By: Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty (www.bannerofliberty.com)
February 28, 2001
I had the opportunity to watch President Bush's talk last night in the company of Ngai and her 18 year old daughter, Phuong, who are from Vietnam, one as a visitor, the other as an exchange student. Their reaction to the new President's speech and their reaction to the speech by the Democrats showed that George W. Bush is a far better communicator than the networks and commentators have given him credit for.
Phuong's first comment was a question when Colin Powell walked in with the cabinet. In Vietnam they had watched Madeline Albright on CNN as Clinton's Secretary of State and, while we Americans were supposed to be impressed because she was a woman, Phuong questioned whether I though Albright "knew what she was doing." I thought of the episode when she was mistaken for the cleaning lady at one international meeting. Colin Powell is not going to be mistaken for anything other than what he is - a man used to authority who can command the respect of kings, generals and common people.
As President Bush outlined his program to the Congress, Phuong asked a number of questions. She was extremely interested in his Education program and Ngai nodded approvingly when Bush said:
"The highest percentage increase in our budget should go to our children's education. Education is my top priority and by supporting this budget, you will make it yours as well. Reading is the foundation of all learning, so during the next 5 years, we triple spending, adding another $5 billion to help every child in America learn to read."
When he said:
Values are important, so we have tripled funding for character education to teach our children not only reading and writing, but right from wrong.
Phuong asked what he meant by teaching "right and wrong," I said, "Teaching children morals" she nodded approvingly.
When the President said:
"Children should be tested on basic reading and math skills every year, between grades three and eight. Measuring is the only way to know whether all our children are learning -- and I want to know, because I refuse to leave any child behind. Critics of testing contend it distracts from learning.
- they both nodded and when he went own to explain:
"They talk about 'teaching to the test.' But let us put that logic to the test. If you test children on basic math and reading skills, and you are 'teaching to the test,' you are teaching ... math and reading. And that is the whole idea."
Phuong smiled and nodded. When Bush talked about:
"My budget also increases funding for medical research, which gives hope to many who struggle with serious disease. Our prayers tonight are with one of your own who is engaged in his own fight against cancer, a fine representative and a good man, Congressman Joe Moakley. God bless you, Joe."
Ngai, who is a doctor in Vietnam, leaned forward to listen intently. Both were touched that he singled out Moakley, a liberal Democrat, for such an honor. And, in spite of some difficulty with the English, both understood and appreciated Bush's goals and comments. That, I believe, says a lot about Bush's communication skills.
When Bush recognized the black mayor of Philadelphia, John Street, for his work in encouraging "faith based and community organizations to make a difference in Philadelphia" the Mayor was clearly delighted. And, when Bush went on to say:
I am personally aware of just how effective the Mayor is. Mayor Street is a Democrat. Let the record show that I lost his city.But some things are bigger than politics. So I look forward to coming to your city to see your faith-based programs in action. As government promotes compassion, it also must promote justice. Too many of our citizens have cause to doubt our Nation's justice when the law points a finger of suspicion at groups, instead of individuals."
I knew he was talking about racial profiling, which I had to explain to Phuong and Ngai. However, "profiling" takes more than one form in America. Bill Clinton was constantly "profiling" by race, or ethnicity or sex in his appointments. People were picked because they represented a group, not because they had excelled as individuals.
George W. Bush has a Cabinet composed of blacks, Asians, women, white businessmen, etc - but they are not people chosen for their "minority" status. They were chosen for their competence.
Mayor Street was singled out for recognition, not because he was black and representative of the "African-American group" and certainly not because he was an effective black politician that helped Bush lose his city. He was singled out as someone George W. Bush could work with on faith- based initiatives.
Ngai and Phoung listened throughout the hour long speech, but after listening a few minutes to the Democrat response by Sen. Tom Daschle,
Tony Snow observed after the speech that George W. Bush is the first President with a Master's Degree in Business Management. The second half of his speech, Snow noted, "sounded like a management brief." And, it did. It's nice to know that, after eight years of management chaos, we have a competent manager in the Oval Office. Quoting Yogi Berra, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it" Bush noted:
"Now we come to a fork in the road. We have two choices. Even though we have already met our needs, we could spend the money on more and bigger government. "That is the road our Nation has traveled in recent years. Last year, government spending shot up 8 percent. That is far more than our economy grew, far more than personal income grew and far more than the rate of inflation. If you continue on that road, you will spend the surplus and have to dip into Social Security to pay other bills."Unrestrained government spending is a dangerous road to deficits, so we must take a different path. The other choice is to let the American people spend their own money to meet their own needs, to fund their own priorities and pay down their own debts. I hope you will join me and stand firmly on the side of the people.
"The growing surplus exists because taxes are too high and government is charging more than it needs. The people of America have been overcharged and on their behalf, I am here to ask for a refund. Some say my tax plan is too big, others say it is too small.
"I respectfully disagree. This tax relief is just right.
"I did not throw darts at a board to come up with a number for tax relief. I did not take a poll, or develop an arbitrary formula that might sound good. I looked at problems in the tax code and calculated the cost to fix them."
In the process of outlining his goals for America he said: *
A tax rate of 15 percent is too high for those who earn low wages, so we lowered the rate to 10 percent. No one should pay more than a third of the money they earn in Federal income taxes, so we lowered the top rate to 33 percent. *"Our government should not tax, and thereby discourage marriage, so we reduced the marriage penalty." *
"For lower-income families, my tax relief plan restores basic fairness. Right now, complicated tax rules punish hard work. A waitress supporting two children on $25,000 a year can lose nearly half of every additional dollar she earns. Her overtime, her hardest hours, are taxed at nearly 50 percent. *
Tax relief is right and tax relief is urgent. *
To create economic growth and opportunity, we must put money back into the hands of the people who buy goods and create jobs.
It was a speech that, I believe, will go a long way towards calming the fears of the average family. Both the Democrats, and much of the media today, are fanning the fires of economic and ethnic fears, primarily to get people riled up enough to support them or buy their papers.
Five weeks after the fitful, sleazy departure of Bill Clinton, the liberal Democrats are finding that they have been marginalized by an amiable George W. Bush and an impressive, cabinet that is ready to implement his program. And, if the applause was any indication, he will be helped by a group of moderate Democrats.
To comment: mmostert@bannerofliberty.com
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