[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 9 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Pages 323-327]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 Remarks at a Fundraiser for Representative Tom Latham
in Des Moines

 March 1, 2002

     Thank you very much. Please be seated. It's an unbelievable honor 
for a guy from Midland, Texas, to be back in Iowa. [Laughter] As I 
recall, it started here, and I want to thank you all. I want to thank 
you for your support, and I want to thank you for coming out to support 
Tom Latham. And I want to thank you for your support for the Iowa 
Republican Party. And I want to thank you for that warm welcome. It's an 
honor to be back in your great State.
    I too want to extend our most heartfelt sympathies to Katie Roth. As 
you know, Luke was--ran my campaign here in the primaries. I remember 
him as a joyous, fine, solid American. I talked to Katie the other day 
on the phone. I assured her the prayers of Iowa and Luke's friends are 
with her, and I know you join me, I hope, in praying for God's blessings 
on Katie and the family.
     Somebody said to me the other day, ``Do you plan on campaigning? 
You're the President of all the people.'' I said, ``Sure I am. When I 
find somebody good, I'm going to help them.'' And Tom Latham is a good, 
good United States Congressman.
     You bet I'm going to campaign. I'm going to campaign for a party 
that holds the values that I hold dear to my heart of heralding the 
individual and limiting the size and scope of Government, recognizing 
that all wisdom is not in Washington, DC, but is in local governments 
and individuals, recognizing that we must have a strong national defense 
to secure freedom. I am. I'm going to campaign. I want Denny Hastert to 
be the Speaker of the House, and I want Tom Latham returned to the 
United States Congress.
     And I want to thank you all for coming to help, and I appreciate 
your generosity. I also want to thank Kathy Latham for her patience and 
her support of Tom. And like me, Tom married above himself. [Laughter] 
Thank you for being here, Kathy.
     Speaking about marrying above myself, Laura is doing great. As you 
may remember, she was a public school librarian when I married her. She 
really wasn't interested in politics or politicians, and now she is a 
fabulous First Lady for the United States of America. She sends her 
greetings. I'm going to see her here in a while, and I look forward to 
telling her that I saw a lot of our friends in Iowa today at lunch.
     I also want to thank Elaine Chao. You know, one of the ways you 
judge a President is what kind of team does he put together. And as 
you've seen, I've put together a fabulous national security team, a team 
of experienced hands and people who are willing to express their 
opinion, willing to work for what's best for America. And I've also put 
together a great domestic team as well. And one of those members is 
Elaine Chao, who is the Secretary of Labor, and I want to thank you for 
coming, Elaine.
     I see the party chairman; Chuck, thank you for coming here. I got 
to know Larson on the campaign trail. Never did I realize he'd be 
elevated to such a high standing in life. [Laughter] But now that he is, 
I hear that he's doing a great job. So Mr. Chairman, thank you for 
taking on a leadership role. I love your enthusiasm, and I love your 
zest for life.
    I think Bob Ray is here. He set the standard for what it means to be 
a Governor. Terry Branstad I understand was going to be here, as well. 
If so, thanks for coming. There, Branstad, how are you? Hi, Bob. Thank 
you all for coming. It's good to see you both again. I know Mary Kramer 
told me she was coming, and I know the speaker is here and others from 
the State House. Mary, how are you? Again, thank you Speaker.
    I want to thank you all for being here. I was back--met some folks 
back there, and this tall giant walked through. He said, ``I used to mow 
down the Texas Rangers on a

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regular basis.'' And I said, ``You're not Cal Eldred, are you?'' He 
said, ``Yes, I am.'' I said, ``Well, I'm sorry to see you again.'' 
[Laughter] But I'm glad to see him here. Where are you, Cal? There he 
is. Thanks for coming, Cal. I appreciate your being here. I know you're 
sorry to be out of baseball, but Ranger fans are glad you are. 
[Laughter] At any rate, thank you all for coming.
    Let me tell you a couple things about Tom Latham that it's important 
for those who might be undecided to listen to. One, he's on the 
Appropriations Committee. That's important, to be on the Appropriations 
Committee. It requires somebody who has got a little extra--a little 
extra talent to be on that committee in the House of Representatives. It 
makes no sense for people in the congressional district in which he's 
seeking to replace somebody on the Appropriations Committee with 
somebody who's not. The Appropriations Committee is one of the most 
important committees there is in the United States Congress. And not 
only that, but he's got some accomplishments that I want to tout.
    One of them is--and this is an important issue that faces the future 
of America--he is a strong battler of illegal drugs. Methamphetamine, 
for example, has been a problem in the Midwest, a problem here in Iowa, 
and this good United States Congressman had the foresight and 
willingness to work to get a regional training center to fight 
methamphetamines. And I appreciate that very much, Tom, and so do the 
people of Iowa, and they've got to remember that when it gets ready to 
go into the polls.
    As you know, in Washington we've got a lot of talkers. And what you 
need to do is herald the doers, the people who can get things done. One 
of the interesting issues, as you know, that obviously faces Iowans--and 
I learned this firsthand, of course--is the agricultural economy here. 
The farm bill is working its way through, and Tommy Latham understands a 
couple of points that are important. One, we need a safety net, but we 
don't want to encourage overproduction. We want a wise farm policy, and 
part of that wise farm policy is to make sure that we open up markets 
for trade.
    The Iowa farmers are the best farmers in the world. And it makes 
sense if you're the best farmer in the world--if you're the best in the 
world, you want to be able to sell more, not sell less. And so when I 
was in China recently, I made it very clear to the Chinese officials 
with whom I met that they need to honor obligations and open up their 
markets, starting with soybeans from the United States of America. Those 
protectionist voices in Washington must not understand the Iowa farm 
community. The more product we sell, the better off it is for the Iowa 
farmer, and Tom Latham understands that.
    He also understands, and I understand, the importance of value-added 
processing when it comes to agricultural products. I told the good 
people in Iowa, when I campaigned here, I supported ethanol. I supported 
ethanol as the nominee of the party, I supported ethanol as a candidate, 
and I support ethanol as the President of the United States.
    But there are some other things we ought to do. We ought to do what 
Tom Latham has suggested and has done, which is to encourage more 
research and development between the Energy Department and the Ag 
Department, so that we can fully explore the potential of biomass. One 
thing you'll hear me talk a lot about is we need less dependency on 
foreign sources of energy. And there would be nothing better than to be 
able to grow our way out of that dependency. But it requires leadership, 
and Tom Latham has provided that leadership for the good of Iowa, as 
well as for the good for the Nation.
    And finally, an issue that he spends a lot of time thinking about 
and working on and talking to me about, is to make sure that there is 
equity for rural hospitals, particularly when it comes to Medicare 
reimbursements.
    My point to the people of Iowa is that this is an accomplished man 
and a smart man who has got the interest of his district in his heart. 
And it makes a lot of sense, if you care about the future of Iowa--
forget political party, if you care about the future of Iowa--to send 
this good man back to Washington, DC, come November.
    And one other thing I like about him is he understands that the 
budget I sent up to Washington, DC--up in Washington, that prioritizes 
our national defense, is the right priority for the country. We're 
defending freedom, and I sent a budget up there that

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says, we're going to set a priority for defending freedom. And the 
Congress ought to pass that budget. It ought to recognize that the price 
for defending freedom is high, but whatever it takes, we ought to spend 
because our freedom is precious and dear.
    This Nation has sent men and women who wear our uniform into battle 
to defend freedom, and they have performed brilliantly. But if we send 
them into battle, they deserve the best training, the best supplies, the 
best equipment. They deserve another pay raise. And Congress needs to 
fully fund the military and defense budget I sent up to both the Senate 
and the House because we're in for a long struggle. You know, I told the 
American people that this was a new kind of war. The enemy hit us. We've 
never been attacked like that before on the continental 48, and we 
realized that we're in a new era. And that's going to require patience 
of the American people, because we're chasing down a kind of a faceless 
enemy, an enemy who sends young men to die on suicide missions and they, 
themselves, try to hide in caves.
    But you need to know how determined I am to defend America and our 
freedom. It doesn't matter how deep the cave is. It doesn't matter where 
the cave is. We're going to find them. We're going to slowly but surely 
hunt them down and bring them to justice.
    In the course of this war, I laid out some doctrines that are pretty 
darn clear. One of them is, if you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a 
terrorist, if you provide aid or comfort to a terrorist, you are just as 
guilty as the terrorist. And the Taliban found out exactly what we 
meant.
    Our military took on a tough mission to uphold that doctrine, and it 
was a dangerous mission, and they performed brilliantly. We're not 
conquerors; we showed the world we're liberators. We liberated people 
from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of 
mankind. I cannot tell you how proud I was to see the joy on the faces 
of women and little girls in Afghanistan with the realization that this 
mighty Nation has freed them to realize their dreams.
    I also made it clear to the world that either you are with us, or 
you're against us, that either you're with the United States in 
defending freedom, or you're not with the United States in defending 
freedom. And a lot of people have heard that Nation, and they're proud 
to sign up with us. And we've got a vast coalition, as we're hunting 
down the Al Qaida.
    We've had over 1,000 arrests in places outside of Afghanistan. I 
mean, we're slowly but surely doing what we need to do to protect the 
homeland. And the coalition understands our determination, and they see 
our resolve.
    I'm proud of the patience of the American people. The American 
people recognize the new type of war we're in. They understand that 
sometimes they'll see the action of the United States Government and 
sometimes we won't. But they also understand we must be strong and 
diligent as we defend freedom, because that's what we defend.
    I made it clear that this is a war beyond just a single individual. 
One guy thinks he can hide, but he's not going to. We haven't heard much 
from him lately, by the way. [Laughter] But we fight terror wherever it 
exists. And this is for the good of our children. History has called us 
into action, and we must not and we will not blink. It's a chance to 
define freedom for future generations.
    I made it clear that a scenario which I will not let stand is one in 
which a terrorist organization could team up with a nation that has had 
a history of mistreating her people, a nontransparent nation perhaps, a 
nation that is known to be developing weapons of mass destruction. We 
cannot let, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, terrorist 
organizations team up with nations that want to develop weapons that can 
be delivered from long distances that will hurt ourselves, our friends, 
and our allies. We're not going to let the world's worst regimes develop 
the worst weapons and threaten the United States of America.
    We're doing everything at home to defend the homeland. We've got a 
good strategy in place. It starts, by the way, with having the best 
intelligence possible, gathering intelligence from all around the world, 
disseminating on a quick basis, and following every lead and every hint.
    If we get any kind of whiff that somebody is trying to do something 
to the American people, we're moving. We've got thousands

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of FBI agents whose major task, primary focus, is on preventing an 
attack. We're doing a much better job of coordinating with State and 
local authorities. We've got a national strategy in place to make our 
borders more secure, to make our Nation more responsive to a potential 
bioterrorist attack. I mean, we're making good progress, and our budget 
reflects that. But the best way to secure the homeland is to be 
relentless in our pursuit against terrorists, and that's exactly what's 
going to happen, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
    You know, I remember campaigning in Chicago, and somebody said, 
``Would you ever spend a deficit?'' And I said, ``Only if we're at war 
or we had a recession or there was a national emergency.'' Little did I 
realize we'd get the trifecta. [Laughter] It's going to be important for 
Congress to fund the priorities. But in order to make sure whatever 
deficit we have is short lived, they better hold the line on the rest of 
the budget. And that's why the President has the veto pen. It's 
important for there to be fiscal discipline in Washington, DC, right 
now.
    Our economy is, as you know, has been sputtering. And thankfully, 
the Congress, working with me, did a smart thing. Last March, we cut the 
taxes on the people who pay the bills in America. Actually, I think it 
took place a little later than March. Last year, we cut the taxes. It 
happened at the exact right time. You see, in order to stimulate 
economic vitality and growth, when we give people their own money back, 
it enhances demand, which causes more production, which creates job 
stability.
    Now, there are some in Washington that have been mumbling beneath 
their breath that maybe they think they want to prevent the rest of the 
tax relief package from going through. I do not know what economic 
textbook they're reading. One thing you don't do is raise taxes in the 
middle of a recession. In order to stimulate growth, you trust the 
American people with their own money, and that's what we did. I 
appreciate Latham's vote on that matter, and I'm going to hold the line 
when it comes to tax relief.
    And I can remember standing on farms in Iowa, standing by a 
generation of farmers, saying one of the worst things that can happen to 
the Iowa agricultural economy is the death tax. We need to get rid of 
the death tax, and I'm proud to report the death tax is on its way to 
extinction.
    I hope Congress gives me a trade bill so I can open up markets. I 
hope Congress gives me an energy bill so we become less dependent on 
foreign sources of crude oil and can conserve more energy. I hope 
Congress gives me a stimulus package that not only takes care of workers 
who lost their jobs but recognizes that people want more than an 
unemployment check; they want a permanent paycheck. And we need to 
stimulate economic activity by encouraging more plant and equipment, 
more investment in plant and equipment. The House has acted. The Senate 
has stalled. It's time to get some of these important measures to my 
desk so we can make progress in the country.
    I, like everybody else in America, was heartsick on 9/11. I mean, I 
can't tell you how sad I was, just like you, and then I got a little 
angry. And then I realized upon reflection that out of this evil was 
going to come some good, and it has. Out of this terrible evil, we have 
a chance to keep the peace for a long time coming, and we will. And out 
of this evil, this Nation has shown the world what a compassionate, kind 
place we are.
    I always used to say that one of my hopes was that this Nation's 
culture would shift from one that said, ``If it feels good, just go 
ahead and do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to 
a culture which says, ``Each of us are responsible for the decisions we 
make in life.'' Unbeknownst to the evildoers, I think they've helped 
accelerate that cultural change.
    I know millions of Americans are asking the question, ``What can I 
do to fight terror? What is it I can do to fight evil?'' And they're 
beginning to realize what I know, that in order to fight evil, do 
something good. In order to stand square in the face of evil, this good 
Nation, through the millions of acts of kindness that take place on a 
daily basis, stands opposite of evil. And as a result of neighbors 
looking after neighbors, of people caring for somebody in need, of 
somebody loving their neighbor like they'd like to be loved themselves, 
people understand there's a new responsibility to be had. Mothers and

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dads know that the most important job they will ever have is to love 
their children--is to love their children. Churches and synagogues and 
mosques, who have these fantastic neighborhood healing programs, need to 
be unleashed in America through the faith-based initiative that I have 
proposed. You see, Government shouldn't fear faith. We ought to welcome 
faith and the power of faith to change people's lives in a very positive 
way.
    You know, I was working the ropeline over there at the retirement 
plan ceremony, and I ran into a guy I met in Colfax, Iowa, from Teen 
Challenge. It was a fantastic experience during the course of the 
caucuses because it gave me a chance to explain to people what I meant 
when--how faith changes life. But I'll never forget the heroin addict 
from Chicago standing up and saying he was clean because a power greater 
than himself entered into his heart.
    These kinds of programs Government can't create. But these kind of 
programs exist in America because of the goodness of America. And this 
society is changing, as we unleash this compassion, as people understand 
that part of being responsible is not only responsible for your own 
family but responsible for loving a neighbor. And it's taking place in 
the country, and it's so powerful and positive, that leads me to say 
that out of this evil is going to come a stronger, more decent, more 
humble society.
    There's defining moments that take place in our history, and I think 
a defining moment was Flight 93, when people on an airplane, on cell 
phones, told their wives they loved them, said a prayer, and drove a 
plane into the ground to save somebody's life, to serve something 
greater than yourself. It's the ultimate testimony to the American 
character and the American spirit which defines this Nation for what it 
is, the greatest nation on the face of the Earth. And I am really proud 
to be its President.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 11:54 a.m. in the Des Moines Room at the 
Marriott Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Katie Roth, whose husband 
Luke Roth was the President's Iowa State campaign director; Kathy 
Latham, wife of Representative Latham; Chuck Larson, Jr., chairman, 
Republican Party of Iowa; former Iowa Governors Robert D. Ray and Terry 
Branstad; Mary Kramer, president, Iowa State Senate; Brent Siegrist, 
speaker, Iowa State House of Representatives; and Cal Eldred, former 
pitcher, Chicago White Sox. Representative Tom Latham is a candidate for 
reelection in Iowa's Fifth Congressional District.