Oct. 31 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 30 years he’s been active in youth organiza- They drove the plane into the ground to tions. He’s been involved in Boy Scouts. save life. They served something greater He worked for the YMCA. You see, if you than themselves. want to change America, it doesn’t take No, the American spirit is alive and well. much. Oh, you can mentor a child, which It’s strong, which allows me to boldly pre- is a way to change America. You can help dict that out of the evil done to America a shut-in. You can run a Girl Scout troop. is going to come a more peaceful world You can do anything to help somebody re- and a more hopeful America. And I say alize their potential and that there’s love that with absolute certainty, because Amer- and there’s compassion in the world. ica is the greatest nation, full of the most The American spirit calls upon each of decent people on the face of this Earth. us to serve something greater than ourself Thank you for coming tonight. May God in life. Perhaps the most vivid example of bless you, and may God bless America. that spirit and why it’s alive and how it’s alive today happened on Flight 93. I’m sure NOTE: The President spoke at 6:48 p.m. in you remember. People were flying across the Coliseum at the Charleston Civic Center. the country. They were told that their plane In his remarks, he referred to President Sad- was being used as a weapon. They were dam Hussein of Iraq and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, on their cell phones. They told their loved an Al Qaida operative suspected of helping ones they loved them and goodbye. They to plan the September 11, 2001, terrorist at- said a prayer. One guy said, ‘‘Let’s roll.’’ tacks, who was captured in Karachi, Pakistan. Remarks in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania November 1, 2002 Thank you, all. Thanks a lot. I’m glad vote. And when you do, I’ve got a sugges- I came. [Laughter] Thank you. Thank you tion for you for Congress: George W. for such a warm welcome. Thanks for get- Gekas. How about putting it this way: Let’s ting up early, too. win one for George W. [Laughter] I’m talk- The American spirit is obviously alive ing about both George W’s on the stage. and well here in Pennsylvania. It’s alive Both George W’s married well, by the in our country, all across our country. It’s way. [Laughter] I appreciate Vangie Gekas a spirit that says we love freedom. It’s a for coming today. I’m proud that she’s spirit that says that we’re willing to serve working hard to see to it that the Congress- something greater than ourself in life. It’s man George W. goes back to the United a spirit that says, when you live in America, States Congress. And Laura W. sends her you have a responsibility, and one of the best to George W. and Vangie—Laura W. main responsibilities is to participate in the being the great First Lady of America. political process. You have an obligation in I’m proud that your Governor is here democracy to vote. with us today. Mark Schweiker has done So I’m here to urge the good folks of a fine job on behalf of the citizens of Penn- Pennsylvania to do your duty. It doesn’t sylvania. As you may remember, he went matter whether you’re Republican or Dem- from being the Lieutenant Governor to ocrat or could care less about political par- Governor when I asked somebody you ties. You have an obligation as part of the trained really well to join me in Wash- citizenry of America to go to the polls and ington, DC, and that’s of course, your 1950 2004 12:48 Mar 15, 2005 Jkt 193761 PO 00000 Frm 00798 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193761.017 193761 Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Nov. 1 former Governor, and now my close ad- You’ve got some fine United States Con- viser, my friend, a man who’s doing a great gressmen from Pennsylvania in Washington, job for the American people, Tom Ridge. all of whom I call friends and all of whom Ridge came in a long line of fine Repub- I work closely with on behalf of the Amer- lican Governors, and you have a chance ican people. And I want to thank them to make sure that lineage is continued. You for joining us today: Jim Greenwood, Bill have a chance this Tuesday to make sure Shuster, Don Sherwood, and Todd Platts. you put the right man in the Governor’s I appreciate they’re here to support their office. And, of course, that man is your friend. They know both candidates in this current State attorney general, Mike Fisher. race, and there’s no question in their He’ll do a fine job on behalf of all the mind—like there’s no question in my citizens of Pennsylvania. He’ll represent not mind—that the right man for this congres- just one section of the State but the entire sional district and the right man for Amer- State. He’s got a good record. He’s got ica is George W. Gekas. a good record in office, and he’s got a Not only am I here to urge you to vote, good record on the trail. I learned first- I’m here to urge you to get out the vote. hand. After all, in the year 2000, he ran See, there’s a lot of grassroots activists here ahead of me by about half a million votes who have made a tremendous difference is all. [Laughter] This man can appeal to in campaigns past, and I want to thank people from all walks of life. And so can you for what you have done. But I’m here the next Lieutenant Governor of the State to thank you for what you’re going to do of Pennsylvania, State Senator Jane Earll. today and Saturday and Sunday and Mon- I want to thank Senator Arlen Specter day and Tuesday. And that is to turn out for being here. I want to thank him for the vote, to get your friends to vote, to his service to Pennsylvania. I want to thank go to your houses of worship, your commu- him for working with me on a lot of big nity centers, the coffee shops and tell peo- issues—no bigger issue than to make sure the Federal judiciary is staffed and full of ple they have an obligation to vote, and fine, fine people. The record of this Senate they have the obligation to support some- is a lousy record when it comes to the body who’s honest and decent, somebody approval of judges that I name. We have who’s represented this district since 1982, a vacancy problem in America. We can’t somebody who stands squarely with the get our judges through the United States President on key issues, and that somebody Senate because there’s too much politics is George W. Gekas. in Washington, DC. I also want to thank the Middletown The current Senate distorts the record High band for coming today. It looks like of good people I put up. I’m going to con- I provided you a convenient excuse to miss tinue to name judges that are honorable class. [Laughter] I’ll try to keep my remarks and decent and honest, judges who recog- short so you can get back to the library. nize their job is to interpret the Constitu- [Laughter] tion, not to try to write new law. And I George and I believe in the value of want to thank Senator Specter for being hard work and personal responsibility. We one of the leaders in the Senate to work believe in—service to our community is in- with the administration to make sure our credibly important. We share a passion for good judges get approved on a timely basis. education. I want to thank George and the One way to make sure our judges get ap- other Members of Congress up here for proved on a timely basis is to change the working hard on the education reform leadership in the United States Senate. package we passed out of Washington, DC. 1951 e Aug 04 2004 12:48 Mar 15, 2005 Jkt 193761 PO 00000 Frm 00799 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193761.017 193761 Nov. 1 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 First, this bill says that we’re going to in which the engine for job growth, which challenge the soft bigotry of low expecta- is our small businesses, have a chance to tions, because we believe every child can survive and thrive in slow economic times. learn. And we must set high, high standards The best way to do so is to let people for every child in America. keep more of your own money. The bill says that we trust the people George and I know that if somebody has of Pennsylvania to chart the path to excel- more money in their own pocket, they’re lence in the public schools of Pennsylvania. likely to demand a good or a service. And People care more about the children who when they demand a good or a service live in Pennsylvania than the bureaucrats in our marketplace, somebody is likely to in Washington, DC.