[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 37 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Pages 1201-1205]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Luncheon for Gubernatorial Candidate Haley Barbour in 
Jackson, Mississippi

September 12, 2003

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for coming. I'm glad to be 
back in Mississippi. I thank the warm welcome for a former Texas 
Governor who's proud to be on stage with the future Mississippi 
Governor. I'm here to remind the good people of this State, Republican, 
Democrat, or independent, if they're interested in good government, if 
they want somebody to call upon the best of Mississippi, if they're 
interested in every person being able to achieve their dreams in this 
State, they need to elect Haley Barbour as the Governor of Mississippi.
    I like his slogan: Mississippi can do better. It says when he's your 
Governor, he'll have an optimistic outlook for all the people of this 
State. He believes in high standards and raising that bar. He believes 
in the vast human potential of Mississippi. There's no doubt in my mind 
that when you elect Haley Barbour as Governor of Mississippi, 
Mississippi will do better.
    And I know him. This isn't just your typical hot air. [Laughter] I 
know him well. He recounted some of our history. We've been friends for 
a long time. So when I say, for example, he believes in personal 
responsibility, I know he believes that way. And when he says he's going 
to focus on education to make sure no child is left behind in 
Mississippi, I know he believes that.
    Haley has served at the highest levels of Government, but let me 
assure you of one thing: Whether it was in my conversations with him in 
Washington, DC, or in Austin, Texas, he always talked about Yazoo City. 
[Laughter] It is safe to say he never forgot his roots. No, there's no 
doubt in my mind this good man can do the job. If the people of this 
State give him a chance, they're going to realize that he's going to 
call upon the best of Mississippi.
    He and I share something else in common. We both married above 
ourselves. [Laughter] I'm proud to be on stage with Marsha, had a chance 
to say hello to Sterling and Reeves. My only advice to those boys was, 
listen to your mother. [Laughter] I'm still listening to mine.
    Laura sends her love. She sends her love not only to Haley and 
Marsha; she sends her very best to many of our friends out here today. 
She is a fabulous wife, by the way, and a great First Lady for America.
    Speaking about a guy who married well, Senator Lott is with us. 
[Laughter] Tricia and Trent are really good friends of Laura and mine. 
We both love our country, and we both love Scottish terriers. [Laughter] 
Let me tell you something about Trent: Mississippi is really, really 
lucky to have him as a United States Senator.
    You've got some pretty good Congressmen, too. I'm proud to call 
Roger Wicker and Chip Pickering friends. These guys are doing a great 
job on behalf of this State. It's great to see Chip and his beautiful 
wife today. I do want you to do me a favor, if you don't mind, a little 
personal privilege from the President. I hope you give your dad my best, 
Judge Charles Pickering. I nominated him to a higher court because I 
believe in his character. I trust his judicial philosophy. He's a man 
who will interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. Some Senators 
are playing politics with American justice. They did this man and this 
country a disservice. It is time for some on the Senate floor to stop 
playing politics with people like Charles Pickering's good name.
    There's a lot of people here hoping Haley runs good at the top of 
the ticket, starting with the Lieutenant Governor, Amy Tuck. I'm proud 
to have welcomed her to the Oval Office the other day. It is--along with 
Travis Little--they were up there to, oh, get a picture or two taken. 
[Laughter] But it was good to talk to Amy again. I had the honor of 
welcoming her to the Republican Party. I appreciate the courage of your 
decision, Amy, and I appreciate your willingness to lead. Thank you for 
being here. Of course, I did meet Senator Little.
    I also want to thank State auditor Phil Bryant for being here. I 
want to thank the--thank you, Phil. I appreciate Mike Retzer, my long-
time friend, for working hard for the Bush-Cheney campaign. There is 
another election around the corner one of these days. We'll be back. 
[Laughter]

[[Page 1202]]

    I also know you've got some candidates here running, and I always 
like to mention candidates who have decided to take on the task of a 
statewide race, because it's not an easy job. It's not easy to ask your 
family to run--have to ask your family to join you in running. But we've 
got Julio Del Castillo here, who's the candidate for secretary of state. 
We've got Scott Newton, the candidate for attorney general. We've got 
Max Phillips, the candidate for agriculture commissioner. And we've got 
Tate Reeves, the candidate for treasurer. Thank you all for running, I 
hope you help them.
    It's good to see your former Governor, Kirk Fordice, here today. 
Kirk, good to see you, sir.
    I want to thank Jim Herring, the chairman of the Mississippi 
Republican Party, for his hard work. And I want to thank all the folks 
involved with grassroots politics here in Mississippi. I want to thank 
Cindy Phillips, who is the national committeewoman, as well.
    Finally, there is a special fellow here that my family has known for 
a long time. He's a really great American, great fellow from 
Mississippi. Laura and I occasionally slide across the street there in 
Washington, DC, to go to church at the little St. John's Church in 
Lafayette Square. One of our favorite things when we get to church is to 
shake hands and to say hello to one of the special Americans, and that's 
my friend Sonny Montgomery. It looks like they still remember you here, 
Sonny. [Laughter]
    I first want to thank you for your generosity but remind you that 
there is more to do in the campaign for an important race like Governor. 
You've got to turn out the vote. You've got to go to your coffee shops 
and tell the people that may not be quite as interested in politics as 
you are that there's a lot at stake for Mississippi. When they're just 
about to sip that coffee, you tell them that Haley Barbour has got a 
clear vision for the future of this State. He's not going to win it on 
his looks alone. [Laughter] He's going to win it because he cares about 
people.
    See, when he hears somebody is looking for a job, it bothers him. If 
somebody is looking for a job and can't find work, it means you've got a 
problem here in Mississippi. That's the way I feel about the Nation. He 
and I share a philosophy: The role of Government is not to create 
wealth; the role of Government is to create an environment in which 
entrepreneurship can flourish, in which small businesses can grow to be 
big businesses. And that's why, for example, in Washington, I worked 
with the Congress to pass tax relief. When the economy goes slow, if you 
let people have more of their own money, they're likely to demand a good 
or a service.
    Haley understands that. He understands whose money we spend in 
Government. We're not spending the Government's money. We're spending 
the people's money, and you better have you a Governor who understands 
that when he gets you elected to represent this great State.
    This economy is beginning to pick up a little steam, but there are 
still some citizens who hurt. So long as they're hurting, we've got to 
keep creating an environment for economic growth. It will be important 
to have a Governor in Mississippi who understands that fiscal discipline 
is necessary at the State capital. If you're interested in job creation, 
Government has got to be fiscally disciplined. If you're interested in 
job creation, you've got to put policy in place that encourages small-
business growth. After all, most small businesses--most new jobs are 
created by small businesses in America. Haley has got a plan. He's got 
good ideas. He comes with the right philosophy, and he's got a plan to 
create jobs here in Mississippi. For the people in Mississippi who are 
interested in job creation, the right man for the job is Haley Barbour.
    By the way, one way to make sure this is a good State in which to 
create jobs is to have a Governor who's willing to take off the--take on 
the plaintiffs' attorneys and fight for real, meaningful litigation 
reform. You don't want it said that the fastest growth industry in your 
State is the plaintiffs' bar. That's not good for attracting industry 
and creating jobs. You don't want the greatest wealth accumulation in 
any State to be in the hands of plaintiffs' attorneys. You need to get 
you a Governor who understands that, who's tough enough to stand up to 
the special interests that oftentimes dominate State politics, is 
willing to look those in the eye who

[[Page 1203]]

are trying to ruin the condition for job creation, who are running your 
doctors out of your State, look them in the eye and say, ``I demand that 
we have reasonable tort reform in the State of Mississippi,'' and that 
man is Haley Barbour.
    Last time I came to your beautiful State, I was here because I was 
worried about docs getting run out of Mississippi. I'll never forget 
meeting with the guy from the Delta. It was a fellow, he came down from 
the north. He heard a call. He's what you might call a faith-based 
doctor, practicing real medicine, but he was motivated by faith to help 
people who hurt, a fantastic person. The guy never grew up in 
Mississippi but heard there was a need for health care in this State, so 
he came here. He wanted to give of his time and talents so somebody 
might live a better life.
    And he told me the stories about what it's like to live in a State 
where the system isn't fair anymore, where the lawyers have pushed too 
far. And he left your State of Mississippi because the premiums went up 
too high. You lost a good heart in your State because the system is 
awry. You need you a Governor who understands that health care must be 
accessible and affordable, a Governor that when he says he's going to 
get you medical liability reform, will get you real medical liability 
reform, not only for the sake of the docs but, more importantly, for the 
sake of the people who need good health care. Haley Barbour is that 
Governor.
    In order for this State to reach its full potential, you need to 
have a Governor who understands the number one priority of any State is 
the education of the children of that State. Haley understands that. We 
passed good law in Washington, DC. It's an interesting change of 
attitude for the Nation's Capital. It used to be we just passed out 
money in Washington. And we're pretty good at that, by the way. But now 
we've said, if you're going to receive money for education purposes and 
elementary and secondary act money and Title I money within that title, 
is now we expect to see whether or not the children are learning to read 
and write and add and subtract.
    See, the State of Mississippi needs a Governor, just like our 
country needed a President, that was willing to challenge the soft 
bigotry of low expectations. When you lower the bar, you get bad 
results. If you believe certain children can't learn, you'll have a 
system that just shuffles the kids through. If you believe it's 
impossible to teach a certain type of child, guess what's going to 
happen? That type of child will never learn.
    I believe every child can learn. I believe it's in the reach with 
every State and every school to teach the basics. And therefore, in 
return for Federal money, I expect the basics to be taught. And I want 
to thank Senator Lott and the Congressman here who stood with me on that 
important initiative. Now, in return for Federal money, States must show 
people whether or not our children are learning to read and write and 
add and subtract. If you believe they can learn, then you want to know. 
If you believe that the best can happen, then we want to see. We don't 
want somebody to theorize whether it's happening. We want concrete 
proof. And if it's not happening, we will use the measurement systems 
not as a way to punish the good teachers, but to correct the situation.
    Haley Barbour agrees with that philosophy. He believes about raising 
the bar. He believes, support the teachers. But most of all, he knows 
that we must correct problems early, before they're too late, to make 
sure that not one single child gets left behind in the State of 
Mississippi.
    I appreciate the fact that Haley understands that there are people 
who hurt in Mississippi; there are people who are lonely and addicted, 
people who are homeless, and people who are hungry. He also understands 
what I know, that the Government can hand out money, but it cannot put 
hope in people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. That's 
done when a loving soul puts their arm around somebody who hurts and 
says, ``I love you. What can I do to help you?''
    The true strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the 
American people. That's our strength. And the job of people in positions 
of responsibility is to rally that spirit. That's why the Faith-Based 
Initiative that I proposed in Washington is so vital. It's an initiative 
that Haley fully understands. It's an initiative that he wants to get 
started here.

[[Page 1204]]

    Listen, there are great programs that come out of Government, and 
sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. But we ought to use all 
avenues, all our strengths, to achieve the common goal that everybody 
feels the great hope of America. When we find somebody who's lonely and 
addicted on drugs, we ought not to fear a faith-based program's 
involvement with that person. You see, sometimes it takes a change of 
heart to change a habit. And when we find effective programs based upon 
faith, Government at the Federal level and State level should not fear 
faith, we should welcome faith into the important delivery of human 
services to people who hurt.
    I had a chance to talk to Haley on Air Force One coming down. He 
came over to Fort Stewart, and I thought it might be okay if I shared 
some thoughts on the war on terror. So I think I will. I was in Fort 
Stewart; it's the home of the 3d Infantry Division. They're the troops 
who took it up the west side, from the south of Iraq to free Baghdad. 
What an honor it is to stand up in front of fantastically brave troops 
and to thank them on behalf of a grateful nation.
    It's important for me to continue to do this because this Nation 
still remains at war. It's a different kind of war. You saw how 
different it was on September the 11th, 2001. Instead of armies marching 
across plains or Air Forces bombing Pearl Harbor, we were attacked by 
coldblooded killers who took our own assets and flew them into the 
buildings without regard to the nature of the victim. These people 
didn't care if they were young kids, women, men--no such thing in their 
mind as innocent or guilt. They're interested in one thing, death.
    On that day, this country decided that no matter how long it took, 
we would find those who would inflict harm upon America and bring them 
to justice. I will never forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, 
so long as I am your President. I have a solemn duty to protect America, 
and we're making progress. We're slowly but surely bring the Al Qaida 
killers to justice. I remind people that over two-thirds of the known 
operatives and leaders are either dead or captured. And I can assure 
you, we're after the rest of them. No matter how long it takes, no 
matter what the cost, we will bring those who harmed America and want to 
harm America to justice. We owe it to future generations of Americans. 
We owe it to the peace and security of the world to use our strength to 
find the killers.
    Therapy will not work with these kind of people. Treaties make no 
sense. There's only one thing: Get them before they get us, to stay on 
the offensive.
    Right after September the 11th, I laid out a new American doctrine 
that said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you 
house a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists.'' And the 
Taliban found out what the United States of America meant. Not only were 
we able to destroy terrorist training camps and cut off support for 
these killers when we routed the Taliban out of Afghanistan, but we did 
something even--as important: Young girls now go to school for the first 
time, because the Taliban is no more. Girls go to school, thanks to the 
might of the United States of America.
    And that's important, because we believe everybody matters. We 
believe every life is precious. We believe and know that freedom is not 
America's gift to the world; it is the Almighty's gift to every 
individual in the world. And we've brought freedom to the people of Iraq 
in a military operation that was one of the swiftest and most humane 
military operations in history. We rid the world of Saddam Hussein, and 
we freed millions of people in Iraq. There are no more torture chambers 
in Iraq. There will be no more mass graves in Iraq. Schools are--the 
hospitals are now opened. Schools are flourishing. And one thing is for 
certain: Terrorist groups will no longer find support in Iraq, and 
terrorist groups will not ever be able to get weapons of mass 
destruction in Iraq because Saddam Hussein is no more.
    But I understand this, that in order to make sure America is secure 
in the long run and the world is more peaceful, we must spread freedom. 
Free people don't attack their neighbors. Free people don't develop 
weapons of mass destruction. The truth of the matter is, the greatest 
security for America in the long term is the spread of liberty. And 
that's why it's so important in the heart of the Middle East that we 
establish a free

[[Page 1205]]

society in Iraq. It is so important that we succeed. And that's why I 
went to the Nation the other night and asked for a significant amount of 
money from the United States Congress to fund the efforts necessary to 
make Iraq secure and free and peaceful. The money we spend today to 
achieve this incredibly important objective will be money that others 
don't have to spend in future years. We would rather win our war against 
terror in Iraq than to fight them here on the streets of America. And we 
must succeed in making sure that freedom takes hold in that important 
part of the world.
    There is no doubt in my mind America will prevail. See, I understand 
the country pretty well. I know the people of America. We are resolved, 
and we are strong, and we're plenty tough when we have to be tough. The 
truth of the matter is, this is a country as well that's got a great 
heart, great generosity. Not only are we going to work hard here in 
Mississippi and other places to make sure promise is available and hope 
is available for everybody, ours is a nation that is willing to lead the 
world in the incredibly important work of human rescue. We're going to 
provide medicine to millions of men and women and children suffering 
from AIDS on the continent of Africa.
    See, that's the spirit of the country. That's the country we are. We 
believe in freedom for everybody. We believe in hope. We believe in 
opportunity. And when we see suffering, we will not turn our back.
    I believe that when you find somebody good and honorable, you give 
him a chance to represent you. In this State, you've found a man that's 
good and honorable. The guy has got the experience to do the job, a 
fellow that when he picks up the phone, the President might just go 
ahead and answer it. [Laughter] It's a man who will represent you with 
class. He'll call upon the best of this State. This is a man who is 
serving for the right reason: He believes in serving something greater 
than himself in life. And that man is your next Governor, Mr. Haley 
Barbour. Thank you for supporting him.
    God bless, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 1:33 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum. In 
his remarks, he referred to Marsha Barbour, wife of Haley Barbour, and 
their sons Sterling and Reeves; Tricia Lott, wife of Sen. Trent Lott; 
Leisha Pickering, wife of Rep. Charles W. ``Chip'' Pickering, Jr.; 
Mississippi State Senator Travis L. Little; former Rep. G.V. ``Sonny'' 
Montgomery of Mississippi; Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr., whose 
nomination to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit failed on 
March 14, 2002, when the Senate Judiciary Committee refused to send it 
forward for a vote by the Senate; Mike Retzer, treasurer, Republican 
National Committee; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.