2000s, 2001, Freedom and Democracy Are Under Attack (September 2001)
Context: I want to thank the members of Congress for their unity and support. America is united. The freedom-loving nations of the world stand by our side. This will be a monumental struggle of good versus evil. But good will prevail.
George W. Bush:
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George W. Bush Quotes
2000s, 2009, Farewell speech to the nation (January 2009)
Context: Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.
2000s, 2008, Address to the United Nations General Assembly (September 2008)
Context: To uphold the Charter's promise of peace and security in the 21st century, we must also confront the ideology of the terrorists. At its core, the struggle against extremists is a battle of ideas. The terrorists envision a world in which religious freedom is denied, women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed. The nations of this chamber must present a more hopeful alternative, a vision where people can speak freely, and worship as they choose, and pursue their dreams in liberty.
“I felt Hugo Chavez was the Robert Mugabe of our hemisphere.”
2010s, 2011, Q&A with Former President George W. Bush (January 2011)
Context: Yes. I also put in the book that I felt Hugo Chavez was the Robert Mugabe of our hemisphere. In other words, this is a case for – where leadership is destroying a country. Zimbabwe used to feed South Africa. Today it's a net importer of food because the rule of an incompetent government destroyed the economy of the country.
2000s, 2001, First inaugural address (January 2001)
Context: We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment. America, at its best, is also courageous. Our national courage has been clear in times of depression and war, when defending common dangers defined our common good. Now we must choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage in a time of blessing by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.
2000s, 2003, Hope and Conscience Will Not Be Silenced (July 2003)
Context: At every turn, the struggle for equality was resisted by many of the powerful. And some have said we should not judge their failures by the standards of a later time, yet in every time there were men and women who clearly saw this sin and called it by name. We can fairly judge the past by the standards of President John Adams, who called slavery 'an evil of colossal magnitude'. We can discern eternal standards in the deeds of William Wilberforce and John Quincy Adams and Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abraham Lincoln. These men and women, black and white, burned with a zeal for freedom and they left behind a different and better nation. Their moral vision caused Americans to examine our hearts, to correct our Constitution and to teach our children the dignity and equality of every person of every race.
2000s, 2009, Farewell speech to the nation (January 2009)
Context: It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our country and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed to represent this Nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other: citizen of the United States of America, and so, my fellow Americans, for the final time: Good night. May God bless this house and our next President. And may God bless you and our wonderful country.
“I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy.”
On Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, in a press conference with Putin http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/06/20010618.html (16 June 2001)
2000s, 2001
Context: I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. And I appreciated so very much the frank dialogue.
Explaining his unexpected victories over GOP rival John McCain in the 2000 presidential primaries; stump speech in Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 6, 2000 http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1870938_1870943_1870945,00.html, given just prior to the 2000 election.
2000s, 2000
“One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq with the war on terror.”
September 7, 2006 interview with Katie Couric http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhR04RkBFhs YouTube
2000s, 2006
“I know the human being and the fish can coexist peacefully.”
Speech in Saginaw, Michigan (29 September 2000), http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-553138.html referring to a widely reported dispute in the Klamath region of Oregon between farmers with irrigation rights and Native Americans with fishing rights.
2000s, 2000
“I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace.”
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C. http://www.hud.gov/news/speeches/presremarks.cfm (June 18, 2002)
2000s, 2002
“I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake.”
Revealing his "best moment since he took office in 2001" to a German newspaper reporter, Bild am Sonntag. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4982338.stm (May 7, 2006)
2000s, 2006
“I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.”
Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/bushisms/2009/01/ws_greatest_hits.html http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/how-will-you-remember-george-w-bush
2000s, 2008
“I think we agree, the past is over.”
In March 2000 http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/piehigher.asp.
2000s, 2000
Whitehouse Press Conference http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/02/20080228-2.html, after being asked about the prospect of Americans facing $4 for a gallon of gasoline (February 28, 2008)
2000s, 2008
May 24, 2005 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050524-3.html
2000s, 2005
“The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for "entrepreneur."”
Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, described this as a remark to Tony Blair in a discussion of the French economy during the G8 Summit, according to Jack Malvern (9 July 2002), "Bush and Blair, The Times. Alastair Campbell, Blair's director of communications, later said that Blair never heard Bush say this and never told Baroness Williams that he said it. See Lloyd Grove (2002-07-10) "The Reliable Source," Washington Post.
Attributed, Disputed
Source: 2010s, 2010, Decision Points (November 2010), p. 476-477
Context: It's too early to say how most of my decisions will turn out. As president, I had the honor of eulogizing Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon, once regarded as one of the worst mistakes in presidential history, is now viewed as a selfless act of leadership. And it was quite something to hear the commentators who had once denounced President Reagan as a dunce and a warmonger talk about how the Great Communicator had won the Cold War. Decades from now, I hope people will view me as a president who recognized the central challenge of our time and kept my vow to keep the country safe; who pursued my convictions without wavering but changed course when necessary; who trusted individuals to make choices in their lives; and who used America's influence to advance freedom. And I hope they will conclude that I upheld the honor and dignity of the office I was so privileged to hold. Whatever the verdict on my presidency, I'm comfortable with the fact that I won't be around to hear it. That's a decision point only history will reach.
Statements to reporters during an interview on a golf course (August 4, 2002); publicized in the film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) by Michael Moore, and also quoted at Common Ground (July 2004) http://www.commonground.ca/iss/0407156/fww.shtml
2000s, 2002
2010s, 2015, Remarks at the SMU 100th Spring Commencement (May 2015)
Context: To those of you who are graduating this afternoon with high honors, awards, and distinctions, I say, 'well done'. And as I like to tell the 'C' students: You, too, can be President.
“I miss being the commander in chief, and that's an easy question to answer. I love our military.”
2010s, 2010, Interview on Today (November 2010)
Speaking of "some [people] in Washington", and in support of his campaign plan to allow workers to invest some portion of their Social Security payroll taxes. Campaign stop, November 2, 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/04/us/the-2000-campaign-the-vice-president-attacks-grow-sharp-as-time-dwindles.html
2000s, 2000
they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled.
2000s, 2005, Second Inaugural Address (January 2005)
From "President Addresses the Nation in Prime Time Press Conference" http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040413-20.html, Washington, D.C., on why the President and the Vice President insisted on appearing together before the 9/11 Commission, rather than separately. (April 13, 2004)
2000s, 2004
2000s, 2002, Compassionate Conservatism (April 2002)
2000s, 2003, Weekly radio address (March 2003)
Radio address http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070113-2.html discussing his plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq (January 13, 2007)
2000s, 2007
