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Breaking News

Bush Delivers Campaign Speech in Louisville

Aired July 29, 2000 - 2:38 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: This is Gene Randall in Washington. And in the bigger box is Texas Governor George W. Bush at a campaign rally in Louisville, Kentucky, en route to Philadelphia and the GOP National Convention.

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH, (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's an honor to be up here today with a great United States senator. Please welcome Senator Jim Bunning.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: And of course, my good friend Congresswoman Anne Northup. We've got to make sure -- you make sure she goes back to the United States Congress.

I don't know whether some of you all have heard. But I made a pretty big decision the other day.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: I made what's called a presidential decision. I told the people loud and clear -- loud and clear -- that I was going to pick somebody who could be president of the United States if that need be the case. And Dick Cheney is that man.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: I told the people loud and clear, I told the people loud and clear that I was going to pick somebody as my running mate, who should we be fortunate enough to become the president and vice president of the United States, would be added value, would be able to help in an administration. And Dick Cheney is that man.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: I picked a solid man, a good man, a man of integrity, a man of good judgment, a man who makes me proud to be my running mate and a man who will make you proud to be the next vice president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE) BUSH: And I don't know whether you've heard or not, but we're fixing to have a convention too. And the kickoff speaker for the convention, the first speaker is going to be my great wife Laura Bush.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Now what makes this so interesting, I want you to hear the true story. When I asked Laura to marry me, she was a public school librarian, an elementary school teacher. And by the way, for all the teachers out there, thank you from the bottom of my heart for teaching our children.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Anyway, I said, "Would you marry me?" She said, "Yes, under one condition." I said, "What is that?" She said, "I don't want to have to give any speeches."

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: I said, "OK." It's the only political promise I ever broke. I cannot wait for America to hear this good woman. She's a fabulous wife, a great mother, and will be a great first lady for the United States. Please welcome Laura Bush.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: We've been working out way up some states that Republicans haven't done well in lately. We've been in Arkansas. Guess what's going to happen in Arkansas in November? Bush-Cheney is going to win that.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: We were in the state of Missouri. We're working all the way across your important state with this message. We are going to win this campaign because we've got the best ideas.

We've got the right platform. We've got a philosophy that's conservative and a philosophy that's compassionate.

Our message is give us a chance. Give us a chance to make sure the American dream touches every willing heart.

Now we're having a big debate over the budget, a big debate. You see, I happen to think the surplus means government has got more money than it needs. And I happen to know...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: ... And I happen to know, I happen to know that one of the reasons we have the surplus is that the taxes on the people who are working hard are the highest they have been since World War II. There is a difference of opinion in this campaign. There is a big difference of opinion. My opponent thinks the surplus is the government's money. We know the surplus is the people's money. And we're going to share some of that surplus.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: It's time to have a president of the United States who puts aside all of the silly politics of the past when it comes to Social Security. I want the senior citizens out there to hear this loud and clear.

They're going to try to scare you. They're going to run TV ads and radio ads that say that George W. Bush and his allies are going to take away your check.

Have none of it. That's politics of the past. That's old style politics. I want the seniors in Kentucky to hear that George W. Bush will keep the promise to the seniors in our country.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: But I want the country to know the truth. I want the country to know the truth for these younger folks. Unless we think differently, unless we're willing to let younger workers manage some of their own money in the private sector, unless we can trust the compounding rate of interest and get a better rate of return on money in the Social Security trust, there will be no money for the younger workers coming up.

No, we're going to think differently. I'm going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to save and strengthen Social Security for the elderly today and to fulfill the promise for the younger folks in America tomorrow.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: I want to thank you all for coming and bringing your children. If you brought your children, I want to tell you loud and clear, I'm running to keep the peace. I want this to be a peaceful world.

But I want you to remind your friends and neighbors like I'll be doing, under this administration morale in the United States military is dangerously low. And in order to keep the peace and in order to make the world more peaceful, this nation must rebuild the military power of the United States. And that's what I will do.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: We will rebuild the morale by making sure our soldiers are better paid and better housed. And we will rebuild the morale of the military by having a commander in chief who respects the men and women in uniform and a commander in chief who earns the respect of the men and women in uniform.

(APPLAUSE) BUSH: The promise of America must extend its reach throughout all our society. We're running for a reason. We're running for a cause. We want the American dream to touch every willing heart.

And in order to make sure that happens, we'd better make sure every child in America is educated and no child is left behind. I want to tell the people of this great state as plainly as I can, I don't want to be the federal superintendent of schools.

We're not going to nationalize the public schools under a Bush administration. We will pass power out of Washington, DC, because we believe in local control of our schools.

But I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. We're going to change the mentality of America if you give me the chance to be your president. Instead of asking that tired question, "How old are you?" and recognizing that if you're 12 we'll just put you here, oh you're 14 we'll move you here, and if you're 16, we'll put you there. And guess what happens in that kind of system?

Children get simply shuffled through the system without asking the fundamental question. We need to change the attitude in America.

We're going to start asking the question, "What do you know?" And if you don't know what you're supposed to know, we'll make sure you do or surely before it's too late there's no second-rate children in America. And there are no second-rate dreams.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: And those are some of the ideas that are going to help us carry this important state. We've got good news. The polls look good.

We've got bad news. We've got bad news. The election isn't tomorrow. There's a lot of work to do. And I can't wait to keep coming back to your state to earn the confidence of the people of this state.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Because we're running for a reason. We're running for a reason. There's issues that are important.

But there's something else more important. And that's to lift the spirit of this good land, to set our sights higher, to call upon the best of America to make sure that people understand there's hope for everybody.

You see, the great strength of the country -- the great strength of the country lies not in the halls of government. The great strength of this unbelievable land lies in the hearts and souls of loving and decent and caring citizens who've heard the universal call to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.

And so my mission as president, my mission as president will be to call upon the armies of compassion, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts leaders who take time out of their lives to say to a child, "Values matter." The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters. We must understand the power of faith in our society and welcome people of faith into the compassionate delivery of help for people who want to hear those simple words, "Somebody loves you and somebody cares."

I believe so strongly that this country can achieve anything we set our mind to. But it requires strong leadership, leadership that understands the responsibilities of holding the office.

And so let me end by telling you two things. One, thanks for coming. God bless you all, for you care about our country. Thanks for joining us in this important campaign.

But let me also tell you...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: ... But let me also tell you this. Let me leave with this pledge, that should we earn the confidence of the people, should we receive the huge honor of being the president and vice president of the greatest land on this earth, when both of us put our hands on that Bible, Dick Cheney and me, when I put my hand, I will swear to not only uphold the laws of our land, I will swear to uphold the honor and the dignity of the highest office to which I have been elected, so help me God.

I want to thank you all for coming. God bless. God bless Kentucky. And God bless America.

RANDALL: Texas Governor George W. Bush in his latest campaign stop on his way to Philadelphia and the GOP National Convention. The scene was Louisville, Kentucky.

He told the crowd the polls look good right now. He also said the election is not tomorrow. That, he said, is the bad news.

And those kids in the background obviously either loved being on TV or had no idea they were on TV. And now we join YOUR HEALTH in progress.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

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