President Emphasizes Minority Entrepreneurship at Urban League
Remarks by the President to the 2004 National Urban League Conference
Detroit Marriot Renaissance Hotel
Detroit, Michigan
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for the warm introduction. It's really good
to be here. You know, Marc, you're right, the National Urban League is
a vital and important part of the American scene. And I think the
reason why is, not only is the mission important, but the people
involved in the Urban League are dignified, decent American citizens.
And I am honored to be in your presence.
I see some friends like Willard who is -- I don't know if you
remember, Willard, but we were on the porch of the governor's mansion
in Texas. I'm not saying you drank all my beer, but -- (laughter.)
Never mind. (Laughter.) That's unfair. (Laughter.) But thanks for
having me.
Marc, I appreciate your leadership. I've had the opportunity to
work with Marc. I look forward to continue working with Marc. He's a
good man. He cares deeply about the country, the people in our
country. He is -- he has had a lot of experience. He has, after all,
been a mayor. It's a heck of a lot tougher job than being President.
After all, you've got to fill the potholes -- (laughter) -- and empty
the garbage. And he did a fine job as mayor. He's doing a fine job
for this very important organization.
Speaking about mayors, the mayor of Detroit was here. He's cutting
a ribbon, which most mayors do. He's a fabulous mayor, by the way.
He's standing a little taller, as if he needed to, because the Detroit
Pistons are now the NBA champs. (Applause.) I told him, I said -- I
asked Kwame if he took credit for it. He said, of course. (Laughter.)
I appreciate so very much Mike Critelli, who is the Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. -- Mike, it's great to see you again. And Charles
Collins, senior -- the Vice Chairman. These are distinguished
gentlemen who are helping to lead a very distinguished board of
directors. It was my honor to meet with members of the board before I
came out here today. And I appreciate your service to our country.
Rick, thank you very much. Rick Wagoner is the CEO of General
Motors, who is sponsoring this conference. I appreciate you doing
that. It's an important conference and corporate America needs to
stand up and help organizations that are out to help other people, and
you've done so. And I know people here appreciate that.
I appreciate Reverend Ernest Ferrell's blessings. They asked me
before the speech whether or not I would object to a prayer. I said,
absolutely not. All of us need prayer, and I appreciate that.
(Applause.)
And I appreciate Reverend Jesse Jackson. Thanks for coming,
again. (Applause.)
And it's hard to run for office. Isn't it, Al? (Laughter.) Al
Sharpton is with us. (Applause.) But I appreciate you putting your
hat in the ring. (Laughter.) It's not an easy thing. It looks easy.
REVEREND SHARPTON: It's not over.
THE PRESIDENT: There you go. It's not over. (Laughter and
applause.) Just don't declare right now. (Laughter.) Welcome. Glad
you're here.
Thank you all for coming.
The thing I like about the National Urban League is you believe in
the future of the African American community. You've got this great
faith that the future is going to be better, and I share that. That's
what I'm here to talk about. I believe the same thing.
I believe this country can and will be a place of opportunity and
hope for every single citizen. It's not a given; there's work to be
done. But it's a goal, and it's an important goal.
I don't care what party you're in, what city you live in, or what
state you're from, the goal has got to be -- America has got to be an
hospitable, hopeful place for every single citizen. That's what I
believe. That's kind of the heart of what they call compassionate
conservatism, that the American experience must be alive and viable for
everyone, and that government has a role to help people have the tools
so they can help themselves. See, I believe in the human spirit; I
believe if people have the opportunity and the ability, they will
achieve their God-given talents. That's what I believe. And I think
that's a proper role for the federal government, to help people.
The last three-and-a-half years, we've worked on that. We've
worked hard to make opportunity available and prosperity real and
justice not a word. And I'm here to tell you, we're making good
progress.
Progress for African Americans and all Americans require a healthy,
growing economy. It's hard to realize dreams if -- if you're in a
recession; it's hard to realize dreams if jobs aren't being created;
it's hard to realize dreams if the entrepreneurial spirit is flat, at
best, and that's not the case today.
It says a lot about our country that -- that we've recovered from a
recession. Remember, the recession was started before September the
11th -- as a matter of fact, right as I came to office. The stock
market had been declining for nine months. In other words, the
indications weren't all that viable for the economy.
And then we got hit, and the attacks hurt. It hurt our psyche, it
hurt our economy, it hurt the ability to find work. And then we
uncovered the fact that some of our citizens forgot what it meant to be
a responsible citizen. See, we had some CEOs in corporate America that
didn't tell the truth to their shareholders and their employees. That
also hurt the economy. It took confidence away from a system that
requires confidence.
We acted. It should be clear now to all Americans that we're not
going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. We expect
the high standard, and there will be enforcement of law to enforce that
standard.
So the economy went through a lot. But we acted. See, I happen to
believe if people have more of their own money in their pocket, they're
going to spend, save, or invest, and when they do, that revitalizes
economic growth and entrepreneurship. That's what the tax cuts were
all about. That's why we raised the child credit. If you happen to
have a two-year-old son like Mark does, it enables you to be -- have
more money in your pocket. We reduced the marriage penalty. What kind
of tax code is it, by the way, that penalizes marriage? We ought to be
encouraging marriage in the United States of America. (Applause.)
We reduced the 10 percent bracket; we reduced taxes on everybody.
I think that's the fair way to do things. And as a result, the economy
is growing. The economy, since last summer, has been growing at the
fastest rate in nearly 20 years. That's the truth, and that's positive
news. If people are looking for work, you've got to have an economy
which is vibrant and growing.
And that's the case. We've added 1.5 million new jobs since
August. There's more work to do, of course. Job opportunity isn't in
every neighborhood and every corner of the country, I fully recognize
that. But the economy today is strong, and it's growing stronger. And
we've always got to remember why. I mean, inherent in the -- in new
job creation is small businesses. That's the most important part of
new job creation. See, most new jobs are created by the small business
owners of America. And therefore, policy has got to recognize that.
That's why we've got to have fair -- a fair legal system that doesn't
-- these frivolous lawsuits make it awfully difficult for a small
business owner to thrive.
We've got to have affordable health care. We must have trade
policy that enables small businesses to sell products overseas. That
says we're going to level the playing field. Listen, we can compete
with anybody, anyplace, anywhere if the rules are fair, which is
precisely what this administration is doing. They need less regulation
on small businesses.
But remember about the tax policy in terms of small businesses.
Most small businesses pay tax at the individual income tax rate. See,
that's reality. Ask your friends and neighbors who are entrepreneurs.
They will tell you they're either a sole proprietorship or a subchapter
S corporation, which means they pay tax at the individual income tax
rate. And so when you cut the individual income taxes, you're really
helping small business owners. It's an entrepreneur -- we're
stimulating growth and the small business sector of America today is
alive and well. And more minorities are owning their own small
businesses, and that's really good for the future of the country.
See, if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of
America. This administration promotes what I call the ownership
society. When people tell me statistics, they say, more people are
owning their own small businesses, and a lot of minorities are owning
their own small businesses. That's really good news for the future of
the country. It also happens to be really good news for the economy.
The more small businesses there are, the more likely it is people are
going to find work.
And there's more we can do to help people start their own
businesses. The SBA has got a vital role -- that's the Small Business
Administration. Loans to African Americans were up by 75 percent from
last year. That's positive. In other words, somebody said, I need
some help. They've come to the federal government. They said, I've
got an idea, I want to start my own business, I want to say, I'm the
owner. And the government says, we want to help you. It's a
legitimate role to encourage ownership.
And that's what's happening right now in our society. We've
rewarded $6 billion in new markets tax credits. Those are important.
They promote economic and community development in low-income areas.
And when you do that, the spinoff is more ownership for businesses.
When there's a vitality in a neighborhood that has been -- that needed
help, new businesses spring up. That's all part of a vital tomorrow.
Our plan is to help people help themselves, is to create an environment
where the entrepreneur can flourish.
Marc, I read your comments, and the National Urban League is a
partner in the $127 million reward we announced in May this year just
to do that, to create an environment where people have a chance to
realize their dreams by owning their own business. (Applause.)
An interesting project that's going on inside inner cities, which
makes life better but also helps the entrepreneurial spirit, is the
cleanup of brownfields. Since I've come to office, we've cleaned up
more than 1,000 brownfields. Those are old industrial sites which have
been abandoned. They're not only eyesores, they're blight in the
communities. They've been cleaned up. They're now viable pieces of
property. Businesses are springing up -- businesses around, businesses
are springing up. An integral part of stimulating economic growth and
activity to give people a chance to start and own their own company is
wise policy in the inner city, such as brownfields cleanup policy.
We've been aggressive with brownfields, just like we have with
empowerment zones.
What I'm telling you is, the role of government is to create an
environment where people from all walks of life have a chance to
realize their dream. And that's precisely what's taking place in
America. And the economy is better for it, and more people are finding
work, and we must not go backward to the days of high taxes, high
spending, more regulation and more lawsuits, if we expect more people
to own their own business.
Secondly, we've got work to do to encourage and train a new
generation of entrepreneurs. And that's why I'm pleased to announce
today that we're joining with the Urban League to expand minority
business ownership. (Applause.) It's an interesting project. You
can't say to somebody, you must be an entrepreneur. You can't say
that. But you can say, if you want to start your own business, we'll
help you. And I want to thank Marc's leadership on this and the
board's leadership in understanding the need to work with the federal
government to set up what they call one-stop centers where minority
enterprise can receive business training. It's one thing to say, let's
go be an entrepreneur. But if you're not certain how to do it, people
need help. You may have a great idea, but you're not sure how to keep
the books. It's a practical application of federal assets to help
people understand how to own and run their own business. You can
develop contacts there. You get advice on financing. It's practical
ways to help people realize their dreams, is what we're talking about
here.
The Business Roundtable, I'm pleased to say, those are the CEOs of
big corporate America, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation -- he used
to be the owner of the Kansas City Royals, he's a fine guy from
Missouri -- will support the work of the centers. And so, in other
words, it's a collaborate effort. The federal government, the Urban
League and these other citizens are coming together and saying, we're
going to set up these centers to help people help themselves.
(Applause.)
Progress for African Americans, and progress for all Americans,
requires good schools. (Applause.) The system tended to shuffle kids
through, and you know what I'm talking about. You know, the
hard-to-educate were labeled that, and they just moved through, that's
what was happening. We can play like it wasn't happening. It was
happening. That's what you get when you get low expectations. It's
what I call the soft bigotry of low expectations.
When I first came to the Urban League, I vowed to change that
attitude in Washington. It was one of the things I said. I said, give
me a chance to work the education system. And we have. We passed good
law. Listen, the government has got a funding responsibility. We
have. We've increased federal funding for K through 12 by 49 percent
from 2001. I label that significant. (Applause.)
But you know what else has changed? For the first time, the
federal government is asking the question, can our children actually
read? And see, I feel comfortable asking that question, because I
believe every child can read. You don't ask that question if you
believe certain children cannot read; you say, okay, fine, shuffle them
through, the consequences of which, when people get out of high school,
they're illiterate, they're lost, they're frustrated. They don't have
a chance to realize the great promise of the country. We're changing
that attitude in public schools.
We say, we're going to have local control of schools. I really
don't want the federal government trying to run the school systems of
America. I think that would be cumbersome, too bureaucratic,
stifling. It wouldn't encourage innovation, it wouldn't say to the
school boards, be imaginative and strong and smart.
We stand with our teachers. But we're going to measure now in
America, because we want to know. Our goal is for every child to be
reading at grade level by the third grade, because we believe every
child can do that. And now we want them to show --just please show us
whether or not it's -- whether or not you're achieving the objective.
Because every child matters, see. If you don't measure, you do not
know. (Applause.) If you don't take time to determine whether or not a
child has got the skills necessary to succeed in America, you'll never
find out until it's too late.
The philosophy of the No Child Left Behind Act says, every child
can learn, we expect every child to learn, and we expect you to show us
whether or not every child is learning. (Applause.)
And it's paying off. The test scores, the accountability systems
are beginning to show that African American fourth graders are catching
up. There is an education gap in America and so long as there is an
education gap, we must be relentless in our pursuit for excellence.
(Applause.)
By the way, the law says that if -- we're going to detect problems
early before they're too late and correct them, that's why we started
measuring early. And there's money in the budgets that say, if you
need extra help, we'll help correct them. It says to parents, that if
the schools continue to fail, if they won't adjust, if a child is
trapped in mediocrity, parents have different choices to make. See,
this is all part of making sure we focus on the child, not the process,
so no child in America is left behind. (Applause.)
And there's more to do. I'm working with Congress, hopefully over
the next four years, for intensive reading intervention programs. It's
one thing to start early, but there's a -- you can imagine there's a
group of kids that need to be saved now before it's too late -- eighth
and ninth grade intervention programs. I know in Florida, there's some
great intervention programs. Willard, you'll probably take credit for
them, but they -- (laughter) -- they're beginning to work well.
They're good. It says we're not going to quit on any child. We're
going to be involved.
We need to make sure a high school diploma means something. When a
kid comes out of high school, an employer or community college, the
college says, that means something when they hold up a high school
diploma.
And so we've got to make sure we continue to work not only in the
early grades, but in the later grades in public education so that
people can say, I've got something that means something. It's a --
it's a certification for the ability to read, write, add, and subtract,
to understand -- to understand the sciences and maths, as well. That's
possible, see. You've got to think it's possible in the first place,
otherwise you wouldn't insist upon it.
Plus, I want to make sure the community college system is vibrant.
I put money aside and will continue to do so for the community
colleges. They're available, affordable, they're accessible, they're
good things, they can change their curriculum to meet the needs of a
local community. They actually train people for jobs which exist.
They're good opportunities for kids coming out of high school. Look,
education is the future of the country. And that's why, under my
administration, we've increased the number of men and women who will be
receiving Pell Grants to nearly one million. (Applause.)
And why, under my budget, funding for historically black colleges
is at an all-time high. (Applause.) It's what I said I would do when
I was running for President, see. I told people I'd do that, and I've
done it. And the country is better off for it, because education is
the cornerstone of a hopeful tomorrow.
I was proud to support Mayor Tony Williams. He's my Mayor right
now. I've got one mayor in Crawford and one mayor in Washington.
(Laughter.) Tony is the Mayor of Washington. He's a very good Mayor,
by the way. He's a good man. Maybe you know him. But he and I --
(applause.) I work with Tony. And I signed a bill into law creating
taxpayer-sponsored scholarships for students in Washington, D.C. And
let me tell you why. I believe this: If school choice is good for the
wealthy, it's good enough for disadvantaged children in America. This
is a good piece of legislation. (Applause.) It's a good piece of
legislation, which is going to help improve education for all children
in the nation's capital.
Progress for African Americans and all Americans depends on more
citizens living the dream of owning their own home. There's nothing
better than somebody saying, welcome to my house; I'm putting out the
welcome mat in my piece of property. (Applause.) And this has been a
focus of this administration, because we want people owning their own
home. It's a vital part of the -- of the American experience, isn't
it.
So we're providing downpayment assistance, good counseling.
Listen, people walk in, first-time home buyers, and they take a look at
the contracts and the print's about that big, and they say, forget it.
You know? They get driven away by the complexity of the situation.
Sometimes they get skinned by loan sharks, you know? And we're doing
everything we can to make sure the loan application process is
understandable and fair and open. We're proposing tax credits to
encourage the building of more affordable housing, particularly in
inner-city America. In other words, we want there to be a greater
supply of homes. (Applause.)
Let me tell you something hopeful about the country. For the first
time in our history, a majority of families and minority groups own
their own homes. We're making progress. People are saying, this is my
home. And we must continue the progress we're making. (Applause.)
Progress for African Americans and all Americans depends on safe
streets. Safe streets are important for any -- any community,
particularly important for communities in which parents feel like
they've got to keep their kids locked in.
And so we're making progress there. We've increased federal
prosecutors. And I want to tell you something, federal gun law
prosecutions are up by 68 percent in the last three years. See, it's
one thing to, you know, say, we're going to pass laws. The thing is,
you've got to enforce the law. If you're going to want safe streets,
you've got to do a good job of enforcing the laws on the books, which
is precisely what we're doing. And as a result, violent crime in
America is down by 21 percent during my administration. That's
positive for people. (Applause.) Property crime is down 13 percent.
But there's more than just fighting crime. We need to help the
600,000 men and women who are being released from prison each year. I
went to the Congress in my State of the Union, I talked about a prison
reentry program. I said, put some money up to help these souls come
out. Let's make sure we're the country of the second chance. Let's
make sure people have got a chance to get an education and a job.
Let's make sure there's -- if need be, let's make sure there's church
families available to welcome a person back in community. (Applause.)
And so this prison reentry program is a vital part of making sure
America is a safe country. (Applause.)
Progress for this country, for African Americans, and all
Americans, depends on the full protection of civil rights and equality
before the law. My administration and its Justice Department has
vigorously enforced the civil rights laws. The Civil Rights Division
has opened a federal investigation into the murder of Emmett Till.
(Applause.)
I'm the first President of the United States to ban racial
profiling in federal law enforcement. (Applause.)
And to serve the cause of justice on the bench, the federal bench,
I have nominated outstanding men and women to the courts, including six
superbly qualified African Americans for the courts of appeal and 11
for district courts. (Applause.)
Progress for African Americans and for all Americans depends on
driving the drugs out of our neighborhoods. We put forth a
comprehensive approach. We're doing everything we can to interdict
drugs so they don't make it into the country in the first place. We
have encouraged faith-based programs to help change hearts so people
change habits. (Applause.) We've got money directed at the people who
need the most help, which are the addicts of America -- an intensive,
focused, real effort to save lives.
But we're also working to reduce demand in the country. It's a
community effort. We're bringing together all aspects of the community
organizations to say to our youngsters, don't use those drugs. And
we're making progress. From 2001 to 2003, youth drug use has declined
by 11 percent. We're headed in the right direction. We're saying to
our kids, be responsible with your bodies, be responsible with your
behavior, and you have a chance to understand the great promise of
America. It's a vital effort. This isn't a Republican cause or a
Democrat cause; this is a community cause, this is an American cause
and it's important to work together. (Applause.)
Progress for all our citizens, including African Americans, depends
on the spirit of compassion for others. Government can hand out money,
but it cannot put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a
person's lives. And we'll have the traditional programs of help, the
safety nets. They're there. And that's an important part of federal
funding. But I strongly believe the federal government must welcome
programs of faith into the compassionate delivery of help and service
to those who hurt. (Applause.)
My community and faith-based initiative recognizes the true
strength of this country is in the hearts and souls of our citizens;
that we recognize that oftentimes there's -- a change of heart will
change behavior and governments can't change hearts. That changes when
somebody who has heard a universal call to love a neighbor, puts their
arm around somebody who hurts and says, I love you brother, I love you
sister, what can I do to help you on your walk so your life is
improved. (Applause.) This community and faith-based initiative is a
vital part of this administration's program to help save lives. We've
opened up federal grants to the faith community for the first time. I
shouldn't say "for the first time." Most vigorously, let me put it to
you that way.
And so now we've had over a billion dollars go out the door to
faith-based programs, programs all aimed at serving America by saving
lives. (Applause.) And it makes sense. It just makes sense. It
makes sense to tap into the great strength and spirit of the country.
The Associated Black Charities of Baltimore, ask them what it's
like to be a partner with the federal government. Or the Black
Ministerial Alliance in Boston. Or the Metro Denver Black Church
Initiative. These are all initiatives, all aimed at saying to
somebody: the future is better for you, somebody loves you, we care,
and we're going to help you. We're going to help mentor you, we'll
save you from drugs and alcohol. We'll do everything in our power to
save America one soul at a time. (Applause.)
We've done a lot in three-and-a-half years. I ask you to look at
the record of accomplishment. And I didn't do this alone. I've got a
good administration, really good people. It's a diverse Cabinet. It's
a Cabinet full of strong people. It's a Cabinet who are serving our
country first. People like Rod Paige. You've heard my talk about
education. I hope you have a sense of my passion to make sure we get
it right. I understand the importance of schools in America. I picked
a good man to serve as the head of the Education Department, Rod
Paige. He was -- (applause.) You heard me talk about owning your own
home, it's a vital part of this future of this country. Alphonso
Jackson is the head of the Housing and Urban Development. (Applause.)
Kay James runs the Office of Personnel Management. You know, the
government owns a lot of property. Steve Perry is the head of the
GSA. (Applause.)
We've got a diverse cabinet, diverse administration, people who
serve our nation with dignity. You know, when it comes time to money,
Allen Greenspan is a smart guy, so is the Vice Chairman, Roger
Ferguson, of the Federal Reserve. (Applause.) Chairman of the FCC,
the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell -- in other
words, what I'm telling you is -- (applause) -- I feel I have an
obligation to reach out to people from all walks of life. I have met
that obligation, and the government is better for it. (Applause.)
And when it comes to national security, thankfully I've had a good
team. We've had some big challenges in this country. And I've got a
strong foreign policy, because the architects of that policy are people
like Condi Rice and Colin Powell. (Applause.) These are good people.
I've seen them -- I've seen them under incredible pressure. I know
their steadiness and their clear vision.
See, our most solemn duty is to protect the American people.
That's our most solemn duty. It's a duty brought upon us not at our
asking, because we were attacked unmercifully by people who hate what
we stand for. They hate the fact that we can have free dialogue just
like this. They hate the fact that there's open discourse. They hate
the fact that we're a free society where people can worship any way
they see fit.
They hate the idea that we welcome people who worship God and we
welcome people who don't worship God. They can't stand the thought
that we're a society that says, if you choose to worship, you're
equally American, if you're a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
And so they attacked us. And we have a duty, all of us have a duty
to respond. This is an American effort to protect ourselves. And
Colin Powell and Condi Rice have provided valuable, valuable advice and
counsel during these tough times.
And we're making progress. Listen, we're trying to do everything
we can to protect our homeland. There's people from all walks of life
working hard to protect the American people. There's no such thing as
perfect security. I tell people, we've got to be right 100 percent of
the time. Those who want to cause us harm have to be right once. But
there's a lot of people working. It doesn't matter what your party is,
they're working hard to protect the American people. And we've got a
lot of people overseas working to protect us, too, by bringing justice
to the enemies before they strike again. (Applause.)
Our foreign policy is tough and it's compassionate. It's tough and
we have to be tough, it's compassionate. We liberated over 50 million
people who were brutalized by tyrants. We're proud to lead the armies
of liberation. We're standing true to this great American ideal that
freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this
world. (Applause.)
We've begun the largest initiative ever to combat global AIDS.
America is in the lead on dealing with the pandemic that ravages the
continent of Africa. We're taking the lead because we're a
compassionate nation. We feed more of the hungry than any nation on
the face of the Earth. We're a compassionate nation.
We're also a wise nation when it comes to smart policy. I signed
the African Growth and Opportunity Acceleration Act of 2004. It
recognizes that the best way to help lift people out of poverty is to
trade, it's through the free flow of commerce. And it's working on the
-- this policy is working on the continent of Africa.
Problems come to our desk because of our influence in the world.
We've dealt with Liberia. We're now dealing with Sudan. The United
States is working closely with the United Nations. As a matter of
fact, the Secretary of State was recently with Kofi Annan talking about
this very subject. We're working closely with the African Union to
bring relief to the suffering people in that region. We've made our
position very clear to the Sudanese government: They must stop the
Janjaweed violence. They must provide access for humanitarian relief
to the people who suffer. (Applause.)
Ours is a solid record of accomplishment. And that's why I've come
to talk about compassionate conservatism and what I envision for the
future. I'm here for another reason. I'm here to ask for your vote.
(Applause.)
No, I know, I know, I know. The Republican party has got a lot of
work to do. I understand that. (Laughter and applause.) You didn't
need
to nod your head that hard, Jesse. (Laughter.)
Do you remember a guy named Charlie Gaines? Somebody gave me a
quote he said, which I think kind of describes the environment we're in
today. I think he's a friend of Jesse's. He said, "Blacks are gagging
on the donkey but not yet ready to swallow the elephant." (Laughter
and applause.)
Now that was said a while ago. (Laughter.) I believe you've got
to earn the vote and seek it. I think you've got to go to people and
say, this is my heart, this is what I believe, and I'd like your help.
And as I do, I'm going to ask African American voters to consider some
questions.
Does the Democrat party take African American voters for granted?
(Applause.) It's a fair question. I know plenty of politicians assume
they have your vote. But do they earn it and do they deserve it?
(Applause.) Is it a good thing for the African American community to
be represented mainly by one political party? That's a legitimate
question. (Applause.) How is it possible to gain political leverage if
the party is never forced to compete? (Applause.) Have the
traditional solutions of the Democrat party truly served the African
American community?
That's what I hope people ask when they go to the community centers
and places, as we all should do our duty and vote. People need to be
asking these very serious questions.
Does blocking the faith-based initiative help neighborhoods where
the only social service provider could be a church? Does the status
quo in education really, really help the children of this country?
(Applause.)
Does class warfare -- has class warfare or higher taxes ever
created decent jobs in the inner city? Are you satisfied with the same
answers on crime, excuses for drugs and blindness to the problem of the
family? (Applause.)
Those are legitimate questions that I hope people ask as this
election approaches. I'd like to hear those questions debated on talk
radio, I'd like it debated in community centers, in the coffee shops.
It's worthy of this country for this debate to go forward and these
questions to be asked and answered.
I'm here to say that there is an alternative this year. There is
an alternative that has had a record that is easy to see. If you dream
of starting a small business and building a nest egg and passing
something of value to your children, take a look at my agenda. If you
believe schools should meet high standards instead of making excuses,
take a look at my agenda. If you believe the institutions of marriage
and family are worth defending and need defending today, take a look at
my agenda. (Applause.)
If you believe in building a culture of life in America, take a
look at my agenda. If you believe in a tireless fight against crime
and drugs, take a look at this agenda. If you believe that our men and
women in uniform should be respected and supported 100 percent of the
time, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.)
If you're struggling to get into the middle class and you feel like
you're paying plenty of taxes, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.)
If you're a small business owner who is trying to expand your job
base and are worried about excessive lawsuits, increasing taxes and
over-regulation, take a look at this agenda. (Applause.)
And finally, if you believe in the power of faith and compassion to
defeat violence and despair and hopelessness, I hope you take a look at
where I stand. (Applause.)
You see, I believe in my heart that the Republican party, the party
of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, is not complete without the
perspective and support and contribution of African Americans.
(Applause.)
And I believe in my heart that the policies and actions of this
administration, policies that empower individuals and help communities,
that lift up free enterprise and respect and honor the family, those
policies are good for the nation as a whole. That's what I believe.
And I'm here to thank you for giving me a chance to come and express
those beliefs.
I'm proud to be with an organization that does so good, so much
good for the American people. I'm honored that your Chairman would
extend an invitation to me. Thanks for coming, and may God bless you
and may God continue to bless the country. (Applause.)