Remarks at a fundraiser for senatorial candidate Elizabeth Dole and congressional candidate Robin Hayes in Charlotte

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 4, 2002

I've been so impressed about how hard she is working. It's so easy to come into a State and take things for granted. That's not Elizabeth Dole's style. She is going to out-work anybody who's running for the United States Senate because she loves the State of North Carolina. She's always loved North Carolina, and she's going to represent you with class and dignity in the United States Senate.

And we've got an important agenda in Washington. We're defending our country. You know, the enemy attacked us thinking we were soft, thinking our culture was corrupt, thinking we'd just kind of roll over and say, 'Well, you know, okay, fine. We'll figure out if we can sue them." [Laughter] Man, did they make a mistake. They found a nation that's resolved. They have found out that we will defend freedom. They understand now that this Nation is slow to anger, but when angered, we will chase them down, and we'll bring them to justice.

I'm so proud of the United States military. For those of you who've got relatives in the military--I met one young wife whose husband was in the 101st--I want to thank you all for your sacrifice to our country, as well. And the budget I've submitted to the United States Congress clearly reflects the need to defend our country. It is the largest defense increase since Ronald Reagan was President of the United States. It says this: that if. we put our troops in harm's way, if we ask young men and women to defend America, our allies, and our freedom, they must have the best equipment, the best training, and the best pay possible.

We have put together a mighty coalition of freedom-loving nations, nations all resolved to rout out terror wherever it may exist. It's going to require our Nation to be steadfast and strong in order to make sure that coalition stays focused. And it's easy for a nation, for a leadership, to assume that position when we've got a nation that is resolved and patient and determined.

I'm proud of the military, and I'm equally as proud of the people of the United States of America. We understand what is at stake. We understand our freedoms are now being challenged. We understand that civilization itself is under attack, and we will not relent. We stand strong in the face of the evil ones, and we will be victorious, make no mistake about it.

The American people understand it's going to take time to accomplish our objective. We're just in the first theater in the war against terror. We were able to uphold a new doctrine which said, if you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you try to hide a terrorist, you, yourself, are just as guilty as the terrorist. The Taliban, one of the most repressive governments in the history of the world, has found out what we meant when we said, "We will hold you accountable for harboring terrorists."

Our military, they're not conquerors; they're liberators. We liberated women and children from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of mankind, and I'm so proud of the accomplishment in Afghanistan.