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1 " Back in 1998, Governor Bush had told a Texas reporter that the same forces who were demonizing undocumented laborers were also seeking to turn homosexuality into a wedge issue. “I understand their concern about gay marriages or special rights,” he said that summer day. “But I don’t agree with the idea of pitting one group against another. That’s exactly what’s happened during the Hispanic debate, it seems like. And it may not have been the intention, but it became Us versus Them. It’s impossible to lead the nation or state toward a better tomorrow by dividing into camps. "
― Robert Draper , Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush
2 " If there’s evil in recklessness, there’s also evil in banality. "
― Robert Draper
3 " If you've got fifty goals,” the governor once lectured the Texas Education Agency, “you've got no goals. "
4 " What changes behavior? What is the government’s role in bringing hope to its citizens? How do we break the cycle of despair? "
5 " Only one aspect of the Vision resonated sharply throughout his first eight months in office. During the second presidential debate with Al Gore, on October 11, 2000, George W. Bush promised a less interventionist foreign policy than that of the Clinton-Gore administration – one, in keeping with his Responsibility Era, that would encourage self-reliance while curbing its own meddlesome Great Power Impulses. “I am worried,” Bush said then, “about over committing our military around the world. I want to be judicious in its use… I think what we need to do is convince people who live in the lands they live in to build nations. Maybe I’m missing something here. I mean, we’re going to have kind of a nation-building corps from America? Absolutely not. Our military is meant to fight and win war; that’s what its meant to do. And when it gets overextended, moreal drops… I’m going to be judicious as to how I use the military. It needed to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the exit strategy obvious. "
6 " Bush said, “Let’s start. Next time they’ll know not to be late.”Not long after that, Bush strode like clockwork into the Roosevelt Room to conduct a meeting with his newly confirmed cabinet. He noticed that one chair – that belonging to Secretary of State Colin Powell - was empty. “Lock the door,” he instructed.A few minutes later, the sound of a hand testing the doorknob could plainly be heard. The Cabinet Room erupted with laughter. Bush gave the signal, and the lock was turned for the secretary of state. Amid the levity, the president had made his point – although there were really two points, the one being: Colin Powell, whose popularity far exceeded George W. Bush’s, whom the incoming President needed far more than the other way around… was nonetheless not the big dog any longer. A contest of sorts had just taken place. And Bush had won. "
7 " Through hear tears, she did not see opportunity. “How could you do this!” she cried to her son’s commander in chief. And then, thinking of Bush’s two children, who would never face combat: “THIS IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!” On the helicopter ride back to the White House, Bush murmured to an aide, “that big black woman was really angry at me.” He thought for a moment before adding, “I don’t blame here.” He turned to the window of Marine One and said nothing else. "
