If I Were President Bush
By Michael R. Bowen (02/24/04)
Peggy Noonan in a recent column issued a call for readers to submit single paragraph which sums up what President Bush should tell America. OK, I'll bite. Here's what I would say
My fellow Americans,
If you wish to understand the difference between my beliefs and those of the Democrat candidates running against me, you need only look in two areas: what we believe America really is, and what the government can do about the economy. I believe that America is a decent and honorable nation. We are human beings, and so throughout our history we have made mistakes and have done wrong, but more than any other nation we have acknowledged and repented our wrongs and set out to do better. That, not the absence of wrongdoing, is the mark of a good people. Our democratic system and the character of our people are fundamentally good, and they are worth defending. But in the other party, they see only America's flaws. When America was attacked on September 11, they thought we had it coming. Their response was to think of all our past errors and how they explained the attacks. My response was, and continues to be, to think of all the good things about America, and resolve to defend them and destroy the terrorists before they destroy us. It's that simple. With respect to the economy, I want you to understand that the government owns no money and produces no wealth. Whenever it wants to do something like building a highway, it must get the money, materials, and workers from you citizens. You are the ones who build, create, earn, and invest. The more of your own money you are allowed to keep, the more of it you will invest in housing, education, commodities, and new businesses. That investment will require more production from more workers, and more jobs will result. Every penny taken by the government, for whatever use, is lost to the economy. Although some government programs are obviously necessary, it is clear to me that the best way to improve everyone's life is for the government to take as little of your money as possible. My Democrat opponents will tell you that I want tax cuts for the rich. My answer to them is: have you ever had a paycheck signed by a poor man? If the people with money to invest are discouraged by high taxes, there will be fewer paychecks in America. And remember, the income level at which Democrats think people are "rich" all too often turns out to be what ordinary citizens consider to be merely comfortable.
It's your country, and you are good people. Your country is worth defending, and you did not deserve September 11. It's your money, which you earn by hard work, and you know better what to do with it than a bunch of bureaucrats in a faraway city.
Thank you, and good night.
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