[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 49 (Monday, December 15, 2008)]
[Pages 1493-1494]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Union League of Philadelphia's Unveiling of the 
President's Portrait in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 6, 2008

    Good morning. Welcome to my hanging. [Laughter] Thank you for 
coming, and thank you for your warm welcome.
    First, I'd like to compliment Mark Carder. He did a really fine job 
with a challenging subject. [Laughter] I was taken aback by how much 
gray paint you had to use--[laughter]--which speaks more about my job 
than yours. [Laughter] But thanks a lot. It's been a joy to work with 
you, and I'm confident this portrait will stand the test of time.
    I want to thank Fred and Frank for welcoming me here. I thank you 
for the medal. I'm keeping pretty good company, which I will speak about 
in a minute.
    First of all, I do want to thank the board of directors of the Union 
League for taking time out of your Saturday to be here. And I appreciate 
all the guests who have come as well.
    I particularly want to say thanks to my friend Arlen Specter for 
joining us, and he--[applause]. It's been a joy working with you--most 
of the time. [Laughter] He's a pretty independent-minded fellow--
[laughter]--who is honest and decent. And like me, he married very well. 
So Joan, thanks for being here, and I appreciate you supporting this 
good man during some very difficult times.
    I thank the Hoopers for paying for this work. I thank Jim Straw and 
the Abraham Lincoln Foundation and the foundation members who are here 
today. I appreciate you preserving the legacy of a good man.
    I am--it turns out, this award had been given to folks I have had 
the honor of serving with: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of 
Defense Don Rumsfeld, Secretary Tom Ridge--three good men who are 
dedicated and patriot public servants.
    I'm especially proud to be a co-recipient with a guy I call 41, the 
1987 Gold Medal Award winner, the guy I call dad; you call him President 
Bush. We owe our achievements to the same savvy political counselor and 
firm disciplinarian: Barbara. [Laughter] And they're both doing well, by 
the way. Mother is coming out of the hospital. I hope they don't put 
this on TV, but she's a tough old bird--[laughter]--whose spirits are 
soaring high.
    The motto of the Union League is ``Love of Country Leads.'' You 
obviously love our country, because you continue to lead in ways

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that make Philadelphia a more compassionate place, and I want to thank 
you for that. I appreciate the fact that you have mentoring programs and 
internships and scholarships, that basically says the dream is for all 
who live in this country. I thank you for your efforts to preserve 
historical treasures. One can learn a lot from the past, and the Union 
League is doing its part to tell the true story of our great Nation.
    In short, I thank you for your service to your community and our 
country.
    I also thank you for preserving the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. I'm 
about to be a member of the ex-President's club, so I'll just call him 
Abe. [Laughter] If he were around I could say, ``You call me W.'' 
[Laughter] He--I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a place 
in the Oval Office where the President puts the most influential 
President--portrait of, I guess you'd say, influential President. I'm 
somewhat conflicted about the influential President, so I say, 41's 
portrait hangs in my heart; 16 hangs on the wall.
    I found it interesting that the League was founded in 1862 to 
support President Lincoln in a time when his leadership was deeply 
controversial. [Laughter] Look, I know how he felt. [Laughter]
    But the principles on which he stood have stood the test of time. 
``All men are created equal under God,'' he said unflinchingly 
throughout his Presidency. Liberty is given to every man, woman, and 
child on the face of the Earth. I believe, like Lincoln, there is an 
Almighty, and a gift of that Almighty to every man is freedom. He has 
taught Presidents that you must act on your principles and make tough 
decisions, regardless of the political consequences.
    I have been a--I have drawn strength from his example. I have 
learned lessons by reading about Abraham Lincoln. And I want to thank 
you for preserving his legacy.
    And most importantly, I thank you for your kind words and your 
heartfelt prayers during the last 8 years. It has been--somebody said, 
``What's it's like to be President?'' I said, ``Some days you're happy; 
some days not so happy; every day joyous to serve the United States.''
    God bless you, and God bless our country.

Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. in Lincoln Hall at the Union 
League of Philadelphia. In his remarks, he referred to painter Mark 
Carder; Frederick C. Haab, Jr., president, Union League of Philadelphia; 
Frank Giordano, member, and James B. Straw, chairman, board of trustees, 
Abraham Lincoln Foundation; and Bruce and Eileen Hooper, commissioners 
of the President's portrait.