    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [October 4, 2002]
    [Pages 1727-1735]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Reception for Gubernatorial Candidate Mitt Romney in Boston, Massachusetts
    October 4, 2002

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you all. Glad I came.
        Audience member. We are, too.
        The President. Thanks for coming. ``Governor,'' thanks for those
    kind, kind remarks. I'm proud to be--[applause]. I strongly stand with
    Mitt Romney because I believe he is the best person for the job of
    Governor of Massachusetts.
        I say that I know that because I know his values. He's got his
    priorities straight: his faith, his family, and his State. And he's not
    going to waver from those priorities. They're etched in his heart.

    [[Page 1728]]

        He's got a record. He's done things in life. He started his own
    businesses. He's an entrepreneur. He knows how to create jobs at a time
    when you need somebody in Massachusetts who knows job creation.
        He knows how to take a struggling organization and turn it around.
    He's done that recently. He's not one of these talkers that you find in
    the political arena. He's a doer. Just ask the folks--just ask the folks
    who were wondering whether or not the Olympics were going to go
    bankrupt. Ask them what happened when Mitt Romney showed up and brought
    some managerial skills and some vision and the ability to set priorities
    and the know-how how to set budgets and turned that organization around
    and made sure the Olympics in Salt Lake City were not only successful
    but profitable. It's the same kind of attitude you need here in your
    State budget in Massachusetts.
        No, you've got the right man for the job here. You've got the right
    person for the job. And I want to thank you for backing him.
        And I'm real proud of his wife, Ann. She'll
    be a great first lady for Massachusetts. She's a dedicated mom. She's
    looking forward to working hard with Mitt to do everything they can to
    help everybody in the State of Massachusetts, to help people get ahead
    in this State.
        Mitt and I married above ourselves--[laughter]--in my case, by a
    long shot. [Laughter] Yes, I know. Laura sends
    her best to the Romneys, sends her love to our friends here. She is--I
    can't tell you how proud I am of her. You know, when I married her, she
    was a public school librarian in Texas. The truth of the matter is, she
    didn't like politics--[laughter]--nor did she like politicians.
    [Laughter] Now she's stuck with me. [Laughter]
        But the American people have gotten to see why I asked her to marry me. She is steady. She's calm. She's--in my
    judgment, and I must confess it's not very objective--she's a class act.
    A lot of her buddies in Texas are wondering why she said yes to my
    proposal. [Laughter] But she sends her best.
        I'm also honored to be here with the next Lieutenant Governor, Kerry
    Healey. I'm impressed by Kerry's know-how, her
    knowledge. She's a smart, smart lady, and she's going to make a great
    Lieutenant Governor.
        You all have got a great team here, a great team to represent you.
    And so I want to thank you for coming. I want to thank those of you who
    are involved with grassroots politics here in Massachusetts for what you
    have done and, more importantly, what you're going to do. See, you can't
    win a race unless you've got citizens willing to go to the coffee shops
    and the community centers, the churches and synagogues and mosques, and
    talk up good people when you find them. You've got two good ones here.
    And you owe it to them, in my judgment, for the sake of the future of
    your State, to do everything you can between now and election day to
    turn out the vote. The votes are there. They need your help in turning
    them out.
        I appreciate the agenda of the next Governor and Lieutenant
    Governor. It starts with jobs. You've got to
    have you somebody in the Governor's office who can recruit, who knows
    the language of the entrepreneur, who understands how small businesses
    are created and function, in order to make sure that not only is the
    landscape here good for attracting jobs but he can recruit jobs.
        See, you need somebody who knows what they're talking about when it
    comes to making sure the people of this important State can find work.
    And there's no question in my mind Mitt Romney knows what he's talking
    about. He knows--he knows capital. He knows entrepreneurship. He
    understands small-business creation.
        The role of Government is not to create wealth. That's what other
    people might think. The role of Government is to create an environment
    in which the entrepreneur

    [[Page 1729]]

    can flourish, in which the small business can grow to be big business.
        That's why he also is focusing on infrastructure, to make sure your
    transportation system is efficient, cost-effective, works well.
    [Laughter] It's an important part of making sure the environment for
    attracting jobs is competitive, and Mitt understands that.
        But what I like best about him is, they understand--Mitt and
    Kerry understand--the number one priority of
    any State is the education of the children of the State. See, I used to
    say--I used to put it this way: Education is to a State what national
    defense is to the Federal Government. It's the most important priority.
    And this team has got education as a priority.
        We share a philosophy. It's a philosophy incorporated in the No
    Child Left Behind bill that I had the honor of signing. It starts with
    the belief that every child can learn, a belief that there ought to be
    high standards and high expectations in our society. You've got to have
    a Governor who is willing to challenge the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. If you lower the bar, see, if you believe certain children
    can't learn--inner-city kids, kids whose parents may not speak English
    as a first language--if you believe that, the systems will reflect that.
    They'll just shuffle the kids through. That's unacceptable anywhere in
    the United States of America.
        Part of what this next team, the Governor and Lieutenant
    Governor, believe is, you've got to
    decentralize power; you've got to trust local people to manage the path
    to excellence. If you have high standards and local control of schools,
    you're more likely to achieve educational excellence. But finally, the
    cornerstone of the new bill and a cornerstone of any good education
    policy is this: If you take money, taxpayers' money, you need to show
    society whether or not the children are learning to read and write and
    add and subtract.
        You see, if you believe every child can learn, if you believe every
    child can learn, then you want to know if every child is learning, and
    therefore you measure. If you have no accountability, how do you know?
    If you have no accountability, you're more likely just to shuffle the
    kids through and, at the end of the process, you say, ``Oops, they
    forgot to learn to read,'' and that's unacceptable. You need to have a
    Governor and a Lieutenant Governor who are willing to hold people
    accountable and are willing to praise success but willing to blow the
    whistle on failure when you find kids trapped in schools which will not
    teach and will not change.
        Now, they've got a good, positive agenda. They've got a good,
    positive agenda. When they get in there, they're going to represent
    everybody, not just those who voted for them, not just the 50-percent-
    plus that voted for them. [Laughter] They're going to represent all the
    people. They believe in uniting people, not dividing people. They
    believe in rejecting old-style politics. This team is going to be a
    breath of fresh air for the citizens of Massachusetts.
        I'm confident they'll make this State a safer, stronger, and better
    place. And that's what I want to do for our country. A stronger
    country--a stronger country is one in which our citizens can find work--
    that's a stronger country--a country in which the job base is expanding,
    a country in which somebody who wants to put food on the table is able
    to do so. Too many of our citizens can't find work--although we got some
    good news today, an indication that the economy has got the foundation
    for growth. The unemployment rate dropped, which is good news.
        But that's not good enough; it's not good enough. There are still
    too many people who wonder whether or not they're going to be able to
    find employment. My job is to continue to insist upon growth, urge
    Congress to pass the necessary legislation to create the environment for
    growth.
        And we've got a good chance to do that before they go home to
    campaign, and that is to pass a terrorism insurance bill. Here's

    [[Page 1730]]

    the problem we face in America: Over $15 billion worth of construction
    projects have been put on hold or canceled because of the lack of
    terrorism insurance. See, after the enemy hit us on September the 11th,
    it distorted market. You can't find insurance; you can't go forward with
    a project.
        And therefore, I think it's a useful tool of the Federal Government
    to provide--to mitigate some of that risk. Congress has been talking
    about this, now, for a long time. The House of Representatives passed a
    bill. The Senate passed a bill. They're still talking about it. I'm
    convinced when they pass a good terrorism insurance bill that rewards
    hardhats and not trial lawyers, 300,000 additional Americans will find
    work. No, they get a bill to my desk--they get a bill to my desk before
    they go home and help this economy. There's a lot of plumbers and
    bricklayers, ironworkers, good solid Americans who are going to more
    likely find work, 300,000 of them, if they can get these projects back.
    If Congress is worried about the economy like I am, they need to join
    us.
        They also need to make sure the tax cuts are permanent. Let me tell
    you my thoughts about tax relief. When your economy is kind of ooching
    along, it's important to let people have more of their own money. Here's
    the page out of the textbook--here's the page out of the textbook that I
    believe is important. I know Romney feels the same way. If you let
    somebody keep more of their own money, they're likely to demand a good
    or a service. And when they demand a good or a service in this system,
    somebody is likely to produce that good or a service. And when somebody
    produces that good or a service, somebody is more likely to be able to
    find work. For the sake of job creation, for the sake of helping people
    put food on the table, the tax relief plan we passed came at the exact
    right time.
        And in that tax relief plan, we cut rates, which is good for small-
    business creation. Most small businesses are sole proprietorships or
    limited partnerships. They pay their taxes at the income tax rate--the
    personal income tax level. And so when you cut taxes, really what you're
    doing is, you're stimulating small-business growth. Seventy percent of
    new jobs in America are created by small businesses. The tax cut was
    good for the small-business owners.
        We slashed the marriage penalty. We want the Tax Code to encourage
    marriage and families, not discourage marriage.
        We did something really important for the entrepreneurs and new
    startups and farmers and ranchers. We put the death tax on its way to
    extinction. The death tax is bad--it's a bad tax; it's an unfair tax.
        But the reason I'm still having to talk about this issue is, because
    of a quirk in the law, how the rules in the Senate, that tax cut really
    doesn't go--it doesn't stay permanent. It's like the Senate giveth with
    one hand and taketh away with the other. [Laughter] See, in 10 years'
    time, we revert back to where we were when the tax relief plan was
    passed. I know it doesn't make any sense, but that's just the way they
    operate over there. [Laughter] For the sake of job creation, for the
    sake of encouraging the entrepreneur to be able to plan, for the sake of
    making sure that our economy is strong and the foundation of growth is
    solid--the United States Congress needs to make the tax cuts permanent.
        And they've got to do one other thing before they go out of town.
    They've got to remember whose money they're spending. Yes, it's not the
    Government's money; it's the people's money. And I'm sad to report--and
    I'm sad to report that the United States Senate could not pass a budget.
    That's a pretty scary thought. See, if you don't have a budget, if you
    don't have constraints in Washington, you're liable to get a little
    overspending, because, see, every idea sounds like a great idea there.
    [Laughter] Every idea is just fantastic. [Laughter] The problem is, they
    all come with billions of dollars' worth of price tags.

    [[Page 1731]]

        If we overspend, it'll serve as a drag on economic growth and
    vitality. I submitted a budget that leads us toward getting back into
    balance. It sets priorities. For the sake of economic growth and jobs,
    the United States Congress must be fiscally responsible, must not
    overspend, must spend only on priorities and not that which they think
    will get them easily reelected. For the sake of job creation, we need
    fiscal sanity in Washington, DC.
        I am optimistic about our economy, but we've got more work to do.
    And I want you to know that I will spend a lot of time working to
    strengthen this economy in any way I can.
        Having said that, my number one priority is to make America a safer
    place, because I understand there's still an enemy out there which hates
    America. And I want to tell you why they hate us, at least my opinion
    about why they hate us. They hate us for what we love. They hate us
    because we love freedom. They hate us because we love the idea that
    people can worship an almighty God any way he or she sees fit. They hate
    us because we love political discourse in a free society. They hate us
    because of our free press. They hate everything about us because of our
    freedom.
        And there's another--there are a lot of distinguishing features, but
    one of the most clear ones to me is this: We value life in America. We
    say everybody is precious. Everybody counts. Every life has worth. Every
    life has dignity. They don't value life. They're willing to hijack a
    great religion and take innocent life in the name of that religion.
        And they're still out there. And so long as they're out there, the
    number one job of your Government is to protect innocent life, is to
    protect the enemy from hitting us again. You need to know there are a
    lot of good people working long hours to do everything in their power to
    disrupt, to find, to hunt down, to--anything we can do, within the
    United States Constitution, to protect the American people.
        We're doing a better job of talking to each other. We're doing a
    better job of sharing information. We are on alert. We understand
    they're out there. There's a lot of fine folks at the Federal level, a
    lot of great police officers at the State and local level, a lot of
    people in the sheriff's department, a lot of emergency responders--a lot
    of people working hard.
        But in order to make sure we do the job better, I have asked
    Congress to create what they call the Department of Homeland Security.
    And let me tell you why I asked them to do that. I asked them to do it
    because there's over a hundred agencies in Washington involved with
    homeland security. And they're scattered everywhere, and it seemed like
    to me, in order to make sure that we align authority and responsibility,
    they ought to be under one boss--at least the functions for the homeland
    ought to be coordinated. If the number one priority of the Government is
    to protect you, we ought to have the ability to make sure that culture
    changes within agencies so it becomes the number one priority.
        And I asked Congress to join me. And the House passed a bill, and
    they still can't get it out of the Senate. They're fixing to go home,
    and they're still arguing over homeland security. And I'll tell you why:
    There are some up there who believe that they ought to micromanage the
    process.
        And I'll give you an example. They want these work rules to make it
    difficult for the Secretary and the President and future Secretaries and
    Presidents to be able to move people to the right place at the right
    time in order to respond to an enemy. For example, if you're working for
    Customs, we thought it was a wise idea to have people wear radiation
    detection devices in order to be able to determine whether somebody is
    trying to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into America. The union
    wanted to take that to collective bargaining. It would have taken over a
    year to determine

    [[Page 1732]]

    whether or not people could carry detection devices. That doesn't make
    any sense for me.
        We've got a border. We need to know who's coming in our country,
    what they're bringing in the country, why they're bringing what they're
    bringing into their country. We've got three different agencies on the
    border--fine people, really good people working hard. I'm proud that I'm
    a Federal--Federal employee with them. But we've got the Border Patrol
    and the INS and the Customs. They wear different uniforms. In some
    sectors, they may have different strategies. They need to be able to be
    knitted up. They need to be able to work in concert. They need to be
    able to do everything they can to make sure that we understand our
    borders are functioning properly.
        See, and I need the flexibility. We cannot leave a legacy behind of
    micromanagement and unnecessary work rules and inflexible--inflexible
    rules on managers. I'm all for public employees being able to bargain
    collectively if that's what they choose to do. But I'm also for making
    sure the President, in the name of national security, has the capacity
    to put people at the right place at the right time to protect America.
        They need to get it done. They need to get something done up there.
    They need to get it to my desk before they go home.
        But the best way to protect our homeland, in the short run and in
    the long run, is to hunt the killers down, one person at a time, and
    bring them to justice.
        This is a different kind of war. I spent a lot of time talking to
    our fellow citizens about this, and it's important for America to
    understand. I think they do. This is a different kind of war. You don't
    measure progress in this war based upon the number of ships sunk or the
    numbers of tanks dismantled or the number of aircraft grounded. You
    measure progress in this war by the number of killers brought to
    justice, and that's why I say ``hunting them down one person at a
    time,'' which is precisely the strategy we're employing.
        It starts with upholding doctrine. The doctrine which says, ``Either
    you're with us, or you're with the enemy,'' still stands. We still got
    this coalition of freedom-loving nations we're working together with.
    And we're hunting them down.
        The other day, one of them popped up--popped his head up--named bin
    al-Shibh. He's no longer a problem. He
    would have been a problem--he would have been a problem. This is the
    fellow that was bragging about the fact that, had he gotten a visa, he
    would have been one of the 20th--he would have been the 20th killer that
    would have come to America and killed innocent lives. That's what he
    bragged about.
        Thanks to hard-working--the hard work of our intelligence folks and
    our United States military and our friends and allies, this guy is not a
    problem anymore, and neither are a couple of thousand of them just like
    him who have been detained. And about that many weren't as lucky. Slowly
    but surely, slowly but surely, we're dismantling the Al Qaida network.
    Sometimes you'll see it on your TV screens; sometimes you won't.
        Sometimes--I sent a significant increase in our defense spending,
    the largest since Ronald Reagan was the President, to the Congress for
    two reasons--two reasons: One, anytime we put our troops into harm's
    way, they deserve the best pay, the best training, and the best possible
    equipment; and secondly, I sent a message to friend and foe alike that,
    when it comes to the defense of our freedom, it comes to our desire to
    make the world more peaceful, there's no artificial deadline for
    America. There's no time when, all of a sudden, it says, well, we--the
    calendar shows up, and it's time to quit. There's no quit in this
    country because we love freedom; we love our peace. We owe it to our
    children and our children's children.

    [[Page 1733]]

        I asked Congress to get the defense bill to my desk. The House
    passed it. The Senate passed it. But they haven't come to conclusion
    yet. They need to get it to my desk before they go home. I hope they
    will. I know there's a lot of good people from both parties working hard
    to get the bill done. But we're at war, and at the very minimum, they
    ought to get the defense bill passed in time of war and get it to my
    desk before they go home.
        I want to remind you all about what I said earlier. We value each
    life. Everybody counts. That is not just for American life; that's every
    life, by the way. That's what America thinks.
        I want to remind you as well that when we upheld the doctrine that
    says, ``If you harbor a terrorist and feed one of them, you're just as
    guilty as the terrorist''--and when we upheld that doctrine in
    Afghanistan, we went in not to conquer anybody; we went in to liberate
    people from the clutches of a barbaric regime. You need to tell your
    children--you need to tell children who wonder about this war, about the
    nature of your country that we love peace, that we're going to secure
    our homeland, and that, thanks to the United States of America in the
    first theater of the first war of the 21st century, many young girls now
    go to school for the first time--that this country loves freedom, and we
    value each and every life.
        We also must recognize threats when we see them, and deal with them.
    See, September 11th taught us a new lesson about our vulnerabilities.
    Prior to that, it used to be that we could be protected by two oceans.
    And unrest or what was going on in a different part of the world--it
    might have been okay sometimes, because we were protected. No longer is
    that the case. We're now the battlefield, because of what we believe in
    and what we hold dear. And since we're never going to relinquish those
    freedoms or love for freedom, since we're never going to back down from
    the things we hold dear, we'll continue to be a battlefield until the
    world is more secure.
        We've got a true threat facing us, a threat that faces our very
    homeland. And that is Saddam Hussein. And I
    want to explain to you about Saddam Hussein, just quickly, if I might.
        This is a man who has used weapons of
    mass destruction. He used them on his own people. He used them on his
    neighbors.
        This is a man who said he wouldn't have
    weapons of mass destruction, yet he does. This is a man who, 11 years
    ago, said he wouldn't harbor terrorists; he wouldn't develop chemical or
    biological weapons. This is a man who said he would free prisoners. He
    has lied and deceived and denied for 11 long years.
        This is a man who continues to torture
    people in his own country who disagree with him. He's a coldblooded
    killer. This is a man who I believe strongly thinks he can use terrorist
    networks to foster his own ambitions. This is a man who, when they went
    into Iraq the first time, it was discovered that he was a short period
    away from developing a nuclear weapon.
        This is a man who has invaded two
    countries. This is a man who is a threat--he's a threat to the United
    States; he's a threat to Israel; he's a threat to neighbors of his. He
    is a threat.
        My job is to protect the American people. My job is to anticipate.
    And so I went to the United Nations. I went to the United Nations
    because I want the United Nations to be effective. I went to the United
    Nations and--to remind them that for 11 years, this man has defied 16 resolutions. Time and time and time
    again, he has ignored the United Nations. I basically said, ``You can be
    an effective body to help us keep the peace, or you can be the League of
    Nations.''
        It's up to them. It's up to them. We will continue to work with our
    friends in the United Nations for peace, to deal with threats, to not
    ignore reality. I want the

    [[Page 1734]]

    United Nations to be effective. I want them to do their job of disarming
    Saddam Hussein.
        The choice is theirs, and the choice is also Mr. Saddam
    Hussein's choice. There are no negotiations.
    There's nothing to negotiate. He said he wouldn't have weapons of mass
    destruction, and that's what those of us who love peace expect. We
    expect him not to have weapons of mass destruction.
        But I want to tell you all, for the sake of our freedom, for the
    sake of peace, if the United Nations won't make the decision, if Saddam
    Hussein continues to lie and deceive, the
    United States will lead a coalition to disarm this man before he harms
    America and our friends.
        The military's not my first choice, but peace is; peace is my first
    choice. And we're not--what I just told you is a sentiment that's
    becoming more and more shared in Washington. I was honored this week to
    stand on the steps of the Rose Garden with Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Leader Lott, Senator
    Lieberman, Senator McCain, Senator Bayh, just to name a few
    of both Republicans and Democrats who are coming together to speak with
    one voice, a voice out of concern for the future of our country and for
    the future of our friends.
        This country next week will be having a big debate on a really
    important, historic resolution. I welcome the debate. This is not a
    political debate. It's a debate about peace and security. I also think
    it's about--a debate about responsibility for those of us who've been
    given high office. I believe we have a responsibility to speak clearly,
    to defend that which we hold dear, to be determined. And by doing so, we
    can achieve peace. We can achieve peace for America by speaking strongly
    against terror, by holding our line, the values we hold free--of
    freedom.
        We can achieve peace in the Middle East. We can achieve peace in
    South Asia. I know the enemy hit us, but out of the evil done to America
    that day has a chance to come a more peaceful world. They also hit us,
    and out of the evil done to America that day can come a better world for
    America, too.
        You know, I don't know what was on their mind. They probably thought
    that, after September the 11th, 2001, somebody might file a lawsuit or
    two. [Laughter] They didn't know. They didn't know who they're dealing
    with. They're dealing with a great country, a country which can be tough
    but a country which also can be compassionate.
        See, in our midst of plenty, there are people who hurt in America,
    people who are addicted, people who are lost. When you say ``American
    Dream,'' they go, ``What the heck are you talking about--American
    Dream?'' They don't know.
        And when one of us hurts, we all got to realize all of us hurt in
    this country. We must do everything we can to eradicate those pockets of
    despair. And the best way to do so, in my judgment, is to unleash the
    character of our country. See, Government can hand out money, and
    sometimes we do a pretty darn good job of it. [Laughter] But what
    Government cannot do is put hope in people's hearts or sense of purpose
    in people's lives. That's done when a fellow American hears the
    universal call to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved
    yourself.
        If you want to fight evil here in America, do some good. You see,
    it's the millions of acts of kindness and compassion that really define
    the true character of our country and will enable us to defy the killers
    by making this country a more compassionate and decent place. Mentor a
    child. Help a shut-in. Start a Boys Club or a Girls Club. Tell somebody
    you love them. These acts of kindness don't have to be huge; they've
    just got to be significant enough to change America one person at a
    time. No, they hit us--they hit us--they didn't know what they were
    getting into. They had no idea what they were getting into.

    [[Page 1735]]

        I truly believe that this country is going to be a stronger and
    better place, because I understand the nature of America. See, a lot of
    us took a step back after what happened to us that day and realized
    there's something more important in life than self, something more
    important in life than materialism, that being a patriot is somebody
    more than just puts their hand over their heart; being a patriot is
    somebody who does love a neighbor.
        And that's going across all across this land. You know, I first got
    into politics because I believed that I could make a difference in
    helping change a culture, from one which said, ``If it feels good, do
    it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else.'' See, I was
    hoping to help usher in a period of personal responsibility, when each
    of us understands we're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
        If you're responsible--if you're a mother or dad, your most
    important responsibility is to love your child with all your heart and
    all your soul. If you're living--if you're living in Boston,
    Massachusetts, you're responsible for helping people in need, not some
    faraway government. If you're running a corporation, you're responsible
    for telling the truth to your employees and your shareholders and the
    public.
        It's happening--it's happening. Perhaps the most vivid example was
    Flight 93, people flying across the country. They heard from their loved
    ones that the plane was going to be used as a weapon. They said goodbye.
    They used the word ``love'' a lot. They said a prayer. A guy said,
    ``Let's roll.'' They took the plane into the ground to serve something
    greater than themselves in life.
        No, the enemy hit us. But see, they didn't know--they didn't know
    the character of this great country. They didn't realize that this
    country is a country which will fight for peace, lead the world for
    peace. And this is a country which will make sure that everybody who
    lives here understands that the great American experience, the great
    hope of this country, is available for everybody. There's no doubt in my
    mind we can accomplish these objectives, because America is the greatest
    country, full of the finest people, on the face of the Earth.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:48 p.m. in the Plaza Ballroom at the
    Seaport Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Ramzi bin al-Shibh, an Al
    Qaida operative suspected of helping to plan the September 11, 2001,
    terrorist attacks, who was captured in Karachi, Pakistan; and President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq.