[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 4 (Monday, January 26, 2004)]
[Pages 93-94]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Luncheon With Spouses of African-American Clergy

January 19, 2004

    Thank you all. Please be seated. I have dropped by--[laughter]--
because Laura told me to. [Laughter]
    First of all, I want to welcome you all to the people's house, and I 
am so glad you've come to celebrate this important national holiday with 
Laura. My job is to introduce her so she can give some remarks. But 
before I do so, first of all I want to say thanks from

[[Page 94]]

the bottom of my heart for what you and your husbands and your 
communities do to help, really, America realize the dream of Martin 
Luther King, which is to elevate the dignity of each person, the worth 
of each person, the freedom of each person to realize his or her dreams.
    In my judgment, many times the most effective programs to realize 
that national ambition is through our faith community, because people of 
faith have heard a universal call. I remember when my friend Tony Evans 
from Dallas one time talked about broken foundations, cracks on the 
wall. And the painter kept trying to repaint the wall of the house, and 
they could never get it right until, finally, somebody stepped up to 
them and said, ``First you need to fix the foundation.'' It's that 
spirit of fixing foundations and helping people realize their true 
worth, through love and compassion and a--the truth of the matter is--
reliance on a being far greater than Government, the Almighty, that 
enables you all to do the works of mercy and kindness and neighborhood 
healing that goes on. The true strength of America truly is found in the 
hearts and souls of our citizens. And in my judgment, a way to honor the 
great Martin Luther King is to call upon Americans to unleash that 
compassion.
    And so I want to welcome you here. You're generals in the armies of 
compassion who are changing America one heart and one soul and one 
conscience at a time, and for that, our Nation is grateful.
    And I am grateful that Laura said yes when I asked her to marry me. 
[Laughter] Our First Lady.

Note: The President spoke at 12:22 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Anthony T. Evans, senior 
pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. The transcript released by the 
Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First 
Lady. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.