Administration of George W. Bush, 2008 / Apr. 7

consumption. We’re in a rough time right a-half to the economy here in the latter now. I’m confident we’re going to come part of this year. If that’s the case, it’s out of it. And when we do, we’re going going to be an important part of recovering. to be a stronger and better country. Anyway, long and short of it is, I thank Congress, of course, is contemplating dif- you all for coming—very useful meeting. ferent measures. And my only advice to I thank you for being entrepreneurs. them is, one, make sure you give the Thanks for working hard to provide for progrowth package that was passed over- your families. Thank you for looking after whelmingly a chance to work. Let’s see your employees the way you do. Appreciate what the effects are. Secondly, anything the fact that you’re making investments in they do should not hurt the economy. And the year 2008 which will get this economy thirdly, I—you know, I think we ought to— going. in terms of progrowth packages—I think Thank you. we ought to, again I repeat, give this one a chance to kick in. The experts tell me that this progrowth package is going to add NOTE: The President spoke at 1:46 p.m. in some—you know, a percent, percent-and- the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

Remarks Honoring the 2007 NCAA Football Champion Louisiana State University Tigers April 7, 2008

Good to see you all. Welcome. Go Ti- boys. Rodney Alexander—Congressman, gers! Sit down. Please sit down. Thanks good to see you. Charles Boustany—I’m for coming. glad to see you, Charles. Thanks for com- So I met some of these men in 2004; ing. I appreciate you taking time to be they feel pretty comfortable they were here. going to be back here. Some of them Out of the State government is State weren’t so sure I was going to be back Treasurer John Kennedy. John, thank you here. [Laughter] It’s good to welcome you for coming. Appreciate you coming up for back, proud you’re here. Nothing like being that. Glad you brought Preston. Is Breaux called national champs. LSU has the honor here? No, he—[laughter]—he’s working— of being the first school to win two BCS [laughter]—which is a major upset—no. titles. This year there is no split. [Laughter] I appreciate Les Miles and Kathy. Winning requires very strong leadership; Thanks for coming. Proud to have met you, that’s what it takes. After 8 years of wel- coach. It was a great honor for me to have coming national champs, there’s always one called you after you won that day. And common denominator, and that is, it re- I know you told the team that at least one quires a strong leader to motivate people guy called to congratulate. [Laughter] I toward a common goal. And that’s exactly welcome the LSU administrators, per- what you have in Coach Les Miles. Coach sonnel, coaches, trainers, locker room folks, Miles’s 3 years has helped the team com- and most of all, the players. pile a 34 and 6 record. And this is a guy I want to welcome Members of Con- who’s not afraid to take risks. He tried two gress—Jim McCrery. Jim, good to see you, fake field goals, fake punt, went for fourth HEARING sir. And Scott and Clark, good to see you down—went for first down on fourth down with

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15 times. Made it nearly every time. Of You earned your place in the record course, he had the players who helped him books. You scored the most points in school take that risk. history. And the seniors will go down as He also had to deal with some delicate LSU’s winningest class. No other senior situations away from the field, like inac- class has had a better record than those curate press stories. [Laughter] Coach, let who are graduating here. [Applause] me just say, I know the feeling. [Laughter] I welcome defensive tackle Glenn Dor- This is Coach Miles’s first time cele- sey, and so did the team when he turned brating here at the White House. And a down—when he decided not to turn pro lot of folks are going to remember it, be- last year. A lot of fans said, ‘‘Thank you, cause it’s the first time he’s been seen in Glenn.’’ [Laughter] A lot of opponents said, public without a hat on. [Laughter] ‘‘No thank you, Glenn.’’ [Laughter] After LSU fans had an amazing season. They— all, he was the defensive player of the year first of all, in the season, the number one for SEC, Outland Trophy winner, ranking changed hands six times. Of course, Lombardi Trophy, and Nagurski Award. LSU was number one on the day it count- He’ll have his time in the NFL, and a ed; that’s why they’re here. The—you had lot of teams are sure anxious to have him to overcome adversity to get here. You play for them. Congratulations, and wel- played as a team, and you won some dra- come. Glad you’re here. matic football games. And when you lost, This is a team of great athletes. Two it was pretty dramatic too. You beat Florida players were drafted by Major League in a comeback with the largest crowd ever Baseball. One of the stars, Trindon to watch a game at Tiger Stadium. Two Holliday, holds the school record in the weeks later, you rallied to beat Auburn on 100 meters. One of your linemen, Herman a touchdown scored with 1 second left on Johnson—he holds a different kind of the clock. record. [Laughter] He was the largest baby After you lost to Arkansas, a lot of folks ever born in the State of Louisiana, at 15 counted you out, but you held a team pounds, 14 ounces. [Laughter] That’s why meeting and decided you had something he’s known as ‘‘the House,’’ which puts him to play for. In other words, you didn’t let in good stead with his fellow teammates adversity affect you. You said, ‘‘We’re going known as ‘‘Putt’’ or ‘‘Surfer Boy,’’ ‘‘L- to do something about it.’’ And then you Crazy,’’ and ‘‘Cheese.’’ [Laughter] What- beat Tennessee to win the SEC Champion- ever nickname you prefer to be called, all ship, and you went from number seven to of us here are calling you champs, and you number two. And you went straight to the deserve it. I want to thank you for being national title game, which didn’t start off champions on the field. so good. And yet you had 31 unanswered I appreciate you understanding that once points, like a true champion team, to win you’re a champ on the field, means you 38 to 24. And you’re here at the White have a responsibility to be a champ off House representing LSU University as the the field as well. And there’s no better in- national champs, and we congratulate you. spiration than Les Miles and his wife Being raised in Texas and growing up Kathy. They host events that raise money in Texas, I’ve got a lot of friends in Lou- for the Children’s Miracle Network. isiana. And you inspired people across the They’re active in cancer fundraising and the State. I thought Matt—quarterback Matt Special Olympics, the Baton Rouge Chil- Flynn put it best. He said, ‘‘You can’t dren’s Advocacy Center. I told the coach dream it any better than that.’’ And that’s that I was going to mention this, and that what a lot of people were saying around is, I’m aware, as the Commander in Chief HEARING your State. of the finest military ever assembled on with

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the face of the Earth, that he went to boost he helped the Nation as a whole. And I our troops in Iraq and Kuwait as part of want to thank you, Ciron, for your leader- a USO tour. I want to thank you, coach, ship. for doing your job. There’s a lot of great stories about the I appreciate the example that Glenn character of the people behind me, but it’s Dorsey has set on the field and off the getting chilly, and I’m looking forward to field to—he works to educate children getting my LSU jersey. [Laughter] And so about the dangers of drugs and encourages I want to welcome you all to the White them to work hard. His advice is, ‘‘Dream House—to the South Lawn of the White big and make things happen.’’ There’s noth- House. I’m so honored and proud to wel- ing better than a champ to help somebody come the LSU Tigers here as the national dream big and to encourage them to make champs. God bless you, God bless LSU, something happen. and God bless America. And so when you leave here, I hope you leave here knowing that you’ve got a NOTE: The President spoke at 2:08 p.m. on special responsibility, not only to represent the South Lawn at the White House. In his your school on the football field but to remarks, he referred to Scott and Clark help make America a better place, just like McCrery, sons of Rep. James O. McCrery Ciron Black did when he heard the story III; Preston Kennedy, son of Louisiana State of an 8-year-old LSU fan who was suffering Treasurer John Neely Kennedy; former Sen. from leukemia. And he took time to send John B. Breaux; Jared Mitchell and Trindon an encouraging message. Then he wrote Holliday, wide receivers, Chad Jones and the boy’s name, Mikey, on his wristband Craig Steltz, safeties, Herman Johnson, of- during the national championship game. fensive lineman, Luke Sanders, linebacker, Sometimes people say, ‘‘I can’t help be- Charles Alexander, defensive tackle, and cause I can’t solve all the problems.’’ But Ciron Black, offensive tackle, Louisiana State in this case, he showed that you can help University football team; and LSU football one person. And in helping one person, fan Michael Conger.

Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation To Implement the United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement April 7, 2008

To the Congress of the United States: priation in 2000 to provide funding for Plan I am pleased to transmit legislation and Colombia, and my Administration has con- supporting documents to implement the tinued to stand with Colombia as it con- United States-Colombia Trade Promotion fronts violence, terror, and drug traffickers. Agreement (the ‘‘Agreement’’). The Agree- This Agreement will increase opportunity ment represents an historic development in for the people of Colombia through sus- our relations with Colombia, which has tained economic growth and is therefore shown its commitment to advancing democ- vital to ensuring that Colombia continues racy, protecting human rights, and pro- on its trajectory of positive change. Under moting economic opportunity. Colombia’s the leadership of President Alvaro Uribe, importance as a steadfast strategic partner Colombia has made a remarkable turn- of the United States was recognized by around since 1999 when it was on the verge HEARING President Clinton’s support for an appro- of being a failed state. This progress is in with

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