    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [August 23, 2002]
    [Pages 1471-1476]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Reception for Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Simon in
     Dana Point, California
    August 23, 2002

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for inviting me. We
    don't have views like this in Crawford. [Laughter] What a beautiful spot
    this is, in a fantastic State. And thanks for coming tonight. It is my
    honor to come and help support the fine slate of candidates that our
    party is fielding this year. And it's my honor to come and support the
    next Governor of the State of California, Bill Simon.
        Bill mentioned that Laura was out here
    working for--on his behalf. And that day he drew the long straw, and
    today--[laughter]--you drew the short one. [Laughter] But she's doing
    great. I had a talk with her when we got settled into this beautiful
    spot. And yesterday in Leander, Texas, they named an elementary school
    for her. So she thought it would be good--and deservedly so, I might
    say.
        You know, when I married Laura, she was a
    public school librarian. That's how she made her living. She was a
    public school librarian, and the truth of the matter is, she didn't care
    for politics or politicians. [Laughter] And now she got stuck with one.
    [Laughter] For the good of the country, she's a fabulous First Lady. I'm
    proud of her. Just like Cindy Simon is going to
    be a great first lady for California.
        I like the way the Simons value family. That's important for your
    leader of the

    [[Page 1472]]

    State of California to hold values dear to his heart. And there's
    nothing more important than people who value faith and family and
    service to something greater than yourself.
        This event has not only drawn a lot of hardworking grassroot
    activists--and I want to thank you for your hard work, not only for
    what----
        Audience member. Working hard.
        The President. I know you are. [Laughter] Not only for what you have
    done but for what you're fixing to do, which is to turn out the vote. A
    lot of times, you never get thanked enough. A lot of times, those of us
    running for office kind of take you for granted. Well, you want--need to
    know your President doesn't take you for granted. I want to thank you
    for your hard work. I want to thank you for what you do. I'm urging you
    to get out and support this good man and the slate that we have put
    together here in the great State of California.
        But we've got some strong--we've got some strong members of the
    congressional delegation who are here, and I want to introduce some of
    them. I'm going to probably need their vote when--[laughter]. The good
    news is, I haven't had to ask the ones I'm about to introduce too often,
    because they've been loyal friends, and they're strong, like
    Ken Calvert--I appreciate you coming, Kenny--or
    Ed Royce, right up the coast here. Ed, thank
    you for coming.
        How about Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham. Duke.
        Audience members. Duke! Duke! Duke!
        The President. I asked him how long it took to get up here from his
    district. He said, when he put in an afterburner, about 3 minutes.
    [Laughter] I appreciate so very much Darrell Issa being here as well. Darrell, thanks for coming. And
    finally, the Congressman from this district, a true leader in the House
    of Representatives, Chris Cox.
        We've got candidates who are running statewide in this fantastic
    State. The next Lieutenant Governor of your State of California is Bruce
    McPherson. I appreciate you coming, Bruce.
    I've known Bruce for quite a while. He's a good hand, as they say in
    Crawford. He's a good, hard-working man, who is going to work with the
    next Governor to do what's right for the people of this State. I want to
    thank very much Dick Ackerman, who is the
    candidate for State attorney general, for being here. The next secretary
    of state, Keith Olberg, is with us today. Greg
    Conlon, who is going to be the next treasurer of
    your State, is with us today. Gary Mendoza is
    running a great race for insurance commissioner--is with us today. I
    appreciate so very much Katherine Smith,
    running for state superintendent of public construction. Thank you,
    Katherine. These are fine candidates, and I want to thank you all for
    supporting them.
        I also want to pay tribute to Jack and Joanne
    Kemp who are here today. Jack has been a great
    stalwart for the--[applause]. It's good to know they still remember you.
    He's a good friend and a great man, who has been stalwart in the--for
    our cause and our way of thinking. I appreciate so very much his
    willingness to work hard to take the edge off a message to make it clear
    that what we believe in applies to everybody, that we don't believe in
    excluding people. We believe in including people in our message of--
    [applause].
        And I want to thank my friend Gerry Parsky, who has done a great job on my behalf in this State.
    He had some really heavy lifting to do in 2000. He was my campaign
    chairman in this State. But he's a good man. He's a good man, and I
    appreciate his friendship.
        But I want to talk to you about the next Governor. The thing I like
    about Bill Simon is he's willing to work to change the tone of politics.
    And that's important. If you want to lead, if you're there for the right
    reason, if you want to serve the people, the first thing you've got to
    do is change the tone and attitude of people, in this case in
    Sacramento, California.

    [[Page 1473]]

        You see, if you believe in pitting one group of people against
    another, you can't get anything done. If you believe that politics is
    zero-sum--we've got one winner and one loser--you're not going to get
    positive things done on behalf of the people. Bill Simon is committed to
    changing the tone in Sacramento, to get things done not just for
    Republicans, but for Democrats and independents and people who don't
    give a darn about politics.
        And notice, I said ``get things done.'' I mean ``get results,''
    results such as making sure that every child gets a good education in
    this important State. It is really important. It's really important in
    this big State, in this powerful State, in this State that has got
    people from all walks of life, that we make sure that every single child
    gets educated--every child. Not a few, not some in the fancy districts,
    not some in the suburbs, but every child, everywhere in the State of
    California.
        And that means setting high standards. That means having a Governor
    who believes every child can learn. You see, the sad fact is, around,
    probably, California, I know in Texas and around the country, there are
    some people who believe children can't--some children can't learn. See,
    that means they've got low standards, what I call the soft bigotry of
    low expectations. If you set the low--bar low, you're going to get bad
    results. And so first and foremost, you've got to have a Governor who
    believes every child can learn.
        Secondly, you've got to have a Governor who trusts the people to
    make the decisions as to how to get the path to excellence set up in
    each school district. You see, you cannot have a one-size-fits-all
    education system, not only out of Washington but out of a big, powerful
    State, diverse State, like California. You've got to trust the local
    folks. You've got to trust the teachers and the parents. You've got to
    be willing to say, ``We're not going to try to micromanage from a
    centralized authority.''
        Thirdly, you've got to have a Governor--and this Governor--future
    Governor agrees with me about this--that you've got to be willing to
    measure. You see, if you believe every child can learn, like I do, then
    you insist that every child be measured to determine whether they are
    learning. It's the folks who say every child can't learn, are the ones
    who say, ``Let's don't measure.'' If you believe the child can't learn,
    there's no need to tell whether or not they are. Guess what happens with
    the system that doesn't measure? You shuffle children through--called
    ``social promotion.'' And guess who gets hurt? Everybody gets hurt in a
    system that refuses to educate each and every child. I believe we ought
    to measure, and I believe we ought to measure so we know who to praise.
    And I believe we ought to measure to make sure we correct problems
    early, before they're too late. No child in America and no child in
    California should be left behind.
        And you've got a Governor--future Governor, who understands that.
    See, it's a frame of mind you've got to have in Washington. Public
    education isn't a political issue; it is a issue that is important for
    every single family in this State. You can't play politics with the
    education system.
        You need a breath of fresh air in Sacramento, is what you need. You
    also need somebody who can balance the budget, somebody who can help set
    priorities, somebody who doesn't try to be all things to all people.
    That's what you need. And that's the way Bill Simon is going to be.
        And finally, an issue that is dear to my heart is the understanding
    that we need to help people help themselves in California and in
    America. We need--for example, when we reauthorize the welfare bill,
    we've got to make sure that the key component of any new reauthorization
    is work. We've got to understand that work equals dignity.
        But you've also got to understand we've got to help people. We've
    got to help people be prepared to work. Listen, there are

    [[Page 1474]]

    pockets of despair and hopelessness in this State and all around this
    country. And one way to make sure that we help people is to unleash one
    of the great strengths of America, and that is the faith-based programs
    all across our country.
        I'm trying to get a bill passed out of Washington that recognizes
    the power of programs coming out of church and synagogue and mosque,
    programs--programs all designed to help people in need. Bill Simon
    understands that. We ought to ask the question, ``Does it work? Does it
    work? Does changing a person's heart help ease addiction, help cure the
    hopelessness?'' You bet it does. And therefore, we ought to have a
    Governor in this State who's willing to grab the great talent of the
    State, the compassion of the State, to make sure that every Californian
    has got an opportunity to realize the great dream of this State. That's
    the kind of man Bill Simon is.
        He doesn't need a poll to tell him what to believe. He's got a
    compass and a direction. So I hope you work hard to put him in and work
    hard to get the rest of the candidates in. It will be a big day for your
    State, to get a new attitude, a new way of thinking in the State's
    capital. It's good for all people of this State.
        We've got some problems in Sacramento, and we've got some problems
    we've got to deal with as a Nation. We do. But we're going to deal with
    them. My most important job--my most important job is to protect
    innocent life here in the country. And it's still a task, because
    there's still an enemy that hates us. You know, I'm sure your sons and
    daughters or grandkids are saying, ``Why would anybody hate America?
    What have we done?'' Well, we love freedom, that's what we've done. We
    value each life. That's what we do here in this country. Each person has
    got worth, each person has got dignity. Everybody matters.
        We love the fact that people can worship freely in America, and
    we're not going to change. We love the fact that people can speak their
    mind----
        Audience member. I love it----
        The President. ----and they're not going to change. Keep speaking
    it. [Laughter]
        We love the fact--we love the fact we've got a free press. We love
    that. And anybody who tries to take away our freedoms is going to find
    out we're plenty tough. We're staring down nothing but a bunch of
    coldblooded killers. That's all they are--that's all they are. And
    therefore, we're going to deal with them as such.
        But in order to protect the homeland, I need some help out of
    Congress. I want to thank the House Members for voting on a good bill
    that recognizes that when you have over 100 agencies in Washington, DC,
    kind of scattered all over the Nation's Capital, it's hard to get
    priorities set; it's hard to get a culture in place that demands the
    fact that we're all working to keep the people safe. That's what we need
    to do. We need to bring them under one Cabinet officer.
        The problem I face is that the Senate doesn't quite understand what
    the House has done. See, I need to be able to move people--I need to be
    able to move people to the right place at the right time in order to
    make the border more secure, for example. We've got different agencies
    on the border all competing. We've got the INS and the Customs; we've
    got Border Patrol, three fine agencies with great people, but they're
    not--they compete. They need to work together. We've got a new day in
    America. The Senate is more worried about their political turf and less
    worried about the security of the American people.
        But you need to know there are a lot of fine people--I mean fine
    folks--working on your behalf, people running down every hint that
    somebody might be thinking about doing something, people sharing
    intelligence, people working overtime to do everything they can. And I
    don't mean people just at the Federal level; I'm talking about at the
    State level and at the local level. I'm grateful for the law enforcement
    folks here in the State of California, who care

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    deeply about the citizens of this State. I'm grateful for our FBI agents
    who are working hard. I'm grateful for all the people who are involved
    with the homeland security.
        We're doing everything we can--you just need to know it--everything
    we can to make sure that we protect the people. But the best way to
    protect the people is to hunt the killers down, one at a time, and bring
    them to justice. And that's what we've got to do. That's what we have to
    do, and that's what we're going to do. That's why I submitted the
    largest increase in defense spending since Ronald Reagan was the
    President.
        I did so because I want to send a clear message that anytime we put
    one of our troops into harm's way, they deserve the best pay, the best
    training, and the best possible equipment. If you've got a loved one in
    the military, you tell them the Commander in Chief and the country is
    really proud of their service. And I'm proud of your support for your
    loved ones. I'm proud of them. It's really important they serve. They're
    serving a great nation.
        We also have a big increase in our defense spending because I want
    the enemy and friend alike to know that we're in this for the long pull.
    There's not a calendar on my desk--one of those kind of flipping
    calendars. You flip it, and it says, now time to quit. [Laughter] That's
    not how I think, and that's not how you think.
        You see, history has called us into action. History has given us a
    chance to defend freedom, to bring freedom not only here at home--to
    make sure we preserve it here at home--but to have freedom in other
    parts of the world. That's what history has done. We're making good
    progress, by the way. We're making good progress, thanks to our
    coalition and thanks to our friends. We've captured over a couple
    thousand of them. [Laughter] Seriously.
        Audience member. Round 'em up, George.
        The President. About the like number haven't been so lucky.
    [Laughter] But we've got more work to do; we just do. And no matter
    where they light, we're going to get after them. We're going to uphold
    the doctrine that says, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just as
    guilty as the terrorists.''
        I spend a lot of time talking about this, because not only is it on
    my mind and it's our priority, but it's very important for the American
    people to understand we face a different kind of war. Sometimes you'll
    see it on TV, and sometimes you won't. Sometimes you'll see our actions;
    a lot of times you won't. But you've just got to know that we're chasing
    them, one by one.
        And not only that, it's very important for our future to deal with
    those leaders, those leaders--the world's worst leaders, who want to
    harbor and develop the world's worst weapons. We owe it to our children.
    We owe it to our future. I'm a patient man. We've got tools at our
    disposal, but we have got to defend freedom. We owe it to the future
    generations to do so.
        You know, when the enemy hit us, I can't imagine what was going
    through their mind. See, they must have thought that this great Nation
    was so self-absorbed, so materialistic, and so shallow that after
    September the 11th, we might just file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter]
        But they found out we think differently here in America. They found
    out what this country is made out of. We're a strong nation, but we're a
    decent nation as well. See, we don't seek revenge; we seek justice. We
    don't go to countries to conquer; we go into countries to liberate, just
    like we did in Afghanistan. We believe in the worth of human beings all
    around the world. Our dream is for freedom not just for our own children
    but for children all around the globe. That's the way our Nation thinks.
        I'm going to tell you what I believe. I believe out of the evil done
    to America is going to come some incredible good. I

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    believe it. I believe that if this Nation remains strong and tough and
    pursues terrorism, upholds doctrine, is true to our word, is willing to
    delineate between good and evil, that we can achieve peace, that we can
    have peace not only for our own people, but we can have peace in places
    where they've quit thinking about peace, like the Middle East or South
    Asia. I believe that.
        I want you to tell your children, when they hear the talk of war or
    they talk about our United States taking action, that it's all a design,
    it's all aimed to make this world a peaceful place.
        And here at home, I believe that out of the evil done to America is
    going to come some incredible good as well. I mentioned the fact that
    there are pockets of despair and hopelessness in California and America.
    There just are. I believe when one of us hurts, we all hurt. But I
    understand the role of Government is limited. See, Government can hand
    out money, but what it cannot do is put hope in people's hearts or a
    sense of purpose in people's lives.
        No, societies change, one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
    Societies change when people say, ``I want to love my neighbor just like
    I was loved myself.'' And that's what's happening here in America.
    People have said, ``What can I do to help?'' I've said, ``Do some
    good.'' It's the collective acts of our kind and decent and compassioned
    citizens which defined the true character and true face of our country.
        No, the enemy hit us--the enemy hit us. But out of the evil done on
    that terrible day is going to come a more compassionate and decent and
    hopeful America. You see, people have taken a step back here in this
    country, and they now understand that serving something greater than
    yourself is part of being a patriotic American. It's more than just
    putting your hand on your heart and saying, by the way, ``one Nation
    under God.'' It's more than that.
        A patriot is somebody who mentors a child. A patriot is someone who
    brings hope into a life that is hopeless. A patriot is somebody who
    works to feed the hungry. That's a patriot. A patriot is somebody who's
    a responsible citizen, responsible for loving their children with all
    their heart and all their soul but responsible for working in the
    community in which they live. And that's what happening here in America.
        And perhaps the most vivid example of what I'm talking about, a
    vivid example of an attitude change, a clear beacon of what's happening
    in America took place on Flight 93, when citizens were flying across the
    country. History shows that they were on the cell phones, and they told
    their loved ones they loved them and goodbye. They said a prayer. One
    guy said, ``Let's roll.'' They took the airplane that was to be used as
    a weapon, perhaps against the White House or the Capitol, they drove it
    into the ground to serve something greater than themselves in life.
        No, I believe--I believe from the bottom of my heart that out of the
    evil done to America is going to come some great good. The world is
    going to be more peaceful, and this country is going to be more
    compassionate and decent and hopeful, because this is the greatest
    country on the face of the Earth. We're the greatest country because
    we've got the greatest people on the face of the Earth.
        Thank you all for coming. God bless, and God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:04 p.m. at the St. Regis Monarch Beach
    Resort. In his remarks, he referred to Cindy Simon, wife of candidate
    Bill Simon; and former Representative Jack F. Kemp, and his wife,
    Joanne.