    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [July 1, 2004]
    [Pages 1221-1222]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1221]]

    Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for John C. Danforth as United States Representative to the United Nations
    July 1, 2004

        The President. Please be seated. Good afternoon. It's an honor to
    welcome Jack and Sally Danforth and their
    wonderful family to the White House. I want to thank Justice
    Thomas and Ginny, Deputy Secretary Armitage, and all the other distinguished guests for joining us here
    today.
        In his remarkable career, Jack Danforth has been called Attorney
    General, Senator, Special Counsel, Special Envoy, and Reverend.
    [Laughter] He's been called ``Saint Jack.'' It's a little beyond my
    power to confer. [Laughter] Today I am very proud to name this good man
    and superb public servant America's next Ambassador to the United
    Nations.
        As our Ambassador, Jack Danforth will succeed a good man with an
    important new mission. On Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador John
    Negroponte presented his credentials to
    President al-Yawr as America's first
    Ambassador to Iraq since 1990. We appreciate his continuing service to
    our country.
        For his own new assignment, Jack Danforth is exceptionally well-
    prepared. During his years on Capitol Hill, he earned the admiration of
    colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Jack is a man of strong
    convictions, unquestioned integrity, and great decency. He is a man of
    calm and judicious temperament who goes about his work with deliberation
    and a good will that draws others to his cause. These qualities were
    evident during his 18 years as Missouri's United States Senator and
    during his recent assignment in the Sudan. I'm confident that his good
    judgment and wisdom will serve America well at the United Nations.
        Jack Danforth now heads to New York at a critical time, when the
    United States and the United Nations are facing new tests. We are called
    to defend the peace against ruthless terrorist networks and against
    outlaw regimes that support and shelter them. We are called to preserve
    the peace by building good relations among the great powers. We're
    called to extend the peace by replacing poverty and repression and
    resentment around the world, especially in the broader Middle East.
    America is determined to lead all in these great objectives.
        Yet, no nation can achieve them alone. Global challenges must be
    answered by active, effective, multilateral institutions. So we're
    working with many nations on the Proliferation Security Initiative, for
    example, to interdict dangerous weapons and materials in transit. We're
    helping to transform the NATO Alliance, which is now acting beyond
    Europe, bringing security to Afghanistan and soon providing training
    assistance for Iraqi security forces. And we're challenging the United
    Nations to rise to its responsibilities in a changing world.
        The U.N. must fulfill its mission of peace by holding outlaw states
    to account, by aiding the rise of stable democracies, and by encouraging
    development and hope as alternatives to stagnation and bitterness. The
    U.N. is serving these great purposes in many different places. In Iraq,
    the U.N. is helping that newly sovereign nation to prepare for free and
    fair elections and will help to draft a new constitution. From Africa to
    the Caribbean, the U.N. is helping to turn societies away from old
    conflicts,

    [[Page 1222]]

    to overcome persistent poverty, to fight AIDS and other diseases.
        America supports all these efforts, and we know that more will be
    necessary. So I'm sending Jack Danforth to the U.N. with a clear
    mandate. America will work closely with the United Nations to confront
    terror and to fight the suffering and despair that terrorists exploit.
    In all our work at the U.N., Ambassador John C. Danforth will be a
    strong voice for the humane and decent conscience of America.
        One of Jack's many virtues is an eye for talent. Three decades ago,
    in Jefferson City, he took a chance on a promising lawyer from Pinpoint,
    Georgia. Since then, Attorney General Danforth has moved on to some
    other impressive jobs, and so has his young assistant. Today it is my
    honor to ask Justice Clarence Thomas to
    swear in Jack Danforth as the Representative of the United States to the
    United Nations.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:40 p.m. in Room 450 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to
    Sally Danforth, wife of Ambassador Danforth; and Virginia Thomas, wife
    of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The transcript released by the
    Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Ambassador
    Danforth.