Yesterday, inRogers, Arkansas.

What He Keeps Pointing To

I want to thank the Chancellor of the mighty University of Arkansas, John White, for being here today. He hosted — I keep pointing to he’s a Razorback — I understand. Look, I’m just a simple Texas guy who — who knows full well that it was a lot of times an unpleasant experience for the Longhorns to come up here and play.

What We Got To Be Mindful Of

I went by earlier today to his business and I had a chance to say hello to his employees. I did so because I wanted to remind America that in order for this economy to remain strong, we got to be mindful of the needs of small business owners.

A Tax Raise

And yet when you listen carefully to the budget debate, that’s what you’re fixing to get stuck with — a tax raise.

When Other Words Collide

In other words, we’re beginning to get control of that deficit. And the reason why is, is that a growing economy yields additional tax revenues, and then when you work with Congress to set priorities on how we spend your money — in other words, we’re fiscally sound on the expense side, you can reduce your deficit without raising taxes.

Getting Folksy

And so you’re fixing to see what they call a fiscal showdown in Washington.

I Wish Laura Would Get Me Some Grits

I wish Congress would get me some appropriations bills.

America Doesn’t Understand Children

Many Americans don’t understand a half a million kids eligible for this program that aren’t getting help under the program.

There Is Some

Now, there’s some in Washington, D.C. who genuinely believe that the best health care policy is to expand the role of the federal government.

Whachu Got?

I’ll be glad to answer some questions if you have any. And if not, I can keep talking, believe me. You got one?

A Cerebubble

That’s the great thing about our society, is that we expect our individual citizens to be involved and you can reach your own conclusion you want to reach.

Thinks Arkansas Is Full Of Idiots

And it’s up to people like me to explain it as simply as possible so that hopefully you can understand.

The Wise Kind Of Judgment Who’d Listen To

See, I think what the American people really need to know is what do you believe in, in order for you to be able to make the wise kind of judgment who’d listen to.

The Gotherder

We got to fund a military; we got to fund help for the poor.

An Expidition Use Of Taxpayer Money

You know, a trucker, if he’s interested in moving through Northwest Arkansas in expedition [sic] fashion will pay a little extra money to be able to do so.

Inside The Bubble

Q Mr. President, first of all, I’d like to commend you on your steadfastness and your faith and not letting anybody waver you on your faith with key political issues and key principles.

Do People Really Say That?

There’s a lot of objections to No Child Left Behind — I understand that. People say, how dare you measure?

NCLB Increases The Achievement Gap

You know, we have an achievement gap in America, and that means our — the white kids are reading at a certain level here at — in the 4th grade, and African Americans or Latino kids are reading down here. That’s not good enough for our country. And that achievement gap is beginning to grow. It’s amazing what happens when you raise standards and hold people to account.

Not What It’s Called

One of these days we’re going to be able to make ethanol out of wood chips or switchgrass. It’s called cellulostic [sic] ethanol.

What The Laws Of The Country Is

And the laws of the country is, you know, you can’t employ somebody who is here illegally — knowingly employ somebody who is here illegally — and that you’ve got a border for a reason, a Border Patrol for a reason, to enforce the border.

Work The Border

But I also recognize this, that in order to truly, effectively work the border in a way that most Americans want, you’ve got to have a program that will enable somebody to come here and legally work on a temporary basis, because if you’re somebody who’s got a starving family at home, and you’re interested in putting food on the table, you’ll go to great lengths to come to America to do jobs Americans aren’t doing.

What You Got

You got a lot of people up here that are working jobs Americans aren’t willing to do.

The Bubble Is Very Thick

Q After all of the presidential hopefuls had paraded through for three days before you got there, and you gave your wonderful speech, the straw poll throughout the entire room, sir, was that we wish you could run for another four years.

He’s The Person Who Have Asked

And as the person who have asked these brave young men and women to go into combat, I feel a special obligation to make sure that our veterans, particularly those who served under my watch, get the absolute best care.

Holy Crap!

I’m — I marvel — isn’t it interesting, by the way, it’s the first military question — just an observation point — I marvel at our military, and I marvel at the kids who — in the military. Not only kids, but — at 62 you can call them “kids” — 61 you can call them “kids.”

What We Got

We got a military of highly trained, highly skilled people who understand the stakes of the struggle between ideologues who murder to achieve their objectives, and those of us who want there to be long-term peace.

That’s One Hell Of A Bubble

Q But I also want to say, thank you very much for being my President for the last seven years.

He’s Surrounded

One of the things in a complex environment like the presidency is you got to surround your people — surround the President, or surround myself with people whose judgment you trust.

Being A Very Important Part Of Helping

The regular army is carrying the bulk of this fight, and the Guard is being a very important part of helping.

My Name Is [Brain] Lesion

You got to just understand that after September the 11th, I made up my mind I would do everything in my power to p
rotect the American people. Secondly — And on the one hand, that means finding these people before they come and hurt us. In other words, defeat them overseas so they can’t come here to hurt us. That means — and so I just want to explain some of the policies.

Try To Get To Figure Out What Those Folks Are Doing

And that’s why I think it’s very important that we have techniques that protect your civil liberties, but at the same time, listen to known al Qaeda folks and try to get to figure out what they’re doing.

The Inner Narrative Escapes

I told you — I’m setting it up, setting his answer up, when I said I believe in the universality of freedom.

What The Articles Of Confederation Is

I will remind you of the Articles of Confederation in our own history is indicative of how hard democracy can be.

What Freedom Has Got

Freedom has got the capacity to bring the peace we want.

Philosophizing Is Hard

It’s one thing if the enemy couldn’t hit us here at home, we could just let them — let the world run its course; just let everything happen that’s meant — that it may be meant to happen, you know, just let it go.

The Global War On Articles Continues

Her example is one of bravery being confined by unelected military junta.

Honor The Stuff Writers

And by the way, those examples exist — I met with a woman in the Oval Office the other day whose husband was a doctor, plastic surgeon, in Cuba. And he wrote some — I guess wrote some stuff on freedom, and he’s now in a prison.

They’re Good Talking

Sometimes international bodies are non-consequential. In other words, they’re good talking, but there’s not a consequence.

He’s The Sanctioner Guy

So, along the lines in Burma, we have sanctioned individuals within Burma and are considering additional sanctions. But sanctions don’t mean anything if we’re the only sanctioner.

Ground Our Economy Down

Kyoto I thought was bad policy, because Kyoto would have basically — basically would have said that we would have had to ground our economy down in order to achieve — maybe achieve some positive changes in greenhouse gases.

The Environment = Electricity, Cars, and Buildings

That’s why — here, the way I’ll do this is there’s three basic aspects to the environment: One is how we generate electricity; two is how we drive our cars; and three is how we build our buildings.

Gotta Lotta Enchilada

Finally, electricity, and that’s an interesting issue, because, one, we got a lot of coal.

We Gotta Lotta Supply

So we’ve got a lot of coal and plenty of supply.

Has No Idea What The Government Is Doing

If you ask what the federal government is doing, whatever we’re doing is working, because last year we grew our economy and the gross amount of greenhouse gases we put in the environment actually went down.

Mental Mishmash

Secondly, I believe government ought to incent people to go — to be able to have available — ought to incent — ought to change the system to make sure an individual can get into the marketplace and be able to better afford private insurance.

Against Helping People Through Public Policy

Rather than help people through public policy — government programs, is to encourage people through private insurance.

Families That Would Sign Up On It

One of my problems with S-CHIP, by the way, is that expanding eligibility meant one-third of all families that would sign up on to it would go from private care into the public.

Congress Is A Tax Credit

One option is to say you deduct the first $15,000 for a family of two — I mean, for a married couple — deduct $15,000 off your — expense $15,000 of your income — on your income. Or another option some are considering is Congress is a tax credit.

Your Typical Citizen Of The Bubble

Q Mr. President, when do you think there will be a girl President for the Republican Party?

Yield A Peace

In order to make decisions that will yield a peace — you got to make them based upon certain fundamental principles and certain values.