    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [December 6, 2008]
    [Pages 1422-1423]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Union League of Philadelphia's Unveiling of the
    President's Portrait in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    December 6, 2008

        Good morning. Welcome to my hanging. [Laughter] Thank you for
    coming, and thank you for your warm welcome.
        First, I'd like to compliment Mark Carder.
    He did a really fine job with a challenging subject. [Laughter] I was
    taken aback by how much gray paint you had to use--[laughter]--which
    speaks more about my job than yours. [Laughter] But thanks a lot. It's
    been a joy to work with you, and I'm confident this portrait will stand
    the test of time.
        I want to thank Fred and
    Frank for welcoming me here. I thank you for
    the medal. I'm keeping pretty good company, which I will speak about in
    a minute.
        First of all, I do want to thank the board of directors of the Union
    League for taking time out of your Saturday to be here. And I appreciate
    all the guests who have come as well.
        I particularly want to say thanks to my friend Arlen
    Specter for joining us, and he--[applause].
    It's been a joy working with you, most of the time. [Laughter] He's a
    pretty independent-minded fellow--[laughter]--who is honest and decent.
    And like me, he married very well. So Joan,
    thanks for being here, and I appreciate you supporting this good man
    during some very difficult times.
        I thank the Hoopers for paying for this work. I thank Jim Straw and the Abraham Lincoln Foundation and the foundation
    members who are here today. I appreciate you preserving the legacy of a
    good man.
        I am--it turns out, this award had been given to folks I have had
    the honor of serving with: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld, Secretary Tom Ridge--three
    good men who are dedicated and patriot public servants.
        I'm especially proud to be a co-recipient with a guy I call
    41, the 1987 Gold Medal Award winner, the
    guy I call dad; you call him President Bush. We owe our achievements to
    the same savvy political counselor and firm disciplinarian,
    Barbara. [Laughter] And they're both doing
    well, by the way. Mother is coming out of the hospital. I hope they
    don't put this on TV, but she's a tough old bird--[laughter]--whose
    spirits are soaring high.

    [[Page 1423]]

        The motto of the Union League is ``Love of Country Leads.'' You
    obviously love our country, because you continue to lead in ways that
    make Philadelphia a more compassionate place, and I want to thank you
    for that. I appreciate the fact that you have mentoring programs and
    internships and scholarships, that basically says the dream is for all
    who live in this country. I thank you for your efforts to preserve
    historical treasures. One can learn a lot from the past, and the Union
    League is doing its part to tell the true story of our great Nation.
        In short, I thank you for your service to your community and our
    country.
        I also thank you for preserving the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. I'm
    about to be a member of the ex-Presidents' club, so I'll just call him
    Abe. [Laughter] If he were around I could say, ``You call me W.''
    [Laughter] He--I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a place
    in the Oval Office where the President puts the most influential
    President--portrait of, I guess you'd say, influential President. I'm
    somewhat conflicted about the influential President, so I say, 41's
    portrait hangs in my heart, 16 hangs on the wall.
        I found it interesting that the League was founded in 1862 to
    support President Lincoln in a time when his leadership was deeply
    controversial. [Laughter] Look, I know how he felt. [Laughter]
        But the principles on which he stood have stood the test of time.
    ``All men are created equal under God,'' he said unflinchingly
    throughout his Presidency. Liberty is given to every man, woman, and
    child on the face of the Earth. I believe, like Lincoln, there is an
    Almighty, and a gift of that Almighty to every man is freedom. He has
    taught Presidents that you must act on your principles and make tough
    decisions, regardless of the political consequences.
        I have been a--I have drawn strength from his example. I have
    learned lessons by reading about Abraham Lincoln. And I want to thank
    you for preserving his legacy.
        And most importantly, I thank you for your kind words and your
    heartfelt prayers during the last 8 years. It has been--somebody said,
    ``What's it's like to be President?'' I said, ``Some days you're happy,
    some days not so happy, every day joyous to serve the United States.''
        God bless you, and God bless our country.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. in Lincoln Hall at the Union
    League of Philadelphia. In his remarks, he referred to painter Mark
    Carder; Frederick C. Haab, Jr., president, Union League of Philadelphia;
    Frank Giordano, member, and James B. Straw, chairman, board of trustees,
    Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia; Bruce
    and Eileen Hooper, commissioners of the President's portrait; former
    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld; and former Secretary of
    Homeland Security Thomas J. Ridge.