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, 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,

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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 Senator in Sen- I’m going to work with Mac to make ator , 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 . 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, . 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

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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. We doubled the child tax credit; going to have to pay? we reduced the marriage penalty; we cut When the Democrats find themselves taxes on small businesses; we cut taxes on short of money to pay for all their spending capital gains and dividends to promote in- promises, it’s the middle class Americans vestment and jobs. And to reward family who get stuck with the bill. Recently, the businesses and farmers for a lifetime of top Democrat on the House Ways and hard work and savings, we put the death Means Committee—that’s the committee tax on the road to extinction. that writes taxes—said he can’t think of one The Republican record on taxes is clear, of our tax cuts that should be extended. and the Democrats in Washington have a Think of that, not one—not the tax cuts clear record of their own. The trouble is, for families with children, not the reduction they don’t want you to know about it. Re- in the marriage penalty, not the tax cuts cently the top Democrat leader in the on small businesses, not the tax cuts on House made an interesting declaration. She dividend and capital gains, not the cut in said, ‘‘We love tax cuts.’’ Given her record, the death tax. Even when asked to explain she must be a secret admirer. [Laughter] his remarks, he refused to commit to ex- It’s not just the so-called tax cuts for the tending a single tax cut we passed. If he’s rich she opposes. When we cut taxes for not going to commit to extending these tax everybody who pays income taxes, she cuts now, think of what he would do if voted against it. When we reduced the the Democrats gained control over the marriage penalty, she voted against it. United States Congress and he became When we cut taxes on small businesses, chairman of this important committee. she voted against it. When we lowered the The difference between our parties could taxes for families with children, she voted not be clearer, and so is your choice on against it. When we put the death tax on election day. If you want to keep the tax the road to extinction, she voted against cuts we passed, vote Republican on No- it. Time and time again, she had an oppor- vember the 7th. tunity to show her love for tax cuts— What they don’t seem to understand, [laughter]—and she voted no. [Laughter] what the national Democrats don’t seem If this is a Democrat’s idea of love—[laugh- to understand, is that the economy grows ter]—I wouldn’t want to see what hate when you control more of your own money. looks like. The tax cuts we passed put more than a Now she and other Democrats are trot- trillion dollars in the hands of American ting out their old line about how they’re workers and families and small businesses. only going to raise taxes on the rich. We’ve And you’ve used that money to help fuel heard that before. Sounds like a nice idea our strong and growing economy. The na- until you start doing the math. Let me just tional unemployment rate is now 4.6 per- give you one example. Earlier this year, cent. People are working in the United

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States of America. Since August of 2003, the United States of America. You know, our economy has added more than 6.6 mil- when I was campaigning in Georgia in lion new jobs. Our progrowth economic 2000, I didn’t believe I’d be saying such policies work. They’re making a difference a statement. I didn’t want to be a war for the people of America. President. I don’t remember a lot of discus- And this strong and growing economy sion about war in the 2000 campaign. But has helped us reduce the Federal deficit. war came to our shores, a war we didn’t When I set a goal of cutting the deficit ask for and a war we must win for the in half by 2009, Democrats said we couldn’t sake of future generations. get it done. Last year the ranking Demo- People ask me, what’s it like to be the crat on the House Budget Committee said President. I said, it’s a decisionmaking ex- that my budget brought us nowhere near perience. [Laughter] And I make a lot. And the goal of cutting the deficit in half. a lot of decisions I make are based upon Here’s what actually happened: A growing the knowledge I learned from that attack economy has helped produce record tax on September the 11th, 2001. I learned revenues, and in July, I announced that we face an enemy that is ruthless, that will we were a year ahead of schedule in our kill the innocent in order to achieve objec- plans to cut the deficit in half. tives. I learned we face an enemy that has The Democrats’ approach to cutting the got an ideology, an ideology that is hard deficit is taking more of your money to for a lot of Americans to understand, an pay for their spending. The Republican ap- ideology that does not believe in the same proach is to restrain spending and let you freedoms we believe. keep more of your own money so this econ- omy grows. And there’s a fundamental dif- Let’s talk about religion for a second. ference, and it’s clear as night and day. One of the great, great beliefs of America Next month, our Nation has got this and the fundamental cornerstone of our lib- choice to make: Do we keep taxes low so erty is the fact that in America, you can we can keep this economy growing, or do worship any way you so choose. If you’re we let the Democrats in Washington raise a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, taxes and hurt the economic vitality of this agnostic, you’re equally American, equally country? The decision is yours to make in American. That’s a sacred right for all of the voting booth. This decision will have our citizens. It’s a right that we must never a huge impact on the working people all abandon in America. And it stands in stark across the United States of America. contrast to what the enemies of freedom Whether you’re a worker worried about the believe. They say if you don’t worship the size of your paycheck or a business owner way they tell you to worship, you’ll be held who’s thinking about hiring more workers to account. They say that if you don’t view or a family worried about gas prices or religion the way they view religion, you’ll health care costs, the last thing you need be punished. is higher taxes. To keep this economy grow- We’re in the ideological struggle of the ing and delivering prosperity to more 21st century. It’s a struggle between ration- Americans, we need to make the tax relief al, reasonable people who believe in basic we passed permanent. And the best man freedoms versus extremists and radicals for the Eighth Congressional District from who murder the innocent in order to Georgia to do that is Mac Collins. achieve their objectives. Right after 9/11, Now, there are a lot of issues we got I made it clear that if one were to har- to discuss on the campaign trail, lot of do- vest—harbor one of these extremists or mestic issues. But there is no bigger issue radicals, they will be judged as equally as facing the voters than who best to protect guilty as those who commit murder.

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And that’s why we went into Afghanistan. so we don’t have to face them here at I said, ‘‘You’ve been harboring Al Qaida’’— home. remember, they were providing safe haven And I need people by my side in the for Al Qaida to train. I gave them time United States Congress like Mac Collins, to turn over Al Qaida to us; they chose who will make sure our brave men and otherwise. And as a result of defending our- women who wear the uniform have all selves, which is the most important job of that’s necessary to defend the United States government, we liberated 25 million people of America. We will stay; we will fight; from the clutches of that ideology. and we will win, for the security of the This Nation cannot wait for threats to United States. fully materialize. If we’re to do our most But we must do more than just stay on important job, which is to protect the the offense against these killers. We pres- American people, we must make sure we sure them every day. It’s harder to plot deal with threats before they hurt us. That’s and plan when you’re on the run or you’re one of the fundamental changes of Sep- hiding in a cave. But I recognized after tember the 11th. And it’s important to have 9/11, we must also deploy all assets to pro- people in Congress who understand that. tect you. I think about my job of protecting It’s important to have a person like Mac you every day. It’s the most fundamental Collins who knows that we must deal with of all requirements of government. And so the threat overseas so we do not have to after 9/11, I called upon Congress, and face that threat here at home. I saw a sometimes—and a week later called upon threat, the Congress saw a threat, the Congress to give our folks on the frontline United Nations saw a threat in Saddam of fighting terror the tools necessary to pro- Hussein, and the world is better off without tect you. him in power. There were walls set up between intel- And now the challenge is to do the hard ligence and criminal investigators that made work of helping the Iraqis defend their it impossible for folks to share intelligence freedom, the hard work of helping this with those who are hired to protect you. young democracy survive the onslaught of It’s hard for me to explain why that was murder from those who would prevent de- the case—just take my word for it. [Laugh- mocracy from taking root. It’s in our inter- ter] It was there. You had somebody get ests that we do so because, you see, we some intelligence; they couldn’t share it must defeat the enemy overseas so we with the person charged with criminal jus- don’t have to face them here at home. And tice matters. And it made us vulnerable if we were to retreat before the job is done, to attack. they would follow us straight to America. And so I asked Congress to pass the PA- And I understand it’s hard on the Amer- TRIOT Act. Congressman Mac Collins ican people, because the enemy is able to didn’t hesitate. He said it’s the right thing take innocent lives, and it gets on our TV to do, to give those on the frontline of screens. And it’s hard. I know it’s hard, fighting terror the tools necessary to protect because Americans are compassionate peo- you. As a matter of fact, right after 9/11, ple. We care about innocent life. We care it wasn’t hard to get the bill passed. Five about the human condition. But it’s nec- years later, however—or 4 years later, I essary work. We’ll continue to make sure came back and said, ‘‘We need to renew our commanders have that which they need the bill,’’ and on the floor of the United to do the job. We will be flexible in our States Senate, Democrats filibustered the tactics in order to help this young democ- bill. See, that’s Democrat-talk—I mean, racy survive. We will deploy the assets nec- Washington-talk for killing it, trying to kill essary to bring people to justice overseas it. They must think differently about this

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war on terror. It’s a fundamental issue in sion to the American people about this this campaign, the difference about how to issue, I talked about some of the examples. defend America. For example, we have captured and interro- The Senate minority leader openly gated a fellow named Khalid Sheikh Mo- bragged about—‘‘We killed the bill,’’ he hammed, who our intelligence people be- said, killed the PATRIOT Act. To me, it lieve was the mastermind of the September speaks volumes in this campaign about the 11th attacks. which party clearly sees the enemy as it This country is under threat. The enemy is and which party is willing to do the hard still wants to hurt us. And therefore, it work necessary to protect the American seemed like it made sense to me that when people. I do not question the patriotism we found the mastermind, or the presumed of anybody. I just know there’s a different mastermind of the September the 11th at- mindset, when they fought the PATRIOT tacks, that our professionals should find out Act’s renewal. what this fellow knows. If the most impor- As you know, I put in place a plan that tant job is to protect the American people, said if Al Qaida is calling into the United we must give our professionals the tools States, we want to know why. We want necessary to protect you. to know why. In this war on terror, we’re This bill came up for a vote recently capturing people. And sometimes, for ex- in the House and the Senate. The over- ample, we might find something in some- whelming majority of Democrats voted body’s pocket, and, say, it had a phone against giving our professionals the tools number of—an American phone number, necessary to protect you. There’s a funda- and that phone number gets called from mental difference in this campaign, and it’s overseas—not with a call within the United a clear difference. And the American peo- States but from outside in. We need to ple need to understand there’s a difference know. If the most important job is to pro- in this campaign. Our most important job tect the American people, we need to know is to protect you from attack, and the Re- why that person, that Al Qaida and/or Al publican Party will make sure our profes- Qaida affiliate, is making a phone call. sionals have the tools necessary to defend So the United States Congress had a vote you. on this recently; out of the House of Rep- And the people of this congressional dis- resentatives, 166 Democrats voted against trict don’t need to worry about where Mac the bill, voted against giving our people Collins stands. I look forward to working the tools necessary to protect you. These with this good man to help protect you are fine people; I know a lot of them. from the threats we face. They’re decent citizens of our country. We’re in an ideological struggle. It’s the They just have a different view about the challenge of our time. It’s the call of our world in which we live. Perhaps one way generation. We’ve got a great military. to summarize it is, okay, we’ll get tough; We’ve got wonderful professionals working we’ll respond after we’re attacked. My atti- hard to protect you. We’ve got one other tude is, we better give our folks the tools fantastic way to defend America, a great necessary to protect you before we get at- asset, and that’s freedom. I believe in the tacked, to protect the American people. universality of freedom. I believe there’s As you, I’m sure, read, we have been an Almighty. I believe one of the great capturing people on the battlefield—I call gifts of the Almighty is the desire for peo- it a battlefield because this is a war—and ple to be free. And I believe that the we have interrogated those people in order United States of America, it’s in our inter- to find out whether or not they know about est that we promote liberty. Oh, not every attacks on the United States. In my discus- democracy is going to look like ours. Each

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democracy ought to represent their own the thought of a free society in their midst. history and traditions. But it’s in our inter- We talked about the strategic implications est that liberty flourish because that’s how of abandoning those who long for liberty you ultimately win the ideological struggle in the Middle East. He knows what I know, that pits reasonable people against extrem- that there could be a world in which mod- ists. That’s how you win a struggle with erate governments get toppled, which is those who want their children to grow up precisely what the enemy said they want in a reasonable society, a hopeful society, to do, so that these extremists control en- against those who will create chaos so that ergy resources in which they’d be able to they can’t do so. blackmail the free world. You know, I recently—you might re- And combine that with a nuclear weapon member, I just had an interesting experi- in the hands of an Iran, and Koizumi and ence recently when the Prime Minister of I understand that the world would look Japan and I went down to Elvis’s place. back and say, ‘‘What happened to them? [Laughter] Laura and I had never been How come they couldn’t see the threat?’’ there, and so—[laughter]—I thought that We’re all flying on Air Force One with would be fun. [Laughter] Prime Minister the former Prime Minister of Japan—he Koizumi really wanted to go there—[laugh- recently left office—talking about the ter]—because he is a—he’s an Elvis fan. peace. And I found that to be amazing. He loves Elvis. But I also wanted to tell Something happened between when a story. I’m going to tell it right quick and George H.W. Bush became a Navy pilot, then head back up and have dinner with and his son is talking about the peace. And Laura. Here it is: I find it is a really inter- what happened was, Japan adopted a Japa- esting kind of twist of history, I guess you nese-style democracy. Liberty has got the could put it, that I’m going to Elvis’s place capacity to change an enemy into an ally. with the Prime Minister of Japan, and my Liberty has got the capacity to bring hope dad fought the Japanese. Eighteen-year-old where hope is needed and light where George H.W. Bush—I’m sure you’ve got there’s darkness. relatives, the same thing happened to I believe if this generation does its duty them—responded to the violent attack on to protect future generations of Americans, the United States and said, ‘‘I want to vol- someday an American President will be sit- unteer,’’ like thousands of other kids. ting down talking with the duly elected And we fought the Japanese with all we leaders of the Middle East and talking had. And it was a bloody war—really about the peace, and a generation of Amer- bloody war. And yet 60 years later, I’m icans will be better off. on Air Force One flying to Memphis— Those are the stakes of the elections of [laughter]—talking about the peace, work- 2006, the stakes of the world in which we ing with Prime Minister Koizumi on issues live. And I’ll be proud to work with Mac like North Korea. And I will tell you, we’re Collins to bring the peace we all want. God more likely to solve this issue peacefully bless. when we’ve got people like Japan and China and South Korea and Russia saying the exact same thing as the United States is to the man in North Korea. NOTE: The President spoke at 5:35 p.m. at It helps to be able to sit down and talk the Macon Centreplex. In his remarks, he ally to ally about the peace. We talked referred to former President Saddam Hus- about the fact that the Japanese had 1,000 sein of Iraq; former Prime Minister Junichiro troops in Iraq helping this young democ- Koizumi of Japan; and Chairman Kim Jong racy fight off the extremists that can’t stand Il of North Korea.

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The President’s News Conference October 11, 2006

The President. Thank you. Before I take a series of measures to prevent North your questions, I’d like to discuss a couple Korea from exporting nuclear or missile subjects. First, I want to briefly mention technologies and prevent financial trans- that today we’ve released the actual budget actions or asset transfers that would help numbers for the fiscal year that ended on North Korea develop its nuclear and missile September the 30th. These numbers show capabilities. that we have now achieved our goal of cut- Last year, North Korea agreed to a path ting the Federal budget deficit in half, and to a better future for its people in the we’ve done it 3 years ahead of schedule. six-party talks, September of last year. We The budget numbers are proof that had an agreement with North Korea. It progrowth economic policies work. By re- came about in the form of what we call straining spending in Washington and al- the six-party joint statement. It offered the lowing Americans to keep more of what prospect for normalized relations with both they earn, the economy is creating jobs and Japan and the United States. It talked reducing the deficit and making our Nation about economic cooperation in energy, a more prosperous nation for all our citi- trade, and investment. In that joint state- zens. ment, North Korea committed to aban- I’m going to talk about the progrowth doning all nuclear weapons and existing nu- economic policies that helped bring about clear programs and to adhering to the Trea- the dramatic reduction in the deficit, this ty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons afternoon, and I’m going to remind our and to IAEA safeguards. They agreed. fellow citizens that good tax policy has a The United States affirmed that we have lot to do with keeping the economy strong, no nuclear weapons on the Korean Penin- and therefore, we’ll continue to urge the sula. We affirmed that we have no intention Congress to make the tax cuts permanent. of attacking North Korea. With its actions I also want to talk about the unfolding this week, North Korea has once again cho- situation in North Korea. Earlier this week, sen to reject the prospect for a better fu- the Government of North Korea pro- ture offered by the six-party joint state- claimed to the world that it had conducted ment. Instead, it has opted to raise tensions a successful nuclear test. The United States in the region. is working to confirm North Korea’s claim, I’m pleased that the nations in the region but this claim itself constitutes a threat to are making clear to North Korea what is international peace and stability. at stake. I thank China, South Korea, Japan, In response to North Korea’s actions, and Russia for their strong statements of we’re working with our partners in the re- condemnation of North Korea’s actions. gion and the United Nations Security Peace on the Korean Peninsula requires Council to ensure there are serious reper- that these nations send a clear message to cussions for the regime in Pyongyang. I’ve Pyongyang that its actions will not be toler- spoken with other world leaders, including ated, and I appreciate their leadership. Japan, China, South Korea, and Russia. We The United States remains committed to all agree that there must be a strong Secu- diplomacy. The United States also reserves rity Council resolution that will require all options to defend our friends and our North Korea to abide by its international interests in the region against the threats commitments to dismantle its nuclear pro- from North Korea. So, in response to North grams. This resolution should also specify Korea’s provocation, we’ll increase defense

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