For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 9, 2003
Remarks by the President at Ernie Fletcher for Governor Reception
Lexington Center-Heritage Hall
Lexington, Kentucky
6:11 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. It's great to be back in this
beautiful state. It's good to see a lot of friends. I know something
about the culture of Kentucky. I know the priorities of this state. I
promise you I'll keep my speech short so you can get to the football
game. (Laughter.) All I can say is, thank goodness it wasn't
basketball season, because nobody would be here. (Laughter and
applause.)
I appreciate the warm welcome to this former governor, and I'm
proud to be here with the next Governor, Ernie Fletcher. (Applause.)
For me, politics will come in time. I've got a job to do, and it's my
honor to lead this country. But politics is upon the people of
Kentucky, and I'm here because I want to make it as clear as I possibly
can: In the interests of every person who live in this state, whether
they're Republican, Democrat or Independent, the best man to be the
Governor of Kentucky is Ernie Fletcher. (Applause.)
I know him well. I've worked with him as a United States
congressman. The first thing I found out about Ernie is he loves his
family and he loves this state. I finally had to tell him to quit
saying the word "Kentucky" every time he lobbied me on an issue.
(Laughter.) He cares a lot about people. He believes in personal
responsibility, the dignity that comes from hard work, and the
importance of a good education for every child. There's no question in
my mind this man has the right values to lead this great state.
(Applause.)
And I appreciate the fact that Ernie picked a good man named Steve
Pence to be the Lieutenant Governor of this state. (Applause.) I
picked him first. (Laughter.) He was the U.S. Attorney for Western
District of Kentucky, appointed by President George W. Bush. I looked
at a lot of candidates. This man was the best candidate for the job.
I'm proud that he served as U.S. Attorney, I'm proud that he served as
a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves, and I'm proud to be standing
on this stage with the next Lieutenant Governor of the state of
Kentucky. (Applause.)
Ernie and I both married above ourselves. (Laughter.) I'm proud
to be with Glenna and the Fletcher family. I want to thank you for
your sacrifice and service. Glenna, you'll make a great First Lady for
this state. (Applause.) Just like Laura has made a great First Lady
for our country. (Applause.) I'm really proud of Laura. She recently
went on a high level diplomatic mission. She went to Russia to help
promote a book festival with Lyudmila Putin. By the way, came back
right after that in Russia and hosted a national book festival. She
loves books. She loves reading. She wants every child to read in
America.
And then she -- before she went to Russia, she stopped off in
France. (Laughter.) Now you may have seen the picture. I went to
France. (Laughter.) I had a nice reception, but I wasn't treated like
that. (Laughter.) No, she's great. I'm proud of her. I can't tell
you how thankful I am that when I got on bended knee, and said, will
you marry me, she said, yes. (Laughter.) She sends her love and her
best to all her friends here in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.
(Applause.)
I also thank Ruth Van Pence and the Pence family for working hard
to get the next Lieutenant Governor in office. It's a sacrifice for
families when somebody makes the decision to run. It's a team effort.
And I thank the families for what you're doing.
In our midst is a man who you must send back as the United States
Senator from this great state, and that is Mr. Jim Bunning. He's
strong, he's capable, he's the absolute right man for the job.
(Applause.)
Speaking about senators, Mitch's wife is in my cabinet, that would
be Mitch McConnell, and I'm speaking about Elaine Chao. She's done a
fabulous job as the Secretary of Labor. (Applause.) Hi Elaine. Need
a ride back? (Laughter.) Not much air rage on Air Force One, by the
way. (Laughter.)
Two members of the United States Congress are with us today. A
great member, a fellow I remember campaigning with for my dad at his
house, a person who has done a really good job for Kentucky. He is a
person who is a leader in the House of Representatives, and that's
Congressman Hal Rogers. (Applause.)
As well, we've got another fine member from the House of
Representatives with us, a good stalwart, a good ally, and that's
Congressman Ron Lewis. (Applause.) I know the current Congressman,
soon to be Governor, is really appreciative of the members of the
Congress for coming tonight. You know him as well as anybody.
I appreciate the members of the State House who are here. It's in
your interest you're here, because you're going to be working with a
fine man as Governor. We've got the Senator Dan Kelly who's the
Majority Leader. You're fixing to have a great Governor to work with,
Senator. You've got State Representative Jeff Hoover, Minority Leader
of the statehouse. And I want to thank the other members of the Senate
and the House who are here tonight, as well. Help is on the way.
(Applause.)
I know there's a lot of other candidates running for state-wide
office, too numerous to name, but I wish you all the best. I thank
your families for making the sacrifice. I also want to thank all the
grassroots activists who are here, people who are putting up the signs
and dialing the phones and licking the envelopes. You can't win a race
unless you energize the grassroots.
And we've got some fantastic leaders of the Republican Party who
are with us tonight. Ellen Williams, my good friend, is the Chairwoman
of the Republican Party of the state of Kentucky. (Applause.) My
friend, Cathy Bailey, the National Committeewoman and the State Finance
Chair, by the way, for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign is with us
tonight. (Applause.)
The message to the grassroots folks is it's one thing to come to a
fundraiser -- and that's important, don't get me wrong -- but you need
to go to your coffee shops. You need to go to community centers and
your houses of worship, and you need to say to people who haven't made
up their mind, you've got a good man in Ernie Fletcher. You need to
spread the word. You need to energize those folks. Find those folks
that say, my vote doesn't matter, and look them in the eye and says, it
does matter to have the right kind of governor in the statehouse.
(Applause.)
I appreciate Ernie's priorities. The number one priority of any
governor ought to be the education of the children of the state in
which he's the governor. That ought to be the priority. It's Ernie's
priority. See, if you can't get education right, there's a dismal
future for the state. It's essential that you have a governor who
stands tall for every child. And that starts with having a governor
who understands the dire need to challenge the soft bigotry of low
expectations. You've got to have a governor that believes that every
child can learn, and is willing to raise the standards, a governor who
believes in the worth and potential of every single child in his
state. And that's Ernie Fletcher.
You see, if you do not believe that every child can learn, then
you're willing to accept a system which simply shuffles children
through the schools. And that's unsatisfactory. It should be
unsatisfactory to everybody who lives in the state of Kentucky. It's
important to know whether or not the children are learning to read and
write and add and subtract. It's important to hold public schools
accountable. That way, Governor Fletcher can praise the teachers and
principals and parents in succeeding schools. And that way, Governor
Fletcher can take the accountability measures and say, we're not doing
it right here. For the sake of Kentucky, put a governor in who's
willing to work hard to make sure not one single child is left behind.
(Applause.)
Ernie talked about health care. Health care is an issue. It makes
sense to have somebody who knows something about health care as the
governor. He does. I've worked with him closely on key issues. We
worked on the Medicare bill today. We want to make sure the Medicare
system is modern, so seniors have got choices. I'm not only talking
about the seniors today, I'm talking about those of us who are fixing
to be seniors. You've got to have a system that works. Let's make
sure we have prescription drugs available for our seniors. Ernie has
been a leader on this issue. He knows what he's talking about.
And he and I know this: that for the sake of affordable and
available health care, we need to have medical liability reform.
(Applause.) For the sake of the working people of this state, you
better have you a governor who is strong enough to stand up to the
trial lawyers, somebody who is going to remind the people of this state
that nobody has ever been healed by a frivolous or junk lawsuit.
(Applause.)
And that's soon-to-be Governor Ernie Fletcher. We spent a lot of
time in Washington talking about jobs. See, he and I understand this,
that things might look okay, but so long as anybody is looking for work
and can't find a job, it means we still have a problem. We've got to
work to create the conditions for job growth. The role of our
governments is not to create wealth -- Ernie knows that -- the role is
to create the environment in which small businesses can flourish to be
big businesses, in which the entrepreneurial spirit is strong.
We had a problem at the national level. When we came in -- Vice
President Cheney and I came in -- the country was headed into a
recession, in the first quarter of 2001. We were in recession. The
economy started coming around, and then the enemy hit us, and that
hurt. And then we found out some of our citizens forgot to tell the
truth. We had some corporate scandals. And by the way, there's no
excuse for that. They will be held to account. We expect corporate
CEOs to be responsible citizens in America.
We vigorously waged the war on terror, and the battles of
Afghanistan and Iraq affected the confidence of the American people.
We had an issue with our economy. I went to the Congress. I said, the
best way to get the economy growing again, the best way to make sure
people can find a job is to return the people's money. I proposed
historic tax relief. We increased the child credit from $600 to
$1,000. We reduced the marriage penalty. The code ought to encourage
marriage, not discourage marriage. (Applause.)
We cut the taxes on everybody who pays taxes. We thought the
fairest way to deal with tax relief was not to play favorites, but to
say, if you pay tax, you get tax relief. We provided incentives for
small businesses to expand, because Ernie and I understand that most
new jobs in America are created by small businesses. No, we acted. I
called upon Congress, this good man supported me. The tax relief came
at the right time for American history. (Applause.)
Now, I'm watched him carefully. He understands what I know: When
we're spending money at the government level, we're not spending the
government's money, we're spending the people's money. And you'd
better have a governor who understands that in your statehouse.
(Applause.)
There's another thing we're working on in Washington, to make sure
our businesses flourish, and that's a reliable source of energy. I
look forward to working with Ernie on clean coal technology. I want to
use the resources at hand. You've got some great resources here in
Kentucky. We've got to use them. We've got to make sure we use our
technology so that the air is cleaner. But we need an energy policy
for the sake of economic vitality. And for the sake of national
security, we need to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
(Applause.)
We've been working on a jobs plan at the national level, Ernie's
working on a jobs plan here in Kentucky. He knows what he's doing.
He's got the right philosophy. If anybody out there is listening and
is worried about their job, I'd strongly suggest that you make Ernie
Fletcher your governor. He knows what he's talking about when it comes
to job creation for the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Another thing I'm looking forward to working with Ernie on is
homeland security. There's a lot responsibility at the state level
when it comes to protecting the homeland. Make sure you've got a
governor who is well organized, who can make sure that there's a
response mechanism in case the worst might happen, somebody who
supports the first responders, the fire and the policemen and the
emergency service squads all over your state. I'm confident Ernie can
do the job. I've worked with him on matters of homeland security.
The truth of the matter is, the best way to secure the homeland is
never to forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, and chase the
enemy down, one by one, and bring them to justice. (Applause.)
One of the big problems we had when we got to Washington was morale
in the United States military was beginning to suffer. When we showed
up, there was an issue in the military. So I proposed strong defense
budgets to meet the threats of a new era. Congressman Fletcher was a
strong supporter of those defense budgets. And today, thanks to his
support and the good work of others here in this audience, no one, no
one in the world can doubt the strength and the spirit and the
sacrifice and the class and the technological ability of the United
States military. (Applause.)
Thank goodness we did strengthen our military because we're still
at war. I knew after September the 11th one of the hardest things for
me to do would be to convince the people that there was a new kind of
war, and they had to be diligent and patient in order to do our duty,
in order to answer history and secure our homeland. Ernie Fletcher got
that right off the bat.
It's important that our country not forget the lessons of September
the 11th. The first lesson is the nature of the enemy. These people
are nothing but cold-blooded killers. They've hijacked a great
religion. They'll kill innocent women and children and men. They care
not who they kill. They try to create fear and intimidation. Therapy
won't work with these people. Negotiation won't work with these
people. The only way to secure America is to stay on the offensive.
And this country will stay on the offensive. (Applause.)
We're making good progress against al Qaeda. I vowed that we would
bring those killers to justice, and we're making good progress. We're
teaming up with other nations, and slowly but surely, bringing them to
justice. About two-thirds of the al Qaeda leadership have either been
killed or captured. And we're after the rest of them. I know we've
got a family here who grieved because of the bombing in Bali. The man
who ordered that bombing, masterminded the bombing, is now in custody.
He's no longer a threat. May God rest your daughter. We have a duty,
no matter whether the citizen lives here in America or elsewhere, to be
tough and strong and vigilant, to use our resources and capabilities to
bring killers to justice.
I also laid out another initiative that's an important lesson of
September the 11th. It's important for those who harbor a terrorist
and feed a terrorist, and hide a terrorist, to understand they're just
as guilty as the terrorists. And the Taliban in Afghanistan found out
exactly what we meant. Because of the bravery of the United States
military and our friends and coalitions, the Taliban is no more. The
people of Afghanistan are free. Many young girls go to school for the
first time thanks to the United States of America. (Applause.)
There's another lesson involved with September the 11th, and that
is when we see a gathering threat, we must deal with it. You see, in
the past, oceans protected us, or so we thought. We felt -- thought we
were invulnerable to attack. So if we saw a gathering threat overseas,
we might decide to deal with it or might not. September the 11th
changed that calculation. The enemy can strike anytime, anywhere in
America with ruthless fashion. They know no rules, they know no bounds
of decency, they kill in the name of great religion. And therefore,
this nation must deal with gathering threats when we find them.
And Saddam Hussein was a gathering threat. He possessed and he
used weapons of mass destruction. He was a brutal tyrant and dictator
to his own people. We discovered mass graves of men, women, and
children. He had rape rooms and torture rooms. Words cannot describe
the tyranny of this brutal man. I was not about to leave the security
of the United States to the desires and hopes of this madman.
But we weren't alone. The world called for Mr. Saddam Hussein to
disarm, to prove he had disarmed, not once, but time after time. The
world clearly saw the threat of Mr. Saddam Hussein. Last year, you
might remember, we passed Security Council Resolution 1441. The United
Nations said, Mr. Saddam Hussein, you must declare your weapons, you
must disarm for the sake of peace, or there will be serious
consequences -- your choice. He made a bad choice. Saddam Hussein is
no more. (Applause.)
Recently, there was a report about Mr. Saddam Hussein's weapons
programs. If you read the report, it is absolutely clear that he was
in defiance of Security Council Resolution 1441, that he was not only a
danger, but a deceiver. The United Nations was right to demand Saddam
Hussein be disarmed, and the United States and our coalition was right
to remove him from power. (Applause.)
And we have more work to do in Iraq. See, we're at an historic
moment. A free Iraq, a peaceful Iraq, in the heart of the land of
terror, will change the world, and make America and our friends more
secure. A peaceful Iraq, in the heart of the Middle East, will change
the habits of countries that have spawned terrorists. It's essential
we succeed for the long-term. It's essential we succeed for our
children and our grandchildren in developing a peaceful, democratic
country. And make no mistake about it, we will succeed. (Applause.)
We're making great progress. I don't care what you read about.
Just ask anybody who's been there. They will tell you that the schools
are opening, the children are getting immunized, the electricity is up,
water is purified and moving. We're making great progress in helping
this nation establish itself. The Iraqis want a secure country.
They're moms and dads just like you all are. They want to live in a
peaceful, hopeful place. The marketplaces are burgeoning, the
entrepreneurial spirit is growing. And they'll start taking over their
own security. By the end of next year, we'll have 40,000 militia
trained so they can deal with the thugs, and the criminals, and the
Baathists who long for Saddam Hussein.
I talked to Bernie Kerik, the Police Chief of New York City, who
was the Commissioner there during 9/11. He went over there in the
midst of chaos and set up a 37,000 person police force in Baghdad. No,
it's different. We're making progress. This country is growing. I
readily concede, it's still hard work. There's thugs and killers who
can't stand the thought of freedom. Freedom makes them nervous.
And so, they're going to try to intimidate. See, you've got to
understand, their goal is to try to frighten the United States of
America. They want us to leave early. They want to inflict damage so
that we run. They don't understand our country. We don't run from a
challenge. We understand the stakes. We will stay the course, not
only for our own security, but for the peace of the world. (Applause.)
I've received great support from the United States Congress on this
initiative. Ernie Fletcher understands the stakes. He understands the
historic nature of what we are doing. He understands this war on
terror. It will be good to have him as your governor. He has got a
vision.
I also know what he knows, that the true strength of this country
is not our military might, however, or it's not the size of our
wallets. That's not the true strength of America. The true strength
of this country is the heart of the American people. We're a
compassionate, decent nation. It's very important that you have a
governor who knows that government can hand out money, but it cannot
put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a person's life.
That comes when loving citizens put their arm around somebody who
hurts, and say, I love you, what can I do to help you, how can I make a
difference in your life? You need to have a governor who knows that
amidst the plenty of this great state, there are people who hurt, there
are people who cry for help. There's homeless people, there's battered
women, there's addicted people. And the best way to solve that is to
rally the armies of compassion. Whether it be at the federal level or
at the state level, elected officials should never fear rallying faith,
no matter what the religion, to help people in need.
No, the greatest strength of this country is the fact that there
are thousands and thousands of people who have heard the universal call
-- whether they be Christian or Jewish or Muslim -- to love a neighbor
just like you'd like to be loved yourself. Problems will be solved one
person at a time, one person -- one conscience at a time, when our
country gathers up the true strength -- those who have heard the call
-- and help them provide the services that will save lives.
Ernie Fletcher understands that the people are the strength of this
state. There's no doubt in my mind he'll make a great governor. And
it's my high honor to come and stand by his side and urge the good
people of this state to vote him into office.
May God bless you all and may God bless America.
END 6:39 P.M. EDT
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