[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[October 17, 2002]
[Pages 1819-1825]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Luncheon for Gubernatorial Candidate Sonny Perdue and Senatorial Candidate Saxby Chambliss in Atlanta, Georgia
October 17, 2002

    Thank you all for coming. I'm glad you all are here. Thanks for 
coming, and thanks for such a generous Georgia welcome.
    You know, coming down on the airplane today, we were visiting about 
the politics here in Georgia, and a couple of the citizens from this 
great State told me my picture seems to be on the TV screen a lot--
[laughter]--that a lot of people are using my image during the campaign. 
Well, I'm here to clarify a few things. The voters shouldn't be 
confused. For the sake of Georgia, for the sake of the United States, 
Saxby Chambliss needs to be the next United States Senator.
    No, the voters shouldn't be confused. For the sake of Georgia and 
for the sake of a great public school system, Sonny Perdue needs to be 
the next Governor of Georgia.

[[Page 1820]]

    I appreciate you all coming. I want to thank you for what you're 
going to do. First, I want to thank you for what you have done, which is 
come today. [Laughter] And what you need to do is go to your coffee 
shops, your places of worship, the community centers, and let good 
people of Georgia understand that when you find two good ones, two good 
candidates like these two, they've got to work and vote on their behalf. 
Grassroots politics is going to win this election.
    And there's another secret weapon in the case of these two men's 
campaign, that's their wives. They both married well. Like me, they 
married above themselves. [Laughter] I'm so proud that Julianne 
Chambliss is with--standing by Saxby's 
side. She's a great mom. She's going to be a fabulous Senate wife. And 
I've got to tell you, I'm real proud of Mary as 
well. Mom and grandmom--she's going to be a great first lady for 
Georgia.
    You drew the short straw; Laura's in Mobile, 
Alabama. [Laughter] But she sends her very best. She's doing great, by 
the way. You know, I like to remind people that when I married her, she 
was a public school librarian in Texas. She didn't like politics. She 
didn't care for politicians. [Laughter] Now she's the First Lady of the 
United States and doing a magnificent job.
    I appreciate members of the congressional delegation. All but one 
decided they wanted to fly on Air Force One, so I had coffee with them 
this morning. [Laughter] But it's a fine group of individuals 
representing Georgia in the United States Congress: Congressman Jack 
Kingston, Mac Collins, 
Johnny Isakson, Bob Barr, Nathan Deal, Charlie 
Norwood, and John Linder.
    I'm proud of that delegation, and I hope and I feel like the good 
folks around Georgia will be wise to add to the delegation, starting 
with Phil Gingrey from the 11th Congressional 
District. Clay Cox is running for Congress. We need 
to get Clay in there. I'm real proud of the chairman of the Georgia 
Republican Party, my longtime friend Ralph Reed. 
I want to thank Ralph for his leadership. Alec Poitevint is the national committeeman. He also is a longtime 
friend. My friend Fred Cooper and Eric 
Tanenblatt all work hard to make sure our 
party is vibrant and alive and well, make sure our party not only is 
organized at the grassroots level but make sure our party sends out a 
message that all are welcomed. All who believe in the philosophy of 
personal responsibility, local control of your schools, limited 
Government, compassionate Government are welcome into our party. All are 
welcome to vote for these good candidates who are running. We don't care 
what party you have. We don't care whether you're a Republican, 
Democrat, or independent. What we care is, you support these good 
candidates because they're the right people at the right time for the 
State of Georgia.
    Sonny knows what I'm talking about. Sonny knows what I'm talking 
about. After all, he used to call himself a Democrat. [Laughter] And 
that's okay. I'm used to Texas politics. We had a lot of folks who 
called themselves one party label, but they--we all felt the same about 
things. Sonny represents Georgian values. He is a down-to-earth fellow. 
He's a plain speaker. When he says something, he means it. He might not 
be the prettiest fellow to look at--[laughter]--but he can get the job 
done for all the people in Georgia.
    And that means having a school system that leaves no children 
behind. Sonny's got a good education plan. It's one that makes sense. 
It's one that's going to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. 
It's going to set high standards. Sonny is going to support the teachers 
of Georgia. Sonny isn't going to try to micromanage the process from 
centralized government. He believes in local control of schools.
    And Sonny is the kind of no-nonsense fellow who will hold people to 
account. You see, he'll be willing to measure to determine whether or 
not each child is learning in Georgia. And when he finds children

[[Page 1821]]

trapped in schools which won't teach and won't change, he won't be bound 
by special interests. The only interest he cares about is the children 
of the State of Georgia.
    He knows what I know: The role of Government is not to create wealth 
but an environment in which the entrepreneur or small-business owner can 
flourish. Seventy percent of new jobs in America are created by small 
businesses. And it seems like, if you're worried about your job base, 
that you want to have somebody who's been a small-business person 
running your government, somebody who's actually done what a lot of 
others talk about. I think the fact that Sonny started his own business 
in the field of agriculture is one of the strongest reasons why the 
folks of Georgia ought to send him up to the capital.
    He also understands how important it is to have good roads and an 
efficient infrastructure. He's a practical man. He's a down-to-earth 
fellow who has asked the questions, how do you get the job done? He 
doesn't wait for a focus group. [Laughter] That's not his style. That's 
not how they raised them in south Georgia. If you're worried about your 
infrastructure, it seems like to me you want somebody who's licensed to 
fly a plane, who can drive a bus, or knows how to operate a truck. And 
that man is Sonny Perdue. And I'm proud to be here. I'm proud to say as 
loud and clear as I can, I'm for Sonny Perdue because he'll make a great 
Governor.
    And there's no doubt in my mind you've got to make sure that Saxby 
Chambliss is your United States Senator. Saxby is a leader. He's a 
leader. He can make things happen. I've watched him--I've watched him 
closely.
    I worked with him on the education bill, a fine piece of education 
reform. He brings a deep compassion for education. He and I understand 
the role of the Federal Government is limited, but the role of the 
Federal Government must be active. It says this: When we spend Federal 
money, we expect there to be good results. If you believe every child 
can learn, like we do, if you want to challenge the soft bigotry of low 
expectations, that finally we've begun to ask the question, what's 
happening? With all that money we're spending, what's happening? Why 
don't you show us whether or not our children can read and write and add 
and subtract? Why don't you show us whether or not our children have got 
a bright future? And if so, I promise you, we'll praise the teachers. 
But if not, we expect a return on behalf of the taxpayers' dollars. This 
piece of reform was substantial reform. And Saxby Chambliss was one of 
the leaders in the House of Representatives to make sure this bill got 
passed.
    He understands what I know: Medicine has changed, but Medicare 
hasn't. Medicine is modern; Medicare is old and needs to be reformed. 
Saxby Chambliss is one of the leaders in the United States Congress to 
make sure that Medicare changes with medicine and that seniors have got 
prescription drug benefits.
    I'm for Saxby because he will help me make sure that the judges I 
nominate get a fair hearing and get confirmed. My job is to put good, 
honorable, hard-working, intelligent, capable people on the Federal 
bench, people who will not use the bench to serve as a legislator but 
people who will sit on the bench to strictly interpret the United States 
Constitution.
    And the record of this Senate is a lousy record. If you look at the 
record, the percentage of my nominees who have been approved, and look 
at the reason why they haven't, you'll find that they're playing too 
much politics in Washington, DC. They're slow playing the process. And 
when some of my really good nominees got a hearing, they distorted their 
records. They listened to the small groups of special interests in 
Washington, DC. For the sake of a good, sound Federal judiciary, I need 
a United States Senator who will stand strong for my nominees, and that 
is Saxby Chambliss.
    We've got some challenges ahead of us. No question one of the 
challenges is to

[[Page 1822]]

make sure people can find work in America, that we can build on the 
foundation of economic growth. I'm optimistic about our economy's future 
because I know when interest rates are low and inflation is low and the 
productivity of our great workforce is high, we can grow our economy. I 
believe strongly that the future is a bright future. But we've got a lot 
of work to do. Together, we've got a lot of work to do.
    And there are some clear-cut things that the Congress can do. And 
one of them is to understand the significance of tax relief when it 
comes to economic vitality. Saxby and I read the page out of this 
economic textbook that says if you let a person keep more of their own 
money, they're likely to demand a good or a service. And when somebody 
demands a good or a service in the marketplace, somebody is likely to 
produce the good or a service. And when somebody produces that good or a 
service, somebody is more likely to be able to find work.
    And so we passed tax relief. Some people were enthusiastic about it. 
Some weren't quite so sure. And we got it passed. But the reason the 
issue is still alive is because there's a quirk in the Senate rules. 
This is a tough one for me to explain to you. It's like the Senate 
giveth, and the Senate taketh away. [Laughter] You see, after 10 years, 
the tax relief plan reverts back to where it was when we started 
relieving the taxes. So that creates uncertainty. It's hard, if you're a 
small-business person, to plan with uncertainty. It's hard for an 
economy to be steady if there's an uncertain Tax Code.
    One of the big issues in this campaign is, who understands what I've 
just described, and who's willing to join the President in making sure 
the tax relief plan is permanent? And that person is Saxby Chambliss.
    No, I will continue to work on our economy, helping to make sure our 
workers can find work. There's a lot of things we can do. We need an 
energy bill. We need a terrorism insurance bill. We need to make sure 
Congress doesn't overspend. Listen, every idea sounds like a genius idea 
in Washington. [Laughter] The problem is, they all cost billions. I've 
got to make sure I've got Members of the House and Members of the Senate 
who understand we need to set priorities and make sure we don't 
overspend. For the sake of economic vitality, there needs to be fiscal 
restraint and fiscal sanity, which means you better have a United States 
Senator who understands that when we're spending money in Washington, 
we're not spending the Government's money; we're spending the people's 
money.
    Economic issue is a big issue. There's no bigger issue, however, 
than protecting the homeland. I say that because there's an enemy that 
still lurks out there, a enemy which hates America. And they hate us 
because of what we love. They hate us because we love freedom. They hate 
us because we hold dear and deeply love the idea that anybody can 
worship an almighty God any way he or she sees fit. They hate the idea 
of a free press, free political discourse. That's what they hate. And so 
long as we love our freedoms, they will try to harm our country.
    We've got a new task ahead for America, and that is to do everything 
we can to protect the American people. It used to be that oceans could 
protect us. We used to be able to sit back here in America and feel safe 
and confident, because there's two vast oceans to protect us from 
potential enemies. But that has changed after September the 11th, 2001. 
And that's why it's essential for our country not only to deal with the 
threats we see today but to deal with threats we may see in the 
immediate tomorrow. That's why I called upon the United Nations and our 
United States Congress to deal with Iraq before it becomes a--before we 
get hurt. Oceans no longer protect us. The threat is real. The threat's 
alive.

[[Page 1823]]

    I want to thank Saxby and other Members of the United States 
Congress for joining me in passing a strong resolution so that the 
United States speaks with one voice. It's now up for Mr. Saddam 
Hussein to do what he said he would do, to 
disarm. It's now up for the free nations of the world to show some 
courage and backbone and disarm him.
    There are real threats that we face, and therefore, our most 
important job is to do everything we can to protect the homeland. A lot 
of people are working hard to do just that; they really are. We've got a 
lot of good agents at the CIA and FBI, and State police and local 
police, first-responders, all of them working hard to do everything we 
can to protect the American people. When we get a hint, any bit of 
evidence, we're moving; we're disrupting; we're denying. We're aware of 
the threat. And so we're on--we're on full game all the time. That's our 
job. We take it seriously.
    But I need the tools necessary to do the job better. And that's why 
I went to the United States Congress to work with me to develop a Office 
of Homeland Security, so that we could better coordinate amongst the 
many agencies involved with securing the homeland, so we could set clear 
priorities amongst the agencies involved with protecting the homeland, 
so if need be, we could change cultures, so that some point in time I'm 
more able to say and future Presidents are more able to say, ``We're 
doing everything in our power at the Federal level to protect America.'' 
It's our most important and solemn duty.
    I laid the initiative out, and thanks to the strong leadership of 
Saxby--he understands this issue really well--thanks to his leadership 
amongst--with others in the House of Representatives, the House 
responded quickly and passed a significant piece of legislation, an 
historic piece of legislation.
    The Senate hadn't acted yet, because in order to pass the Department 
of Homeland Security, there's got to be a price for it. And that price 
will be to roll back important authority that every President since John 
F. Kennedy has had to act in the interests of national security. For 40 
years, Presidents have had the ability to suspend labor rules in every 
Department in the Federal Government when our national security is at 
stake. Now the Senate leadership wants to roll back that authority in a 
time of war for one Department, whose job it is--will be to protect the 
American people during that war.
    If the Senate had its way, I would have the authority to suspend the 
work rules in the Department of Agriculture but not in the office of 
homeland security. The Senate Democrat leaders want to tie the hands of 
this Department as we determine who to hire, who to fire, and whether or 
not people can be moved. Any President must have the capacity to put the 
right people at the right time at the right place, in order to respond 
to threats to our homeland.
    The Senate debate revolves around whether or not there ought to be a 
thick book of rules micromanaging the process. I'll give you an example. 
Right after September the 11th, the Customs Service wanted to quickly 
assign its best, most qualified inspectors to the northern border. The 
union leaders objected. They said we had to bargain over these 
assignments; we had to take time to hash it out, rather than moving our 
best to where we thought we needed to move them immediately.
    Now, I'm not going to accept a bill which will tie the hands of this 
President and future Presidents to be able to carry out one of our most 
solemn duties, which is to protect the homeland. There's no question in 
my mind, if Saxby Chambliss were in the Senate, I would not have to 
worry about his leadership or his vote on this important matter.
    The best way to secure the homeland, however, is to hunt the killers 
down, one person at a time, which is exactly what the United States of 
America is going to

[[Page 1824]]

do. The war on terror is a different kind of war. The old World War II 
vets who are here--and I want to thank you for your service--will 
remember the days when we could measure progress based upon tanks 
destroyed or battleships sunk or aircraft shot down. This is a different 
kind of war. We're fighting coldblooded killers who hide in caves and 
send youngsters to their suicidal deaths. And they're willing to kill 
innocent people anywhere.
    See, there's a huge difference between us and them. We value life. 
We say everybody counts; everybody is precious. They've hijacked a great 
religion and are willing to murder in the name of that religion. And 
that's the way they are. And there's only one way to deal with it. 
Therapy isn't going to work. And that's to find them--that's to find 
them. That's why this coalition of freedom-loving nations is incredibly 
important. That's why it's absolutely essential that we continue to 
remind people, either you're with us, or you're with the enemy. That's 
why it's essential that we continue to make sure that when we say 
something, we mean it, and the world knows we mean it.
    Next week, I'm going to be signing a defense appropriations bill. I 
want to thank the Members of Congress. I want to thank Saxby and others 
for getting this bill to my desk before they go home. It's important for 
us to send a message that we're going to make sure our troops have got 
the best pay, the best equipment, the best possible training. Anytime we 
put somebody in harm's way, we owe it to them and we owe it to their 
loved ones to support them. And that's exactly what this defense bill 
does.
    And the second message we're going to send when I sign that bill is 
to friend and foe alike: It doesn't matter how long it takes: we're 
staying the course. When it comes to the defense of our freedom, there 
is no timetable; there is no calendar. When it comes to making sure our 
children can grow up in a free society, in a free country, this great 
land will do whatever it takes to secure our freedoms.
    No, we're making progress. We're hauling them in one at a time. 
We've got over a couple thousand of them, and maybe that like number 
wasn't quite so lucky. Sometimes you'll see us making progress, and 
sometimes you won't. Sometimes those people who chatter on the cables 
will be talking about it; sometimes you're just not going to hear. It's 
a manhunt, one at a time. And at the same time, we're going to deny them 
sanctuary. If we find them lighting somewhere, we're going to ask the 
host country to move them on. Either you're with us, or you're with 
them.
    We're making good progress. I'm working hard to make sure America is 
a stronger place and a safer place, but we've all got to work together 
to make sure America is a better place too. And there's some things 
Government can do: Make sure every child is educated; make sure our 
health care systems work; make sure people are treated with respect and 
dignity; to make sure we change the tone in our National Capital and our 
State capital--get rid of all this needless politics, bring people 
together, achieve big objectives.
    But a lot of what is going to make America continue to be the 
greatest country in the world depends upon you. If you want to fight 
evil, love your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. If 
you're interested in doing some good, if you're interested in joining me 
and Sonny and Saxby in making sure that those pockets of despair and 
loneliness and hopelessness get eradicated, the surest way to do so is 
to put your arm around somebody in need and say, ``I love you. I love 
you.''
    Government can hand out money, but Government cannot put hope in 
people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. That's why I'm 
such a strong believer in the Faith-Based Initiative, an initiative 
which will empower people of all faiths in America to do what they've 
been called

[[Page 1825]]

to do, to help a neighbor in need, to love somebody.
    See, it doesn't take much to help change America; it really doesn't. 
Helping somebody who's hungry, mentoring a child, going to a shut-in's 
house and saying, ``What can I do to help,'' running a Boy Scout or Girl 
Scout troop--it all adds up. It's those millions of acts of kindness and 
generosity that take place on a daily basis in America which truly 
defines the hopefulness of our country.
    See, the enemy hit us. They didn't know who they were hitting. Oh, 
they probably thought we'd file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter] But 
instead, they hit a country which is strong and tough, a country, by 
remaining strong and tough and always remembers what we love, and that 
is freedom, that we can achieve peace.
    I believe America will lead the world to peace. And at the same 
time, here at home we can make sure, by following our hearts, by being 
the compassionate country we are, to make sure this American experience 
shines brightly for every single citizen who lives in our country.
    No, they hit us. But out of the evil is going to come some 
incredible good, because this is the greatest nation, full of the finest 
people on the face of the Earth. May God bless you, and may God bless 
America.

Note: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis 
Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Julianne Chambliss, wife of 
Representative Chambliss; Mary Perdue, wife of candidate Sonny Perdue; 
Clay Cox, candidate for Georgia's 13th Congressional District; Alec 
Poitevint, national committeeman, and Fred Cooper, former chairman, 
Georgia Republican Party; Eric J. Tanenblatt, former Georgia State 
chairman for the George W. Bush Presidential campaign; and President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq.