    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [November 1, 2002]
    [Pages 1956-1962]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
    November 1, 2002

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for inviting
    me. Boy, am I glad I came. It's good to be back. It's good to be back
    with the good folks of New Hampshire. I see a lot of familiar faces
    amongst the crowd. There's one right there. [Laughter] We've got a lot
    of friends here. First of all, I've got to tell you,

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    Laura--you drew the short straw. You got me instead of Laura. [Laughter] She sends her best as well. She's doing
    fabulous.
        You may remember the story about her. She was
    a public school librarian when I asked her to marry me. She didn't like
    politics. She didn't like politicians. [Laughter] Thank goodness she
    said yes when I was there on bended knee. She has made a fabulous First
    Lady for America. She sends her best to all the candidates running for
    office, and she urges you to do what I'm here to urge you to do, which
    is get out the vote.
        I want you to know that the American spirit is alive and well in
    America. And that's the spirit that says it's important for us to serve
    something greater than ourself. It's the spirit that says, when it comes
    to the defense of our freedoms, we'll be plenty tough.
        But part of defending our freedom means our citizens must exercise
    their duty. And on election day, the duty is to vote. My call here in
    New Hampshire is for all the citizens--Republicans and Democrats, people
    who don't give a hoot about political parties--to do your duty and vote.
    I've got a strong suggestion: If you want to do what's right for New
    Hampshire, if you want to do what's right for America, vote for John
    Sununu for the United States Senate.
        I've seen him in action in the Congress.
    I know what he can do. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd be the most
    effective voice for all the people of this State, for everybody who's
    fortunate enough to live in New Hampshire. See, he's the kind of fellow
    that doesn't require a focus group--[laughter]--or a poll to tell him
    what to think.
        If I remember my days from New Hampshire, that's what you expect
    here in New Hampshire, somebody who tells you what's on your mind,
    somebody who shares his philosophy, somebody who doesn't need to move
    around in the political winds depending upon what might be happening at
    a particular moment. No, the people of this State want down-to-earth,
    plain-speaking Members representing them, and that is exactly what John
    Sununu is.
        And like me, he married well. [Laughter]
    And like me, he picked a pretty good pair of parents.parents It's good to see the old
    Governor behind stage. He's still looking pretty spry for an old fellow.
    [Laughter] Don't tell him I said that. [Laughter]
        I'm also honored to be here in strong support of the next United
    States Congressman from the First District, Jeb Bradley. Jeb is going to do a fine job. I look forward to working
    with him. I'm going to talk about some of the issues we need to work on.
    I don't need to be worrying about the votes from the First District up
    there in Washington. I need a steady hand who represents the way the
    people of this State think, and that's going to be Jeb Bradley.
        And in order to make sure the stage looked pretty, we invited the
    Congressman from the Second District here--[laughter]--Charlie
    Bass. I actually meant Lisa Bass. [Laughter] It's good to be up here with Kitty and Lisa and all the patient women supporting these
    candidates for office and standing by them. It's tough for a family to
    run for office. I understand that. But it requires good, strong women,
    in these guys' cases, to carry them through, and they married well. I'm
    real proud of them. I appreciate their hard work, just like I'm proud of
    the next first lady for New Hampshire--the next first lady from New
    Hampshire, Denise Benson.
        I've known Craig for a while, and you're
    about to pick a good one to be your Governor, somebody who understands
    job creation, somebody who's going to bring integrity to the office, and
    somebody who isn't going to overburden you with a bunch of taxes, and
    that's Governor Craig Benson.
        And finally, I've got to mention my old buddy the senior Senator.
    That would be your Judd Gregg. He and
    Kathy are great friends of Laura and mine. We
    really like to be around them. He is a great United

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    States Senator. And when we take over the Senate, we will be calling
    Judd Gregg ``Mr. Chairman.''
        Electing John Sununu will help us change
    the leadership in the Senate. The people of New Hampshire who haven't
    made up their mind yet must understand the practicalities involved in
    this election. There's something very practical about having Judd
    Gregg become the chairman of the Health and
    Education and Labor and Pension Committee. It doesn't matter whether
    you're a Republican or Democrat or independent; it's in your interest.
    It's in your personal interest, and it's in your State interest that you
    have one of your own be the chairman of one of the most vital committees
    in the United States Senate. And the election of John Sununu could
    easily elevate Judd Gregg to that position.
        Audience member.  [Inaudible]--no war for oil----
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. What did he say?
        Audience members. We want Bush! We want Bush! We want Bush!
        The President. What did the guy say?
        We've got a lot of hurdles that we've got to cross here in America.
    But there's no question in my mind we can cross them. That's what I want
    to talk to you about. Part of it depends on who you elect to the Senate;
    part of it elects upon the will and desire of the American people.
        One of the biggest hurdles we've got is to make sure people can find
    work. Anybody looking for a job can't find a job means we've got a
    problem in America. We want people to be able to put food on the table.
    We want somebody who wants to provide, to be able to do so. And yet our
    economy is bumping along.
        I'm optimistic about our economy because, one, I understand this
    country is one of the finest countries on the face of the Earth. We've
    got great productivity amongst our workers. Interest rates are low.
    Inflation is low. The foundation for growth is great.
        But so long as anybody is trying to find work and can't find it, we
    better have people in the Congress willing to work with the
    administration to increase the job base. One of the most important
    things we can do to increase the job base is to stimulate small-business
    growth. And one way to do so is to let people keep more of their own
    money.
        This is a--taxes are a cutting-edge issue in this campaign. You see,
    it reflects the difference of philosophy. If you understand if people
    have more money in their pocket that they're going to demand a good or a
    service. And when they demand a good or a service, somebody's likely to
    produce the good or a service. And when somebody produces the good or a
    service, somebody is more likely to find work.
        The tax relief plan that John Sununu
    joined me on was not only good for people in New Hampshire, the citizens
    of New Hampshire, it's good for the small business and entrepreneurs of
    New Hampshire, because most small businesses pay taxes at the individual
    income tax rates. The tax cut we passed came at the exact right time for
    America.
        Over the next 10 years, those tax cuts will mean $6.9 billion for
    the people of New Hampshire. That's $6.9 billion for you to decide what
    to do with your money. You hear these people saying, ``Well, we better
    revisit the Tax Code--tax cuts.'' Listen carefully for those words.
    That's Washington, DC-speak for, ``We're fixing to go back into your
    pocket.'' That's what that means.
        If you're interested in job creation, like I am and John is, if you're interested in making sure people can
    find work, send somebody to Washington who will join me in making the
    tax cuts permanent.
        We need to get us a terrorism insurance bill moving out of the
    Congress. We had these--these attackers hurt us in many ways. They hurt
    our economy. And one way they hurt the economy--there's a lot of big
    construction projects which aren't

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    going forward. That's because people can't get insurance for terrorism.
    It means a lot of hardhats aren't finding work. Millions of--thousands
    of people; millions of dollars and thousands of people--millions of
    dollars aren't being invested, and thousands of people aren't working.
        And so therefore, Congress needs to get this bill out, to my desk. I
    know I can count on John's support. He'll
    support a bill that I want and that you should want, that makes sure it
    rewards the hardhats of America, not the trial lawyers of America.
        No, we've been through some tough times in our economy, and we've
    still got a ways to go. Remember, we came out of a recession, and the
    enemy hit us. And it hurt our economy when they hit us, make no mistake
    about it. And we're recovering from that.
        Then we had another little problem--not a little problem; it's a big
    problem. We had some of our citizens think that they could fudge the
    numbers; some of our citizens forgot their responsibilities when it
    comes to running a corporation. They forgot they were responsible to
    employees and to shareholders. They forgot their duty as Americans. And
    I want to thank John Sununu for supporting
    one of the most far-reaching corporate reform bills since Franklin
    Roosevelt was the President. Our message, loud and clear, to the
    corporate wrongdoers is: There isn't any easy money in America; there's
    only jail time when we catch you fudging the books. No, we've got to
    work together to get this economy rolling. There's no question in my
    mind, he's the right person to send up to Washington to work with the
    administration to help the economy grow so people can find work.
        He's also the right man to send over
    there to work on vital matters, such as education and health care.
    Medicare is stuck in the past. Medicare--medicine has changed; Medicare
    hasn't. Medicine is becoming more modern through technologies and new
    discoveries. Medicare is stuck. It's not changing. Send John Sununu to
    the Senate so we can modernize Medicare, which means a prescription drug
    benefit for our seniors.
        I also want to thank John and, of course,
    Judd and Charlie for
    working on the education bill, which was a great education bill because
    it challenges the soft bigotry of low expectations. It raises the bar.
    It says we in America believe every child can learn. Inherent in that
    bill is a strong belief in local control of schools. We trust your
    future Governor and the people of New Hampshire to chart the path to
    excellence for every child in New Hampshire. We have sent $150 million
    of Federal money to the schools this year in New Hampshire. But in
    return for that money, for the first time, we expect results. And I
    appreciate John Sununu's advocacy of this important piece of
    legislation.
        I also know that when he becomes the
    Senator, I can count on him to make sure that our judiciary is full of
    judges who aren't there to write the law, but to strictly interpret the
    United States Constitution.
        There will be a lot of issues which we can work together on for the
    good of New Hampshire and the good of America but no more important
    issue than making sure our homeland is secure, that protecting the
    people of this country--that's our most solemn duty now. And the reason
    why it's ongoing is because there's still an enemy that lurches around,
    which hates America. They hate America because of what we love. We love
    freedom, and we're not changing.
        It's important to be clear-eyed about the threats we face, and we
    face a threat. We must see the world, and you must have people in
    Washington who see the world not the way we hope it would be but the way
    it is. We're now on notice that America is a battleground. And
    therefore, we've got to do everything we can to protect you. And a lot
    of good people are doing just that, a lot of people at the Federal
    level, the State level, and the local level running

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    down any hint, any lead. Anytime somebody is thinking about something to
    do to America and we figure it out, we're going to move on them. We're
    going to absolutely do everything we can within the United States
    Constitution to protect the homeland of the American people.
        I felt we could do a better job of protecting the homeland by moving
    a lot of these agencies involved with your protection into one Cabinet
    office. So I went to Congress and said, ``Would you join me in creating
    a Department of Homeland Security so that we can set as the number one
    priority for these agencies the protection of the homeland and, if need
    be, change cultures within agencies so that we can protect you.''
        And that's what I asked them to do. I asked them quite a while ago.
    And the House of Representatives sanctioned the votes of Bass and Sununu, joined with
    the administration, and passed a really good bill. But it's stuck in the
    Senate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. It's stuck in the Senate because some Senators, not
    Senator Gregg and future Senator Sununu but some Senators want to extract a price from this
    President that's way too high. See, they want me to give up an important
    authority that every President since John Kennedy has had. And that's
    the authority to suspend collective bargaining rules in certain cases
    for the sake of national security.
        See, I need that capacity to be able to respond to the threats we
    face. I need the ability to suspend some rules if the rules inhibit our
    capacity to protect you. Under the vision of some in the Senate, I would
    have that authority for the Agriculture Department, but not for the
    Homeland Security Department. We are at war. The President--this
    President and future Presidents must have the ability to put the right
    people at the right place at the right time to protect America. And
    there's no doubt in my mind that soon-to-be-Senator Sununu supports me on this issue.
        We'll do everything we can to protect you here at home, but the best
    way to protect our youngsters, the best way to defend our freedoms, is
    to find these killers no matter where they hide and bring them to
    justice. And that's exactly what America is going to do.
        We passed a good defense bill. It's the largest increase in defense
    spending since Ronald Reagan was the President. That bill should send
    two message. One is, anytime we put our troops into harm's way, they
    deserve the best pay, the best training, and the best possible
    equipment.
        And two, we're sending a clear message to friend and foe alike that
    we're in this deal for the long haul, that when it comes to the defense
    of our freedom, it doesn't matter how long it takes. When it comes to
    making sure we fulfill our obligations as a generation for future
    generations of Americans, there's no calendar on my desk that says by
    such-and-such a date we're pulling in. No. See, I don't know what got in
    the enemy's mind. They must have thought our national religion was
    materialism, that we were so selfish, so self-absorbed, so interested
    only in ourselves that after 9/11/2001, oh, we might have filed a
    lawsuit or two. They don't know America like you and I know America.
    When it comes to the defense of our freedom, it doesn't matter how long
    it takes and how much it costs.
        And we're making progress. Slowly but surely, we're hauling them in.
    And we've got people still helping us. See, the doctrine that says,
    ``Either you're with us or with the enemy''--that still stands. I remind
    people of it all the time, because I understand the task ahead. In the
    old days, we destroyed tanks, airplanes, ships, and we made progress.
    These people don't have tanks. They don't have ships. They hide in
    caves. They send suiciders out. They're willing to send youngsters out,
    and they, themselves, hide. That's the kind of people we face.

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        And so, therefore, we've got to be on them, got to get them on the
    run and keep them on the run. And we're making progress. We've hauled in
    about 2,000 or more. And that's good. And like number met their fate a
    different way--like number aren't around. Slowly but surely, we're
    dismantling this terrorist network, thanks to one of the greatest
    militaries ever, the United States military.
        It's going to take a while. It's going to take a while to make
    America safe. It's going to take a while to do everything we can to
    fulfill our responsibilities and protect you. The American people
    understand that; they understand it's a new kind of war. They also
    understand there's a new reality we face, and that's important. The new
    reality is, oceans no longer protect us. After September the 11th, 2001,
    every threat that might be emerging overseas we need to take seriously.
    In the old days we could sit back and say, ``Well, there's something
    emerging over there, and these oceans protect us, and we're safe, and we
    can decide whether or not we want to be involved in that theater. We can
    decide if we really think it's in our national interest, because our
    people aren't threatened.''
        We have a new day here in America. It's a sobering reality. It's one
    that--you better make sure your elected officials are clear-eyed about
    the threats that we face. And we face a threat in the form of Saddam
    Hussein in Iraq. Saddam Hussein is a man who
    has told the world he wouldn't have weapons of mass destruction, and yet
    he deceived the world. He's got them.
        Not only does he have them--remember,
    this is a guy who was a short while away from having a nuclear weapon.
    Then they dismantled it. Then he started deceiving the world again, and
    no telling how close he is to having one now. We know he's got chemical
    weapons, probably has biological weapons.
        But more significantly, we know he uses
    them. He uses them not only on his neighbors; he uses them on his own
    people. That's the nature of this man. We know he's got ties with Al
    Qaida. A nightmare scenario, of course, is that he becomes the arsenal
    for a terrorist network, where they could attack America, and he'd leave
    no fingerprints behind. He is a problem.
        I went to the United Nations a while ago because I wanted to remind
    them that they have a duty, it seems like to me, to bring the free
    nations together and call the man to account.
    After all, they passed resolution after resolution after resolution, 16
    times that he's defied.
        See, we want the United Nations to be successful. I believe it's in
    our interests that freedom-loving countries come together and help
    defeat the new threats of the 21st century. It's in our national
    interest they do so. It's in their interest they do so.
        So I went there and said, ``Show us whether or not you can achieve
    what you're supposed to do. Show us whether or not you've got the
    backbone necessary to hold the man to account
    in the name of peace. Show us whether or not you're going to be the
    United Nations or the League of Nations.''
        And my message to Saddam Hussein is just
    as clear: You said you would not have weapons of mass destruction. In
    the name of peace, get rid of your weapons of mass destruction. But my
    message to America, and it's supported by Republicans and Democrats
    alike: If the United Nations will not act, if Saddam Hussein will not
    disarm, in the name of peace and in the name of freedom, the United
    States of America will lead a coalition to disarm him.
        Out of the evil done to America is going to come some good. I
    believe that. I believe that because of the nature of our country. I
    believe that because of the American spirit. I know that we can achieve
    peace. I want you to assure your children that amongst all the talk that
    we can achieve a peaceful world. I believe it. If we remain strong and
    tough and determined, speak our mind clearly about good and evil,
    remember that freedom is not

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    an American blessing, it's God-given for everybody who lives in the
    world, if we remember that, we can achieve peace.
        We can achieve peace here at home. We can achieve peace in the
    Middle East. We have a chance to lead the world to peace. I can--I see
    clearly a peaceful world. And I see a more compassionate tomorrow here
    at home. Out of the evil done to America, we can have a better America.
        You've got to remember, amongst our plenty are people who hurt,
    people who are lonely, people who are depressed, people who are
    addicted, people who say, ``American Dream? What are you talking about?
    I don't know what you're talking about.''
        So long as any of us hurt, we all hurt, as far as I'm concerned.
    I've mentioned and told you that John and I
    will work together to do what Government can do. But what Government
    can't do is put love in people's hearts or a sense of purpose in
    people's lives. That's done when our fellow Americans put their arm
    around somebody who hurts and says, ``I love you. What can I do to help
    you? How can I make your life better? How can I do my part of being
    American?''
        I met a guy out there at the airport today, Zack Dietrich, a 23-year-old fellow here in New Hampshire. He's a
    member of AmeriCorps. He's a guy who's working to help people find work
    by helping them with job training. He's a man who's helping save lives
    by helping people have dignity in their lives when it comes to work. He
    has decided, at the age of 23, to help a neighbor in need. He's decided
    to be a part of the army of compassion. He knows what I know, that
    through the great heart of America, we can change our country one soul,
    one person at a time.
        And that's what's happening. American spirit is more than just being
    a patriot. The American spirit is more than just being strong militarily
    so we can keep the peace and promote freedom. The American spirit
    understands that being a patriot in this country means serving something
    greater than yourself. And that spirit is alive and well today.
        It was certainly alive and well on Flight 93. People flying across
    our country realized that their plane was going to be used as a weapon.
    They said goodbye. They said, ``I love you.'' They said a prayer, and
    ordinary citizens took the plane into the ground to serve something
    greater than themselves in life. They represented the absolute best of
    America.
        The American spirit is strong and alive today, which allows me to
    boldly predict that out of the evil done to America is going to come a
    more peaceful world. And out of the evil done to America is going to
    come a more hopeful tomorrow for everybody who lives in this country,
    because this is the finest country, full of the most decent, honorable,
    caring people on the face of the Earth.
        Thank you for coming today. May God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:25 p.m. at Pease International Tradeport
    Airport. In his remarks, he referred to Congressman John E. Sununu's
    parents, former Gov. John H. Sununu of New Hampshire and his wife,
    Nancy; Kitty Sununu, wife of Congressman Sununu; Lisa Bass, wife of
    Congressman Charles F. Bass; gubernatorial candidate Craig Benson and
    his wife, Denise Benson; Kathleen Gregg, wife of Senator Judd Gregg; and
    President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.