Words to live by, right Dubya?

We're thankful to the archives for keeping this for us. Never forget what this asshole said once just before the elections of 2000. RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP. Bore it into your brains, Americans. �Responsible Leadership�

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Thursday, October 26, 2000

Before I begin, I want to note the presence of some distinguished guests. We all know that the presidency is the highest office in the land - but there is an even greater distinction that our country bestows: and that is the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is the �highest award for valor in action against an enemy force.� Only 151 living Americans hold the Medal of Honor. When you meet one of them, remember the moment - because you have just met one of the bravest men in your country�s history. Three are here today. May I ask them to please stand and be recognized. From the first day of this campaign, I have talked about the goal of a responsibility era. And even before that, it was my concern as a governor. For too long, our culture has sent the message, �If it feels good, do it. If you�ve got a problem, blame somebody else.� Each of us must understand we are responsible for the choices we make in life. Usually, in the political season, you hear promises. From my opponent, you have heard eight years of them. The responsibility era is not merely a set of political promises - it is a set of challenges, for the American people and their government. It is not something a president can do alone. It is something we must do together. Each citizen is responsible for loving the children he or she brings into this world - to love them and teach them right from wrong. The character of our children is the destiny of our country. Churches and synagogues and mosques are responsible, not only to worship, but also to serve. Charities and community groups are not our last resort; they are our best hope. Communities are responsible to educate children of every background, and to help those in need. This is the kind of country we want to be - a country of strong communities and self-governing citizens. And this is the kind of country our government should encourage. In helping families and communities, we should give them options, not orders. We should trust people with responsibility. We should help them live their lives, not try to run their lives. On every major issue before America, this is the choice. I believe younger workers should be trusted to invest some of their payroll tax for their own retirement, as part of a stronger Social Security system that builds personal wealth and independence. My opponent is opposed to it. I believe education is a national priority, but a local responsibility. I want to give schools the resources and authority to chart their own path to excellence. My opponent thinks Washington knows best. I believe that when low-income children are trapped in failing schools, their parents should be trusted to make other choices. My opponent would deny them those options. I believe that seniors should have a better Medicare system, with prescription drugs, access to the latest medical technology, and more control over their health care. My opponent has a one-size-fits-all answer, dictated by Washington, from Washington. I believe every American deserves a tax cut. My opponent offers tax cuts only for the few and the favored, for those he calls the �right� people. And even his �right� people only get tax cuts when they do what government says. I do not believe a President should choose right Americans - all Americans are the right people. I believe in supporting the good work of churches and charities in communities across America. My opponent calls their work the �crumbs of compassion� and looks to government instead. I trust people and communities with responsibility, and my proposals help them meet those responsibilities in practical ways. My opponent would expand government more than we�ve seen in 35 years. And that�s a threat to our prosperity. But the problem runs deeper. Even if we could afford to pay for the Vice President�s ideas, they would still be the wrong ideas. They would still be the failed policies of the past. For decades, we have tried to solve problem with rules and mandates from distant bureaucracies and theories from far away federal experts. But this doesn�t solve communities� problems. It doesn�t answer the need. Vice President Gore is promoting a big build-up of big government -- more spending, more programs, more of Washington talking down to us and thinking on our behalf. I believe government works best when it relies on the good judgment and common sense of the people themselves. Americans are not asking for a bigger, more intrusive government. They deserve a government that gives them the tools to dream and build and prosper on their own. In a responsibility era, government should trust the people. And in a responsibility era, people should also be able to trust their government. Public officials should call on Americans to be responsible. But lectures don�t replace leadership. Leaders lead by example. Leaders must be responsible, and in our great democracy, the top responsibility rests with the President of the United States. I am prepared to assume this awesome responsibility, and I will be guided by principles and convictions that will not change. When I ran for Governor of Texas, I told my fellow Texans that I would be guided by four fundamental principles - they shaped every decision I made as Governor, and they will shape every decision I make as President. I believe government should be limited and efficient. I believe in local control, because local people know better than anyone else the needs of their schools and their communities. I believe all laws and public policy should support strong families. And I believe in individual responsibility - that all individuals are responsible for their actions and decisions. Responsible leadership is the most important task of an American president - and it should be the most important question Americans ask before they vote: what kind of leader will a potential president be? A responsible leader sets a clear agenda and brings people together to achieve it. A leader accepts responsibility and shares credit. A leader stands on principle, a good leader is predictable - he doesn�t try to be all things to all people, or change personalities, say, for different debates. Leaders get things done -they realize they can�t do that alone, so they surround themselves with good people and build a strong team. Responsible leaders confront problems - they don�t pass them along to others. Leaders are never content with the status quo - they look down the road, anticipate and prepare for new challenges and new opportunities. And good leaders create a climate of honesty and integrity. Our nation needs leadership. Because even in these good times, we face some big challenges. On Social Security, the crisis is coming - in the red within two decades, bankrupt by 2037. On education, the crisis is here - stagnating scores and American students who perform near the bottom among industrialized nations. On both these issues, the Clinton/Gore administration has left faint footprints - marking time, not making progress. And on both of these issues, my opponent would add four years of drift to eight years of failed leadership. His idea is to issue government IOUs to fill the Social Security trust fund - a massive transfer from one government pocket to another. These IOUs amount to $40 trillion. But IOUs don�t pay benefits, and eventually they will come due. Our children and grandchildren will be forced to pay them, with massive new taxes or major cuts in benefits. It is not responsible leadership to deny future generations a chance to have a secure retirement - all for the purpose of frightening the greatest generation into believing that reform is their enemy. Pitting grandparents against grandchildren is the worst kind of old style politics. More importantly, it is a failure of leadership. There was a time when leaders spoke of passing the torch to a new generation of Americans. On Social Security, my opponent would pass the buck and the bill to the next generation of Americans- leaving trillions in debt to voters he will never face. Education is a similar story. My opponent talks about reform. And talks, and talks. But for eight years there has been little progress - few results - and his current proposals don�t require any. Now Vice President Gore is attacking our success in boosting student achievement in Texas - aligning himself with the voices of the status quo and those who oppose testing - and revealing his true stripes. During our debate, he claimed to support accountability. But unless you measure, unless you test every child, every year from third to eighth grade, reform is an illusion. The Vice President and the forces of the status quo find lots of excuses to avoid accountability. But without accountability, standards are just scraps of paper and parents won�t ever know if their children are learning. Vice President Gore�s plan has no new accountability, and in too many schools, this will mean another generation of children lost to the soft bigotry of low expectations. That is not my idea of leadership. When you govern by focus groups, and act for interest groups, you can�t confront the real problems. When you wait for the latest polls to point the way, you can�t lead. When you hold your finger to the wind, you can�t put your finger on a problem. And when you hold on to power for power�s sake, you cannot govern. My opponent�s campaign is a fitting close to the Clinton/Gore years. They are going out as they came in: Their guide, the nightly polls. Their goal, the morning headlines. Their legacy, the fruitless search for a legacy. Should I be elected president, I�m going to confront the hard issues. I�m not going to leave Social Security as a problem for others to solve. My plan strengthens Social Security by increasing the rate of return that younger workers get on payroll taxes they pay into the system. We will create real assets, and a more secure retirement, for the next generation. I know this is supposed to be the third rail of American politics - the one that shocks you when you touch it. Some advised me to stay away from this issue. But if you don�t touch it, you can�t fix it. And I intend to fix it. I will also lead on education. We will no longer fund failure, year after year. We will test every year, and require results for our children. I believe our public schools will rise to the occasion, as they have in Texas. But if schools do not teach and will not change, parents will be given better options. That is what accountability means. And that is what leadership demands. Responsible leadership sets a tone of civility and bipartisanship that gets things done. In recent years, there�s been too much argument in Washington and not enough discussion. Too many standoffs and showdowns and shutdowns. Too much deadlock and gridlock. And Americans don�t like what they see. My opponent has set a negative tone. He talked of �ripping the lungs out� of political adversaries. Part of his campaign headquarters is called �the slaughterhouse.� And his staff proudly calls itself a band of �killers.� This is a sample of what we could expect from a Gore administration - a bitter, negative tone that has nearly destroyed bipartisanship in Washington. The same attack politics that have disillusioned so many Americans, especially young people, who want to believe in a cause larger than themselves. I will change the tone of Washington. I�ll bring good people to our nation�s Capitol, and surround myself with a strong team of capable leaders. I sent a clear signal of my intentions when I named a great citizen to be my running mate: Dick Cheney. It would be presumptuous for me to name other names before the people have spoken, but I have great respect for the man who introduced me today -- and I hope his greatest days of service to his country might still lie ahead. Should I earn your confidence, I intend to work with Republicans and Democrats to get things done for the American people that both parties represent. We won�t always agree, but I�ll work to keep our disagreements respectful and I�ll work to find common ground. I will do everything I can to restore civility to our national politics - a respect for honest differences, and decent regard for one another. I know you can�t take the politics out of politics. I�m a realist. But I�m convinced our government can show more courage in confronting hard problems; more good will toward the other side; more integrity in the exercise of power. This isn�t always easy, but it is always important. It is what people expect of their leaders, and what leaders must require of themselves. My administration will provide responsible leadership. Finally, a leader upholds the dignity and honor of his office. In my administration, we will ask not only what is legal, but also what is right - not just what the lawyers allow, but what the public deserves. In my administration we will make it clear there is the controlling authority of conscience. We will make people proud again - so that Americans who love their country can once again respect their government. Thank you. No, shit for brains, thank YOU. For helping America remember that a man will do and say anything to get inside that mansion for 8 years, with no further responsibilities needed. ...TheScribes...