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George W. Bush Quotes
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George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was also the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. After graduating from Yale University in 1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975, he worked in the oil industry. Bush married Laura Welch in 1977 and ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives shortly thereafter. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before defeating Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election. Bush was elected president in 2000 after a close and controversial win over Democratic rival Al Gore, becoming the fourth president to be elected while receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent.

From a prominent political family, he is the eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, making him only the second president to assume the nation's highest office after his father, following the lead of John Quincy Adams. His brother, Jeb Bush, a former Governor of Florida, was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 presidential election. His paternal grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a United States Senator from Connecticut.

The September 11 terrorist attacks occurred eight months into Bush's first term as president. Bush responded with what became known as the Bush Doctrine: launching a "War on Terror", an international military campaign that included the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003. He also promoted policies on the economy, health care, education, Social Security reform, and amending the Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. He signed into law broad tax cuts, the Patriot Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors, and funding for the AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR. His tenure included national debates on immigration, Social Security, electronic surveillance, and torture.

In the 2004 Presidential race, Bush defeated Democratic Senator John Kerry in another relatively close election. After his re-election, Bush received increasingly heated criticism from across the political spectrum for his handling of the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and other challenges. Amid this criticism, the Democratic Party regained control of Congress in the 2006 elections. In December 2007, the United States entered its longest post-World War II recession, often referred to as the "Great Recession", prompting the Bush administration to obtain congressional passage of multiple economic programs intended to preserve the country's financial system. Nationally, Bush was both one of the most popular and unpopular presidents in history, having received the highest recorded presidential approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks, as well as one of the lowest approval ratings during the 2008 financial crisis.

Bush left office in 2009, returning to Texas where he purchased a home in Dallas. In 2010, he published his memoir, Decision Points. His presidential library was opened in 2013. His presidency has been ranked among the worst in historians' polls published in the late 2000s and 2010s.

✵ 6. July 1946  •  Other names George Walker Bush, Джордж Буш
George W. Bush photo
George W. Bush: 675 quotes11 likes

George W. Bush Quotes

“Our health care system is the envy of the world.”

George W. Bush

3rd Presidential Debate http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004d.html (October 13, 2004). <br class="br">2000s, 2004

“Ours is a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of law. Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and, therefore, illegal immigration has been on the rise. We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility seriously.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2004, Signing of Secure Fence Act of 2006

“We know, deep down, that repression is not the wave of the future. We know that the desire for freedom is not confined to, or owned by, any culture; it is the inborn hope of our humanity. We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued. And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy.”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2017, Speech at "Spirit of Liberty: At Home, In the World" event (2017)

“A good job should lead to security in retirement. I ask Congress to enact new safeguards for 401K and pension plans. Employees who have worked hard and saved all their lives should not have to risk losing everything if their company fails. Through stricter accounting standards and tougher disclosure requirements, corporate America must be made more accountable to employees and shareholders and held to the highest standards of conduct.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“Peaceful nations must stand for the advance of democracy. No other system of government has done more to protect minorities, to secure the rights of labor, to raise the status of women, or to channel human energy to the pursuits of peace.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2004, Speech to United Nations General Assembly (September 2004)

“Good morning. This coming week I will be making the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue to address a joint session of Congress. We have some business to attend to called the budget of the United States. The federal budget is a document about the size of a big city phone book, and about as hard to read from cover to cover. The blueprint I submit this week contains many numbers, but there is one that probably counts more than any other – $5.6 trillion. That is the surplus the federal government expects to collect over the next 10 years; money left over after we have met our obligations to Social Security, Medicare, health care, education, defense and other priorities. The plan I submit will fund our highest national priorities. Education gets the biggest percentage increase of any department in our federal government. We won't just spend more money on schools and education, we will spend it responsibly. We'll give states more freedom to decide what works. And as we give more to our schools we're going to expect more in return by requiring states and local jurisdictions to test every year. How else can we know whether schools are teaching and children are learning? Social Security and Medicare will get every dollar they need to meet their commitments. And every dollar of Social Security and Medicare tax revenue will be reserved for Social Security and Medicare.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, Radio Address to the Nation (February 2001)

“In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting — yet it ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people … the only way to secure the peace … the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership — so the United States of America will continue to lead.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2006, State of the Union (January 2006)

“We will fight terrorism in all its forms. Iraq must never again be a haven for terrorists of any kind.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, A Vision for Iraq and the Iraqi people (March 2003)

“We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes — and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Second Inaugural Address (January 2005)

“We know that these challenges can be overcome because history moves in the direction of justice. The evils of slavery were accepted and unchanged for centuries, yet eventually the human heart would not abide them. There is a voice of conscience and hope in every man and woman that will not be silenced, what Martin Luther King called a certain kind of fire that no water could put out. That flame could not be extinguished at the Birmingham jail. It could not be stamped out at Robben Island prison. It was seen in the darkness here at Goree Island, where no chain could bind the soul. This untamed fire of justice continues to burn in the affairs of man, and it lights the way before us. May God bless you all.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Hope and Conscience Will Not Be Silenced (July 2003)

“My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a. m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Remarks after Columbia space shuttle disaster (February 2003)

“Let us teach our children, and all Americans, to rise above brutality and bigotry and to be champions of liberty, human dignity, and equality.”

George W. Bush Proclamation 7404

Proclamation 7404 (February 2001)
2000s, 2001

“We're a peaceful nation. Yet, as we have learned, so suddenly and so tragically, there can be no peace in a world of sudden terror. In the face of today's new threat, the only way to pursue peace is to pursue those who threaten it.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, Invasion of Afghanistan (October 2001)

“You know, I could run for governor and all this but I'm basically a media creation. I've never really done anything. I've worked for my dad. I worked in the oil industry. But that's not the kind of profile you have to have to get elected to public office.”

George W. Bush

In an interview with the Midland Reporter Telegram on 4 July 1989, quoted in Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential (John Wiley and Sons, 2003) by James Moore and Wayne Slater, p. 161.
1980s

“The nation, the nation sends its love and compassion for everybody who is here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud, and may God bless America.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, I Can Hear You, the Rest of the World Hears You (September 2001)

“The protection of America itself will assume a high priority in a new century. Once a strategic afterthought, homeland defense has become an urgent duty. For most of our history, America felt safe behind two great oceans. But with the spread of technology, distance no longer means security.”

George W. Bush

1990s, A Period of Consequences (September 1999)

“A political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander in chief.”

George W. Bush

Bush to supporters at an airport rally, October 27, 2004 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&amp;storyID=6631109 <br class="br">2000s, 2004

“I believe in justice, not revenge.”

George W. Bush

Interview with Matt Lauer http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nbc-news/40073863#40074234 (2010), aired 8 November 2010. <br class="br">2010s, 2010, Interview with Matt Lauer (November 2010)

“Decision Points is based primarily on my recollections. With help from researchers, I have confirmed my account with government documents, contemporaneous notes, personal interviews, news reports, and other sources, some of which remain classified. There were instances in which I had to rely on memory alone. If there are inaccuracies in this book, the responsibility is mine. In the pages that follow, I have done my best to write about the decisions I got right, those I got wrong, and what I would do differently if given the chance. Of course, in the presidency, there are no do-overs. You have to do what you believe is right and accept the consequences. I tried to do that every day of my eight years in office. Serving as president was the honor of a lifetime, and I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to share my story.”

George W. Bush

Source: 2010s, 2010, Decision Points (November 2010), p. xii

“Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction. Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September the 11th. But we know their true nature. North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?… I'm interested in the shade look, seriously…. For the viewers, there’s no sun.”

George W. Bush

Teasing Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Wallsten during a White House press conference, unaware that Wallsten suffers from Stargardt’s disease and is partly blind. <br class="br"> &quot;Bush shows his sensitive side, telling blind journalist: &#x27;I&#x27;m interested in the shade look&#x27;&quot; http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1089264.ece, The Independent, June 16, 2006. <br class="br">2000s, 2006

“My budget nearly doubles funding for a sustained strategy of homeland security, focused on four key areas: bioterrorism, emergency response, airport and border security, and improved intelligence. We will develop vaccines to fight anthrax and other deadly diseases. We'll increase funding to help states and communities train and equip our heroic police and firefighters. We will improve intelligence collection and sharing, expand patrols at our borders, strengthen the security of air travel, and use technology to track the arrivals and departures of visitors to the United States.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere… Nope, no weapons over there… Maybe under here.”

George W. Bush

Narrating a humorous slide show at the Radio and Television News Correspondents Association, with a series of photos depicting himself searching through the Oval Office of the White House for the weapons of mass destruction which his administration had claimed to exist, but ultimately failed to find, in Iraq. http://www.wherearethewmd.org/evolutionary_rhetoric.php, March 25, 2004 <br class="br">2000s, 2004

“History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction set by liberty and the author of liberty. When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, "It rang as if it meant something." In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength — tested, but not weary — we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Second Inaugural Address (January 2005)

“I told all four [congressional leaders] that I felt like this election happened for a reason; that it pointed out — the delay in the outcome should make it clear to all of us — that we can come together to heal whatever wounds may exist, whatever residuals there may be. And I really look forward to the opportunity. I hope they've got my sense of optimism about the possible, and enthusiasm about the job. I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't agree with each other, but that's okay. If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier… [Bush laughs out loud, audience laughs out loud] …just so long as I'm the dictator”

George W. Bush

more laughter <br class="br"> Online NewsHour http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec00/trans_12-18.htm interview, Washington, D.C., (December 18, 2000)&#x27; during his first trip to Washington as President-elect. The last sentence is also included in Fahrenheit 9/11. <br class="br">2000s, 2000

“We last met in an hour of shock and suffering. In four short months, our nation has comforted the victims, begun to rebuild New York and the Pentagon, rallied a great coalition, captured, arrested, and rid the world of thousands of terrorists, destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist training camps, saved a people from starvation, and freed a country from brutal oppression.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“Every Iraqi atrocity has confirmed the justice and the urgency of our cause. [applause] Against this enemy we will accept no outcome except complete victory.”

George W. Bush

The East Room of the White House, March 28, 2003 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030328-6.html <br class="br">2000s, 2003

“The case for trade is not just monetary, but moral. Economic freedom creates habits of liberty. And habits of liberty create expectations of democracy.”

George W. Bush

1990s, A Distinctly American Internationalism (November 1999)

“From the beginning, I knew the public reaction to my decisions would be colored by whether there was another attack. If none happened, whatever I did would probably look like an overreaction. If we were attacked again, people would demand to know why I hadn't done more. That is the nature of the presidency. Perceptions are shaped by the clarity of hindsight. In the moment of decision, you don't have that advantage. On 9/11, I vowed that I would do what it took to protect America, within the Constitution and laws of our nation. History can debate the decisions I made, the policies I chose, and the tools I left behind. But there can be no debate about one fact: After the nightmare of September 11, America went seven and a half years without another successful terrorist attack on our soil. If I had to summarize my most meaningful accomplishment as president in one sentence, that would be it.”

George W. Bush

Source: 2010s, 2010, Decision Points (November 2010), p. 181

“I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that.”

George W. Bush

speaking with the Sun on former British Prime Minister Tony Blair http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6243858.stm(June 27, 2007) <br class="br">2000s, 2007

“The enemies you confront will come to know your skill and bravery. The people you liberate will witness the honorable and decent spirit of the American military. In this conflict, America faces an enemy who has no regard for conventions of war or rules of morality. Saddam Hussein has placed Iraqi troops and equipment in civilian areas, attempting to use innocent men, women and children as shields for his own military -- a final atrocity against his people.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Invasion of Iraq (March 2003)

“Because free peoples believe in the future, free peoples will own the future.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Address to the National Endowment for Democracy (October 2005)

“We come to Iraq with respect for its citizens, for their great civilization and for the religious faiths they practice. We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Invasion of Iraq (March 2003)

“I believe that a prosperous, democratic Pakistan will be a steadfast partner for America, a peaceful neighbor for India and a force for freedom and moderation in the Arab world.”

George W. Bush

Televised speech in India, March 3, 2006; According to one news report, "White House spokesman Scott McClellan later had to explain aboard Air Force One en route to Pakistan that Bush meant to say 'Muslim world' — uncomfortably noting that Pakistan is not an Arab nation."
"Bush's Pakistan visit not 'risk-free'" Chicago Tribune, March 3, 2006
2000s, 2006

“American ideals of opportunity and equality come to us across the generations. And they have attracted millions from across the world. Yet there are young Americans growing up here, under this flag, who doubt the promise and justice of our country. They live in neighborhoods occupied by gangs and ruled by fear. They are entitled by law to an education, yet do not receive an education. They hear talk of opportunity and see little evidence of opportunity around them.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, Compassionate Conservatism (April 2002)

“America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these values around the world, including the Islamic world, because we have a greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment. We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“The desire for freedom resides in every human heart. And that desire cannot be contained forever by prison walls, or martial laws, or secret police. Over time, and across the Earth, freedom will find a way.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2004, Speech to United Nations General Assembly (September 2004)

“We cannot rely exclusively on military power to assure our long-term security. Lasting peace is gained as justice and democracy advance.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Remarks on U.S.-British relations and foreign policy (November 2003)

“I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003 <br class="br">Source: October 1, 2003, Suntimes.com http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bush01.html (see also July 18, 2005)

“There are some who feel like that, uh, if they, attack us? That we may decide to leave prematurely. They don't understand what they're talking about, if that's the case. Let me finish. Uh, there are some who uh feels like that the conditions are such that they they can attack us there. My answer is, bring 'em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation. Of course, we want other countries to help us. Great Britain is there, Poland is there.”

George W. Bush

Press conference http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=uKdbZWNqF00#President_George_W._Bush_Says__Bring__em_on_, discussing the then-incipient insurgency in Iraq; press conference, July 2, 2003. <br class="br">2000s, 2003

“I watched his interview with her, though. He asked her real difficult questions, like 'What would you say to Governor Bush?' 'What was her answer?' I wonder. 'Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, 'don't kill me.”

George W. Bush

During the Larry King-Karla Faye Tucker exchange, Tucker never actually asked to be spared.
1990s
Source: "Devil May Care" by Tucker Carlson, Talk Magazine, September 1999, p. 106.

“Lucky me, I hit the trifecta.”

George W. Bush

In reference to his prior, oft-repeated promises to run a year-to-year budget surplus, except in the event of war, recession, or national emergency. Statement made to budget director Mitchell Daniels, mid-September; as quoted by him in an address to the OMB Conference Board (October 16, 2001) http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/omb/pubpress/daniels_conference_board_speech10-16-01.html repeated as a dubious joke through 2002: at Robin Hayes for Congress and Elizabeth Dole for Senate luncheon, Charlotte NC, February 27; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020227-6.html at Latham for Congress Luncheon, DesMoines IA, March 1; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020301-6.html at Saxby Chambliss for Senate Dinner, Atlanta GA, March 27; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020327-10.html at Graham for Senate Luncheon, Greenville SC, March 27; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020327-5.html at Cornyn for Senate Luncheon, Dallas TX, March 29; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020328.html at Fisher for Governor Reception, Philadelphia PA, April 3; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020403-1.html at Leaders of the Fiscal Responsibility Coalition, Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg, April 16; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020416-8.html at Heather Wilson for Congress Luncheon, Albuquerque NM, April 29; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020429-4.html at Simon for Governor Luncheon, Santa Clara CA, May 1; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/05/20020501-2.html at Taft for Governor Luncheon, Columbus OH, May 10; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/05/20020510-3.html at 14th Annual World Pork Expo, DesMoines IA, June 7; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020607-4.html at 21st Century High Tech Forum, Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg, June 13; http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020613-11.html at Texans for Rick Perry, Houston TX, June 14. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020614-8.html <br class="br">Quoted by Paul Krugman in &quot;Hitting the Trifecta,&quot; The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/opinion/07KRUG.html <br class="br">2000s, 2001

“Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society. Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.”

George W. Bush

Radio Address (June 3, 2006); quoted in &quot;Bush, senators renew fight against gay marriage&quot; at CNN.com (June 5, 2006) http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/05/same.sex.marriage.ap/index.html <br class="br">2000s, 2006

“The best ethics course is to handcuff one of the bastards.”

George W. Bush

On Enron, meeting with his Corporate Responsibility Task Force, published by Wall Street Journal, and republished by Buffalo News https://archive.is/20130628093222/www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32611018_ITM and Corporate Bodies and Guilty Minds By William S. Laufer http://books.google.com/books?id=RLwjP0ySmNcC&amp;pg=PA263&amp;sig=W1mDN3zZNfaEoqHM_5CM0EafB-E&amp;dq=wall+street+journal+the-best-ethics-course-is-to-handcuff+%22September+27,+2002%22+%22See+John+R.+Wilke,+President+Praises+Work+of+Task+Force+on+Business+Crime,+Wall+Street+Journal,+September+27,+2002,+p.+%22. (July 12, 2002). <br class="br">2000s, 2002

“America's rich musical heritage reflects the diversity of our people. Among many influences, the cultural traditions brought to this land from Africa more than four centuries ago and the remarkable musical achievements of African Americans since then have strongly and unmistakably improved the sound of American music.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, Black Music (June 2001)

“We need a renewed emphasis on civic learning in schools. And our young people need positive role models. Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them.”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2017, Speech at "Spirit of Liberty: At Home, In the World" event (2017)

“My hope is that all nations will heed our call, and eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own. Many nations are acting forcefully. Pakistan is now cracking down on terror, and I admire the strong leadership of President Musharraf.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

“If the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish, it will remain a place of stagnation and anger and violence for export. And as we saw in the ruins of two towers, no distance on the map will protect our lives and way of life. If the greater Middle East joins the democratic revolution that has reached much of the world, the lives of millions in that region will be bettered, and a trend of conflict and fear will be ended at its source.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Remarks on U.S.-British relations and foreign policy (November 2003)

“I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.”

George W. Bush

Interview with the Associated Press (18 January 2001)
2000s, 2001

“Now, the American people have got to go about their business. We cannot let the terrorists achieve the objective of frightening our nation to the point where we don't conduct business, where people don't shop.”

George W. Bush

Press conference http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011011-7.html (11 October 2001). <br class="br">2000s, 2001