[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 9 (Monday, March 5, 2001)]
[Pages 373-374]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Question-and-Answer Session at Lakewood Elementary School in North 
Little Rock, Arkansas

March 1, 2001

    The President. Anybody got any questions for me?

President's Goals

    Student. When our kids grow up and read about your Presidency in 
history books, what do you hope they'll read?
    The President. Well, I hope they read that our country, our 
politicians are able to discuss differences in a civil way; that there's 
not a lot of anger in the political process; that you and I might 
disagree, but we can respect each other when we disagree. So I hope I've 
been able to help change the tone in Washington so people respect each 
other. I hope the reading test scores are the best in the world. I hope 
the world is at peace. I hope that boys and girls who dreamed about 
owning their own business will be able to do so in America, continue to 
do so. I hope that our Nation is one in which people who have dreams--
regardless of where you're raised, whether you can speak English, 
whether your parents speak English as a first language or not, no matter 
what neighborhood you're from--will realize those dreams are possible if 
you make the right choices in life. So that's my ambitions for the 
country.

Decision To Run for President

    Student. What made you run for President?
    The President. Well, I thought I could do a better job than anybody 
else that was running for President. I was concerned about a country 
that was becoming too bitter at times. I'm concerned that the American 
Dream, the idea that you can be--have a dream and work hard to achieve 
it might not have--is bright for everybody in America, as I hoped. I'm 
worried that the education system in some places isn't working, 
concerned about a military that--the morale in the military wasn't high 
enough. I think we need to have a strong military to keep the peace. So 
I had some reasons for running, and now I'm working to achieve them.
    One of the reasons I've come to your school is to be able to talk 
about education. I'm also talking about a budget plan. One of the things 
a President does is submit a budget to Congress--``here's where we ought 
to spend money, here's where we ought to''--and if you have any money 
left over, I'm arguing we ought to give it back to the people who pay 
taxes, like the teacher right here.
    Now, one other thing my wife is going to do, by the way, is she's 
going to go around the country encouraging people such as yourself to 
think about being a teacher when you get older. There's nothing more 
important than being a teacher. So as you start to think about your 
ambitions and your possible careers when you get out of college, think 
about being a teacher. It's a very important profession.

The White House

    Student. What is it like being President and living in the White 
House?
    The President. It's a big honor. It's a big honor, as I'm sure you 
can imagine. It's a very exciting job. The White House is a majestic 
place. It's like a museum in many ways, and we're, of course, now 
turning parts of the White House into our home. And Laura and I are the 
proud parents of 19-year-old twin daughters, but they go to college so 
we don't see much of them anymore. But we do have two dogs and a cat 
living with us.

[[Page 374]]

And so all five of us are adjusting to our new home. But it's an honor.
    And I hope some day you'll come up to Washington and tour the White 
House, and you'll get to see where we live. It's a big honor.

Sam Houston Elementary School

    Student. What school did you go to when you were our age?
    The President. Sam Houston Elementary School in Midland, Texas. I 
was raised--you know where Texas is, of course. Most people in Arkansas 
know where Texas is, and all the people in Texas know where Arkansas is. 
Anyway, it's the State right south of here. But I lived in the western 
part of the State. Many people in Arkansas have got kinfolks generally 
in east Texas, and I lived out in west Texas, that's where I lived. And 
so I went to a place called Sam Houston Elementary School.
    And I had no idea when I was your age that I would run for President 
of the United States. I, frankly, thought that what I wanted to be at 
the time is, I wanted to be a baseball player just like a guy named 
Willie Mays. He was my favorite player growing up. Then I realized I 
wasn't a very good hitter, so I wasn't going to be like Willie Mays.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 8:58 a.m. in classroom 15. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.