Remarks at a Bush-Cheney reception in Indianapolis

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Sept 15, 2003

September 5, 2003

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thanks. Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to be back in the great State of Indiana. It's such a beautiful part of America. You know, Vice President Cheney and I did pretty well in the year 2000 in this State. [Laughter] The next time around we should do even better, riding on the coattails of my man Mitch.

I want to thank you all for coming tonight. It's a spectacular turnout. What we're doing is laying the groundwork for a strong foundation for what will become a great victory in November of 2004.

I'm going to count on you for energizing the grassroots, for putting up the signs and mailing out the mailers and making the phone calls for going to the coffee shops and reminding your fellow citizens that ours is a vision that includes everybody. Ours is a hopeful and optimistic vision for everybody who lives in the United States of America.

The political season is coming pretty soon, and I'm loosening up. I'm getting ready, but right now I've got a job to do. And my job is to work on behalf of the people of America. I'm going to continue to work hard to earn the confidence of every American, keeping this Nation secure and strong and prosperous and free.

I appreciate so very much my friend Al Hubbard. I didn't realize he was so articulate. [Laughter] Maybe he wasn't. [Laughter] But he's a great friend. I want to thank his leadership.

My regret tonight is that the First Lady is not traveling with me. I married above myself. Laura is a remarkable person. I love her dearly. She's doing a great job on behalf of the American people.

I want to thank Bob Graham for his work on this event. I, too, want to thank all the table captains and people who have worked hard to make this an enormous success. I appreciate my friend Mercer Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the national chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign. He's a business guy who's taking time out of his life to help us collect enough money to wage a viable campaign in 2004.

I'm honored that members of the congressional delegation are with us. I'm particularly pleased that the chairman is with us, a fine American, a great friend, a person whose counsel and advice I take seriously, Senator Dick Lugar; a person with whom I've played golf and don't intend to play again since he took money from me--[laughter]--Congressman Dan Burton; and another star of the congressional delegation is with us, and that's Congressman Mike Pence.

I'm so pleased we've got State officials with us, Todd Rokita, who is the secretary of state--Mr. Secretary, I'm glad you're here--the State auditor, Connie Nass, is with us; the Republican house leader, Brian Bosma, is with us today, as is State Representative Mike Murphy. I'm so honored you all are taking time out of your day to be here. All politics is local. You have to work to prepare the groundwork for a new Governor who's coming soon, Mitch Daniels.

Speaking about my man Mitch, I noticed a gracious move by David McIntosh in today's newspaper, a move of party unity, a move of serving something greater than himself. David, I appreciate your class act. I'm proud to call you friend, and I'm glad you're ere tonight. Thank you for coming.

There are People who have worked in my administration who are here. But one of the more famous Indianapolis citizens is with us tonight, who is serving our country with distinction, a man who understands the Faith-Based Initiative about as well as anybody in the country, and that's my friend Stephen Goldsmith. Thank you for coming, Stephen.

Finally, I'd like to thank Jim Kirtle, who is the chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. Get your uniform on, Jim. We're ready to roll. But I appreciate your service. Thank you all again for coming. It's a huge turnout.

In the last 2 1/2 years, our Nation has acted decisively to confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. I came to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. I believe this administration is meeting the tests of our time.

Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is what they got. We've captured or killed many leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan, in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million people--50 million People in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and now they live in freedom.

Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. We increased the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today, no one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the spirit of the United States military.

Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And then the attacks came on our country, and we had scandals in corporate America, and war. All 'affected the people's confidence. But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy going again, I have twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax relief for the American People.