[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 30 (Monday, July 26, 2004)]
[Pages 1365-1373]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the National Urban League Conference in Detroit, Michigan

July 23, 2004

    The President. Thanks for the warm introduction. It's really good to 
be here. You know, Marc, you're right, the National Urban League is a 
vital and important part of the American scene. And I think the reason 
why is, not only is the mission important but the people involved in the 
Urban League are dignified, decent American citizens. And I am honored 
to be in your presence.
    I see some friends like Willard, who is--I don't know if you 
remember, Willard, but we were on the porch of the Governor's mansion in 
Texas. I'm not saying you drank all my beer, but--[laughter]. Never 
mind. [Laughter] That's unfair. [Laughter] But thanks for having me.
    Marc, I appreciate your leadership. I've had the opportunity to work 
with Marc. I look forward to continue working with Marc. He's a good 
man. He cares deeply about the country, the people in our country. He 
is--he has had a lot of experience. He has, after all, been a mayor. 
It's a heck of a lot tougher job than being President. After all, you've 
got to fill the potholes--[laughter]--and empty the garbage. And he did 
a fine job as mayor. He's doing a fine job for this very important 
organization.
    Speaking about mayors, the mayor of Detroit was here. He's cutting a 
ribbon, which most mayors do. He's a fabulous mayor, by

[[Page 1366]]

the way. He's standing a little taller, as if he needed to, because the 
Detroit Pistons are now the NBA champs. I told him, I said--I asked 
Kwame if he took credit for it. He said, ``Of course.'' [Laughter]
    I appreciate so very much Mike Critelli, who is the chairman. Thank 
you, Mr.--Mike, it's great to see you again. And Charles Collins, 
senior--the vice chairman--these are distinguished gentlemen who are 
helping to lead a very distinguished board of directors. It was my honor 
to meet with members of the board before I came out here today. And I 
appreciate your service to our country.
    Rick, thank you very much. Rick Wagoner is the CEO of General 
Motors, who is sponsoring this conference. I appreciate you doing that. 
It's an important conference, and corporate America needs to stand up 
and help organizations that are out to help other people, and you've 
done so. And I know people here appreciate that.
    I appreciate Reverend Ernest Ferrell's blessings. They asked me 
before the speech whether or not I would object to a prayer. I said, 
``Absolutely not.'' All of us need prayer, and I appreciate that.
    And I appreciate Reverend Jesse Jackson. Thanks for coming, again.
    And it's hard to run for office. Isn't it, Al? [Laughter] Al 
Sharpton is with us. But I appreciate you putting your hat in the ring. 
[Laughter] It's not an easy thing. It looks easy.
    Democratic Presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton. It's not over.
    The President. There you go. It's not over. [Laughter] Just don't 
declare right now. [Laughter] Welcome. Glad you're here.
    Thank you all for coming.
    The thing I like about the National Urban League is you believe in 
the future of the African American community. You've got this great 
faith that the future is going to be better, and I share that. That's 
what I'm here to talk about. I believe the same thing. I believe this 
country can and will be a place of opportunity and hope for every single 
citizen. It's not a given; there's work to be done. But it's a goal, and 
it's an important goal.
    I don't care what party you're in, what city you live in, or what 
State you're from, the goal has got to be--America has got to be an 
hospitable, hopeful place for every single citizen. That's what I 
believe. That's kind of the heart of what they call compassionate 
conservatism, that the American experience must be alive and viable for 
everyone and that Government has a role to help people have the tools so 
they can help themselves. See, I believe in the human spirit; I believe 
if people have the opportunity and the ability, they will achieve their 
God-given talents. That's what I believe. And I think that's a proper 
role for the Federal Government, to help people.
    The last 3\1/2\ years, we've worked hard on that. We've worked hard 
to make opportunity available and prosperity real and justice not a 
word. And I'm here to tell you, we're making good progress.
    Progress for African Americans and all Americans require a healthy, 
growing economy. It's hard to realize dreams if you're in a recession; 
it's hard to realize dreams if jobs aren't being created; it's hard to 
realize dreams if the entrepreneurial spirit is flat, at best, and 
that's not the case today.
    It says a lot about our country that we've recovered from a 
recession. Remember, the recession was started before September the 
11th--as a matter of fact, right as I came to office. The stock market 
had been declining for 9 months. In other words, the indications weren't 
all that viable for the economy.
    And then we got hit, and the attacks hurt. It hurt our psyche. It 
hurt our economy. It hurt the ability to find work.
    And then we uncovered the fact that some of our citizens forgot what 
it meant to be a responsible citizen. See, we had some CEOs in corporate 
America that didn't tell the truth to their shareholders and their 
employees. That also hurt the economy. It took confidence away from a 
system that requires confidence. We acted. It should be clear now to all 
Americans that we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms 
of America. We expect the high standard, and there will be enforcement 
of law to enforce that standard.
    So the economy went through a lot. But we acted. See, I happen to 
believe if people have more of their own money in their pocket, they're 
going to spend, save, or invest, and when they do, that revitalizes 
economic

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growth and entrepreneurship. That's what the tax cuts were all about. 
That's why we raised the child credit. If you happen to have a 2-year-
old son like Marc does, it enables you to be--have more money in your 
pocket. We reduced the marriage penalty. What kind of Tax Code is it, by 
the way, that penalizes marriage? We ought to be encouraging marriage in 
the United States of America.
    We reduced the 10-percent bracket; we reduced taxes on everybody. I 
think that's the fair way to do things. And as a result, the economy is 
growing. The economy, since last summer, has been growing at the fastest 
rate in nearly 20 years. That's the truth, and that's positive news. If 
people are looking for work, you've got to have an economy which is 
vibrant and growing.
    And that's the case. We've added 1.5 million new jobs since August. 
There's more work to do, of course. Job opportunity isn't in every 
neighborhood and every corner of the country; I fully recognize that. 
But the economy today is strong, and it's growing stronger. And we've 
always got to remember why. I mean, inherent in the--in new job creation 
is small businesses. That's the most important part of new job creation. 
See, most new jobs are created by the small-business owners of America. 
And therefore, policy has got to recognize that. That's why we've got to 
have fair--a fair legal system that doesn't--these frivolous lawsuits 
make it awfully difficult for a small-business owner to thrive.
    We've got to have affordable health care. We must have trade policy 
that enables small businesses to sell products overseas, that says we're 
going to level the playing field. Listen, we can compete with anybody, 
anyplace, anywhere if the rules are fair, which is precisely what this 
administration is doing. They need less regulation on small businesses.
    But remember about the tax policy in terms of small businesses. Most 
small businesses pay tax at the individual income tax rate. See, that's 
reality. Ask your friends and neighbors who are entrepreneurs. They will 
tell you they're either a sole proprietorship or a Subchapter S 
corporation, which means they pay tax at the individual income tax rate. 
And so when you cut the individual income taxes, you're really helping 
small-business owners. It's an entrepreneur--we're stimulating growth, 
and the small-business sector of America today is alive and well. And 
more minorities are owning their own small businesses, and that's really 
good for the future of the country.
    See, if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of 
America. This administration promotes what I call the ownership society. 
When people tell me statistics, they say more people are owning their 
own small businesses and a lot of minorities are owning their own small 
businesses. That's really good news for the future of the country. It 
also happens to be really good news for the economy. The more small 
businesses there are, the more likely it is people are going to find 
work.
    And there's more we can do to help people start their own 
businesses. The SBA has got a vital role--that's the Small Business 
Administration. Loans to African Americans were up by 75 percent from 
last year. That's positive. In other words, somebody said, ``I need some 
help.'' They've come to the Federal Government. They said, ``I've got an 
idea. I want to start my own business. I want to say, `I'm the owner.' 
'' And the Government says, ``We want to help you.'' It's a legitimate 
role, to encourage ownership.
    And that's what's happening right now in our society. We've rewarded 
$6 billion in new markets tax credits. Those are important. They promote 
economic and community development in low-income areas. And when you do 
that, the spinoff is more ownership of businesses. When there's a 
vitality in a neighborhood that has been--that needed help, new 
businesses spring up. That's all part of a vital tomorrow. Our plan is 
to help people help themselves, is to create an environment where the 
entrepreneur can flourish.
    Marc, I read your comments, and the National Urban League is a 
partner in the $127 million reward we announced in May this year just to 
do that, to create an environment where people have a chance to realize 
their dreams by owning their own business.
    An interesting project that's going on inside inner cities, which 
makes life better but also helps the entrepreneurial spirit, is the 
cleanup of brownfields. Since I've come to

[[Page 1368]]

office, we've cleaned up more than 1,000 brownfields. Those are old 
industrial sites which have been abandoned. They're not only eyesores; 
they're blights in the communities. They've been cleaned up. They're now 
viable pieces of property. Businesses are springing up--businesses 
around--businesses are springing up. An integral part of stimulating 
economic growth and activity to give people a chance to start and own 
their own company is wise policy in the inner city, such as brownfields 
cleanup policy. We've been aggressive with brownfields just like we have 
with empowerment zones.
    What I'm telling you is, the role of Government is to create an 
environment where people from all walks of life have a chance to realize 
their dream. And that's precisely what's taking place in America. And 
the economy is better for it, and more people are finding work. And we 
must not go backward to the days of high taxes, high spending, more 
regulation, and more lawsuits if we expect more people to own their own 
business.
    Secondly, we've got work to do to encourage and train a new 
generation of entrepreneurs. And that's why I'm pleased to announce 
today that we're joining with the Urban League to expand minority 
businessownership. It's an interesting project. You can't say to 
somebody, ``You must be an entrepreneur.'' You can't say that. But you 
can say, ``If you want to start your own business, we'll help you.'' And 
I want to thank Marc's leadership on this and the board's leadership in 
understanding the need to work with the Federal Government to set up 
what they call one-stop centers where minority enterprise can receive 
business training. It's one thing to say, ``Let's go be an 
entrepreneur.'' But if you're not certain how to do it, people need 
help. You may have a great idea, but you're not sure how to keep the 
books. It's a practical application of Federal assets to help people 
understand how to own and run their own business. You can develop 
contacts there. You get advice on financing. It's practical ways to help 
people realize their dreams, is what we're talking about here.
    The Business Roundtable, I'm pleased to say--those are the CEOs of 
big corporate America--the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation--he used to 
be the owner of the Kansas City Royals; he's a fine guy from Missouri--
will support the work of the centers. And so, in other words, it's a 
collaborate effort. The Federal Government, the Urban League, and these 
other citizens are coming together and saying, ``We're going to set up 
these centers to help people help themselves.''
    Progress for African Americans and progress for all Americans 
requires good schools. The system tended to shuffle kids through, and 
you know what I'm talking about. You know, the ``hard-to-educate'' were 
labeled that, and they just moved through; that's what was happening. We 
can play like it wasn't happening. It was happening. That's what you get 
when you get low expectations. It's what I call the soft bigotry of low 
expectations.
    When I first came to the Urban League, I vowed to change that 
attitude in Washington. It was one of the things I said. I said, ``Give 
me a chance to work the education system.'' And we have. We passed good 
law. Listen, the Government has got a funding responsibility. We have. 
We've increased Federal funding for K through 12 by 49 percent from 
2001. I label that significant.
    But you know what else has changed? For the first time, the Federal 
Government is asking the question, ``Can our children actually read?'' 
And see, I feel comfortable asking that question, because I believe 
every child can read. You don't ask that question if you believe certain 
children cannot read; you say, ``Okay, fine, shuffle them through''--the 
consequences of which, when people get out of high school, they're 
illiterate, they're lost, they're frustrated. They don't have a chance 
to realize the great promise of the country. We're changing that 
attitude in public schools.
    We say we're going to have local control of schools. I really don't 
want the Federal Government trying to run the school systems of America. 
I think that would be cumbersome, too bureaucratic, stifling. It 
wouldn't encourage innovation; it wouldn't say to the school boards, 
``Be imaginative and strong and smart.''
    We stand with our teachers. But we're going to measure now in 
America, because

[[Page 1369]]

we want to know. Our goal is for every child to be reading at grade 
level by the third grade, because we believe every child can do that. 
And now we want us to show--just please show us whether or not it's--
whether or not you're achieving the objective. Because every child 
matters, see. If you don't measure, you do not know. If you don't take 
time to determine whether or not a child has got the skills necessary to 
succeed in America, you'll never find out until it's too late.
    The philosophy of the No Child Left Behind Act says every child can 
learn, we expect every child to learn, and we expect you to show us 
whether or not every child is learning.
    And it's paying off. The test scores, the accountability systems are 
beginning to show that African American fourth graders are catching up. 
There is an education gap in America, and so long as there is an 
education gap, we must be relentless in our pursuit for excellence.
    By the way, the law says that if--we're going to detect problems 
early, before they're too late, and correct them; that's why we started 
measuring early. And there's money in the budgets that say, ``If you 
need extra help, we'll help correct them.'' It says to parents that if 
the schools continue to fail, if they won't adjust, if a child is 
trapped in mediocrity, parents have different choices to make. See, this 
is all part of making sure we focus on the child, not the process, so no 
child in America is left behind.
    And there's more to do. I'm working with Congress, hopefully over 
the next 4 years, for intensive reading intervention programs. It's one 
thing to start early, but there's a--you can imagine there's a group of 
kids that need to be saved now, before it's too late--eighth and ninth 
grade intervention programs. I know in Florida there's some great 
intervention programs. Willard, you'll probably take credit for them, 
but they--[laughter]--they're beginning to work well. They're good. It 
says we're not going to quit on any child. We're going to be involved.
    We need to make sure a high school diploma means something. When a 
kid comes out of high school, an employer or community college--the 
college says that means something when they hold up a high school 
diploma.
    And so we've got to make sure we continue to work not only in the 
early grades but in the later grades in public education so that people 
can say, ``I've got something that means something.'' It's a 
certification for the ability to read, write, add, and subtract, to 
understand the sciences and maths as well. That's possible, see. You've 
got to think it's possible in the first place; otherwise, you wouldn't 
insist upon it.
    Plus, I want to make sure the community college system is vibrant. I 
put money aside and will continue to do so for the community colleges. 
They're available, affordable. They're accessible. They're good things. 
They can change their curriculum to meet the needs of a local community. 
They actually train people for jobs which exist. They're good 
opportunities for kids coming out of high school. Look, education is the 
future of the country. And that's why, under my administration, we've 
increased the number of men and women who will be receiving Pell grants 
to nearly one million, and why, under my budget, funding for 
historically black colleges is at an alltime high. It's what I said I 
would do when I was running for President, see. I told people I'd do 
that, and I've done it. And the country is better off for it, because 
education is the cornerstone of a hopeful tomorrow.
    I was proud to support Mayor Tony Williams. He's my Mayor right now. 
I've got one mayor in Crawford and one mayor in Washington. [Laughter] 
Tony is the Mayor of Washington. He's a very good Mayor, by the way. 
He's a good man. Maybe you know him. But he and I--I work with Tony. And 
I signed a bill into law creating taxpayer-sponsored scholarships for 
students in Washington, DC. And let me tell you why. I believe this: If 
school choice is good for the wealthy, it's good enough for 
disadvantaged children in America. This is a good piece of legislation. 
It's a good piece of legislation which is going to help improve 
education for all children in the Nation's Capital.
    Progress for African Americans and all Americans depends on more 
citizens living the dream of owning their own home.

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There's nothing better than somebody saying, ``Welcome to my house. I'm 
putting out the welcome mat in my piece of property.'' And this has been 
a focus of this administration, because we want people owning their own 
home. It's a vital part of the American experience, isn't it.
    So we're providing downpayment assistance, good counseling. Listen, 
people walk in, first-time home buyers, and they take a look at the 
contracts and the print's about that big, and they say forget it, you 
know? They get driven away by the complexity of the situation. Sometimes 
they get skinned by loan sharks, you know? And we're doing everything we 
can to make sure the loan application process is understandable and fair 
and open. We're proposing tax credits to encourage the building of more 
affordable housing, particularly in inner-city America. In other words, 
we want there to be a greater supply of homes.
    Let me tell you something hopeful about the country. For the first 
time in our history, a majority of families and minority groups own 
their own homes. We're making progress. People are saying, ``This is my 
home.'' And we must continue the progress we're making.
    Progress for African Americans and all Americans depends on safe 
streets. Safe streets are important for any community, particularly 
important for communities in which parents feel like they've got to keep 
their kids locked in.
    And so we're making progress there. We've increased Federal 
prosecutors. And I want to tell you something: Federal gun law 
prosecutions are up by 68 percent in the last 3 years. See, it's one 
thing to, you know, say we're going to pass laws. The thing is, you've 
got to enforce the law. If you're going to want safe streets, you've got 
to do a good job of enforcing the laws on the books, which is precisely 
what we're doing. And as a result, violent crime in America is down by 
21 percent during my administration. That's positive for people. 
Property crime is down 13 percent.
    But there's more than just fighting crime. We need to help the 
600,000 men and women who are being released from prison each year. I 
went to the Congress in my State of the Union; I talked about a prison 
reentry program. I said, ``Put some money up to help these souls come 
out. Let's make sure we're the country of the second chance. Let's make 
sure people have got a chance to get an education and a job. Let's make 
sure there's--if need be, let's make sure there's church families 
available to welcome a person back in community.'' And so this prison 
reentry program is a vital part of making sure America is a safe 
country.
    Progress for this country, for African Americans and all Americans, 
depends on the full protection of civil rights and equality before the 
law. My administration and its Justice Department has vigorously 
enforced the civil rights laws. The Civil Rights Division has opened a 
Federal investigation into the murder of Emmett Till. I'm the first 
President of the United States to ban racial profiling in Federal law 
enforcement. And to serve the cause of justice on the bench, the Federal 
bench, I have nominated outstanding men and women to the courts, 
including 6 superbly qualified African Americans for the courts of 
appeal and 11 for district courts.
    Progress for African Americans and for all Americans depends on 
driving the drugs out of our neighborhoods. We put forth a comprehensive 
approach. We're doing everything we can to interdict drugs so they don't 
make it into the country in the first place. We have encouraged faith-
based programs to help change hearts so people change habits. We've got 
money directed at the people who need the most help, which are the 
addicts of America--an intensive, focused, real effort to save lives.
    But we're also working to reduce demand in the country. It's a 
community effort. We're bringing together all aspects of the community 
organizations to say to our youngsters, ``Don't use those drugs.'' And 
we're making progress. From 2001 to 2003, youth drug use has declined by 
11 percent. We're headed in the right direction. We're saying to our 
kids, ``Be responsible with your bodies, be responsible with your 
behavior, and you have a chance to understand the great promise of 
America.'' It's a vital effort. This isn't a Republican cause or a 
Democrat cause. This is a community cause; this is an American cause; 
and it's important to work together.

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    Progress for all our citizens, including African Americans, depends 
on the spirit of compassion for others. Government can hand out money, 
but it cannot put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a 
person's lives. And we'll have the traditional programs of help, the 
safety nets. They're there. And that's an important part of Federal 
funding. But I strongly believe the Federal Government must welcome 
programs of faith into the compassionate delivery of help and service to 
those who hurt.
    My community- and faith-based initiative recognizes the true 
strength of this country is in the hearts and souls of our citizens; 
that we recognize that oftentimes there's--a change of heart will change 
behavior, and governments can't change hearts. That changes when 
somebody who has heard a universal call to love a neighbor puts their 
arm around somebody who hurts and says, ``I love you brother. I love you 
sister. What can I do to help you on your walk so your life is 
improved?'' This community- and faith-based initiative is a vital part 
of this administration's program to help save lives. We've opened up 
Federal grants to the faith community for the first time. I shouldn't 
say ``for the first time''--most vigorously, let me put it to you that 
way.
    And so now we've had over a billion dollars go out the door to 
faith-based programs, programs all aimed at serving America by saving 
lives. And it makes sense. It just makes sense. It makes sense to tap 
into the great strength and spirit of the country.
    The Associated Black Charities of Baltimore--ask them what it's like 
to be a partner with the Federal Government; or the Black Ministerial 
Alliance in Boston or the Metro Denver Black Church Initiative. These 
are all initiatives, all aimed at saying to somebody, ``The future is 
better for you. Somebody loves you. We care, and we're going to help 
you. We're going to help mentor you. We'll save you from drugs and 
alcohol. We'll do everything in our power to save America one soul at a 
time.''
    We've done a lot in 3\1/2\ years. I ask you to look at the record of 
accomplishment. And I didn't do this alone. I've got a good 
administration, really good people. It's a diverse Cabinet. It's a 
Cabinet full of strong people. It's a Cabinet who are serving our 
country first, people like Rod Paige. You've heard my talk about 
education. I hope you have a sense of my passion to make sure we get it 
right. I understand the importance of schools in America. I picked a 
good man to serve as the head of the Education Department, Rod Paige. He 
was--[applause].
    You heard me talk about owning your own home; it's a vital part of 
this future of this country. Alphonso Jackson is the head of the Housing 
and Urban Development. Kay James runs the Office of Personnel 
Management. You know, the Government owns a lot of property. Steve Perry 
is the head of the GSA.
    We've got a diverse cabinet, diverse administration, people who 
serve our Nation with dignity. You know, when it comes time to money, 
Alan Greenspan is a smart guy; so is the Vice Chairman, Roger Ferguson, 
of the Federal Reserve. Chairman of the FCC, the Federal Communications 
Commission, Michael Powell--in other words, what I'm telling you is I 
feel I have an obligation to reach out to people from all walks of life. 
I have met that obligation, and the Government is better for it.
    And when it comes to national security, thankfully I've had a good 
team. We've had some big challenges in this country. And I've got a 
strong foreign policy, because the architects of that policy are people 
like Condi Rice and Colin Powell. These are good people. I've seen them 
under incredible pressure. I know their steadiness and their clear 
vision.
    See, our most solemn duty is to protect the American people. That's 
our most solemn duty. It's a duty brought upon us not at our asking, 
because we were attacked unmercifully by people who hate what we stand 
for. They hate the fact that we can have free dialog just like this. 
They hate the fact that there's open discourse. They hate the fact that 
we're a free society where people can worship any way they see fit. They 
hate the idea that we welcome people who worship God and we welcome 
people who don't worship God. They can't stand the thought that we're a 
society that says if you choose to worship, you're equally American if 
you're a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.

[[Page 1372]]

    And so they attacked us. And we have a duty, all of us have a duty, 
to respond. This is an American effort to protect ourselves. And Colin 
Powell and Condi Rice have provided valuable, valuable advice and 
counsel during these tough times.
    And we're making progress. Listen, we're trying to do everything we 
can to protect our homeland. There's people from all walks of life 
working hard to protect the American people. There's no such thing as 
perfect security. I tell people we've got to be right 100 percent of the 
time; those who want to cause us harm have to be right once. But there's 
a lot of people working. It doesn't matter what your party is, they're 
working hard to protect the American people. And we've got a lot of 
people overseas working to protect us too, by bringing justice to the 
enemies before they strike again.
    Our foreign policy is tough, and it's compassionate. It's tough, and 
we have to be tough. It's compassionate. We liberated over 50 million 
people who were brutalized by tyrants. We're proud to lead the armies of 
liberation. We're standing true to this great American ideal that 
freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
    We've begun the largest initiative ever to combat global AIDS. 
America is in the lead on dealing with the pandemic that ravages the 
continent of Africa. We're taking the lead because we're a compassionate 
nation. We feed more of the hungry than any nation on the face of the 
Earth. We're a compassionate nation.
    We're also a wise nation when it comes to smart policy. I signed the 
African Growth and Opportunity Acceleration Act of 2004. It recognizes 
that the best way to help lift people out of poverty is to trade; it's 
through the free flow of commerce. And it's working on the--this policy 
is working on the continent of Africa.
    Problems come to our desk because of our influence in the world. 
We've dealt with Liberia. We're now dealing with the Sudan. The United 
States is working closely with the United Nations. As a matter of fact, 
the Secretary of State was recently with Kofi Annan, talking about this 
very subject. We're working closely with the African Union to bring 
relief to the suffering people in that region. We've made our position 
very clear to the Sudanese Government: They must stop the Janjaweed 
violence. They must provide access for humanitarian relief to the people 
who suffer.
    Ours is a solid record of accomplishment. And that's why I've come 
to talk about compassionate conservatism and what I envision for the 
future. I'm here for another reason. I'm here to ask for your vote.
    No, I know. I know--I know. The Republican party has got a lot of 
work to do. I understand that. [Laughter] You didn't need to nod your 
head that hard, Jesse. [Laughter]
    Do you remember a guy named Charlie Gaines? Somebody gave me a quote 
he said, which I think kind of describes, maybe, the environment we're 
in today. I think he's a friend of Jesse's. He said, ``Blacks are 
gagging on the donkey but not yet ready to swallow the elephant.'' 
[Laughter]
    Now that was said a while ago. [Laughter] I believe you've got to 
earn the vote and seek it. I think you've got to go to people and say, 
``This is my heart. This is what I believe, and I'd like your help.'' 
And as I do, I'm going to ask African American voters to consider some 
questions.
    Does the Democrat Party take African American voters for granted? 
It's a fair question. I know plenty of politicians assume they have your 
vote. But do they earn it, and do they deserve it? Is it a good thing 
for the African American community to be represented mainly by one 
political party? That's a legitimate question. How is it possible to 
gain political leverage if the party is never forced to compete? Have 
the traditional solutions of the Democrat Party truly served the African 
American community?
    That's what I hope people ask when they go to the community centers 
and places, as we all should do our duty and vote. People need to be 
asking these very serious questions.
    Does blocking the Faith-Based Initiative help neighborhoods where 
the only social service provider could be a church? Does the status quo 
in education really, really help the children of this country? Does 
class warfare--has class warfare or higher taxes ever created decent 
jobs in the inner city? Are

[[Page 1373]]

you satisfied with the same answers on crime, excuses for drugs, and 
blindness to the problem of the family?
    Those are legitimate questions that I hope people ask as this 
election approaches. I'd like to hear those questions debated on talk 
radio. I'd like it debated in community centers, in the coffee shops. 
It's worthy of this country for this debate to go forward and these 
questions to be asked and answered.
    I'm here to say that there is an alternative this year. There is an 
alternative that has had a record that is easy to see. If you dream of 
starting a small business and building a nest egg and passing something 
of value to your children, take a look at my agenda. If you believe 
schools should meet high standards instead of making excuses, take a 
look at my agenda. If you believe the institutions of marriage and 
family are worth defending and need defending today, take a look at my 
agenda.
    If you believe in building a culture of life in America, take a look 
at my agenda. If you believe in a tireless fight against crime and 
drugs, take a look at this agenda. If you believe that our men and women 
in uniform should be respected and supported 100 percent of the time, 
take a look at my agenda.
    If you're struggling to get into the middle class and you feel like 
you're paying plenty of taxes, take a look at my agenda. If you're a 
small-business owner who is trying to expand your job base and are 
worried about excessive lawsuits, increasing taxes, and over-regulation, 
take a look at this agenda.
    And finally, if you believe in the power of faith and compassion to 
defeat violence and despair and hopelessness, I hope you take a look at 
where I stand.
    You see, I believe in my heart that the Republican Party, the party 
of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, is not complete without the 
perspective and support and contribution of African Americans.
    And I believe in my heart that the policies and actions of this 
administration, policies that empower individuals and help communities, 
that lift up free enterprise and respect and honor the family, those 
policies are good for the Nation as a whole. That's what I believe. And 
I'm here to thank you for giving me a chance to come and express those 
beliefs.
    I'm proud to be with an organization that does so good--so much good 
for the American people. I'm honored that your chairman would extend an 
invitation to me. Thanks for coming. And may God bless you, and may God 
continue to bless the country.

Note: The President spoke at 10:35 a.m. at the Detroit Marriott 
Renaissance Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Marc H. Morial, 
president and chief executive officer, National Urban League; Michael J. 
Critelli, chairman, and Charles M. Collins, senior vice chairman, 
National Urban League Board of Trustees; Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick of 
Detroit, MI; Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president, Rainbow/
PUSH Coalition; and Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations.