[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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