| | | | |
 | Politics |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||
| | Text: Post Interview With George W. Bush
The Washington Post
Bush: Let me just give you a state of mind before we start. I'm very upbeat about my chances come the fall. I'm looking forward to this campaign. I recognize that there are several phases of the campaign that have yet to take place – one this period of time between the primary and the convention, the convention and then of course the stretch run. I'm mindful of what America wants in the next president and I believe strongly that I'm going to be the candidate that they chose. Because America wants someone who can get something done on the major issues facing the country. America wants someone to reform our military to keep the peace. America is interested in economic growth. And I strongly believe that when it's all said and done they will embrace my reform of the tax code and tax relief for people who pay the bills. This country knows full well that something is amiss in public education, that the Dow Jones can't obscure the reality that children are in fact being left behind. And finally America wants a president to put the capital on the line to reform Medicare and Social Security. This country is interested in somebody who can bring a strong, positive agenda that doesn't try to be all things to all people but addresses major issues facing the country. And they're looking for someone who can work with both Republicans and Democrats alike to get something done. Inherent in that statement is a couple things. One, that the country wants somebody to lift the spirit, to put the issues ahead of partisanship. And I'm going to be that person. It's my record in Texas. It's what I've shown the people I can do in this state. It's how I've led Texas. And I'm going to make that case. Give me a chance to make that case. Now that stands in stark contrast to my opponent, who I view as an obstacle to reform, as somebody who is so partisan that it's going to be impossible to get major objectives. Al Gore is an obstacle to Social Security. After all, the other day he said, "It's not broke. Why do we need to fix something that's not broke?" This administration and I disagree on education reform. I'm talking about accountability with consequences. I feel passionately about accountability with consequences. There's governmental reform that I'm going to talk about. I'm looking forward to the campaign and my job is to paint that picture vividly so people can see where I'm going to lead and have confidence that I'm going to lead us there. It's apparent that I'm going to have to defend my honor and integrity, which I'm going to do vigorously and point up the contrast. And make the case of credibility. I think someone's credibility is important in the course of the campaign. I've got a record to run on. There's going to be a lot of attempts to undermine my records, and I'm going to lay out the facts as they are. I'm going to make the case that the vice president has a credibility problem. This is a man who said he is constantly against the test ban treaty and was for it up to 1992. [Editor's note: A Bush aide later said the governor misspoke here, that Gore says he long favored the treaty but opposed it as recently as 1992.] This is a man who said he invented the Internet, and of course he didn't. It's a man who in a debate with Sen. Bradley talked about the earned income tax credit. In fact he was the one, he claimed, who was responsible for the earned income tax credit when in fact it was enacted two years before his arrival to the United States Congress. So indeed there is a credibility issue. So I believe Al Gore needs to stand up and make it clear that he is a credible candidate by starting with letting us know all of the information regarding White House phone calls. Let us see the pictures. Let us have all the details. As well as he ought to stand up and let us know what is the union, which union is it that he is making the phone calls in clear violation of White House policy. That's credibility. So I'm looking forward to the contest. Now let me give you – and not in anticipation to your questions – but over the next couple of months, I'm going to lay out a series of – How are you going to occupy your time? Well, one, I'm going to travel around to key battleground states, invigorate the party, invigorate the supporters, reach out to the people with my message. I'm going to make it clear, which is what I told you, is what I'm going to spend time talking about. I've got a series of policy speeches. They'll be on issues like education, or the aging. Just a different series of policy speeches that I'll be making between now and the summer. Obviously there's the task of the vice president selection. I haven't even begun the process yet. I'm obviously beginning to think about it now. And then it's up to the convention and it'll be time to talk about the convention later on. And I'm going to be traveling quite a bit and laying the groundwork. That's it.... Q: You have started down the road where we wanted to go, and you have touched on some of the topics that we wanted to chat about. The first thing we were wondering about, what evidence do you have that the public is hungry for a fresh start, that the public is tiring of the status quo? Bush: Well, you know, it's anecdotal as far as I'm concerned. But that's one of the key tenets of the election. If people want four more years of Clinton/Gore, they've got the opportunity right at hand. And my evidence is what I heard in the rope lines and from people. People handing me a picture and saying, I want you to restore honor and dignity to the White House. To me, there's a craving for an administration that rises above the typical politics that dominates the Washington discourse, politics that tears people down, politics that if you disagree with somebody, the first thing you do is attack them. And there's some fundamental issues that need to be addressed and I lay them out. Q: But do you think that the hunger you're talking about has to do with a change in policy or a change in tone? Bush: I think it depends on the subject. Both. Q: Where do you think that there's real hunger for policy change? Bush: Social Security and I'll give you the reason why. There are a lot of people who have come of age and know that there won't be a Social Security system available if something isn't done. They know that. America has come to realize that Social Security now symbolizes politics as opposed to policy. In other words, you lay Social Security out there and get somebody to grab hold of it and it affects them politically. And as I said, the vice president the other day said loud and clear, "It's not broken." That's his quote. Recently. It's not something 10 years ago. I think it is. It's a fundamental issue and I think people want something done on Social Security. Q: You have been a candidate for essentially a year, since last March. Your first ad in New Hampshire talked about making that a priority, yet you have never in any detailed way made a speech about it, talked about your real plans for it, given people any sense other than your general principles, what you would do. If it's so important why haven't you addressed it in a more sophisticated way? Bush: What's important is to make it an issue so that both Republicans and Democrats hear the call for reform. That's the most important thing a president needs to do. And I've laid out the principles by which discussions ought to go forward. But there's a lot of interesting ideas out there laid out by both Republicans and Democrats. My job as the president is to say that I want to spend the capital to get something done. I'm going to spend the capital so that you can feel comfortable laying out your agenda and we're going to work together to get something done, as opposed to the way it's been in the past, here kind of lay out an idea and everybody sort of grabs a hold of it and then makes it a political hit. It is a fundamental change of attitude. That's what I'm trying to talk about all the time. But if you're asking me what percentage of the payroll tax ought to be available for personal savings accounts, that's up for negotiation. The fundamental question is, should there be personal savings accounts in the first place and the answer is yes. Q: I think what we're asking is, if you think this is so important, why aren't you making a stronger case both about the direction you think it ought to go and speaking about it in the same way you talked about education and tax cuts? Bush: But I do talk about it quite a bit. Q: Well, what you talk about is lock boxing. Bush: Lock box, bringing people together to get something done. Benefits for retirees or near retirees. And I talk about personal savings accounts. Those are the broad principles by which a deal will be structured. Q: So between now and the election do you anticipate that you will put out in more detail a Social Security reform plan as opposed to a procedural emphasis? Bush: I think the most important thing people need to hear is, it's going to require Congress to come together, Republicans and Democrats sitting down and saying, "Well, let's get something done. The president has made it an issue. The soon-to-be-president has made it an issue. He says, let's have reform. Reform is important. He says he's going to spend capital necessary to get something done and he says here's the broad framework by which discussion are to be made." To me that is the first step toward reform and it's a significant step to reform. And I have a difference of opinion with Al Gore, who is an obstacle to reform on Social Security, and the reason why is he says it's not broken. And if you go to the Congress and say it's not broken, it doesn't need to be fixed, no reform is going to take place. It's just a threshold difference of opinion. Q: But I think he would also say he's prepared to apply much more of the budget surplus to making sure Social Security is viable. Bush: And I'm going to say this: Until you reform the system, application of general [revenue] funds is not going to fix the system. He argues that the current system is fine. I will make the case to somebody who wants to use general revenue funds in the Social Security system, unless you reform it, you've now changed the entire nature of the system. It's no longer an insurance policy. It becomes subject to the whims of the United States Congress on an annual basis. And I think what needs to happen first and foremost [is reform] of the system and the good news is there are Republicans and Democrats who agree with that. Q: I want to keep talking about Gore for a minute. One of the things I noticed early on last year was you talked a lot in your stump speech, where you talked about your vision. You felt so good about your vision that you weren't going to engage in the politics of personal destruction, tearing other people down. But as the focus has turned to the general election, your focus on Gore has been attacking him not on issues but on character and ethics issues. Just before I came I went back and looked at some of your quotes talking about Gore. Some of them seemed pretty harsh. The gist of them is that they question is honesty, his integrity, his ethics and raising a lot of questions about the Buddhist temple fund-raiser. Bush: Yeah. Q: You talked about the union situation. You said, "These aren't mistakes, they're habits. They raise questions about whether the vice president is the right person to be the next president." Bush: That's not name calling. That's talking about a record. That's talking about fact. You bet. I talked about credibility. I believe it's up to the vice president to stand up and make it clear what are the facts. He needs to. I'm going to keep the pressure on. Absolutely. Q: But you're not just questioning him on the facts, you're saying the man has a problem telling the truth. That's calling him a liar. Bush: I'm not calling him that. Q: But if you're saying the man has a problem telling the truth.... Bush: I'm having a problem. Let's let him then stand up and tell the truth. Let's let him make sure that we know exactly what the facts are. I'd like to know the union. Wouldn't you? I would. This is in clear violation of White House policy. And I believe it is my duty as somebody running for president to call upon full disclosure of potential ethics violations. Q: Do you think he has the honesty and integrity to be the president? Bush: That's what I'd like to know and that's what America would like to know. Q: What do you think? Bush: Well, I don't have all the facts at my hand. That's why I'm calling for them. Q: Do you see very much fundamental difference between his character and Bill Clinton's? Bush: Uh, that's why I've asked for the facts when it comes to fund-raising. What's the full disclosure on the fund-raising issues? What's the full disclosure on the union issue? To me, that's a fundamental question as to whether a person has the credibility to get something done in Washington. Q: To what extent does it bother you that these two guys [Clinton and Gore] are the ones that beat your father and to what extent is that on your mind? You were quoted as saying last week, "We will confront their tactics one more time. And this time we will prevail and they will fail." Bush: Yeah, that was in my March 7 speech. Let me now go back to where I started the talk here. I am running because I want to lift the spirit of the country. I want to keep the peace. I have a growth agenda, a part of which says that we're going to reform the tax code to provide relief for the people who pay the bills. I am convinced that the high tax rate. I am convinced that the high tax rate on the American people is going to effect our economy at some point if we don't do something about it. There is opportunity right now, a moment that needs to be seized to make sure our Social Security system is available for people who are coming up.... I've got a reason for running. I talk about a larger goal, which is to call upon the best of America. It's part of the renewal. It's reform and renewal. Part of the renewal is a set of high standards and to remind people that the greatness of America really does depend on neighbors helping neighbors and children finding mentors. I worry. I'm very worried about, you know the kid who just wonders whether America is meant for him. I really worry about that. And uh, so, I'm running for a reason. I'm answering this question here and the answer is, you cannot lead America to a positive tomorrow with revenge on one's mind. Revenge is so incredibly negative. And so to answer your question, I'm going to win because people sense my heart, know my sense of optimism and know where I want to lead the country. And I tease people by saying, "A leader, you can't say, follow me the world is going to be worse." I'm an optimistic person. I'm an inherently content person. I've got a great sense of where I want to lead and I'm comfortable with why I'm running. And, you know, the call on that speech was, beware. This is going to be a tough campaign. Q: But you started out your campaign a year ago saying, "I'm going to run a positive campaign." And you've started out the general election taking very hard shots at Gore, as Terry said, on issues of character, personal credibility. That doesn't seem to square with the idea of this positive, hopeful campaign. Bush: Well, first of all, every speech I give in the sense of what I talk about. Now in terms of questioning a man's credibility, you bet I'm going to. If I'm not, who will? If it's not me, who? I mean, listen this is a man who stands up to me, the first thing I hear from him is some e-mail he sent me. You know where I hear it from? TV. I'm plugged in, some remote broadcast, he says, "Well, the vice president sent you an e-mail challenging this, challenging that, challenging this, challenging that." I said, "You gotta be kidding me." He thinks I'm going to believe he's a campaign funding reformer? After all, he won't put out all the facts.... So a lot of this was in response to me hearing that, you know, he wants to challenge me to soft money this, or debate every day. Q: Why not take him up on the proposal not to have the national committees use soft money for issue ads? Bush: Because I don't trust him. Q: Why not? Bush: Why don't I trust him? Q: Why not call his bluff? If you don't trust him, make him prove that he won't live up to it. Bush: I mean, this guy's got no credibility. Q: But I mean, why don't you step forward and say, "OK, I'll take that." Bush: Lay down my arms? While this guy is the guy, while meantime the president is raising soft money...? Q: But wait, aren't you about to do the same thing? You have said you are for campaign finance reform, you'll get rid of corporate and labor union soft money.... So you have a position that you would like to get rid of that kind of soft money. At the same time, your campaign and the party are preparing to raise a huge amount of soft money in the same way the Democrats are. Bush: But the difference is, the labor unions are fixing to pound me. They're fixing to pound me. If the vice president really wants reform, he needs to stand up and say to the labor bosses, no we're not going to do that. Q: What you're trying to suggest is that until he does everything you want, you won't do anything? This would be one piece? Bush: No, what I'm suggesting to you is that it is naïve to think this guy is any kind of campaign reform, because I'm not, I don't believe that. And secondly, the big money they've got going for them is the labor union money. And if he stands up there and says to the labor unions don't spend a dime against Governor Bush, then we've got the makings for a heck of a campaign funding reform package. Q: And if he doesn't, you won't do anything? Bush: You mean if I don't? Unilaterally? Q: You're suggesting that the labor piece is the only piece? Bush: I'm suggesting that the labor piece is a significant piece of soft money expenditures that is real and significant. What I'm suggesting is, he's throwing up a smokescreen. He's not for real campaign funding reform, and if he were, I'd join him. And the step one in order for me to say he's got credibility is for him to go to that union money and say, don't spend a dime of money. Q: Have you ever met him? Bush: Yes, I have. Q: In what context? Bush: I don't know much about him personally. Q: Do you like him? Bush: I don't know much about him. Q: Where did you meet him. Bush: At the All Star baseball game. I think that's the only time. I might have met him at some other function. Q: Last year? Bush: No, no. In Baltimore when I was in baseball. Q: Did you get to talk at all? Bush: No. Q: So you really don't know him at all? Bush: I don't. Q: You seem to relish this as a personal fight between the two of you? Bush: No, I wouldn't say it's personal. Q: Well it sounds like it. Bush: No, why would you say it sounds like it? Q: Well, we could play back parts of this tape. Bush: No, nothing's personal. Do I think the man ought to lay out all the facts? I do. I think that's a legitimate thing to ask for. Q: But you've said about other opponents of yours and a number of Democrats that you probably disagreed on issues that you like them but we have disagreements on issues. Bush: Well, I might like Al Gore. I don't know him. It's hard for me to say whether I like him or not because I never spent any time with him. But I tend to like people. I'm the kind of person I try to get along with people even though there may be disagreements. I just want to understand fully what kind of campaign I'm fixing to face. And it's brought to my attention often times by the press corps after the primaries are over, people say, "Are you ready?" I say, "Ready for what?" "Ready for just somebody slapping you upside the head on a daily basis?" I say, "Oh really, is that they way he's gonna do it?" Q: Do you believe he's attacked your character and integrity? Bush: Listen, all I'm asking for is full disclosure of facts. Q: You said in your opening statement that you were prepared to have to defend your integrity. Bush: I'm presenting my record. There's all kind of gossip being floated out in the process that fortunately the press corps tends to ignore. Q: Do you think they're spreading it? Bush: I don't think my allies are.... Anyway, to put this to rest, I don't know the vice president, Gore. So it's hard for me to answer the question: Do I like him? I don't have a personal relationship with him. Q: On your tax plan, why do you think that you've had so much trouble convincing people that this is anything other than a traditional Republican tax package and what will you do to try to change that? Bush: I think that when explained my tax relief – little more than a quarter of the projected surplus goes to tax relief, people perk up. I'm having to make the case for tax relief in the face of years of people being told that if we have tax relief, somebody's not going to get help from the government. In other words, it's been zero sum politics, in terms of tax relief. The surplus, if properly explained, provides an opportunity to make the case that tax relief can be done without affecting other programs. And that's the task at hand, that's what I've got to do. So step one is, there's been this sense of people saying well, somebody's going to suffer. Secondly, I need to spend, which I do in every speech, reminding people in how unfair the tax code is. Not only does it provide tax relief, but the code is unfair. It's unfair to people at the bottom end of the ladder. That's why I reduced that rate from 15 percent to 10 percent and increased the child credit. You know, it's interesting, I think the elimination of the death tax in this society is beginning to get some heft. I think people are beginning to realize how unfair that tax is. The earnings test on Social Security is something I've been campaigning on and is now going to be adopted, it looks like, by the President and Congress. That's great. I'm glad they heard that call. I think the biggest obstacle – well, first of all I'm not going to change. This is something I deeply believe in. It's a well thought out plan. It's based upon realistic numbers and I'm going to campaign hard on it. Q: And why do you think in a time of unprecedented prosperity that the top, the wealthiest people in the country should get as big a tax cut as you're giving them? Bush: In other words, why drop the top rate from 39.6 to 33 percent? Q: Right. Bush: Because everybody ought to get a tax cut. I don't believe in targeted tax cuts. I believe reducing marginal rates is the principle that I adhere to. Q: Why so much for them? Bush: Well, the vast majority of the money goes to the bottom end of the tax cut. Q: I don't think that's right. Bush: The biggest cut, on a percentage goes to the people at the bottom. Q: But the percentage of the total pot? Bush: Well, one reason the percentage of the total pot is because the percentage of the total pot coming in is paid by the people at the top. Q: But doesn't that make it easy for your opponents to say whatever he says about the tax cut, this really is primarily a big tax cut for the wealthiest people? Bush: But it's not though. I make the case that it's really not. If you've got a family of four making $50,000, you get a 50 percent cut on your income tax rates. I guess you can slice the numbers any way you want to slice them, and I'm willing to take that argument on. Q: But that goes back to my original question. Why have you had difficulty selling that? Bush: I'm not so sure I have had difficulty selling it. Why do you think I have had difficulty selling it, just out of curiosity? Q: Well, the polls? Bush: I also believe my job is to think down the road. And I worry about an economy that can slow down do to high taxes. And I believe a marginal rate cut serves as an insurance policy against economic slowdown. I think that's important. And by the way, it's phased in over five-year period of time. I come from the school of thought that says the reduction of marginal rates helps grow the pie. And so you ask about dropping the rates. One, it's important to cut all the rates. Secondly, the drop in the top is part of the formation of capital for future entrepreneurial growth. I believe that one of the reasons why the economy is growing is because of the tax cuts and cuts in marginal rates in the '80s. Q: Your tax plan assumes continued growth of about 2.7 percent a year, which may or may not be reasonable over the next couple years. But over a long period of time, 5 to 10 years, what happens if the economy slows down and we go back to deficit spending? How do you deal with that and do you suggest any cuts anywhere in the budget, or do you foresee any in the future if the economy slows down? Bush: A couple things on economic growth. I think it depends on the nature of the slow down and the size of the slow down. But the time to encourage economic growth during a slow down, it's important to provide tax relief. This is an insurance policy against an economic slowdown. It's phased in over time. It doesn't happen all at one time. It's a five-year phase in. The significance of that is, it's obviously got some flexibility inherent in how the tax is implemented over time. Secondly in terms of spending reductions, I'm going to make the case that there needs to be budgetary reform first and foremost. There needs to biennial budgeting. I recognize that it's up for the legislature to approve this reform but it would make sense to do that so that the budget fights don't exist on an annual basis and there's not this last-minute budgeteering that goes on. And secondly, it would give Congress the opportunity in off years to have a sunset type of review of programs to see if they're useful or not. Take the military budget. The best budgetary reform and the best way to save money in the military budget is to have a long-term strategic plan. To prevent expenditures from taking place that are haphazard or political in nature. It's very important for our country to develop a plan that says this is what our military ought to look like 20 to 30 years from now. Here's how to boost morale today, but here's where we ought to be focusing our resources, our research and development dollars, our potential procurement dollars, on what the military should look like. But until that happens, there's going to haphazard spending in the military. John McCain rightly talked about budgetary reform when it came to the military. He also talked about the C-130. I also happened to talk about those when asked. And you see where the Army asked for X number of C-130s but the Congress demanded that the budget spend X plus whatever the number. That's because there's no long-term strategic plan. To me, this is the best budgetary reform we could have, is to have a long-term plan. To say, this is where the money ought to be spent. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask the secretary of defense to work expeditiously work on a long-term plan on where we ought to spend research and development money and start the focus to make sure systems reflect our technological advantage. Q: I wanted to ask about Sen. McCain, a couple questions. Have you talked to him since he got back? Bush: No I have not. Q: Do you feel that you need to take the first step – I know there's a lot of communication going on on the staff level and among friends – do you feel any direct contact ought to be initiated by you or him? Bush: Yeah, both of us have initiated direct contact in the past. I'm not exactly sure. Let me put it this way: There'll be an appropriate time for John and I to talk. I look forward to it. I appreciate very much the statements he's made recently. I thought yesterday that the statements on the vice president echoed my statements exactly. Q: Do you take him at his word that he does not want to be considered for vice president? He also reiterated a lack of interest in being vice president. Do you take him at his word on that, and will you therefore not consider him for vice president? Bush: Um, that's too early to tell. Q: So you might still consider as him for running mate? Bush: I haven't had a chance to talk to John yet. I look forward to talking to him about a variety of subjects. Q: Does it concern you at all that he appears to, in addition to being supportive of you as the nominee, have the desire to campaign for people who support his reform agenda and therefore they may be kind of competing Republican messages and messengers? Bush: Let me say something, I welcome John putting a PAC (political action committee) together and campaigning for members of Congress. I think it is so important for us to hold the Congress in order to be able to get the reform agenda through. And I'm glad John is doing this. I think he's going to be very good at it. I think he's going to help these members and I welcome, enthusiastically welcome, his campaign to help these congressmen looking to save their seats. Q: What role do you have him playing in your campaign? Bush: Well, I would like to have him be what I think he is going to be, an ally and someone with whom I can work to not only get elected but get some reforms done. Budgetary reform is a good place to start for example. I know John has been very concerned about the budget. Q: On education, you and the vice president both have accountability pieces in your [education] proposals. Bush: You can't have accountability unless you have consequences. Q: Well, they say what they would do that is different is. What you would do is take money out of failing schools and give it to parents to let them chose what to do. What they would do they say is have accountability and for failing schools they would close those schools down and reopen them as reconstituted schools with a new principle, new faculty. Bush: They would do that. Really? That's interesting.... What I say is after a reasonable period of time, where children over a three-year period cannot meet basic standards, there needs to be something done differently. And therefore the assumption that something can't change underlies their criticism. They must not believe children can learn.... Why don't we wait until we find out exactly what's in their plan... But I do feel strongly about accountability, and to me, it's the cornerstone of success in our state. And I believe people can rise to the challenge. And the vice president when I laid out my plan said this is going to cause schools to fail. But we're talking about schools that have already failed. It's the children where the focus should be. And that's the fundamental difference it seems like to me.... Q: Can you put something to rest here, and that is your commitment to California? There are some people who question whether the Bush campaign is fully committed to really running in California. Bush: Fully committed. I think I'll win California. Q: Even though the issue agenda seems so stacked against Republicans? Bush: I think the issue agenda is, well, it depends on what issue. But I think the education agenda issue is stacked my way. Q: What about guns, or the environment, or abortion or any of the other issues that have hurt Republicans? Bush: I've got a very real reasonable position on guns and the environment. And I think people are going to be pleased on my position on those issues. It's a tough state, but I think step one is, if you ad up why I got and what McCain got and ad up what Bradley and Gore got in California, I think our totals exceeded theirs. That's a pretty good start. Yes, to answer your question, I'm going to compete vigorously in the state of California. Q: Do you have a timetable on the vice presidential search? Bush: I don't. Q: Do you think you'll wait until close to the convention? Bush: Don't know yet. Q: Do you know who's going to run the process for you? Bush: No, I don't. Q: Do you know who it's going to be? Bush: (laughter)
Columns - Cartoons | Live Online | Online Extras | Photo Galleries | Video - Audio |
|
|
|
|
