    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 24, 2002]
    [Pages 663-667]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a South Dakota Republican Party Rally in Sioux Falls
    April 24, 2002

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much; thank
    you for that warm welcome. I'm really glad I came back to South Dakota.
    John said to me, he said, ``Well, you might
    want to come over to South Dakota. A few of my friends might show up.''
    [Laughter] I want to thank all of you for coming.
        I'm here for a couple of reasons. First, I'm here because I firmly
    believe that John Thune should be the next
    United States Senator from South Dakota. And I'm here to thank the
    people of this good State who work so hard for the Republican Party, who
    know that our party represents strength and compassion, that we trust
    the people of America. I want to thank those of you who man the phones
    and lick the envelopes, who carry the signs. I want to thank the
    grassroots support that are so incredibly important not only for making
    sure our point of view is heard but incredibly important part of our
    democracy. Your job of turning out the vote and talking to the neighbors
    and going to the coffee shops and spreading the word is incredibly
    important. And it's going to be an important reason why John Thune gets
    elected next November.
        I want to thank John's wife, Kimberley,
    for making the sacrifice necessary to--for her husband to run for this
    high office. John and I share something in
    common; that is, we both married above ourselves. [Laughter] My regret
    is that my wife, Laura, isn't with me here
    tonight. But I will tell you, I am incredibly proud of this fine soul.
    She is doing a great job as the First Lady for our country.
        Audience member. [Inaudible]--in South Dakota!
        The President. I had the honor of serving as the Governor of my
    State, and while I was the Governor, I got to know the Governor of your State. He is--he's one of a kind.
    [Laughter] I'm proud to be with my old Governor friend, and I know
    you're proud of the job he's doing as your Governor. I also want to
    thank the first lady, Mary Dean, as well.
        I want to thank the party chairman, Joel Rosenthal. I want to thank the national committeeman, the national committeewoman.
    I want to thank you all.
        This is a--this is a really large crowd. [Laughter] It says
    something about the vitality of our message, and it says something about
    the strength of our candidate for the United States Senate. Here's what
    I like about John. I like his values. I
    respect his intellect. I appreciate his dedication to hard work and his
    desire to get things done in Washington, DC, on behalf of the citizens
    of South Dakota. He's not afraid to stand up for what he believes, and
    it's refreshing to hear his voice amongst the shrill partisans in
    Washington, DC. He's a steady hand, and he's a man with whom I can work.
        We've worked on big issues thus far. One of the most important
    issues we worked on was making sure the people of South Dakota and
    America got to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. When it comes
    time to spending money in Washington, DC, both of us understand the
    money we're spending is not the Government's money. The money we're
    spending is the people's money. And we cut your taxes right at the right
    time.
        You know, our economy was floundering. When I went into office, the
    economy was grinding down, and that deeply troubled me. Anytime somebody
    in this country wants to work and they can't find a job, I'm troubled by
    that. But I understood this economic fact: If you let people keep their
    own money, they're going to spend it; they're going to demand something.
    And when they demand a good or a service, somebody is going to produce a
    good or

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    a service. And when somebody produces that good or service, that means
    somebody is going to find work. The tax cuts we passed, in spite of some
    of the big spenders in Washington, DC, helped this economy get back on
    its feet.
        And we need a good farm bill out of Congress. We don't need any more
    politics with the farm bill. Let's get a farm bill on my desk that makes
    sense for the South Dakota farmers. Farming is an incredibly important
    part of this national economy of ours. It's important to understand that
    good farm policy is not only good for the economy; it's good for out
    national security as well. Thank goodness we can feed our people in
    America.
        And what's bad for our national security is that we are too
    dependent on foreign sources of crude oil. We're too dependent on
    sources of energy from some countries that don't particularly care for
    America. And one way to help reduce that dependency is to promote,
    encourage value-added processing with America products such as ethanol.
        I told the people--I told the people when I was running, I was for
    ethanol. And a lot of people said, ``Well, he's from Texas. He's not for
    ethanol.'' Listen, I'm the President of everybody, and I understand what
    it means to be reliant upon somebody else's energy. There's plenty of
    room for ethanol in the energy mix in America. We must have it. We must
    have it for the good of our farm economy; we must have it for the good
    of our air; and we must have it for the national security reasons of the
    United States of America.
        My view about trade is this: If you're good at something, you ought
    to promote it. And one of the things we're good at is raising meat and
    growing crops. America has got a competitive advantage when it comes to
    our agriculture. We grow more than we need here in America, and
    therefore, we ought to have policy that helps us feed the world. I want
    free trade, and I want fair trade. The House has passed a trade
    promotion authority, and so should the United States Senate.
        And the good news is, John Thune
    understands that. And he also understands this, that our party has been
    compassionate. We've been conservative, but we have been compassionate
    when it comes to issues like welfare reform. One of the great successes
    in recent history has been the welfare reform law, which says if you're
    dependent upon Government, it's hard to realize your dreams. Listen,
    we'll help people who cannot help themselves. But we have reduced
    dependency upon Government as a result of encouraging and training and
    insisting that people go to work.
        There is a welfare reform reauthorization coming up; in other words,
    we've got to rewrite the bill. I want to make sure someone like John
    Thune is elected to the Senate so that if that
    bill gets reauthorized when he's a Senator, there will be a voice for
    reason and compassion, a voice that understands, with a job you find
    dignity, and a voice who will join me in promoting family and marriage
    in the welfare reform bill.
        Like the farmers here, I'm kind of an early morning fellow. I get up
    every morning; I take old Barney and Spot outside. [Laughter] Spot then
    joins me in the Oval Office. After all, she was born in the White House
    and is used to the trappings there. Barney's only a year and a half, so
    he doesn't spend much time inside the Oval Office. After all, we've got
    a new rug in there. [Laughter]
        I walk in the office; I sit behind a desk that has been used by
    Presidents ranging from the Roosevelts to Kennedy to Reagan, and I read
    a threat assessment. I read a list of potential threats to our country,
    and it reminds me that my most important job is to do everything in my
    power to protect the American people, that my most important job is to
    make sure that the enemy doesn't hit us again.
        And we're making progress. I want you to know that we take this
    notion of homeland security very seriously. Today I was

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    visiting with your Governor, and he
    explained to me what South Dakota is doing. I'm most impressed with his
    leadership on this issue. You need to know that we follow every single
    lead. If we hear somebody might want to hurt us, we're running them
    down.
        We're making sure our borders are more secure. Here in America,
    we're a welcoming society. But we want to know who's coming in, and we
    want to know who's going out.
        As part of our homeland defense strategy, we're spending money and
    working closely with our first-responders, the brave police and fire and
    EMS teams all across America. We want to be prepared in America, and
    we've got a strategy to do just that. And for those of you who wear the
    uniform who are here tonight, I want to thank you on behalf of a
    grateful nation.
        We take the threat of bioterrorism very seriously here in America,
    and we've got a strategy to deal with that.
        What I'm telling you is, we're doing everything in our power to
    protect the American people. But the surest way to protect the American
    people is to chase the killers down one by one and bring them to
    justice.
        I can't imagine what was going through the minds of the killers when
    they attacked America. I guess they must have thought that this was a
    soft nation, that we were so self-absorbed, so materialistic, so weak
    that all we were going to do was to file a lawsuit. [Laughter] They
    found out we think differently here in America. They found out that when
    it comes to the defense of our freedoms--the freedom to worship, the
    freedom to speak, the freedom to assemble, freedom of the press--that
    we're a mighty nation, and if threatened, we will respond.
        I can't tell you how proud I am of the United States military. For
    those of you who have got relatives in the military, you thank them on
    behalf of a grateful nation and a grateful Commander in Chief.
        The world is also finding out that when America says something, we
    mean it, that when we say we're going to do something, we're going to
    follow through. Early on, I said to the world that either you're with
    us, or you're against us. The good news is, a lot of the world is with
    us, and for that we're grateful. I also said, ``If you harbor a
    terrorist, if you feed a killer, if you hide a killer, you're just as
    guilty as the killers.'' And the Taliban regime in Afghanistan found out
    exactly what we meant.
        It is so important for Americans, particularly young Americans, to
    understand that this Nation does not seek revenge; we seek justice. And
    when we went into Afghanistan, our military and our coalition partners
    did not go in as conquerors; we went in as liberators. We freed people
    from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of
    mankind. In so doing--in so doing, we opened up schools for the first
    time for many young girls. I am proud of the efforts. I'm proud of our
    steadfast resolve, our determination, our unity, and I'm proud of the
    values that our country holds dear. You see, we value the worth of every
    single individual, regardless of their religion, regardless of their
    status.
        I have submitted a budget to Congress--and I'm so proud that
    John is supporting this budget--that makes the
    defense of our country the number one priority. It's a significant
    increase in the defense budget. It's the largest increase since Ronald
    Reagan, and I have done so for two reasons. One, anytime this Nation
    commits our young to battle, anytime we put our troops in harm's way,
    they must have the best equipment, the best training, the best possible
    support from the Government of the United States of America. And I have
    submitted a significant increase because it is an indication of the
    struggles ahead. It is a signal to the world that the United States is
    in this war for the long haul.
        I don't have a calendar on my desk that says, by such-and-such a
    moment this war

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    will end. I don't operate under false deadlines. And I know the nature
    of the enemy; they're coldblooded killers. And we have no choice but to
    defend ourselves and defend our friends by hunting them down.
        The second phase of the war after Afghanistan is to deny sanctuary,
    training bases, or recruitment facilities for any one of these killers.
    To put it bluntly, we're treating them like they are: international
    criminals. And we've got them on the run, and we're hunting them down
    one person at a time. There is no cave deep enough for this patient
    Nation. They think they can run, and they think they can hide, but
    they're going to be sorely disappointed.
        Our war against terror is more than just a person; it is more than
    just a network. We understand that history has called us to defend
    freedom so that people can grow up in a free society, not only in
    America but around the world. And so I want you to know that when I talk
    about an axis of evil, I mean it. We will not allow the world's most
    dangerous regimes to harbor and develop the world's most dangerous
    weapons. History has given us a chance to rise up, and rise up we will,
    in the defense of those values we hold dear.
        And so I want to thank my fellow citizens here in South Dakota and
    all around America for their--for their unity and purpose and resolve. I
    truly believe that by being firm and tough, we can achieve peace. That's
    what I want. I want lasting peace. I want peace not only for America; I
    want peace for regions of the world that are plagued by terror. I want
    peace so people can grow up and realize their God-given potential. I
    believe that when America fulfills its duty and honors the mission, that
    peace is more likely to come.
        And I also know that out of this terrible evil done to America can
    come incredible good. People oftentimes ask me, ``What can I do to
    help?'' And my answer is this: Love your neighbor just like you'd like
    to be loved yourself; if you want to fight evil, do some good. You see,
    it's the collective action of millions of acts of kindness that take
    place every day in America that truly defines the character of our
    country and allows us to stand squarely in the face of evil.
        If you want to help your country, mentor a child. If you want to
    help your country, go to your church or synagogue and mosque and rally
    good people to feed the homeless. If you want to help your country,
    remember there are pockets of despair and loneliness that can be solved
    by somebody putting their arm around somebody and saying, ``I love
    you.'' This country has risen to its task, because not only do we defend
    our values but because we're a nation full of great hearts and kind
    souls and decent people.
        I believe out of this evil will come incredible good. I believe
    America is beginning to realize the importance of serving something
    greater than yourself in life, the importance of recognizing that as you
    serve something greater than yourself in life, you serve your country.
        That lesson came home so clear. I think the young here, when they
    read the history of 9/11, should remember what took place on Flight 93.
    People getting on an airplane thought they were just going through an
    average day of travel. They were told the plane served as a--was serving
    as a weapon. They were told what was on the ground. A couple of people
    got on the phone and told their wives and loved ones goodbye, they loved
    them. They said a prayer. One guy said, ``Let's roll.'' And they drove
    the plane to the ground to save lives.
        It's the American--it is that spirit, it is that ultimate sacrifice,
    that sense of personal responsibility which is helping to change this
    Nation. You see, the culture says, ``If it feels good, just go ahead and
    do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else.'' There's a
    new awakening here in America that says, ``Each of us are responsible
    for the decisions we make in life''--that we are responsible--that if
    you are a mom or a dad, you're responsible

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    for loving that child with all your heart and all your soul, and if
    you're a good citizen, you're responsible for loving a neighbor. And
    that's what's happening in America.
        This is a great country. I can't tell you how optimistic I am about
    the future of our land. I'm optimistic that we'll achieve peace. I'm
    optimistic that we will stand squarely in the face of evil, with acts of
    kindness and decency. And I'm optimistic that this country will remain
    the most hopeful place on the face of the Earth.
        It is an honor, a high honor, to be the President of the greatest
    land on the face of the Earth. Thank you for giving me that privilege.
    May God bless you all. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:33 p.m. at the Sioux Falls Arena. In his
    remarks, he referred to senatorial candidate John Thune; Gov. William J.
    Janklow of South Dakota and his wife, Mary Dean Janklow; and Joel
    Rosenthal, chairman, Ron Schmidt, national committeeman, and Mary Jean
    Jensen, national committeewoman, South Dakota Republican Party.