“I think we can agree. The past is over.”
“I have learned from mistakes I may or may not have made.”
“It was just inebreating what the Midlands was all about then.” (A slip on exhillerating)
“It’s clearly the budget. It has a lot of numbers on it.”
“The most important job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case.”
“Will highways on the internet become more few?”
“Like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself.”
“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning? Laura and I really don’t realize just how bright our children is.”
“I was raised in the West. The West of Texas. It’s pretty close to California. More so than Washington, D.C. is close to California.”
“I propose that every city have a telephone number 119 — for dyslexics who have an emergency.”
“There ought to be limits to freedom.” Said about parody websites of him.
“I believe that we are on an irreversible trend toward democracy and more freedom- but that could change.”
“One word sums up probably the responsibility of any governor, and that one word is ‘to be prepared.’”
“Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.”
“I have made good judgements in the past. I have made good judgements in the future.”
“A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.”
“Illegitimacy is something we should talk about, in terms of not having it.”
“We are ready for any unseen event that may or may not occur.”
“For NASA, space is still a high priority.”
“We have a firm committment to NATO; we are a part of NATO. We have a firm committment to Europe; we are a part of Europe.”
“Who is to blame for riots? The rioters are to blame.”
“The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation’s history. I mean in this century’s history. But we all lived in this century. I didn’t live in this century.”
“Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children.”
“It isn’t pollution that’s ruining the environment; it’s all the impurities in the air and water that’s doing it.”
“It’s time the human race entered the solar system.”
“I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn’t here.” —at the President’s Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002
“We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease.”
“You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.’’
“We both use Colgate toothpaste.”
“Tribal sovereignty means that; it’s sovereign. I mean, you’re a — you’ve been given sovereignty, and you’re viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities.”
“I 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.”
“I’m the commander — see, I don’t need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being president.”
“I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport.”
“The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself.”
“I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America. It’s pretty darn strong. I mean, the people see a better future.”
“Oh, no, we’re not going to have any casualties.”
“I hear there’s rumors on the Internets that we’re going to have a draft.”
“Haven’t we already given money to rich people? Why are we going to do it again?” —to economic advisers discussing a second round of tax cuts, as quoted by former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil, Washington, D.C., Nov. 26, 2002
“We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.”
“After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week — we will have an all-volunteer army!”
“Do you have blacks, too?”
“This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating.”
“I got to know Ken Lay when he was head of the — what they call the Governor’s Business Council in Texas. He was a supporter of Ann Richards in my run in 1994. And she had named him the head of the Governor’s Business Council. And I decided to leave him in place, just for the sake of continuity. And that’s when I first got to know Ken and worked with Ken.”
“It is white.”
“I couldn’t imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah.”
“For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It’s just unacceptable. And we’re going to do something about it.”
“I don’t know why you’re talking about Sweden. They’re the neutral one. They don’t have an army.”
“You forgot Poland.”
“I’m the master of low expectations.”
“I’m also not very analytical. You know I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things.”
