[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[April 26, 2001]
[Pages 463-465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Celebration of Reading in Houston, Texas
April 26, 2001

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much. Laura 
and I are really glad to be back in Texas. [Laughter] I didn't realize, 
Dad, until I saw that video, how different your 
life has been since I'm the President and you're not. [Laughter] Sounds 
like it's been pretty rough. And perhaps you and I should sit down and 
have a discussion, talk about it. Let me think: I have an opening the 
27th of September. [Laughter]
    We have some other family issues to discuss, like where to put my 
Presidential Library. [Laughter] I've decided not to go through the 
hassle of raising money. And so, you know my dad's library? We're just going to add ``And Son.'' 
[Laughter] As you can already tell, lately my dad has been calling me 
``43.'' I call him ``41.'' It's kind of shorthand we have in our family. 
And we have a nickname for Mother as well. To 
show you where she stands in the power structure of this family, we call 
her ``Number One.'' [Laughter]
    And so I'm going to turn the stage back to Number One, and then close the program with some remarks of my 
own. It's really great to be back in Houston and to return bearing the 
proudest title ever been given to me: Son of Barbara and George Bush.

[At this point, the program proceeded.]

    The President. Well, thank you. Thank you, Laura. Once again, thank you all for that warm welcome. I know 
all of you join me in thanking the authors for being here tonight. The 
readings were fantastic, and we appreciate it.
    You've certainly set a high standard for a little reading I intend 
to do tonight.

[[Page 464]]

[Laughter] Now, some people think my mom took 
up the cause of literacy--[laughter]--out of a sense of guilt over my 
own upbringing. [Laughter] That's one reason why she was so happy I 
married a teacher.
    The truth is, I guess I could have paid a little closer attention 
when I was in English class, but it all worked out okay. [Laughter] I'm 
gainfully employed. [Laughter] And I even have a new book out, and I 
brought along a copy. Right, here it is. I didn't actually write all of 
this, but I did inspire it. [Laughter] Some guy put together a 
collection of my wit and wisdom--[laughter]--or as he calls it, my 
accidental wit and wisdom. It's not exactly a world transformed, but I'm 
kind of proud that my words are already in book form. [Laughter] And I 
thought tonight I would share a few quotable passages with you. It's 
kind of like thoughts of Chairman Mao--[laughter]--only with laughs and 
not in Chinese. [Laughter]
    Here's one. And I actually said this. [Laughter] ``I know the human 
being and fish can coexist peacefully.'' [Laughter] Now, that makes you 
stop and think. [Laughter] Anyone can give you a coherent sentence, but 
something like this takes you to an entirely new dimension. [Laughter]
    Here's another: ``I understand small-business growth; I was one.'' 
[Laughter] My, do I love great literature.
    I said this up in New Hampshire: ``I appreciate preservation. It's 
what you've got to do when you run for President.'' [Laughter] ``You've 
got to preserve.'' You know, I really don't have the slightest idea what 
I was talking about there. [Laughter]
    You know, a lot of times on the campaign, they asked me about 
economics, and I actually said this. ``More and more of our imports come 
from overseas.'' [Laughter]
    Now, most people would say this when they're talking about the 
economy: ``We ought to make the pie bigger.'' [Laughter] However, I said 
this. [Laughter] ``We ought to make the pie higher.'' [Laughter] It is a 
very complicated economic point I was making there. [Laughter] But 
believe me--believe me, what this country needs is taller pie. 
[Laughter]
    And how about this for a foreign policy vision: ``When I was coming 
up, it was a dangerous world. And we knew exactly who the `they' were.'' 
[Laughter] ``It was `us' versus `them.''' [Laughter] ``And it was clear 
who the `them' was.'' [Laughter] ``Today, we're not so sure who the 
`they' are''--[laughter]--``but we know they're there.'' John 
Ashcroft, by the way, attributes the way I 
talk to my religious fervor. In fact, the first time we met, he thought 
I was talking in tongues. [Laughter]
    Then there is my famous statement: ``Rarely is the question asked, 
is our children learning?'' [Laughter] Let's analyze that sentence for a 
moment. [Laughter] If you're a stickler, you probably think the singular 
verb ``is'' should have been the plural ``are.'' But if you read it 
closely, you'll see that I'm using the intransitive plural subjective 
tense. [Laughter] And so the word ``is'' are correct. [Laughter]
    Now, ladies and gentlemen, you have to admit, in my sentences, I go 
where no man has gone before. [Laughter] But the way I see it is, I am a 
boon to the English language. I've coined new words, like 
``misunderestimate'' and ``Hispanically.'' [Laughter] I've expanded the 
definition of words themselves, using ``vulcanize'' when I meant 
``polarize,'' ``Grecians'' when I meant ``Greeks,'' ``inebriating'' when 
I meant ``exhilarating.'' [Laughter] And instead of ``barriers and 
tariffs,'' I said ``terriers and bariffs.'' [Laughter]
    We all make our contributions in the world, and I suppose mine will 
not be to the literary treasures of the Western civilization. [Laughter] 
But I do hope to contribute in my own way. And one of those ways is to 
bring closer the day when every child and every American learns to read. 
And that is why the budget I submitted to the United States Congress 
triples the

[[Page 465]]

amount of money available for reading programs all across America.
    I'm proud of Mother. She took up the cause 
more than a decade ago, and she didn't leave it behind in the White 
House. Through her efforts and the efforts of all who have helped the 
Barbara Bush Foundation, so many lives have been enriched with new 
opportunities.
    We heard Norma Vargas beautifully describe 
the good that has come into her life since she has found the courage to 
walk into that San Jose classroom to begin her first lesson. Tens of 
thousands more have their own stories, stories of people finding new and 
better jobs and gaining a new sense of dignity because now they can 
read.
    And I'm proud that Laura has her own 
commitment to education. She was a teacher when I met her. In her own 
way, she will always be a teacher. She's the best kind of teacher, too, 
the kind who leaves no one out and believes in the possibilities of 
every person.
    That's the spirit of your cause and ours. I thank each of you for 
all you have contributed. It will be repaid many times over in lives of 
new achievement and lives of new hope.
    Thank you, and God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 7:04 p.m. at the Wortham Theater Center. 
The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of former President George Bush, former First Lady 
Barbara Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and former Prime Minister John 
Major of the United Kingdom.