    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [January 13, 2009]
    [Pages 1567-1570]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom
    January 13, 2009

        The President. Good afternoon to everybody, and thank you all for
    coming. We have assembled quite a distinguished crowd to honor three
    good friends: President Uribe, Prime
    Minister Howard, and Prime Minister
    Blair. Laura and I welcome
    you to the White House.
        You'll always be welcomed in our country. And we hope to have you
    come down and visit us in Texas. As you probably have heard, we're
    changing addresses here--[laughter]--in a little less than 7 days.
        We're delighted to have a lot of distinguished guests, people who
    have worked with you throughout your time in office; members of your
    family who are here, we're really glad you've come.
        I want to thank the Vice President, members
    of the Cabinet, and Members of the Congress who have joined us as well.
    We offer a special welcome to those who are personal friends of the
    honorees. I know they're as delighted to have you here as I am.
        In a few moments the military aide will read
    the citations for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is
    America's highest civil award. It is given in recognition of exemplary
    achievement and to convey the utmost esteem of the people and the
    President of the United States.
        In these 8 years, I have presented the Medal of Freedom to some of
    our most eminent citizens. On occasion, I have also had the honor of
    presenting it to citizens of other lands who inspired particular
    admiration in the United States and provided courageous leadership to
    our world. Among these recipients have been Vaclav Havel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nelson Mandela, and the
    late Pope John Paul II.
        This afternoon I am pleased to award the Medal of Freedom to
    three extraordinary leaders. We honor a sitting
    President and two former vice--Prime Ministers, each one of them a true
    friend of the United States who met historic challenges with great
    tenacity, and who provides a lasting example of statesmanship at home
    and abroad.
        The first day I met Tony Blair, almost
    exactly 8 years ago, he was in his second term as Prime Minister, and I
    was just starting out. After our first meeting, a reporter asked if we'd
    found anything in common, and I jokingly replied that we both used
    Colgate toothpaste. [Laughter]
        The truth is I did feel a close connection to Tony Blair. As I said after the first meeting, I knew that when
    either of us gets in a bind, there will be a friend on the other end of
    the phone. My friend was there, indeed, after America was attacked on
    September the 11th, 2001. And it just wasn't on the phone line. When I
    stood in the House Chamber to ask the civilized world to rally to
    freedom's cause, there in the gallery was the staunch friend, Prime
    Minister Tony Blair.
        He was there in a moment of trial to affirm
    the special relationship between the United States and the United
    Kingdom. And he was there to show America, and all nations, that he
    understood the stakes in the war on terror. As he said, ``Just as the
    terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it
    around an idea. And that idea is liberty.'' Under Tony Blair's
    leadership, the might and the moral authority of Great Britain have been
    applied to the war on terror from the first day. Our nations have worked
    proudly together to destroy terrorist havens, liberate millions, and
    help rising democracies to serve the aspirations of their people.
        Tony Blair's entire career is defined by his
    devotion to democratic values and human dignity. At his very center,
    this man believes in freedom: freedom from oppression, freedom from
    hunger, freedom from

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    disease, and freedom from fear and despair. In the House of Commons, as
    the longest serving Labour Prime Minister in history, he fought to lift
    up his nation's communities and better the lives of all its people. He
    helped turn generations of violence in Northern Ireland into years of
    peace. He drew the attention and conscience of the world to the
    suffering in Africa, and he continues to serve the cause of peace and
    democracy as the Quartet Envoy to the Middle East.
        Out of office but still in public life, Tony Blair remains on the world stage as a man of high intelligence
    and insight, and above all, as a man of faith and idealism and
    integrity. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will stand
    tall in history. And today the United States of America proudly honors
    its gallant friend Tony Blair.
        John Howard of Australia has spent a lot of
    years in politics. He's won some, and he's lost a few. There was even a
    time, two decades ago, when he thought his days of political leadership
    might be over. A comeback, he said, would be like ``Lazarus with a
    triple bypass.'' [Laughter] The man has got an unusual way of speaking.
    [Laughter]
        With his plain-spoken style and unpretentious manner, John
    Howard did make a comeback. He rose to his
    nation's highest elected office, won four straight elections, and served
    longer than all other Australian Prime Ministers but one. And all the
    while, John Howard retained his close connection with the people of his
    country. His time in office was marked by great national confidence and
    prosperity and rising global influence. He won the respect of leaders
    around the world for his commitment to free markets, cooperation, and
    the peaceful resolution of differences. He was a faithful steward of
    Australia's alliances and a sturdy friend in a time of need.
        At an event here in Washington, he reflected
    on the many tests that our two countries faced together in the 20th
    century. He spoke with feeling about our shared values, as well as our
    obligation to defend them, and ``if necessary fight for them, and be
    ready to repel those who would seek to take [our] freedoms away.''
        As it happens, John Howard spoke those words
    on Monday, September the 10th, 2001, and in all that followed, he proved
    true to his convictions. He always has been brave in the defense of
    freedom. In these 7 years, both our countries have lost innocent
    civilians and suffered casualties on the field of battle. But this man,
    who saw the burning Pentagon on September the 11th, and who confronted--
    comforted the survivors of Bali, never wavered in his commitment to
    overcoming this great danger to civilization. He never wavered in his
    support for liberty, and free institutions, and the rule of law as the
    true and hopeful alternatives to ideologies of violence and repression.
    He's a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can
    defend it, and he stands his ground. That's why I called him a man of
    steel.
        In the character of John Winston Howard we
    see that fine Australian spirit of ``standing by your mates.'' Our two
    countries, though half a world apart, have long enjoyed an easy and
    natural fellowship. And the 25th Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of
    Australia stands for all that Americans like and admire most about this
    wonderful country.
        So, Mr. Prime Minister, our friend, welcome
    to the White House and congratulations.
        National leaders sometimes take office without fully knowing all the
    tests that await them. But when Alvaro Uribe became the President of Colombia, the challenges were
    in full view. He knew exactly what he was getting into.
        For more than a generation, good and decent people across that
    country had lived at the mercy of brutal drug cartels and illegal, armed
    groups. A contagion of terrorist violence and killings and kidnapings
    had shaken the political system and caused

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    many Colombians to despair for their nation's future. Early in this
    decade, the Republic of Colombia was near the point of being, at best, a
    failed state, or at worst, a narco-state. In those conditions, it took
    more than ambition and ideals to run for political office; it required
    immense personal courage and strength of character.
        As a Presidential candidate in 2002, Alvaro Uribe pledged to his people greater security, a healthier
    democracy, and a better chance for prosperous lives. He was elected on a
    theme that expressed perfectly what the Colombian people desired in a
    President: ``Strong hand and big heart.''
        President Uribe's leadership has been
    resolute and uncompromising. Today, in Colombia, homicides are down 40
    percent, kidnapings are down more than 80 percent, terror attacks are
    down by more than 75 percent. The forces of violence are on the
    defensive, and the people are reclaiming their country.
        President Uribe's fellow citizens
    know him as someone who speaks forthrightly and follows through on his
    commitments. With his lifelong interest in public policy, he has a
    phenomenal grasp of the details of governing. At the same time, he has
    formed a powerful bond with his people. They've met their President in
    townhalls across the country. They've seen him deliver results. They
    like him, and they trust him. And they have made him the first Colombian
    leader in the modern era to win reelection.
        Lately, I've been asked to reflect on the most memorable events of
    my Presidency. Among those is a phone call I received several months ago
    from President Uribe. He called to say
    that a group of hostages, including
    three Americans,
    that had been held in captivity for 5 years, had been rescued and were
    alive and safe and sound. It was a joyful moment, Mr. President. And it
    was a credit to your leadership.
        For President Uribe, the great
    demands of office continue. Today the United States honors all
    Colombians by honoring the man they have chosen to lead them. By
    refusing to allow the land he loves to be destroyed by an enemy within,
    by proving that terror can be opposed and defeated, President Uribe has
    reawakened the hopes of his countrymen and shown a model of leadership
    to a watching world. Colombia remains a nation with challenges. But the
    future will always be bright in a country that produces such men as
    President Alvaro Uribe.
        Congratulations, mi amigo.
        Each of these
    gentlemen we honor today has his own style and
    personality, and each has amassed distinctions and achievements that
    belong to him alone. Yet all of them have shown a firm adherence to the
    principles of freedom and democratic values and a willingness to face
    problems squarely instead of passing them on to others. They're the sort
    of guys who look you in the eye and tell you the truth and keep their
    word. In lengthy service they proved to be leaders of character and
    fortitude. They are warm friends of the United States of America. The
    opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great
    satisfactions of my time as President. I respect them, and I admire
    them.
        And now I ask the military aide to read the
    citations, and it will be my honor to present the Presidential Medal of
    Freedom to Tony Blair, John Howard, Alvaro Uribe.

    [At this point, Lt. Cmdr. Clay Beers, USN, Navy Aide to the President,
    read the citations, and the President presented the medals.]

        The President. In honor of these
    distinguished gentlemen, Laura and I invite you to stay
    for a reception in the State Dining Room. Please enjoy yourselves, and
    thank you for joining us here at the White House.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:07 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to former President Vaclav Havel of
    the Czech Republic; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; former

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    President Nelson R. Mandela of South Africa; and Marc Gonsalves, Thomas
    Howes, and Keith Stansell, former hostages held by the Revolutionary
    Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.