    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 9 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
    [Pages 308-312]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senatorial Candidate Elizabeth Dole and
    Congressional Candidate Robin Hayes in Charlotte

    February 27, 2002

        Thank you all very much. Please, be seated. Your salad might get
    cold. [Laughter] Thanks so much for that warm welcome.
        It's great to be back in the State of North Carolina. It just seems
    like I was here a couple of weeks ago--I was. [Laughter] I love coming
    to your State. The people here are wonderful and friendly. I love
    working the rope line at the airport when people say, ``Mr. President,
    I'm praying for you.'' I can't tell you how wonderful that makes me
    feel.
        I thank you for your support and your friendship. I thank you for
    getting ready to send a fabulous woman to the United States Senate named
    Elizabeth Dole. I appreciate all those who have come to contribute not
    only to Elizabeth but to my friend Robin Hayes's campaign, but also to
    the Republican Party of North Carolina.

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        Somebody said to me the other day--or, actually, asked me today, you
    know, am I going to campaign? ``Here we are in war. Do you think it's
    all right for the President to go campaign?'' I said, ``Yes, I do. I
    think it'd be a lot easier for me to accomplish what I want to
    accomplish with Denny Hastert as Speaker of the House of Representatives
    and with Trent Lott as majority leader of the United States Senate.''
        So I want to thank you all for coming to support two good candidates
    in the party. I also want to say, although Elizabeth is going to make a
    great United States Senator, it's been a joy to work with Jesse Helms.
    He's been a strong voice. And like--you know, Robin is smart enough to
    send his wife. [Laughter] I should have sent mine. [Laughter] What a
    fabulous job she's doing.
        You know, when I married her, she was a public school librarian,
    didn't particularly care for politics--truth be known, politicians.
    [Laughter] And now she has been in a position of such important
    responsibility, and she's handled her position with such calm and
    resolve. She's been a wonderful comforter, not only to me but to the
    country, and I'm so grateful for her and the sacrifices she has made.
        We're doing great, by the way. I've never felt stronger in my life.
    I think it's because my wife is so great. It's also because I happen to
    be the President of the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth, and
    this country is united and resolved.
        Another reason I feel confident in our ability to accomplish some
    important missions for the country is, I've assembled a great team. For
    those of you who have ever run a company or run an organization, you
    understand what I'm about to say--that you're only as good as your team.
    And my national security team is strong and capable and experienced, and
    so is my domestic policy team, with Tommy Thompson playing an integral
    role. And Tommy, I want to thank you for serving the country, and thank
    you for being a part of my Cabinet.
        We're here today to talk about welfare reform. You do a good job in
    Mecklenburg County about making sure that businesses are responsible
    citizens in the county and helping people help themselves by finding
    them work. And we understand that work is an integral part of any
    welfare reform, but we also understand that we've got to pass power out
    of Washington, DC, so the local folks can meet important goals and
    objectives. And speaking about local folks who we trust, you've got a
    fine mayor. We appreciate the mayor of Charlotte, and we appreciate his
    leadership.
        And I also want to thank Sue Myrick. She is a fine Member of the
    United States Congress. Every other word is ``Charlotte'' when I'm
    around her. [Laughter] She did a great job as mayor.
        And speaking about that, Robin Hayes--he needs to go back to
    Washington, DC. He needs to be reelected for the good of North Carolina,
    North Carolina workers, and North Carolina businessowners.
        And I want to thank you, Barbara, for representing him. We've got--
    Barbaras have a sweet spot in our heart in the Bush family. And you did
    a fine job. I completely understand why Robin is not here. He wants to
    be working on behalf of the North Carolina people, which is what he has
    done every time I've met with him. He's one of the best grassroots
    politicians I've ever met. He's the kind of fellow that, when you're
    driving through the district, he says, ``There's old Joe over there. He
    owns that business. And there's this fellow over there. I got to know
    him when I went to shake hands with him.''
        He also stood strong for the textile industry. When it became clear
    that there was going to be some trade negotiations going on, he said,
    ``I want to make sure textiles are not dealt out of the mix this time.''
    And because of his leadership, textiles have not been dealt out of the
    mix.
        The Secretary of Commerce was in your State the other day and made
    it clear that when it comes to trade, we're for fair trade for U.S.
    products. And I want to thank Robin for his leadership. And the North
    Carolina people ought to be thanking him for his leadership, as well.
        And I can't wait to work with Elizabeth Dole. It's important this
    State send her to Washington, DC. It's important that you have somebody
    in Washington that when she calls over to the White House, they answer
    the phone. [Laughter] She's been a long-time

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    friend. I trust her judgment. I know the integrity she'll bring to the
    office.
        I've been so impressed about how hard she is working. It's so easy
    to come into a State and take things for granted. That's not Elizabeth
    Dole's style. She is going to out-work anybody who's running for the
    United States Senate because she loves the State of North Carolina.
    She's always loved North Carolina, and she's going to represent you with
    class and dignity in the United States Senate.
        And we've got an important agenda in Washington. We're defending our
    country. You know, the enemy attacked us thinking we were soft, thinking
    our culture was corrupt, thinking we'd just kind of roll over and say,
    ``Well, you know, okay, fine. We'll figure out if we can sue them.''
    [Laughter] Man, did they make a mistake. They found a nation that's
    resolved. They have found out that we will defend freedom. They
    understand now that this Nation is slow to anger, but when angered, we
    will chase them down, and we'll bring them to justice.
        I'm so proud of the United States military. For those of you who've
    got relatives in the military--I met one young wife whose husband was in
    the 101st--I want to thank you all for your sacrifice to our country, as
    well. And the budget I've submitted to the United States Congress
    clearly reflects the need to defend our country. It is the largest
    defense increase since Ronald Reagan was President of the United States.
    It says this: that if we put our troops in harm's way, if we ask young
    men and women to defend America, our allies, and our freedom, they must
    have the best equipment, the best training, and the best pay possible.
        We have put together a mighty coalition of freedom-loving nations,
    nations all resolved to rout out terror wherever it may exist. It's
    going to require our Nation to be steadfast and strong in order to make
    sure that coalition stays focused. And it's easy for a nation, for a
    leadership, to assume that position when we've got a nation that is
    resolved and patient and determined.
        I'm proud of the military, and I'm equally as proud of the people of
    the United States of America. We understand what is at stake. We
    understand our freedoms are now being challenged. We understand that
    civilization itself is under attack, and we will not relent. We stand
    strong in the face of the evil ones, and we will be victorious, make no
    mistake about it.
        The American people understand it's going to take time to accomplish
    our objective. We're just in the first theater in the war against
    terror. We were able to uphold a new doctrine which said, if you harbor
    a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you try to hide a terrorist,
    you, yourself, are just as guilty as the terrorist. The Taliban, one of
    the most repressive governments in the history of the world, has found
    out what we meant when we said, ``We will hold you accountable for
    harboring terrorists.''
        Our military, they're not conquerors; they're liberators. We
    liberated women and children from the clutches of one of the most
    barbaric regimes in the history of mankind, and I'm so proud of the
    accomplishment in Afghanistan.
        And our troops are still in harm's way. We're now in a dangerous
    phase in accomplishing our objectives. After all, we're chasing down
    people who, on the one hand, send young boys to their death in the name
    of religion and, on the other hand, hide in caves. But there's no cave
    deep enough. They can't hide long enough, because I'm patient, and so is
    the United States military. We will take however long it takes to hunt
    them down and to bring them to justice. And that's exactly what they
    deserve, the justice of a freedom-loving nation, a justice of a nation
    which will defend herself at all costs. The price of freedom is
    expensive, but we'll pay the price necessary to defend our freedoms.
        But history has called us into something larger than just one
    organization. We must defend ourselves and, more importantly, our
    children and our children's children against future terrorist attacks.
    And so the cause goes way beyond one person or one country. Our cause is
    to rout out terror wherever it hides, is to rally a coalition and insist
    upon results, insist that we bring terrorists to justice.
        It also recognizes a nightmare scenario, a scenario which recognizes
    that great harm could come to freedom-loving nations if we ever allow a
    terrorist organization to hook up

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    or become an alliance with a transparent nation which develops weapons
    of mass destruction. We cannot allow some of the world's worst leaders
    to develop the world's worst weapons, to hold America and our friends
    hostage. This administration will rout out terror wherever it exists and
    will hold people accountable if they harbor a terrorist or made up a
    terrorist or threaten the United States with terrorist weapons.
    [Applause] Thank you. Thank you all. Sit down.
        My most important job is to protect innocent Americans. The best
    homeland defense is to pursue terrorists overseas. The best way to
    secure the homeland for the long run is to be successful. In the
    meantime, however, I found a good man, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom
    Ridge, who I've known for a long time, a friend of Tommy's and mine, to
    set up a national strategy to defend the homeland. We've got a first-
    responder initiative that's strong, that basically will rally police and
    fire departments at the local level to respond if there ever is a
    problem.
        We're strengthening the Coast Guard to make our coasts more secure.
    We're going to make sure our borders are secure by understanding who's
    coming in and who's going out of the United States of America. We're
    doing everything in our power to rally the resources of law enforcement
    and intelligence communities to protect the American people. I'm proud
    of the efforts of the law enforcement level--at the Federal and State
    and local level. They will stay on alert so long as there is a threat to
    the United States of America.
        And we've got a job to do at home, as well. You know, I was
    campaigning in Chicago, and somebody asked me, ``Is there ever any time
    where the budget might have to go into deficit?'' I said, ``Only if we
    were at war or had a national emergency or were in recession.''
    [Laughter] Little did I realize we'd get the trifecta. [Laughter] But
    we're fine.
        You know, I campaigned on tax relief because I knew it was the right
    thing to do. It became even more apparent it was the right thing to do
    when our economy started slowing down, before I got sworn in as
    President. Tax relief, fortunately for the American economy, passed the
    United States Congress. By giving people more of their own money to
    spend, it'll help invigorate the economy.
        Now, there are some in Washington who say, ``Well, maybe we ought
    not to have tax relief. Maybe you ought to create uncertainty about the
    tax relief plan.'' Forget it. That's not going to happen. Tax relief for
    the American people happened at the right time. It was the right thing
    to do, and I stand strongly in support of giving people their own money
    back.
        And for the good of a lot of people in North Carolina, in
    particular, the North Carolina farmers and ranchers, we put the death
    tax on its way to extinction. And you'll hear them screaming about the
    budget up there. But if they're worried about the budget, what they need
    to do is fund the priorities I've sent up there--national defense,
    homeland security, education--and then hold the line on spending
    everywhere else, and we'll be just fine.
        And speaking about education, I'm proud that we passed a good bill,
    really good education bill. I know it shocked you, and I can guarantee
    it shocked the people in Crawford, Texas, to hear me say nice things
    about Ted Kennedy. [Laughter] He deserved nice things said about him in
    this case because he got the bill unstuck in the United States Senate.
    It is a bill which says the Republican Party understands that we've got
    to educate every child, that no child should be left behind, that we
    strongly believe in accountability in our public school systems, that we
    believe that poor children can read and write and add and subtract, that
    we insist that there be local control of schools, and we understand that
    reading is the new civil right for every child in America. This party
    now stands squarely with the children of America, to say that everybody
    ought to be educated, and we support our public schools, and we think
    they can do a better job, and the Federal role, while needed, is
    limited.
        I was proud of the bipartisan spirit. We need more bipartisanship in
    Washington, DC. We need less people worried about their own personal
    political careers and more people focused on what's best for the United
    States of America.
        You know, I was very impressed today by what I saw on the job
    training program. It

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    really reinforces in my mind that the best initiatives are always those
    that kind of spring out of the hearts of people who really care more
    about their communities than anybody in a distant Government could
    possibly care. And it reminds me of what I try to tell people when they
    say, ``What can I do to help America? What can I do to help fight in the
    war against terror?'' Well, if you're not wearing a uniform, I've got a
    suggestion for you: Love your neighbor like you'd like to be loved
    yourself. It's kind of a universal admonition. It doesn't pertain to one
    religion or another, but it's pretty good advice, it seems like to me.
    Because if you're worried about fighting evil, one way to do so is to do
    some good. One way this Nation can stand up to forces of evil is through
    the gathering momentum of millions of acts of kindness which take place
    every day, not because of Government but because a loving citizen has
    said to him or herself, ``What can I do to help? What can I do to make
    my community a better place?''
        Every time somebody in America walks next door to see a shut-in and
    says, ``I care about you,'' that's part of the momentum of kindness that
    I was talking about. If you mentor a child and say to that child, ``I
    love you,'' teach a child how to read, you really are standing in the
    face of terror and evil.
        Now, the great strength of the country is really not in the halls in
    Washington; it's in the hearts and souls of the people of North Carolina
    and Texas and every other State in the Union. And my job is to capture
    the spirit of this country and to rally the strength, to stand tall in
    the face of evil. And there's no doubt we can do this in this Nation.
        I believe that we're on the verge of changing a culture that will
    have lasting benefits. Not only do I believe that what we pursue
    overseas will make the world more peaceful for generations to come, I
    believe that what's taking place in America today could make America a
    more compassionate and kind place for years to come, as well.
        A lot of us grew up during a time when the culture said, ``If it
    feels good, just go ahead and do it, and if you've got a problem, blame
    somebody else.'' I believe this Nation is on the cusp of welcoming in a
    period of personal responsibility, a responsibility era, an era which
    says each of us are responsible for the decisions we make in life. And
    that starts with moms and dads understanding their most important job is
    to love their children with all their heart and all their soul. It also
    means, in a period of responsibility, that we love a neighbor like we'd
    like to be loved ourselves.
        Personal responsibility extends to the corporate world as well, by
    the way. Corporate America has got the responsibility to disclose all
    assets and liabilities for shareholders and employees. It's also got a
    responsibility to treat the employees with respect and help. It's like
    the corporate responsibility I saw today when corporate Charlotte was
    working to help people find jobs and find work, understanding that in
    work they find dignity.
        Now, I absolutely believe that America is going to make some right
    choices in life. And those choices collectively will help change the
    culture, and we'll be better off for it. The enemy hit us. They thought
    we were weak and soft. Instead, they found a nation that is strong and
    determined, but a nation, as well, that is compassionate and decent, a
    nation that will defend the values of freedom, but a nation that will
    also make sure the doors of hope and justice and opportunity are open to
    every person who's fortunate enough to be called an American.
        Thank you for coming. May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:28 p.m. in the James Richardson Ball
    Room at the Charlotte Convention Center. In his remarks, he referred to
    Mayor Patrick McCrory of Charlotte; and Barbara Hayes, wife of
    Representative Robin Hayes. Representative Hayes is a candidate for
    reelection in North Carolina's Eighth Congressional District.