Bush trusts people, not government

High taxes. Intrusive government. A failing education system. Social Security about to go bankrupt. Medicare badly in need of reform. No energy policy. A debilitated military. Irresponsible foreign policy. Lack of character in our leaders. These are the serious problems our nation faces in the coming years. They may sound familiar; these are the same problems we have faced for the last eight years. As Americans strove to better their own fortunes, Washington sat idly by, wasting our time with endless partisan bickering. As Americans were busy investing in the information age, Washington was busy pointing fingers and neglecting the nation's problems. It's time to change all that. Our choice tomorrow is between a man with a proven record of reform and bipartisan solutions and a man with a long history as a part of the Washington machine that has let us down. Politicians can make all the promises they want, but we are interested in who will actually deliver. George W. Bush will deliver. First, the Bush tax plan is fair. It flattens the tax system, exempting an additional six million low-income families. Bush believes that all of us deserve to keep more of our money to invest in our own futures any way we wish. That is a common theme in all of his proposals: the freedom to make choices for ourselves. He is horrified, as we all are, at Al Gore's proposals to increase the size of government, forcing us to waste our time filling out forms rather than working to keep our economy strong. We want options and the freedom to choose between them. We know best when it comes to our own lives, and Bush understands that. On education, Social Security and health care, we are tired of the empty promises. Clinton and Gore pledged prescription drug coverage and Social Security reform during both previous campaigns. In their two terms they failed to get anything done, ignoring bipartisan compromises in favor of partisan politics. Gov. Bush has always been a leader committed to bipartisan solutions to get things done. Whether it's an immediate helping hand with prescription drugs or enabling younger Americans to invest their Social Security taxes for themselves, George W. Bush is someone we can trust to deliver. On education in particular, Bush has an impressive record in Texas of implementing innovative bipartisan solutions. He understands that American parents don't care about teacher wage statistics; they care about their children receiving the best education possible, whether in a public or private school. We need a leader beholden to the interests of our children, not to the interests of teachers' unions. As educated citizens, we also know that responsible foreign policy is vital to our nation's future. Opening up foreign markets and lowering trade barriers for American businesses will keep our economy the world's strongest. However, as we continue toward greater global interdependence, we need a president who puts American interests first. In the last eight years, Haiti and Somalia were among the many places where American lives were lost for the sake of nation-building. That kind of arrogance is irresponsible. We need to put our greatest foreign policy minds on this problem to get our foreign policy back on track. Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Henry Kissinger -- all of these experts agree that George Bush has the best vision for American foreign policy and for our military as well. Servicemen that have been asked to do so much deserve proper housing, proper pay and proper appreciation. They haven't received that in eight years, and they join us in looking forward to the Bush-Cheney administration. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we need a leader with character. We must elect a president with strength of conviction, a commitment to honesty and integrity and a strong vision for America. We have to be able to trust our president to do what is best for us, not govern with polls or give excuses for conduct. We cannot trust someone who constantly reinvents himself or misleads us for political gain. Gov. Bush understands the enormous trust and responsibility that comes with the presidency, and he has proven that he is ready. That is why George W. Bush will be the next president of the United States. Help us make that happen on November 7.

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