The Presidency of George H.W. Bush

1989 - 1993

The Election of 1988

• Bush/Quayle v. Dukakis/Bentsen- Democratic Primary included:

Gary Hart Jesse Jackson “Rainbow Coalition”

Electoral vote 426 111 States carried 40 10 + DC Popular vote 48,886,597 41,809,476 Percentage 53.4% 45.7%

Bush “soundbites”

• “voodoo economics” • “Read my lips – no new taxes”• “a kinder, gentle America”• “education president” – Goals 2000• “new world order”

George H.W. Bush – In his own words…• “For seven and a half years I’ve worked alongside President Reagan. We’ve

had triumphs. Made some mistakes. We’ve had some sex...uh...setbacks.” — 1988

• “It’s no exaggeration to say the undecideds could go one way or another.” — 1988

• “I will never apologize for the United States of America. I don’t care what the facts are.” — 1988

• “I hope I stand for antibigotry, anti-Semitism, antiracism. This is what drives me.” — 1988

• “It has been said by some cynic, maybe it was a former president, ‘If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.’ Well, we took them literally — that advice — as you know. But I didn’t need that because I have Barbara Bush.” — 1989

• “Boy, they were big on crematoriums, weren’t they?” – during a tour of Auschwitz — 1989

Domestic Problems

1. Gridlock – Bush v. Congress (Democratic majorities)

2. Taxes and the economy- Savings and Loan (S & L) scandal: $250 billion in bailouts to save weak banks- Federal deficits over $250 billion/year – over a trillion added to the national debt- 1990: Congress proposes $133 billion in new taxes!

- Recession of 1990: the end of the Reagan era of prosperity – increased unemployment and decreased average family income

3. Reduction of the military – post-Cold War era- 34 bases closed; deep cuts in military contracts- a partial dismantling of the military industrial complex established during the Cold War - Southern California hit hard – 10% unemployment- Current military bases in So Cal

4. War on Drugs (1989)- creates the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and appoints William Bennett as his first “drug czar.” Bennett aims to make drug abuse socially unacceptable.- the United States invades Panama. – Gen. Manuel Noriega surrenders to the DEA on Jan. 3, 1990, in Panama and is sent to Miami the next day. - In 1992, Noriega is convicted on eight counts of drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering, and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

5. Nomination of Clarence Thomas- Nominated to replace Thurgood Marshall to fill the “black seat”- conservative views (criticized by the NAACP, et. al.)- sexual harassment charges – Anita Hill (many women

believed her) - confirmed despite the controversy

On a positive note…

6. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990- prohibited discrimination against citizens with physical and mental disabilities

Foreign Affairs – The End of the Cold War1. Tiananmen Square (spring, 1989)

- prodemocracy students demonstrate for freedom in Beijing; broadcast worldwide- student protestors crushed – 100s killed

2. Changes in Eastern Europe - Gorbachev declared that he would no longer support communist governments in Eastern Europe with Soviet armed forces- Lech Walesa, leader of the Solidarity movement, was elected in Poland in 1989- Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and East Germany followed shortly thereafter!

3. The Breakup of the Soviet Union- In 1990, the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania declared independence.- There is a failed coup against Gorbachev by communist stalwarts- By 1991, the remaining republics dissolve the Soviet Union- Gorbachev is a leader without a country- Boris Yeltsin, the President of the Russian Republic, forms the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS)

4. The End of the Cold War - START I (1991) – Bush and Gorbachev agree to reduce nuclear warheads to under 10,000 each - START II (1992) – Bush and Yeltsin agree to reduce nuclear warheads to just over 3,000 each- The United States offers economic assistance- Yugoslavia disintegrates in 1991 – civil war breaks out in Bosnia and Herzegovina

5. Invasion of Panama (1989)- U.S. military troops are sent to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega to stop him from using his country as a drug pipeline to the United States.

6. The Gulf War- In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and threatened Western oil supplies in the Persian Gulf.- Bush built a coalition to put pressure on Iraq to withdraw, including a U.N. embargo – To NO avail!- With Congressional approval, Operation Desert Storm was launched in January, 1991, that included 539,000 American soldiers and military units from 28 other nations - Five weeks of airstrikes were followed by a ground invasion on February 23rd. It lasted only 4 days!

Generals Norman H. Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell

“Highway to Hell”

Kuwait:Oil Fields on Fire