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THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
'Governor Bush and Secretary Cheney asked me to thank you for all your
terrific support and hard work. We hope and believe we have elected the
next president of the United States. The latest vote count in the state of
Florida shows Governor Bush winning that state by more than 1,200 votes.
They are still counting and I am confident when it is all said and done we
will prevail. Thank you again for all your hard work and all your effort.
We look forward to a great celebration. God bless.'
--Don Evans, Campaign Chairman, Bush-Cheney 2000
Governor Bush Statement
Austin, TX
Wednesday, November 15, 2000
Tonight, Secretary Cheney and I thank the many thousands of Americans who
have written, or called or emailed to offer prayers and encouragement as
we all await the outcome of the election.
I'm sure that Vice President Gore and Senator Lieberman are receiving
similar good wishes and would want to join us in thanking our fellow
Americans for their caring and concern.
No matter who you voted for in this election, whether you supported Vice
President Gore, or whether you supported me, all Americans want a fair and
accurate count of the votes in Florida -- a fair and accurate count that
measures up to the highest standards and principles outlined in our
Constitution and our laws.
As we work to conclude this election, we should be guided by three
principles:
This process must be fair. This process must be accurate. And this process
must be final.
First, the election must be fair -- fair to voters throughout America,
fair to voters in Florida, and fair to voters in different counties in
Florida. I honor and respect the value of every single vote. That's why my
campaign supported the automatic recount of all the votes in Florida.
Everyone in Florida has had his or her vote counted once. Those votes have
been recounted. In some counties, they have been counted a third and even
a fourth time. And that brings us to the second principle, accuracy.
The process must be accurate. As Americans have watched on television,
they have seen for themselves that manual counting, with individuals
making subjective decisions about voter intent, introduces human error and
politics into the vote counting process. Each time these voting cards are
handled, the potential for errors multiplies. Additional manual counts of
votes that have been counted and recounted will make the process less
accurate, not more so.
Third, not for Vice President Gore or for me, but for America, this
process must have a point of conclusion -- a moment when America and the
world know who is the next President. This is precisely why the laws of
the state of Florida have deadlines for certification of the election
vote.
One of them came last night, and tonight, Florida's chief election
official and the state's election canvassing commission have reaffirmed
it, as their responsibilities require. The next and final deadline comes
on Friday at midnight, when overseas absentee ballots must have been
received to be counted in Florida.
I do not know who those ballots will support, and neither does Vice
President Gore. The votes of Florida have been counted, they have been
recounted and tonight they have been certified, and we do not know yet who
has won. The way to conclude this election, in a fair, accurate and final
way, is for the state of Florida to count the remaining overseas ballots,
add them to the certified vote, and announce the results, as required by
Florida law.
I was encouraged tonight that Vice President Gore called for a conclusion
to this process. We all agree. Unfortunately, what the Vice President
proposed is exactly what he's been proposing all along: continuing with
selective hand recounts that are neither fair nor accurate, or compounding
the error by extending a flawed process statewide. This means every vote
in Florida would be evaluated differently, by different individuals, using
different judgment and perhaps different local standards -- or perhaps, no
standards at all. This would be neither fair nor accurate, it would be
arbitrary and chaotic. At this unique moment in our nation's history, all
of us have responsibilities.
We have a responsibility to conduct ourselves with dignity and honor.
We have a responsibility to make sure that those who speak for us do not
poison our politics. And we have a responsibility to respect the law and
not seek to undermine it when we do not like its outcome. The outcome of
this election will not be the result of deals or efforts to mold public
opinion. The outcome of this election will be determined by the votes and
by the law.
Once this election is over, I would be glad to meet with Vice President
Gore and I join him in pledging that regardless of who wins after this
weekend's final count, we will work together to unite our great country.
Thank you and God Bless America.
December 13, 2000
Remarks by President-Elect George W. Bush State Capitol
My fellow Americans, I appreciate the
opportunity to speak with you tonight. Mr. Speaker, Lt. Governor Perry,
distinguished guests and friends:
Our country has been through a long and trying period, with the outcome
of the presidential election not finalized for longer than any of us
could have ever imagined. Vice President Gore and I put our hearts and
hopes into our campaigns; we both gave it our all. We shared similar
emotions.
I understand how difficult this moment must be for Vice President Gore and
his family. He has a distinguished record of service to our country as a
Congressman, a Senator and as Vice President.
This evening I received a gracious call from the Vice President. We agreed
to meet early next week in Washington and we agreed to do our best to heal
our country after this hard fought contest.
Tonight, I want to thank all the volunteers and campaign workers who
worked so hard on my behalf, I also salute the Vice President and his
supporters for waging a spirited campaign, ...and I thank him for a call
that I know was difficult to make.
Laura and I wish the Vice President and Senator Lieberman and their
families
the very best.
I have a lot to be thankful for tonight. I am thankful for America and
thankful that we are able to resolve our electoral differences in a
peaceful way.
And I am thankful to the American people for the great privilege of being
able to serve as your next President.
I thank my wife and daughters for their love. Laura's active involvement
as First Lady has made Texas a better place, and she will be a wonderful
First Lady for America.
I am proud to have Dick Cheney by my side, and America will be proud to
have
him as our next Vice President.
Tonight, I chose to speak from the chamber of the Texas House of
Representatives because it has been home to bipartisan cooperation.
Here, in a place where Democrats have the majority, Republicans and
Democrats have worked together to do what is right for the people we
represent.
We had spirited disagreements, and in the end, we found constructive
consensus. It is an experience I will always carry with me, and an example
I
will always follow.
I thank my friend, House Speaker Pete Laney, a democrat, who introduced
me
today. And I thank the legislators of both parties with whom I worked.
Across the hall in our Texas Capitol is the State Senate, and I cannot
help but think of our mutual friend, the former Democrat Lieutenant
Governor, Bob Bullock. His love for Texas and his ability to work in a
bipartisan way continue to be a model for all of us.
The spirit of cooperation I have seen in this hall is what is needed in
Washington. It is the challenge of our moment. After a difficult election,
we must put politics behind us and work together to make the promise of
America available for every one of our citizens.
I am optimistic that we can change the tone of Washington, D.C. I believe
things happen for a reason, and I hope the long wait of the last five
weeks will heighten a desire to move beyond the bitterness and
partisanship of the recent past.
Our nation must rise above a house divided. Americans share hopes and
goals
and values far more important than any political disagreements.
Republicans
want the best for our nation. So do Democrats.
Our votes may differ, but not our hopes.
I know America wants reconciliation and unity. I know Americans want
progress. And we must seize this moment and deliver.
Together, guided by a spirit of common sense, common courtesy and common
goals, we can unite and inspire the American citizens.
Together, we will work to make all our public schools excellent, teaching
every student of every background and every accent, so that no child is
left behind.
Together, we will save Social Security and renew its promise of a secure
retirement for generations to come.
Together, we will strengthen Medicare and offer prescription drug coverage
to all of our seniors.
Together, we will give Americans the broad, fair and fiscally responsible
tax relief they deserve.
Together, we will have a bipartisan foreign policy true to our values and
true to our friends. And we will have a military equal to every challenge,
and superior to every adversary.
Together, we will address some of society's deepest problems one person at
a
time, by encouraging and empowering the good hearts and good works of the
American people. This is the essence of compassionate conservatism, and
it
will be a foundation of my administration.
These priorities are not merely Republican concerns or Democratic
concerns,
these are American responsibilities.
During the fall campaign, we differed about details of these proposals -
but there was remarkable consensus about the important issues before us:
excellent schools, retirement and health security, tax relief, a strong
military and a more civil society.
We have discussed our differences; now it is time to find common ground
and
build consensus to make America a beacon of opportunity in the 21st
century.
I am optimistic this can happen. Our future demands it, and our history
proves it.
Two hundred years ago, in the election of 1800, America faced another
close
presidential election. A tie in the electoral college put the outcome into
the hands of Congress.
After six days of voting, and 36 ballots, the House of Representatives
elected Thomas Jefferson the third President of the United States. That
election brought the first transfer of power from one party to another in
our new democracy.
Shortly after the election, Jefferson, in a letter titled reconciliation
and reform, wrote: "the steady character of our countrymen is a rock to
which we may safely moor...
Unequivocal in principle, reasonable in manner, we shall be able I hope to
do a great deal of good to the cause of freedom and harmony."
Two hundred years have only strengthened the steady character of America.
And so as we begin the work of healing our nation, tonight I call upon
that character.
Respect for each other. Respect for our differences. Generosity of spirit.
And a willingness to work hard and work together to solve any problem.
I have something else to ask of you, every American. I ask for you to pray
for this great nation. I ask your prayers for leaders from both parties.
I thank you for your prayers for me and my family, and I ask you to pray
for Vice President Gore and his family.
I have faith that with God's help we as a nation will move forward
together, as one nation, indivisible. And together we will create an
America that is open, so every citizen has access to the American dream.
An America that is educated, so every child has the keys to realize that
dream. And an America that is united in our diversity and our shared
American values that are larger than race or party.
I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation. The
President of the United States is the President of every single American,
of every race and every background. Whether you voted for me or not, I
will do my best to serve your interests, and I will work to earn your
respect.
I will be guided by President Jefferson's sense of purpose: to stand for
principle, to be reasonable in manner, and, above all, to do great good
for the cause of freedom and harmony.
The Presidency is more than an honor, more than an office. It is a charge
to keep, and I will give it my all.
Thank you and good night. May God bless America. Source:
George W. Bush for President
Official 2000 Web Site |
