    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [July 11, 2002]
    [Pages 1215-1220]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1215]]

    Remarks at a Dinner for Senatorial Candidate Norm Coleman and Congressional Candidate John Kline in Minneapolis
    July 11, 2002

        Thank you very much. Thanks for that warm welcome. It's great to be
    back in Minnesota. I've had some opportunity to welcome some fine
    Minnesota folks to the White House. Last May, a couple of Minnesota
    teams came by to say hello that happened to be national champs in
    women's and men's hockey. They felt pretty good about things, and they
    said they thought they're going to be back next year. [Laughter] Next
    year when they come back, Norm Coleman and John Kline are going to be
    with me to greet them.
        I want to thank you for supporting these fine candidates. I want to
    thank you for being here tonight, and I want to thank you for what
    you're going to do, which is to man the phones and put up the signs and
    convince your neighbors that these two men need your support for the
    good of the country and for the good of your great State.
        I'm proud to be here with not only Norm but, as importantly, his
    wife, Laurie. It's important to have a--
    [applause]. And I appreciate Vicky Kline as
    well, being here with John tonight.
        I know something about marrying well. [Laughter] We--I'm really
    proud of Laura. Someday she needs to come and
    campaign for these candidates, if they want to win. I don't know if
    you've heard me say this before, but when I married Laura, she was a
    public school librarian. And the truth of the matter is, she didn't
    particularly care about politics or politicians. [Laughter] And now,
    here she is, the First Lady of the greatest country in the world, and
    what a fabulous, fabulous job she's doing. She sends her best.
        You know, one of the things about a President--people come by, and
    they say, ``We appreciate the job you're doing.'' And one of my first
    responses is that if you've got a good team, the job is a lot easier
    than it might look. And I want you to know, I put together a fabulous
    team. And one of my team members is here tonight, the Secretary of
    Health and Human Services, the former Governor of the State of
    Wisconsin, my close friend, a guy doing a great job, Tommy
    Thompson. I appreciate you, Tommy.
        I want to thank those who are--who hold office now. The
    speaker is here, and the Senate minority
    leader is here. The secretary of state is here. Thank you all for coming. And I'm honored also
    to be sharing the stage with the next Governor of the State of
    Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty.
        There's no doubt in my mind that these great candidates can win.
    There's no doubt, because they bring a lot of qualities to the ticket
    that the people of Minnesota will respect. Norm Coleman: First, he loves
    his family; he's a man of faith; he loves his country; he's an
    independent kind of fellow--nothing wrong with that. [Laughter]
        The thing I like about Norm is, he focuses on results. As the mayor
    of St. Paul--I'm told, a pretty Democratic city; at least that's what
    the numbers looked like to me the last time I ran--[laughter]--he wins
    as a Republican because he brought a compassionate conservative agenda
    to the people. He focused on things that matter, like jobs and making
    sure children got a quality education.
        He agrees with me that when it comes to educating our children, it
    is important to have high standards and high expectations. You see, if
    you don't think some kids can learn, the system will just shuffle them
    through; the system will quit on them. That is not good enough for
    America. He understands that to make sure that every single child gets
    educated, we must understand whether they're learning to read and write

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    and add and subtract. And if they are, we will praise the teachers. But
    if we find out that our children can't read, write, and add and
    subtract, we better do something about it early, before it's too late.
    No child should be left behind in America.
        Norm's got a record of prosecution--prosecuting white-collar crime.
    Our Nation must have confidence in our institutions. I oftentimes talk
    about the need for each of us to be responsible for our behavior.
    Corporate America must be responsible for its behavior as well. We
    expect balance sheets to be fair and open. We expect transparency, and
    we expect those in charge of corporate America to treat the shareholders
    and employees with the utmost respect.
        I need Norm in the Senate to help me on Medicare. Today I had the
    honor of going to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and what a
    fabulous place that is. It is first-class. And we saw some of the new--
    heard about some of the new drug therapies being developed to save lives
    and extend life and to enhance the quality of life. And what we need is
    a Medicare plan that not only encourages innovation but gives seniors
    choices, all of which will include prescription drugs.
        I need a man in the Senate who will join me in nominating judges to
    our courts who will not use the bench from which to legislate but will
    strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States.
        And we need a voice in the United States Senate who will focus on
    the people's business, not the needless partisanship, the bickering, the
    name-calling that too often--too often fills that great Chamber. We need
    somebody who can work with both sides of the aisle, somebody who's
    focused on what's right for Minnesota and what's right for America. And
    there's no doubt in my mind that the right person to handle that
    important responsibility is Norman Coleman.
        And I'm here to campaign for John Kline for the United States House
    of Representatives. If the good folks in his district are wise, they'll
    send him to Washington. John served the United States with distinction
    as a member of the Marine Corps. He understands the need to support our
    military, and we need people who will support our military in the United
    States Congress.
        The thing I like about this good man is, he actually worked on a
    farm. He knows if you own the land and make a living on the land, every
    day is Earth Day. He understands how important farming is not only to
    his district but to his State and to the Nation. And he understands what
    I know: When you're good at something, you need to promote it. Our
    farmers and ranchers are the best in the world, and we need to be
    selling our farm products and ranch products all over the world.
        I look forward to having John in the United States Congress to work
    on the homeland defense and on the defense of our Nation. And when you
    put him there, he'll bring honor to that office.
        I'm also here--I'm pleased to urge you to work hard for your next
    Governor, Tim Pawlenty. He understands what I
    know: If you let people keep more of their own money, it invigorates the
    economy. And he knows the best way to bring fiscal discipline to any
    body of government is to resist unnecessary spending. Tim Pawlenty will
    be a fine and great Governor for the State of Minnesota, and I'm proud
    to lend my support.
        I'm pleased to talk about tax relief and trade because it is
    necessary to--those are necessary items to make sure our economy
    recovers. You know, in Washington, they talk a lot about statistics, and
    that's fine--``This number's up, or that number's down.'' What I worry
    about is, anytime anybody is looking for work and can't find it, we've
    got a problem. So therefore, I ask the question, how do we make sure we
    continue to expand our job base? What

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    does it take to make sure that the entrepreneurial spirit of America is
    strong and vibrant so that there are more jobs for people who want to
    work? And that means making sure Congress doesn't overspend, doesn't
    overcommit, and making sure we have fiscal sanity in Washington, DC.
        We cut taxes at the right time. You see, I read the textbook that
    says, when people have more money, they're going to demand a good or a
    service. And if they demand a good or a service, somebody's going to
    produce the good and service. And if somebody produces that good and
    service, it means somebody's going to find work. For the good of long-
    term economic growth and for the good of long-term economic vitality, we
    need to make the tax cuts permanent. And I want a Senator and Members of
    the House to do so.
        One of the worst taxes in America is what they call the death tax.
    It's a tax that taxes people's assets more than once. It's a tax that
    hurts farmers and ranchers. It says you cannot leave your business, if
    you're a small-business owner, to your relative. It says to some in
    America that if your loved one passes away, that you might have to
    liquidate your family farm in order to pay inheritance taxes. The
    Congress did the right thing in eliminating the tax, but it only lasts,
    because of a quirk in the Senate rules, for 10 years. We need people in
    the United States Congress who understand how bad the death tax is to
    small-business owners, ranchers, and farmers in America and make the
    repeal of the death tax permanent.
        So I spend a lot of time on economic security and will continue to
    do so until I'm confident people can find work.
        I also spend a lot of time on our homeland security. You need to
    know that we fight an enemy that is not only ruthless, a group of people
    who don't value human life, but they're--they hide, and they're patient,
    and they're determined to hurt America. People--I'm sure some of the
    young hear, ``Well, why would you want to hurt our country? Why would
    they care?'' And the answer is, because we're a beacon for freedom. We
    stand for things they don't stand for.
        See, we believe people should be able to worship the Almighty God
    any way they see fit; they don't. We believe people should be able to
    speak their mind. We believe in a free press. We believe in open
    elections. What we stand for is freedom, and they hate freedom; and,
    therefore, they hate us. But they may be patient. We're more patient.
    They may be determined. We are more determined. They may think they have
    hit a country which is soft and weak. They have found out the United
    States of America will defend our freedoms at all costs. We're going to
    hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.
        We are--we're making progress in a different kind of war. You know,
    you watch the old war films, you'd see tanks moving across a battlefield
    or formations of airplanes. That's not the kind of war we're in. We're
    after international killers, coldblooded killers. That's all they are.
    They--and, therefore, we've got to make sure at home we're secure.
        The other day, I made a far-reaching proposal that urges Congress to
    join me in reorganizing our Government so we can do as good a job as
    possible about protecting the homeland. Listen, I didn't run by saying,
    ``Vote for me. I'm for bigger Government.'' That wasn't my platform.
    [Laughter] But I did run and say, ``Give us a chance to produce
    results.''
        Now, you need to know that when it comes to homeland security, there
    are over 100 agencies involved with homeland security, which means it's
    hard to align authority and responsibility. We've got 100 of them
    scattered all over Washington. I think those agencies, for the good of
    the country, need to be under one Cabinet officer. We need to have as
    a--the priority of these agencies the protection of the American people.
    Now, some of the agencies do other things, no question about it. But in

    [[Page 1218]]

    order to effect a new culture and to set new priorities, it makes sense
    to me to have authority and responsibility aligned.
        And this new agency will have several functions. One is to make sure
    we understand who's coming into our country and why they're coming in
    and whether they're leaving when they say they're going to leave. This
    new agency will be charged with working with some of America's finest
    citizens, our first-responders, the police and firefighters and EMS
    teams all across the country, to make sure that we respond to an
    emergency if it ever were to occur. This new agency is in charge of
    working to deal with the threat of bio--a bioterrorist attack, so
    they've got the immunizations available and our health care systems are
    prepared to respond. This new agency will analyze data, intelligence
    that has been gathered from around the world, and analyze it in one
    place to determine our vulnerabilities and then the response necessary
    to button up the American homeland.
        I'm proud of those who work for our Government. We've got a lot of
    fine folks working a lot of hours, running down any kind of hint there
    is. Any kind of suggestion that somebody is going to do something to
    America, we're responding as quickly as we possibly can. And we're
    making good progress. But you just need to know, the best way to secure
    the homeland is to do what we're doing, and that's to hunt these killers
    down one person at a time.
        In my speech to the country outlining my vision for a Department of
    Homeland Security, I told the folks that we've--we and our friends have
    hauled in over 2,400 of these killers. Sometimes you'll know about it,
    and sometimes you won't. But what you need to know is that wherever they
    try to light, we're going to get them on the run, and we're going to
    keep them moving. And we're going to keep them moving until our military
    and our coalition brings them to justice.
        You've got to know how proud I am of the United States military.
    What a great group. I asked the United States Congress for a significant
    increase in defense spending. And I know the two gentlemen up here, if
    they were in the Halls of the Congress, would be strongly supporting
    what I'm about to tell you. The reason I asked for the biggest increase
    since President Ronald Reagan was the President is because I believe
    this: Anytime you commit an American youth into harm's way, they must
    have the best equipment, the best training, the best pay possible.
        And the increase also sends this signal to our friends and allies,
    as well as the enemy: We're in it for the long haul. We're talking about
    freedom. We're talking about civilization itself. History has called our
    country into action. There's a big spotlight on America, and our country
    will lead. We will lead this vast coalition.
        I want you to know, the doctrine that says, ``Either you're with us,
    or you're with the terrorists,'' it still stands, and we enforce it
    every single day. If you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if
    you finance a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the killers who struck
    America on September the 11th, and we'll hold you accountable as well.
        Our task is bigger than any single individual. We chase down a
    network. And at the same time, I have tried to speak as plainly as I
    possibly can about those nations with--who harbor weapons of mass
    destruction, who would dare try to blackmail the United States and other
    freedom-loving countries. We cannot and we must not allow the world's
    worst leaders to develop and deploy the world's worst weapons. We owe it
    to our children and we owe it to our children's children to be tough and
    firm.
        We're making progress. We've got a lot of work to do, a lot of work.
    And I appreciate so very much the resolve of the American people. My,
    what a fantastic country we have. We are so strong and so courageous and
    so compassionate, it leads me to declare this, that out of the evil done

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    to America will come incredible good. Out of the evil done to our
    country will be some--some positive developments, starting with this. I
    believe that as the United States continues to lead with resolution and
    determination, that we can achieve peace. We can achieve peace not only
    here at home, but we can achieve peace in places around the world that
    haven't dreamt of peace or dreamt that peace is possible. I believe it.
        I believe that the terrorists--I don't know what went through their
    mind. They must have thought we were so self-absorbed and materialistic
    that all we would do after 9/11 was file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter]
    What they didn't realize is that this is a great nation, a great nation
    full of determined people, people not only to work for peace but people
    who here at home will seize the moment to make our communities a more
    decent and positive place for everybody to live.
        We live in a fabulous nation, a rich nation, but we must always
    remember that in our wealth, there are pockets of despair. There's
    loneliness. There's addiction. There are children who wonder whether the
    American Dream is meant for them. And I believe out of the evil done to
    America will come the good of addressing those problems, because a lot
    of Americans have stepped back and said, ``What is the value of life?
    How do I have a complete life?'' And many of our fellow citizens
    understand that to have a complete life, you love a neighbor just like
    you'd like to be loved yourself. There are thousands of our citizens, on
    a daily basis, responding to the evil done to America by mentoring a
    child or helping a shut-in or delivering food to the hungry, providing
    shelter for the homeless.
        And that's the true strength of our country. We're a decent country,
    a compassionate country. We understand that each of us can't do
    everything, but each of us can do something to help make a difference in
    changing America, one soul, one conscience, one heart at a time.
        And that is why I feel so strongly that our Government must not fear
    the compassionate programs that emanate out of the faith-based
    institutions. We must not discriminate against faith. We must welcome
    faith in America in order to change lives.
        And that's part of the spirit that is evolving in the country. We
    are ushering in a new period of personal responsibility, where each of
    us understands we're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
    We're responsible for loving our children. If you're a mom or a dad--if
    you're lucky enough to be a mom or a dad, you're responsible for loving
    your children with all your heart and all your soul. If you live in
    Minneapolis, Minnesota, and you're aware of a friend in need, you're
    responsible for helping that friend in need. If you're running a
    corporation, you're responsible for open books and treating your
    employees well.
        That message came home loud and clear in Flight 93, the concept of
    serving something greater than yourself in life, the concept of
    understanding that patriotism is more than saying the pledge or saluting
    the flag; patriotism is serving your Nation by helping a neighbor in
    need. We had citizens traveling across the country. They realized their
    airplane was going to be used as a weapon. They told their loved ones
    they loved them. They said a prayer. One guy said, ``Let's roll.'' And
    they drove the plane in the ground to save other people's lives. It's
    the new spirit of the 21st century.
        And so, tonight I urge you not only to work hard for these good
    candidates but work hard to be a part of making America a complete
    country for everybody. And it's happening--it's happening. You see, I
    can confidently predict, out of the evil done to America will come great
    good, because I'm the President of the greatest nation in the face of
    the Earth.
        It is my honor to be here. May God bless you all, and may God bless
    America.

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    Note: The President spoke at 6:10 p.m. at the Target Center Arena. In
    his remarks, he referred to Steve Sviggum, speaker, and gubernatorial
    candidate Tim Pawlenty, majority leader, Minnesota House of
    Representatives; Dick Day, minority leader, Minnesota Senate; and
    Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer. John Kline was a candidate
    for Congress in Minnesota's First Congressional District.