Bush Accepts Nomination, Touts Foreign Policy Wins

HOUSTON--President Bush Yesterday accepted his party's renomination for the White House in a speech that stressed his success in foreign policy and blamed the Democratic Congress for the nation's domestic ills.

Ridiculing Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton as an "Elvis" who waffles from "one side of the issues to the other," the president said that only the Bush-Quayle ticket is capable of continuing to improve world security and able to lead the way toward a revamped national economy.

Thoroughly detailing the past four years of his foreign policy--from the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the success of Operation Desert Storm--Bush vowed to continue his persistence in keeping America militarily strong.

He said critics were wrong to say he spends too much time on foreign policy.

"As if it didn't matter that schoolchildren once hid under their desks in drills to prepare for nuclear war," Bush said. "I saw the chance to rid our children's dreams of the nuclear nightmare, and I did," Bush said.

Bush also said that America is respected around the world as a symbol of liberty and success.

"Over the past four years, more people have breathed the fresh air of freedom than in all of human history," Bush said. He said world events in the past four years had constituted the "defining opportunities--not of a year, not of a decade, but of an entire span of human history."

And while he said he would continue these efforts until he visits a non-Communist Cuba, he blasted Clinton for saying the he might have voted against the decision to enter Kuwait last year.

He also criticized the Arkansas governor for "devoting only 65 seconds" to foreign policy in his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention last month.

Under fire for ignoring domestic issues over the last four years, Bush said that the Democratic-controlled Congress has been responsible for stalling his national agenda, and asked the nation to put more Republicans in the Senate and the House.

Apologizing for "a bad call" he made two years ago for agreeing to Congress's tax increase in return for spending limits, Bush promised the nation once again that he would not increase taxes. He said Clinton would.

"Who do you trust in this election?" Bush asked. "The candidate who raised taxes one time and regrets it, or the other candidate who raised taxes and fees 128 times, and enjoyed it every times?"

Bush also outlined his domestic agenda for a second term, which includes a limit on government spending and an option on income tax forms that would automatically and directly allocate up to 10 percent of the tax funds to decreasing the national deficit.

He also called for open markets for American products, opportunities for smallbusinesess, legal and health care reform andgiving parents the right to choose theirchildren's schools.

After the president's speech, balloons big andsmall poured from the ceiling, along with a streamof confeti. Laughing conventioneers tossed theballoons in the air and watched a fireworksdisplay inside the Astrodome.

"I love it all," said Sen. Dan Cochran(R-Miss). as he popped balloon after balloon witha pocket knife. "It was a great speech. ThePresident really did the right thing on everyarea."

Cochran, who had waved a large American flagduring the rally, used the tip of his flagpole topop some of the largest balloons, which wereemblazoned with the word "Bush".

"I love the balloons," Cochran told TheCrimson. "This is a party, but it's the beginningof a lot of hard work."

Earlier in the Republican National Convention'sconcluding session, Vice president Dan Quayle alsoaccepted his renomination and told Democrats that"America is the greatest nation in the word, andthat's one thing you're not going to change."

Mirroring the Democratic emphasis last month onfamily values, both the president and vicepresident stressed the need for keeping the familyunit an integral pat of the nation's socialstructure, repeating the theme from Wednesdaynight's session that featured Barbara Bush'sspeech.

Quayle, in an emotional segment reminiscent ofthe story Democratic vice president candidate Sen.Albert A. Gore Jr. '69 told last month at theDemocratic convention, explained how his familylearned about the devastating efforts of diseasewhen his mother-in-low died of breast cancer. Hesaid he and his wife host an annual road race thatbenefits cancer research organizations.

"By leading the battle against breast Cancer inmemory of her mother, Marilyn has taken a familytragedy and turned it into a hope for others,"Quayle said.

Also echoing the Democratic convention was afilm about Dan Quayle, vice president, his wifeand his mother. The film included home moviefootage of Dan Quayle the toddler falling to theground on roller skates and picking himself upagain.

Following an introduction from Sen. JohnDanforth (R-Mo.) that defended Quayle's characterand competency, the vice president lashed outagainst the negative press that has plagued himfor the last four years.

"I know my critics wish I were not standinghere tonight..That is why, when someone confrontsthem and challenges them, they will stop atnothing to destroy him. To them I will say: youhave failed. I stand before you, and before theAmerican people--unbowed, unbroken and ready tokeep fighting for our beliefs."

Quayle also took his own shot at the Democraticticket, injecting some humor into the evening thatbrought roars of laughter from the crowd. "Formore than a month the media have been telling usthat Bill Clinton and Al Gore are 'moderates'.Well, if they're moderates, I'm a world-championspeller," Quayle said.

After an energetic speech from Senate MinorityLeader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) that touted Bush as "thereal comeback kid," the president was introducedby a film of his own that featured historicalclips of the great American president and theiraccomplishments.

Former President Gerald Ford, the lastRepublican candidate to lose a presidentialelection, began the final session of theconvention with a speech that chornicled thesuccessful Republican presidential terms and endedwith a quote from Former President John Adamsabout who should reside in the White House: "Maynone but honest and wise men ever rule under thisroof."

Joanna M. Weiss contributed to the reportingof this article.President BUSH accepts the nomination with athumps-up.

After the president's speech, balloons big andsmall poured from the ceiling, along with a streamof confeti. Laughing conventioneers tossed theballoons in the air and watched a fireworksdisplay inside the Astrodome.

"I love it all," said Sen. Dan Cochran(R-Miss). as he popped balloon after balloon witha pocket knife. "It was a great speech. ThePresident really did the right thing on everyarea."

Cochran, who had waved a large American flagduring the rally, used the tip of his flagpole topop some of the largest balloons, which wereemblazoned with the word "Bush".

"I love the balloons," Cochran told TheCrimson. "This is a party, but it's the beginningof a lot of hard work."

Earlier in the Republican National Convention'sconcluding session, Vice president Dan Quayle alsoaccepted his renomination and told Democrats that"America is the greatest nation in the word, andthat's one thing you're not going to change."

Mirroring the Democratic emphasis last month onfamily values, both the president and vicepresident stressed the need for keeping the familyunit an integral pat of the nation's socialstructure, repeating the theme from Wednesdaynight's session that featured Barbara Bush'sspeech.

Quayle, in an emotional segment reminiscent ofthe story Democratic vice president candidate Sen.Albert A. Gore Jr. '69 told last month at theDemocratic convention, explained how his familylearned about the devastating efforts of diseasewhen his mother-in-low died of breast cancer. Hesaid he and his wife host an annual road race thatbenefits cancer research organizations.

"By leading the battle against breast Cancer inmemory of her mother, Marilyn has taken a familytragedy and turned it into a hope for others,"Quayle said.

Also echoing the Democratic convention was afilm about Dan Quayle, vice president, his wifeand his mother. The film included home moviefootage of Dan Quayle the toddler falling to theground on roller skates and picking himself upagain.

Following an introduction from Sen. JohnDanforth (R-Mo.) that defended Quayle's characterand competency, the vice president lashed outagainst the negative press that has plagued himfor the last four years.

"I know my critics wish I were not standinghere tonight..That is why, when someone confrontsthem and challenges them, they will stop atnothing to destroy him. To them I will say: youhave failed. I stand before you, and before theAmerican people--unbowed, unbroken and ready tokeep fighting for our beliefs."

Quayle also took his own shot at the Democraticticket, injecting some humor into the evening thatbrought roars of laughter from the crowd. "Formore than a month the media have been telling usthat Bill Clinton and Al Gore are 'moderates'.Well, if they're moderates, I'm a world-championspeller," Quayle said.

After an energetic speech from Senate MinorityLeader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) that touted Bush as "thereal comeback kid," the president was introducedby a film of his own that featured historicalclips of the great American president and theiraccomplishments.

Former President Gerald Ford, the lastRepublican candidate to lose a presidentialelection, began the final session of theconvention with a speech that chornicled thesuccessful Republican presidential terms and endedwith a quote from Former President John Adamsabout who should reside in the White House: "Maynone but honest and wise men ever rule under thisroof."

Joanna M. Weiss contributed to the reportingof this article.President BUSH accepts the nomination with athumps-up.