 The President of the United States. Who's tending the store? Thank you. Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you, George. You know, each year at the State of the Union, I turn to my right, and there's George Bush, and I say thank you, Mr. President. By next year, that should be a regular habit. Well, I want to welcome all of you to the White House complex. White House complex. That's what our opponents have after eight years of being out of power. The incredible thing is, they still can't take a hint. But really, the reason I asked you all here is because we've got five full months ahead of us, and we're going to continue to advance our policies and programs until we cross the finish line next January. Our agenda is still full. We want welfare reforms that create incentives for work, and the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement to create the world's greatest free trade area. We want a comprehensive anti-drug bill that includes the death penalty for drug kingmins, a defense bill that supports the Strategic Defense Initiative and effective new aid for the Nicaraguan freedom fighters so they can secure their own freedom and remove the threat of communism from the mainland of North America. And as I said in the State of the Union, Congress had better obey the law and give us 13 appropriation bills as required and on time because if they try to send me up another one of those omnibus continuing resolution monstrosities, I won't sign it. I'll be crisscrossing America this fall to lay out our record in what we stand for. I know that so many of you who are eager and able to do so will be doing the same. All of you deserve a share in the credit for what's been accomplished. You all are a part of a great and continuing success story. You can be proud of your service and I'm proud of you. You know, years ago when the news first came out that I was running for governor of California, someone asked my boss, Jack Warner, what he thought of the idea. And it's been reported to me that Warner said, no, no. Jimmy Stewart for governor, Reagan for best friend. Well, if I say so myself, all of you who answered the call to serve here were very well cast. In fact, I don't know a finer group of public servants anywhere. Our work is not over yet, but I've been meaning to ask you and I'd like to hear your answer. Tell me, so far, has it been worth it? Well, I feel just the same way and I want all of you to keep up your fine work. And to really appreciate what we've accomplished, all you need to do is look back at where we started. In 1981, when we took office, America was in its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The only things going up were taxes, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. The great irony was that the folks who nearly wrecked the economy had run for office saying the issue was competence. Well, just like this year, the other fellows promised competence, but that's not what they delivered. From 1977 to 1981, real family income dropped 7%. Not only couldn't working families get ahead, they could barely hold on. That's what the folks who talk about compassion inflicted on the American people. Since we've been in office, real family income has soared nearly 10%. I think there's an important lesson there that tells a lot about the difference between us and the other folks. We deliver. They talk about jobs. We've delivered over 17 and a half million jobs in the last 68 months and raised employment to its highest level in history. They talk about economic growth. We've delivered the longest peacetime expansion on record over five and a half years of growth. They talk about peace and security. We've delivered a treaty that eliminates an entire class of US and Soviet nuclear missiles. The Soviets are withdrawing from Afghanistan. Cease fires have been agreed to in the Persian Gulf and in Angola and freedom is on the march around the world. They talk about change. Well, we've delivered eight years of steady change, change for the better. Back in 1980, when the American people saw that they'd gotten talk, not results, who did they call? Well, they called me in George, the malaise busters. Well, since we've shown who talks and who delivers, there's no way that America will turn back now. You know, there are only two things that the liberals don't understand. The things that change and the things that don't. The economy and technology, these things change and under us, they change for the better. But America's basic moral, spiritual, and family values, they don't change. What do the American people believe in? Teaching right from wrong, putting criminals behind bars and keeping them there. Promoting excellence in education and saying the pledge of allegiance, America's tradition of peace through strength and upholding the Monroe Doctrine. This is also what we believe in. And that's one reason why the American people are going to vote with us this November and why we're going to hold the White House with George Bush. Now, in laying out our record in the months ahead, each of us can be a force for truth and a player in the national debate. The reason of our record of success is important is because that's the proof that our philosophy works, that George Bush's policies work. The other folks talk, George Bush will deliver. The truth is that what we've achieved is just the beginning. The best is yet to come. If the people elect George Bush president so America continue the pro-growth economic policies of the last eight years, the next decade, believe me, will be known as the roaring nineties. Some people may cast their vote this year to thank us for the last eight years, but I expect that most people will vote for George Bush this year because after voting for him once or twice before, they know that he's there guarantee that peace and prosperity today will be followed by more peace and prosperity tomorrow. And frankly, I don't think the American people want to gamble their future on a blind date. After eight years of working together, we know that George Bush will be a great president, will continue and expand what we have built together. I've often said that George Bush has been the best vice president in history, but you can also see that being number two must have been a new experience for a man who was captain of the ball team, who started his own business and who piloted his own plane. He's been a great vice president, but I think George will be an even greater president. Thank you all and God bless you all. And George, would you step up here for a minute? I figure with a convention coming up in which you will be the standard bearer and so forth, you could probably use that gavel. And if not there, from experience I can tell you, there will be a lot of meetings with congressional leadership in which you can use that.