    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 6, 2005]
    [Pages 1527-1529]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Tribute to National Review Magazine and William F. Buckley,
    Jr.
    October 6, 2005

        Thanks. I'm here to escort William F. Buckley, Jr., to lunch.
    [Laughter] But first I've got some things I want to say. It's a honor to
    celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Review and soon to be the
    80th birthday of our honoree. You probably think this is a--the Yale
    Scholars Association meeting. [Laughter] Actually, Bill Buckley did have
    an influence on me when I followed him at Yale. You might remember one
    of his famous quotes was that, ``The job of conservatives was to stand
    athwart history, yelling, `Stop.' ''
    That's the approach I took to most of my classes. [Laughter]
        I also do want to throw a little bouquet to him and let him know
    that all I've learned about the English language--[laughter]--at any
    rate, it's good to welcome the Buckley family. Thank you all

    [[Page 1528]]

    for coming. It's such an honor to have you all here. You've got a great
    family, and you're a family of public service and a family that has
    stood strong for what you believe, without wavering. I appreciate Dr.
    Kissinger and Dusty Rhodes and Ed Capano as
    well. It's good to see you all.
        The interesting thing about Bill Buckley's career is he's a--
    obviously, not idle. He likes to do a lot of different things. He was an
    author, an editor, a spy, a novelist, a sailor, and a conductor. The
    most important thing he did was to contribute to the realm of ideas for
    America. He was an entrepreneur. He kind of gathered up some dreamers
    and decided to do something. A lot of times dreamers don't do anything;
    they just sit there and dream. He decided to do something, and he formed
    a magazine that helped move conservatism from the margins of American
    society into the Oval Office. That's a significant contribution.
        The amazing thing is, is that sometimes it's hard to be a leader
    because you hear all kinds of voices. He's certainly heard different
    voices when he formed the National Review. He had an eclectic group of
    people. That's a Yale word. [Laughter] He had voices that included ex-
    communists who knew better than most the threat posed to America by the
    Soviet Union. He had voices such as free marketers who knew that markets
    could deliver better results than bureaucracies. He had voices from the
    traditionalists who understood that a Government by--of and by and for
    the people could not stand unless it stood on moral ground. They all
    different--represented a different strand of conservative thought. Yet,
    when they came together under the conductor's baton, they made beautiful
    music. Congratulations for being a leader.
        I'm sure it's hard for some of the youngsters--unfortunately, that
    doesn't include me anymore--[laughter]--to imagine the day when the only
    conservative game in Washington, DC, was Bill Buckley and the National
    Review. And today, we've got, of course, an abundance of conservative
    columnists and radio hosts and television shows and think tanks and all
    kinds of organizations. I guess in an intellectual sense, you could say
    these are all Bill's children. And like children, they grow up and go
    their own way. But I'm confident that the faithful advocates of the free
    enterprise system, like those at the National Review, regard the
    competition they have created as a good thing. I certainly hope so.
        It's hard to believe that in 1955, the Soviet Union was in full
    power, that Ronald Reagan was a Democrat, and the truth of the matter
    is, Bill, I was more interested in Willie Mays than I was in you.
    [Laughter] But a lot has changed in a brief period of time, when you
    think about it. Many of the more important changes of the 20th century
    happened because the National Review stood strong, and that's a fact--
    that's a fact of history.
        I'm glad to know that the people of National Review aren't resting
    on their laurels. A sign of a good leader is somebody who can lay the
    foundation so that people are able to carry on. I think that's going to
    be a legacy of Bill Buckley. He just didn't show up and create something
    that cratered; he created something that stood the test of time and
    grew.
        The people of the National Review are determined to leave their mark
    on this new century, and we appreciate it. You got a lot of readers here
    in the West Wing. My admonition is to keep thinking, to keep writing,
    and keep working.
        I found another Buckley quote interesting--when he wrote, with
    characteristic modesty, that did National Review not exist, no one would
    have invented it. [Laughter] I think it's more accurate to say that only
    Bill Buckley could have invented National Review. And that's a
    tremendous influence on American life that can be explained only by its
    unwavering trust and appeal of human freedom--this great understanding
    of the power of freedom to change societies and to lift up people's
    lives.

    [[Page 1529]]

        It is an honor to be here to thank you for your service. I want to
    thank you for leaving us a magazine and a group of thinkers that will
    help make the advance of liberty over the last 50 years look like a
    dress rehearsal for the next 50 years.
        May God bless the Buckley family. Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:40 a.m. in Room 450 of the Eisenhower
    Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to former
    Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger; and Thomas L. ``Dusty'' Rhodes,
    president, board chairman, and chief executive officer, and Edward A.
    Capano, publisher and chief executive officer, National Review.