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Home , Adam Vinatieri, Bill Polian, Dominic Rhodes, Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne

512 Apr. 23 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2007

Remarks Honoring the 2007 Super Burton—appreciate you coming, Dan, and, Bowl Champion Colts Samia, I’m glad you’re here. Thanks for com- April 23, 2007 ing, Samia. Mark Souder, Julia Carson, Mike Pence, Baron Hill, Joe Donnelly, and Brad The President. Thank you all. Please be Ellsworth—glad you all are here. Some of seated. How about it? Like, the Indianapolis these guys get elected for the first time, and Colts here on the South Lawn—congratula- the first thing that happens is, the Indianap- tions. Welcome to the champs. olis Colts win the Super Bowl. You’re not I want to welcome and Meg and taking credit, are you? [Laughter] Carlie, Casey, and Kalen. I had the honor I want to thank all the coaches who are of calling Jim after they won. I understand here. I want to thank the families of the Colt how hard it is to be an owner of a sports family who have helped this organization team and win. [Laughter] I never did it— flourish. I want to—most of all, I want to [laughter]—but he has, and I congratulate thank the players. I am proud of you; the the organization. I congratulate country is proud of you. The people from as well. I want to thank all the front office Indiana have supported you, and you didn’t personnel, the schedulers, the ticket sellers, let them down. As a matter fact, this is— the travel arrangers, the people who never last time you won as Colts, though, was 1971. get any credit. I appreciate you being part Interesting, I thought about that. Most of you of a fine organization. And we’re here on the weren’t even born. I was, and that’s when South Lawn to congratulate you. they beat our Cowboys, A.J. [Laughter] But I congratulate the head coach of the Indi- you’ve—as Bill put it, he said, ‘‘Finally.’’ And anapolis Colts, . And I’m glad a lot of Indianapolis fans said, ‘‘Thank good- his wife, Lauren, is here as well. Tony Dungy ness.’’ They love to support this team, and is the first African American coach to ever you didn’t let them down. win a Super Bowl. That in itself is a great It was a pretty tough , though, when honor. But interestingly enough, he is a man you think about it. It wasn’t one of these run- who has used his—a position of notoriety to aways. It looked like it was going to be a behave in a quiet and strong way in the face runaway—Secretary Rice, if you want to of personal tragedy that has influenced a lot come in, please, yes. So, like, you’re a big of our fellow citizens. And I want to thank Dungy fan, aren’t you? you for your courage. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Alphonso Jackson is here with us, Sec- Yes, sir. retary of the Department of Housing and The President. That’s right; that’s what Urban Development. Prior to today, he told I thought. me he was a Cowboy fan. [Laughter] Like, So the season started off good, like you what are you doing here, A.J.? Oh, okay, you won the first nine games, and then it ap- wanted to see the coach. All right, good. Yes. peared this championship team was going to I thank Randy Tobias, who was an executive fizzle; it wasn’t going to make it. And so from Indianapolis but ran our HIV/AIDS ini- they—you lost four out of seven. And they tiative—by the way, helped people in Africa started to, like, write you off, right? They receive antiretroviral drugs. When we came kind of say—you probably—some of these in, there was 50,000 people receiving sports writers started to say, you know, well, antiretroviral drugs; now there’s 850,000 they don’t have what it takes; they can kind people receiving antiretroviral drugs. Tobias, of do okay until it comes to the big one, and thank you for your compassion. Al Hubbard, then they just don’t have the character nec- Economic Adviser to the President, is here— essary to make it work. They did okay in the Indianapolis Colt fan. , and you move your way through I want to thank Members of the Congress the playoffs, and then all of a sudden, the who have joined us today, starting with Sen- guy on Super Bowl 41 runs the kickoff back. ator Evan Bayh and Susan. It’s good to see [Laughter] I’m sure a lot of those skeptics the Bayh lads with them. Thank you all for were saying, ‘‘Told you so; the Indianapolis coming. Appreciate you being here. Dan Colts, good players, fine people, just don’t

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have what it takes to win.’’ But as the coach The President. We’re glad you’re here, said, ‘‘Our guys just kept saying, ‘We’re going Adam; thank you very much. to fight; we’re not going to be denied.’ That I appreciate what guard said. heart will take you a long way.’’ He said, ‘‘The whole team has fought hard And so this is a victory for good hearts— the whole season, through ups and downs.’’ good hearts off the field and good hearts on Isn’t that what life is about; isn’t it, really? the field. And we congratulate you. Thank Through the ups—it’s easy to fight hard in you for winning. the ups. It’s when the downs come that So a lot of people here in the White House you’ve got to be a fighter. He said, ‘‘I couldn’t compound have been really looking forward be prouder to be a part of this football team.’’ to seeing . They wanted to And I couldn’t be prouder to welcome the see a guy who gets more air time than I do. football team to the South Lawn of the White [Laughter] I met Peyton Manning. He said, House. I appreciate what this team does. I ‘‘I’m going to be here during your Presi- appreciate the example you set. I appreciate dency. We will be here having won the Super the fact that you understand that off the field, Bowl.’’ And sure enough, he delivered. And, a lot of people are looking at you to deter- Peyton, thank you for being a fine person mine whether or not they want to be like and a good . you. I’m sure and Reggie I thank you very much for the ‘‘Bleed Wayne are saying, thanks for being a good Blood Blue Drive’’—that’s hard for a guy quarterback; thanks for getting us the ball. from west Texas to say—[laughter]—‘‘Bleed After all, these two players ranked second Blood Blue Drive,’’ in which you’ve encour- and third in the NFL in receiving in the— aged 2,000 people to donate blood. I appre- during the regular season. That’s called bal- ciate the book drives that you’ve held to pro- anced attack, particularly when you added mote literacy in the State of Indiana. I appre- that LSU guy, Joseph. Where’s Joseph? ciate the food drives that you’ve held to fight There he is. Yes, sir. [Laughter] Congratula- hunger in the State of Indiana. I appreciate tions to you. led the NFL the Colts Football Fund. in rushing yards in the post-season. You had Most of all, I appreciate you all. Thanks people who can catch the ball, a guy who for coming. God bless. can throw the ball, and people who can run Jim Irsay. Mr. President, we have a spe- the ball. cial gift to present to you from the Irsay fam- People held your defense as suspect, but ily and the Colts organization. I knew that not when it counted. I can remember all the you’d love these specially made cowboy hats. analysts saying, ‘‘Well, the defense is a little We have some special dedications inside short this year. They may have the offensive there for you, sir, and I hope you’ll enjoy firepower, but they can’t play on the other it. side of the ball.’’ Until it mattered, and then The President. Thank you. Thank you, sir. the defense stood up and helped this team Mr. Irsay. You’re welcome. become a Super Bowl champ. The President. Pretty snazzy, huh? And so to the offense, congratulations on [Laughter] Yes, thank you. doing what people expected. To the defense, Tony Dungy. And on behalf of the team, thanks for helping this team be here in the we got you a Bush Colts jersey. We normally White House as well. go number 1, but in this case, we had to It’s good to be the presence of Adam go 43. Vinatieri—again. [Laughter] The man knows The President. Yes, that’s right. Thank how to pick a winner—[laughter]—and help you. contribute to a winner. You know, in 2005, NOTE: The President spoke at 3:08 p.m. on the he didn’t make it to the White House, and South Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, I asked why. It was a simple matter of he he referred to Jim Irsay, owner, Bill Polian, presi- and his wife were having a child. I hope the dent, Marvin Harrison and , wide kid is doing well. receivers, , , Dominic . Thank you. Rhodes, former running back, Adam Vinatieri,

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kicker, and Ryan Lilja, offensive guard, Indianap- also made it clear, our troops should not be olis Colts; and Meg Coyle Irsay, wife of Jim Irsay, caught in the middle of that discussion. and their daughters, Carlie, Casey, and Kalen. Yesterday Democratic leaders announced that they plan to send me a bill that will fund Statement on the Death of our troops only if we agree to handcuff our Boris Yeltsin generals, add billions of dollars in unrelated spending, and begin to pull out of Iraq by April 23, 2007 an arbitrary date. I’m disappointed that the Laura and I are deeply saddened by the Democratic leadership has chosen this death of former Russian President Boris course. Yeltsin. President Yeltsin was an historic fig- The bill they announced yesterday in- ure who served his country during a time of cludes some of the worst parts of the meas- momentous change. He played a key role as ures they had earlier passed with narrow ma- the Soviet Union dissolved, helped lay the jorities in the House and the Senate. They foundations of freedom in Russia, and be- know I’m going to veto a bill containing these came the first democratically elected leader provisions, and they know that my veto will in that country’s history. I appreciate the ef- be sustained. But instead of fashioning a bill forts that President Yeltsin made to build a I could sign, the Democratic leaders chose strong relationship between Russia and the to further delay funding our troops, and they United States. We offer our sincerest condo- chose to make a political statement. That’s lences to the Yeltsin family and to the Rus- their right, but it is wrong for our troops, sian people. and it’s wrong for our country. To accept the bill proposed by the Demo- cratic leadership would be to accept a policy Statement on the Identity Theft Task that directly contradicts the judgment of our Force Report military commanders. I strongly believe that April 23, 2007 the Democrats’ proposal would undermine our troops and threaten the safety of the I commend Attorney General Alberto American people here at home. And here is Gonzales and Chairman of the Federal Trade why. Commission Deborah Majoras for their work First, a proposal would mandate the with- on the Identity Theft Task Force report re- drawal of American troops beginning as early leased today. The report is the culmination as July 1st of this year, and no later than Oc- of many months of hard work by numerous tober 1st of this year, despite the fact that Federal agencies. Identity theft is a serious General Petraeus has not yet received all the problem in America, and my administration reinforcements he needs. It makes no sense is working to combat this crime and to assist its victims. I thank the Attorney General, the to tell the enemy when you start to plan with- Chairman, and their staffs for taking on this drawing. If we were to do so, the enemy difficult and important assignment. would simply mark their calendars and begin plotting how to take over a country when we leave. Remarks on Congressional Action on We know what could happen next. Just as Emergency Supplemental Al Qaida used Afghanistan as a base to plan Appropriations attacks of September the 11th, Al Qaida April 24, 2007 could make Iraq a base to plan even more deadly attacks. The lesson of 9/11 is that al- Good morning. Seventy-eight days ago, I lowing terrorists to find a sanctuary anywhere sent Congress a request for emergency war in the world can have deadly consequences funding that our troops urgently need. I on the streets of our own cities. made it clear to Democratic leaders on Cap- Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a itol Hill that I’m willing to discuss our dif- plan to bring peace to the region or to make ferences on the way forward in Iraq. But I our people safer at home. Instead, it would

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