    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [August 11, 2003]
    [Pages 994-999]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Dinner in Denver, Colorado
    August 11, 2003

        The President. Thank you all very much. I appreciate you coming.
    Thanks for the warm welcome. There is nothing like heading west.

    [[Page 995]]

        I spent a little time on our ranch in Crawford--get to see more cows
    than I do the press corps. [Laughter] Seems like the cows are handling
    the heat a little better too. [Laughter]
        But I want to thank you all very much for your help. I appreciate
    your strong support. I want to thank all those who made this fundraiser
    a record-setting fundraiser. I appreciate what you're doing. You're
    laying the foundation for what is going to be a great victory in
    November of '04.
        I'm here to not only thank you; I'm here to tell you I'm going to
    need your support in energizing the grassroots of the great State of
    Colorado. I need your help in putting up signs. I need you to make the
    phone calls. I need you to mail the letters. I need you to remind people
    of this State--Republican, Democrat, independent, don't care--that our
    message is one that is hopeful for every single citizen who lives in
    this State.
        I'm loosening up. I'm getting ready--[laughter]--cutting a lot of
    cedar--[laughter]--running a lot of miles, getting ready for the
    contest. But the political season will come in its own time. For me, now
    is not the time for politics. You see, I've got a job to do. I'm staying
    focused on the people's business. I'm doing what you expect me to do in
    Washington, DC, and I'll continue to work to earn the confidence of
    every American by keeping this Nation secure and strong and prosperous
    and free.
        I want to thank my friend the Governor of the
    great State of Colorado. He is--he's done a fabulous job as your
    Governor. He does what he says he's going to do, which is nice, to have
    somebody in public office--[laughter]--who says something and means it.
    And like me, he married above himself. I'm honored to be here with the
    First Lady of the State of Colorado as well.
        I just called Laura and said that I'm fixing
    to go see a lot of our friends from the State of Colorado. I said,
    ``How's--what's it like down there?'' She said, ``It's only 103.''
    [Laughter] I said, ``Well, if that's the case, it feels like winter
    here.'' [Laughter]
        I can't tell you how great it is to be married to such a fine woman
    as Laura Bush. She is a great First Lady for our
    country.
        I appreciate the two Senators from the State of Colorado. Senator
    Wayne Allard, who's--turns out to be my State
    cochair, along with working with the Governor
    here. He's a great Senator, and so is Ben Nighthorse Campbell. I'm going to tell you, it's important to put
    this man back into the United States Senate. And if you've got a little
    something left in the wallet after tonight--[laughter]--and looking for
    a good man to help, somebody who can use your help, it's Senator Ben
    Nighthorse Campbell. He's a fine representative of the great State of
    Colorado, and I'm proud to call him friend.
        Two members of the U.S. congressional delegation are with us. First,
    Bob Beauprez; Congressman Beauprez, thank you
    for coming. We didn't exactly landslide them last time--[laughter]--but
    neither did I. [Laughter] I know you're back home working hard in your
    district to tell the people of that district they made the right choice
    in putting Bob Beauprez in the U.S. Congress. He's a fine man. And I
    appreciate Tom Tancredo being here as well.
    Thank you, Congressman, for coming. I'm honored you're here.
        I want to thank the Lieutenant Governor, Jane Norton, for being here tonight. I want to thank the
    treasurer for the great State of Colorado, Mike Coffman, for being here tonight. I appreciate the president of
    the State senate and the speaker of the house, Senator John
    Andrews and Lola Spradley, for coming as well. Governor, I know it's a pretty good
    deal to be working with a Republican speaker and a senate leader. I kind
    of like it myself. [Laughter]
        I want to thank very much our party chairman, Ted Halaby. I want to thank Bruce Benson for
    putting this event on and for being the finance chairman. I want to

    [[Page 996]]

    thank all those who helped raise the money. I thank my friend Mercer
    Reynolds, who is the national finance
    chairman. But most of all, I want to thank you all for your friendship,
    for your prayers, for your support, for getting ready to get to work on
    behalf of this reelection campaign.
        You know, in the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively
    to confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems,
    not to pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. I came
    to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. We are meeting
    the tests of our time.
        Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is
    what they got. We've captured or killed many of the leaders of Al Qaida,
    and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan and Iraq,
    we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and
    those regimes are no more. Fifty million people--50 million people--in
    those two countries once lived under tyranny, and now they live in
    freedom. And the world is better off for it.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the
    resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. We increased
    the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today,
    no one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the
    spirit of the United States military.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. Then
    the attacks happened on our country, and scandals in corporate America,
    as well as the war--it all affected the people's confidence. People
    began to lose confidence, but we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold
    corporate criminals to account.
        To get the economy going, I have twice led the United States
    Congress to pass historic tax relief for the American people. Here's
    what I believe, and here's what we know, that when Americans have more
    take-home money to spend or to save, to invest, the whole economy begins
    to grow, and people are more likely to find a job. And I understand
    whose money we spend in Washington, DC. It is not the Government's money
    we spend in Washington; it is the people's money.
        Now we're returning more money to the American people to help them
    raise their families, reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to
    encourage investment. We're giving small businesses proper incentives to
    encourage them to expand and to hire new people. With all these actions,
    we're laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs across
    America so every one of our citizens can realize the great promise of
    our country.
        I want you to remember, 2\1/2\ years ago there was a lot of talk
    about education reform, but there wasn't much action in Washington, DC.
    So I called for and our Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act.
    With a solid bipartisan majority, we delivered the most dramatic
    education reforms in a generation.
        We're bringing high standards and strong accountability measures to
    every public school in America. See, we believe every child can learn
    the basics of reading and math. And we expect every school to teach the
    basics of reading and math. I am challenging the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. The days of excuse-making are over. In return for Federal
    money, we expect results so that not one single child in America is left
    behind.
        We've done a lot in 2\1/2\ years. We reorganized the Government and
    created the Department of Homeland Security to better strengthen our
    borders to protect the American people. We passed trade promotion
    authority to open up new markets for Colorado's entrepreneurs and
    farmers and ranchers. We passed budget agreements that helps maintain
    spending discipline in Washington, DC. On issue after issue, I want you
    to remind the skeptics and the undecideds that this administration has
    acted on principle, has kept its word,

    [[Page 997]]

    and has made progress on behalf of all the American people.
        Of course, we didn't do this alone. A lot of the credit goes to
    Members of the United States Congress. We've got a fabulous Speaker of
    the House, Denny Hastert, a great majority
    leader of the United States Senate, Bill Frist. I
    appreciate so very much working with them and the folks from the great
    State of Colorado.
        And the difference now in Washington is, is that we're focusing on
    results, not process. We're working to change the tone in Washington so
    we can get the people's business done. And by the way, those are the
    kind of people I've asked to serve in my administration. I put together
    a strong team to work on behalf of the American people.
        Our country has had no finer Vice President than Dick
    Cheney. Mother may have
    a second opinion. [Laughter]
        Audience member. I agree with you. [Laughter]
        The President. Thank you.
        In 2\1/2\ years, we have come far, but you know, we're only just
    beginning. We've great goals worthy of this great Nation. The job of the
    President is to set our sights high. A great nation requires great
    goals.
        And here are the goals I've set: First, America is committed to
    expanding the realm of freedom and peace for our own security and for
    the benefit of the world; and secondly, in our own country, we must work
    for a society of prosperity and compassion so that every citizen--every
    single citizen--has a chance to work and to succeed and realize the
    American Dream.
        It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
    actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home; it is freedom's
    defender. And this Nation welcomes this charge of history, and we are
    keeping this charge of history. The war on terror continues. See, the
    enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. This country will
    not rest. We will not tire, and we will not stop until this danger to
    civilization is removed.
        Yet, our national interest involves more than eliminating aggressive
    threats to our safety. Our greatest security comes from the advance of
    human liberty, because free nations do not support terror. Free nations
    do not attack their neighbors. Free nations do not develop weapons of
    mass terror. Our country believes that freedom is the deepest need and
    hope of every human heart. And we believe that freedom is the right of
    every person. And we believe that freedom is the future of every single
    nation.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. When we see
    disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On
    the continent of Africa, this great Nation is committed to bringing the
    healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children who
    are now suffering with AIDS. This great land, this land for which I am
    so proud, is leading the world in the incredibly important work of human
    rescue.
        We face big challenges abroad, and we won't shirk from those
    challenges. And we face big challenges here at home. I will continue to
    work on our economy. I'll continue to make sure the entrepreneurial
    spirit is strong. I will continue to try to lay the conditions for
    capital formation, so that anybody who wants to work and can't find a
    job today will be able to do so.
        I will continue to work to make sure we meet our commitments to
    America's seniors by modernizing Medicare. A few weeks ago, the United
    States Congress took historic action to improve the lives of older
    Americans. I want you to remember this: For the first time--first time--
    since the creation of Medicare, the House and Senate have passed reforms
    to modernize the system, to give seniors more choices, and to provide
    coverage for prescription drugs for our seniors. The next step is for
    both bodies to iron out their differences and to

    [[Page 998]]

    get a bill to my desk so I can sign it on behalf of the elderly of the
    United States of America. We have a solemn obligation, an obligation
    which I will continue to call upon the Congress to keep.
        For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
    frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine all across our
    country. I fully understand that people who have been harmed by a bad
    doctor deserve their day in court. Yet, the system should not reward
    lawyers who are simply fishing for rich settlements. Because frivolous
    lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they affect the Federal
    budget. They affect the Medicare budget, the Medicaid budget, the
    veterans budgets. I view medical liability reform as a national issue
    which requires a national solution. The House of Representatives passed
    a good bill to reform medical liability. It's stuck in the Senate. The
    Senate must act. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We
    need medical liability reform now.
        I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men
    and women to the Federal bench, people who interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. Yet, some Members of the United States Senate
    are trying to keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-down
    votes. Every judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down
    vote on the Senate floor. It is time for some of the Members of the
    United States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.
        The Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan.
    Our Nation has got to promote energy conservation and efficiency and
    develop cleaner technology so we can explore in more environmentally
    sensitive areas. Yet, for the sake of our economic security and for the
    sake of our national security, we must be less dependent on foreign
    sources of energy.
        Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate
    nation. I will continue to advance the agenda of compassionate
    conservatism, which really means applying the best and most innovative
    ideas to helping our fellow citizens who hurt and who are in need.
        See, there are still millions of men and women in this land who want
    the independence and dignity that come from work. We must build on the
    success of welfare reform to bring work to the lives of more of our
    fellow citizens. Congress ought to complete the ``Citizen Service Act''
    so more Americans can serve their community and their country. Both
    Houses should finally reach agreement on the Faith-Based Initiative to
    support the armies of compassion that are mentoring our children and
    caring for the homeless, healing hearts, and helping the addicted.
        A compassionate society must also be a society which promotes
    opportunity for all, including the independence and dignity that come
    from ownership. This administration will constantly strive to promote an
    ownership society in America. We want more people to own their homes.
    I'm troubled by the fact we have a minority homeownership gap in
    America, and I put forth policies--constructive, smart policies to
    encourage more homeownership all across America.
        We want people to own and manage their own health care plan. We want
    people to own and manage their own retirement accounts. We want the
    entrepreneurial spirit to be strong in America so that people feel
    confident in investing in their own small business.
        Now, I understand an ownership society is one in which people have
    more hope for the future. In a compassionate society, people respect one
    another, and they take responsibility for the decisions they make in
    life. We're changing the culture of America, slowly but surely, from one
    that has said, ``If it feels good, just go ahead and do it,'' and ``If
    you've got a problem,

    [[Page 999]]

    blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us understands that
    we are responsible for the decisions we make in life.
        If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or father, you're
    responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul.
    If you're concerned about the quality of the education in the community
    in which you live, you're responsible for doing something about it. If
    you happen to be a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for
    telling the truth to your employees and your shareholders. And in the
    new responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
    neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
        We can see that culture of respect, the culture of change and
    service growing around us here in America today. You know, I started
    what they call the USA Freedom Corps. It's an opportunity for Americans
    to help neighbors in need, and the response has been fantastic. Got
    people signing up for all kinds of ways to help in their community, and
    I'm grateful.
        Our faith-based charities are strong, and they're vibrant, which is
    important to bring hope to those who hurt. Our policemen and
    firefighters and people who wear our Nation's uniform are reminding us
    what it means to sacrifice for something greater than themselves in
    life--sacrifice for peace, sacrifice for freedom, sacrifice for safe
    streets. And once again, the children of America believe in heroes
    because they see them every day in America.
        In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the
    courage of America. I've been privileged to see the compassion and the
    character of the American people. The tests of the last 2\1/2\ years
    have come to the right nation. We're a strong country, and we use that
    strength to defend the peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in
    ourselves and in ideals bigger than ourselves. Abroad, we seek to lift
    up whole nations by spreading freedom. And at home, we seek to lift up
    lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of our country. This is
    the work that history has set before us, and we welcome it. And we know
    that for our country and for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
        Thank you for coming. May God bless. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:44 p.m. at Wings Over the Rockies Air and
    Space Museum. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado
    and his wife, Frances; Ted Halaby, chairman, and Bruce Benson, former
    chairman, Colorado Republican Party; and Mercer Reynolds, national
    finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.