George W. Bush, I will "restore honor and dignity to the White House."

http://www.theonion.com/4004/top_story.html



BOSTON—Addressing guests at a $2,000-a-plate fundraiser, George W. Bush
pledged Monday that, if re-elected in November, he and running mate Dick
Cheney will "restore honor and dignity to the White House."

"After years of false statements and empty promises, it's time for big
changes in Washington," Bush said. "We need a president who will finally
stand up and fight against the lies and corruption. It's time to renew
the faith the people once had in the White House. If elected, I pledge
to usher in a new era of integrity inside the Oval Office."

Bush told the crowd that, if given the opportunity, he would work to
reestablish the goodwill of the American people "from the very first
hour of the very first day" of his second term.

"The people have spoken," Bush said. "They said they want change. They
said it's time to clean up Washington. They're tired of politics as
usual. They're tired of the pursuit of self-interest that has gripped
Washington. They want to see an end to partisan bickering and
closed-door decision-making. If I'm elected, I'll make sure that the
American people can once again place their trust in the White House."

Bush said the soaring national debt and the lengthy war in Iraq have
shaken Americans' faith in the highest levels of government.

"A credibility gap has opened between the Oval Office and America," Bush
said. "The public hears talk, but they don't see any result. But if you
choose me as your next president, the promises I make in my inaugural
address will actually mean something. The president of this country will
be held accountable for his promises, starting Jan. 20 of next year."

Bush said that, if chosen to be the next president, he would "set the
nation on a course to a new, different, and brighter future."

"One thing is clear—it's time for a fresh beginning," Bush said. "Choose
the ticket that leads to freedom, peace, and security. Choose Bush and
Cheney."

Cheney spoke Monday at an event in Atlanta, addressing a crowd of 2,500
supporters from the tobacco and soft-drink industries.

"After these past three years, we need to rebuild a government based on
old-fashioned American values: duty, dignity, and responsibility," said
Cheney, who has served as a Wyoming congressman and U.S. vice-president.
"George Bush is a man of these values, and he's ready to begin to put
them to work in Washington."

Cheney continued: "George W. Bush will lead this great nation by
building coalitions, not burning bridges; by serving the people, not
special interests; by looking to the future, while borrowing from the
great lessons of the past."

Cheney said he and Bush will return "time-honored American values" to
the White House.

"In years past, American citizens looked to the president as a paragon
of decency, a beacon in the storm," Cheney said. "When did America lose
her way?"

In an interview published in Tuesday's Washington Post, Bush-Cheney 2004
campaign manager Ken Mehlman summarized the new platform.

"Bush-Cheney 2004 is a campaign built on straight talk," Mehlman said.
"It's time for a president who can be a role model for Americans. Bush
is the man for the job. He'll finally restore integrity to the highest
office in the land. Won't you give him a chance?"