Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 3, 1993                   TAG: 9310030120
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Dallas Morning News
DATELINE: DALLAS                                LENGTH: Medium

BUSH SAYS HIS EMPATHY DIDN'T SHOW A2 A1 BUSH BUSH

Bush, in one of his first speeches since leaving office, offered numerous glimpses of the foreign policy decisions that marked his career.

In a wide-ranging speech, he talked about his decision to end the Persian Gulf War and his painstaking approach to international diplomacy that, he said, cost him a few points in public opinion polls.

But what hurt him most in November was his inability to communicate his concern about the country's "moral emptiness," he said. Previous presidents, he said, have done a better job of showing empathy for those Americans who were suffering.

"I must confess I wish I was as good as my predecessor, Ronald Reagan," Bush said. "I know I had some problems.

"My greatest shortcoming was my inability to take the ideas we had on tougher crime legislation, or choice in education, for example, and convince the American people that I was concerned about them, and I knew what we were going to do about it."

Bush said he was not bitter about the election loss because he believed his contributions to worldwide democracy would be remembered as his political legacy.

"I accept responsibility for being far less convincing and articulate on the domestic stuff, the domestic items, than I wish I had been," he said. "I'm proud of what we did, and I have a funny, satisfied feeling I may be a little early but I have a satisfied feeling that history will judge this period kindly."

He said the United States must maintain a strong defense, despite the end of the Cold War. And he said the country should continue to play a dominant role in world affairs.

"It is absolutely essential that the U.S. lead in Europe or Asia or wherever else it is," he said. "That's the way we ended the crisis of the Cold War: We confronted the danger, and we took advantage of the opportunity, and now we see a better world and a safer world."

The former president seemed willing to bury the political hatchet on some issues but took a few partisan shots on others.

He acknowledged that the Democrats devised a winning strategy by sticking to the campaign theme of "It's the economy, stupid."

He said President Clinton gave a "fine" speech on health care last month, but said the Clinton health plan needs to be altered so it does not place an excessive burden on small businesses. "There is no cheap answer to this one," Bush said. "There's no easy out."

As for his own record of getting legislation through Congress, Bush noted that critics often remarked on the gridlock between the Republican White House and the Democrat-dominated Congress.

But the new administration has not always produced party unity, he said, citing the difficulty that the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement is facing in the House of Representatives.

"It seems to me those Democratic leaders in Congress ought to support their president, and he ought to whip them into line."

The country's economic future hinges on approval of NAFTA, he said, and he urged people to filter out the "fear-mongering."

"We really have to listen less to the demagogues and look more at the facts," he said.