[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 37 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Pages 1170-1173]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Nashville

September 8, 2003

    Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Lamar puts it a little 
less delicately: ``Without Tennessee, there would be no Texas.'' 
[Laughter] Without Tennessee, there would be no President George W. 
Bush.
    I want to thank you all for coming tonight. I really appreciate your 
support and your friendship and your prayers. Tonight is the beginning 
of what is going to be a successful campaign here. We're laying the 
groundwork not only for a victory here in Tennessee, but we're laying 
the groundwork for what is going to be a victory in November of 2004.
    I appreciate your contributions, but I will remind you there are 
other contributions to make. Going to need you to put your signs in the 
yard, need you to put out the mailers. When you go to the coffee shop, 
make sure you talk it up. [Laughter] And remind them that this 
administration has a vision which is positive and hopeful and optimistic 
for every single American.
    The political season will come in its own time. I'm loosening up. 
[Laughter] And I'm getting ready. But I've got a job to do, and right 
now I'm focused on the people's business. We will continue to work hard 
to earn the confidence of every American by keeping this Nation secure 
and strong and prosperous and free.
    I have only one regret tonight, and that is that the First Lady 
didn't come with me. I am one lucky man that Laura Bush said yes. We're 
there on bended knee, I said, ``Would you marry me?'' She is a fabulous 
First Lady, a great wife.
    I'm proud to have been introduced by a fabulous United States 
Senator, Senator Bill Frist. He is doing a great job, not only for 
Tennessee but for our Nation. He's a steady hand. He's a good man to 
deal with. He's got our country's interests at heart, and I'm proud, 
like you are, to call him friend.
    I'm also proud to call Lamar Alexander friend. He too is doing a 
fabulous job in the United States Senate. We've got two Members from the 
House of Representatives with us tonight. One of the event's vice 
chairmen, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn--I'm honored that Marsha is 
with us. I want to thank you for coming, Marsha. And Congressman Zach 
Wamp is with us as well.
    I appreciate all those who put this event together. My great friend 
from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is our national finance chairman, Mercer 
Reynolds. I want to thank Mercer for being here. I want to thank Jim 
Haslam, our State finance chair, for his hard work. I want to thank all 
who put this event together. I particularly want to thank Beth Harwell, 
the State party chairman.
    I want to thank Gracie Rosenberger for performing the anthem. You 
know, when you come to Nashville, you hope to see some of your favorite 
entertainers. Fortunately, some of them showed up tonight, starting with 
Michael W. Smith, my good friend, and Debbie. I'm also so pleased that 
Ricky Scaggs came tonight. He's a--that boy can sing. Steve Wariner is 
with us tonight. Brad Paisley flew in from California to be with us 
tonight. I want to thank them all for coming.
    There's less road rage at NASCAR now because Darrell Waltrip is 
retired, but I'm still glad to call him--I'm glad he's here. But most of 
all, I really want to thank you all for being here. It means an awful 
lot.
    In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to 
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems 
instead of passing them on to future Presidents and future generations. 
I came to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. This 
administration is meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got.

[[Page 1171]]

We have captured or killed many key leaders of Al Qaida, and the rest of 
them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave 
ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and those 
regimes are no more. Fifty million people--50 million people in those 
two countries once lived under tyranny, and now they live in freedom.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the 
resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased 
the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today, 
no one in the world can question the strength, the skill, and the spirit 
of the United States military.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And 
then our country was attacked, and we began a march to war. And there 
were some corporate scandals, all of which affected the confidence of 
the American people. But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold 
corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy going again, I 
have twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax relief 
for the American people. Here is what I know, that when Americans have 
more take-home pay to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy will 
grow, and people are more likely to find a job.
    We also understand whose money we spend in Washington. We don't 
spend the Government's money. We spend the people's money. We are 
returning more money to the people to help them raise their families. 
We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to encourage 
investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand and to 
hire new people. With all these actions, this administration is laying 
the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs across America so 
every one of our citizens can realize the great promise of our country.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education 
reform, but there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called for and the 
Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan 
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a 
generation. We're bringing high standards and strong accountability 
measures to every public school in America. You see, we believe that 
every child can learn the basics of reading and math, and we expect 
every school in America to teach the basics of reading and math. In 
return for Federal money, we now expect results.
    I went to Kirkpatrick Elementary School today, and they're achieving 
results. They're using the accountability system to focus efforts on 
children who need help. I saw private tutoring lessons being--taking 
place because of the No Child Left Behind Act. The days of excuse-making 
are over. We expect every child to learn. We want to make sure in this 
country that not one single child is left behind.
    The last 2\1/2\ years, we reorganized the Government and created the 
Department of Homeland Security to better guard our borders and our 
ports and to better protect the American people. We passed trade 
promotion authority to open up new markets for Tennessee's farmers and 
ranchers and entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We passed budget 
agreements to bring much needed spending discipline to Washington, DC. 
On issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle. We 
have kept our word, and we have made good progress on behalf of the 
American people.
    And the United States Congress shares in these great achievements. I 
appreciate working with Bill Frist and Speaker Denny Hastert. We've got 
a great relationship. We will continue to work to change the tone of 
Washington, DC, to elevate the discourse, to focus on the people's 
business by focusing on results.
    And those are the kind of people I have attracted to my 
administration. I have put together a fantastic team to serve the 
American people, good, honorable, decent Americans from all walks of 
life who are in Washington, DC, for one reason, to serve the country 
they love. Our Nation has had no finer Vice President than Vice 
President Dick Cheney. Mother may have a different opinion. [Laughter]
    In 2\1/2\ years, we have come far, but our work is only beginning. 
I've set great goals worthy of a great nation. First, America is 
committed to expanding the realm of freedom and peace for our own 
security and for the benefit of the world. And second, in our

[[Page 1172]]

own country, we must work for a society of prosperity and compassion so 
that every single citizen has a chance to work, to succeed and realize 
the American Dream. It is clear that the future of freedom and peace 
depend on the actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home and 
freedom's defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are 
keeping it.
    Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle, 
and neither is America. This country will not rest; we will not tire; we 
will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed.
    Yet, our national interest involves more than eliminating aggressive 
threats to our security. Our greatest security comes from the advance of 
human liberty, because free nations do not support terror. Free nations 
do not attack their neighbors. Free nations do not threaten the world 
with weapons of mass destruction. Americans believe that freedom is the 
deepest need and hope of every human heart. And I believe that freedom 
is the right of every person and that freedom is the future of every 
nation.
    This country also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. And when we 
see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. 
On the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing the 
healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children now 
suffering with AIDS. This great land, this compassionate Nation is 
leading the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We also face challenges at home, and our actions will prove worthy 
of those challenges. So long as anybody is looking for a job and can't 
find work, I will continue to try and foster an environment that 
encourages the entrepreneurial spirit, that encourages job creation in 
the private sector so people can find work.
    We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by 
strengthening and modernizing Medicare. Congress took historic action; 
both the House and the Senate took historic action to improve the lives 
of older Americans. For the first time since the creation of Medicare, 
the House and Senate has passed reforms to increase choices for seniors 
and to provide coverage for prescription drugs. It is now time for both 
bodies to iron out their differences, to keep our commitment to 
America's seniors today and seniors-to-be tomorrow and modernize the 
Medicare system.
    For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the 
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. People who have 
been harmed by a bad doctor deserve their day in court. Yet, the system 
should not reward lawyers who are fishing for rich settlements. Because 
frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they affect the 
Federal budget. Therefore, medical liability reform is a national issue 
which requires a national solution. I have proposed medical liability 
reform. It has passed the House. It is stuck in the Senate. Senator 
Frist is working hard to get that bill off the floor. Nobody has been 
healed by a frivolous lawsuit in America.
    I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men 
and women for the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Some Members of the Senate are trying to keep 
my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-down votes. Every judicial 
nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on the floor of 
the Senate. It is time for some Members of the United States Senate to 
stop playing politics with American justice.
    The Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. 
We need to modernize our electricity grid. We need to encourage more 
investment and to make sure reliability standards are mandatory, not 
voluntary. We need to explore for new sources of energy in 
environmentally friendly ways. We need to use technology to come up with 
alternative sources of energy. We need to encourage conservation. What 
we really need to do, for the sake of national security and economic 
security, is to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate 
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate 
conservatism. We will apply the best

[[Page 1173]]

and most innovative ideas to the task of helping our fellow citizens who 
hurt. There are still millions of men and women who want to end their 
dependence on Government and become independent through hard work. We 
must build on the success of welfare reform to bring work and dignity 
into the lives of more of our fellow citizens.
    Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that more 
Americans can serve their communities and their country. And both Houses 
should reach agreement on my Faith-Based Initiative to encourage the 
armies of compassion to love those who hurt, to mentor our children, to 
care for the homeless, to offer hope to the addicted. This great Nation 
should not fear the works of faith. We should welcome faith into the 
community of help.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the independence that come from ownership. This administration will 
constantly strive to promote an ownership society all throughout 
America. We want more people owning their home. I have put forth 
policies to decrease the minority homeownership gap in America. We want 
people owning and managing their own health care accounts. We want 
people owning and controlling their own retirement accounts. We want 
more people owning their own small business, because when a person owns 
something in America, he or she has a vital stake in the future of this 
country.
    In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take 
responsibility for the decisions they make. We're changing the culture 
of this country from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and 
``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which 
each of us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in 
life.
    If you are fortunate enough to be a mother or father, you're 
responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul. 
If you're concerned about the quality of education in your community, 
you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in 
corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your 
shareholders and your employees. And in the new responsibility society, 
each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to 
be loved ourselves.
    We can see the culture of service and responsibility growing around 
us. I started the USA Freedom Corps to encourage Americans to extend a 
compassionate hand to a neighbor in need, and the response has been 
fantastic. Faith-based programs and charitable programs are strong and 
vibrant all across America. Policemen and firefighters and people who 
wear the Nation's uniform are reminding us what it means to sacrifice 
for something greater than yourself. Once again, the children of America 
believe in heroes, because they see them every day. In these challenging 
times, the world has seen the resolve and the courage of America. And I 
have been privileged to see the compassion and the character of the 
American people.
    All the tests of the last 2\1/2\ years have come to the right 
Nation. We're a strong country, and we use our strength to defend the 
peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in ideals 
bigger than ourselves. Abroad, we seek to lift up whole nations by 
spreading freedom. At home, we seek to lift up lives by spreading 
opportunity to every corner of America. This is the work that history 
has set before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our country and 
for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 6 p.m. at the Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel. 
In his remarks, he referred to Debbie Smith, wife of entertainer Michael 
W. Smith; and Darrell Waltrip, retired NASCAR driver.