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Home , Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars

Jan. 31 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2005

and the Secretary of Education and those of Margaret Spellings. I am proud to wel- who work in this building must listen to come her into my Cabinet. those closest to our children—their parents, Margaret. their teachers, and their principals. She will be a thoughtful and determined leader of NOTE: The President spoke at 10:47 a.m. at this Department. The people who work in the U.S. Department of Education. The tran- this building will find out that they are script released by the Office of the Press Sec- very lucky to have been led by the likes retary also included the remarks of Secretary Spellings.

Remarks Honoring the 2004 National Association Champion Pistons January 31, 2005

Thank you all. Please be seated. Gosh, part-owner of the Pistons is with us. Thank what an honor it is to welcome the mighty you for coming, Oscar. to the White House. With and —both of all the fans here and the players, I guess them came to the White House as champs. you’d expect to hear somebody ringing the As I recall, you came here in ’89 and ’90— gong. [Laughter] I love to welcome champs I’m aware of who was living here then. to the people’s home. [Laughter] Welcome back. Congratulations I also am glad to welcome members of to Joe as the president of basketball oper- the delegation: Senator Levin, ations—Mr. President. And Bill, of course, thank you for coming; Congressman Kildee; is the coach of the Shock, who we wel- Congressman Levin—that would be Sen- comed here to the Rose Garden last—2 ator Levin’s brother. [Laughter] Joe years ago. Knollenberg is here. Thanks for coming, Tom Wilson, the president of Palace Joe. It’s great to see you. Congressman Sports and Entertainment. I want to thank Carolyn Kilpatrick—that would be the mom all the players and your families who’ve come. Welcome. I hope you’ve gotten a of the mayor. [Laughter] I’m sure the tour of this majestic place. It’s a special mayor was there during the celebration. place to work and live. Candice Miller is with us. Thank you all I want to congratulate for coming. I’m honored that you’re here for being the NBA Championship Series to welcome your favorite team. MVP. I’m proud to be on the—sharing the So nobody expected you to win. I know stage with Coach . The guy how you feel. [Laughter] You won because must know what he’s doing, you know? you put a team together. You had people [Laughter] He’s NCAA champs with the willing to serve something greater than Kansas Jayhawks and now is a professional yourself, and it’s a wonderful example for basketball coach that won the NBA crown. kids on playgrounds or people in all walks Bill Davidson—I’ve known Bill Davidson of life. I guess you kind of just played it in the past. He is a true gentleman, a great the right way. I think that’s what the coach civic leader in the Detroit area. Mr. David- says, ‘‘Play it the right way.’’ That’s how son, thank you for being here. Congratula- we should live life. That’s what champs do. tions on the championship. Oscar Feldman, They set an example.

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As you know, a lot of kids look at you. your great championship status and con- They see you as the big . They wonder verted it to good, and that’s good. what life should be like, and every time And so we’re here to congratulate you you set an example for a kid to make a for being the great champs that you are. right choice in life, you’re helping save a And by the way, I also want to thank you life. And I want to thank you for the extent for providing entertainment for our troops that you do that. overseas. I don’t know if you know this I also appreciate the fact that you’ve or not, but a lot of people overseas support been involved in great causes like teaching professional basketball. Professional basket- children how to read. I can’t think of a ball provides great relief from their duty more important cause than lending a gift and entertainment, a reminder of what life of knowledge to a child. I remember the is like back home, and I suspect a lot of time in Houston, Texas, when a woman them are Detroit Pistons fans as well. walked up to me and she said, ‘‘Reading So thank you for what you’re doing, sup- is the new civil right.’’ I thought that was porting those who have helped make this such a powerful phrase. If you believe that, world a more peaceful and free place. In if you believe you liberate people by teach- other words, welcome to the White House, ing them to read, consider yourself lib- and congratulations for being called erators as a result of being in the program, champs. Thanks for coming. ‘‘Read To Achieve.’’ I want to thank you for setting an exam- NOTE: The President spoke at 3:05 p.m. in ple for the tsunami relief effort. As you the East Room at the White House. In his might remember, I tapped two former remarks, he referred to Mayor Kwame M. Presidents, 41 and 42—that would be my Kilpatrick of Detroit, MI, son of Representa- dad and President Clinton—to join together tive Carolyn C. Kilpatrick; Bill Davidson and to help raise money. I suspect basketball Oscar Feldman, owners, and Joe Dumars, players probably have a little more pull president of basketball operations, Detroit than they do. And so I want to thank you Pistons; and Bill Laimbeer, head coach, De- for setting an example of serving people troit Shock, Women’s National Basketball who hurt. In other words, you have taken Association.

Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union February 2, 2005

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, ment of our Nation to the guiding ideal Members of Congress, fellow citizens: of liberty for all. This evening I will set As a new Congress gathers, all of us in forth policies to advance that ideal at home the elected branches of Government share and around the world. a great privilege: We’ve been placed in of- Tonight, with a healthy, growing econ- fice by the votes of the people we serve. omy, with more Americans going back to And tonight that is a privilege we share work, with our Nation an active force for with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, good in the world, the state of our Union the Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, and a is confident and strong. free and sovereign Iraq. Our generation has been blessed by the Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps expansion of opportunity, by advances in of this Capitol and renewed the commit- medicine, by the security purchased by our

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