    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [November 3, 2003]
    [Pages 1456-1461]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Birmingham, Alabama
    November 3, 2003

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. I told
    Shelby I wanted a short introduction. [Laughter] He delivered.
    [Laughter] Thanks for coming. I'm thrilled to be back in the great State
    of Alabama. I do have a lot of friends here, and I appreciate your
    friendship, and I appreciate your support. What we're doing here is
    laying the foundation for what is going to be a great national victory
    in 2004.
        And I'm getting ready for it. [Laughter] I'm loosening up.
    [Laughter] But I want you to know that politics will come in its own
    time. As my strong supporters, you've got to know that I know I've got a
    job to do. And so when you start laying the grassroots organization and
    you go to your coffee shops and your houses of worship and your farm
    implementation dealership, you tell them the President is doing the job.
    He's doing the job for every single American. I will keep America strong
    and secure and prosperous and free.
        My regret is that Laura didn't come. A lot of
    people are----
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. Yes, I'm sure it is. [Laughter] She said, ``Mine,
    too.'' [Laughter] She understands you drew the short straw. [Laughter]
    For the people in Mobile who are here, thank you for coming up. But you
    drew the long straw, and Laura had a fabulous
    visit down to Mobile, Alabama. But she sends her best. I've got to tell
    you, I'm really proud of her. She is a fabulous wife, a great mother,
    and a wonderful First Lady.
        I want to thank Richard and
    Annette for their friendship. Shelby is a
    good man, and he told me, he said, ``I'm going to make sure this
    fundraiser is successful.'' I know here we're talking about our election
    campaign, but it's very important you send Senator Shelby back to the
    United States Senate. And I also like your other Senator a lot, Senator
    Jeff Sessions. He's doing a fabulous job for
    Alabama.
        I'm proud to be here with my friend the Governor of Alabama, Bob
    Riley. I appreciate Governor Riley coming. I'm
    also honored to be with many members of the Alabama congressional
    delegation: Jo Bonner and Terry Everett and Mike Rogers and
    Robert Aderholt and Spencer Bachus. I want to thank all of them for coming.
        And I want you all to know who came up here with Robert's mother,
    that I know where Winston County, Alabama, is--[laughter]--mobile homes
    and Republicans. [Laughter]
        I appreciate so very much Attorney General Bill Pryor. I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the national finance
    chairman for Bush-Cheney. He's an entrepreneur, like many of you all
    are. He is taking time out of his life to help us gather the resources
    necessary to run a vibrant campaign, and I appreciate his help. And I
    want to thank Mike Thompson. Mike is

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    our State finance chairman here in Alabama, and obviously he has done,
    along with many others, a fabulous job of organizing this fundraiser.
        I want to thank Marty Connors and Edgar
    Welden and Bettye Fine Collins, all of whom are very much involved in grassroots
    politics here in Alabama. I'm going to be counting on you. I'm going to
    be counting on you to put up the signs and to send out the letters and
    counting on you to get this grassroots organization alive and well here.
    We can't win this without your help.
        I want to thank you for--all of you who are involved in grassroots
    politics. I want to thank the local officials and the State officials
    who are here. I want to thank the mayors who are here.
        I had the honor of meeting Johnny Spann,
    whose son, Mike, was one of the first
    casualties in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Our prayers are with the
    Spann family. I want to thank Johnny for his spirit and his strength,
    and I want to thank Mike for giving his life for a cause greater than
    himself.
        And finally, I want to thank Dr. Charles Durham, the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
    Tuscaloosa. I'm not surprised that Shelby
    made sure that the pastor here was from Tuscaloosa. [Laughter]
        Most of all, I want to thank you all for coming.
        In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to
    confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems,
    instead of passing them on to future Presidents and future generations.
    I came to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. My
    administration is 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 key leaders of Al
    Qaida network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In
    Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
    regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million
    people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and today, they
    live in freedom.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the
    resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased
    the defense budgets 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. And
    then our country was attacked. And we had scandals in corporate America,
    and we marched to war, all of which affected the people's confidence.
    But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to
    account. And to get the economy going again, I have twice led the United
    States Congress to pass historic tax relief for the American people.
        We know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, to
    save, or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more likely to
    find a job. So we're passing money back to the people to help them raise
    their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to
    encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand
    and to hire new people. With all these actions, we're laying the
    foundation for greater economic prosperity and jobs across America so
    every single person in this country can realize the American Dream.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education
    reform, but there wasn't much action. So I called for and the Congress
    passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan majority,
    we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a generation. We
    insist upon high standards and accountability in every public school in
    America because we believe every child can learn. We are challenging the
    soft bigotry of low expectations. In return for increased Federal money,
    we

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    expect results. We want to see results. The days of excuse-making are
    over. We expect results because we don't want one single child in
    America left behind.
        We've reorganized our Government and created the Department of
    Homeland Security to better safeguard our borders and ports and to
    better protect the American people. We passed trade promotion authority
    to open new markets for Alabama's farmers and entrepreneurs and
    manufacturers. We passed budget agreements to help maintain a much
    needed spending discipline in Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this
    administration has acted on principle, has kept its word, and has made
    progress for the American people.
        And the Congress has shared in these great achievements. I've got a
    great relationship with Denny Hastert, the
    Speaker of the House, and Bill Frist, the
    majority leader, as I do with the Alabama Senators and congressional
    delegation. They deserve a lot of credit. We're working hard to change
    the tone in Washington. And the truth of the matter is, there's just too
    much needless politics up there. We're focusing on the people's
    business, focusing on results.
        And those are the kind of people I've attracted to my
    administration. I've put together a superb team on behalf of the
    American people, starting with a Birmingham soul, Condi Rice, who is doing a fabulous job. Our country has had
    no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney.
    Mother may have a different opinion. [Laughter]
        We've done a lot in 2\1/2\ years. We've come far. But our work is
    only beginning. I have set great goals worthy of a great nation. First,
    America is committed to expanding the realm of freedom and peace for our
    own security and for the benefit of the world. And second, in our own
    country, we must work for a society of prosperity and compassion so that
    every citizen has a chance to work and succeed and to realize the great
    promise--the great promise--of America.
        It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
    actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home and freedom's
    defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are keeping it.
         Our war on terror continues. And the enemies of freedom are not
    idle, and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will not tire;
    we will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. We are
    confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam
    holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw Iraq
    into chaos by attacking our forces and aid workers and innocent Iraqi
    citizens. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq will be a major
    defeat for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to
    shake the will of America. We will not be intimidated.
        We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we will not have to face them in our own country. We're calling
    other nations to help Iraq to build a free country, which will make us
    all more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume
    more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These are not
    easy tasks, but they're essential tasks for the security of the United
    States and for the peace of the world. We will finish what we have
    begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
        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.
    Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of every
    human heart. And I believe that freedom is the right of every person,
    and I believe that freedom is the future of every nation.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we
    see disease and starvation

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    and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On the continent of Africa,
    America is now committed to bringing the healing power, the healing
    power of medicine to millions of men and women and children now
    suffering with AIDS. This great land is leading the world in this
    incredibly important work of human rescue.
        We face challenges here at home as well, and our actions will prove
    that we're equal to those challenges. I just spent some time at
    CraneWorks, a successful small business here in Alabama. I went there to
    deliver this message as clearly as I could: So long as anybody in our
    country is looking for work and can't find a job, I know we have a
    problem. My job as the President is to continue to create an environment
    for small businesses to grow to be big businesses, an environment that
    rewards the entrepreneurial spirit.
        We have a duty to keep our commitments to America's seniors by
    strengthening and modernizing Medicare. The Congress has taken historic
    action. The House acted and the Senate acted to improve the lives of
    older Americans. For the first time since the creation of Medicare, the
    Congress is passing reforms to increase choices for our seniors and to
    provide coverage for prescription drugs. Those two bodies need to iron
    out their differences and to modernize the Medicare system. We owe it to
    our seniors and we owe it to those of us who are going to be seniors to
    have a modern Medicare system.
        For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
    frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. People who have
    been harmed by a bad doc deserve their day in court. Yet the system
    should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich settlement.
    Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, and they therefore
    affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue
    which requires a national solution. The House of Representatives passed
    a good bill. It is stuck in the United States Senate. Senators must
    realize that no one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
        I have a responsibility as the 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 courts, people who will interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. I have nominated really good, honest people
    like Bill Pryor. Bill Pryor will make a fantastic
    judge on the court of appeals. Because of a small group of Senators who
    are willfully obstructing the process, some of my nominees, like Bill,
    have had to wait months, in some cases, even years, for an up-or-down
    vote. But needless to say, delays in the system are harming the
    administration of justice. They are deeply unfair to the nominees
    themselves. It is time for some 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 must promote energy efficiency. We must work to increase
    conservation. We must develop cleaner technology to explore for supplies
    of energy at home in environmentally friendly ways. But for the sake of
    our economic security and for the sake of our national security, we must
    become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate
    nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate
    conservatism, which means we'll apply the most innovative and effective
    ideas to the task of helping our fellow citizens in need. There are
    still millions of men and women who want to end their dependence on
    Government and become independent through hard work. We must build on
    the success of welfare reform to bring work and dignity into the lives
    of more of our citizens.
        Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that more
    Americans can serve their communities and their country. Both Houses
    should reach agreement on

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    my Faith-Based Initiative to support the armies of compassion that are
    mentoring children and caring for the homeless and offering hope to the
    addicted. This Nation of ours--[applause]--Government should welcome the
    great work that comes out of our Christian houses and Jewish temples and
    Muslim institutions. We must not fear faith in our society. We must
    welcome faith and welcome the armies of compassion who are healing
    hearts and helping change America one soul at a time.
        A compassionate society must provide--promote opportunity for all,
    and that includes the independence and dignity that come from ownership.
    This administration will constantly promote an ownership society in
    America. We want more people owning their home. We've got
    homeownership--a minority homeownership gap in America. I've submitted a
    plan to Congress to close that gap.
        We want more people owning their own health care plans and managing
    their own health care plans. We want people to manage and own their own
    retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own small
    business. We understand that when a person owns something, he or she has
    a vital stake in the future of America.
        In a compassionate society, people respect one another, respect
    their points of view, and they take responsibility for the decisions
    they make. The culture of America is changing from one that has said,
    ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame
    somebody else,'' to a new culture in which each of us understands we are
    responsible for the decisions we make in life. If you are fortunate
    enough to be a mom or a dad, you're responsible for loving your child
    with all your heart. If you are concerned about the quality of the
    education in the community in which you live, you're responsible for
    doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're
    responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your
    employees.
        And in this new responsibility society, each of us is responsible
    for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. We
    can see the culture of service and responsibility growing around us. I
    started what's called the USA Freedom Corps. If you're interested, you
    can go right on the computer and look it up. It's a chance to encourage
    people to extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need, and the
    response has been strong. America is a giving country. The heart and
    soul of the American people is really the strength of our country.
        Policemen and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's uniform
    are reminding us what it means to sacrifice for something greater than
    yourself. Once again, the children of America believe in heroes because
    they see them every day.
        In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the
    courage of America. And I have been privileged to see the compassion and
    the character of the American people. All 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 whole nations by spreading freedom. At home, we seek to
    lift up lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of America. This
    is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it, and we know
    that for our country, the best days lie ahead.
        God bless. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at noon at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. In
    his remarks, he referred to Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama and his
    wife, Annette; Mercer Reynolds, national finance chairman, and Mike
    Thompson, Alabama State finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Marty
    Connors, chairman, Alabama Republican Party; W. Edgar Welden, Sr.,
    Alabama national committeeman, and Bettye Fine Collins, Alabama national
    committeewoman, Republican

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    National Committee; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.