    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 46 (Monday, November 20, 2006)]
    [Page 2052]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following a Meeting With the New Leaders of the Republican
    National Committee

    November 14, 2006

        I have just been meeting with the new team that's going to run the
    Republican National Committee. I am so proud my friend Mel Martinez,
    Senator from Florida, is going to be the honorary [general]* chairman.
    My friend Mike Duncan from Kentucky is going to be the chairman. And Jo
    Ann Davidson is going to be the cochairman.
        * White House correction.
        I want to thank you all very much for agreeing to serve our party. I
    do want to say that Ken Mehlman did a whale of a job as the chairman of
    the Republican Party. It's been a joy working with you. I appreciate the
    fact that you went to neighborhoods where Republicans have never been to
    talk to people about our message of ownership and hope. And I wish you
    all the very best.
        One of the things I like to tell my friends about the Republican
    Party is that we're a party that really believes in entrepreneurship and
    small businesses and good-quality education and accountability. And Mel
    Martinez represents what I believe our party stands for, and that is,
    his parents put him on a plane to come to the United States from Cuba
    because they love freedom. That was Mel's first taste for the beauty of
    liberty and freedom. And he worked hard, started with little, and ended
    up being here, the United States Senator from Florida and the honorary
    chairman of our party. He's going to be an excellent spokesman for the
    Republican Party. He'll be a person who'll be able to carry our message
    as we go into an important year in 2008.
        And Duncan has been involved with grassroots politics for a long
    period of time. He comes from a Democrat State that is now a Republican
    State because he understands that you win votes by organizing and
    turning out the vote. And of course, Jo Ann has been around our party
    for years. And she brings a lot of stability and a lot of common sense.
        And so I do want to thank you three. I'm looking forward to working
    with you. I'm looking forward to reminding the people that we've got
    plans to keep the country secure and keep our prosperity strong. And
    once again, I want to thank you for your service.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks. A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of these remarks.