From: puccio@media.mit.edu (Jim Puccio)
Subject: FAQ: The Record Thing
Organization: M.I.T. Media Laboratory
Distribution: alt
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 08:23:11 GMT

-------------------------- GEORGE AND DAN, YEAR ZERO --------------------------

26-APR-88:  Bush explains, "To kind of suddenly try to get my hair colored, and
    dance up and down in a miniskirt or do something, you know, show that I've
    got a lot of jazz out there and drop a bunch of one-liners, I'm running for
    president of the United States ... I kind of think I'm a scintillating
    kind of fellow."

 2-AUG-88:  Bush declares, "I will never apologize for the United States of
    America, ever.  I don't care what the facts are."

16-AUG-88:  Quayle blames staff for inflated job description on resume.

17-AUG-88:  Quayle sums up the campaign: "The real question of 1988 is whether
    we're going to go forward to tomorrow or past to the -- to the back!"

23-AUG-88:  James Quayle (Dan's dad) says Dan "doesn't have the greatest smarts
    in the world," and that his "main interests in school were broads and
    booze."

25-AUG-88:  Quayle says his work on the Senate Armed Services Commission
    involved getting cruise missiles "more accurate so that we can have precise
    precision."

27-AUG-88:  Quayle says "Although in public I refer to him as Mr. Vice 
    President, in private I call him George ... When I called him on the phone
    yesterday, I called him George rather than Mr. Vice President.  But in 
    public, it's Mr. Vice President because that's who he is."

 8-SEP-88:  Quayle makes the deep observation that "Republicans understand the
    importance of bondage between parent and child."

 8-SEP-88:  Marilyn Quayle claims that Dan "really is the studious sort" who
    "tries to read Plato's Republic every year."

 9-SEP-88:  Quayle claims to have defended steel quotas in face-to-face 
    encounter with Reagan by looking him "right across the eyes."

21-SEP-88:  Quayle claims that "We're going to have the best-educated American
    people in the world."

28-SEP-88:  Quayle prophetically observes that "people that are really very 
    weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on
    history."

 6-OCT-88:  Quayle, unable to reply in a debate to the question of what he'd do
    if he suddenly became President, says, "I had not had that question 
    before."

 9-OCT-88:  Quayle, on why his parents' ties to the John Birch Sociery aren't
    relevant:  "Because.  Because I say it isn't."

10-OCT-88:  Quayle explains what he will do if he becomes President: "Certainly
    I know what to do, and when I am Vice President -- and when I will be --
    there will be contingency plans under different situations.  And I'll tell
    you what -- I'm not going to go out and have a news conference about it,
    I'm going to put it in a safe and keep it there!  Does that answer the
    question?"

18-OCT-88:  Quayle: "I am the future!"

21-OCT-88:  Bush rightfully observes, "It's no exaggeration to say the 
    undecideds could go one way or another."

27-OCT-88:  Quayle: "I would guess that there's adequate low-income housing in
    this country."

28-OCT-88:  The Philadelphia Daily News refuses to endorse Bush because "he
    pretends, despite all the evidence, that J. Danforth Quayle is not a
    callow moron."

 4-NOV-88:  Brett Kimberlin is placed in solitary confinement so he can't call
    a prison press conference and claim that he used to sell pot to Quayle.

 5-NOV-88:  Quayle cites as proof of his commitment to the environment, "I take
    my children hiking and fishing, walking in the woods."

10-NOV-88:  Quayle holds pumpkin next to head.

18-NOV-88:  Quayle tells 11-year old girl that he'd want her to have the baby
    if whe were raped by her father.

-------------------------- GEORGE AND DAN, YEAR ONE --------------------------

31-JAN-89:  Quayle says the US "condones violence in El Salvador."

 3-FEB-89:  Quayle says the US expects Salvadoran officials "to work toward
    the elimination of human rights."

13-MAR-89:  Quayle gloats over his enemies, "I'm the Vice President.  They know
    it, and they know that I know it."

31-MAR-89:  Bush establishes the President's Council on Competitiveness, an
    agency dedicated to furtively undoing environmental and safety regulations
    on business; names Quayle chairman.

24-APR-89:  Quayle, visiting a Chicago school, exhorts students "We will move
    forward, we will move upward, and yes, we will move onward."

25-APR-89:  Bush enthuses, "High tech is potent, precise, and in the end,
    unbeatable.  The truth is, it reminds a lot of people of the way I pitch
    horseshoes.  Would you believe some of the people?  Would you believe our
    dog?  Look, I want to give the high-five symbol to high tech."

25-APR-89:  Quayle, visiting American Samoa, tells natives, "You all look like
    happy campers to me.  Happy campers you are, happy campers you have been,
    and as far as I am concerned, happy campers you will always be."  Calls
    Pago Pago "Pogo Pogo."

 9-MAY-89:  Quayle, addressing the United Negro College Fund, says "'What a
    waste it is to lose one's mind,' or 'Not to have a mind is being very
    wasteful.'  How true that is."

22-MAY-89:  Quayle declares, "I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward
    more freedom and democracy -- but that could change."

13-JUN-89:  Bush vetoes bill raising minimum wage from $3.35 to $4.55/hour.

15-JUL-89:  Quayle, noting upcoming 20th anniversary of the moonwalk, refers to
    astronaut Buzz Aldrin as Buzz Lukens (an Ohio congressman jailed for having
    sex with a 16-year old girl).

16-JUL-89:  Bush says, "I've had no indication from home, nor have we picked
    up any here that they felt the US economy was headed towards a recession"

20-JUL-89:  Quayle addresses the 20th anniversary celebration of the moonwalk:
    "Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts."

31-JUL-89:  Bush vetoes bill restricting developing the FSX fighter jet with
    Japan.

11-AUG-89:  Quayle explains why we should send men to Mars:  "Mars is
    essentially in the same orbit.  Mars is somewhat the same distance from the
    sun, which is very important.  We have seen pictures where there are 
    canals, we believe, and water.  If there is water, that means there is
    oxygen.  If oxygen, that means we can breathe."

16-AUG-89:  Bush vetoes bill on enrollment requirements for S&L bailout.

 2-OCT-89:  Quayle declares, "Japan is an important ally of ours.  Japan and
    the United States of the western industrialized capacity, 60 percent of the
    GNP, two countries.  That's a statement in and of itself."

19-OCT-89:  Quayle calls the San Francisco earthquake, "a heart-rendering
    sight.  The loss of life will be irreplaceable."

21-OCT-89:  Bush vetoes bill allowing federal funding of abortions for victims
    of rape or incest.

27-OCT-89:  Bush vetoes budget measure expanding DC's use of federal and local
    money to pay for abortions.

19-NOV-89:  Bush vetoes foreign aid bill including money for a UN family
    planning agency.

20-NOV-89:  Bush vetoes budget measure for DC allowing money from local taxes
    to be spent on abortions.

21-NOV-89:  Bush vetoes measure creating a congressional commission to 
    investigate and propose solutions to the Eastern Airlines strike, then in
    its eight month.

21-NOV-89:  Bush vetoes bill authorizing State Department operations containing
    provisions that he felt would tie his hands in foreign policy.

30-NOV-89:  Bush vetoes legislation allowing Chinese students to stay in the US
    after their visas expired, which would have protected them from reprisals
    by the government in the wake of the Tianamen Square massacre.

 1-DEC-89:  With Bush away on a trip, White House aides alert the media that
    Quayle stayed very, very late in the situation room, "ran effective 
    meetings," and "asked the right questions."

 6-DEC-89:  Quayle says, "One word sums up probably the responsibility of any
    Vice President, and that one word is 'to be prepared.'"

21-DEC-89:  Quayle sends out 30,000 Christmas cards that read "May our nation
    continue to be the beakon of hope to the world."  Gives Bush a toilet-paper
    dispenser that plays "Hail to the Chief" when paper is unrolled.

30-DEC-89:  Quayle says, "I spend a great deal of time with the President.  We
    have a very close, personal relationship.  I'm not, as they say, a potted
    plant in these meetings."

30-DEC-89:  Bush: "We have a complicated three-way conundrum at this point."

-------------------------- GEORGE AND DAN, YEAR TWO --------------------------

23-MAR-90:  Quayle observes, "If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of
    failure."

 1-MAY-90:  Quayle warns of asteroids crashing into Earth: "Those same
    asteroids which promise material wealth can be a threat as well."

24-MAY-90:  Bush vetoes Amtrak reauthorization bill expanding the government's
    regulatory power over freight railroads.

15-JUN-90:  Bush vetoes bill allowing Federal workers to take part in partisan
    political activities.

10-JUL-90:  Bush vetoes bill guaranteeing workers unpaid time off for births,
    adoptions, or medical emergencies of family members.

 5-SEP-90:  Quayle observes, "For NASA, space is still a high priority."

18-SEP-90:  Quayle observes again, "Quite frankly, teachers are the only
    profession that teach our children."

22-SEP-90:  Quayle says of the Middle East, "We are ready for any unforseen
    event which may or may not occur."

26-SEP-90:  Quayle announces support for efforts to "limit the terms of members
    of Congress, especially members of the House, and members of the Senate."

 2-OCT-90:  Quayle observes, "from a historical basis, Middle East conflicts do
    not last a long time."

 5-OCT-90:  Bush vetoes bill restricting the growth of textile and clothing
    imports  to 1%/annum, and freezing shoe imports at 1989 levels.

 6-OCT-90:  Bush vetoes bill that would have kept the government running until
    October 12 in the absence of a budget agreement.

 9-OCT-90:  Quayle visits an elementary school and tells a 4-year-old girl that
    "I work with the President almost on a daily basis.  I was with him until
    6:30 last night.  I'll be with him Thursday morning.  We talk every day."

12-OCT-90:  Quayle says of David Duke's candidacy, "Unfortunately, the people
    of Lousiana are not racists."

22-OCT-90:  Bush vetoes bill that would have reversed Supreme Court decisions
    that limited the effect of federal laws against job discrimination, saying
    it would lead to quotas.

November, 90:  Bush "pocket vetoes" a bill to stop companies from making huge
    and unintended profits under a law to spur production of drugs for rare
    diseases.

November, 90:  Bush "pocket vetoes" a bill to give preference to Native 
    American companies in some Federal grants and contracts.

November, 90:  Bush "pocket vetoes" a bill imposing mandatory penalties on
    companies and nations contributing to the spread of chemical and biological
    weapons.

November, 90:  Bush "pocket vetoes" a $30B budget measure for US intelligence
    agencies.

28-DEC-90:  Quayle golfs at all-white country club in Pebble Beach, is defended
    by Chief of Staff Bill Kristol: "It proves he's not spending time reading
    the Golf pages."

------------------------- GEORGE AND DAN, YEAR THREE -------------------------

 3-MAR-91:  Unnamed Bush aide says of the Quayle choice, "It didn't turn out
    quite as we had planned and hoped."

11-APR-91:  Quayle applauds the US victory in the Gulf War as "a stirring
    victory for the forces of aggression."

 4-MAY-91:  Bush suffers irregular heartbeat, checks into the hospital.

 9-MAY-91:  CBS News/New York Times Poll shows 62% "worried about" the idea of
    Quayle as president.

12-JUL-91:  Bush says, "You hear a rumor then you run for cover.  You get under
    the bush like a quail and hope that you don't get flushed out for a while."

17-AUG-91:  Bush vetoes a budget measure for DC that would have allowed the
    city to use locally raised tax money to pay for abortions.

 4-OCT-91:  Bush insists, "The economy is moving in the right direction."

11-OCT-91:  Bush vetoes a bill extending unemployment benefits.

25-OCT-91:  Bush reiterates, "I don't want to buy into the predicate about
    being in another recession.  I don't feel that way."

31-OCT-91:  Bush intones, "The economy's turned the corner, headed for 
    recovery."

31-OCT-91:  Bush says, "If you're worried about caribou, take a look at the
    arguments that were used about the pipeline.  They'd say caribou would be
    extinct.  You've got to shake them away with a stick.  They're all making
    love lying up against the pipeline and you've got thousands of caribou up
    there."

 1-NOV-91:  Bush: "I've got to be careful I don't overcheerlead on this
    economy."

 8-NOV-91:  Bush: "I'm not prepared to say we are in a recession."

19-NOV-91:  Bush vetoes a bill blocking the administration from enforcing the
    "gag rule" at family planning clinics receiving Federal money.

20-NOV-91:  Bush says "I don't want to just sit here blaming Congress.  I mean,
    we're all in this togther."  A few minutes later, "I think Congress should
    be blamed."

 5-DEC-91:  Bush says, "I've got to run now and relax.  The doctor told me to
    relax.  The doctor told me to relax.  He was the one.  He said, 'Relax.'"

 6-DEC-91:  Quayle says of Sununu's departure, "This isn't a man who is leaving
    with his head between his legs."

20-DEC-91:  Bush vetoes a Federal scholarship fund.

-------------------------- GEORGE AND DAN, YEAR FOUR --------------------------

 4-JAN-92:  Bush wavers: "It will not be a deep recession."

 8-JAN-92:  Bush barfs on Japanese prime minister in Tokyo, then collapses to
    the floor.  Quayle, asked about his fitness to take over the presidency,
    declares, "I'm ready!"

15-JAN-92:  Bush "You cannot pe president of the United States if you don't
    have faith.  Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the
    Civil War and all that stuff.  You can't be.  And we are blessed.  So don't
    feel sorry for -- don't cry for me, Argentina."

15-JAN-92:  Bush now claims, "I've known that the economy is in free-fall.  I
    hope I've known it.  Maybe I haven't conveyed it as well as I should."

15-JAN-92:  Bush states, "This isn't a tax break for the rich, it is a creation
    of small jobs."

17-JAN-92:  Quayle states, "This president is going to lead us out of the
    recovery.  It will happen."  Uses "Now Hiring" sign in a Burger King window
    as proof.

24-JAN-92:  NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows 62% "uncomfortable with"
    the idea of Quayle as President.

12-FEB-92:  Bush shows his vaunted negotiatory skills:  "Get this passed.
    Later on, we can all debate it."

23-FEB-92:  Quayle denies that the Willie Horton ad was negative campaigning;
    denies that he joined the National Guard "to avoid going to vietnam," and
    denies that Bush broke his read-my-lips-no-new-taxes campaign promise.

 2-MAR-92:  Bush vetoes legislation putting conditions on China's favorable
    trade access.

26-MAR-92:  Four growths removed from Bush's face.  Doctor recommends vacation.

29-MAR-92:  Bush says "Hay, hey, nihaoma.  Hey, yeah, yeah.  Heil, heil --
    a kind of HItler salute" in greeting to international tourists at Lafayette
    place on his way home from church.

 9-MAY-92:  Bush vetoes legislation to overhaul campaign financing.

20-APR-92:  Quayle refuses National Kidney Foundation's request for a doodle
    for their charity auction:  "Due to his hectic schedule, the Vice President
    cannot afford you a doodle."  Quayle later blows the whistle at the White
    house Easter Egg roll.

30-APR-92:  Quayle, visiting hospital, asks administrators if the AIDS patients
    are "taking DDT."

19-MAY-92:  Quayle cites Murphy Brown's "mocking the importance of fathers"
    as an example of bad Hollywood values that resulted in the LA riots.

20-MAY-92:  After visit to a school in South-Central LA, student observes, 
    "He's not, like, smart.  I'm not trying to bag on him or anything, but he
    has the same mentality I have -- and I'm in the eighth grade."

 9-JUN-92:  Quayle proudly brags that he wears the scorn of the "cultural 
    elite" as a "badge of honor."

10-JUN-92:  Quayle brags he knows "exactly who the cultural elite, the media
    elite, and the Hollywood elite are," but declines to name any names.

16-JUN-92:  Bush vetoes bill allowing several Sioux tribes to continue a suit
    against the US government involving compensation for lands.

23-JUN-92:  Bush vetoes bill lifting the administration's ban on federally
    financed research on the medical use of fetal tissue from aborted fetuses.

 2-JUL-92:  Bush vetoes legislation allowing voter registration when citizens
    apply for driver's licences or government benefits.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|    "In President Bush's view, the failings of his Administration are due    |
|  mainly to Congressional inaction and political meddling.                   |
|                                                                             |
|    "*If* Congress had cut the capital gains tax and had approved the rest   |
|  of his economic program, the economy would not have performed worse in his |
|  term than in any other President's tenure since World War II.              |
|                                                                             |
|    "*If* Congress had not initiated a political witch hunt, the public      |
|  would pay no mind to charges that Mr. Bush tried for years to curry favor  |
|  with Saddam Hussein.                                                       |
|                                                                             |
|    "*If* Congress would pay more attention to jobs and the economy, he      |
|  would not have had to drag his feet in issueing environmental rules.       |
|                                                                             |
|    "*If* Congress would stop harping on the notion that the best way to     |
|  improve schools is to spend more money, his own ideas for education, like  |
|  bolstering private schools, would be taken seriously.                      |
|                                                                             |
|    "*If* Congress had not forced him to raise taxes, his political standing |
|  would be much higher.                                                      |
|                                                                             |
|    "But others believe that the president was simply not interested in      |
|  leading.  [...]                                                            |
|                                                                             |
|    "Thomas E. Mann, director of governmental studies at the Brookings       |
|  institution, who has written widely about the relationship between         |
|  Presidents and Congress, put the case this way:  'What Presidents are      |
|  supposed to do is provide political cover, to help take the heat for       |
|  difficult decisions that have to be made.  They have the bully pulpit.     |
|  They can shape public opinion.  They can help members of Congress do the   |
|  right thing.                                                               |
|                                                                             |
|    "Bush never got involved in that aspect of the job."                     |
|                                                                             |
|  -- Andrew Rosenthal, New York Times, 9-AUG-92                              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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