    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 15 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
    [Pages 602-607]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at a Republican Luncheon in Greenwich, Connecticut

    April 9, 2002

        Thank you for that warm welcome. It's nice to be back in the State
    in which I was born. I was running for Congress one time, and they
    accused me of not being able to represent the people of west Texas
    because I was born in Connecticut. And I said, ``Heck, I just wanted to
    be close to my mother on that day.'' [Laughter]
        I know I've got a lot of people here are friends of Mother and
    Dad's. I just want you to know they're doing great, and so am I, and so
    is my wife. I'm sorry Laura couldn't be with us today. She went to the
    Queen Mother's funeral in London, and she's flying back tonight. But let
    me just tell you, for somebody who is a public school librarian, who
    wasn't all that thrilled about politics and all that in love with
    politicians, she's made a fabulous First Lady; she really has. She's
    brought a lot of comfort to the Nation when we needed to be comforted,
    and she brings a quiet dignity that I'm most proud of.
        I also want to thank my friend Johnny Rowland. I'm here because I
    want the people of Connecticut to reelect Johnny. He's done a heck of a
    job as your Governor. And you get a good Lieutenant Governor with him as
    well. I appreciate Lieutenant Governor

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    Jodi Rell* for being here. Thank you very much. It's great to see you
    again. Lieutenant Governor Rell and I spent some quality time
    campaigning together, and I found her to be a very bright, very
    accomplished soul. It's great to see you again, Jodi.*
        * White House correction.
        And I'm also here because I want Denny Hastert to be the Speaker of
    the House. It is important that we elect Republicans from Connecticut to
    support Denny Hastert.
        I remember one time, right after--in the fall, people said, ``Well,
    do you plan on campaigning?'' I said, ``Yes, I plan on campaigning.'' It
    is in my interest to campaign for good candidates, because I think it's
    in the Nation's interest that we have people like Chris Shays and Nancy
    Johnson and Rob Simmons represent the good people of Connecticut in
    Washington, DC.
        I appreciate Shays. [Laughter] Sometimes, he appreciates me.
    [Laughter] But I enjoy working with him because he's a man of deep
    compassion. He cares deeply about the human condition, and so does his
    wife, Betsi. And it's been an honor to call them friends, and I
    appreciate you all very much.
        I want to thank Charlie Glazer, the event chairman, longtime friend.
    I appreciate your tireless work. And I want to thank those who represent
    the grassroots of the Connecticut party. Oftentimes, those of us in
    public office only focus on one aspect of politics. But I like to remind
    people that it takes the good folks dialing the phones and mailing the
    mail, holding those signs up--at least the ones that say nice things on
    them. [Laughter] They're the ones who really oftentimes don't get the
    credit. And so for those of you who have toiled in the vineyards on
    behalf of candidates such as me and those on the stage, thanks from the
    bottom of our heart. And thank you all for helping the party, which
    helps Johnny, and helping the two candidates who have got serious
    challenges.
        First, on Johnny. The way we like to put it in Texas is, he's the
    kind of fellow that does in office what he said he would do. I can't
    tell you how important it is to have people who hold office who deliver.
    And one of the jobs of a Governor is to help restore faith in the
    political process of a particular State. And the best way to defeat
    cynicism is to accomplish things on behalf of everybody, is to rise
    above the traditional noise that tends to dominate the political scene
    and perform. And that's what Johnny has done. He said he would cut
    taxes, and he did. He said he would reduce those taxes which inhibited
    growth in the State of Connecticut, and he did. And as a result, the
    economy here has been vibrant and exciting, thanks to Johnny's
    leadership.
        Listen, he understands what I understand: Governments don't create
    wealth--we know that--but governments need to create an environment in
    which people are willing to risk capital, in which the entrepreneur can
    flourish. That's what's happening in Connecticut, thanks to Johnny
    Rowland's leadership.
        I gave a speech the other day on the importance of making sure that
    children learn how to read early in life, so that when they start
    kindergarten, there's not this huge learning gap that takes place in
    America. Johnny figured that out way before my speech. He figured out
    preschool education was important before a lot of other people knew it
    was important. And I appreciate Johnny's efforts on focusing the State
    of Connecticut and his budget on preschool programs as well as spending
    billions of dollars to make sure class sizes are smaller in the State of
    Connecticut.
        Listen, we passed historic education reform in Washington, DC. And
    thanks to the Members on the stage and both Republicans and Democrats
    working together, finally, in Washington, we were able to pass a
    meaningful piece of legislation, part of which is to not only hold
    people to high standards and to expect the best out of every child, but
    part of it is we're going to trust the Governors and local people to
    figure out the path to excellence. And it gives me great confidence in
    supporting such a bill, knowing that Johnny Rowland is the Governor of
    the State of Connecticut.
        Serious crime has dropped by 15.7 percent in the State of
    Connecticut since Johnny's been the Governor. His record speaks for
    itself, and I'm confident the State will be wise enough to send Johnny
    back to the statehouse for another term. I certainly hope so, because
    he's a good man.
        And Nancy Johnson's got a race. And surely the people of her
    congressional district are

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    going to be wise enough to send this good soul back to Washington, DC,
    because she is a good soul. She's the dean of the delegation. She's a
    leader in the Republican Party. She has got enormous respect on both
    sides of the aisle, and that's important. If you're a person who goes to
    Washington to get something done, you've got to have the respect on both
    sides of the aisle, and Nancy Johnson does. She is--she has been in the
    Oval Office more than one time with steady counsel and good advice, and
    she's not afraid to give it. [Laughter]
        She is a leading authority on health care and retirement security.
    If I've heard her say one time, I've heard her say 50 times, ``Let's
    work together to get a plan to make sure our seniors have got
    prescription drug coverage.'' I agree with Nancy. We need to work
    together to achieve some important national objectives.
        Nancy is a builder. She's a good, steady soul. She is working on
    pension reform, and she proudly stood with me when it came time to cut
    the taxes. And I want you to know we cut the taxes right at the right
    time. She understands that when you give people their money back or let
    them keep their own money in the first place, it increases demand. And
    when you increase demand, somebody is going to supply something for you.
    And when they supply that good or service, it means jobs. Cutting taxes,
    which I understand was unpopular on some of the opinion pages around
    America, was the exact right thing to do, and I want to thank Nancy and
    Rob and Chris for their support.
        And we sent the death tax on its way. We're getting rid of that
    death tax. But unfortunately, there is a quirk in the law that means
    that the repeal of the death tax is not permanent. It's hard for me to
    explain why you eliminate the death tax, and all of a sudden it's able
    to come back to life. [Laughter] That's Washington. [Laughter]
        We need to make the tax cuts permanent, and the three Members from
    the United States Congress understand that the repeal of the death tax
    is an important part of letting people realize the American Dream. And
    we've got small-business owners all over the country who've worked all
    their life, who want to leave their business to their heirs, to a son or
    a daughter, and can't do so because of the death tax.
        Listen, getting rid of the death tax was great for farmers and
    ranchers. It's good to--it's a good policy if you're worried about urban
    sprawl, so they can keep the farmland in their families for generations.
    And we need to make it permanent. We need to make sure that the good
    work we did doesn't change because of a quirk in how Washington works.
    So the three Members up here are going to be important to make sure that
    the repeal of the death tax is forever, and that will be good for the
    country.
        And I appreciate Rob Simmons. He and I showed up about the same time
    in Washington. [Laughter] And he is doing a fine, fine job. He's
    respected. When he speaks, people listen to what he has to say. As you
    know, he has had a lifetime of service to the country. He worked for the
    CIA after he served in the Army. He worked on the Senate staff. He's in
    the State legislature. He's worked hard, very hard, at every position
    he's held. And he's been a very fine Member of the United States
    Congress. He cares deeply about our veterans. He's a member of the
    Committee of Veteran Affairs. He knows our country owes a lot to the
    people who have worn the uniform. He's also on the Armed Services
    Committee. The Armed Services Committee is important for the State of
    Connecticut. It's important to have his voice heard on behalf of not
    only Connecticut, of course, but the entire Nation. But I'm confident
    he'd tell you things about Connecticut first. [Laughter] And the people
    of his district will be doing the State of Connecticut a very important
    service to send him back to Washington, DC, as well.
        I have mentioned a couple of the issues that we've worked on,
    education and tax relief. But there's a lot to do in Washington. We need
    an energy policy, an energy policy on the one hand that enhances
    conservation, that unleashes the technology of the country to enable our
    cars to run cleaner, our plants to burn cleaner. But we need to explore
    more, too. We need to be less dependent on foreign sources of crude oil.
    This was made pretty clear the other day when Saddam Hussein stands up
    and announces he's going to try to organize an oil boycott. You

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    know my opinion about Saddam. [Laughter] The world's not going to follow
    him. But it just goes to show how important it is to diversify our
    supply away from places like Iraq.
        We need to have trade promotion authority passed for the good of
    American workers. I need to be able to negotiate trade agreements with
    countries all around the world. That bill passed the House, just like
    the energy bill. It stalled in the Senate.
        Nothing seems to be moving out of the Senate these days. A faith-
    based initiative passed the House. It is now sponsored by Joe Lieberman
    of Connecticut. It's stalled in the Senate.
        We've got a lot of work to do in Washington, DC, and I appreciate
    these House Members' support. But there's no greater work to be done
    than to protect the American people. I have submitted a budget that
    prioritizes homeland defense and our national security. I submitted a
    budget that recognizes that we've got to prepare America for whatever
    emergency may come, a budget that puts ample amount of money in place to
    enable our first-responders, our brave police and firefighters and EMS
    crews all around the country, to have the equipment and training
    necessary to respond should the enemy hit us again.
        I know the Coast Guard Academy is based here. In my budget, I beefed
    up the Coast Guard in order to make sure that our borders are more
    secure.
        We've got to change the INS, the Immigration and Naturalization
    Service, so we understand who's coming into our country and what is
    their purpose for coming into our country. We've got to make sure we
    have a mechanism in place to deal with any bioterrorist attack that may
    occur. And so we've got--and I've got a good man, a friend of Johnny's
    and mine who is a fellow Governor of ours from Pennsylvania named Tom
    Ridge, running this operation.
        You also need to know that every morning that I'm in Washington, I
    go into the Oval Office--which is a fabulous office, by the way.
    [Laughter] It's a great shrine to our country. I sit at the desk where
    the Roosevelts--I guess since I'm a President, I can call them the
    Roosevelt boys--sat at the desk, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan. And I
    think my dad had a different desk.
        And so I sit there and open up a threat assessment that our people
    put together about noise we hear of one kind or another about the enemy
    still is interested in hitting us. And so I'm reminded every day that my
    job is to protect America, which I'm going to do. Any time we get a
    hint, any time we get any evidence that somebody might be thinking about
    doing something, you need to know we're moving, and we're moving in a
    way that would make you proud.
        But the best way to secure the homeland is to find the enemy
    wherever they try to hide and bring them to justice. The best way--make
    no mistake about it--you should not be confused about the nature of the
    people we're dealing with. They hate us because we're free. They hate
    the thought that Americans welcome all religions; they can't stand that
    thought. They hate the thought that we educate everybody. They hate our
    freedoms. They hate the fact that we hold each individual--we dignify
    each individual. We believe in the dignity of every person. They can't
    stand that.
        And the only way they know to express themselves is through killing,
    coldblooded killing. And so we need to treat them the way they are, as
    international criminals. And that's why my defense budget is the largest
    increase in 20 years. You know, the price of freedom is high, but for me
    it's never too high because we fight for freedom.
        I've tried to speak as clearly as I possibly can. You're either with
    us, or you're not with us. You're either with us, or you're against us.
    And the good news is, there's a lot of people with us. A lot of people
    love freedom like we do, and we've got a vast coalition we've put
    together that we work on. I had the honor of welcoming Tony Blair down
    to the ranch. We've got no finer friend, no stronger partner in our
    quest for freedom than Tony Blair.
        I also said that if you hide a terrorist or feed one, you're just as
    guilty as a terrorist. And the Taliban found out exactly what we meant.
    We went into Afghanistan not as conquerors but as liberators.
        It is so hard for people to understand, the fact that this was a
    government--it's hard for

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    people in America to understand that this is a government that would not
    let young girls go to school. I mean, these were barbaric, backward
    people. And we got them out of office. And not only did we get them out
    of office, we kept a nation from starving. We're helping with their
    health care system. I am so proud of the contributions that our military
    and Americans have made. It is a signal to the world that we're not only
    tough--if somebody wants to take us on, they will have made a bad
    mistake. But we're also compassionate, and we care deeply about the
    plight of our fellow human beings, no matter what part of the world they
    live in.
        The enemy must be chagrined. You know, first of all, I can't imagine
    what went through their mind when they attacked. I like to remind
    people, they must have felt we were so materialistic and so self-
    absorbed and so weak and feeble that all we would do would be to file a
    lawsuit. [Laughter]
        They thought we would grow weary. They thought we would tire. Man,
    are they wrong. This Nation is united and strong. And it's important
    that we be patient and united and strong, because there are still a lot
    of them out there. There just are; that's the reality. I deal with
    reality every day. But there's no cave deep enough for these people to
    hide in. You just need to know that.
        The other day we hauled in a guy named Abu Zubaydah. He's one of the
    top operatives plotting and planning death and destruction on the United
    States. He's not plotting and planning anymore. He's where he belongs.
        History has called us into action, and this Nation is responding.
    You've got to understand my mindset and what I think. We've got to act
    on behalf of the little ones. We've got to secure the world and this
    civilization as we know it from these evil people. We just have to do
    this.
        And that includes making sure that some of the world's worst leaders
    who desire to possess the world's worst weapons don't team up with
    faceless, Al Qaida-type killer organizations. We owe it to the future of
    this country to lead a coalition against nations that are so evil and,
    at the same time, desire incredibly evil weapons. And you just need to
    know, so long as I'm the President, my focus is going to be defending
    freedom and making sure that, when they look back at history, they will
    have said the United States did what was necessary to keep the world
    free from terror and barbaric behavior.
        And I want to thank these Members for their strong support of the
    defense budget that I submitted. And my call, of course, to the Congress
    is that instead of passing the defense budget last, like they always try
    to do, let's pass it first; let's get it done. Let's make sure our
    troops understand they're going to have the best equipment, the best
    training, and the best pay possible early in the budget cycle, not late.
        I believe strongly in the inherent good of our country. I'm an
    optimistic fellow because I know what a great land we are--have--and
    what a great people we are. I believe out of this evil that has been
    done to our Nation will come incredible good. There's no doubt in my
    mind; there's no doubt in my mind, if we're firm and deliberate and
    tough, we'll achieve peace in places where we never dreamt there would
    be peace. If we're steady and rout out terror wherever it exists, we can
    achieve peace. And I know this country can respond to the evil acts by
    responding with acts of kindness and decency.
        People say, ``What can I do to help?'' The answer is, love a
    neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. If you want to help
    America fight evil, do some good in your neighborhood. Put your arm
    around a child who may wonder whether or not the American experience is
    meant for them and say, ``I love you.'' And more than that, teach them
    how to read, so they can understand what America is all about. If you
    really want to help, support your schools. Help people understand that
    loneliness and despair do not have to be a way of life. Walk across the
    street to a shut-in who may live in your neighborhood and say, ``I care
    for you. What can I do to help you today?''
        It's small acts of kindness and decency that define the true face of
    America for the world. If you want to fight evil, do some good. And it's
    that gathering momentum of millions of acts of kindness which will have
    the American people stand squarely in the face of the evildoers.

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        And that's happening in America. It is. Our culture is beginning to
    change from one of--that basically said, ``If it feels good, just go
    ahead and do it,'' and, ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody
    else,'' to one in which we're all responsible for the decisions we make
    in life, that we're responsible for loving our children. The most
    important job you'll ever have as a mother or father is to love your
    children with all your heart and all your soul.
        A responsible period of time says that you will be involved in your
    community, that you shouldn't just take from the great American
    experience but you've got to give and you've got to help people in need.
    It means we've got corporate responsibility in America. CEOs of
    corporate America must not only be responsible for full disclosure of
    assets and liabilities, but they must also stay focused on the health
    and welfare of their workers.
        There is a responsibility era emerging in America to the better--to
    the better--and as a result, we'll be able to overcome evil with good.
        And perhaps that change of attitude and change of culture is best
    reflected by what took place on Flight 93. For me, it was one of the
    most meaningful stories of September 11th and on. It's the story of
    average Americans flying an airplane--on an airplane, traveling our
    country just like everybody else has done--most everybody has done--just
    got on an airplane and said, ``I'm going to go somewhere,'' for business
    or pleasure, whatever it was. And they were told on their telephones
    that America was under attack. And they told their loved ones they loved
    them, and they said a prayer, and they drove the plane in the ground to
    save others' lives.
        It is the ultimate--it's the ultimate statement of personal
    responsibility to serve something greater than yourself. And that's
    what's happening in America. Americans all around our country are
    serving something greater than their own self-promotion. And that's
    good. And that's the American spirit. And that's why I am so incredibly
    optimistic about the future of this country, because we're a land full
    of decent and caring and compassionate Americans.
        Thank you all for coming today, and may God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:55 p.m. in the Regency Ballroom at the
    Hyatt Regency Greenwich. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; and
    Abu Zubaydah, a leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization, who was
    captured on March 28.