    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [November 4, 2002]
    [Pages 2025-2031]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Bentonville, Arkansas
    November 4, 2002

        The President. Thank you all very much for coming today. Thanks for
    coming.
        Audience members. We love you, 43! [Laughter]
        The President. Well, first of all, we're working our way back to
    Texas because tomorrow is voting day. And I intend to cast my ballot in
    Crawford, and Laura is going to cast hers in
    Crawford, and we're not undecided. And I'm not undecided about what's
    best for Arkansas. The best thing that can happen to Arkansas, and the
    best thing that can happen to America is to put Tim
    Hutchinson back in the U.S. Senate.
        And I know something about being a Governor, and you've got a good
    one. You not only have a good one, you've got a great one. The best
    thing for Arkansas, the best thing for the taxpayers of Arkansas, the
    best thing for the schoolchildren of Arkansas is to reelect Mike
    Huckabee.
        You know, the spirit of America is really strong. The American
    spirit, that's that spirit that says, no matter what the cost, we'll
    defend our country. It's that spirit that says

    [[Page 2026]]

    we love freedom. But part of loving freedom means you have a
    responsibility. You've got a responsibility to vote. You've got a
    responsibility to go to the polls.
        I'm here in Arkansas asking all the good citizens of this State,
    Republicans and Democrats, independents, people who don't give a hoot
    about politics, to do your duty as Americans. You have an obligation.
    But when you get in that voting booth I do have some suggestions--
    [laughter]--Hutchinson and
    Huckabee.
        No, I'm proud to call Mike Huckabee
    friend. I knew him--known him for a long while. We were both Governors
    together, and I've watched his passion when it comes to education. See,
    education is to a State what national defense is to the Federal
    Government. It's the most important responsibility of the State
    government, I think. And Mike shares that point of view.
        I was here a while ago to talk about advanced reading programs,
    States which had changed their curriculum to make sure that every child
    could learn to read. One of the first States that I came to was one of
    the first States that responded. This State of Arkansas, led by your
    Governor, stepped up to the plate to make sure
    that every child can learn how to read.
        No, he's got a heart. He cares deeply
    about everybody in this State. See, the thing I like about Mike, he's
    not one of the fellows that travels around the State saying, ``Well,
    I'll try to help these folks only because they agree with me
    politically.'' Mike Huckabee cares for everybody in Arkansas. And that's
    why, coming Tuesday, this good State is going to send this good man,
    with overwhelming numbers, back to the statehouse.
        Make sure you don't forget about Win Rockefeller either. He's done a fine job. I want to thank all the
    candidates who are up here with us, people who have tossed their hat in
    the ring, are out seeking the vote, working hard to elevate the process.
    I hope you give them your help as well.
        I'm honored to be here with John Boozman, a
    fine United States Congressman from Arkansas. I'm proud to call John
    friend; I'm proud to call him ally. One of the things I like about a
    Congressman like John is, he's an independent thinker, but when it comes
    down to doing the right thing for America, I don't have to worry about
    his vote.
        I appreciate the Gatlin Boys being here. I've known them for a long
    time. They're good buddies of mine. And we've got a couple extra seats
    on Air Force One, and we're heading down home, if you want a ride.
    [Laughter] My problem is you in--the one in the yellow tie; I'm not sure
    you can pass the security clearance. [Laughter] It's great to see you.
        I'm also, obviously, thrilled to be traveling with Laura today. Thanks for singing ``Happy Birthday'' to her.
    That's one of the prices you pay when you marry somebody in the
    political process and your birthday is on election day; you have to
    spend it on the road. You know, when I asked her to marry me, she was a
    public school librarian. The truth is, she didn't like politics in those
    days and didn't care for politicians. [Laughter] Thankfully, she said
    yes when I asked her to marry me, and she has made a great First Lady
    for America.
        No, we're enjoying ourselves traveling around our country. And what
    a magnificent country we have. It's a joy to travel America and to talk
    to our fellow Americans. One of the things that I'm urging you all to do
    is the same thing that your Governor just
    said: Round people up to vote. You see, not only do you have an
    obligation to vote yourself, but you can make a difference in this
    election. A lot of those political pundits, the big talkers, have said
    to the world, ``Hutchinson can't win.'' Let's
    prove them wrong on Tuesday.
        Sometimes that's where you want your opponent, half asleep.
    [Laughter] You can make a difference. Find good people. In this part of
    the world, don't be afraid to haul some of those Democrats to the polls.

    [[Page 2027]]

    They care about a good United States Senator. They want somebody who's
    wise about their taxpayers' money. Independent voters care about Tim
    Hutchinson's point of view. Just tell them,
    Tim Hutchinson agrees with us. He thinks like the citizens of Arkansas
    think. And so does Mike Huckabee.
        I'm here to thank you for what you've done in the past. I know how
    hard you worked for Laura and me and Dick
    Cheney. And I want to urge you, over the next--
    how many hours, Governor--24, 8 hours, or
    whatever it is--to get out the vote. Work hard, and you'll be surprised
    at what's going to happen come Tuesday. And I'm going to be proud of
    what you do on behalf of these good candidates.
        Let me see if I can put it as plainly as I can: I need Tim
    Hutchinson in the United States Senate.
    Besides the fact he's a good fellow and I like being around him, I need
    his help. See, we've got some problems in the country. We've got some
    hurdles we've got to cross. It's going to be good to have an ally from
    Arkansas up there with whom I can work in the Senate.
        One of the problems we have is that enough people can't find work in
    America. We've got some people looking, and they can't find work. And
    that is a problem. My attitude is, anytime anybody wants to put food on
    the table and can't find work to do so says we've got to worry about
    creating more jobs in America. We've got to expand the job base.
        But here's what Tim and I believe, how to
    do it--see, there's a debate in Washington about how to do it. I believe
    if you let a person keep more of their own money they're likely to
    demand an additional good or a service. And when they demand an
    additional good or a service, somebody is likely to produce that good or
    a service. And when somebody produces a good or a service, somebody is
    more likely to find work. The tax relief plan that Senator Hutchinson
    strongly supported came at the right time. And we need to have a Senator
    from Arkansas who will join me, for the sake of job creation, for the
    sake of the entrepreneurial spirit, for the sake of small-business
    owners, to make the tax cut permanent.
        I've seen Tim at work, and you're going
    to see the products of his work in a good education bill. He worked hard
    on the education reform, the most meaningful piece of education reform
    in a long, long time out of the Federal Government. A lot of times
    people hear, ``Well, reform out of the Federal Government may not be the
    kind of reform I like.'' But let me describe to you what I'm talking
    about.
        First of all, this bill says every child can learn. The premise of
    the bill is, is that everybody has got the capacity to learn; therefore,
    we must set high standards and high expectations. The way I like to put
    it is, we're going to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations.
    That means when you lower the bar, you tend to get lousy results. And
    that's not good enough for America. Tim knows
    that, Governor Huckabee knows that, and I know
    that.
        In the bill, we also are passing power out of Washington because we
    strongly believe in local control of schools. This year we're sending a
    record amount of money out of Washington back to the Arkansas school
    system, $440 million. And Tim Hutchinson--you
    need to tell your friends and neighbors, Tim Hutchinson had a lot to do
    with that money coming back to Arkansas. See, he's working hard on
    behalf of the citizens of Arkansas.
        But in return for that money, we're now asking this question, are
    you getting results? In return for the money, we're asking the question,
    can the children read and write and add and subtract? If you believe
    every child can do that, it's a legitimate question then to ask the
    question. And when we find out if the children are, I can assure you,
    George W. and Governor Huckabee and Senator
    Hutchinson will praise the teachers and
    principals and parents who have worked hard to make it happen. But if we
    find children trapped in

    [[Page 2028]]

    schools which will not teach, trapped in schools which will not change,
    for the sake of a better tomorrow, we are going to challenge the status
    quo, because no child should be left behind in the State of Arkansas.
        I look forward to working with Senator Hutchinson to make the Medicare system work better. We made that
    promise to our seniors, and it's a promise that we're going to have to
    work together to keep. Senator Hutchinson in the U.S. Senate will be
    easier to work with to get the job done. See, Medicare is stuck in the
    past. Medicine is changing. Medicine is becoming modern through
    technologies and new discoveries. Yet Medicare has been used as a
    political football and is just stuck. We need to modernize Medicare,
    which means prescription drugs for every senior, and the best way to do
    that is to send Senator Hutchinson back to the United States Senate.
        No, it's a lot of issues we're going to work on. But let me tell you
    a cutting-edge issue, and that is the issue of judges.
        Audience members. Yeah!
        The President. We have a got a--too many vacancies on our Federal
    bench, in spite of the fact that I have sent a lot of names to the
    United States Senate. The bunch running the Senate up there has done a
    lousy job with my nominees.
        Audience members. Yeah!
        The President. And I want to tell you something; the kind of judges
    I'm nominating are the kind of judges that you would expect me to
    nominate and want me to nominate. These are good and honorable people
    who have got good records, whose records sometimes are being distorted
    in the Senate, and sometimes can't even get a hearing because they're
    playing petty politics. These are good, honorable people who will use
    the bench not to legislate from but to interpret the Constitution of the
    United States of America.
        And this should be clear to the citizens--let me--I hope to make it
    clear to the citizens of this State that if you're interested in a solid
    judiciary, if you're interested in a judiciary that represents the
    majority opinion in Arkansas, put Tim Hutchinson back in the United States Senate.
        There are a lot of issues we're going to work on, but there's no
    bigger issue than protecting you from attack. That's the biggest issue
    we've got. That's because there's still an enemy lurking around out
    there, an enemy which hates America because of what we love. And we love
    our freedoms. We love the freedom to worship any way you see fit. We
    love the freedom of our campaigns. We love the freedom of our press. We
    love every aspect about freedom, and we're not going to change.
        And so long as we hold strong to what we believe in and so long as
    that enemy is moving around out there, we've got a job to do, and that's
    to protect you. There's a lot of good folks working hard and long hours
    to protect the American people--there just are. See, we've been warned.
    We're now aware that they're out there. We're aware of how mean they
    are. See, we've discovered that they don't value life like we do in
    America. We say, ``Every life matters. Everybody is precious. Everybody
    counts.'' This bunch of killers are willing to take innocent life in the
    name of a hijacked religion.
        And so we've got to do everything we can, and we are. Anytime we get
    any kind of hint that somebody is thinking about doing something to
    America, we're moving on them; we're disrupting; we're denying. We're
    fulfilling the obligation that you expect us to do, which is to protect
    you.
        And that's why I went to Congress to figure out if we couldn't do it
    even better. So I've proposed a Department of Homeland Security. It says
    that we're going to take the agencies involved with protecting America
    and better coordinate them, make sure that the good folks up there get
    the message that this is our top priority and, if need be, change
    cultures, so that people

    [[Page 2029]]

    are all working in concert to face the new threats of the 21st century.
        And the House of Representatives passed the bill, and I want to
    thank John for his vote. But it's stuck in the
    Senate, not because of Tim Hutchinson, I
    might add, but it's stuck there because some Senators want to take away
    the power that every President since John Kennedy has had. And that
    power is the ability to suspend collective bargaining rules, in any
    Department of the Federal Government, when the national security is at
    stake. In other words, if there are certain work rules that prevent me
    from putting the right people at the right place at the right time to
    protect you, I have had, up to now--and if the Senate, some Senators get
    their way, I won't have--the ability to suspend those rules. That's what
    you want. You want me to be able to move quickly and to defend America.
        I'm not going to accept a lousy bill from the Senate. There is no
    question in my mind and there should be no question in the voters of
    Arkansas mind, that the man who understands this issue the best, the guy
    who's got the best vision for homeland security in this race is Senator
    Tim Hutchinson.
        The best way to secure this homeland, short term and long term, is
    to find those killers one at a time and bring them to justice. See, this
    is a different kind of war. It's a kind of war instead of trying to
    knock down airplanes and sink ships, we're looking in caves. We're
    putting the spotlight on some of the dark corners of the world.
        Their leaders kind of hide, and then they send youngsters to their
    suicidal deaths. That's the way they do it. The only way to treat them
    is what they are, international killers. And the only way to find them
    is to be patient and steadfast and hunt them down, and the United States
    of America is doing just that.
        I sent a defense bill up to the Congress and Senator
    Hutchinson and Congressman Boozman were strong supporters of this defense bill. It's the
    largest increase in defense spending since Ronald Reagan was the
    President. The message is twofold. Anytime we put our troops into harm's
    way, they deserve the best pay, the best training and the best possible
    equipment. Senator Hutchinson knows that. He also knows what I'm about
    to tell you. The size of this defense bill sends a clear message to
    friend and foe alike: We're in this deal for the long haul.
        It doesn't matter how long it takes to defend the freedom of the
    United States. We received the call. We know what our obligations are.
    There's no calendar on my desk in the Oval Office that says by such-and-
    such a date we're hauling them home. That's not how we think in America.
    That's not how Americans want their Government to act. Freedom is
    essential. Security of America is essential, and it does not matter how
    long it takes. And that defense bill sent that message loud and clear.
        So we're after them. Sometimes you'll see it on your TV screens, and
    sometimes you won't. But just know we're after them, and we're after
    them with one of the finest United States militaries ever assembled.
        No, it's important for us in Washington to be clear-eyed about the
    threats we face in America. See, after September the 11th, the world
    changed when it came to the threats to our country. In the old days--the
    old days not all that long ago, I might add--oceans protected us. It's
    not all that long ago that we could kind of settle back and say, ``Well,
    there's a gathering threat over here, but we don't have to worry about
    it at home because of our geography. Oceans can protect us.'' There may
    be a potential conflict, and we could pick and choose whether we wanted
    to be involved in it. But we didn't have to be involved in it,
    necessarily, because our own people at home weren't threatened. That
    changed. The battlefield is here. And that's why it's important for us
    to evaluate every single threat that we find and deal with them
    appropriately.

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        And that's why I started the dialog on Saddam Hussein. He's a threat to America. He's a true threat to our
    country. This is a man who told the world he wouldn't have weapons of
    mass destruction, promised he wouldn't have them. He's got them. When
    they had the inspectors go in there a while ago, he was--some
    estimated--very close to having a nuclear weapon. Imagine this guy
    having a nuclear weapon. Imagine what it would mean to America and our
    friends. He said he wouldn't have chemical weapons. He's got them. And
    not only does he have them, this is a man who used them. And he used
    them not only on people in his neighborhood; he used them on his own
    citizens. This is the kind of guy we're dealing with.
        This is a man who hates America. He hates
    our friends. He can't stand what we believe in. He's had contacts with
    Al Qaida. Imagine a scenario where an Al Qaida-type organization uses
    Iraq as an arsenal, a place to get weapons, a place to be trained to use
    the weapons. Saddam Hussein could use surrogates to come and attack
    people he hates.
        No, he's a threat, and that's why I went
    to the United Nations. I went to the United Nations because I want that
    august body to work to keep the peace. I want that august body to show
    whether it's got the backbone necessary to hold Mr. Saddam Hussein to
    account. See, after all, for 11 years, they've passed resolution after
    resolution after resolution. Sixteen times they've passed resolutions
    holding this man to account, and 16 times he ignored them.
        My message to that body is, ``For the sake of peace, we hope you're
    effective. We hope you've become an effective United Nations, not the
    League of Nations.'' Their choice to make--their choice to make.
        And Saddam Hussein has got a choice to
    make. It's his choice to make. He told the world that he would disarm.
    We're going to hold him to his word. We expect him to disarm. But for
    the sake of freedom, and for the sake of peace, if Saddam Hussein won't
    disarm and if the United Nations is incapable of doing its duty, the
    United States will lead a coalition and disarm Saddam Hussein.
        And I want to thank Senator Hutchinson
    and Congressman Boozman for their strong
    support on that resolution that came out of the halls of the United
    States Congress that allows America to speak with one voice on this very
    important subject of peace.
        I say speaking ``with one voice'' because I believe that if we
    remain strong and tough when we have to be tough, we can achieve peace.
    That's what I believe. That's what I want you to tell your children or
    your grandchildren, that amongst the talk that they're hearing, that the
    drive and the aim and the vision is for peace, for the world to be a
    peaceful world.
        No, we can achieve peace. We can achieve peace if we stay the
    course, and we can achieve peace if we remember our values and remember
    that freedom is not an American gift to the world; freedom is God's gift
    to the world.
        I can't imagine what was going through the mind of the enemy. I just
    can't imagine. They must have thought our religion was materialism and
    that we were so self-absorbed and selfish that after 9/11/2001, we would
    take a step back and maybe file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter] That must
    have what they thought.
        But they're learning different about America. They understand when
    we love something, we love it to the core, and we love freedom. And they
    could have never imagined what I'm about to tell you, that out of the
    evil done to America is going to come some good. Out of the evil done to
    this country, because of our nature and the fact that the American
    spirit is strong, is going to come a peaceful world. You mark my words:
    We're going to have peace at home. But we'll be able to achieve peace in
    parts of the world where people have quit on peace. We have a chance,
    and this

    [[Page 2031]]

    country is going to seize that opportunity to keep the peace.
        And here at home, we can be a better tomorrow--better America, too,
    and that's important to realize. We have an opportunity to bring some
    good out of the evil. We have a chance to work together to eradicate
    pockets of despair and loneliness and hopelessness that exist right here
    in this country. Amongst our plenty, there are people who hurt. And so
    long as some of us hurt, we all hurt.
        But we've got a chance to change that, by starting with
    understanding the limitations of Government. No, Senator
    Hutchinson and Governor Huckabee and Congressman Boozman will
    all work to pass laws that will help. But we've got to remember that
    Government, while it can pass out money, it can never put hope into
    people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives.
        The solid truth of the matter is, when you find--if you want to help
    heal the hurt, if you want to hurt people and--help people in pain, the
    best way to do so is to call upon the great strength of the country,
    which is the compassion of our fellow Americans. The best way to help
    fight evil is to do some good by putting your arm around somebody who
    hurts, and say, ``I love you. What can I do to help you? How can I help
    make your life a better, hopeful place?''
        No, a lot of good folks in this country took a step back after
    September the 11th, and took an inventory of that which is important.
    That's why I can tell you the American spirit is strong and alive,
    because people are beginning to understand that part of being a patriot
    is somebody willing to serve something greater than yourself in life.
    And you can do so all kinds of ways. You can do so by mentoring a child.
    You can do so by feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless.
    You can do so by running a Boy Scouts troop or a Girl Scout troop.
        Today I met Cynthia Coughlin. She
    helped initiate the Boys and Girls Club of Benton County. She's worked
    for Rebuilding Together, with Christmas in April. That's a program to
    rehabilitate homes for people who hurt. There's all kinds of ways we can
    help. There's all kinds of ways to change America one conscience, one
    soul, one person at a time. And that's happening in this country; it
    just is. No, the American spirit is alive and well.
        I want the youngsters to remember that story of Flight 93. It helps
    define what I'm talking about, about a spirit of sacrifice. Remember,
    those are the people flying across the plane that day--flying across the
    country that day on the plane. They learned that the plane was going to
    be a weapon. They told their loved ones goodbye. They said a prayer. One
    guy said, ``Let's roll.'' They took the plane into the ground to serve
    something greater than themselves in life. They saved lives because of
    their courage and their heroism.
        No, our country is strong, and our country is great, which allows me
    to boldly predict that the evil done to America is going to yield a more
    peaceful world and a more hopeful country, because this is the greatest
    nation, full of the finest, most caring, most compassionate people on
    the face of the Earth.
        Thank you for coming. May God bless you all, and may God bless
    America.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:37 p.m. at the Northwest Arkansas
    Regional Airport. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Mike Huckabee and
    Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller of Arkansas; entertainers the Gatlin Brothers;
    and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.