For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 8, 2003
Remarks by the President at the 2003 Republican National Committee Presidential Gala
Washington Hilton
Washington, DC
7:53 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Go ahead and be seated,
unless you don't have seat. (Laughter.) I'm honored you all are
here. I appreciate your warm welcome. I thank you for your strong
support and friendship. I thank you for your contributions, I thank
you for your grass roots work. I thank you for your prayers. There's
a lot of happy folks here tonight; there's some Cubs fans -- (applause)
-- there's some Red Sox fans -- (applause) -- and there are some happy
people from California. (Applause.)
I am so glad that Laura came with me tonight. (Applause.) As you
know, she's back home from an official trip. She went to Russia to
help them with literacy. She went to France. (Laughter.) You may
have seen the picture in the newspaper. (Laughter.) Last time I was
in France, I got a nice welcome, but nothing like that. (Laughter.)
Laura is a great First Lady. I'm really proud of her. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Ed Gillespie, for leading our great
party. (Applause.) He could be doing a lot of other things. There's
no doubt we picked the right man to lead us into this election year. I
appreciate the fact that Cathy, his fine wife, is supporting Ed in this
really important mission.
I not only want to thank Ed, I want to thank all of the RNC members
who are here, all the county officials, all the grass roots activists.
We're going to win in 2004. (Applause.) I appreciate your support. I
appreciate the friendship of all those on the stage here tonight who
helped set a record. It's important to be well funded as you go into a
campaign, and you've made it possible.
I want to thank my friend, Al Hoffman, and his wife, Dawn, for
their long-time friendship. I want to thank Ann Wagner, our party
co-chairman. I want to thank the gala co-chairman, Brad Freeman and
David Girard-diCarlo and Carl Linder. I want to thank all those who
worked hard to make this event go so successfully.
I appreciate Monsignor Marc Fillachione who is here, the Chaplain
from the New York City Fire Department. I want to thank Lieutenant Kim
Royster, from New York -- from the New York City Police Department.
(Applause.) I'm really thankful you brought your Governor with you, a
great Governor in George Pataki. (Applause.)
I want to thank the Wright Touch Orchestra, Jonathan Yeaworth and
Michael Israel, as well as Michael Feinstein for providing
entertainment here tonight.
I know we've got members of the United States Congress with us. I
had a meeting right before I came here with Speaker Denny Hastert. He
told me that he wasn't able to make it. He said he's heard me speak
before. (Laughter.) But he is a great Speaker. He is a great leader
for the United States Congress. (Applause.)
I appreciate Tom Delay and Roy Blunt and all the House members who
are here. I also know that Bill Frist, the Senate Majority Leader, is
here, as well. What a class act he is. (Applause.)
I've got two goals in '04. One is slightly selfish. (Laughter.)
And the other is to make sure that Denny Hastert remains the Speaker of
the House, and Bill Frist the leader of the Senate. (Applause.)
It is in our nation's interest that Hastert remain the Speaker and
Bill Frist the Majority Leader. These are strong leaders. They have
led the Congress in a lot of important matters. We've achieved a lot
of results together, results that are good for Republicans and
Democrats and Independents, results that are good for all Americans.
(Applause.)
You know, I wasn't sure what to expect when I became your
President. I was certain there would be some challenges. I wasn't
exactly sure what to expect, but I knew there was going to be some
problems to solve. And therefore, I knew I needed to surround myself
with really strong, competent, capable people. I've assembled a great
administration of Americans -- (applause) -- of Americans from all
walks of life who have put their country above self.
This country is blessed to have a great Vice President in Dick
Cheney. (Applause.) I listen to a great national security team and a
great domestic policy team. Some of my members -- some of the members
of my Cabinet are here tonight. The Secretary of Interior, Gale
Norton, is with us. The Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, is with
us. The Secretary of Commerce, Don Evans, is with us. The Secretary
of Labor, Elaine Chao, is with us. And the Secretary of Energy, Spence
Abraham, is with us. Thank you all for coming, and thank you for a job
well done. (Applause.)
I knew we would face challenges, and I was right. We're at war.
We face an enemy that cannot stand what America stands for. We love
freedom. We love the right for people to worship freely, to speak
freely, and we're not going to change, and neither will they. We got
attacked on September the 11th, and this nation must never forget the
lessons of September the 11th. (Applause.)
We must never forget the lives lost. We must never forget the fact
that oceans no longer protect us from an enemy which hates us. We must
never forget the nature of our enemy. These people are nothing but
cold-blooded killers. They've hijacked a great religion and kill
innocent men, women, and children. They know no law. They know no
rules. We must remember that the best way to deal with this enemy is
to stay on the offensive. We must not tire, we must not weary, we must
not be afraid. (Applause.)
This administration is leading the world to make the world more
secure. We have a solemn duty, not only to our homeland, but to help
others who embrace freedom. History has called us into action, and we
will not let history down. (Applause.) We must remember that one of
the lessons of September the 11th is these killers will try to find
safe harbor. And that's why I laid out a new doctrine for American
foreign policy. It said, if you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a
terrorist, if you hide a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the
terrorists. (Applause.)
It's important, as you begin to make the case for this
administration that not only do we lay out doctrine, but more
importantly, we enforce doctrine. (Applause.) And the Taliban found
out what we meant. (Applause.) Because of the bravery of our troops in
Afghanistan, America is more secure, the world is more peaceful, and
the people of that country are now free. (Applause.)
One of the important lessons of September the 11th, 2001 is that
our country must deal with gathering threats before they materialize,
before they come back to haunt us. And that's what we did in Iraq. We
saw a gathering threat, a man who had possessed and used weapons of
mass destruction on his own people, a man who sponsored terror, a man
who is a danger in the region in which he lived.
But it wasn't just us who recognized a threat. Free nations
recognized the threat. The United Nations passed resolution after
resolution after resolution calling upon Mr. Saddam Hussein to disclose
his weapons and to disarm. And finally, in Security Council resolution
1441, led by the United States, he was told that he had one, final
chance to disarm -- disclose what he had and disarm, or there would be
serious consequences. The world spoke, he chose defiance, and Saddam
Hussein is no more. (Applause.)
The lessons of September the 11th are lessons we must not forget.
I was not about to leave the security of the American people in the
hands of a madman. (Applause.) I was not going to stand by and wait
and trust the sanity and restraint of Mr. Saddam Hussein.
So our coalition acted, and we acted in one of the swiftest and
most humane military campaigns in history. (Applause.) Iraq is free,
America is more secure. (Applause.) Since the liberation of Iraq, our
investigators have found evidence of a clandestine network of
biological laboratories, advanced design work on prohibited long-range
missiles, an elaborate campaign to hide these illegal programs.
There's a lot more to investigate. Yet it is now undeniable --
undeniable -- that Saddam Hussein was in clear violation of United
Nations Security Council resolution 1441. It is undeniable that Saddam
Hussein was a deceiver and a danger. The Security Council was right to
demand that Saddam disarm. And America was right to enforce that
demand. (Applause.) Thanks to our brave troops and a coalition of
nations, America is now more secure, the world is more peaceful and
Iraq is free.
Iraq is a free of a brutal dictator. Iraq is free of the man who
caused there to be mass graves. Iraq is free of rape rooms and torture
chambers. Iraq is free of a brutal thug. America did the right
thing. (Applause.)
One of the problems we faced when we came was that morale in our
military was beginning to suffer. So this administration worked with
the Congress to pass new budgets for our defense, budgets that would
meet the threats of a new era. And today, nobody in this world can
question the skill and the spirit and the strength of the United States
military. (Applause.) In order to win this war on terror, our
military must be strong. I will keep the United States military
strong. (Applause.)
We faced another problem. You might remember that in March of
2000, the stock market began to decline, and right about the time we
got sworn in, the country was headed into a recession. That's a
problem. That's a challenge, mainly a challenge for people who want to
work. It's a challenge for those who have got to put bread on the
table for their families.
And just as the economy was kind of getting better, thanks to a
historic tax cut -- (applause) -- the enemy hit us. September the 11th
hurt. But we're dealing with that. I said then that it didn't matter
how long it's going to take, those who inflicted harm on America would
be brought to justice. And that's precisely what we're doing.
(Applause.)
The battles in Afghanistan and Iraq affected consumer confidence.
Corporate scandals affected consumer confidence, but we acted. We
weren't timid. We did what we thought was right. We not only passed
one tax relief package for the American people, we passed two, because
we know when you have more money in your pocket, it's your choice to
save, or to spend, or invest. More money means more growth, and more
growth means more jobs. (Applause.)
There's more to do. We need to make sure we open up markets for
America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers. And while we open up
markets, this administration will make sure that trade is not only
free, but it is fair. (Applause.)
We need an energy plan. We need reliable sources of energy. For
the sake of national security and economic security, we need to be less
relied on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
We need tort reform. (Applause.) And we've got to make sure that
there's certainty in the tax code. This tax relief we passed, because
of a quirk in the rules, will go away. For the sake of economic
vitality, for the sake of job creation, the Congress must make the tax
relief permanent. (Applause.)
This administration has got a strong agenda to keep this nation
secure and prosperous. And we lead. We're willing to stake out the
high ground and lead. My job, as your President, is to set great goals
worthy of a great nation.
First, this country is committed to expanding the realm of freedom
and peace, not only for our own security, but for the benefit of the
world. It is essential that this nation not grow weary in the war on
terror. It's essential that we remain determined and strong. You see,
the enemies want to create a sense of fear and intrepidation. They
don't understand America like I know America. This nation will not be
intimidated. We will continue our war on terror until this threat to
civilization is removed. (Applause.)
But the war on terror is more than just chasing down the killers or
holding tyrants to account. The war on terror -- our security comes in
the war on terror from the spread of human liberty. (Applause.) See,
free nations do not develop weapons of mass destruction. Free nations
do not intimidate their neighbors. Free nations are peaceful nations.
And so one of the missions of this administration is to spread
freedom. I understand that freedom is the deepest need and hope of
every heart. And I believe that freedom is the right of every person,
and the future of every nation. And that's exactly what we're now
doing in Iraq. We believe that freedom is not America's gift to the
world, we believe that freedom is God's gift to each and every
individual. (Applause.)
And so we're working in Iraq, working with other nations to make
sure that Iraq is free and peaceful. Terrorists don't like that.
Freedom is a threat. Freedom contradicts their way of life. A free
Iraq in the middle of the Middle East will change the world. This is
historic times. This nation will stay the course until Iraq is free
and peaceful and prosperous. (Applause.)
And in our own country, we must work for a society of prosperity
and compassion, and compassion, so that every single citizen has a
chance to work and succeed and realize the great promise of this
country. That starts with making sure that everybody can find work.
This administration understands the role of government is not to create
wealth, but an environment in which the entrepreneur can flourish, in
which small businesses grow to be big businesses. We will stay with
our pro-growth policy until our fellow citizens can find a job.
We understand that a compassionate and hopeful tomorrow requires
that every child be educated. We have led on this issue. We called
for Congress to pass historic education reforms, and they responded.
And now, in return for record amounts of federal money, we expect every
public school in America to teach the basics.
And we say, you must measure to show us whether or not a child can
read or write and add and subtract. And if they can't, there will be
extra resources to help that child. But at some point in time, if a
child is trapped in a school which will not teach and will not change,
we believe the parent ought to have different options to liberate that
child. No child should be left behind in America. (Applause.)
A hopeful tomorrow -- make sure America keeps its promises. We
have led on the issue of Medicare. The House passed a bill, the Senate
passed a bill. They're working out differences to give seniors more
choices, more options, just like the members of Congress have, and at
the same time, prescription drug coverage. Congress needs to come
together and get a good Medicare bill to my desk. (Applause.)
There are a lot of ways to make sure America remains hopeful: a
prosperous economy, good health care, a great education system. But we
must remember that in our society, there are some who seem hopelessly
lost, some who hurt, some who are lonely. Government can pass out
money, but it cannot put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose
in a person's life. And that's why the job of the President is to
capture the great spirit of our country, to call people to service.
I recognize that our strength is not in our armies or in our
pocketbooks. Our strength is in the hearts and souls of American
citizens, people from all faiths, all walks of life -- (applause) --
whether they be Christian, Jew, or Muslim, or Hindu, people have heard
the universal call to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be
called themselves. No, that's our strength.
In order to make sure this country meets the great goal of hope and
respect and decency, the President must be willing to rely upon the
strength of the country. And that's why I put forth a faith-based
initiative, recognizing that in our houses of worship of all faiths, we
find love and compassion and decency.
There are some whose problems can only be solved when a brother or
sister puts their arm around you and says, I love you; what can I do
to help you; I want to mentor you, I want to teach you how to read;
I'll provide food if you're hungry, shelter if you need a place to
stay. No, the strength of this country is the heart and soul of the
American people, the decency, the compassion, the soldiers in the
armies of compassion.
There's no question in my mind that America will be a hopeful
place. And there's no question in my mind that with your help, with
your help, in November of 2004 we will win a great victory and will
continue to work to keep America strong and secure and prosperous and
free. (Applause.)
Thank you all for coming. May God bless. (Applause.) God bless
you all. (Applause.)
END 8:18 P.M. EDT
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