[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 6 (Monday, February 18, 2008)]
[Pages 178-179]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring President Abraham Lincoln's 199th Birthday

February 10, 2008

    Welcome. Laura and I are glad you're here. Rex, thank you for taking 
the lead for Ford's Theatre. If any citizen wants to know how to make a 
solid contribution to Washington, DC, support Ford's Theatre; it's worth 
it. Members of my Cabinet, thanks for coming. Members of Congress, we're 
glad you're here. I've got two tasks. One is to present the Lincoln 
Medal and invite you to a buffet. [Laughter]
    I really want to thank Richard for coming. I appreciate your words, 
Allen; thank you very much--and Craig Wallace. Avery, I've been subject 
to a few Presidential impersonations myself. [Laughter] I'm confident 
Abe would have liked it. [Laughter] I really appreciate you all coming. 
It's made this a very special evening. I do want to welcome all the 
Lincoln scholars here and all the Lincoln enthusiasts. We're really glad 
you're here.
    I also am amazed that 200 years have gone by. It just doesn't seem 
all that long ago, does it? But it's fitting that we honor Abe Lincoln. 
He--of all the successors to George Washington, he--none had greater 
impact on the Presidency and on the country. And he remains a presence 
here in the House. I'm often asked, ``Do you ever see Lincoln's ghost?'' 
And I tell people, I quit drinking 22 years ago. [Laughter]
    But his office is directly above us. At the Center Hall, there's a 
likeness in marble. His portrait hangs in the Oval Office, and there's a 
fabulous portrait of Abe Lincoln in the State Dining Room. And that's 
the way it should be. He was a fabulous man and a great President. His 
life was one of humble beginnings and steadfast convictions. And so we 
celebrate his deeds; we lift up his ideals; and we honor this good man.
    And it's my pleasure tonight to honor two really fine Americans. 
Each year, Ford's Theatre presents the Lincoln Medal to recognize high 
achievement and personal attributes that embody the character of the 
16th President.
    Dr. Ben Carson is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns 
Hopkins Hospital. He is one of the most respected surgeons in the world. 
Twenty years ago, when a 70-member surgical team made history and 
separated a pair of Siamese twins, the gifted hands leading the team 
belonged to this good man. Raised with his brother and a single mother--
who's here--Ben Carson didn't get much handed to him as he grew up. But 
his mother pushed him to learn and taught him to trust in the ways of 
heaven. From his days at Yale and the University of Michigan Medical 
School, colleagues have known Dr. Carson as both a skilled professional 
and a deeply reflective man.
    His many current duties include service on the President's Council 
on Bioethics and a tireless commitment to helping young people find 
direction and motivation in life. He reminds them that all of us have 
gifts by the grace of the Almighty God. He tells them to think big, to 
study hard, and to put character first. He tells them to be nice because 
in his words, ``If you're nice to people, then once they get over the 
suspicion of why you're being nice,''--[laughter]--``they will be nice 
to you.'' [Laughter] His example gives eloquent testimony to the value 
of perseverance and to the endless promise of America. So tonight we 
proudly honor Dr. Ben Carson.
    President Ronald Reagan called Sandra Day O'Connor a person for all 
seasons, and few Americans have shown a broader range of talent. She is, 
after all, the only Supreme Court Justice ever inducted into the Cowgirl 
Hall of Fame. [Laughter] Born in El Paso, Texas, she spent much of her 
childhood on a ranch in Arizona, where from a young age, she learned to 
ride horses, mend fences, and shoot a rifle.
    She was an academic star, attending Stanford Law School. It was a 
different era when she got out of law school. After all, not many law 
firms wanted to hire a woman. But with her intellect, independent 
spirit, and sense of adventure, Sandra Day O'Connor continued a steady 
rise in the world. She became

[[Page 179]]

a State senator, a State court judge, and the first woman on the highest 
court in the land.
    For 24 years, Justice O'Connor stood out as a careful, fairminded 
jurist. Sandra Day O'Connor is a great mom to her three sons, and she 
has been a blessing to her husband, John. This lovely lady remains one 
of the most admired women of our time. She's lived a great American 
life, and our Nation is proud to honor you once again, Justice. Welcome.

Note: The President spoke at 5:54 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Rex W. Tillerson, vice-chairman, 
Ford's Theatre Society; historian Richard Norton Smith; Allen C. Guelzo, 
professor of history, Gettysburg College; and actors Craig Wallace and 
Avery Brooks. The transcript released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady.