    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [February 16, 2002]
    [Pages 241-244]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Republican Party of Alaska in Anchorage
    February 16, 2002

        Thank you all. Thank you, Governor--I
    mean--[laughter]. Thank you all for coming. Listen, I've been in Alaska
    long enough to remember when Edith Holmes sang ``The Star Spangled
    Banner.'' [Laughter] God rest her soul. I actually met Edith when I was
    living in Fairbanks in 1974. I had the privilege of voting in the
    Republican primary in 1974. As you know, you've got a one-month
    residency requirement, and I met it. So I voted. I can't remember who I
    voted for, but I was a proud participant. I know I'm the only President
    ever to have voted in any kind of primary in Alaska. [Laughter]
        But I have such fond memories of Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula
    and Anchorage. And as you know, there was a period of time when you had
    kind of weak immigration laws and a lot of Texans came up here--
    [laughter]--many of whom were my friends. But such a fabulous State. And
    thanks for such warm hospitality. And who said your three electoral
    votes didn't matter? [Laughter]
        I'm real thrilled to be traveling with Laura,
    obviously. The last time I went overseas, she didn't go. It was right
    after 9/11. I went to Shanghai for a quick meeting and came back. Now
    the people of the Far East are going to get to see a fabulous wife and a
    great mother and a great First Lady for the country.
        I do want to thank all those folks who put this on today, and I
    particularly want to thank the members of the Alaska congressional
    delegation: Senator Stevens, Senator
    Murkowski, and Congressman Young. These are three very accomplished, capable, smart people
    who also have got a little bit of seniority, which helps. [Laughter]
        But Senator Stevens, I wish he were here
    because I would like for him to hear what I am going to say about him.
    He is a--he's a great legislator who loves America, and he is smart, and
    I really, really enjoyed working with him. He is a wonderful
    representative of the State of Alaska, obviously. But those of you who
    know Ted Stevens, you can't pigeonhole him just for one State. He really
    cares deeply about the Nation, as does Frank.
        And Don Young and I worked a lot of times
    together on this airport security bill. And it's a good piece of
    legislation, and he deserves a lot of credit for seizing a moment and
    getting some good legislation through. It was a period of time when it
    was so important for the country to see that the Government was actually
    doing something constructive at home to make--to kind of ease the nerves
    of the American people. And Don did a really good job of working that
    issue. And I was proud to sign the bill that he had a major hand in
    getting to my desk.
        And I also want to thank all the statehouse folks and the mayors,
    George W.--another George W.--[laughter]--
    there he is. But it's a thrill for us to be here.

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        We're on our way, obviously, to Japan, South Korea, and China. It's
    an important trip, because we've got a lot in common with those nations.
    We've got trading interests. And as I mentioned in the speech over
    there, that one of the things I am going to continually remind these
    nations, that trade ought to be a two-way street, you know, that if we
    open up our market, they ought to open up theirs. And I will work hard
    to do that, because we have got a competitive advantage in a lot of
    important areas, and one of which is agriculture. I truly believe that
    it is in our Nation's interests and the world's interests that we tear
    down these barriers to trade, so that we can feed people who are hungry.
        I'm also going to talk about our values. The world obviously knows
    that we're willing to defend values, the values of freedom. And I'll
    explain to the leaders firsthand my absolute determination to do that.
        I told the country at different times right after September the 11th
    that the farther we got away from the date, it's likely that people
    would grow weary and tired of the efforts. Not me, nor my
    administration. History has called us into action, and action is where
    we'll be. We've laid out a pretty clear set of objectives early on in
    the war against terror but--all focused on defending freedom. And it's
    as simple as that. It's good versus evil, and freedom is under attack.
        My job, obviously, covers a lot of fronts, but there's nothing more
    important than the security of the American people and to prevent an
    attack. And as much as I wish I didn't have to say this, I still believe
    we are under attack. And I see threats every morning. Having said that,
    you can rest assured we're doing everything in our power to keep America
    safe. Everything possible, obviously, within the confines of the
    Constitution, we're doing.
        And I'm proud to report that the team is really working hard. You
    know, when I first came into office--or, not first came into office--
    well, first came into office, and actually right around the September
    the 11th period--the FBI's function was really to run down spies or
    white-collar criminals. And there's nothing wrong with that; that's an
    important function of the FBI. But I can tell you with certainty they've
    got a new major focus, and that's preventing an attack. We've got over
    4,000 FBI agents around the country that are working hand in glove with
    State and local authorities, just to give--just to keep running down
    every lead and every hint and every opportunity to keep the country
    safe. And we are. And I'm pleased with the efforts being made.
        But I'm also a realistic fellow. And I know that in the long term,
    in order to keep America safe, we've got to keep this vast coalition
    we've put together and rout out terror wherever it hides and wherever it
    exists. And that's what we're going to do. That's what we're going to
    do.
        The amazing thing for me is that the country is so patient and so
    determined and so resolved. And I am very grateful for that, as I'm sure
    you can imagine. It is such a powerful feeling to know that I represent
    a great land that is united in our efforts to secure freedom.
        The other thing that I find interesting is that not only are we
    going to leave the world a safer and freer place, but I believe the
    culture is beginning to change. And one of the reasons I first ran for
    office in Texas and then eventually the Presidency was, I was concerned
    about a culture which, as I said in my State of the Union, said, ``If it
    feels good, do it.'' The second half of that is, ``If you've got a
    problem, blame somebody else.'' And my wish is, for the country, is that
    we usher in a period of personal responsibility.
        That means, if you're a mother or a father, that your most important
    job is to love your children with all your heart and all your soul.
    That's really what a period of personal responsibility means; we all
    rededicate ourselves to the parenting, if we're fortunate enough to have
    a child. Or it

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    means that you'll love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
    Or if you're corporate America, it means you will have full disclosure
    on all your assets and liabilities. [Laughter] Seriously, so that you
    don't mislead your shareholders or employees. There's certain
    responsibility that comes to those of us who have been entrusted with
    people's lives, in my case, or corporate America's lives, or individual
    lives, and we must seize that moment.
        And you know, I--probably the most meaningful moment for me was on
    Flight 93, when the guys get on the airplane, and they hear--they get
    the word that something's happening in Washington. The plane's hijacked.
    They tell their loved ones they love them; they say a prayer; and they
    drive the plane into the ground. It is kind of the epitome of taking
    responsibility to save somebody else's life. It's the ultimate
    sacrifice.
        I believe the country is asking, you know, how best to make
    ourselves better. And as I said in the speech in there, one way to do
    that, obviously, is to practice acts of kindness. And it's that--it's
    the compilation of these acts of decency and responsibility that will
    eventually define America and eventually win the war against terror.
        We've got some--besides the military, besides the budget items,
    there's obviously an issue that's relevant here to Alaska that I am
    passionate about, and that is energy. It is so important that our Nation
    be wise about our energy policy and be--first of all, we've got to
    conserve better, and we will. There's new technologies coming on that
    will enhance conservation, and that's important, no question about it.
    And the less energy we use and still are able to grow our economy, the
    less dependent we are on somebody else's energy.
        But we've also got to explore at home, and there is no better place
    to do so than in Alaska. There is a myth that somehow the environment
    cannot be protected if you find natural gas. As a matter of fact,
    natural gas will help protect the environment. [Laughter] And it is--
    we've got to do everything in our power to send a clear message about
    reality, that nature and exploration can coexist in a positive way.
        I want to thank the Teamsters. Jerry Hood
    traveled with us today, and I've met with Jimmy Hoffa. He understands that this is more than just national
    security. We're also talking about people's jobs. This is a chance for
    people to get to work and to make a living and to put--and to help
    battle this recession that we face.
        So I am--I told Frank--I mean, I can
    assure you, this is not only important for our national security
    interests; it's right for America that we pursue this. And obviously you
    don't need to persuade your--any elected officials here. But if you
    happen to know somebody else in Congress that seems reluctant, tell them
    the truth; tell them how it works; tell them how important it is for the
    country.
        But we're having the time of our lives, and it's been an--as you can
    imagine, a fantastic experience in many ways, sad in many ways, very
    emotional for a period of time. But I've never been more optimistic
    about a country or a philosophy. I believe that philosophy that our
    party honors is one that heralds the individual, recognizes everybody
    has got potential, and that the job of the Government is to help people
    realize their potential. It's not to create wealth but an environment in
    which people are willing to take risks so that the entrepreneur can
    flourish, you can own your own business. We believe strongly in the
    freedoms that we adhere so closely to, that--we believe in private
    property rights and the rights of every citizen.
        And so it's a proud moment for me to be able to represent the
    Republican philosophy to the United States but, more importantly, show
    that it works. It works for people.
        And then so the tax cut that I campaigned on that we worked hard to
    get not only has made a huge difference in the lives of our citizens,
    but it came right

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    at the right time. Just as the economy was, you know, declared stagnant
    and dead in the water, we got a tax cut going, which means people have
    got more money to spend, which means it's kind of a boost in the arm for
    our economy. And I wish I could say we're out of recession. I don't
    think we are. But there are some positive signs happening.
        So, all in all, I guess what I'm telling you is, one, I love being
    your President. I want to thank you for helping me get there. And I am
    incredibly optimistic, optimistic about the country, optimistic about
    peace, optimistic about our future. I just feel so strong, and it's
    great to be a President of a land of so many good people. And they don't
    even have to be Republican, as far as I'm concerned--[laughter]--people
    from all walks of life.
        So thanks for greeting Laura and me. Thanks for giving us a good
    sendoff as we go on to this important foreign policy trip. And may God
    bless you all. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:45 p.m. in the Gathering Place at the
    Alaska Native Heritage Center. In his remarks, he referred to Alaska
    gubernatorial candidate Senator Frank H. Murkowski, who introduced the
    President; Mayor George Wuerch of Anchorage; and James P. Hoffa, general
    president, and Jerry Hood, special assistant to the general president on
    energy policy, International Brotherhood of Teamsters.