Racicot: Bush 'set out principles'

Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot shared some insights on working with President George W. Bush, and defended the president's policies at home and abroad in a speech to a business group Thursday in Kalispell.

Racicot, a popular governor who won his second term with 79 percent of the vote, joined forces with fellow Republican Governor Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign and was afterwards appointed chairman of the Republican National Committee and then as chairman of Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

Since then, he's worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for a Washington, D.C., law firm and is currently involved with softwood trade and telecommunications issues.

Campaigning for the president involved traveling to every state in the nation, except Hawaii and Alaska, several times. Those travels, he said, left him with a new appreciation for the United States, its people and its political system.

"I got to know my country so much more personally, and I'm grateful for that," he told members of the Flathead Business and Industry Association. "The good

will of this country is absolutely unfathomable."

Racicot recalled the hugely controversial Florida recount for the 2000 presidential election, and marveled that Americans did not once resort to any kind of violence - a striking contrast to struggles for leadership in other countries.

Racicot said there has been no president in history who believes "so intensely and so personally" that spreading Democracy and freedom to other nations is the best way to curb poverty and violence around the globe.

"This president has taken an approach to this that is both profound and practical," Racicot said, noting that the president's approach involves economic trade, diplomacy and in the case of Afghanistan and Iraq, military force.

Racicot cited the Central America Free Trade Agreement is another tool that the president advocates for improving the economies of Central American countries by replacing "chaos with commerce."

Racicot touted the performance of the American economy in recent years, largely attributing its recovery to Bush's tax cuts.

Roughly 3.5 million jobs have been created since May of 2003, he said, housing sales have climbed to all-time highs, and overall economic productivity has increased, largely as a result of technology.

Racicot lamented the administration's struggles in getting it's Energy Bill past the Senate, and general opposition to the president's pursuit of Social Security reform.

"I can't find much that the opposition stands for these days," Racicot said of the Democratic Party. "They just seem to stand for opposition."

And voters have perceived that, he said, leading to Republican gains across the country in the last election.

Bush key to Bush's victory, Racicot said, was that voters perceived him to be honest and the "American people knew where he stood. He never wavered."

Social security reform is another issue where Bush has staked out his beliefs, Racicot said.

"Quite honestly, this is an issue he could take a walk on without any significant damage to his legacy," Racicot said of Bush and Social Security reform. "But that's just not his style. He feels it is his duty."

Bush has not been rigid in his pursuit of reform, Racicot said, partly because any firm reform plan would be picked apart by Washington partisans.

But Bush has "set out some principles" and he has been willing to consider other suggestions. Bush will not increase payroll taxes, and he wants workers to have the ability to put a portion of their Social Security contributions in regulated investments.

Racicot said the logic of the private investment option is obvious if people consider the huge majorities of Ohio and Texas public employees who choose to invest a portion of their contributions in "thrift accounts."

Racicot said in an interview that he fully intends to return to Montana someday, but he has no plans to seek public office again.

"It would surprise me if I ran for elective office again, to be honest," he said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com