[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 5 (Monday, February 2, 2004)]
[Pages 165-169]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Old Greenwich, Connecticut

January 29, 2004

    Thank you all for coming. Thanks for coming. This is a huge crowd. 
I'm honored. I appreciate so many people being here tonight. I 
appreciate Debbie mentioning Yale. Some of my classmates from the mighty 
class of 1968 are here. They were the ones who invented shock and awe 
when they heard I was President. [Laughter] They're all fine lads. They 
themselves were C students. [Laughter] Vice President Cheney went to 
Yale. It just goes to show if you drop out, you can be the Vice 
President. [Laughter]
    But I appreciate you coming. We're laying the foundation for what is 
going to be a great national victory in November of this year. I'm 
loosening up. [Laughter] And I'm getting ready. [Laughter] But politics 
is going to come in its own time. See, I've still got a job to do, and I 
want you to tell your friends and neighbors that my administration will 
continue to work hard to earn the confidence of every American by 
keeping this Nation strong and secure, prosperous and free.
    I want to thank my cousin Debbie for finally doing something 
positive. [Laughter] No, I want to thank her. I love Debbie, and I want 
to thank her for her leadership for this event. She married my great 
friend Craig, the former Ambassador to the Czech Republic, who 
represented our Nation so well.
    I'm not Debbie's favorite in my family. [Laughter] Laura is her 
favorite. [Laughter] And Laura was her first choice. [Laughter] She 
couldn't make it, but she sends her love. She's a fabulous First Lady 
for this country.
    I want to thank Rick as well for your hard work, thank your team. 
You've done a fabulous job. It's important that you be well-funded if 
you're going to run a national campaign, so I want to thank you for your 
help. I also want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds. He's from 
Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the national chairman for the Bush-Cheney 
campaign, and he's doing a fabulous job on my behalf. Thank you for 
coming, Mercer. I appreciate you being here.
    I want to thank your fine Congressman, Chris Shays, for his 
friendship and leadership. Somebody told me the funniest thing, that 
somebody is actually challenging Shays in this year. We need to send him 
back to Congress. He's doing a great job.
    I want to thank you, Lieutenant Governor, for being here tonight, 
and all the State and local officials. I appreciate you coming. I'm 
counting on you. You need to organize and turn out that vote. And I 
appreciate your service to your State, and I appreciate what you're 
fixing to do for this campaign.
    I want to thank--Debbie mentioned that we have some family in this 
neck of the woods. I remember coming to Grove Lane here in Greenwich to 
visit my grandfather and grandmother, two really fine, fine people. If 
you can't count on your family, it's hard to count on anybody in 
politics, so I'm really happy that some of my family has showed up 
tonight. [Laughter] I appreciate Uncle Jon and Uncle Pres--that's Jon 
Bush and Prescott Bush--and Jody and Beth. I'm honored that they're here 
and proud to be a member of their family with them.

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    I want to thank the political activists who are here, Herb 
Shepardson and Charlie Glazer and Jo McKenzie. Thank you all for coming. 
I want to thank all the grassroots activists. These are the people who 
put up the signs, get on the phones, turn out the vote. These are the 
people who go to the community centers, places of worship, coffee shops, 
and you put out the word. I'm counting on you. You cannot win a campaign 
without a good grassroots organization. So for those of you getting 
ready to get after this campaign, I want to thank you.
    And when you're out there, you tell them this: You tell them, in the 
last 3 years our Nation has acted decisively to confront great 
challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not to pass them on 
to future Presidents and future generations. I came to seize 
opportunities instead of letting them slip away. My administration is 
meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got. We have captured or killed many key leaders of the Al 
Qaida network. And the rest of them know--and the rest of them can be 
certain we're on their trail.
    In Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those 
regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million 
people--50 million--in those 2 countries once lived under tyranny, and 
today they live in freedom.
    Three years ago, our military was not receiving the resources it 
needed, and morale was beginning to suffer, so we increased the defense 
budgets to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today, no one in 
the world can question the skill and the strength and the spirit of the 
United States military.
    Three years ago, the economy was in trouble, and a recession was 
beginning. And then attacks on our country and scandals in corporate 
America and war all affected the people's confidence. 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.
    This administration understands that when Americans have more money 
to spend or save or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more 
likely to find a job. So we're 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've given small businesses 
incentives to expand and to hire new workers. With all these actions, 
we're laying the foundation for greater prosperity so that every single 
citizen has a chance to realize the American Dream.
    This economy in America is strong, and it is getting stronger. The 
figures for third quarter of 2003 showed that the economy grew at the 
fastest rate in nearly 20 years. Productivity is high. Business 
investment is rising. Housing construction is expanding. Manufacturing 
activity is increasing. We've added over a quarter million new jobs. The 
tax relief we passed is working.
    Three years ago, there was a lot of talk about education reform in 
Washington, 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've increased funding, particularly for poor students. 
But for the first time, the Federal Government is asking the question, 
``Can our children read and write and add and subtract?'' This 
administration is challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. 
We're raising the bar. We expect every child to read and write and add 
and subtract, and we expect every school to teach every child. The days 
of excusemaking are over in America. No child shall be left behind in 
this country.
    We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to better protect our borders and ports and to safeguard the 
American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers. We passed 
budget agreements to bring much-needed spending discipline to 
Washington, DC.
    And last month, we completed the greatest advance in health care 
coverage for America's senior citizens since the founding of Medicare. 
There's a lot of talk about Medicare in Washington over the years. The 
system got old and tired and stale. So we acted.

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The new Medicare law that I proudly signed will give older Americans the 
option of a prescription drug benefit and more control over their health 
care, so they can receive the modern medicine they deserve.
    We've got a record of accomplishment. On issue after issue, this 
administration has acted on principle, has kept its word, and has made 
progress for the American people. And the Congress gets a lot of credit. 
I enjoy working with Congressman Shays and the Speaker of the House, 
Denny Hastert, Majority Leader Bill Frist. We're working hard to change 
the tone in Washington--there's just too much politics up there, too 
much needless politics, endless backbiting, zero-sum attitude--and the 
best way to do that is to work on behalf of the people and deliver 
results.
    And the Congress gets a lot of credit for the successes over the 
last 3 years, and so do the people in my administration. I put together 
a fantastic group of Americans from all walks of life to serve the 
American people, people who came to Washington, DC, with one thing in 
mind, service to their country. Speaking about good people in my 
administration, our Nation has had no finer Vice President than Dick 
Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
    In 3 years, we've 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 own country, we will 
continue to work for a society which is prosperous and compassionate, so 
every citizen has a chance to realize the full promise of our land.
    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. The 
war on terror continues. I wish I could tell you it didn't, but it does. 
The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. This country 
will not rest; we will not tire; we will not stop until this danger to 
civilization is removed.
    We are confronting that danger in Iraq, where all people can be 
certain they will never again have to fear the brutality of Saddam 
Hussein. The Ba'athist holdouts largely responsible for the current 
violence now know there will be no return to corrupt power and privilege 
they once held. All Iraqis who have taken the side of freedom have taken 
the winning side.
    We face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent than 
accept the rise of liberty in the Middle East. And there is a reason 
why, because, see, they know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would 
be a major defeat in the cause of terror. The collection of killers is 
trying to shake the will of America. America will never be intimidated 
by thugs or assassins.
    We're aggressively after the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them 
there so we do not have to face them in our own cities. Other nations 
are helping in Iraq, because they understand a free and democratic and 
peaceful Iraq is in their interests. The whole world becomes more 
secure. And the Iraqi people are assuming more of their own defense and 
heading towards self-government. And these are not easy tasks. I 
recognize that, but I believe they're essential tasks. We will finish 
what we have begun, and America will win this essential victory in the 
war on terror.
    We're working to oppose proliferation around the world. Last month, 
after talks with the United States and Great Britain, Libya voluntarily 
committed to disclose and dismantle all of its weapons of mass 
destruction programs. Leaders around the world now know with certainty, 
weapons of mass destruction do not bring influence or prestige; they 
bring isolation and other unwelcome consequences. Nations who abandon 
the pursuit of these weapons will find an open path to better relations 
with the United States of America.
    Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty, 
because free nations don't support terror, free nations do not attack 
their neighbors, free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of 
mass destruction. And Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need 
and hope of every human heart. I believe that freedom is the future of 
every nation. And I know, like you know, that freedom is not America's 
gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and 
woman in this world.

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    My administration also understands that unprecedented influence 
brings tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and 
when we see disease and starvation or hopeless poverty, we will not turn 
away. This strong and powerful Nation is a compassionate nation. And 
America now leads the world in bringing hope and medicines to millions 
of men and women and children suffering from AIDS. This incredible 
Nation of ours is leading the world in this very important work of human 
rescue.
    We have challenges here at home, and our actions will prove that 
we're equal to those challenges. This administration understands 
entrepreneurship. We understand the vital role of risktaking. We will 
continue to promote a progrowth economic agenda so fellow citizens can 
find work.
    We also understand the effects of frivolous and junk lawsuits on our 
society. For example, in health care, we need to cut down on these 
frivolous lawsuits which are running up the cost of medicine. People who 
have been harmed by a bad doc deserve their day in court, yet the system 
should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich settlement. 
Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care for every citizen, 
and they affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a 
national issue which requires a national solution.
    This administration has acted. We passed good legislation up to the 
Hill, and it was passed by the United States House of Representatives, 
for which I am grateful. It's stuck in the Senate. Perhaps you ought to 
notify your two United States Senators to get it unstuck. For the sake 
of a health care system that is available and affordable, we need 
medical liability reform now. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous 
lawsuit.
    I have a responsibility to make sure the judicial system runs well, 
and I've 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. It is time for some Members of the United States Senate 
to stop playing politics with American justice.
    We've got more work to do, and the Congress needs to get me an 
energy bill. We need a bill which encourages more conservation. We need 
a bill which unleashes the technology of our country to be advanced in 
how we explore and use energy. But for the sake of economic security and 
for the sake of national security, this Nation must become less 
dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation. 
I will continue to advance what I call compassionate conservatism, which 
means we'll use the 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. Congress must build on the success of welfare reform 
to bring training and, therefore, work into the lives of more of our 
fellow citizens. We need to make sure more Americans can serve their 
communities and their country through vibrant citizen service programs. 
Congress needs to complete work on the Faith-Based Initiative.
    You see, many of the problems that citizens face are problems of the 
heart, problems of addiction, problems that can't be solved necessarily 
by a Government program. And yet one of the great strengths of our 
country is the fact that we're a country of many faiths, Christian, 
Jewish, Muslim. And in many of those programs emanating out of those 
faiths come healing programs, programs that change people's lives. Our 
country should not fear faith-based programs. We ought to welcome faith-
based programs, and Government ought to be their ally.
    I believe part of being a compassionate society is one in which we 
encourage ownership. This administration will constantly strive to 
promote an ownership society in America. We want more people owning 
their own home. There's a minority homeownership gap in America that 
must be addressed. This administration is addressing it. We want more 
people owning and controlling their own retirement accounts. We want 
people owning and managing their own health care plans, like health 
savings accounts. We want

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more people owning their own small businesses, and the administration 
understands that. You see, we fully understand that when a person owns 
something, he or she has a vital stake in the future of this country.
    A compassionate society is one in which people respect one another, 
respect their religious views, respect their opinions. It's a society in 
which people take responsibility for the decisions they make. The 
culture of this country is changing from one that has said, ``If it 
feels good, just go ahead and 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 lucky 
enough to be a mom or a dad, you are responsible for loving your child 
with all your heart. If you're worried about the quality of the 
education in the community in which you live, you're responsible for 
doing something about it. If you are a CEO in corporate America, you're 
responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your 
employees. And in this new responsibility society, each of us is 
responsible for loving our neighbor just like we would like to be loved 
ourselves.
    The culture of service and responsibility is strong here in America. 
I really believe it's the great strength of our country. Two years ago, 
I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage people to 
love their neighbor, to do something to help somebody in need. And the 
response has been really strong, and I am grateful. Our faith-based 
programs and charities all across America are vibrant--integral part of 
our society. Policemen and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's 
uniform are reminding us what it means to sacrifice for something 
greater than ourself. 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 
courage of America. I've been privileged to see the compassion and the 
character of the American people. All the tests of the last 3 years have 
come to the right nation. We're a strong country, and we use that 
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 
history--this is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it 
and know that for our country, the best days lie ahead.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 7:10 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. In 
his remarks, he referred to Debbie Stapleton, master of ceremonies and 
second cousin of the President, and her husband, Craig; Rick Lazio, 
chief executive officer, Financial Services Forum; Lt. Gov. M. Jodi Rell 
of Connecticut; his relatives Jonathan J. Bush and his wife, Jody, and 
Prescott Bush, Jr., and his wife, Beth; and Hebert J. Shepardson, State 
chairman, Charles L. Glazer, national committeman, and Jo McKenzie, 
national committeewoman, Connecticut State Central Committee, Republican 
Party.