before, or even a month before, you begin six weeks before. You spend hours researching policy speeches and longer writing it. I had worked on many of the President's speeches in the past, and I have to admit that for that first State of the Union Address - the one President [REDACTED] delivered in 1997 - I wasn't prepared. it was a stressful work environment. Not only do you have to research the positions, get the President's thoughts on paper, and make sure it sounds good, you need to get it approve by various agencies and departments. It's no easy task."
-[REDACTED] in HBO's documentary The West Wing: America's Senior Staff; 2008

"We expected the 1994 State of the Union Address to be rather bland, but to highlight the accomplishments the President had made in 1993, this was our moment, our opportunity, to paint Republicans in a positive light ahead of the 1994 midterm elections. Michel, Gingrich, Dole - they all wanted us to be aggressive and firm, but the President wanted a more relaxed tone for the address. He didn't want too much to be included in the address, just a short speech focusing on the road ahead but mainly what the nation had gone through."
-James Baker in HISTORY's "George Bush: A Presidency Revealed" Documentary; 2006

"The Republicans are ready to bring it on in November, and we're not going to be afraid to make an aggressive push to reclaim the majorities in Congress. America is in need of a unified government so that we can push through the policies and programs that will truly get Americans working again. The Democratic Congress loves stalemate, the Republicans just want to get to work."
-Bob Dole on the CBS Evening News; January 8, 1994

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President Bush delivering the 1994 State of the Union Address; January 25, 1994

"Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of this Congress, my fellow Americans:

"We begin this evening as a cloud hangs over this chamber, a cloud of mourning. On January 5, 1994, we lost Tip O'Neil - a giant in American politics for many years. He served as the Speaker of the House, and I have some very good memories of the late Speaker O'Neil, despite our political differences. Mr. O'Neil once said that all politics was local. I agree, and tonight, I want us to talk about what differences local communities and organizations can make, and that's where I'd like to begin.

"In the past I have talked about a thousand points of light. Those points of light are the charities and local youth groups and organizations that spread so much joy around this nation. They are clubs and committees that keep our parents and children involved in building a better environment. I believe,as Ronald Reagan once said, that government is not the solution to all of our problems. The answers to our problems can be found in charity work, in work done for local towns and communities, work organized and executed by members of those communities. If we pretend that a new law or budget will possess all of the solutions, if we pretend that Congress will always have the right answer, if we expect our President to fix everything with his signature, we're asking for disappointment."
-Excerpt from President George Bush's State of the Union Address; January 25, 1994

"The Congress is willing to work with President Bush on his thousand points of light, but we're going to take it a push further, and call for some increased funding for education. We need to get serious about helping America's youth, and fighting for education is a necessary step to get us there."
-Excerpt from the Democratic Response to the State of the Union, Delivered by Senate Majority Whip Wendell Ford (D-KY); January 25, 1994

"Our economy is making progress. We are seeing the wheels of job growth begin to turn again. We are witnessing the advantages of massive infrastructure development. Recovery is on the horizon, and I believe we must come together and get us there. Let us do it for the middle class Americans who struggle to make sense of a government that spends more time worrying about elections than taxes. Let us come together for those who don't have jobs who can't understand how this Congress can spend so much time debating wasteful spending, but can't come together to address welfare reform."
-Excerpt from President George Bush's State of the Union Address; January 25, 1994

"The President talked a lot tonight about his jobs plan that recently passed the Congress. If President Bush and the Republicans believe that the bill we recently came together on to support is all that we need to do to get our economy to make a full recovery, they're mistaken. We need real reforms, real leadership, and real action. President Bush must work with the Congress so that we may be able to pass further economic aid to the middle class and others who struggle to pay their bills. This is not over. Progress is on the horizon, sure, but if we want the sun to keep coming up, we have to keep pushing it up. The President seems to believe that government intervention would be a mistake, the Democrats believe that if we are serious about fixing our economy we need to support common sense measures that will aid economic expansion."
-Excerpt from the Democratic Response to the State of the Union, Delivered by Senate Majority Whip Wendell Ford (D-KY); January 25, 1994

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing? (Jan. 27-29)
APPROVE: 47%
DISAPPROVE: 45%
UNDECIDED: 08%
 
A Thousand Points of Light

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"The actual legislative push for the "1,000 Points of Light" came after the President's 1994 State of the Union Address. His plan was not something that could really be entirely completed through legislation, there was only so much that he could do. The President formally released "Five Steps for A Thousand Points of Light" about a week after the State of the Union. The American People were optimistic and supportive, but the Democrats wanted, on the whole, a larger push for education reform."
-Excerpt from 41: Profile of a President by Michael Beschloss; published 2000

Five Steps for A Thousand Points of Light; Released on February 1, 1994
1. Formation of the "Points of Light Foundation" - a group for children 12-18 to participate in their local communities
2. Increased funding for grants to disaster relief organizations
3. Increased funding for youth development grants, such as those for the YMCA
4. Increased funding for grants schools that provide after-school activities to the student population
5. A federal mandate for the instruction of civics in public schools

"We're not opposed to what President Bush has put forward, we just want to see it go a step further."
-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchel (D-ME) on Meet the Press; February 7, 1994

"The Democrats unveiled a plan today for a massive reform of public education in the United States. Their plan contains billions of dollars in new funding for the Department of Education as well as higher standards for public schools. Their plan also cuts off funding for public schools that are failing as an incentive for them to do well in addition to placing numerous expectations on schools such as ensuring programs for more gifted students, basically a separation of students in middle based on performance and ability. There is also something we haven't seen a lot of before, a real focus and assistance for special needs students. The bill is unlike anything we've seen before and has been officially sponsored in the Senate by Massachusetts Senator Edward Moore Kennedy."
-CBS Evening News broadcast; February 8, 1994

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"It was remarkable. What began as President Bush's attempt to give back to youth groups and other charities transformed into a nationwide push for education reform."
-Ted Kennedy in HISTORY's "George Bush: A Presidency Revealed" Documentary; 2006

Conversation in the Oval Office; February 15, 1994
PRES. BUSH: "I really don't have an issue with their plan. It's bold and it's courageous - it could really help public schools."
JAMES BAKER: "It's just too expensive for the conservative base."
PRES. BUSH: "Fuck the 'base' of the party, this bill is what we need for our kids. They'll pass my plan with the education bill. Obviously we need to iron out the details, but I like the plan."
JAMES BAKER: "Mr. President, it's just not feasible. It's not going to be as beneficial as you think it will."
PRES. BUSH: "Get Kennedy in here, let's make this happen."

"I just got back from a meeting with the President, and I am very optimistic about where the direction of the bill is going. I'm confident that there's a willingness to make a bill happen from the President and his side, and that's refreshing. Let's do it, let's fix education in this country. Now there are some things that we'll need to amend to the bill, but I believe the support is there."
-Ted Kennedy after meeting with President Bush; February 19, 1994

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"A great debate has taken place over the last few days about education and reform. I am addressing you tonight to make one thing perfectly clear: my Administration is ready to work with the Democrats and Republicans in Congress to make real reform. The bill is not yet final, and there is still much support to be earned, but I want to be perfectly clear that reforming our public schools is a priority for this Administration and I am optimistic that reform will happen."
-Excerpt from George Bush's Oval Office Address on Education; February 27, 1994

"I will not support such a hostile intrusion of the federal government into education."
-Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) on the Senate floor; February 28, 1994

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing? (Mar. 1-3)
APPROVE: 50%
DISAPPROVE: 46%
UNDECIDED: 04%

"The President was pinned into a corner, he needed some Republican support for these measures, which he was able to find in Bob Dole. The Kansas Senator was the Senate Minority Leader and he had very few objections to the legislation that the President was submitting. Though his caucus wanted some big changes, Dole basically fought back and simply decreased the overall size of the bill. Many of the same provisions - special needs education, gifted education, accountability, and higher standards - were not affected, but the size of the overall reform was decreased as Republicans objected to the amount of spending involved in the bill. These reforms went on to be known as the Bush/Kennedy Education Package, and they really were a key piece of the President's domestic agenda. When the "Points of Light" program passed, the education package was grouped-in under those reforms, which was truly the cornerstone of George Bush's domestic program, and almost the entirety of his domestic accomplishments."
-Michael Beschloss in HISTORY's "George Bush: A Presidency Revealed" Documentary; 2006

"The most remarkable thing was how we were able to accomplish this right before the midterm elections."
-Ted Kennedy in HISTORY'S "George Bush: A Presidency Revealed: Documentary; 2006

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President Bush signing the Bush/Kennedy Education Package; April 3, 1994

Do you approve or disapprove of the job President Bush is doing? (Apr. 4-6)
APPROVE: 52%
DISAPPROVE: 45%
UNDECIDED: 03%
 
The Religious Right may not like Bush's direction.
How 's Iran-Contra doing? Lawrence Walsh did indict several people right before the election.
What's Karl Rove up to right now? How about George W. Bush and Jeb Bush?
 
The Religious Right may not like Bush's direction.
How 's Iran-Contra doing? Lawrence Walsh did indict several people right before the election.
What's Karl Rove up to right now? How about George W. Bush and Jeb Bush?

I can make sure all of these get addressed in the resolution post.
 
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