George W. Bush
I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn't like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.Collection: Cutting
Get ready; if the Democrats take the House, your taxes are going up.Collection: House
I was the Commander in Chief with men and women in combat. And the idea of trying to agonize in public or show weakness would have demoralized them.Collection: Men
Today, we're fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life. And as we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world, we remember that the father of our country believed that the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not meant for Americans alone.Collection: Country
One of the things that I will have ended my public service time with is a group of friends, a lot of friends. And I want to stay in touch with them and there's no better way to communicate with them than through email.Collection: Email
I will reach out to others and explain why I make the decisions I make.Collection: Decision
The German asparagus are fabulous.Collection: Asparagus
Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes.Collection: Body
Our long-term security depends on our deep faith in liberty. And we'll continue to promote freedom around the world.Collection: Long
Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons.Collection: Mass Destruction
Nobody's ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq. I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding grounds for terrorists who are willing to use suiciders to kill, to achieve an objective. I have made that case.Collection: September
My attitude is that when we put a youngster in harm's way, somebody who wears our nation's uniform in harm's way, he or she deserves the absolute best.Collection: Attitude
Look at other countries that have tried to have federally controlled health care. They have poor-quality health care. Our health-care system is the envy of the world because we believe in making sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in the nation's capital.Collection: Country
The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent and, with a few hard blows, they can force us to retreat. They are mistaken.Collection: Believe
Where we find young democracies, we need to help them. Where we find the enemy, we need to fight them. And that's exactly the Bush policy.Collection: Fighting
You've got to be pretty hopeless to become a suicide bomber.Collection: Suicide
[Strong marriage] starts with being married to a remarkable person. And I am. I jokingly say that I stood up in front of a crowd once and said, "Laura's the greatest first lady ever," and then realized my mother was in the audience.Collection: Mother
In terms of what people think about me, the truth of the matter is, I guess I care to a certain extent, but not enough to try to go out in the public and plead for some kind of new understanding of me.Collection: Thinking
I served. And now it's time for the new man to serve. I have zero desire to be in the limelight.Collection: Zero
Sometimes armchair quarterbacks are doing it to enhance their own image. I'm just not comfortable with that idea.Collection: Ideas
It's kind of the Washington, D.C., chattering class. They kind of talk amongst themselves.Collection: Class
In terms of trying to re-create an image, I think that's a waste of time. I have no interest in doing that. The decisions I made are done.Collection: Thinking
The decisions I made are done. And history will judge whether or not they were correct. There's no such thing as accurate short-term history.Collection: Judging
I'm comfortable that I made the best decisions I possibly could.Collection: Decision
I regret that we weren't able to reform Social Security. The fact that we weren't able to when we had majorities in the House and the Senate I think reflected poorly on our political party.Collection: Regret
People expect those in authority to take on big problems and to solve them. We had an opportunity to reform Social Security in a way that would have protected people's benefits and created a solvent system. Younger workers would be confident that the money they were putting into the system would be available to them when they retired. It was a missed opportunity. I regret that.Collection: Regret
[The economic crisis ] gave people the option to put money into private accounts.Collection: People
I believe the world would have been a lot worse off if Saddam [Hussein] were in power today.Collection: Believe
I thought Colin Powell did a fine job as secretary of state.Collection: Jobs
I believe that people want to be free. And that we face an enemy that murders innocent people to try to shake our psychology to get us to leave.Collection: Believe
I try to live a faith-filled life. I'm a believer.Collection: Trying
We had a shared experience. That makes a good marriage better. In many ways our marriage is great because she has made it great.Collection: Way
It's exciting for me to see [Laura Bush] busy and out there enjoying what she's doing. But we always make time to be with each other as well.Collection: Busy
I think for Laura [Bush] it was kind of a sense of remorse because she is very close to the girls. They're busy little souls, and so we don't see them as much as we'd like to. But Laura talks to them all the time.Collection: Girl
I think I'm the only president other than John Kennedy who had both parents alive during the presidency.Collection: Thinking
I'm not that worried about [my parents] right now because they are happy people. I'm pleased that in their later years, in spite of physical ailments, they're upbeat.Collection: Years
First of all, you never retire. At least I don't retire.Collection: Firsts
In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.Collection: Iraq
Fighting evil, it's hard work.Collection: Hard Work
There's just something about this job as president every president faces, you know, that you think one thing going in and then the pressures of the job or the realities of the world, you know, are different than you thought.Collection: Jobs
I think soft power definitely can work. But, you know, it depends on who you're dealing with. Some people are so intent upon power and keeping power that it's very difficult to conduct soft power.Collection: Thinking
We have a strong and vital role to play in Iraq, and we certainly cannot leave a vacuum for the insurgents to take over. We are engaged in a conflict from which America cannot afford to cut and run. We must be steadfast in this endeavor, upon which depends not only our future but that of the entire modern world.Collection: Running
Through my Faith-Based and Community Initiative, my Administration continues to encourage the essential work of faith-based and community organizations. Governments can and should support effective social services, including those provided by religious people and organizations. When government gives that support, it is important that faith-based institutions not be forced to change their religious character.Collection: Religious
We've got a cultural issue in America. We've got to change the whole way the issue is looked at. That's the mission. Some in the political process don't have enough patience for that, and I probably don't either.Collection: Humor
Our priorities is our faith.Collection: Humor
We will allow private and religious groups to compete to provide services in every federal, state and local social program.Collection: Religious
Our new faith-based laws have removed government as a roadblock to people of faith who hear the call.Collection: Humor
We should - we will - welcome people of faith into the political process... It is essential that believers enter the arena. Your involvement in politics helps determine how well our democracy works. We have finally learned that government programs cannot solve our problems. Government can hand out money, but government cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our lives.Collection: Heart
I've heard the call. I believe God wants me to run for president.Collection: Running