Remarks in Gulfport, Mississippi

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 10, 2003

November 1, 2003

The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. I'm proud to be here in southern Mississippi. Thanks for your time. It's a beautiful night to be with the next Governor of the State of Mississippi.

I'm here to say it as plainly as I can say it. The right man to be the Governor of Mississippi is Haley Barbour. We've known each other a long time. Even when he was in high cotton--[laughter]--running with the big shots--[laughter]--he always talked about Mississippi. He loves this State, and he loves the people of Mississippi. I think he's going to be a great Governor because he's going to be the Governor of everybody. He's not going to be the Governor of one political party or another. He's going to represent every single person who's fortunate enough to live in the great State of Mississippi.

He's going to be a fine Governor because he's an optimist. He's got a clear and optimistic and positive vision for this great State. He believes in the potential of the State because he believes in the people of Mississippi. Haley Barbour is a family man, a man of faith. There is no doubt in my mind he is going to be a great Governor of this big State.

Plus, he married well. [Laughter] Marsha is going to be a great first lady. And speaking about great First Ladies, I'm sorry Laura is not with me today. I know it; you got the short straw. [Laughter] But after I shake enough hands, I'm going to head back to Crawford, and I'm going to tell her that there's no doubt in my mind that the people of this great State support Haley Barbour to be the next Governor.

And the definition of support means not only coming out to a big rally like this; it means doing your duty to vote. In our free society, you have a duty and an obligation to go to the polls. I'm asking you to ask your friends and neighbors to go to the polls as well. Don't be afraid to talk to that disenchanted Democrat--[laughter]--or the discerning independent. They want good government too. And Haley Barbour is going to give them good government. Turn out that vote. Work hard to get this man into office.

I'm proud to be onstage as well with your Lieutenant Governor, Amy Tuck. She's a woman of conscience. She made a tough decision. She decided she wanted to be a principled politician. [Laughter] That's what you need. That's what you want in your state-house. You want a principled Governor, and you want a principled Lieutenant Governor, and you'll have a principled Lieutenant Governor in Amy Tuck.

I appreciate so very much Tricia Lott being here. She's a great friend of mine and Laura's. She married well--[laughter]--Senator Lott, who does a fantastic job for the people of Mississippi. He came out to the airport. He said, "Look, I've heard you speak before." [Laughter] He's heading north--[laughter]--to rally the vote for Haley. I said, "You've got an excused absence just so long as you send your wife." [Laughter]

I appreciate so very much Congressman Chip Pickering and his wife, Leisha, for being here as well. Chip's one of the rising stars in the United States House of Representatives, a good, honorable, decent family man who cares deeply about the people of this State.

I'm also honored to here with Margaret Ann Pickering. She is the wife of Charles Pickering, Judge Pickering. You may have--[applause]. My job as the President is to find good, honorable citizens to serve on the high courts. When I picked Charles Picketing to serve in the high court, I picked a smart, intelligent, perfectly capable judge. It is time for some of the Members of the United States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.

I want to thank Scott Newton, who's running for the attorney general. I appreciate you coming, Scott. Don't forget him when you get in the booth.

I want to thank the mayors who are here and the local officials. I particularly want to thank the Lynyrd Skynyrd band.

But most of all, I want to thank you all. It's got to make a candidate that's coming down the stretch feel great to see so many people. They've been working hard and knocking on doors and making the phone calls, and here you all show up and give them extra energy, and I want to thank you for coming.

It's important to have the right platform when you're running for Governor. You've got to believe in something. You can't get by just on your pretty looks. [Laughter] Well, in Haley's ease--[laughter]. You've got to stand for something, and I appreciate what he stands for.

First of all, he shares the same concerns I have. When we hear that a fellow citizen is looking for work and can't find a job, that says we've got a problem. We want 'all our people working. We want people to be able to put bread on the table for their families. We want people to realize their ambitions. It's important to have a Governor who understands the role of government is to create an environment for small businesses to grow to be big business, to create an environment which is pro-growth and pro-jobs. Haley Barbour understands that.