Remarks at a Reception for Congressional Candidate Michael A
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Administration of George W. Bush, 2006 / Oct. 10 sharing. We want each and every student tion to help people understand what is pos- in our organization, which reaches about sible, what is doable, the programs that are a quarter of a million students, to be a working. And the head of the sheriff’s de- lot broader than that. We want to touch partment readily sprung to his feet to say, every student in America through our pro- ‘‘You can count on me.’’ grams and through our mission to promote The purpose has got to be more than family as the basic unit of society and the just hoping somebody is listening to TV. values thereof. The purpose has got to be—out of this— So I thank you, Mr. President, Mrs. that we share information so that we can Bush—— save lives, encourage parents, and help peo- The President. Why the red coat? ple respond. [Laughter] Just so you got called on? I And I want to thank you all very much mean, is there a—[laughter]. for coming. I’m proud you’re here. God Q. I just wanted that. No, our colors bless you all. in the organization are red and white. The President. Fabulous. Q. So all of the officers wear our red NOTE: The President spoke at 1:24 p.m. at jackets. the National 4–H Conference Center. In his The President. I, once again, apologize. remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of I’ve got to get on an airplane. But I do Florida. Participating in the event was want to thank you all for coming. I hope Marleen Wong, director, Crisis Counseling you have found this interesting. I am a and Intervention Services, Los Angeles Uni- results-oriented person, and I expect from fied School District, and director, Trauma Margaret and Al to make sure that out Services Adaptation Center for Schools and of all this effort comes some concrete ac- Communities, Los Angeles, CA. Remarks at a Reception for Congressional Candidate Michael A. ‘‘Mac’’ Collins in Macon, Georgia October 10, 2006 Thanks for coming. It’s good to be in because I married well. [Laughter] And I Macon. Thanks for coming out. One thing want you to know, Julie and Mac, that about old Mac is, you know where he Laura sends her very best to you both. stands. That’s the kind of Congressman you I know she was your first choice for this need from this part of the world, and that’s fundraiser. [Laughter] She’s got to be the the kind of Congressman we need in Wash- most patient woman in America. I know ington, DC, straightforward thinker, bring- we’ve got some Texans here, and they went ing common sense to the Nation’s Capital. to the same college as Laura did. And when I’m proud to stand here with Mac Col- she went there, she, frankly, wasn’t inter- lins. I know him well. I’ve worked with ested in politics and, I think, didn’t care him; I’ve listened carefully to his ideas. No for politicians. [Laughter] Now here she doubt in my mind he’s the best person is as the Nation’s First Lady, and I firmly to represent the Eighth Congressional Dis- believe this country is better off with Laura trict from the State of Georgia. as the First Lady. I’m also for him because he married well. Of course, that’s why he invited me, 1807 VerDate Mar 15 2010 10:45 Oct 01, 2010 Jkt 211655 PO 00000 Frm 00495 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\211655A.015 211655A rmajette on DSK29S0YB1PROD with HEARING Oct. 10 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2006 I’m not only proud to be here with Mac to getting Mac up there to work with him Collins—and I want to thank you for sup- to do what’s right for the country. porting him, by the way. I cannot thank I want to thank Alec Poitevint—with us; you enough for helping this good man. He he’s the chairman of—the national com- not only needs to fill the hat in order to mitteeman. It seems like I’ve been saying run a good campaign, he’s going to need his name for two decades, or three decades. your work coming down the stretch. He’s [Laughter] Thanks for coming, Alec. Perry going to need you to help make the phone McGuire—Perry McGuire is with us; he’s calls and put up the signs and turn out the candidate for the attorney general for the vote. He’s going to need the grassroots the State of Georgia. Perry, thanks for com- activists to step up and say to their fellow ing. Good luck to you, Perry. citizens, you’ve got a good man in Mac I want to thank all the local officials and Collins. He knows what happens in Wash- State officials who are here. Appreciate you ington, DC. He’s not a novice up there. serving. When he gets back up there, he knows There are a lot of issues that I’ll be talk- what he needs to do. And he’s going to ing about. I know Mac will be talking about represent the will of the people of this dis- them. We’ve got issues such as making sure trict, see. That’s the thing I like about Mac. we become less dependent on foreign oil. And so I want to thank you for giving of It’s going to be helpful to have these Geor- your money, and thank you for giving of gia farmers growing oil—growing the feed- your time when we come down the stretch. stock for oil—[laughter]—like soy diesel or I also want to thank you for supporting ethanol. It’s coming. I look forward to one of the Nation’s fine Governors, Gov- working with Mac to spend some money ernor Sonny Perdue. You know what—all to help new technologies evolve. We can’t Sonny is doing is—in office is what he said be complacent just because the price of he’s going to do. He said he’s going to gasoline is going down. Being dependent do this, he’s going to do it, and he does. on oil from overseas is still a national secu- And I’m proud to be with Sonny, and I rity concern. And I intend to push hard want to thank you for helping him. for technologies that will enable us to di- I’m also proud to be able to work with versify. a really fine United States Senator in Sen- I’m going to work with Mac to make ator Saxby Chambliss, and I see sweet sure health care costs are reasonable so Julianne is with you. Thanks for coming, people can have affordable insurance. Julianne. Now, let me say this about Saxby: There’s a lot of issues we can talk about, If you’re interested in agriculture, you don’t but one of the most important issues is have to worry about your interests being taxes. It’s a big national issue. I want to represented in the United States Senate. spend a little time talking about it today The man has got some stroke up there because there’s a fundamental difference in Washington—[laughter]—and he knows between the Republican and Democrat what he’s talking about. And those of us Parties on this important issue. And I’m in the White House listen to him. Senator, going to discuss this issue and these dif- we’re proud you’re here. ferences between now and election day. Georgia has got a fine congressional dele- And I’m going to spend some time right gation, and one of the Congressmen is with here in Macon, Georgia, talking about it. us today, Lynn Westmoreland. Congress- Mac and I share a philosophy about man, thanks for coming. Good to see you. taxes. We believe that the people who best Appreciate your time. We’ve spent some know how to spend your money are the quality time together, and I know he’s a people who earn the money in the first good one, and I know he’s looking forward place. And that’s you. So we worked to 1808 VerDate Mar 15 2010 10:45 Oct 01, 2010 Jkt 211655 PO 00000 Frm 00496 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\211655A.015 211655A rmajette on DSK29S0YB1PROD with HEARING Administration of George W. Bush, 2006 / Oct. 10 ensure that working families are able to the Democrats put forward a budget alter- keep more of their paycheck. And that— native that called for $177 billion in addi- those weren’t just empty campaign words. tional spending authority over the next 5 Those are actually deliverables; that’s what years, a number that does not include all we did. Mac stood squarely for cutting the the other spending they proposed. The taxes. My administration and the Congress problem is, even if they raise taxes on ev- have enacted the largest tax relief since eryone making over $200,000, they would Ronald Reagan was in the White House. bring in only $108 billion of new revenues. We cut the taxes for every American who And that means the Democrats would have pays taxes. to come up with $69 billion for additional If you paid income taxes, we cut your spending they proposed. And guess who’s taxes, see.