[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.