Remarks at a Bush-Cheney reception in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania: September 15, 2003

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Sept 22, 2003

The President. Thanks for your warm welcome. Thanks for coming out tonight. I'm honored so many showed up. Thanks for coming. Thanks for your friendship, and thanks for your strong support. I appreciate the generous contributions you have made. The truth of the matter is, what we're doing is we're laying the groundwork for what is going to be a great nationwide victory, in November of 2004.

I'm going to count on you for more than just contributions. I need your help. I need you to put up the signs, to mail out the brochures. When you go to the coffee shop, you look them in the eye, and you tell them this administration has got a hopeful and optimistic vision for every single American.

There's a lot of talk in the air, a lot of political talk, and the truth of the matter is, I'm loosening up. [Laughter] I'm getting ready. But the political season will come in its own time. I've got a job to do. I'm focused on the people's business in Washington, DC. I've got a lot on the agenda, and I will continue to work hard to earn the confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation secure and strong and prosperous and free.

Most of you probably wish you were at the fundraiser a month ago when Laura was the keynote speaker. [Laughter] If so, you've got great judgment. She's a fabulous First Lady.

Audience member. So was your Mom! [Laughter]

The President. I'm sorry she's not here tonight. And speaking about my mother, I'm still listening to her, by the way. [Laughter]

I want to thank my friend David for being a fine chairman. He's been a longtime friend. I've called upon him time and time again to help, and he's never let me down. David, thank you, and the great team you put together, for--[applause] .

I've got two great campaign cochairmen for the State of Pennsylvania, two fine United States Senators, men with whom I work closely on key issues, Senator Santorum and Senator Specter. Thank you all for your--[applause]. Like me, Arlen married above himself. [Laughter] And I'm proud that Joan is with us today as well. Thank you for coming, Joan.

I'm 'also honored that members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation are with us today, Congressman Gerlach, Congressman Weldon, Congressman Greenwood. Congressman Sherwood is with us. It's good that you brought your family, Don. From the great State of New Jersey, Congressman Jim Saxton is with us as well.

I'm also pleased that Attorney General Mike Fisher is with us today. General, thank you for coming. We've got another attorney general with us, from the State of Delaware, Jane Brady. Thank you for being here, Jane. I'm so pleased to be able to say hello to Bill Scranton. He's one of the great Pennsylvania political families. I'm honored you're here, Bill. Thank you for coming.

Finally, I have the pleasure of saying hello to a fantastic lady and her two children, Connie Katz. Connie is here. She is representing her husband, who is running a spirited campaign for the mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And we're proud you're here.

I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. I particularly want to thank Bob Asher, a national committeeman from Pennsylvania, and Alan Novak, who is the chairman. I thank my friend Mercer Reynolds, who is the national chairman of this campaign. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio, and he's taken a lot of time out of his life to help gather the resources necessary to wage a strong campaign in '04. Finally, I want to thank Bill Kay, who is the owner of this establishment. I want to thank Bill and all the good folks who have worked hard to put on this event. Most of all, thank you all.

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. 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 have captured or killed many key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty 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. So we increased the defense budgets 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 upon our country, as well as corporate scandals and the march to war, all of which affected the confidence of the American people. But we acted. We passed 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.