[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 29 (Monday, July 19, 2004)]
[Pages 1272-1279]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Waukesha, Wisconsin

July 14, 2004

    The President. Thanks for coming. It's good to be back here in 
Waukesha. What a beautiful day. Listen, I was talking to Tommy, and I 
said, ``You know, I need to get back to Wisconsin.'' He said, ``You sure 
do.'' I said, ``Do you know your way around there?'' [Laughter] So he 
and I have gotten on this modest little bus here. [Laughter] And we're 
going to travel your beautiful State.
    I'm here asking for the vote. I've come back to this important State 
to say to the people of Wisconsin, I know what I need to do to lead this 
country. I know what I need to do to make the world more peaceful, 
America more hopeful. I know what I want to do to make America safer, 
stronger, and better. I'm here to ask for your help for 4 more years.
    And I couldn't have come with a better escort. You educated him 
well. [Laughter] I picked a good man when I asked him to come to 
Washington to lead a very important agency. He is a superb leader. He's 
a great organizer. He's got a clear vision. He cares deeply about the 
people of Wisconsin and the United States of America. Tommy Thompson is 
doing a fabulous job on behalf of the American people.
    My only regret, and I'm sure it's yours as well, is that Laura is 
not traveling with me. No, I know, most people are wise enough to say, 
``Why don't you just go ahead and stay at home and let her carry the 
burden.'' [Laughter] I was a lucky man when she said yes. She's a great 
lady and a fabulous First Lady for America. She's campaigning somewhere 
else, but today I am fortunate that one of our college graduates, one of 
our daughters, is traveling with me. I'm really proud to introduce 
Barbara Bush. Made it out of college in 4 years. [Laughter]
    I know Sue Ann Thompson is with us, and so is Tommy--Tommy's 
daughter. I appreciate the Thompson family as well for enabling Tommy to 
serve the country so well. Listen, being in public life isn't easy on 
the families, and Tommy has got a great family. And I appreciate their 
supporting him so well.
    I appreciate Cheryl Sensenbrenner representing her husband, Jim. The 
chairman is doing a fine job. He's a good Congressman. I enjoy working 
with him. I know you're going to send him back, and I know you're going 
to send me back, so we'll be working together for 4 more years.
    I want to thank my friend State Senator Mary Panzer, the majority 
leader of the statehouse, the State senate, for being here today. Thanks 
for coming, Mary. Mary Lazich as well, who's the State senator. Thanks 
for the members of the senate and the house and all the local officials 
who are here to say hello. Turn out the vote. Thanks for serving. But 
join these grassroots activists in finding people to register, and tell 
them they've got a duty as an American to show up and vote on election 
day. And when you get them steered toward the polls, give them a little

[[Page 1273]]

nudge in our direction. [Laughter] They're going to like the message. 
It's hopeful. It's optimistic. It's positive about the future of this 
great country.
    I appreciate Jim Klauser and Mary Buestrin, all the people who have 
dedicated themselves to being involved in the political process. By the 
way, if you're interested in volunteering, we've gone high tech--
georgewbush.com. It's an easy one to remember. [Laughter] Why don't you 
just go ahead and log on, and it will show you how you can help in the 
campaign. I'm serious. It's a--I can't win this without you.
    I can't win--and when you're talking to the voters, remind them that 
over the last 3 years, we have faced serious challenges, and this 
administration has given serious answers. You might remind the voters 
that when we came to office, the stock market was in decline and the 
economy was headed into recession. We acted. We delivered historic tax 
relief. And over the past 3 years, America has had the fastest growing 
economy of any major industrialized nation.
    When we arrived in Washington, DC--when the great Vice President 
Dick Cheney and I arrived in Washington, DC--the military was 
underfunded, and it was underappreciated. You might remember back to 
those times. So we gave our Armed Forces the resources and respect they 
deserve. And today, no one can question the skill and the strength and 
the spirit of the United States military.
    We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning. We pursued 
the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed many of 
the key leaders of the Al Qaida network. We will stay on the hunt until 
justice is served and America is safe. We confronted the dangers of 
state-sponsored terror and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. We 
acted against two of the most violent and dangerous regimes on Earth. We 
liberated over 50 million people. Once again, America is proud to lead 
the armies of liberation.
    These accomplishments are important to the security and prosperity 
of America. They should say to the American people, I understand it is 
my job to confront problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents 
and future generations. It's the President's job to make the tough 
decisions and to keep his commitments. And that is how I will continue 
to lead this country for 4 more years.
    I'm working hard because this is going to be a tough campaign. I 
know it, and you know it. We take nothing for granted. We got a lot of 
work to do. I've got to take my message out to the people. I've got to 
rally the volunteers such as yourselves to go to work. I'm looking 
forward to it. My opponent is a highly experienced United States 
Senator. He's been in Washington----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He's been in Washington a lot longer than I've been 
in Washington. He's been there so long, he's taken about both sides of 
just about every issue. He voted for PATRIOT Act. He voted for NAFTA. He 
voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, and he voted for the use of 
force in Iraq. Now--[laughter]--he opposes the PATRIOT Act and NAFTA and 
the No Child Left Behind Act and the liberation of Iraq. If you disagree 
with John Kerry on most any issue, you may just have caught him on the 
wrong day. [Laughter]
    He came out here to the Midwest, and he said he was the candidate 
with the conservative values.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I know. I know--I know. [Laughter] I'm just quoting 
what he said. [Laughter] It's hard to square that when he said, ``I'm 
liberal and proud of it.'' Now he has a runningmate. Senator Kerry is 
rated as the most liberal Member of the United States Senate. And he 
chose a fellow lawyer who is the fourth most liberal Member of the 
United States Senate. Now in Massachusetts, that's what they call 
balancing the ticket. [Laughter]
    Great events will turn on this election. The person who sits in the 
Oval Office will set the course of the war on terror and set the course, 
the direction of our economy. I'm here to ask for the vote because I 
have a clear vision and a strategy to win the war on terror and to 
extend peace and freedom throughout the world. I'm here asking for your 
vote--I'm here in this vital State asking for the vote because I have a 
plan to continue to create jobs and, therefore, opportunity

[[Page 1274]]

throughout our entire country. I'm here to ask for the vote because I 
have a plan to rally--to continue to rally the compassionate spirit of 
the American people so every single citizen has a chance to realize the 
great promise of our country. When you give me 4 more years, America 
will be safer, America will be stronger, and America will be a better 
country.
    A big issue for every family and a big issue in this campaign is the 
Federal tax burden. It's a big issue. By providing the largest tax 
relief since Ronald Reagan was the President, we have left more money in 
the hands that earned it. By spending and investing and to helping 
create jobs, the American people have used their money far better than 
the Government could have.
    Today I met Scott and Shelly Mueller and their children. They're 
from New Berlin. They've got four kids. The tax relief that we passed--
and we raised the child credit and reduced the marriage penalty and 
created a 10-percent bracket and reduced all rates. Our view is if 
anybody pays taxes, all people ought to--if we have tax relief, 
everybody ought to get tax relief. That's what we thought. That's the 
fair way to do things. Well, the Muellers saved $2,700 on their taxes in 
'03. They'll save the same this year. And the reason I bring them up is 
oftentimes in Washington, they speak in terms of billions of this and 
billions of that, and we tend to forget what tax relief means for the 
families of America, what it means for the individuals. The $2,700 for 
the Muellers means a lot.
    Here's what Shelly said. She said, ``We used that money for home 
improvement projects.'' See, it's their home, and they're trying to 
improve their home. That's a positive development. She said, ``We just 
couldn't afford these investment projects on our monthly budget. This is 
something we're counting on.''
    Tax relief matters to the people of this country. Oh, some of the 
sophisticates will say that $2,700 doesn't matter to the Muellers--it 
doesn't sound like a lot to me. It's a lot to them. That's what counts. 
And when they have more money in their pocket, the economy benefits.
    When people fully understand what they did, they'll understand a big 
component of the tax relief was to encourage the growth of our small 
businesses in America. See, 70 percent of new jobs are created by small 
businesses. Therefore, the tax relief must address the needs of the 
small-business owners.
    Today I met Kyle Stoehr. He's got a manufacturing company. His 
business is strong--at least that's what he told me, and I take him for 
his word for it. He said he hired seven new workers. See, that's what's 
happening all across the country. Small business after small business 
after small business is gaining confidence about the future, and they're 
putting people on the payroll. He's planning to invest $400,000 in 
software and machinery. Because of the tax relief, he's going to save 
$65,000 this year. See, that tax relief matters to small-business 
owners. It's helping the small businesses of the United States of 
America.
    Steve Ziegler, he's the president of the InPro Corporation. He's a 
small-business owner. He makes architectural projects--products. He 
hired eight workers this year. He's planning on investing money; the tax 
relief has encouraged him to invest money. The reason I bring up these 
small-business owners is because it's not Government that creates 
wealth; it's the small-business owners that are expanding, that are 
creating the opportunity for Americans from all walks of life.
    I don't know if you know this or not, but there are thousands of 
small businesses which pay tax at the individual income tax rate level. 
See, if you're a Subchapter S corporation or a sole proprietorship like 
most small businesses, you pay tax at the individual income tax level. 
And so when you hear them talking in Washington about running up those 
taxes, kind of taxing the rich, really what you need to be hearing is 
they're going to tax small-business owners. And that would be bad for 
this economy. Now is not the time to be raising taxes on small 
businesses or on working people in America. Now is the time to make sure 
we've got permanency in the Tax Code. Now is the time to make sure we 
don't ruin this economic growth by running up the taxes on the American 
people.
    Tax relief is working. It's working. Since last summer, our economy 
has been growing at its fastest rate in nearly 20 years. As Tommy said, 
since last August we've added

[[Page 1275]]

1.5 million new jobs. People are going back to work. Here in Wisconsin, 
the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1 percent. Homeownership rate is 
at an alltime high. That's a fantastic statistic, isn't it? We want more 
people owning their own home. When you own something, you have a vital 
stake in the future of the United States of America.
    Interest rates are low. Business investment is growing. Consumer 
confidence is at a 2-year high. Personal incomes are up. The economic 
stimulus plan that we worked with Congress on is paying off. This 
economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
    And there's a different view, of course. That's what campaigns are 
all about. My opponents looked at this progress and somehow concluded 
the sky is falling. It doesn't matter whether their message is delivered 
with a frown or a smile, it's the same old pessimism--same old 
pessimism. And they're going to cheer us up with higher taxes--
[laughter]--more Federal spending, and economic isolationism. The good 
news is, we're not going to let them do that. We're going to keep taxes 
low to make sure people can find work and people to be able to realize 
their dream.
    We're going to continue to bring fiscal discipline to Washington, 
DC. See, it starts with understanding that we're not spending the 
Government's money; we're spending your money. And we must be good 
stewards with your money in the Nation's Capital.
    I hear it all the time that small-business owners are very worried 
about some things, and so am I. We got to solve these problems to make 
sure people can find work. I want this economy not only to be strong 
today, I want it to be strong 10 years from now. I want this to be the 
best place in the world to do business so people can find good, high-
paying jobs.
    We've got to do something about these frivolous lawsuits. You cannot 
be pro-small-business and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. You have to 
choose. My opponent has made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. 
[Laughter] I made my choice: I will continue to push Congress to reform 
the laws of America to end these frivolous and junk lawsuits that make 
it hard for small businesses to grow their businesses.
    Tommy mentioned we've got a plan for better and affordable health 
care for the American people and for the small-business owners of 
America that includes association health plans and tax-free health 
savings accounts. Now, I agree with Tommy. In order to make sure you've 
got good doctors here in Wisconsin practicing their healing, in order to 
make sure health care is affordable, we need medical liability reform. 
We need the Federal Government to make sure that people can have their 
day in court, but we've got to stop these lawsuits that are driving docs 
out of business. It's in your interest. It's in the people's interest 
that we get this done.
    Listen, in order to make sure this economy is a place where people 
can find work, we need an energy plan. I submitted one to the United 
States Congress. They need to pass that to my desk. It calls for 
modernizing the electricity system. It calls for the use of alternative 
sources of energy. It encourages conservation, but we can explore for 
energy in environmentally friendly ways. For the sake of economic 
security, for the sake of national security, we must be less dependent 
on foreign sources of energy.
    I know we've got some farmers here. Listen, our farm economy is 
strong, and I intend to keep it that way. That's a good sign for States 
like Wisconsin. The farming families of this State are making a good 
living, and one of the reasons why is because they're selling Wisconsin 
products overseas. If you're good at something, we want people buying 
it. We're real good at growing things. We're very good at making things. 
I'm a person who believes that we ought to be opening up markets, not 
closing markets. Just listen, my view is, give our workers and farmers 
and entrepreneurs a chance to compete, and we can compete with anybody, 
anywhere, anytime.
    There's a clear difference in this campaign on how to make sure this 
is a good place for people to find work. If you reelect me, I'll 
continue to pursue a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-farmer, pro-
small-business agenda, and America will be better off for it.
    Our future also depends on our willingness to lead in this world. 
The momentum of freedom in our time is strong. But we still face serious 
dangers. Al Qaida is wounded but not

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broken. Terrorists continue to attack in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes 
in North Korea and Iran are challenging the peace. If America shows 
weakness and uncertainty in this decade, the world will drift toward 
tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. After the attacks of September the 11th, I resolved 
and this Nation resolved to bring justice to the terrorists, no matter 
where they dwell. We resolved to hold regimes that hide and sponsor 
terrorists to account. We made that resolution. And when you say 
something, you better mean it. In order for the world to be peaceful, 
when you say something, you better mean it. And I meant what we said. 
Afghanistan was a terrorist state. It was a training camp for Al Qaida 
killers. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy, 
Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror, and many young girls now go 
to school for the first time.
    Iraq, only last year, was controlled by a dictator who threatened 
the civilized world. It's important for our fellow citizens to remember, 
he used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. For decades, 
he has tormented and tortured the people of his country. Because we 
acted, Iraq today is a free and sovereign nation. Because we acted, its 
dictator now sits in a prison cell and will receive the justice he 
denied so many for so long.
    September the 11th, 2001, taught us a lesson we must never forget. 
It's a lesson I'll never forget. And it's this: America must confront 
threats before they fully materialize, before it's too late. That's the 
lesson that we must never forget as a nation. And so, remembering that 
and remembering the past of the dictator, we looked at the intelligence, 
and we saw a threat. Now, the United States Congress, including members 
of both political parties, looked at the same intelligence, and they saw 
a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the 
intelligence, and it saw a threat.
    I went to the United Nations and said, ``For years, you've passed 
resolutions, and for years, the dictator in Iraq has ignored the 
resolutions.'' I said, ``Why don't we work together to pass a resolution 
and, this time, mean what we say.'' See, they had seen the threat. So on 
a 15-nothing vote, the U.N. Security Council demanded a full accounting 
of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs, or face serious consequences. And 
as he had for over a decade, the dictator deceived the world. The 
dictator chose defiance. It was his choice to make. He refused to 
comply. So I had a choice to make: Ignore the lessons of September the 
11th and hope for the best, trust the word of a madman; or defend 
America. Given that choice, I will defend our country every time.
    Although we haven't found the stockpiles of weapons of mass 
destruction, we were right to go into Iraq, and America is safer today 
because we did. We removed a declared enemy of America who had the 
capability of producing weapons of mass destruction. He had that 
capability. And he could have passed that capability to terrorists bent 
on acquiring them. After September the 11th, that was a risk we could 
not afford to take.
    And we've got hard work to do there and important work to do there. 
Our immediate task around the world and in Iraq and Afghanistan is to 
bring those terrorists to justice. See, you can't talk sense to them. 
You can't negotiate with terrorists. You can't sit back and hope that 
somehow therapy will work and they will change their ways. [Laughter] 
That's just not the way it is. We must engage the enemies in Afghanistan 
and Iraq and around the world so we do not have to face them here at 
home.
    We know these terrorists want to strike us again because they want 
to disrupt our way of life and spread fear. That's what they want to do. 
So we're doing everything we can to protect the homeland. You just need 
to know there are a lot of really decent, hard-working people that are 
spending hours on our mutual behalf to do everything we can to disrupt a 
potential attack. We're sharing intelligence like never before. We're 
running down every lead. And I know I speak for everybody when I thank 
the police and the firefighters and the emergency teams from the great 
State of Wisconsin who are serving as great first-responders.
    We will stay on the offense. We'll protect our homeland. Yet, in the 
long run, our safety

[[Page 1277]]

requires something more. We must work to change the conditions that give 
rise to terror in the Middle East, the poverty and the hopelessness and 
the resentment that the terrorists can exploit. Life in that region is 
going to be far more hopeful and more peaceful when men and women choose 
their own leaders. It will be a much better place, a much more hopeful 
place when the people get to decide their own fate.
    You see, by serving the ideal of liberty, we are bringing hope to 
others, and that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of 
liberty, we serve the deepest ideals of our own country because, you 
see, we understand 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.
    The world is changing for the better because of American leadership. 
Three years ago, Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. Now, the 
terror camps are closed, democracy is rising, and the American people 
are safer. Three years ago, Pakistan was a safe transit point for 
terrorists on missions of murder. Now, we're working with the Pakistani 
Government to find those killers in remote regions of that country, and 
America is safer. Three years ago, Saudi--in Saudi Arabia, terrorists 
were not challenged by that Government. Today we're working with the 
Saudi Government, and the Saudi Government is running down Al Qaida 
leadership, and America is safer. Three years ago, Libya was spending 
millions of dollars to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Now, 
thousands of Libyan chemical munitions have been destroyed. Libya has 
given up its nuclear processing equipment, and America is safer. No, the 
world is changing for the better. Three years ago, the dictator in Iraq 
was a threat. He was a threat to us. He was a threat to the free world. 
He was a threat to the people in the neighborhood, and he was a threat 
to his own people. That dictator is no longer a threat, and the American 
people are safer.
    I need 4 more years to complete the work. There's more to do to make 
America a safer place. There's more work to do to make the world a more 
peaceful place. We will finish the work of democracy in Afghanistan and 
Iraq.
    Listen, the good leaders have stepped up there, people who believe 
in the aspirations of their people. And we will support them. And the 
good people in those countries are taking more responsibility for their 
own security. They want to live in freedom. Their moms and dads want 
their children to be able to grow up in a peaceful and free society. 
They can count on us. That's what they need to hear. They need to hear 
from America they can count on the American people. You see, when we 
give our word, we keep our word.
    I see people who proudly wear our uniform here, and I want to thank 
you for your service. At bases across our country and the world, I've 
had the privilege of meeting with those who defend our country and 
sacrifice for our country. I had the high honor of meeting those family 
members whose son or daughter paid the ultimate sacrifice. The best way 
to honor their bravery is to complete the mission and make sure America 
is safer and the world is more free.
    Anytime we put our troops in harm's way, they deserve the best 
training, the best pay, the best possible support. That's why last 
September, I proposed what we call a supplemental funding request to 
support our military in its mission. That's more money for the troops, 
money that would help pay for body armor or vital equipment or hazard 
pay or health benefits, ammunition, fuel, spare parts. It was money to 
support them.
    In the Senate, only a small, out-of-mainstream minority voted 
against the legislation. Two of those twelve Senators are my opponent 
and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Now, when Senator Kerry tried to explain his vote, 
here's what he said. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, 
before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] End quote. It sure doesn't clear 
it up, does it? [Laughter] Now he's offering a different explanation. 
Earlier this week, he said he is proud he and his runningmate voted 
against the funding for our troops.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. No, he's entitled to his view, but here's mine: 
Members of Congress should not vote to send troops into battle and

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then vote against funding them. As the Commander in Chief of this great 
military, I will see to it they have what is needed to complete their 
mission.
    We are leading the world with confidence and moral clarity. And 
we're calling on other nations to help us. There are over 60 nations 
involved in the Proliferation Security Initiative, nearly 40 nations in 
Afghanistan, over 30 nations in Iraq--countries committed to the same 
thing we're committed to, our own security through spreading democracy 
and peace and freedom. Over the next 4 years, I will continue to build 
coalitions to make the world a peaceful place. But I will never turn 
over America's national security decisions to leaders of other foreign 
countries.
    This Nation is prosperous and strong, yet, we need to remember that 
our greatest strength is in the character of our citizens. The true 
strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of our fellow citizens. 
The other day my opponent said that a bunch of entertainers from 
Hollywood conveyed the heart and soul of America.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. No, I believe the heart and soul of America is found 
in places in Wisconsin, in places just like Waukesha. Our Nation is 
strong because of the values we try to live by, courage, compassion, 
reverence, and integrity. We're strong because of the institutions that 
help give us direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our 
religious congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental 
to our lives, and they deserve the respect of our Government.
    We stand for high standards in our public schools. We stand for 
local control of our public schools. We stand for accountability in our 
public schools so no child is left behind in America. We stand for 
welfare reforms that require work and strengthen marriage, which have 
helped millions of Americans find independence and dignity in their 
lives. We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the 
foundations of society. We stand for a culture of life in which every 
person matters. We stand for judges who strictly and faithfully 
interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench. We stand for 
the fair treatment of faith-based groups so they can receive Federal 
support for their works of compassion and healing.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility. The culture of this 
country is changing 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're responsible for the decisions we make 
in life. If you are fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're 
responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul. 
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're a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the 
truth to your shareholders and your employees. And in a responsibility 
society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like 
we'd like to be loved ourself.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. There are quiet times in a life of a nation when little is 
expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. You and I are 
living in a period where the stakes are high, the challenges are 
difficult, a time when firm resolve is needed.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. I'm never going to forget that moment. There were workers in 
hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember looking in the 
eyes of either a policeman or firefighter, and he said, ``Do not let me 
down.''
    Like--as we all did that day, these men and women searching through 
the rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I have a 
responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in bringing justice to 
our enemies. I will defend the security of the American people, whatever 
it takes.
    I've also been witness to the great character of this country. I've 
seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the heroism of 
Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of service and 
compassion renewed in our country. And we've all seen our Nation unite 
in common purpose when it mattered most. We will need all these 
qualities for the work ahead. We have a war to win, and the

[[Page 1279]]

world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and peace. We have 
a duty to spread opportunity to every part of America. This is the work 
that history has set before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our 
blessed country, the best days lie ahead.
    Thanks for coming. God bless. May God bless you all. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 9:15 a.m. at the Waukesha County Exposition 
Center. In his remarks, he referred to James R. Klauser, chair, 
Wisconsin Leadership Team, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Mary F. Buestrin, 
national committeewoman, Republican Party of Wisconsin; and former 
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.