Les bushismes de l'année : 2001

"I think one of the joyous parts of this war, if there is such a thing as a joyous part of a war, is to see the -- is to see what it means for our country and our alliance to free people". - December 14, 2001, Oval Office Meeting With Thailand Prime Minister

"Great to have you back. Just don't steal the silverware!" - To Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe , White House Honors Kennedy Center, December 2, 2001

"So what state is Wales in?" - October, 2001, Asking singing sensation Charlotte Church about her home country.

"I don't have Anthrax." - Oct. 24, 2001, Washington Press Conference

"I wouldn't put it past me." - Replying to reporter asking if Anthrax letters were related to the terrorist attakcs, White House Press Conference, Oct. 23, 2001

REPORTER: "You talk about the general threat toward Americans....And people ask us, what is it they're supposed to be on the lookout for?...What are Americans supposed to look for and report to the police or to the FBI?"

BUSH: "You know, if you find a person that you've never seen before getting in a crop-duster that doesn't belong to you, report it...." - Press Conference, Oct. 11, 2001

"I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan airport." - Oct, 2001

"And there's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail. Failure is not a part of our vocabulary. This great nation will lead the world and we will be successful." - Bush Remarks to Labor Department Employees, Washington, Oct. 4, 2001

"They misunderestimated the fact that we love a neighbor in need. They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the Commander-in- Chief, too" - Sept. 26, 2001

"Brie and cheese." - Taunting a reporter who recently spent time on the West Coast, Crawford, Texas, Aug. 23, 2001

"You'll hear people say it's racist to test. Folks, it's racist not to test. Because guess who gets shuffled through the system oftentimes? Children whose parents don't speak English as a first language, inner-city kids. It's so much easier to quit on somebody than to remediate." - Referring to his education bill, Independence, MO, Aug. 21, 2001

"One of the interesting initiatives we've taken in Washington, D.C., is we've got these vampire-busting devices. A vampire is a-a cell deal you can plug in the wall to charge your cell phone." - Denver, Aug. 14, 2001

"There's a lot of people in the Middle East who are desirous to get into the Mitchell process. And-but first things first. The-these terrorist acts and, you know, the responses have got to end in order for us to get the framework-the groundwork-not framework, the groundwork to discuss a framework for peace, to lay the-all right." - Referring to former Sen. George Mitchell's report on Middle East peace, Crawford, Texas, Aug. 13, 2001

"My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the-in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen." - Crawford, Texas, Aug, 13, 2001

"You saw the president yesterday. I thought he was very forward-leaning, as they say in diplomatic nuanced circles." - Referring to his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rome, July 23, 2001

''I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe-I believe what I believe is right." - Rome, July 22, 2001

January 8, 2002 - January 8, 2002

"I can't tell you what it's like to be in Europe, for example, to be talking about the greatness of America. But the true greatness of America are the people." - Visiting the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C., July 2, 2001

"Well, it's an unimaginable honor to be the president during the Fourth of July of this country. It means what these words say, for starters. The great inalienable rights of our country. We're blessed with such values in America. And I-it's-I'm a proud man to be the nation based upon such wonderful values." - Visiting the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C., July 2, 2001

"As young Americans, you have an important responsibility, which is to become good citizens... ...I hope you will continue to learn more about our wonderful country". - Letter to British Pupils at Oakhill College in Lancashire, northwest England, June 20, 2001

"I want to thank you for coming to the White House to give me an opportunity to urge you to work with these five senators and three congressmen, to work hard to get this trade promotion authority moving. The power that be, well most of the power that be, sits right here." - Washington, D.C., June 18, 2001

"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." - Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

"I haven't had a chance to talk, but I'm confident we'll get a bill that I can live with if we don't." - Referring to the McCain-Kennedy patients' bill of rights, Brussels, Belgium, June 13, 2001

"Can't living with the bill means it won't become law." - Referring to the McCain-Kennedy patients' bill of rights, Brussels, Belgium, June 13, 2001

"President Aznar" - Calling Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, "Anzar" but sounding more like ansar, Spanish for "goose", Madrid, Spain, Jun. 12, 2001

"Russia is no longer our enemy and therefore we shouldn't be locked into a Cold War mentality that says we keep the peace by blowing each other up. In my attitude, that's old, that's tired, that's stale." - Des Moines, Iowa, June 8, 2001

"Anyway, I'm so thankful, and so gracious-I'm gracious that my brother Jeb is concerned about the hemisphere as well." - Miami, Fla., June 4, 2001

"It's important for young men and women who look at the Nebraska champs to understand that quality of life is more than just blocking shots." - Remarks to the University of Nebraska women's volleyball team, the 2001 national champions, Washington, D.C., May 31, 2001

"Our nation must come together to unite." - Tampa, Fla., June 4, 2001

"So on behalf of a well-oiled unit of people who came together to serve something greater than themselves, congratulations." - Remarks to the University of Nebraska women's volleyball team, the 2001 national champions, Washington, D.C., May 31, 2001

"If a person doesn't have the capacity that we all want that person to have, I suspect hope is in the far distant future, if at all." - Remarks to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2001

"Thirdly, the explorationists are willing to only move equipment during the winter, which means they'll be on ice roads, and remove the equipment as the ice begins to melt, so that the fragile tundra is protected." - Conestoga, Pa., May 18, 2001

"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it." - Philadelphia, May 14, 2001

"Presidents, whether things are good or bad, get the blame. I understand that." - Washington, D.C., May 11, 2001

November 29, 2001 - November 29, 2001

"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead." - Washington, D.C., May 11, 2001

"But I also made it clear to [Vladimir Putin] that it's important to think beyond the old days of when we had the concept that if we blew each other up, the world would be safe." - Washington, D.C., May 1, 2001

"Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend theirself." - On how far we'd be willing to go to defend Taiwan, Good Morning America, April 25, 2001

"First, we would not accept a treaty that would not have been ratified, nor a treaty that I thought made sense for the country." - On the Kyoto accord in an interview with the Washington Post, April 24, 2001

"It's very important for folks to understand that when there's more trade, there's more commerce." - Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001

"Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican." - Declining to answer reporters' questions at the Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001

"We must have the attitude that every child in America - regardless of where they're raised or how they're born - can learn." - New Britain, Conn., April 18, 2001

"It is time to set aside the old partisan bickering and finger-pointing and name-calling that comes from freeing parents to make different choices for their children." - Remarks on "parental empowerment in education," Washington, D.C., April 12, 2001

I think we're making progress. We understand where the power of this country lay. It lays in the hearts and souls of Americans. It must lay in our pocketbooks. It lays in the willingness for people to work hard. But as importantly, it lays in the fact that we've got citizens from all walks of life, all political parties, that are willing to say, I want to love my neighbor. I want to make somebody's life just a little bit better." - Concord Middle School, Concord, N.C., April 11, 2001

"This administration is doing everything we can to end the stalemate in an efficient way. We're making the right decisions to bring the solution to an end." - Washington, D.C., April 10, 2001

"The Senate needs to leave enough money in the proposed budget to not only reduce all marginal rates, but to eliminate the death tax, so that people who build up assets are able to transfer them from one generation to the next, regardless of a person's race." - Washington, D.C., April 5, 2001

"It would be helpful if we opened up ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). I think it's a mistake not to. And I would urge you all to travel up there and take a look at it, and you can make the determination as to how beautiful that country is." - Press conference, Washington, D.C., March 29, 2001

"I've coined new words, like, misunderstanding and Hispanically." - Radio-Television Correspondents Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 29, 2001

"And we need a full affront on an energy crisis that is real in California and looms for other parts of our country if we don't move quickly." - Press conference, Washington, D.C., March 29, 2001

"I assured the prime minister, my administration will work hard to lay the foundation of peace in the Middle - to work with our nations in the Middle East, give peace a chance. Secondly, I told him that our nation will not try to force peace, that we'll facilitate peace and that we will work with those responsible for a peace." - Photo opportunity with Ariel Sharon, Washington, D.C., March 20, 2001

"There are some monuments where the land is so widespread, they just encompass as much as possible. And the integral part of the - the precious part, so to speak - I guess all land is precious, but the part that the people uniformly would not want to spoil, will not be despoiled. But there are parts of the monument lands where we can explore without affecting the overall environment." - Media round table, Washington, D.C. March 13, 2001

"A lot of times in the rhetoric, people forget the facts. And the facts are that thousands of small businesses - Hispanically owned or otherwise - pay taxes at the highest marginal rate." - to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Washington, D.C., March 19, 2001

"But the true threats to stability and peace are these nations that are not very transparent, that hide behind the - that don't let people in to take a look and see what they're up to. They're very kind of authoritarian regimes. The true threat is whether or not one of these people decide, peak of anger, try to hold us hostage, ourselves; the Israelis, for example, to whom we'll defend, offer our defenses; the South Koreans." - Media roundtable, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2001

November 29, 2001 - November 29, 2001

"I do think we need for a troop to be able to house his family. That's an important part of building morale in the military." - Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, March 12, 2001

"I suspect that had my dad not been president, he'd be asking the same questions: How'd your meeting go with so-and-so?... How did you feel when you stood up in front of the people for the State of the Union Address - state of the budget address, whatever you call it." - Interview with the Washington Post, March 9, 2001

"I think there is some methodology in my travels." - Washington, D.C., March 5, 2001

"I'm also honored to be here with the speaker of the House - just happens to be from the state of Illinois. I'd like to describe the speaker as a trustworthy man. He's the kind of fellow who says when he gives you his word he means it. Sometimes that doesn't happen all the time in the political process." - Chicago, March 6, 2001

"Ann and I will carry out this equivocal message to the world: Markets must be open." - Swearing-in ceremony for Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2001

"Of all states that understands local control of schools, Iowa is such a state." - Council Bluffs, Iowa, Feb. 28, 2001

"Those of us who spent time in the agricultural sector and in the heartland, we understand how unfair the death penalty is." - Omaha, Neb., Feb. 28, 2001

"My pan plays down an unprecedented amount of our national debt." - Budget address to Congress, Feb. 27, 2001

"The budget caps were busted, mightily so. And we are reviewing with people like Judd Gregg from New Hampshire and others some budgetary reform measures that will reinstate - you know, possibly reinstate budgetary discipline. But the caps no longer- the caps, I guess they're there. But they didn't mean much." - Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2001

"I have said that the sanction regime is like Swiss cheese - that meant that they weren't very effective." - White House press conference, Washington, D.C., Feb. 22, 2001

"You teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." - Townsend (Tenn.) Elementary School, Feb. 21, 2001

"One reason I like to highlight reading is, reading is the beginnings of the ability to be a good student. And if you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize dreams; it's going to be hard to go to college. So when your teachers say, read - you ought to listen to her." - Nalle Elementary School, Washington, D.C., Feb 9, 2001.

"It's good to see so many friends here in the Rose Garden. This is our first event in this beautiful spot, and it's appropriate we talk about policy that will affect people's lives in a positive way in such a beautiful, beautiful part of our national - really, our national park system, my guess is you would want to call it." - Washington, D.C., Feb. 8, 2001.

"We're concerned about AIDS inside our White House - make no mistake about it." - Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2001

"I appreciate that question because I, in the state of Texas, had heard a lot of discussion about a faith-based initiative eroding the important bridge between church and state." - Question and answer session with the press, Jan. 29, 2001

"I confirmed to the prime minister that we appreciate our friendship." - After meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada, Feb. 5, 2001

"There's no such thing as legacies. At least, there is a legacy, but I'll never see it." - To Catholic leaders at the White House, Jan. 31, 2001

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well." - Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2001

"My pro-life position is I believe there's life. It's not necessarily based in religion. I think there's a life there, therefore the notion of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness."-Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 2001

"Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to-I can't remember what it was. Oh, the inaugural speech, started thinking through that."-Pre-inaugural interview with U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 22, 2001 issue

"Redefining the role of the United States from enablers to keep the peace to enablers to keep the peace from peacekeepers is going to be an assignment."-Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

"The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants." - Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

"I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure." - Interview with the Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2001

 

"If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a- is a noble institution I would - I would strongly reject that assumption that John Ashcroft is a open-minded, inclusive person." - NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001

 
"She's just trying to make sure Anthony gets a good meal - Antonio." - On Laura Bush inviting Justice Antonin Scalia to dinner at the White House. NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001 

"I mean, these good folks are revolutionizing how businesses conduct their business. And, like them, I am very optimistic about our position in the world and about its influence on the United States. We're concerned about the short-term economic news, but long-term I'm optimistic. And so, I hope investors, you know - secondly, I hope investors hold investments for periods of time - that I've always found the best investments are those that you salt away based on economics." - Austin, Texas, Jan. 4, 2001

November 29, 2001 - November 29, 2001

 
"I want it to be said that the Bush administration was a results-oriented administration, because I believe the results of focusing our attention and energy on teaching children to read and having an education system that's responsive to the child and to the parents, as opposed to mired in a system that refuses to change, will make America what we want it to be a literate country and a hopefuller country." - Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2001

 
"I would have to ask the questioner. I haven't had a chance to ask the questioners the question they've been questioning. On the other hand, I firmly believe she'll be a fine secretary of labor. And I've got confidence in Linda Chavez. She is a - she'll bring an interesting perspective to the Labor Department." - Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine labor secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified." - Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001 

"She is a member of a labor union at one point." - Announcing his nomination of Linda Chavez as secretary of labor. Austin, Texas, Jan. 2, 2001