George W. Bush in The Los Angeles Times
On Abortion:
Every child born and unborn ought to be protected
Bush opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's life. He'll try to seem non-threatening, respecting others' views without backing off his long-held "pro-life" position. He previously had said he would not demand that his
Supreme Court nominees be anti-abortion. It's even conceivable he'll choose a running mate who supports abortion rights, Bush said. "I'm going to talk about the culture of life," he continued. "I've set the goal that every child born and unborn ought
to be protected. But I recognize [that many] people don't necessarily agree with the goal. People appreciate somebody who sets a tone, a tone that values life, but recognizes that
people disagree." He pointed out that those gun-toting killers at Columbine High School did not value life; they "devalued" it.
Source: George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
Jun 5, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Country is not better off as a result of Clinton/Gore years
Bush insisted that Gore was mistaken in arguing that the country is better off today. "I don't think the school system is better off. I don't think the morale in the military is better off. I don't think our standing in the world is better off. No
question the stock market is higher. But prosperity hasn't reached throughout all of society." One of the central aims of this week's convention is to convince voters that the nation now is in a stronger position than when Bush's father was president.
Source: Ronald Brownstein, LA Times
Aug 13, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Private sector responsible for economic boom
Bush flatly rejected the contention from Clinton and Gore that their economic policies, particularly the 1993 deficit-reduction package that passed Congress solely on Democratic votes, had contributed to the nation's boom times. "I think the economy
has grown really in spite of government. This is an incredible period of time when productivity has been enhanced, not because of any great initiative of government, but because of the ability for entrepreneurs to stake a new claim."
Source: Ronald Brownstein, LA Times
Aug 13, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
1980 tax cuts, deregulation, and trade led to strong economy
Who deserves credit for the longest economic expansion in U.S. history? Did the White House help foster it, or were the Democrats, as Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush contends, just lucky? "The momentum of today's prosperity began in the
1980s-with sound money, deregulation, the opening of global trade and a 25% tax cut. The economic growth of the 1980s provided the venture capital for the technology revolution of the 1990s," Bush said in a major speech on taxes.
Source: Peter G. Gosselin, LA Times
Aug 21, 2000
On Education:
"Silver Scholarships" for kids from seniors who volunteer
Under Bush's "silver scholarship" program, senior citizens could volunteer as tutors in after-school programs in exchange for $1,000 educational scholarships. Seniors who volunteer at least 500 hours a year would be eligible for the scholarships, which
they then could pass on to their children, grandchildren or other children in need. Bush said, "Today's elderly are the best-educated generation of seniors in history," and many are eager to help. The pilot project would be limited to 10,000 volunteers.
Source: Richard T. Cooper, L.A. Times
May 20, 2000
On Education:
$1.3B to help students in college-prep math & science
Bush proposed a $1 billion fund to pair states with universities in an effort to strengthen math & science education, and a $1,000 increase in individual Pell Grants to encourage high school students to take advanced college preparation courses in both
subjects. "There's no reason for us to be next to last in the world in math. There's no reason for us to be last in physics," Bush said. He'd offer $345 million in added incentives for math & science majors to teach in schools with low-income students.
Source: Patricia Wilson (Reuters) LA Times
Jun 20, 2000
On Families & Children:
V-chip OK, but cultural changes are better
On questions relating to the influence of popular culture, Bush said he had no problem with Clinton's initiative to require a V-chip in televisions that parents could use to block objectionable material. He also said the kind of ‘tools' for parents
Clinton has proposed (such as the V-chip and a television rating system) are less important than cultural changes. "The fundamental question is going to be, can America rededicate itself to parenting as the No. 1 priority for all of us?" he argued.
Source: (cross-ref to Technology) L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
On Foreign Policy:
Will keep sanctions against Cuba
Bush pledged today to take a hard line against Cuban leader Fidel Castro if elected president: "My word to you, Mr. Castro: Let your people live in freedom. I challenge the Castro regime
to surprise the world and adopt the ways of democracy. Until it frees political prisoners, and holds free elections and allows free speech, I will keep the current sanctions in place."
Source: AP Story, LA Times
Aug 25, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
US will be a friend to Latin American democracies
Bush, continuing his focus on foreign policy, met today with Mexico's President-elect Vicente Fox. "I believe we ought to enforce our borders. My pledge will be: Should I become the president, I'll work and have a good, long-term relationship
with [him] and continue a good relationship with Mexico. As long as you are on the road toward liberty, you will not be alone. As long as you are moving toward freedom, you will have a steady friend in the United States of America."
Source: AP Story, LA Times
Aug 25, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Patrol borders, but also invest in Latin America
Bush would:- Ask Congress for $100 million to provide no-collateral loans to the poor.
- Hire more border patrol agents and reform the Immigration and Naturalization Service to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
- Establish
an "American Fellows Program" in which young men and women from those nations would be invited to work in the U.S. government.
- Call on Latin American governments to lift barriers of over-regulation that prevent the poor from creating businesses.
Source: AP Story, LA Times
Aug 25, 2000
On Free Trade:
Fast Track in west; WTO in east
Bush said he would seek "fast-track" negotiating status from Congress to expand free trade in the Western Hemisphere: "I will work to create an entire hemisphere in free trade," he said. "I will work to extend the benefits of NAFTA from the northernmost
Alaska to the tip of Cape Horn." He said he wanted to build on NAFTA to bring other countries throughout Latin America Meanwhile, the Bush campaign distributed a policy statement that said he supports admission of China and Taiwan to the WTO.
Source: Kelley Shannon, Associated Press, in L.A. Times
Apr 24, 2000
On Free Trade:
Free trade with China creates expectations for democracy
"NAFTA is good for Texas, it is good for Mexico, and it is important for our citizens to understand it is good for America," Bush says. As a presidential candidate, he is taking his views further, favoring permanent normal trade relations with China and
admitting China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization. He calls China a "strategic competitor," says its economic rise is inevitable and contends that by trading freely the United States can help create expectations for democracy in that country.
Source: Kelley Shannon, AP writer LA Times
May 16, 2000
On Gun Control:
Gun restrictions OK within basic right to own guns
Bush opposed repeal of the 1994 assault weapon ban and indicated his openness to Clinton's call to raise the age of legal handgun ownership from 18 to 21. But Bush opposed Clinton's call for reinstituting 3-day waiting periods for gun purchases, saying
he preferred instant background checks. And while he said he could support national legislation to extend such instant checks to purchases at unregulated gun shows, he's made no effort to support a state bill that would have done just that in Texas.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
On Gun Control:
Agrees with Gore on trigger locks;but wants more enforcement
Where They Agree: Regarding guns, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore would, if elected president:- Support the current ban on assault weapons.
- Prohibit juveniles from possessing assault weapons.
- Ban imports
of high-capacity ammunition clips.
- Raise the minimum age for possessing a handgun from 18 to 21.
- Require that trigger locks be sold with handguns.
Where They Differ- Bush also would:
- Provide more money
for enforcement of gun laws.
- Support automatic detention for young people who commit crimes with guns.
- Oppose government-mandated registration of guns owned by people who don't break laws.
- Gore also would:
- Require photo
licensing for handgun purchases.
- Limit gun purchases to one per month and require a three-day waiting period.
- Require manufacturers and federally licensed sellers to report sales to a state authority.
Source: Associated Press in Los Angeles Times
Apr 21, 2000
On Health Care:
Endorses tax-subsidized medical savings accounts
Bush endorsed medical savings accounts - tax-favored accounts that individuals can use to buy catastrophic health insurance.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
On Principles & Values:
Baseball is fun, politics is not
[I asked Bush,] Why'd he ever trade Sammy Sosa when he was managing partner of the Texas Rangers? Bush chuckled. He quickly named all the players involved, even though it was 11 years ago, [in a trade with] the Chicago White Sox."He'd just come
up [to the big leagues] and gotten a quick look," Bush recalled painfully. In 25 games, Sosa was batting a meager .238. Who could have predicted then that Sosa would become a superstar, slamming 66 homers for the Chicago Cubs in 1998 and dramatically
dueling Mark McGwire for the all-time season home run record?
The team managers recommended the deal and he approved it, Bush remembered. "We were coming down the stretch, chasing Oakland. We were either going to kick in and stay or
fade." The Rangers faded. Oakland won the pennant and the World Series. "It just didn't work out. Sosa just didn't kick in."
This is the fun stuff to talk about, I noted. "Politics is not, not fun," Bush instantly replied.
Source: George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
Jun 5, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Bush has "hands-off" style, says the test is good decisions
Bush, 54, said in a recent interview that it is important for voters to judge "whether or not I could make the decisions given the degree of pressure that the president is going to have to face. Are you able to maintain a pace and make sound decisions?"
In many respects, his calendars show, Bush is the antithesis of the man he seeks to replace in the Oval Office: He relies heavily on his staff to master issues, keeps close to normal working hours and usually tenders decisions on the spot.
Source: Alan C. Miller, Judy Pasternak, LA Times
Aug 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Bush hopes Lieberman will civilize Gore campaign
Bush expressed the hope that Lieberman will "run a positive campaign and that the vice president will use this opportunity to change his tone to that of Sen. Lieberman's level. This selection
now presents the vice president with an interesting test of whether he will continue attacking positions his running mate shares or whether he will lift up our nation by elevating the tone of his presidential campaign."
Source: Edwin Chen & Matea Gold, LA Times
Aug 9, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Love and compassion are from God, not government
Earlier today, at a prayer breakfast, Bush said, "Our job as leaders-- Republicans, Democrats, nonaffiliateds-- is to rally that compassion of America, is to call upon the love that
exists not because of government, that exists because of a gracious and loving God."
Source: AP story in LA Times
Aug 4, 2000
On Principles & Values:
No need to excuse Cheney from energy issues
George W. Bush said he saw nothing improper with the large retirement payment that Dick Cheney's oil company voted. "I was aware that he was going to get a retirement package, like the standard practice for CEOs when they leave major companies. I'm going
to take [Cheney's] advice on how to make our country less dependent on foreign sources of crude oil. What I want him to do is not be owning oil stocks so he benefits from decisions we make in the administration."
Source: Ronald Brownstein, LA Times
Aug 13, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Gore's call for debates is about semantics, not sincerity
My opponent said he'd debate me any time, anyplace, anywhere; he went on some of the national TV shows and said, ‘If he'll just show up I'll debate him.' It must all depend on what the definition of any time is. It depends on what the definition of
anywhere is.. I guess it's the same old tired double talk out of Washington, D.C.--'No controlling legal authority.' ‘It depends on what the definition of ‘is' is.'
Source: Edwin Chen, LA Times
Sep 5, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Not running for president on father's name
He believes in God, he's grateful for love, he thinks he's of the people and smarter than them all at once. He gushed about his wife, cheered up when talking about his daughters' birth. The son of America's 41st president did get a little more specific
when asked by a viewer what he thought was the public's greatest misconception about him: "Probably [that] I'm running on my daddy's name, that, you know, if my name were George Jones, I'd be a country and western singer."
Source: Maria L. La Ganga, LA Times
Sep 20, 2000
On Tax Reform:
Tax plan will focus on jobs and inner cities
Bush said his tax plan would be aimed "to enhance productivity for high-paying jobs." Another tax proposal is new incentives for investment in inner-cities beyond those already achieved by the Clinton administration.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
On Technology:
V-chip OK, but cultural changes are better
On questions relating to the influence of popular culture, Bush said he had no problem with Clinton's initiative to require a V-chip in televisions that parents could use to block objectionable material. He also said the kind of ‘tools' for parents
Clinton has proposed (such as the V-chip and a television rating system) are less important than cultural changes. "The fundamental question is going to be, can America rededicate itself to parenting as the No. 1 priority for all of us?" he argued.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
On War & Peace:
Israel: America should be a stronger friend
"In recent times, Washington has tried to make Israel conform to its own plans and timetables," the Texas governor told an audience of more than 1,000 at the annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "But this is not the path to
peace." Bush repeated his vow to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Bush also said that Iran should be held responsible for the treatment of the 13 Iranian Jews imprisoned in that country on espionage charges.
Source: T. Christian Miller; L.A. Times
May 23, 2000
On Welfare & Poverty:
Bush's Texan philosophy for the poor: up-by-the-bootstraps
From 1995 to 1998, the poverty rate in Texas decreased more than 10%, compared with an almost 9% drop nationwide. Tax cuts & economic reforms have resulted in the lowest state unemployment rate in nearly 20 years; welfare reform has cut public assistance
rolls in half; and legal changes have expanded the role of religious groups in helping the poor. In many ways, Bush's record dovetails with the Texas worldview, which places the burden for escaping poverty on the poor, not the government. Conservative
groups and analysts praise the governor and his actions precisely for their strong embrace of basic Republican philosophies. Texas has an up-by-the-bootstraps culture and people often loath to give-or ask for-help. The Texas Constitution prohibits the
Legislature from spending more than 1% of the state budget on poor children. Cash welfare benefits are $201 a month for a mother and two children in 1995. California, by comparison, pays $611 a month for a similar family.
Source: La Ganga & Miller, L.A. Times
Oct 16, 2000
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