    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 14, 2006]
    [Pages 2082-2083]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With the New Leaders of the Republican
    National Committee
    November 14, 2006

        I have just been meeting with the new team that's going to run the
    Republican
    National Committee. I am so proud my friend Mel Martinez, Senator from Florida,

    [[Page 2083]]

    is going to be the honorary [general]* chairman. My friend Mike
    Duncan from Kentucky is going to
    be the chairman. And Jo Ann Davidson is
    going to be the cochairman.
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        *White House correction.
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        I want to thank you all very much for agreeing to serve our party. I
    do want to say that Ken Mehlman did a
    whale of a job as the chairman of the Republican Party. It's been a joy
    working with you. I appreciate the fact that you went to neighborhoods
    where Republicans have never been to talk to people about our message of
    ownership and hope. And I wish you all the very best.
        One of the things I like to tell my friends about the Republican
    Party is that we're a party that really believes in entrepreneurship and
    small businesses and good-quality education and accountability. And Mel
    Martinez represents what I
    believe our party stands for, and that is, his parents put him on a
    plane to come to the United States from Cuba because they love freedom.
    That was Mel's first taste for the beauty of liberty and freedom. And he
    worked hard, started with little, and ended up being here, the United
    States Senator from Florida and the honorary chairman of our party. He's
    going to be an excellent spokesman for the Republican Party. He'll be a
    person who'll be able to carry our message as we go into an important
    year in 2008.
        And Duncan has been involved
    with grassroots politics for a long period of time. He comes from a
    Democrat State that is now a Republican State because he understands
    that you win votes by organizing and turning out the vote. And of
    course, Jo Ann has been around our party for
    years. And she brings a lot of stability and a lot of common sense.
        And so I do want to thank you three. I'm looking forward to working with you. I'm looking
    forward to reminding the people that we've got plans to keep the country
    secure and keep our prosperity strong. And once again, I want to thank
    you for your service.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks. A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of these remarks.