Steve Forbes in State of Michigan Archives

On Abortion: Recommends pledging pro-life platform, VP, & judges

FORBES [to Bush]: Let’s pretend George that you get the nomination in August. Would you make three pledges tonight? 1) Preserve the Ronald Reagan plank on life in the Republican platform? 2) State unequivocally that you’ll chose only pro-life judges? 3) Vow to pick a pro-life running mate?

BUSH: I’m going to pick a vice president who can be the president. I’ll pick judges who strictly interpret the constitution and not use the bench as a way to legislate. And I will work to keep the Republican Party pro-life.

FORBES: It’s a typical hedge. Where’s the pledge, not a hedge? Vagaries aren’t going to work. We need something specific.

BUSH: I will have a vice president who can become the president. That’s the test, Steve. I will have a vice president that agrees with my policy. I’m going to have a vice president that likes me. I can’t be any more clear -- you may not like the answer, but that’s my answer.

Source: (cross-ref to Bush) GOP Debate in Michigan Jan 10, 2000

On Foreign Policy: Africa: Unshackle drug companies, not US aid, to fight AIDS

Q: Should we appropriate $300 million out of the surplus to help fight AIDS in Africa? A: Too often foreign aid, not only to Africa but other parts of the world, have just gone to kleptocracies and not helped those it was meant to help. Almost 99% of it has been wasted. In terms of Africa itself, I think it is key that we not shackle our own pharmaceutical industry so that they come up with cures to these and other hideous diseases. Source: GOP Debate in Michigan Jan 10, 2000

On Government Reform: Negative ads are OK if they tell the truth

Q: [to Bush & Forbes]: Will you agree not to run any negative ads against each other?

FORBES. The answer is if being negative is telling the truth I will continue to tell the truth. People deserve it, we deserve an honest and open and vigorous debate. And if a man breaks a pledge [re 1997 tax cuts], the voters ought to know it.

BUSH: I’ll run positive ads. Listen, I cut taxes as the governor. That’s a fact. That is the bottom line. The people of my state know my record and they endorsed it with an election. And yet if you look at [Forbes’] ads it doesn’t say that. I don’t mind debates. I do mind Republicans tearing each other down.

FORBES. You’re not going to win the White House by making pledges that are then broken. We’ve been through that before, particularly on taxes. A pledge made should be a pledge kept. And in Texas it was your own party that saved you from breaking that pledge. You tried to break it, they blocked you.

Source: (cross-ref to Bush) GOP Debate in Michigan Jan 10, 2000

On Health Care: Fight AIDS by changing people’s personal behavior

On AIDS in Africa: I think we should encourage groups here in America and in Africa that are working to tackle this disease to get the information out there on people’s personal behavior. In many of these countries people aren’t getting the word on how they can behave to help stop this epidemic because the government won’t do it. Private groups, religious groups are willing to. We should urge them to do so. Source: GOP Debate in Michigan Jan 10, 2000

On Tax Reform: Evidence that Bush broke 1997 no-tax pledge

Q: [to Bush & Forbes]: Forbes’ TV ad says that in 1994 you signed a pledge to not support sales tax or business tax increases, and in 1997 you broke the pledge.

BUSH: I led my state, in 1997, to the largest tax cut in Texas history. I laid out a plan that cut $1 billion of property taxes.. I am a tax-cutting person.

FORBES: There was a lot of hedging about this pledge. The pledge was made in 1994. I have a copy of it here, promising not to raise the sales tax or to propose any kind of income tax. When he proposed this bill in 1997 it did have provisions in there for tax increases including increasing a sales tax. Pledges should not be lightly made and a pledge is a promise. Bush’s own staff admits that he broke the pledge. In 1998, I supported you & I would have voted for you. But you did break that pledge.

BUSH: [People] need to look at the results. That’s what’s important. The results are people from all walks of life received a substantial tax cut under me as the governor of Texas.

Source: (cross-ref to Bush) GOP Debate in Michigan Jan 10, 2000

The above quotations are from State of Michigan Politicians: Archives. Click here for other excerpts from State of Michigan Politicians: Archives. Click here for other excerpts by Steve Forbes. Click here for a profile of Steve Forbes.
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Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021