    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [October 27, 2008]
    [Pages 1342-1344]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring President Theodore Roosevelt's 150th Birthday
    October 27, 2008

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Okay, don't be seated. Thank you
    all very much. Job, thank you for the
    fantastic performance. John Milton Cooper, we appreciate you reading. I had an interesting piece of
    history dropped on me tonight by Mrs. Cooper.
    They met on Capitol Hill when she was an intern for Senator Prescott S.

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    Bush, father of President 41, grandfather
    of President 43. And we welcome you both here. Thank you for coming.
        And of course, it's good to see President Roosevelt. [Laughter] Oftentimes people ask me, ``Do you ever see
    any of the ghosts of your predecessors here in the White House?'' I
    said, ``No, I quit drinking.'' [Laughter] But we just saw one.
        Members of the Cabinet, thank you for coming. Former Governor of
    North Dakota, now the Secretary of
    Agriculture, is with us. That last song must have made you feel pretty
    good, Governor.
        I'm proud to be here with Congressman Pete King. Thanks for coming, Congressman. I appreciate you and your
    wife coming. The Roosevelt family--members of
    the Roosevelt family are here tonight. We welcome you back to the White
    House. Distinguished guests, Laura and I are
    thrilled that you came to celebrate the 150th birthday of one of the
    greatest statesmen in our Nation's history, Theodore Roosevelt. I call
    him Theodore. [Laughter] Occasionally, call him T.R. [Laughter]
        We remember many of our Presidents as leaders made for a unique
    moment in our history. President Roosevelt, as John said, was a man for all seasons. He was a soldier who won
    the Medal of Honor, a peacemaker who won the Nobel Prize. He was one of
    the world's most daring big game hunters and a leading advocate for
    conservation of our country's natural resources. He was an intellectual
    who sometimes read several books a day, as John mentioned. And he
    wrestled here at the White House.
        He was a man who felt at home on a sprawling ranch in the West. He
    believed in the importance of a strenuous life of exercise. I can relate
    to that. President Roosevelt also was an advocate for simplifying
    spelling in America. During his Presidency, one Member of Congress said
    that President Roosevelt's efforts would create confusion and discord in
    the English language. I can relate to that. [Laughter]
        Nearly 100 years after his Presidency, Theodore Roosevelt's legacy
    still endures here at the White House. Laura gave
    you an account of the legacy that still endures. He endures in the West
    Wing as well. Right across the door of the Oval Office is what was his
    former office, known as the Roosevelt Room. Above the fireplace hangs a
    portrait of the 26th President on horseback during the Spanish-American
    War. That portrait is a reminder. When I look at it I think about the
    character and courage that is necessary for any President. For the past
    8 years, his legacy has been an inspiration to me. It will be an
    inspiration to the person who replaces me, and it will be an inspiration
    for all Presidents to come.
        We thank you for joining us. And please now join us for a reception
    in the State Dining Room. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:05 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to entertainer Job Christenson; John
    Milton Cooper, Jr., professor of history, University of Wisconsin-
    Madison, and his wife Judith; Rosemary King, wife of Rep. Peter King;
    and Theodore Roosevelt impersonator Joseph Wiegand. The transcript
    released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks
    of the First Lady.

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