"I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American people." President George W. Bush Sept. 2, 2004
"Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to strike America, to attack us, I would have used every resource, every asset, every power of this government to protect the American people." President George W. Bush March 25, 2004
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." President George W. Bush Sept. 1, 2005
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." President George W. Bush Sept. 13, 2001
"Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out." President George W. Bush March 2002
"I don't know where [Osama bin Laden] is and I really don't care. It's
not that important. It's not our priority." President
George W. Bush
March 13, 2003
"Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations." President George W. Bush Oct. 13, 2004
"If you're going to go in and try to topple Saddam Hussein, you have
to go to Baghdad. Once you've got Baghdad, it's not clear what you do with
it. It's not clear what kind of government you would put in place of the
one that's currently there now. Is it going to be a Shia regime, a Sunni
regime or a Kurdish regime? Or one that tilts toward the Ba'athists, or
one that tilts toward the Islamic fundamentalists? How much credibility
is that government going to have if it's set up by the United States military
when it's there? How long does the United States military have to stay
to protect the people that sign on for that govern-ment, and what happens
to it once we leave?" Secretary
of Defense Dick Cheney April 1991
Have you ever used drugs? Marijuana, cocaine?
"I'm not going talk about what I did as a child. What I'm going to
talk about and I'm going to say this consistently: It is irrelevant what
I did 20 to 30 years ago. What's relevant is that I have learned from any
mistakes that I made. I do not want to send signals to anybody that what
Governor Bush did 30 years ago is cool to try." Candidate
for President George W. Bush Feb. 3, 1999
"I am someone who is a uniter, not a divider. I don't believe in group
thought, pitting one group of people against another." Candidate
for President
"The administration I'll bring is a group of men and women who are focused on what's best for America, honest men and women, decent men and women, women who will see service to our country as a great privilege and who will not stain the house." Candidate for President George W. Bush Jan. 15, 2000
"When I was coming up, it was a dangerous world, and you knew exactly who they were. It was us vs them, and it was clear who them was. Today, we are not so sure who the they are, but we know they're there." Candidate for President George W. Bush Jan. 21, 2000
"By far, the vast majority of my tax cuts go to the bottom end of the
spectrum." Candidate
for President
"I worry. I'm very worried about, you know, the kid who just wonders whether America is meant for him. I really worry about that. And uh, so, I'm running for a reason. I'm answering this question here and the answer is, you cannot lead America to a positive tomorrow with revenge on one's mind. Revenge is so incredibly negative." Candidate for President George W. Bush March 23, 2000
"This is a world that is much more uncertain than the past. In the past we were certain, we were certain it was us versus the Russians in the past. We were certain, and therefore we had huge nuclear arsenals aimed at each other to keep the peace. That's what we were certain of ... You see, even though it's an uncertain world, we're certain of some things. We're certain that even though the 'evil empire' may have passed, evil still remains. We're certain there are people that can't stand what America stands for ... We're certain there are madmen in this world, and there's terror, and there's missiles and I'm certain of this, too: I'm certain to maintain the peace, we better have a military of high morale, and I'm certain that under this [Clinton-Gore] administration, morale in the military is dangerously low." Candidate for President George W. Bush May 31, 2000
"When I put my hand on the Bible that day in January 2001, I will swear
"When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart, it changes your life, and that's what happened to me." Candidate for President George W. Bush Sept. 1, 2000
"Americans are tired of investigations and scandal. And the best way to get rid of them is to elect a new president who will bring a new administration, who will restore honor and dignity to the White House." Candidate for President George W. Bush Sept. 15, 2000
"I'm not sure the role of the United States is to go around the world
and say 'this is the way it's got to be...' I would be very careful about
using our troops as nation builders." Candidate
for President
"I think credibility is important. It's going to be important to be
the
"I want to be judicious as to how to use the military. It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the exit strategy obvious." Candidate for President George W. Bush Oct. 11, 2000
"The individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States unless and until the state legislature chooses a statewide election as the means to implement its power to appoint members of the Electoral College. U.S. Const., Art. II, §1. This is the source for the statement in McPherson v. Blacker, 146 U.S. 1, 35 (1892), that the State legislature's power to select the manner for appointing electors is plenary; it may, if it so chooses, select the electors itself, which indeed was the manner used by State legislatures in several States for many years after the Framing of our Constitution. Id., at 28-33. History has now favored the voter, and in each of the several States the citizens themselves vote for Presidential electors. When the state legislature vests the right to vote for President in its people, the right to vote as the legislature has prescribed is fundamental; and one source of its fundamental nature lies in the equal weight accorded to each vote and the equal dignity owed to each voter. The State, of course, after granting the franchise in the special context of Article II, can take back the power to appoint electors. See id., at 35 ("[T]here is no doubt of the right of the legislature to resume the power at any time, for it can neither be taken away nor abdicated") (quoting S. Rep. No. 395, 43d Cong., 1st Sess.)." Bush v. Gore Supreme Court of the U.S. Dec. 12, 2000
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." President George W. Bush Dec. 18, 2000
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." President George W. Bush sworn into office, Jan. 20, 2001
"I look forward to doing what is right to make the world more peaceful." President George W. Bush Jan. 20, 2001
"We must remember the high standards that come with high office. This begins [with] careful adherence to the rules. I expect every member of this administration to stay well within the boundaries that define legal and ethical conduct." President George W. Bush Jan. 22, 2001
"[Saddam Husssein] has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors." Secretary of State Colin Powell Feb. 24, 2001
"Does Saddam now have weapons of mass destruction? Sure, he does. We know he has chemical weapons. We know he has biological weapons. We have been unable to ferret them out and find them. We couldn't do it when we had inspectors on the ground. We won't be able to do it if the inspectors return. How far he's gone on the nuclear weapons side, I don't think we really know. My guess is it's further than we think. It's always further than we think because we limit ourselves, as we think about this, to what we're able to prove and demonstrate. And unless you believe that we have uncovered everything, you have to assume there is more than we're able to report. And that's the history of these things." Chairman of the Defense Policy Board Richard Perle March 1, 2001
"Tax relief is central to my plan to encourage economic growth, and we can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits, even if the economy softens. Projections for the surplus in my budget are cautious and conservative. They already assume an economic slowdown in the year 2001." President George W. Bush March 27, 2001
"We need to counter the shockwave of the evildoer by having individual rate cuts accelerated and by thinking about tax rebates." President George W. Bush Oct. 4, 2001
"I want Congress to hear loud and clear, it is unacceptable behavior to leak classified information when we have troops at risk." President George W. Bush Oct. 10, 2001
"Well, this is a process that we set in motion; the president signed the order yesterday. And basically, what it says is it sets up a procedure whereby he will make the decision in each case in terms of whether or not a particular suspect, individual who's come into our custody is transferred, if you will, from the traditional sort of criminal procedural branch of our government through the courts over to the special military tribunals." Vice President Dick Cheney Nov. 14, 2001
... how did you feel when you heard about the terrorist attack?
"... I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw
an airplane hit the tower
"To those who pit Americans against immigrants, and citizens against
non-citizens; to those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost
liberty; my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists
"Our efforts have been crafted carefully to avoid infringing on constitutional rights, while saving American lives. ... Charges of kangaroo courts and shredding the Constitution give new meaning to the term 'fog of war.'" Attorney General John Ashcroft Dec. 6, 2001
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for Him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you." Attorney General John Ashcroft Feb. 11, 2002
"I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. Let me give simple, responsible reasons: (1) It was a cakewalk last time; (2) they've become much weaker; (3) we've become much stronger; and (4) now we're playing for keeps.Conservative pundit and former Ambassador Kenneth L. Adelman Feb. 13, 2002
"Civilized people
"I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would
take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another
one and slam it into the Pentagon; that they would try to use an airplane
as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile. All of this reporting about
hijacking was about traditional hijacking. You take a plane
"Based on everything I've seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the horror of September the 11th." President George W. Bush June 2, 2002
"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace. We want there to be peace. We want people to live in peace all around the world. I mean, our vision for peace extends beyond America. We believe in peace in South Asia. We believe in peace in the Middle East. We're going to be steadfast toward a vision that rejects terror and killing, and honors peace and hope." President George W. Bush June 18, 2002
"We need common sense judges who understand that our rights are derived from God. Those are the kind of judges I intend to put on the bench." President George W. Bush June 27, 2002
"I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now, watch this drive." President George W. Bush Aug. 4, 2002
"There's no telling how many wars it will take to secure freedom in the homeland." President George W. Bush Aug. 5, 2002
"Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists. Alliances with terrorists could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints." President George W. Bush Aug. 10, 2002
"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons
of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against
our friends, against our allies, and against us." Vice
President Dick Cheney
Aug. 26, 2002, and repeated verbatim Aug. 29, 2002
"We do know that he is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. ... We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice Sept. 10, 2002
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." President George W. Bush Sept. 12, 2002
"We do know that the Iraqi regime has chemical and biological weapons.
His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons
"No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Sept. 19, 2002
"The Senate is more interested in special interests in Washington and not interested in the security of the American people." President George W. Bush Sept. 25, 2002
"The danger to our country is grave. The danger to our country is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons. The Iraqi regime is building the facilities necessary to make more biological and chemical weapons. And according to the British government, the Iraqi regime could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order were given." President George W. Bush Sept. 26, 2002
"The danger to America from the Iraqi regime is grave and growing. ... In defiance of pledges to the United Nations, Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons. Saddam Hussein has used these weapons of death against innocent Iraqi people, and we have every reason to believe he will use them again." President George W. Bush Oct. 5, 2002
"Some worry that a change of leadership in Iraq could create instability
and make the situation worse. The situation could hardly get worse, for
world security and for the people of Iraq. ...America must not ignore the
threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot
wait for the final proof
"When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security and that of our allies in the Persian Gulf region. I will vote yes because I believe it is the best way to hold Saddam Hussein accountable. And the administration, I believe, is now committed to a recognition that war must be the last option to address this threat, not the first, and that we must act in concert with allies around the globe to make the world's case against Saddam Hussein. " Sen. John Kerry Oct. 9, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security. " Sen. Hillary Clinton Oct. 10, 2002
"I am the commander, see? I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the President. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation." President George W. Bush Nov. 19, 2002
"We have intelligence information about what Saddam Hussein possesses. He has chemical and biological weapons and he has missiles that can reach in excess of 150 kilometers, all three of which are violations of his sworn commitments to the United Nations. ... We believe, and we have said publicly, they continue to have weapons of mass destruction, biological weapons and chemical weapons." White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer Dec. 4, 2002
"The President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would not assert as plainly and bluntly as they have that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction if it was not true, and if they did not have a solid basis for saying it." White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer Dec. 5, 2002
"The Iraqi regime is a grave threat to the United States. The Iraqi regime is a threat to any American and to threats who are friends of America." President George W. Bush Jan. 3, 2003
"We know for a fact there are weapons there." White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer Jan. 9, 2003
"[Saddam Hussein]]'s regime has large unaccounted for stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons including VX, sarin, mustard gas, anthrax, botulism and possibly smallpox. And he has an active program to acquire and develop nuclear weapons. His regime has violated some 16 United Nations resolutions, repeatedly defying the will of the international community, without cost or consequence. As the president warned the United Nations last fall, Saddam Hussein's regime is a grave and gathering danger. It's a danger to its neighbors, to the United States, to the Middle East and to the international peace and stability. It's a danger we cannot ignore. ... Iraq is unique. No other living dictator has shown the same deadly combination of capability and intent, of aggression against its neighbors, pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, the use of chemical weapons against his own people as well as against his neighbors, oppression of his own people, support of terrorism and the most threatening hostility to its neighbors and to the United States as has Iraq. In both word and deed, Iraq has demonstrated that it is seeking the means to strike the United States and our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction for a reason, so that it can acquire the territory and assert influence over its neighbors." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Jan. 20, 2003
"The dictator of Iraq has got weapons of mass destruction. He has used
weapons of mass destruction. He can't stand America and what we stand for.
He can't stand our friends and allies. He's a dangerous, dangerous man
with dangerous, dangerous weapons. And that's why the world came together
at the United Nations Security Council and said, Mr. Saddam Hussein must
disarm. The message was as clear as can possibly be delivered
"Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. In such quantities, these chemical agents could also kill untold thousands." President George W. Bush Jan. 28, 2003
"Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody, reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists including members of al-Qaida." President George W. Bush Jan. 28, 2003
"Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction poses a grave
danger
"[Saddam Hussein's] regime has the design for a nuclear weapons, was working on several different methods of enriching uranium, and recently was discovered seeking significant quantities of uranium from Africa.Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Jan. 31, 2003
"My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence. ... Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical weapons agent. That is enough agent to fill 16,000 battlefield rockets. Even the low end of 100 tons of agent would enable Saddam Hussein to cause mass casualties across more than 100 square miles of territory, an area nearly five times the size of Manhattan. ... Saddam Hussein is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb. He is so determined that he has made repeated covert attempts to acquire high- specification aluminum tubes from 11 different countries, even after inspections resumed." Secretary of State Colin Powell Feb. 5, 2003
"It is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Feb. 7, 2003
"The Iraqi regime has actively and secretly attempted to obtain equipment needed to produce chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Firsthand witnesses have informed us that Iraq has at least seven mobile factories for the production of biological agents -- equipment mounted on trucks and rails to evade discovery. The Iraqi regime has acquired and tested the means to deliver weapons of mass destruction. It has never accounted for thousands of bombs and shells capable of delivering chemical weapons. It is actively pursuing components for prohibited ballistic missiles. And we have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." President George W. Bush Feb. 8, 2003
"This is about imminent threat." White House Press Spokesman Scott McClellan Feb. 10, 2003
"Saddam Hussein is not disarming. This is a fact. It cannot be denied.
Saddam Hussein has a long history of reckless aggression and terrible crimes.
He possesses weapons of terror. He provides funding and training and safe
haven to terrorists
"The President does believe that Iraq is a direct threat to the United States as a result of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, particularly biological and chemical weapons." White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer March 11, 2003
"I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." Vice President Dick Cheney March 16, 2003
"The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations." President George W. Bush March 16, 2003
"We believe [Saddam Hussein] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." Vice President Dick Cheney March 16, 2003
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. ... The danger is clear: using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country, or any other. ... Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power." President George W. Bush March 17, 2003
"There is no question we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical." President George W. Bush March 17, 2003
"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? It's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" Former First Lady Barbara Bush March 17, 2003
"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder." President George W. Bush March 19, 2003
"The use of armed force against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." President George W. Bush March 21, 2003
"This new century now challenges the hopes for a new world order in new ways. We will not defeat or even contain fanatical terror unless we can carry the war to the territories from which it is launched. This will sometimes require that we use force against states that harbour terrorists, as we did in destroying the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The most dangerous of these states are those that also possess weapons of mass destruction. Iraq is one, but there are others." Chairman of the Defense Policy Board Richard Perle March 21, 2003
"Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly." White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer March 21, 2003
"Our mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." President George W. Bush March 22, 2003
"We have seen intelligence over many months that they have chemical and biological weapons, and that they have dispersed them and that they're weaponized and that, in one case at least, the command and control arrangements have been established." Secretary of Defense Donald M. Rumsfeld March 23, 2003
"We're dealing with a country [Iraq] that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon." Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz March 27, 2003
"We know where they [Iraq's weapons of mass destruction] are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld March 30, 2003
"But make no mistake
"We have no interest in the oil [in Iraq]." Vice President Dick Cheney April 14, 2003
"We are learning more as we interrogate or have discussions with Iraqi scientists and people within the Iraqi structure, that perhaps he destroyed some, perhaps he dispersed some. And so we will find them." President George W. Bush April 24, 2003
"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. ... The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11th, 2001 and still goes on. ... The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of Al Qaida and cut off a source of terrorist funding. And this much is certain: No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the regime is no more." President George W. Bush May 1, 2003
"Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. ... We'll find them. And it's just going to be a matter of time to do so." President George W. Bush May 3, 2003
"Well, we have had over the period of time, the intelligence community
has, the Central Intelligence Agency, a good deal of intelligence information
which, when you put it all together, it makes a very persuasive case. And
I'm
"I'm absolutely sure that there are weapons of mass destruction there and the evidence will be forthcoming. We're just getting it just now." Secretary of State Colin Powell May 4, 2003
"U.S. officials never expected that we were going to open garages and find weapons of mass destruction." National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice May 12, 2003
"Given time, given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers May 26, 2003
"They may have had time to destroy them, and I don't know the answer." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld May 27, 2003
"By the way, I've never
"The truth is that for reasons that have a lot to do with the U.S. government bureaucracy, we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason." Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz May 29, 2003
"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories ... and we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, we found them." President George W. Bush May 30, 2003
"I can assure you that this war was not waged under any false pretext. We believed then and we believe now that the Iraqis have, had chemical weapons, biological weapons and that they had a program to develop nuclear weapons but did not have nuclear weapons." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld May 30, 2003
"We've made sure Iraq is not going to serve as an arsenal for terrorist groups. ... We're on the look. We'll reveal the truth. But one thing is certain: no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime because the Iraqi regime is no more." President George W. Bush June 6, 2003
"This nation acted to a threat from the dictator of Iraq. Now, there
are some who would like to rewrite history
"For more than a decade, Saddam Hussein went to great lengths to hide his weapons from the world. And in the regime's final days, documents and suspected weapons sites were looted and burned. Yet all who know the dictator's history agree that he possessed chemical and biological weapons and that he used chemical weapons in the past." President George W. Bush June 21, 2003
"There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there [in Iraq]. My answer is: Bring them on. We have the force necessary to deal with the situation." President George W. Bush July 2, 2003
"I am confident that Saddam Hussein had a weapons of mass destruction program." President George W. Bush July 9, 2003
"I think the intelligence I get is darn good intelligence. And the speeches I have given were backed by good intelligence. And I am absolutely convinced today, like I was convinced when I gave the speeches, that Saddam Hussein developed a program of weapons of mass destruction, and that our country made the right decision. ... The larger point is and the fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in. And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power ..." President George W. Bush July 14, 2003
"I take responsibility for putting our troops into action. And I made that decision because Saddam Hussein was a threat to our security and a threat to the security of other nations. ... We won't be proven wrong. I believe that we will find the truth. And the truth is he was developing a program for weapons of mass destruction. We based our decisions on good, sound intelligence ... and the truth will say that this intelligence was good intelligence. There's no doubt in my mind." President George W. Bush July 17, 2003
"In order to placate the critics and the cynics about intentions of the United States, we need to produce evidence, and I fully understand that. I'm confident that our search will yield that which I strongly believe, that Saddam had a weapons program." President George W. Bush July 30, 2003
"There's no question that Iraq was a threat to the people of the United States." White House Press Spokesman Claire Buchan Aug. 26, 2003
"I don't understand how poor people think." President George W. Bush Aug. 26, 2003
"This is not just about Iraq or just about the difficulties we might encounter in any one part of the country in terms of restoring security and stability. This is about a continuing operation on the war on terror. And it's very, very important we get it right. If we're successful in Iraq, if we can stand up a good representative government in Iraq, that secures the region so that it never again becomes a threat to its neighbors or to the United States, so it's not pursuing weapons of mass destruction, so that it's not a safe haven for terrorists, now we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11." Vice President Dick Cheney Sept. 14, 2003
"No-one believes in our First Amendment civil liberties more than this administration." Attorney General John Ashcroft Sept. 16, 2003
"A year from now I'd be surprised if there's not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush." Chairman of the Defense Policy Board Richard Perle Sept. 22, 2003
"And listen, we're making good progress in Iraq. Sometimes it's hard to tell it when you listen to the filter [of critics]. We're making good progress." President George W. Bush Oct. 6, 2003
"Why is this man in the White House?" he asked. "The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this." Lt. General William G. Boykin, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Oct. 17, 2003
"I appreciate people's opinions, but I'm more interested in news. And the best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what's happening in the world." President George W. Bush Oct. 17, 2003
"I came to this office to solve problems and not pass them on to future presidents and future generations." President George W. Bush Dec. 1, 2003
"A hopeful day has arrived. All Iraqis can now come together and reject
violence and build a new Iraq." President
George W. Bush,
announcing
the capture of Saddam Hussein, Dec. 15, 2003
"I think [Saddam Hussein] ought to receive the ultimate penalty ...
for what he has done to his people. I mean, he is a torturer, a murderer.
They had rape rooms. This is a disgusting tyrant who deserves justice,
the ultimate justice." President
George W. Bush
Dec. 17, 2003
"But, in regards to Saddam Hussein, if in fact he didn't have them, why on earth didn't he let the U.N. inspectors in* and avoid the war? That is a real puzzlement to me." Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) Chairman, Intelligence Committee Jan. 25, 2004
"I said in the run-up to the war against Iraq that -- first of all, I hoped the international community would take care of him. I was hoping the United Nations would enforce its resolutions, one of many. And then we went to the United Nations, of course, and got an overwhelming resolution -- 1441 -- unanimous resolution, that said to Saddam, you must disclose and destroy your weapons programs, which obviously meant the world felt he had such programs. He chose defiance. It was his choice to make, and he did not let us in*." President George W. Bush Jan. 27, 2004
"There is no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein was a grave and gathering threat to America and the world." President George W. Bush Jan. 28, 2004
"I think some in the media have chosen to use the word 'imminent'. Those were not words we used. We used 'grave and gathering' threat." White House Spokesman Scott McClellan Jan. 28, 2004
"If you cannot rely on good, accurate intelligence that is credible to the American people and to others abroad, you certainly can't have a policy of preemption. Pristine intelligence -- good, accurate intelligence -- is a fundamental benchstone of any sort of policy of preemption to even be thought about." Former U.S. Weapons Inspector David Kay Feb. 1, 2004
"Because we acted, nations of the Middle East no longer need to fear reckless aggression from a ruthless dictator who had the intent and capability to inflict great harm on his people and people around the world." President George W. Bush Feb. 4, 2004
"I am carrying out divine commands." President George W. Bush Feb. 5, 2004
"He [Saddam Hussein] had the capacity to have a weapon, make a weapon. We thought he had weapons. The international community thought he had weapons. But he had the capacity to make a weapon and then let that weapon fall into the hands of a shadowy terrorist network." President George W. Bush Feb. 8, 2004
"Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to strike America, to attack us, I would have used every resource, every asset, every power of this government to protect the American people." President George W. Bush March 25, 2004
"I step back and I've asked myself a lot, is there anything we could
have done to stop the attacks. Of course, I've asked that question
"I think [the war in Iraq is] a total nightmare and disaster, and I'm ashamed that I went against my own instincts in supporting it. It's something I'll never do again. Never. I got convinced by a friend of mine who's smarter than I am, and I shouldn't have done that. No. I want things to work out, but I'm enraged by it, actually." Commentator Tucker Carlson May 12, 2004
"He [Saddam Hussein] was a patron of terrorism. He had long established ties with al Qaida." Vice President Dick Cheney June 14, 2004
"I think we have said, and it is clear, that there is a connection, and we have seen these connections between al-Qaeda and the regime of Saddam Hussein, and we stick with that. We have not said it was related to 9/11." Secretary of State Colin Powell June 16, 2004
"There clearly was a relationship [between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein]. It's been testified to. The evidence is overwhelming. It goes back to the early '90s. It involves a whole series of contacts, high-level contacts with Osama bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence officials." Vice President Dick Cheney June 18, 2004
"The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda [is] because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda." President George W. Bush June 18, 2004
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful
"We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be the struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of the free world." President George W. Bush Aug. 6, 2004
"Let me put it to you bluntly: In a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life." President George W. Bush Aug. 9, 2004
"A lot of airline companies, a lot of manufacturers in the past got shut down because of all kinds of lawsuits. And these lawsuits, we want good justice in America, but when the trial bar converts the law into a legal lottery, it begins to affect jobs. You just got to know that. It's one thing to have justice; it's another thing to go overboard with justice, because people start to lose work." President George W. Bush Aug. 11, 2004
"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think PATRIOT Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution." President George W. Bush April 20, 2004
"Our nation has the best health care in the world and President Bush is making it more affordable and accessible to all Americans." Vice President Dick Cheney Sept. 1, 2004
"I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch." President George W. Bush Sept. 2, 2004
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November second, we make the right choice. Because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States." Vice President Dick Cheney Sept. 7, 2004
"The CIA laid out several scenarios [about Iraq's future]. It said that life could be lousy, life could be OK, life could be better. And they were just guessing as to what the conditions might be like." President George W. Bush Sept. 21, 2004
"I don't see how you can lead this country to succeed in Iraq if you say "wrong war, wrong time, wrong place." What message does that send our troops? What message does that send our allies? What message does that send the Iraqis?" President George W. Bush Oct. 1, 2004
"I'm not so sure it's credible to quote leading news organizations about
"Over the past four years, I have brought a straightforward approach to the presidency. I tell you what I am going to do, and I keep my word." President George W. Bush Oct. 16, 2004
"A political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as Commander-In-Chief." President George W. Bush Oct. 27, 2004
"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." Attorney General John Ashcroft Nov. 10, 2004
"The essential constitutional understanding is that courts are not equipped to execute the law. They are not accountable to the people. And they lack the knowledge and expertise essential for the effective administration of government. ... The danger I see here is that intrusive judicial oversight and second-guessing of presidential determinations in these critical areas can put at risk the very security of our nation in a time of war. These encroachments include some of the most fundamental aspects of the president's conduct of the war on terrorism. ... The latitude and discretion reserved for the president under our Constitution must, of course, be greatest in the areas of national security and foreign relations, especially during times of war and national crisis." Former Attorney General John Ashcroft Nov. 12, 2004
How is it the new [Social Security] plan is going to fix that problem?
"Because the
"This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. (Short pause) And having said that, all options are on the table." (Laughter)President George W. Bush Feb. 22, 2005
"Pervasive fear is the foundation of every dictatorial regime
"I believe in open government. I've always believed in open government. ... You know, I don't email, however. And there's a reason. I don't want you reading my personal stuff. There has got to be a certain sense of privacy. You know, you're entitled to how I make decisions. And you're entitled to ask questions, which I answer. I don't think you're entitled to be able to read my mail between my daughters and me." President George W. Bush April 14, 2005
"This war came to us, not the other way around." Secretary of State Condileezza Rice May 15, 2005
"The United States is leading the way when it comes to protecting human
rights and promoting human dignity. We have liberated 50 million people
in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have worked to advance freedom and democracy
in the world so that people are governed under a rule of law and that there
are protection
"One of the main jobs we have here in Washington is to protect our country.
You see, not only did the attacks [of
"I don't want to alarm everybody that, you know, New Orleans is filling
up like a bowl. That's just not happening." Bill
Lokey,
FEMA
Press Spokesman for New Orleans Aug. 30, 2005
"I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. And to find people still there is just heart-wrenching to me because, you know, the mayor did everything he could to get them out of there. So, we've got to figure out some way to convince people that whenever warnings go out it's for their own good. Now, I don't want to second guess why they did that. My job now is to get relief to them." FEMA Director Michael Brown Sept. 1, 2005
"I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don't have food and water." Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Sept. 1, 2005
"Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." President George W. Bush Sept. 1, 2005
"The good news is
"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." President
George W. Bush, to FEMA Director Michael Brown,
the morning after Brown learned from Ted Koppel that there were thousands
of hungry evacuees in the Convention Center,
Sept. 2, 2005
"I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving." Sen. Rick Santorum [R-Pennsylvania] Sept. 3, 2005
"We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did." Rep. Richard H. Baker [R-Louisiana] Sept. 10, 2005
"Congress is preparing an investigation, and I will work with members of both parties to make sure this effort is thorough." President George W. Bush Sept. 15, 2005
"Chang is a mystical warrior. Chang is some-body who believes in conservative principles, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism, believes in moral values that underpin a free society. I rely on Chang with great regularity in my public life. He has been by my side and sometimes I let him down. But Chang, this mystical warrior, has never let me down." Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida Sept. 18, 2005
"In Washington you can ordinarily rely on some basic measure of truthfulness and good faith in the conduct of political debate. But in the last several weeks we have seen a wild departure from that tradition. And the suggestion that's been made by some US senators that the president of the United States or any member of this administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city." Vice President Dick Cheney Nov. 17, 2005
"[S]uccessful free societies protect the rights of a minority against
the tyranny of the majority. The promise of democracy begins with free
elections and majority rule
"We've got Chavez in Venezuela with a lot of oil money. He's a person
who was elected legally
"I want Congress to hear loud and clear, it is unacceptable behavior to leak classified information when we have troops at risk." President George W. Bush Oct. 10, 2001
Given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice
President Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand
by what you said several months ago, a suggestion that it might be difficult
to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name? And, and, do you stand
by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?
"Yes." President
George W. Bush June 10, 2004
"Listen, I know of nobody
"The President has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration." White House Press Spokesman Scott McClellan Sept. 29, 2003
"One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, can you ever win the war on terror? Of course, you can." President George W. Bush April 13, 2004
"I don't think you can win it [the war on terror], but I think you can create conditions so that the, uh, those who use terror as a tool are, uh, less acceptible in parts of the world, let's put it that way." President George W. Bush Aug. 30, 2004
"We are winning the war against these terrorists. We will win this war against the terrorists." President George W. Bush Aug. 31, 2004
Mr. President. In the last campaign, you were asked a question about
the biggest mistake you'd made in your life, and you used to like to joke
that it was trading Sammy Sosa. You've looked back before 9/11 for what
mistakes might have been made. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake
be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?
"Hmmm. I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of
time, so I could plan for it. Uh [5 second pause] John, I'm sure historians
will look back and say, gosh, he could have done it better this way, or
that way, uh. [5 second pause] You know, I just
"We believe [Saddam Hussein] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." Vice President Dick Cheney March 16, 2003
"I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld May 14, 2003
"Here's, here's the bottom line on this for every American and everybody in the world, nobody knows for sure, all right? We don't know what [Saddam Hussein] has. We think he has 8,500 liters of anthrax. But let's see. But there's a doubt on both sides. And I said on my program, if, if the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush Administration again, all right? But I'm giving my government the benefit of the doubt ... If he has 8,500 liters of anthrax that he's not going to give up, even though the United Nations demanded that he do that, we are doing the right thing. If he doesn't have any weapons, then we are doing the wrong thing. So, we'll see." Commentator Bill O'Reilly March 18, 2003
"Well, my analysis was wrong and I'm sorry. Absolutely. You know. And I'm not pleased about it. ... Yeah, I just said it. What do you want me to do? Go over and kiss the camera? All right. I was wrong. I'm not pleased about it at all. And I think all Americans should be concerned about this. ... I am much more skeptical of the Bush administration now than I, I was at that time. Absolutely." Commentator Bill O'Reilly Feb. 10, 2004