[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 45 (Monday, November 11, 2002)]
[Pages 1990-1994]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Dallas, Texas

November 4, 2002

    The President. Thank you all. It's nice to be home. I want to thank 
you all for coming. Laura and I are working our way across the country 
to get back to Texas so we can vote, and I want to tell you, we're not 
undecided. [Laughter] For the sake of Texas and for the sake of America, 
vote John Cornyn for the United States Senate. And for the sake of the 
taxpayers of Texas and for the sake of the schoolchildren of Texas, 
elect Rick Perry as the Governor of Texas.
    No, we're looking forward to getting into that voting booth tomorrow 
morning, and I hope you are as well. I hope all of Texas takes their 
responsibility serious. You see, we live in a land of freedom, and 
therefore, we have an obligation to participate as free citizens. If 
you're eligible to vote, you should vote. I don't care whether you're a 
Democrat or Republican, independent, or could care less about a 
political party, you have an obligation in a free society.
    You know, Laura went to SMU. They didn't have a course on how to be 
a First Lady when she went here. [Laughter] But if they had, she'd have 
gotten an A-plus. I'm really proud of the job she's done.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. I'm proud to be up here with some fine public 
servants; really proud of the job that Senator Kay Hutchison is doing on 
behalf of all of Texas. She's a strong leader in the United States 
Senate. She's a strong leader. She's doing a fabulous job. I'm proud to 
call her friend, and I'm also----
    Audience member. [Inaudible].
    The President. I'm also here to honor Senator Phil Gramm, who has 
done a great job on behalf of Texas.
    I appreciate so very much Congressman Henry Bonilla's hard work in 
the Texas Victory committee. That's the committee that is going to turn 
out the vote. See, that's what we're here to talk about. We're here to 
talk about how to turn out the vote, how to get people to the polls.
    I want to thank you all for what you have done. I want to thank you 
for what you're going to do, which is to find good Texans and get them 
to vote, turn them out to vote, and get them to vote for this ticket.
    These are candidates we can be proud of. These are people that you 
can have confidence in. So work hard. And by the way, I'm pretty 
familiar with Texas politics. You know, there's a lot of discerning 
Democrats who are going to support this ticket. Don't be afraid to talk 
to those good Democrats. Don't be afraid to talk to independents. Our 
candidates can reach across party line, because they've got a positive 
vision for the future of this State and for the future of our country.
    I'm proud to be up here with a great statewide ticket. I know them 
all well. I can vouch for their integrity and their talents: the next 
Lieutenant Governor, David Dewhurst; the next attorney general, Greg 
Abbott; a lady who has two sons working in my administration, that would 
be Carole Keeton Rylander; Jerry Patterson and Susan Combs and Michael 
Williams--all great candidates, all people you can trust.
    I want to appreciate the Members of the United States Congress who 
are here today. We've got a great congressional delegation from the 
State of Texas, Sam Johnson and Pete Sessions, Joe Barton and Kay 
Granger. I'm proud to call them friends. I appreciate working with them. 
Anytime there's any doubt about my stance on some of these Texas 
Congressmen, if they're voting with me, I'm for them. [Laughter] And 
they're voting with me. They're solid friends. And we need Jeb 
Hensarling and the rest of the people running for the United States 
Congress in Washington, DC, too.
    I want to thank the bands who are here tonight, the Waxahachie High 
School band.

[[Page 1991]]

Is the courthouse still standing? That's good. Lake Highlands High 
School band, I appreciate you all coming. If you're 18, you've got to 
vote now. If you're 18, you've got to vote.
    The SMU band is here. I appreciate them coming. I know you're 18. 
[Laughter] Eric Orson Band, I appreciate them coming as well. I'm sorry 
we weren't here in time to hear the music. We had to stop in Arkansas on 
the way down. They're fixing to reelect a Governor, and you're fixing to 
elect a good man to Governor of Texas. That man is Rick Perry.
    He knows what he's doing. He knows how to manage the budget. He 
understands public schools. He understands jobs. He is the absolute 
right man for the job of Governor of Texas. And like me, he married 
well. [Laughter] Anita is a great first lady for Texas.
    I can't be any stronger for John Cornyn than this: It is the right 
thing to do for America, to put John Cornyn in the United States Senate. 
I know him. I trust him. And we can work together on some big issues on 
behalf of all of Texas and all of America. And there are some big 
hurdles facing this country.
    First of all, this economy isn't doing as good as it should be 
doing. It's bumping along. And therefore, there are some people looking 
for work who can't find work. And anytime somebody is looking for work 
who can't find work, says to me that we've got to figure out how to 
continue to increase the job base of America. But there's a fundamental 
difference of opinion in Washington, DC, as to how to do that. The page 
of the economic textbook that we've read from says that if you let a 
person keep more of their own money, they're more than likely to demand 
an additional good or a service. They're likely to demand a good or a 
service, and when they do that, somebody is likely to produce the good 
or a service. And when somebody produces the good or a service, it's 
more likely somebody is going to be able to find a job.
    And therefore, the tax cuts we pass in Washington came at the exact 
right time in economic history. And I need a Senator who will stand 
strong on this issue. I need a Senator with whom we can work to make the 
tax cuts permanent, and that Senator is John Cornyn.
    I look forward to working with John on a lot of issues, on education 
and on Medicare. Listen, medicine has changed, and Medicare hasn't. 
Medicine has become modern. Technologies have changed. There's new 
discoveries. But Medicare is stuck in the past. I need to work with Kay 
Hutchison and John Cornyn and Members of the Congress to modernize 
Medicare, which means prescription drug benefits for our seniors.
    And we've got another problem with health care. There's too many 
lawsuits. There's too many junk lawsuits that are running up the cost of 
medicine. They're filing suits all over this country, which means good, 
honest people who have got a claim can't get to the judges, can't get 
into the courthouse. It means that people aren't going to have 
accessible and affordable health care. Excessive lawsuits run up the 
cost of medicine, and they're driving docs out of the practice of 
medicine. We need a Senate who will join me in passing Federal medical 
liability reform.
    And I need a Senator from Texas with whom I can work to help fulfil 
one of my most serious responsibilities, and that is to put good people 
on the Federal bench. There is a vacancy on our benches. There is 
vacancies all around the country because the bunch that's running the 
Senate right now won't give my nominees a fair hearing. And when they do 
give them a hearing, some of them have their records distorted. I need a 
United States Senator who will stand strong for what most Texans want, 
and that is a judiciary full of honest and honorable people who will not 
use their bench from which to legislate but to interpret the 
Constitution of the United States.
    You may remember what happened to one of our finest Texans, 
Priscilla Owen. I picked Priscilla to serve on one of our top benches. I 
did so because she's a brilliant lady. She's an honest person. She 
finished tops in her law school. She was ranked by the ABA as one of the 
top picks. She is backed by Republicans and Democrats from the State of 
Texas. She ran statewide and was overwhelmingly elected. I put her up 
there. Because these people are playing politics, petty

[[Page 1992]]

politics, with the nominees I've picked, her record was distorted, and 
she was denied a seat. She was grossly treated. I can assure you that 
with John Cornyn in the Senate, he would be a strong supporter of 
Priscilla Owen and my judges. There's a big difference in this race 
between the two running for the United States Senate. And that Priscilla 
Owen case is a clear example of what I'm talking about.
    There's going to be a lot of issues we'll work on together. The 
biggest issue we've got is to protect America, to protect you from 
further attack, to do everything we can to prevent an enemy from hitting 
this country again. It's still a problem for us because there's an enemy 
lurking out there which hates us, and they hate us because of what we 
love. We love our freedom. We love the fact that people can worship 
freely in America. We love the fact that people can speak their mind in 
this country. We love a free press. We love every aspect of our freedom, 
and we're not going to change.
    So long as we take that stand, they're going to try to hurt us. And 
therefore, we've got to do everything we can to protect you. And there's 
a lot of good people doing that. I mean, listen, we're on notice. We 
remember--we remember, remember what happened. And therefore, there's a 
lot of good people working overtime to run down every hint, any idea, 
any suggestion that somebody is fixing to or thinking about doing 
something to America. We're moving on it. It is our most solemn 
obligation.
    I think we can do a better job of protecting you, and that's why I 
went to the United States Congress, to join me in the creation of a 
Department of Homeland Security. It needs to be a Department that brings 
agencies together to focus their attention, to change culture if need 
be, so that people who are working hard on your behalf get the message 
that this is our number one job and number one priority.
    And the House of Representatives responded. And I want to thank the 
House Members who are here. But the bill got stuck in the Senate. Here 
we are with an enemy lurking out there, and the bill got stuck in the 
Senate because some Senators want to take away power from the 
Presidency. They want to take away what every President since John F. 
Kennedy has had, and that is the capacity to suspend certain collective 
bargaining rules for the sake of national security. In other words, if 
there's some rules that prevent me from putting the right place--people 
at the right place at the right time, to protect you, I ought to be able 
to suspend those rules. But not according to these people. No, the 
special interests have grabbed them up there. They want to micromanage 
the process. I need John Cornyn in the Senate to make sure we get us a 
good homeland security bill.
    But the best way to protect the homeland is to hunt these killers 
down, one at a time, and bring them to justice. That's what we have to 
do. And that is what we're going to do. And that is why I went to the 
Congress and asked for a substantial increase in defense spending, as a 
matter of fact, the largest increase since Ronald Reagan was the 
President. And I want to thank Senator Hutchinson, and I want to thank 
the Members of Congress for backing me on that request.
    And there's two messages in that bill that I want to share with you. 
One, anytime this country puts any of our youngsters into harm's way, 
they deserve the best pay, the best training, and the best possible 
equipment.
    And the second message is equally important. And that is, we're in 
this deal for the long haul. See, when it comes to the defense of our 
freedoms, it doesn't matter how long it takes. We're going to do the 
job. We're going to defend freedom. We're going to do a responsibility 
so future generations of Americans will know we answered the call. It 
just doesn't matter how long it takes. There's not a calendar on my desk 
in that wonderful Oval Office that says, on such-and-such a date, haul 
them home. That's not the way I think.
    And we're making progress in this different kind of war. In the old 
days, if you knocked down an airplane or sunk a ship, you could say 
you're making progress. This group we fight now hides in caves or kind 
of slithers around the dark corners of the world, and they send their 
youngsters to their suicidal deaths. We value life in America. We say 
everybody is precious. These folks have

[[Page 1993]]

hijacked a great religion and don't care who they kill. And that's the 
nature of the enemy. They're tough. We're tougher. Slowly but surely, 
we're dismantling the terrorist network.
    It's important for us to be realistic here in America about the 
threats we face. It's essential we see the world the way it is, not the 
way we hope it would be, because the stakes changed dramatically after 
September the 11th, 2001. Prior to that date, we had oceans that we 
thought protected us, that if there was a gathering threat somewhere 
around the world, we could either deal with that threat or ignore it, 
because we were safe at home. Geography kept us safe. After September 
the 11th, 2001, geography doesn't keep us safe. And therefore, in my 
judgment, we've got to be cold-eyed realists about threats as they 
emerge and deal with each one of them according to the level of threat.
    There is a threat to the United States, and our close friends and 
allies, in Iraq. The leader of Iraq is a man who for 11 years has 
deceived the world. He said he wouldn't have weapons of mass 
destruction. He has weapons of mass destruction. At one time we know for 
certain he was close to having a nuclear weapon. Imagine Saddam Hussein 
with a nuclear weapon. Not only has he got chemical weapons, but I want 
you to remember, he's used chemical weapons. He's used weapons on people 
in his neighborhood. He's used weapons on people in his own country. 
This is a man who cannot stand America. He cannot stand what we stand 
for. He can't stand some of our closest friends and allies. This is a 
man who has got connections with Al Qaida. Imagine a terrorist network 
with Iraq as an arsenal and as a training ground, so that a Saddam 
Hussein could use his shadowy group of people to attack his enemy and 
leave no fingerprint behind. He's a threat.
    I went to the United Nations to make clear a couple of things: One, 
he's a threat; and secondly, that this august body has a chance to keep 
the peace. And yet for 16 resolutions, resolution after resolution after 
resolution, Saddam Hussein has defied the United Nations. It is now time 
for the United Nations to choose whether it's going to be an effective 
peacekeeping organization or whether it's going to be like one of its 
predecessors, the League of Nations, an empty debating society. It is 
their choice to make.
    It is Saddam Hussein's choice to make. He's told the world he would 
not have weapons of mass destruction, and in the name of peace, we 
expect him to honor that commitment. Should he choose not to honor the 
commitment, the U.N. is incapable of acting, the United States in the 
name of peace, in the name of freedom, will lead a coalition and disarm 
Saddam Hussein.
    I say, ``in the name of peace,'' because that's what's going to 
happen, in my judgment. See, out of the evil done to America is going to 
come some good. I don't know what got into the minds of the terrorists 
when they hit us. I guess they assumed our national religion was 
materialism, that we were so selfish, self-absorbed, that after 9/11/
2001 we might take a step back and file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter] 
They don't understand the nature of this great country. They don't 
understand the depth of our passion for freedom.
    If we stay tough when we need to be tough, stay strong when we need 
to be strong, speak clearly about good and evil, if we remember that 
freedom is not America's gift to the world but God's gift to the world, 
we can achieve peace. We can achieve peace here at home--we can achieve 
peace here at home. We can achieve peace in parts of the world which 
have quit on peace. I believe it. I believe out of the evil done to 
America is going to come good abroad, in the form of peace. And I 
believe it's going to make America a better place.
    I believe I know a lot of our citizens have taken a step back and 
taken an assessment about that which is important in their lives. A lot 
of people have asked that question, ``How can I help?'' Well, I've got 
some ideas for you. First, it's important to remember that in the land 
of plenty, there are people who hurt. There's pockets of despair and 
hopelessness and addiction. People, when you say ``the American Dream,'' 
they have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. We've got to 
remember in this country, when some of us hurt, we all hurt. And 
therefore, we've got to try to make a difference to improve the lot of 
everybody's lives. And Government can help. We'll work on Medicare,

[[Page 1994]]

and we'll work on education. And Government can pass out money. But I 
want you to remember what Government cannot do is to put hope in 
people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. People's lives 
change when somebody puts their arm around them and says, ``I love you. 
Can I help you? What can I do to make your life a better life?''
    And that's happening all across America. I'm sure there's mentors 
here, people who are saving one child's life at a time. I know there are 
people here who feed the hungry, provide housing for the homeless, or 
run a Boy Scouts troop or a Girl Scouts troop, or Big Brothers and Big 
Sisters. There's all kinds of ways that you can help change America, one 
heart, one conscience, one soul at a time. No, the spirit of America is 
strong. It's alive and well. It's a spirit that says, when it comes to 
the defense of our freedom, it doesn't matter how long it takes; we'll 
defend freedom.
    It also says that a true American is somebody who serves a cause 
greater than themselves. I want the high school students and youngsters 
here to always remember the story of Flight 93. These are people flying 
across the country, what they thought was going to be just an average 
trip. They learned that the airplane they were on was going to be used 
as a weapon. They told their loved ones goodbye. They said a prayer, 
asking for guidance from the Almighty. One guy said, ``Let's roll.'' 
They took the plane into the ground to save lives and to serve something 
greater than themselves.
    The enemy hit us--the enemy hit us. They had no earthly idea who 
they were hitting. They didn't have any idea that the spirit of this 
country is strong and alive and vibrant, which allows me to boldly 
predict that out of the evil done to America is going to come a more 
peaceful world, and out of the evil done to America will come a more 
hopeful America, where the great sunshine of hope of this country shines 
its light into every corner of this land. And I can say that with 
confidence, because this is the greatest country, full of the most 
decent and honorable people on the face of the Earth.
    Thanks for coming. May God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 6:08 p.m. in Moody Coliseum at Southern 
Methodist University. In his remarks, he referred to senatorial 
candidate John Cornyn; gubernatorial candidate Rick Perry and his wife, 
Anita; Carole Keeton Rylander, candidate for Texas comptroller; Jerry 
Patterson, candidate for Texas land commissioner; Susan Combs, candidate 
for Texas agricultural commissioner; Michael Williams, candidate for 
Texas railroad commissioner; Jeb Hensarling, candidate for Texas' Fifth 
Congressional District; and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.