【The American President】 Chap.30
【The American President】 Chap.30A1) Because the president feels there’s no value in this kind of character debate. A2) Will the president over respond to Rumson’s question about being a member of the American Civil Liberties Union? Pr) Yes, he will. Good morning. Sorry, please keep your seats. Good morning. For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president was, to a certain extent, about character.Although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me...I’ve been here three years and three days and I can tell you, without hesitation being president of this country is entirely about character.For the record: Yes, I am a card carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is, why aren’t you, Bob?Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights.So it begs the question”. Why would a senator…his party’s most powerful spokesman and a candidate for president choose to reject upholding the Constitution?If you can answer that question, you’re smarter than I am…because I didn’t understand it until a few hours ago. America isn’t easy.America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ‘cause it’s gonna put up a fight.It’s gonna say, “You want free speech?” Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag! The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest.Now, show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.I’ve known Bob Rumson for years, and I’ve operated under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. Bob’s problem is that he can’t sell it. We have serious problems to solve and we need serious people to solve them. Whatever your particular problem is, I promise you… Bob Rumson’s not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.You gather a group of middle-age, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time and you talk to them about family and American values and character.You wave an old photo of the president’s girlfriend and you scream about patriotism and you tell them. “She’s to blame for their lot in life.” And you go on television and you call her a whore.Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school represent the interests of public school teachers and lobby for the safety of our national resources. You want a character debate, Bob, you better stick with me. ‘Cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.I’ve loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer. And I lost the other ‘cause I was so busy keeping my job. I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now. Tomorrow morning, the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration. It’s White House Resolution 455 and energy bill requiring a 20% reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is, by far, the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming.The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I’m throwing it out. I’m throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security and I will go door to door if I have to but I’m gonna convince Americans that I’m right and I’m gonna get the guns. We’ve got serious problems, and we need serious people. If you want to talk about character, Bob, you better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I’ll show up. This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your 15 minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I am the president.
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