G.W. is ghetto fabulous!
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
Quotes where George loves to use the word "fabulous"

----

I'm never disappointed in my Secretary of Defense. He's doing a fabulous job, and America is lucky to have him in the position he's in.
-- White House, Jun. 17, 2004

Rick Sanchez has done a fabulous job. He's been there for a -- a long time. His service has been exemplorary.
-- White House, May. 25, 2004

Fortunately, she said yes when I asked her to marry me, and now she is a fabulous First Lady of our country.
-- Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, May 7, 2004

Let me -- let me say something about the FBI. Pete's boss is Bob Mueller. He's now the Director of the FBI. Mueller is doing a fabulous job.
-- Buffalo, New York, Apr. 20, 2004

This country is a fabulous country because we've got good, honorable people who are willing to serve at all levels of government. And one of the key levels of government, of course, is running the city hall.
-- Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

One of the people I've tasked with coming up with solutions to the problems we face is Secretary Ann Veneman. She's done a fabulous job on behalf of the people of the United States. She is a common sense purpose -- person.
-- Summerhaven, Arizona, Aug. 11, 2003

Listen, this guy [Secretary of State Colin Powell] has done a fabulous job. Washington, particularly in August, is a dangerous period -- a dangerous time, because there's a lot of speculation.
-- Crawford, Texas, Aug. 6, 2003

Dr. Condoleezza Rice is an honest, fabulous person. And America is lucky to have her service. Period.
-- White House, Jul. 30, 2003

This is a fabulous country called America, and I'm proud to be your President.
-- Annandale, Virginia, Jun. 17, 2003

Now here she is, the First Lady of the United States. Thank goodness. What a fabulous job she is doing. ...And Fred Thompson is leading that charge. And as he succeeds, and when he succeeds, he will leave behind a fabulous legacy for future administrations and senators. ...[Lamar Alexander] loves his family, he loves his country, he's got fabulous values. ...I named a fabulous woman out of Texas, named Priscilla Owen to the 5th Court.
-- Nashville, Tennessee, Sep. 17, 2002

My, we have got a fabulous United States military.
-- Davenport, Iowa, Sep. 16, 2002

We've got a fabulous United States military, and they're on the hunt.
-- Louisville, Kentucky, Sep. 5, 2002

More than one person, Chris, said they wished Laura were here. ...Now she's the First Lady of the United States, and she's doing a fabulous job.
-- South Bend, Indiana, Sep. 5, 2002

Rod [Paige] did a fabulous job in Houston, and he's doing a darn good job here in Washington, D.C.
-- Washington, D.C., Sept. 4, 2002

I'm really proud of Laura. ...She didn't care for politics and didn't particularly like politicians. Now she's stuck with one. And she's doing a fabulous job as First Lady.
-- Little Rock, Arkansas, Aug. 29, 2002

I'm off to New Mexico, and after I spend the afternoon in New Mexico, I'll be back in Crawford, Texas, where I'll tell the First Lady of your thanks. By the way, she's doing a fabulous job.
-- Santa Monica, California, Aug. 24, 2002

And I picked my neighbor, somebody from Compton, to serve in an incredibly important position, particularly for the folks in this part of the world, and that is to serve as our Secretary of Agriculture. Ann Veneman is doing a fabulous job.
-- Stockton, California, Aug. 23, 2002

I appreciate Congressman Greg Walden being here, as well. I don't know if --All I can see is a hand and an shining head. But Walden is a good man; he's doing a fabulous job as a congressman.
-- Portland, Oregon, Aug. 22, 2002

We've got a fabulous military, a lot of young men and women who are taking a risk on behalf of freedom.
-- Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 14, 2002

And now here she is, the First Lady of the United States, and she's doing a fabulous job.
-- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Aug. 14, 2002

I want to thank our Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman. She's doing a fabulous job.
-- Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 14, 2002

I want to thank Elaine Chao of my Cabinet, and Dave Lauriski, who is the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administrator, for being here. They tell me, Dave, you did a fabulous job.
-- Green Tree, Pennsylvania, Aug. 5, 2002

I'm sorry the First Lady is not here with me -- she's hiking. But I can't tell you how proud I am of her. She's doing a fabulous job as the First Lady of the United States.
-- Charleston, South Carolina, July 29, 2002

I love coming to North Carolina. It's a fabulous state, full of fabulous people.
-- Greensboro, North Carolina, July 25, 2002

I believe, I believe this country, I know this country is a fabulous country. But I believe we've got great days ahead of us.
-- Kansas City, Missouri, June 11, 2002

This is a fabulous country in which we live, it is. And it's because the people are fabulous.
-- White House, June 4, 2002

You know, you know better than me that -- you've see a lot of America in your day, and it's a fabulous country that we're able to call home.
-- Washington, D.C., May 17, 2002

I want to thank Daniel Rodriguez for lending his fabulous voice in tribute after tribute to the greatness of America.
-- Washington, D.C., May 15, 2002

It's going to be hard to do what they've done -- 90 children over 35 years is a fantastic feat. But it's a fabulous tribute to Americans making the decision to help somebody.
-- Chicago, Illinois, May 13, 2002

Tommy [Thompson] did a fabulous job as the governor of Wisconsin in helping people, and he's doing a great job as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
-- Columbus, Ohio, May 10, 2002

I am really proud of my wife. She's done a fabulous job. She's been a great First Lady.
-- Washington, D.C., May 9, 2002

She's a fabulous, fabulous First Lady -- who is going to spend time reminding people that classroom teachers, people in the classroom, are incredibly important for America.
-- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 8, 2002

It's good to welcome Mitt Romney back to the White House. Mitt, you did a fabulous job.
-- White House, Apr. 23, 2002

This is a fabulous country and I want to thank you all.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Apr. 15, 2002

And that thing greater than ourselves is freedom. And that thing greater than ourselves is a country based upon fabulous values.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Apr. 15, 2002

Everybody in Crawford says hello, starting with Laura. She is doing a fabulous day. I tell people it's because she's from Midland, Texas.
-- Dallas, Texas, Mar. 29, 2002

Thank you all. Well, thank you all for coming out to say hello to me and my little brother. I sure hope you work hard to get him back in. He has done a fabulous job.
-- St. Pete Beach, Florida, Mar. 8, 2002

I recognize I'm not exactly Bernadette Peters -- but she did a fabulous job last night to fill this hall.
-- Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2002

We're a country based on fabulous values.
-- Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 31, 2002

And we'll prevail, because we're a fabulous nation, and we're a fabulous nation because we're a nation full of fabulous people.
-- Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 31, 2002

But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me.
-- Dec. 21, 2001

No, the country -- this country is a fabulous country. They thought they hurt us, the evil ones. They have made us stronger, more real, and a better land.
-- Dec. 4, 2001

I also am so pleased and thrilled to be with my friend, the Governor, who is doing a fabulous job for the people of New York.
-- New York, New York, Nov. 11, 2001

It's an honor to receive this award from such a fabulous organization as Little League Baseball and, on behalf of the presidency, thank you for what you do.
-- Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Aug. 26, 2001

I'm really proud of my appointment of Gale Norton to the Secretary of the Interior. She is doing a fabulous job.
-- Denver, Colorado, Aug. 14, 2001

I'm extremely proud of our First Lady. She's doing a fabulous job.
-- Denver, Colorado, Aug. 14, 2001

NY, Here I come!
Mood:  cool
The vacation is now officially over. I return to Ithaca today. q:o(

Bush Bush BUSH!
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
I know this is a lot of days of quotes in a row, but this is all me ensuring that you guys have posts to come to while I manage taking some time off after my internship and getting back to school and then getting to my fiancee's place for an engagement party. I don't want to make a normal post for fear that it will be outdated by the time that I get to it. So enjoy and get a nice huge laugh.....

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Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is 5.1 percent. That's good news for people who are trying to find jobs.
-- Smoketown, Pennsylvania, Jul. 9, 2004

This economy of ours is steady and strong. It's steady and strong. It's steady and strong, which means people are going back to work.
-- Washington, D.C., Jul. 2, 2004

We've got -- John Biagas is with us. John, thank you for coming. Newport News, Virginia. Newport News, Virginia. John purchased his business in 1997. He took a gamble and said, I'm going to buy the business from the previous owner. I think he said they might have had a million dollars' worth of sales in 1997 -- they're over $14 million now. That's pretty good growth, isn't it, in a five-year period of time?
-- Great, except that 1997 is seven years ago, Washington, D.C., Jul. 2, 2004

We have overcome a recession. That means things are going backwards.
-- Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mar. 26, 2004

We've been through a recession. That means things are going backwards.
-- Nashua, New Hampshire, Mar. 25, 2004

We need to make sure that we have legal reform. Junk and frivolous lawsuits make it awfully difficult for people to find work here in the United States.
-- Dubya stretches responsibility for the poor job market to include frivolous lawsuits, Washington, D.C., Mar. 23, 2004

Heck, we're 5 percent of the world's population, which means there's 95 percent of the people ready for products that say, "Made in the USA."
-- I guess the American 5 percent will have to continue buying products made in China, Washington, D.C., Mar. 16, 2004

We had some CEOs that weren't honest with their shareholders and their employees. And we passed tough laws that said, we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. You're now beginning to see on your TV screens what we're talking about. People are being held to account. And that hurt our economy.
-- Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Mar. 15, 2004

I want to remind you right quick what this country has been through, and the challenges this economy had faced over the last three years. First, we went through a recession. That means we were going backwards.
-- Bakersfield, California, Mar. 4, 2004

Hopefully, as the Georgia economy approves -- improves -- and I'm confident it will -- there will be opportunities for business opportunities.
-- Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2004

Recession means that people's incomes, at the employer level, are going down, basically, relative to costs, people are getting laid off.
-- Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2004

I have been saying that this economy looks pretty strong, and today 112,000 new jobs were created last month -- a report that 112,000 new jobs were created last month. And that's good.
-- Reston, Virginia, Feb. 4, 2004

We want to make sure our wallets all across the country are healthy.
-- Dubya proposes a health care plan for wallets, Philadelpia, Pennsylvania, Jan. 31, 2004

Unemployment dropped today to 5.7 percent.
-- Somehow, unemployment managed to drop in a single day. Dubya sure has his finger on the pulse of the economy. Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2004

See, when a person has more money in their pocket, they're likely to come to Home Depot.
-- I think someone had better check the corporate campaign contributions list, Halethorpe, Maryland, Dec. 5, 2003

Brian Stowell is here. ...He says the tax cuts helped a lot. That's his words, not mine. ...He's going to buy a new router, made in North Carolina. There's a router worker who's going to be a -- benefit from his decision caused by tax relief.
-- Manchester, New Hampshire, Oct. 9, 2003

When somebody has more money in their pocket, they're more likely to demand a good or a service. And in our society, when you demand a good or a service, somebody is going to produce the good or a service.
-- New variation on this Dubya classic seems to indicate that production in response to demand is an attribute which is unique to American society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Oct. 3, 2003

You see, when Al and his company decides to buy a machine, somebody has got to make the machine. And that means somebody in the machine-making company is more likely to find a job, as well.
-- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Oct. 3, 2003

A free and peaceful Iraq will save this country money in the long term. It's important to get it done now.
-- Comments made three days after asking Congress for another 87 billion dollars, White House, Sep. 10, 2003

We said loud and clear [to corporate scoundrels], if you cheat the shareholder and your employees, you will be held responsible for those decisions. The world is now more peaceful because we acted.
-- Who could have guessed that enforcing stricter economic policy has brought peace to the world? Fridley, Minnesota, Jun. 19, 2003

We got into deficit because the economy went into the recession -- is how we got into deficit.
-- Little Rock, Arkansas, May 5, 2003

Jim Davis, an Arkansas small business owner] was reminding me that by getting rid of the double-taxation of dividends, he would save $5,700 -- money, which, by the way, that he would seriously consider putting back into his insurance company. He'd like to hire two additional employees. The double-taxation -- getting rid of the double-taxation of dividends would make it more likely two people would find work in Jim's business.
-- So is Jim planning on paying them each $2850 a year? I don't see the cause and effect that will allow him to hire two more people. Little Rock, Arkansas, May 5, 2003

We got a recession because we went to war.
-- Santa Clara, California, May 2, 2003

For the sake of job growth, let's put those tax cuts we've already got in place, in place today so people can find work.
-- Santa Clara, California, May 2, 2003

And we had an emergency and a recession, which affected the revenue growth of the U.S. Treasury. I mean, the stock market went down. Some of the pie-in-the-sky projections didn't make, and the investors said, oops. The numbers weren't real. The investors said, well, it looks like the days of everything is going up may end. And so people started selling, and the markets went down. That affected the revenues coming into the U.S. Treasury. Recession -- negative growth means less revenues. And so, of course, we've got a deficit.
-- Canton, Ohio, Apr. 24, 2003

But this nation has got a deficit because we have been through a war.
-- Do me a favor and refresh my memory... Who was it who sent us to war again? Canton, Ohio, Apr. 24, 2003

The more money they have in their more pockets -- in their pockets, the more likely it is that somebody will find work.
-- White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Feb. 9, 2003

Ten million seniors receive dividends. It's a part of their retirement package. It's a part of making sure the quality of life is high. A dividend is a part of a dollar that has gone through our system that has been taxed twice.
-- Rapids, Michigan, Jan. 29, 2003

But there is a difference of opinion about who best to spend your money in Washington, D.C. Sometimes they forget whose money you're spending. Listen to the rhetoric.
-- St. Louis, Missouri, Jan. 22, 2003

One of the problems we have is that enough people can't find work in America.
-- Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2002

Of course, we've got a -- our economy is kind of bumping along. It's not as strong as it should be. It's bumping and bumping.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nov. 4, 2002

Millions of -- thousands of people -- millions of dollars and thousands of people -- millions of dollars aren't being invested and thousands of people aren't working.
-- It's neat, you can see the sentence take shape before your very eyes, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Nov. 1, 2002

If you put your mind to it, the first-time home buyer, the low-income home buyer can have just as nice a house as anybody else.
-- Washington, D.C., Oct. 15, 2002

This is -- an ownership society is a compassionate society.
-- Washington, D.C., Oct. 15, 2002

You'll hear, we're going to spend -- the government is going to spend the government money here, and the government is going to spend the government here.
-- Trenton, New Jersey, Sep. 23, 2002

I'm so proud to be here to embrace his candidacy. ...Bill Simon is a proven businessman.
-- Showing support for the GOP gubernatorial candidate in California, whose firm had recently been convicted and ordered to pay $78 million in damages for defrauding a partner, Stockton, California, Aug. 23, 2002

I think one of the things you'll hear is that even though times are kind of tough right now, that we're America.
-- Economic Recovery and Job Creation Session, President's Economic Forum, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002

When you have your own money, it means you've got more money to spend.
-- Greensboro, North Carolina, July 25, 2002

Sometimes things aren't exactly black and white when it comes to accounting procedures.
-- Justifying his oil firm's accounting record, Washington, D.C., July 8, 2002

My view is -- and you know what it is, which is if you let people keep more of their own money, they'll spend it. And when they spend it, they're going to demand a good and service and then somebody's got to provide the good and service.
-- Washington, D.C., June 13, 2002

But if you're fortunate enough to be an American -- responsibility to love your neighbor. That if you run in -- if you're in corporate America you have a responsibility to your workers and your shareholders to fully disclose assets and liabilities.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Apr. 15, 2002

You see, we understand -- Phil understands, I understand, and John understands -- that if you let people keep more of their own money, they will demand more goods and services. And if they demand more goods and services, somebody will help produce those goods and services. And if somebody else produces those goods and services, it makes it easier for somebody to find work.
-- An explanation of "Dubya-nomics" made to the Republican Party of Texas, Dallas, Texas, Mar. 29, 2002

remember campaigning in Chicago one time, and the guy said, would you ever deficit spend? I said, well, only if we were at war, or the country was in recession, or there was a national emergency. I didn't realize we were going to get the trifecta.
-- At least the 4th documented "trifecta" statement by Dubya, who apparently doesn't see the comparison of tragedy to winning big at the horse races as inappropriate, Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Apr. 3, 2002

Look, I don't care about the numbers. I know the facts.
-- Answer to economists who were debating the economic impact of September 11, St. Petersburg, Florida, Mar. 8, 2002

The best way to battle an economic slowdown is to get people your own money back so you can spend it.
-- Des Moines, Iowa, Mar. 1, 2002

The first condition to make sure that people can find work is to make sure our nation is secure, secure against an enemy that wants to attack us.
-- Offering interesting economic theory, John Deere Harvester Works, East Moline, Illinois, Jan. 14, 2002

Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes.
-- Apparently capable of preventing tax hikes, even from the afterlife, Jan. 5, 2002

More money in people's pockets mean more economic activity.
-- Explaining just how simple economics is (for him), town hall meeting, Orlando, Florida, Dec. 4, 2001

Listen to your mother.
-- Dubya's response to a 7th-grader asking what he can do to help the economy, town hall meeting, Orlando, Florida, Dec. 4, 2001

I hurt, that coming into the holiday season, that you're not working. But I admire your courage for going out to try to improve yourselves so you can find jobs around here.
-- Orlando, Florida, Dec. 4, 2001

The Senate needs to leave enough money in the proposed budget to not only reduce all marginal rates, but to eliminate the death tax, so that people who build up assets are able to transfer them from one generation to the next, regardless of a person's race.
-- Washington, D.C., Apr. 5, 2001

America is, the harder you work, the easier the middle class ought to become, and the more money you get to keep.
-- National Newspaper Association 40th Annual Government Affairs Conference, Washington, D.C., Mar. 22, 2001

It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it.
-- Reuters, May 5, 2000

A tax cut is really one of the anecdotes to coming out of an economic illness.
-- The Edge With Paula Zahn, Sept. 18, 2000

I understand small business growth. I was one.
-- New York Daily News, Feb. 19, 2000

There's not going to be enough people in the system to take advantage of people like me.
-- On the coming Social Security crisis, Wilton, Connecticut, June 9, 2000

It's one thing about insurance, that's a Washington term.
-- Candidate George W. Bush

Dick Cheney and I do not want this nation to be in a recession. We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work.
-- 60 Minutes II, Dec. 5, 2000

It's your money. You paid for it.
-- LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Oct. 18, 2000

They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some kind of federal program.
-- Dubya commenting on the federal Social Security system, St. Charles, Missouri, Nov. 2, 2000

Some say give it [the Federal Budget Surplus] to the taxpayers who pay the bills. That some is George W. Bush.
-- Dubya dispensing with the surplus while simultaneously dispensing with all command of the English language, Sioux City, Iowa, Jan. 22, 2000

Bush Quotes for your fun
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
It's hard to be a manufacturer in the state of Pennsylvania if you're worried about where your next energy is coming from.
-- Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Mar. 15, 2004

We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.
-- Trenton, New Jersey, Sep. 23, 2002

I believe that one of these days we're going to have brand new types of cars that are going to make us less dependent on foreign sources of crude oil, and we'll be more better at cleaning our air.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Apr. 15, 2002

Imagine how less dependent America will be on foreign sources of energy, and how more easy it'll be to clean up our air.
-- Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2002

One of these days, this little lady right here is going to be driving an automobile with a hybrid engine in it, and a fuel cell in it. And it's going to work. And I hope I'm around to see it, too.
-- Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2002

Natural gas needs to move in our hemisphere. It needs to move easily across our borders to find markets, to be able to ease the pressures of reduced supply all around the country.
-- Characterizing natural gas as having a human sense of purpose, Department of Energy, June 28, 2001

The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants.
-- Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

I've been talking to Vicente Fox, the new president of Mexico... I know him... to have gas and oil sent to U.S.... so we'll not depend on foreign oil.
-- on the first Presidential debate, Oct. 3, 2000

I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. You're doing a heck of a job. You cut your teeth here, right? That's where you started practicing? That's good. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me.
-- Dubya the gender bender in an appearance at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, May 27, 2004

You know, there's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that -- that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free, and self-govern. I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily -- are, you know -- a different color than white can self-govern. And, the Prime Minister -- I don't want to put words in his mouth, but -- I think he shares that great sense of optimism and possibility.
-- White House, Apr. 30, 2004

REPORTER: Mr. President, I'd like to follow up on a couple of these questions that have been asked. One of the biggest criticisms of you is that whether it's WMD in Iraq, postwar planning in Iraq, or even the question of whether this administration did enough to ward off 9/11, you never admit a mistake. Is that a fair criticism? And do you believe there were any errors in judgment that you made related to any of those topics I brought up?
DUBYA: Well, I think, as I mentioned, it's -- the country wasn't on war footing, and yet we're at war. And that's just a reality, Dave. I mean, that's -- that was the situation that existed prior to 9/11, because the truth of the matter is, most in the country never felt that we'd be vulnerable to an attack such as the one that Osama bin Laden unleashed on us. We knew he had designs on us, we knew he hated us. But there was a -- nobody in our government, at least, and I don't think the prior government, could envision flying airplanes into buildings on such a massive scale. The people know where I stand. I mean, in terms of Iraq, I was very clear about what I believed. And, of course, I want to know why we haven't found a weapon yet. But I still know Saddam Hussein was a threat, and the world is better off without Saddam Hussein. I don't think anybody can -- maybe people can argue that. I know the Iraqi people don't believe that, that they're better off with Saddam Hussein -- would be better off with Saddam Hussein in power. I also know that there's an historic opportunity here to change the world. And it's very important for the loved ones of our troops to understand that the mission is an important, vital mission for the security of America and for the ability to change the world for the better.
-- Take another look at the question, then re-read the answer, and then tell me what the connection between the two is, Prime Time Press Conference #3, White House, Apr. 13, 2004

One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor -- the President -- governor -- President. Oops. Ex-governor. I went to Bethesda Naval Hospital to give a fellow a Purple Heart, and at the same moment I watched him -- get a Purple Heart for action in Iraq -- and at that same -- right after I gave him the Purple Heart, he was sworn in as a citizen of the United States -- a Mexican citizen, now a United States citizen.
-- Jan. 9, 2004

It's a little off the subject, but a responsible citizen is somebody who loves their child with all their heart, a citizen who says, I want to put my family -- is a citizen I'd love to have working for me -- a citizen who said, I want my family first, I weep when I think about the thought of missing my child's baseball games, the kind of guy I want working for me, the kind of guy I want working with me.
-- Greer, South Carolina, Nov. 10, 2003

The world is more peaceful and more free under my leadership.
-- White House, Oct. 28, 2003

Danny Ferry is here? Where is Danny Ferry? Yes, there he is. He and I share an interesting relationship. As you may know, his father, Bob, won the NBA Championship ring. And so Danny and Bob Ferry are only the second father/son combination to ever win a championship ring. If you get my drift. We're members of the famous fathers club. And, anyway, I want to welcome you here. You'll see where the -- only the second son of a President offices is in a minute.
-- Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2003

glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are ... probably read the news themselves.
-- Dubya's interview with Brit Hume on Fox News Channel, Washington, D.C., Sep. 21, 2003

REPORTER: [The California recall is] the biggest political story in the country. Is it hard to go in there and say nothing about it?
DUBYA: It is the biggest political story in the country? That's interesting. That says a lot. That speaks volumes.
REPORTER: You don't agree?
DUBYA: It's up to -- I don't get to decide the biggest political story. You decide the biggest political story. But I find it interesting that that is the biggest political story in the country, as you just said.
REPORTER: You don't think it should be?
DUBYA: Oh, I think there's maybe other political stories. Isn't there, like, a presidential race coming up? Maybe that says something. It speaks volumes, if you know what I mean.
-- Crawford, Texas, Aug. 13, 2003

I think it's interesting. I'm a follower of American politics.
-- Dubya's reponse when asked about Arnold Schwarzenegger running for governor of California, Crawford, Texas, Aug. 8, 2003

But I have got to do my job, and I'm going to do it. And I'm going to do it with the Secretary of State.
-- Crawford, Texas, Aug. 6, 2003

the master of low expectations.
-- Dubya, aboard Air Force One, Jun. 4, 2003

I said you were a man of peace. I want you to know I took immense crap for that.
-- Dubya really classing up his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as reported on Jun. 3, 2003 in the Washington Post and elsewhere

DUBYA: I'll answer some questions.
REPORTER: I have one question for President Bush, and a second question for President Havel. President Bush, you have said some lofty words here. The Czech Republic...
DUBYA: I said some what?
REPORTER: Lofty words.
DUBYA: No one has ever accused me of being a poet before, but thank you.
-- Prague, Czech Republic, Nov. 20, 2002

I know something about being a government. And you've got a good one.
-- Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2002

That's what happens when you are over 55.
-- Explaining his inability to remember all three parts of a three-part question, and also apparently forgetting that he is still 55 years old, while his counterpart Jacques Chirac (who looked understandably quizzical upon hearing the remark) is 70, press conference with French President Jacques Chirac, Paris, France, May 26, 2002

My mom often used to say, "The trouble with W" -- although she didn't put that to words.
-- I guess she was telepathic, White House, Apr. 3, 2002

There are a couple of cows waiting for me. You know, when I first got back from Washington, it seemed like the cows were talking back. But now that I've spent some time in Crawford, they're just cows.
-- Revealing disturbing facts about his brain chemistry in Town Hall Forum on Economy, Ontario, California, Jan. 5, 2002

My friends allege that I showed up in a Nixon mask one year and that another time I dressed as Mahatma Gandhi in a toga that looked like a diaper by the end of the night.
-- Giving Americans a reason to elect him president in his 2000 autobiography "A Charge to Keep", p. 135 (His not being able to remember these incidents should have raised more flags than it did)

But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me.
-- A fabulous year despite deadliest terrorist attacks in American history; makes one wonder what would constitute a bad year, Dec. 21, 2001

I can hear a guy breathing quite heavily. 'Mr President! Mr President! There's an unidentified aircraft heading toward the White House.' So we get out of bed. I'm actually in my running shorts with a T-shirt, old shoes.
-- Dubya's bedtime wardrobe includes old shoes, revealed in Newsweek interview, Nov. 26, 2001

REPORTER: Mr. President, have you been tested for anthrax?
DUBYA: I don't have anthrax.
REPORTER: So you've been tested, sir?
DUBYA: I don't have it.
-- Dubya demonstrating how not to answer a question, Oct. 23, 2001

I realize that on July 4, you had the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. I recognize I don't look quite as pretty -- but I am from Texas.
-- Statement hopefully not meant as a come-on, to U.S. troops at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, July 24, 2001

I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right.
-- A believing Dubya showing belief in his beliefs, Rome, July 22, 2001

It was amazing I won. I was running against peace and prosperity and incumbency.
-- Shockingly candid assessment of what he didn't bring to the table in the 2000 election made to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, Gothenberg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

come from a different generation from my Dad.
-- It would have been kind of tricky otherwise, Apr. 27, 2000

Yesterday I met with the Russian foreign minister and when he left the meeting, he kindly said this is a man who -- I'm going to paraphrase him and you need to check the facts -- but -- sophisticated thinker.
-- interview with journalist Jim Lehrer. Apr. 27, 2000

Turn that thing off! Turn it off!
-- "Easygoing" Dubya barking orders at friends who are watching a Saturday Night Live spoof of him, Dec. 2, 2000

Do as I say and not as I did.
-- When governor of Texas, Dubya proposed a $9 million initiative to persuade young Texans to hold off on sex until marriage. This was Dubya's answer when asked whether he had abstained from pre-marital sex

want the folks to see me sitting in the same kind of seat they sit in, eating the same popcorn, peeing in the same urinal.
-- Explaining his choice to sit "among the fans" when involved in management of the Texas Rangers, interview with Time Magazine, 1989

You know I could run for governor but I'm basically a media creation. I've never done anything. I've worked for my dad. I worked in the oil business. But that's not the kind of profile you have to have to get elected to public office.
-- Dubya in 1989

FINK: When you're talking about politics, what do you and [your father] talk about?
DUBYA: Pussy.
-- Interview with David Fink of the Hartford Courant at the Republican Convention, 1988

Lots of Bush
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
As we hunt down the terrorists, we're committed to spending -- spreading freedom in all parts of the world, including the Middle East.
-- Washington, D.C., Oct. 1, 2003

Al Qaeda is still active, and they're still recruiting, and they're still a threat because we won't cower.
-- If that's true, shouldn't we start cowering to remove the threat? Miramar, California, Aug. 14, 2003

Turns out this is our hundredth day since major military operations have ended, ended in Iraq. ...We've been there a hundred days. We've made a lot of progress in a hundred days, and I am pleased with the progress we've made, but fully recognize we've got a lot more work to do. ...The American people know that we laid out the facts, we based the decision on sound intelligence and they also know we've only been there for a hundred days.
-- Crawford, Texas, Aug. 8, 2003

The only thing I know for certain is that they are bad people.
-- On the British detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay by the U.S. without judicial process, in meeting with British PM Tony Blair, Washington, D.C., Jul. 18, 2003

REPORTER: Do you still believe they [the Iraqis] were trying to buy nuclear materials in Africa?
DUBYA: Right now?
REPORTER: No, were they? The statement you made --
DUBYA: One thing is for certain, he's not trying to buy anything right now.
-- Pretoria, South Africa, Jul. 9, 2003

The [military] academies are really important for a lot of reasons. Obviously, what you learn on the football field is even more important since we're still at war.
-- Washington, D.C., May 16, 2003

We ended the rule of one of history's worst tyrants, and in so doing we not only freed the American people, we made our own people more secure.
-- Crawford, Texas, May 3, 2003

I think that we believe there are chemical weapons in Syria.
-- Washington, D.C., Apr. 13, 2003

We're fighting an enemy that knows no rules of law, that will wear civilian uniforms, that is willing to kill in order to continue the reign of fear of Saddam Hussein.
-- Ahh, yes, civilian uniforms... Pentagon, Mar. 25, 2003

It's a war in which we will hunt down those who hate America, one person at a time.
-- Broadening the definition of who America is fighting against in a way which suggests that it will be an incredibly long war, Washington, D.C., Mar. 4, 2003

We will, of course, win militarily, if we have to.
-- Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2003

If you want to be blunt about what has taken place, sometimes when you don't measure, you just shuffle kids through. Then you wake up at the high school level and find out that the illiteracy level of our children are appalling.
-- Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

We want results in every single classroom so that one single child is left behind.
-- Who's the lucky kid? Little Rock, Arkansas, Nov. 10, 2003

Education belongs to everybody. High standards belongs to everybody.
-- White House, Oct. 2, 2003

I learned some pretty interesting lessons as the governor. And one lesson is that in order for schools to succeed, you'd better have you a good principal.
-- Jacksonville, Florida, Sep. 9, 2003

A good education system is one that is going to mean more likely for any country, including ourselves, to be a freer country, and a more democratic country. And [Pakistan's President Musharraf] is -- he's taking on the issue in a way that is a visionary and strong.
-- Camp David, Maryland, Jun. 24, 2003

In 2001, we passed what's called 'The No Child Left Behind' legislation. I love that phrase, because it's a commitment of our nation to make sure that not only does every child excel, but no child gets left behind. Members of both parties of Republicans and Democrats came together to pass this law.
-- Washington, D.C., Apr. 30, 2003

We didn't need any more theory in Washington. We needed people that actually done.
-- On his selection of Secretary of Education Rod Paige, East Literature Magnet School, Nashville, Tennessee, Sep. 17, 2002

Arkansas and Alabama] don't need fancy theories, or what may sound good. Science is not an art -- I mean, reading is not an art. It's a science. We know what works.
-- White House, Sep. 4, 2002

It's important for you all to understand that when our country speaks, that we mean it, and we do what we say. I said either you're with us or you're against us. I meant that.
-- Seemingly giving an ultimatim to the high schoolers he's addressing, Rufus King High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 8, 2002

The people who care more about the Iowa children when it comes to education, are Iowans, not people in Washington, D.C.
-- According to Dubya, the federal government doesn't care about Iowa's school childern. Maybe he knows something we don't, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Apr. 15, 2002

You can help by helping build one of these school chests. It doesn't matter how you do it, how you raise the money. Just get it done.
-- If you take him at his word, drug dealing, prostitution, bank heists... all fine if you're helping to educate Afghan children, Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, Alexandria, Virginia, Mar. 20, 2002

Sometimes, boys and girls would rather watch TV than read. When your teachers say read, they are giving you pretty damn good advice.
-- Advice given to 30 British schoolchildren after Dubya's tour of the British Museum, to whom he also offered the pearl "It's White" when asked by a child what the White House is like, London Daily Mirror, July, 2001

If a person doesn't have the capacity that we all want that person to have, I suspect hope is in the far distant future, if at all.
-- Remarks to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2001

If you're like me, you won't remember everything you did here. That can be a good thing.
-- Address at Yale University, May 21, 2001

Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?
-- Florence, South Carolina, Jan. 11, 2000

You teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.
-- President Dubya at Townsend Elementary School, touting his education reform plans, Feb. 21, 2001

The federal government puts about 6% of the money up. They put about 60% of the strings, where you got to fill out paperwork. [A teacher] has to be a paperwork-filler-outer, most of it's because of the federal government.
-- Presidential debate, St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 17, 2000

We ought to make the pie higher.
-- South Carolina Republican Debate, Feb. 15, 2000

As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards.
-- CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000

Reading is the basics for all learning.
-- Announcing his "Reading First" initiative in Reston, Virginia, March 28, 2000

I mean, there needs to be a wholesale effort against racial profiling, which is illiterate children.
-- Second presidential debate, October 11, 2000

Home?
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: "Too Close" - Rehka
Topic: Summer General
One of the things I still haven't gotten used to, even though I'm about to go into my senior year at the university, is that every time I come home something's been rearanged. It creates a small feeling of disorientation that makes everything be just slightly off. It's as though I'm home, but in some caricature or approximation of what home used to be. It's as though I'm looking at my home through a funhouse mirror. Different pictures are on the mantle, the garage has been rearanged, my playstation has been nabbed by one of my siblings, my desk taken to "where it can be useful". I don't object to these changes. After all, I don't live here - not even during the summer. If my brother is still in high school and has all the time in the world to play video games then why should he have to go to my room to do it? Or if my desk is truly needed for some other application then, by all means, take it. That's not what bothers me; that part of me died a while back. (And it's not a bad thing - people shouldn't be selfish) But it just makes it weird every time I come home because everything is different; it's like my home is in a Tim Burton movie.

More Bush Quotes
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
Bush continues

The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda, because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.
-- Washington, D.C., Jun. 17, 2004

REPORTER: So when you say that you want the U.S. to adhere to international and U.S. laws, that's not very comforting. This is a moral question. Is terr -- torture ever justified?
DUBYA: Look, I'm gonna say it one more time. I can -- if I can -- maybe -- maybe I can be more clear. The instructions went out to our people to adhere to law. That oughtta comfort you. We -- we're a nation of law. We adhere to laws. We have laws on the books. You might look at those laws. And that might provide comfort for you. And those were the instructions out of -- from me to the government.
-- Savannah, Georgia, Jun. 10, 2004

REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. You do have now the personal gun of Saddam Hussein. Are you willing to give it to President al-Yawar as a symbolic gift, or are you keeping it?
DUBYA: What she's referring to is a -- members of a Delta team came to see me in the Oval Office and brought with me -- these were the people that found Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, hiding in a hole. And, by the way, let me remind everybody about Saddam Hussein, just in case we all forget. There were mass graves under his leadership. There were torture chambers. Saddam Hussein -- if you -- we had seven people come to my office. Perhaps the foreign press didn't see this story. Seven people came to my -- they had their hands cut off because the Iraqi currency had devalued. And Saddam Hussein needed somebody to blame, so he blamed small merchants. And their hands were chopped off, their right hand.
-- Savannah, Georgia, Jun. 10, 2004

And I call upon the Iraqi people to reject violence, band together to insist that the country move toward a peaceful tomorrow. Iraq is changing for the better. I mean, look at the soccer team.
-- Washington, D.C., May 20, 2004

We're encouraged to see more Iraqs take responsibility for resolving the standoff in Najaf.
-- Washington, D.C., May 10, 2004

Freedom will prevail, so long as the United States and allies don't give the people of Iraq mixed signals, so long as we don't cower in the face of suiciders, or do what many Iraqis still suspect might happen, and that is cut and run early, like what happened in '91.
-- Washington Times, May 10, 2004

Iraqis are sick of foreign people coming in their country and trying to destabilize their country.
-- Said without any hint of irony, Washington, D.C., May 5, 2004

And so the people in the Middle East must understand that this [the abuse of Iraqi prisoners] was horrible.
-- Washington, D.C., May 5, 2004

Saddam Hussein said, I'm not going to expose my weapons, I'm not going to get rid of my -- I'm not going to allow inspectors in, he said. But this is the same man who had used them. So I had to make a decision -- do I trust the word of madman, or do I remember the lessons of September the 11th?
-- Louisville, Kentucky, Feb. 26, 2004

More Muslims have died at the hands of killers than -- I say more Muslims -- a lot of Muslims have died -- I don't know the exact count -- at Istanbul. Look at these different places around the world where there's been tremendous death and destruction because killers kill.
-- (this is a Rep thing because Quayle said the same thing - killers kill) Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2004

I remember talking to the country after September the 11th, and reminding people that this would be a different kind of war we faced. Sometimes you'd see action, and sometimes you wouldn't, that we'd be on a manhunt to find the terrorists who destroyed us.
-- Roswell, New Mexico, Jan. 22, 2004

And the threat of Saddam Hussein was a unique threat in this sense -- the world recognized he was a threat for twelve years, and seventeen resolutions, I think it is -- I believe it was seventeen resolutions -- for the resolution counter, give me a hand here -- seventeen? Seventeen resolutions. And he ignored them.
-- Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2003

Just 9ish months....
Mood:  sad
Topic: Summer General
In just 1.5 weeks my entire life will revolve around not just memorizing, but understanding the content of four courses. I think therein lies the real killer in engineering - you can't just memorize the equations, you have to UNDERSTAND them. Clearly this makes for better engineering, innovation, and adaptation. It also makes for ridiculously hard tests. The good part is that all of my classes next semester will be very exciting topics. At least, they're topics that I could get excited about. But it's certainly not going to be an easy semester.

I have resolved to only eat, sleep, and study. I am not planning to do ANYTHING that will take away time from my classes. My outlets will be few and far between. The three to four hockeys games that we have in the first semester and the AIDS Charity Banquet are really the only breaks I'll get. And hockey doesn't start until late Oct/early Nov.

Will I stick with it? I have to. My grades aren't horrible, but they aren't wonderful either. I really need these last two semesters to be hardhitting. I need as many As as I can get and the lowest possible score is a C+. Otherwise, things coud get slippery.

This means that I may not be able to post as regularly as I sometimes have been known to do. It doesn't help that the post-dating still isn't automatically posting on its own. It needs posts like this one to trigger something to make it work. But we never know. Sometimes I'll have a burst of posts during my busiest time as I suddenly become inspired (or my brain desperately cries out to do something Right-Brained) and sometimes I just can't afford to.

But whether I've been having new people every day or the same people coming back to read my articles, I've had an average of 30 people a day during the summer and 50 a day during the school year. Keep coming back because you never know when there will be a new post.

Bush Quotes
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Quotes
If you though Quayle was funny, get a load of these George W Bush Quotes:

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
-- Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the moolahs [mullahs] to -- to listen to the demands of the free world.
-- Aug. 2, 2004

There will be big differences in this campaign. They're going to raise your taxes, we're not.
-- Jul. 26, 2004

It reads like a mystery, a novel. It's well written.
-- Dubya's assessment of the 9/11 Commission's report, and a statement I'm sure will make the country feel a whole lot better, Crawford, Texas, Jul. 26, 2004

Mayor George Van Dusen of Skokie, thanks for coming, George. Great first name. Fill the potholes.
-- Glenview, Illinois. Jul. 22, 2004

By the way, to whom much has been given, much is owed. Not only are we leading the world in terms of encouraging freedom and peace, we're feeding the hungry. We're taking care of, as best as we possibly can, the victims of HIV/AIDS.
-- Dubya tries to quote scripture here (Luke 12:48 - "To whom much is given, much is required."), only his version means the exact opposite, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

In the campaign, you'll hear, we're going only to tax the rich. That's what you'll hear. Now, this is from a fellow who has promised about $2 trillion of new spending thus far. And only taxing the rich, first of all, creates a huge tax gap, which means buyer beware. You see, if you can't raise enough by taxing the rich, guess who gets to pay next? Yes, the not rich. That's all of us.
-- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

I want to be the peace president.
--Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

I don't think you order suiciders to kill innocent men, women, and children if you're a religious person.
-- Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Jul. 14, 2004

When you hear on your TV screens, America is marching to war, it's difficult to make investment.
-- Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Jul. 14, 2004

I went to the United Nations and said, he's [Saddam Hussein is] a threat. And they agreed with the fact that he was a threat, by a 15 to nothing vote in the United Nations Security Council. See, the world spoke. Not only America speak, the world spoke.
-- Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Jul. 9, 2004

He's going to tax all of you.
-- Dubya on John Kerry, sounding pretty silly unless Dubya is planning to unilaterally outlaw all taxes, Washington, D.C., Mar. 23, 2004

Yes, that's a -- first of all, Mom, you're doing -- that's tough. But it's -- I appreciate that. I appreciate the idea of you wanting to give your children the education from you and the mom.
-- Springfield, Missouri, Feb. 9, 2004

She is a fabulous First Lady. I was a lucky man when she said, yes, I agree to marry you. I love her dearly, and I'm proud of the job she's doing on behalf of all Americans. Just like I love my brother.
-- Jacksonville, Florida, Sep. 9, 2003

I appreciate [Florida Governor] Jeb [Bush] -- talk about swamping somebody, he knows the definition of 'swamp' when it comes to political campaigns.
-- Tampa, Florida, Jun. 30, 2003

After all, this is a guy that tried to kill my dad at one time.
-- Houston, Texas, Sep. 26, 2002

I had the privilege of saying good-bye for a brief period of time to our First Lady who's down there in Crawford. She is -- she was born and raised in West Texas. That's kind of like western Oklahoma, not a lot of native trees and not a lot of water.
-- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Aug. 29, 2002

I think Jeb and I were touched by what it means to be sitting at a table with a daughter who has said, I've got a responsibility to my mom.
-- Miami, Florida, Jun. 30, 2003

I'm -- I've just come from Washington to here, obviously -- I'm going down to L.A. I wish I came with my wife. I wish she were with me. She has done a fabulous job. I will see her tonight in Crawford, Texas. Well, she'll be the lump in the bed next to me, since I get in at 1:30 a.m. in the morning. But you drew the short straw. Had she come and spoken, you would have had the long straw. She is a -- she's a remarkable person. She has been calm and steady in the face of significant crisis. She can smile, she can listen.
-- A stream-of-consciousness moment in San Francisco, California, Jun. 27, 2003

The country is -- has gotten to know Laura, like I have gotten to know her.
-- Des Moines, Iowa, June 7, 2002

I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war.
-- Jan. 27, 2002

Anyway, I'm so thankful, and so gracious -- I'm gracious that my brother Jeb is concerned about the hemisphere as well.
-- Miami, Florida, June 4, 2001

I'm glad the First Lady is here. It's an unusual job where all you've got to do is walk down from your living room and come to work. I'm really proud of Laura.
-- White House, Feb. 1, 2001

Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.
-- LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Oct. 18, 2000

It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet.
-- Arlington Heights, Illinois, Oct. 24, 2000

We have struggle to not proceed, but to "precede" to the future of a nation's child.
-- Journal Gazette, Nov. 12, 2000

I think it's important for those of us in a position of responsibility to be firm in sharing our experiences, to understand that the babies out of wedlock is a very difficult chore for mom and baby alike. ... I believe we ought to say there is a different alternative than the culture that is proposed by people like Miss Wolf in society. ... And, you know, hopefully, condoms will work, but it hasn't worked.
-- Meet the Press, Nov. 21, 1999

Laura and I really don't realize how bright our children is sometimes until we get an objective analysis.
-- CNBC, April 15, 2000

Well, you know, it's hard to make people love one another. I wish I knew the law because I would darn sure sign it. I wish I knew the law that said all of us would be good parents.
-- Presidential debate, St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 17, 2000

The best way to relieve families from time is to let them keep some of their own money.
-- Westminster, California, Sept. 13, 2000

You're working hard to put food on your family.
-- Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce (New Hampshire), Jan. 27, 2000

Work is over
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Summer General
Work is over. I am now officially looking for full time employment once I graduate.