[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 35 (Monday, September 8, 2008)]
[Pages 1172-1173]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Satellite Remarks to the Republican National Convention

September 2, 2008

    Thank you, Laura, and good evening. As you know, my duties have me 
here in Washington tonight to oversee the Federal Government's efforts 
to help citizens recover from Hurricane Gustav. We are thankful that the 
damage in New Orleans and across the gulf coast was less than many had 
feared.
    I commend the Governors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
Texas for their sure-handed response and seamless coordination with the 
Federal Government. I thank all the wonderful volunteers who stepped 
forward to help their brothers and sisters in need. We know that there 
is still risk even after the storm has passed, so I ask citizens across 
the region to listen closely to local officials and follow their 
instructions before returning to their homes. All of us are keeping the 
people of the gulf coast in our thoughts and our prayers.
    As you gather tonight in St. Paul, I want to share some thoughts 
about our nominee, a great American, and the next President of the 
United States, John McCain.
    Before I do so, I want to say hello to two people in the hall with 
you tonight. I could have no finer examples of character, decency, and 
integrity than my mom and dad. And I love you a lot.
    I know what it takes to be President. In these past 8 years, I've 
sat at the Resolute desk and reviewed the daily intelligence briefings, 
the threat assessments, and the reports from our commanders on the 
frontlines. I've stood in the ruins of buildings knocked down by killers 
and promised the survivors I would never let them down. I know the hard 
choices that fall solely to a President. John McCain's life has prepared 
him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this Nation.
    From the day of his commissioning, John McCain was a respected naval 
officer who made decisions on which the lives of others depended. As an 
elected public servant, he earned the respect of colleagues in both 
parties as a man to follow when there's a tough call to make.
    John McCain's life is a story of service above self. Forty years ago 
in an enemy prison camp, Lieutenant Commander McCain was offered release 
ahead of others who had been held longer. His wounds were so severe that 
anyone would have understood if he'd accepted; John refused. For that 
selfless decision, he suffered nearly 5 more years of beatings and 
isolation. When he was released, his arms had been broken, but not his 
honor.
    Fellow citizens, if the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's 
resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry 
left never will.
    As the father of seven sons and daughters, John has the heart of a 
protector. He and his wonderful wife, Cindy, are adoptive parents. John 
is a leader know--who knows that human life is fragile, that human life 
is precious, that human life must be defended.
    We have seen John McCain's commitment to principle in our Nation's 
Capital. John is a steadfast opponent of wasteful spending. As 
President, he will stand up to the high-tax crowd in Congress and make 
the tax relief permanent. He will invest in the energy technologies of 
tomorrow and lift the ban on drilling for America's offshore oil today.
    John is an independent man who thinks for himself. He's not afraid 
to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me, I know. [Laughter] No matter 
what the issue, this man is honest and speaks straight from the heart.
    Last year, John McCain's independence and character helped change 
history. The Democrats had taken control of Congress and were 
threatening to cut off funds for our troops. In the face of calls for 
retreat, I ordered a surge of forces into Iraq. Many in Congress said it 
had no chance of working. Yet one Senator above all had faith in our 
troops and the importance of their mission, and that was John McCain. 
Some told him that his early and consistent call for more troops would 
put his Presidential campaign

[[Page 1173]]

at risk. He told them he would rather lose an election than see his 
country lose a war. That is the kind of courage and vision we need in 
our next Commander in Chief.
    My fellow citizens, we live in a dangerous world, and we need a 
President who understands the lessons of September the 11th, 2001: that 
to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before 
they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John 
McCain.
    When he takes office next January, John will have an outstanding 
leader at his side. America will have a strong and principled Vice 
President in the Governor of the great State of Alaska, Sarah Palin.
    In the time the Oval Office has been in my trust, I've kept near my 
desk reminders of America's character, including a painting of a west 
Texas mountain lit by the morning sun. It reminds me that Americans have 
always lived on the sunrise side of the mountain. We are a nation that 
looks to the new day with confidence and optimism. And I'm optimistic 
about our future because I believe in the goodness and wisdom of the 
American people. I am optimistic because I have faith in freedom's power 
to lift up all of God's children and lead this world to a future of 
peace.
    And I'm optimistic about something else: When the debates have 
ended, and all the ads have run, and it is time to vote, Americans will 
look closely at the judgment, the experience, and the policies of the 
candidates, and they will cast their ballots for the McCain-Palin 
ticket.
    While I am not with you in the Twin Cities on this wonderful night 
for our party, with Laura Bush speaking, you have clearly traded up. 
[Laughter] I am so proud the American people have come to know her 
gracious presence, her determined spirit, and her loving heart. Laura 
has been a fantastic First Lady.
    Thank you, Laura. And thanks to all of you in the hall tonight. God 
bless you, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke by satellite at 9:54 p.m. from the Cross Hall 
at the White House to convention participants in St. Paul, MN. In his 
remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama; Gov. Bobby Jindal of 
Louisiana; Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi; and Gov. Rick Perry of 
Texas. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.