And secondly, after 134 days where the Biden administration and Democrats in Washington have been pushing open borders, higher taxes, runaway spending, more government, defunding the police, abandoning the right to life, censoring free speech, canceling our most cherished liberties, I came here to say enough is enough. I came here to say the time is now for every patriotic American who shares our ideals and values to stand up and fight back against the agenda of the radical left. I learned a lot serving alongside President Donald Trump. Some people think we are a little bit different, but I think what President Trump showed us was what Republicans can accomplish when our leaders stand firm on conservative principles and do not back down. That is exactly what he did for four years. And under President Donald Trump and our administration, it was four years of consequence, four years of results. It was four years of promises made and promises kept. I mean, think about it, think about it. In our 48 months, the Trump-Pence administration achieved the lowest unemployment, the highest household incomes, the most energy production, the most pro-American trade deals, the most secure border and the strongest military in the history of the world. I am writing a book about our time in the White House and almost everybody's excited about it. I cannot wait to unpack all that we did under this President's leadership and with the strong support of the people here in the Republican party on New Hampshire. I mean, in our first three years, think about it, we rebuilt the military and defeated the ISIS caliphate. We revived the economy and created seven million good paying jobs. We cut taxes. We cut regulations at a record pace, became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. We held China accountable for years of trade abuses and brought jobs back to the USA. And in the face of the worst pandemic in 100 years, we launched the greatest national mobilization since World War II.  But I have to tell you, to provide for the common defense is the first object of the national government, and I am proud to say our record was unparalleled for any administration in history. And I am proud and grateful for that record, not just because I was your Vice President, but I am the proud father of a United States Marine Captain who is currently deployed in service of the United States.


And I am also proud to say one of my unworthy son-in-laws is a Lieutenant and a pilot in the United States Navy. But under our administration, we rebuilt the military, a record $3 trillion in our national defense. And with that renewed American strength, we stood with our allies and stood up to our enemies as never before. Our forces defeated the ISIS caliphate and took down their leader without one American casualty. We isolated Iran as never before, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, and just a year ago, we saw Arab nation sign historic peace agreements with Israel for the first time in 25 years. And it was this President and this administration that kept our word to the American people and our most cherished ally when we moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of the state of Israel. And every day for four years, we stood up the timeless values that have always made this country great. Nearly 300 conservatives confirmed to our federal courts at every level, including Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett. And every single day, we defended all the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights for every American of every belief. And we stood without apology every single day for the sanctity of human life. With your support here in New Hampshire, the support of people all across this country, and your prayers, we made history, we made a difference, we made America greater than ever before. I know the Governor said he did not come here to bash the current administration- 134 days, and the Biden-Harris administration has launched an avalanche of big government liberal policies, the likes of which I have never even imagined I'd see in our lifetime. And all of it designed to derail the progress that we made over the last four years. When President Biden takes to the podium in the Congress of the United States, and he announced an explosion of runaway spending, another $6 trillion. And after our administration worked in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in a bipartisan way, every bill that passed the Congress passed on a bipartisan basis, they forced through the Congress a ENTITY bill to fund to massive expansion of the welfare state. And they passed it on a partisan vote. It is amazing the difference in approach. You heard Governor Sununu talk about the difference in engagement and I will leave that opinion to him. But I will tell you things are a little bit different.

Mike Pence Speech Transcript on Trump: May Never See Eye To Eye on January 6


Our FDA worked closely with research companies and our administration to launch Operation Warp Speed. We cleared out the underbrush, we provided billions in support and we developed two safe and effective vaccines in nine months that are saving lives all across America and all over the world. Their FDA, I saw on the plane when I was flying here today, actually just issued a warning to Americans and I quote, Do not eat cicadas. I did not make that up. I mean, the truth is, they have been so busy on their side. Sometimes I think the left hand does not know what the far left hand is doing. They have literally, they have proposed trillions of dollars in the so-called infrastructure bill that is just a thinly disclosed climate change bill and the Green New Deal. And just as our economy here in New Hampshire and across America is getting back on our feet and Americans are going back to work, they plan to pay for all of this massive spending with military budget cuts and the largest tax increase in 50 years. And we are going to stand strong and send a message from right here in the live free or die state that we are going to stand strong for freedom, and we are going to stand strong for a growing and prosperous America with a limited federal government. After inheriting the most secure border in American history, the Biden administration ended construction on the border wall and canceled policies that had reduced illegal immigration by 90%. And I do not have to tell you they have unleashed the worst border crisis in history. They have bent the knee to international bureaucrats planning to join the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran Nuclear Deal. They formed a commission to pack the Supreme Court, supported more calls for gun control, eroding our second amendment rights. And they have joined the woke chorus accusing law enforcement in America of systemic racism. And President Biden's failed leadership, his home and only been matched by weak leadership abroad. It has set off the worst outbreak of violence in the Middle East in seven years. After our administration stood strong with Israel every day for four years, President Biden restored hundreds of millions of dollars to the Palestinian authority. And he even remained silent as Hamas terrorists were firing thousands of rockets at Israeli citizens. President Biden replaced strength with weakness, moral clarity with confusion, and loyalty with betrayal. But you in New Hampshire know what I know.


When it comes to the foreign policy of the United States of America, if the world knows nothing else, let the world know this, America stands with Israel. And maybe the most troubling developments to families in the past few months has been the Biden administration's wholehearted embrace on the radical left's all encompassing assault on American culture and values. Under the Biden administration, patriotic education has been replaced with political indoctrination. They abolished our 1776 Commission and authorized teaching critical race theory in our schools. Instead of teaching all of our children, regardless of race or creed or color to be proud of their country, critical race theory teaches children as young as kindergarten to be ashamed of their skin color. Well, let me say, as my friend Tim Scott said, with great effect on the national stage, not long ago, America is not a racist country. It is past time for America to discard the left wing myth of systemic racism. And I commend state legislatures all across the country and governors who are banning critical race theory from our schools. Our founders said that we were to strive for a more perfect union. And so we have done throughout the long and storied history of this country. And while we are not perfect yet, we ought to do justice to all the progress that has been made and recognize that the United States of America is the most just, noble and inclusive nation that has ever existed on the face of the Earth. And the United States military is the greatest force for good the world has ever known. As our soldiers protect us abroad, we also do well to always pay a debt of honor and a debt of gratitude to those who put on a different uniform every day, put on a sidearm. And like my uncle who walked a beat in Chicago for 25 years, count our lives every day as more important than their own. Law enforcement officers in the United States of America are heroes, and they should be honored by every American every day. Last August at Fort McHenry I told the American people that they would not be safe in Joe Biden's America. And it grieves my heart to report to you tonight in Hillsborough county that murders have now increased by more than a third in our largest cities. Democrat efforts to defund the police, withdraw support for law enforcement has set off a violent crime wave that is wreaking havoc in families all across the nation. Black lives are not endangered by police, Black lives are saved by police every day.


We do not need to defund the police. The anti-law enforcement agenda of Joe Biden and the Democrats in Washington and put the lives of law-abiding citizens, every race, and creed, and color first. It is just amazing when you think of that, we are 134 days. In 2020, you remember Joe Biden was campaigning as a moderate when he campaigned, but he is literally governed as the most liberal president since FDR. Even AOC said that President Biden had exceeded Progressive's expectations, And that is saying a lot. But I do not believe for one moment that that is what the American people voted for in 2020. They did not vote to open our borders, to give away safety of our streets, their prosperity, or our freedom, or our future. So I want to say again, coming here to New Hampshire tonight, it is time. It is time for freedom loving Americans to stand up and say, No more. It is time for freedom loving Americans to unite behind an agenda that will bring America back. For all of my years in this movement, I actually first ran for Congress when one of the namesakes of this dinner was still in the White House. I had a chance to meet President Reagan in the Blue Room, my wife and I met him. I will never forget, I sat down next to him. I mean, Ronald Reagan was the reason why I joined the Republican Party, maybe like many of you. But I sat down next to him, felt like I was talking to Mount Rushmore. And I said, Mr. President, I, I said, I just want to thank you for everything you have done for this country and to encourage my generation to believe in this country again. And for all of my life, I will believe in that moment, that the 40th President of the United States of America blushed and said, Well, ENTITY, that is a very nice thing of you to say. But President Reagan articulated an agenda that he never took credit for, because it was an American agenda. He said, I am not a great communicator, I just communicated great things, And President Donald Trump did the same. There is an agenda of a strong and prosperous America built on freedom, and that is our agenda. The truth is our Republican Party has now become the home party for the American agenda. An agenda that believes in a strong national defense in a limited federal government in life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.


It is all fallen to us. We have been blessed in this nation. And to whom much is given And you are here tonight, because you know we have an obligation as they did in their time to do in our time, to stand strong for that positive American agenda, a strong military, secure borders, free enterprise, safe neighborhoods, support for law enforcement, America first trade deal, judges that uphold all of our God-given liberties, to fight for the opportunity of every American to choose where their children go to school, whether it is public, private, or parochial. And we, as Republicans, recognize that at the center of our Republic, at the center of our democratic institutions is the principle of one person, one vote. I mean, the truth is after an election that saw several states around the country literally set aside laws enacted by their legislature, now is the time for states to ensure that one person, one vote principle, that it is a center of our system, is protected and guaranteed. And make no mistake about it, that principal's under threat. Under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats in Washington want to nationalize our elections with their bill called H.R. 1. They want to literally codify many of the very practices that create the greatest opportunity for fraud. I mean, none other than New Hampshire's legendary Secretary of State Bill Gardner probably put it best. He said Nancy Pelosi's election bill, which the Senate will take up later this month, is a egregious overreach of federal authority that would render the New Hampshire Constitution null and void. Well, let me make you a promise, with your support, and your efforts, and the efforts of Republicans all across this nation, we are not going to let Nancy Pelosi override New Hampshire's Constitution or the state constitution of any state. And we will never let Nancy Pelosi take the first in the nation primary from New Hampshire! Our founders had a debate at the Constitutional Convention, Mr. Speaker, you know this, about where elections ought to be governed. He says, Right here at the state level, not in Washington DC. It is at the very center of our system and we are going to stand up and that system. We are going to defend state-based election reform, we are going to support voter ID, and we are going to work every day to restore the confidence of every American in every vote.


And beyond all of that, having to do with prosperity, and security, and the integrity of the ballot, ours will be the party that stands for the religious liberty of every American of every faith, and we will defend the right to life. That is a winning agenda that will unite our country, restore our future. And that is an agenda that'll win back America. I have no doubt in my heart. So tonight in New Hampshire, I want you to be encouraged, I really do, because I am more confident than ever that victory is right around the corner, and not just the down-ballot victories that you delivered here in New Hampshire in 2020, but victories up and down the ballot, because we have seen this movie before. It was 2010 the last time I was at the Hillsborough County Republican Lincoln Reagan Dinner. I was serving as chairman of the House Republican conference. We were in the minority. Coming here to the Hillsborough County Republican Party Dinner, I just knew that if we offered a positive conservative agenda to the American people, we'd win back the House, we'd win back the Senate, we'd win back America. We'd win back the Senate, we'd win back America. And that is just what we did. And we are going to do it again in 2022 and 2024. We have just got to do a couple of things. We have got to tell our story and we have got to come together. Hey, I ran into ENTITY the other day. I mean, that guy, like half his speech was just talking about everything we got done in the first three years of our administration, and then steered this nation through one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime in our last year. I mean, we do not have to accept a future of socialist decline and moral decay. What we proved in the last four years is we can be a nation built on freedom whose government exists to serve its citizens, not the other way around. We can elect leadership that puts America and the American people first. And we can be a nation where every American has the freedom to live, to work, to worship according to the dictates of our conscience. We proved it. But we have got to tell our story and we have got to do one more thing. We have all been through a lot over the past year, a global pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive election and tragedy at our nation's Capitol.


As I said that day, January 6th was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled, the Capitol was secured, and that same day we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office. And I do not know if we will ever see eye-to-eye on that day, but I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years. I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans, or allow Democrats or their allies in the media to distract our attention from a new administration intent on dividing our country to advance their radical agenda. My fellow Republicans, for our country, for our future, for our children and our grandchildren, we must move forward united. Ronald Reagan probably said it best in 1976 after he'd come up short for the Republican Convention. He was called to the podium by President Ford. And he said words that I think speak to our party and our movement today. Ronald Reagan said, We have got to quit talking to each other and about each other, and go out and communicate to the world and carry them the message they have been waiting to hear. Let us press on with a positive agenda. Let us tell the story to our neighbors and friends of everything we were able to accomplish when we put Republican conservative principles into practice in a short period of time, and made a stronger and more prosperous and more secure America. Compelled by that energy that has worked so powerfully in the hearts of generations of Americans. We have got to keep the faith. We have got to keep faith with our founders and our highest ideals. We have got to defend the freedoms enshrined in our declaration and our constitution, and be ready to keep our oath even when it hurts, as the good book says. We have got to keep faith with 74 million Americans who believe we could be prosperous again, who believe we could be strong again and deliver for ourselves and our prosperity a record. And lastly, we have got to keep faith with him who has ever guided this miracle of democracy on these wilderness shores. Keep faith that he is still with the good people of this nation today. God is not done with America yet.


Wendell Phillips once said that you can always get the truth from an American statesman after he has turned 70 or given up all hope of the Presidency. Well, today I welcome you, President Mubarak, as a friend. Coming from a 76-year-old constitutionally prohibited from seeking another term, you can rest assured those sentiments are genuine and come from the heart. This visit is a particularly happy occasion as it provides the opportunity to congratulate you personally on your reelection to a second term as ENTITY. As a second term veteran myself, however, let me suggest, Mr. President, it does not get any easier. The referendum that approved your second term reflects the strong confidence that the Egyptian people have in your leadership. We share that same confidence. Nevertheless, Mr. President, we both know that governing a country in which there are divergent political views and a lively opposition is a tough job. We respect your work to broaden participation in the political process and are confident it will help create the stable political environment needed for Egypt to move forward. Egypt today, under your guidance, is resuming its rightful place in the forefront of world leadership. This is particularly important at a time when the forces of fanaticism and blind hatred threaten the security and stability of the Middle East. Egypt, by again exerting its wise and calming influence, provides the world hope that the serious challenges facing the Middle East can and will be overcome and that the region will be restored to a happier and more tranquil course. Likewise, President Mubarak, you have wisely and effectively led Egypt onto a course of economic reform and development. We, too, learned in our own efforts to strip away years of government intervention in our marketplace how monumental this task can be, how ingrained is the dependence on intervention, and how powerful are the interest groups that resist change. But we are convinced that such vigorous reform is the surest path to economic progress. And, Mr. President, Americans will stand and work with Egyptians in the cause of growing prosperity, just as we do in the cause of peace. And in saying that, I propose a toast to you, Mr. President, Mrs. Mubarak, the people of Egypt, and to the close and amicable ties that will continue between our peoples and our governments. The elegant and warm reception you have accorded us reflects the best tradition of American friendship and genuine openness. It is a tradition that has deep roots in our culture, too.

Toasts at the State Dinner for President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt


We value friendship and loyalty to friends. As usual, President Reagan and his graceful spouse have made us feel welcome and quite at home the minute we arrived at the White House this morning. They symbolize the American spirit at its best. My meeting with the President today was another confirmation of my belief that he is a man of wisdom and vision. He is an American in the true sense of the word. I expressed to him my admiration of the relentless efforts he exerted for years to make the world more safe and secure for future generations. His recent achievement in this area will certainly have a lasting effect on world peace and stability. I have no doubt that other steps will follow in the same direction during the months ahead. I am certain that regional conflicts will figure high on the agenda throughout the year. Of these conflicts, the Middle East problems deserve special attention and priority. Strenuous efforts are needed to stop the war, which is still raging in the Gulf, and set the peace process in motion again. We have to demonstrate to all the parts concerned that peace is the only meaningful and effective way to settle disputes and solve problems. With this in mind, Egypt has not hesitated at any point to take pioneering steps in order to make peace. It is for this reason, too, that I have proposed a few days ago a moratorium on all forms of violence and repression. I am quite convinced that this proposal, which is conceived as a preparatory step towards comprehensive peace, reflects the real sentiment of people of good will and human principles everywhere. No one who looks ahead and thinks of the future can accept the continuation of occupation and oppression. No one can, in good conscience, condone a policy of shooting and beating in a land that is holy to all of us. What I am proposing here is a policy of hope and positivity to replace despair and fear. I am sure that I am not alone in that, for I am backed by millions of men and women of courage and conviction everywhere. Let me seize this opportunity to thank all those Americans, Israelis, and others who raise their voices in support of peace and in defense of liberty. Dear friends, American leaders have worked with Egyptian leaders over the years in order to construct a model for friendship and cooperation among nations. In particular, President Reagan has made a great contribution to the development of friendly relations between Egypt and the United States.


From what I have been able to gather in the brief time I have been in your great city, I learned the pollsters are somewhat divided about the New York City vote. A reporter asked me the other day after looking at both the Gallup and the Harris polls, which was my favorite poll. I did not hesitate for a second. I told him my favorite poll is Muskie. Tell me, Daddy, how was it that after losing a national election in 1960 to President Kennedy and then after losing a State election as Governor in California in 1962 to Pat Brown, how does it happen that Richard Nixon has been able to win his party's nomination for the Presidency in 1968? I told her if she would give me a week I would try to think of some reasons. Not long ago, I was talking to a very wise friend about some of the great political campaigns we had had in this country in past years. We talked about 1948 the campaign that resembles this campaign in so many ways. There was a Midwestern progressive, you will remember, who had won election after election, and he was running against a Wall Street lawyer, who had tried out for the job once before and had been roundly rejected. He has not changed his opinions since then either. He has learned a thing or two about how to win friends and how to influence people-some people, at least in the past few years. It was harassing the Democratic candidate with catcalls and cloud nine ideas about a world that never was. Everybody told the Republican candidate then in '48 that he was a shoo-in. He avoided taking a position on anything more controversial than Mother's Day. And he was for it. The polls and the pundits had buried the Democratic candidate by late September. And not many of them looked to see if he stayed buried. As you may remember, that Midwestern progressive just absolutely refused to cooperate at his own funeral. But I came here to tell you today it is coming, as sure as I stand here. And the Midwestern progressive of 1968 Hubert Humphrey is going to wake up on the morning of November 6 as the new President-elect of the United States. My friend and I talked about another election this one a defeat for the Democrats, but a defeat that foreshadowed victory 4 years later.

Remarks in New York City at a Luncheon of the All Americans Council of the Democratic National Committee


Roman Catholic progressive-spokesman for the cities, the poor farmer, the laboring man, the Negro, and all the great peoples who had immigrated from Europe to enrich America with their talents and their traditions. I do not need to remind any of you of the bitter campaign that followed in 1928. Demagogues had a field day playing on the fear of Catholicism, the fear of foreigners, the fear of the cities, and the corruption that the cities were supposed to contain. Al Smith and Joe Robinson of Arkansas, his running mate fought back, reminding the people that their interests lay in a better deal for the farmer and the worker, and in building a more united and unified nation not ever in cultivating hatred and suspicion of their neighbors. Smith and Robinson lost that election. the forces they set in motion the alliance they called into being gave Franklin Delano Roosevelt and three later Democratic Presidents the basis of smashing victories at the polls that we had never known before. The 1920 census had showed that for the first time more people were now living in the cities than were living in rural areas. jobs, housing, transportation, law and order, relations between the races and ethnic groups. When the Democrats nominated Al Smith, they were nominating a man who had grown up in the city, who understood city problems, who had the energy and the will to master these problems. Maybe maybe Al Smith was ahead of his time. It would take eight more elections before religious prejudice could be overcome and a Catholic could be elected President in the United States. But in a deeper sense, Al Smith was right-right for his time. In nominating him the Democrats were facing the problems of the hour, and they were facing those problems when they occurred. That my friends is the essential difference between the two parties in America. Democrats face problems; Republicans defer problems. It is a lot easier on the party in power to defer problems for somebody else to handle later on. But it is not easy on your country. The problems deferred mean solutions deferred, and that means trouble. It has been called one of the greatest single migrations in the history of the world from the rural areas to the cities of North America greater than the emigration from Europe in the peak years at the turn of the century; greater than the Indian and Pakistani migrations in 1947; greater by far than the Israelite exodus from the land of the Pharaohs.


In the 1950's alone during which Republicans were in office most of the time-nearly 10 million Americans left the farm for the city. That meant not only fewer farms more than a million and a half fewer farms but it meant an unbearable strain on the ability of the cities to provide for their new residents. Did any of you ever hear the Republicans calling for a model cities program to relieve the blight of the slums? Did any of you hear the Republicans saying that we must build 26 million new housing units for families of modest means, as we said in the Congress this year? Did you hear them say that the schools needed Federal help that poor kids were entitled to a head start in life? Did you hear the Republicans urging the country to find jobs and to provide training for rural people who had no skills when they came to the city and wanted to work? Did you find them pressing for help to depressed areas, so that the people might be encouraged to remain in rural America, instead of crowding into the cities? You heard nothing of that. You heard veto. You heard sermons about kennel dogs. You heard talk about rolling readjustments when the country went through three recessions in 8 years of Republican rule. Meanwhile, the fuse of trouble burned. We could either continue to close our eyes to the urgent needs of our people or we could get this country moving toward meeting those needs. I think everyone in this room knows the choice that we made. And for all the Gallup polls and all the pundits in the world, I would not take back that choice that we made. You just cannot expect peace and quiet when you start to deal with and try to handle trouble when people who have lived in the hopeless world of poverty, and malnutrition, and disease, when they suddenly find out that there is a better way to live. Some of what you start to do fails to achieve its objective. And then the apostles of inaction-the people who ignored the Nation's problems when they were in office they began to set up a peevish wail from the sidelines. Turn back, they said, it is too expensive to meet these problems. Forget them and somehow they will go away. But they can be mastered and if we have the vision and we have the will to master them, we can. And we are on the way to mastering them right this minute. An unemployment rate that we have cut in half. Seventeen million children getting additional Federal help in school.


A million and a half young people going to college with the help of the Federal Government. The high school dropout rate is down 27 percent in the last 5 years. The number of persons living in poverty is down 38 percent in the last 5 years. The cash benefits under social security are up 60 percent in the same period. What it adds up to is meeting America's needs to facing America's problems and facing them now, not deferring them until they have multiplied beyond the power of the next generation to cope with them at all. Now, the choice that you are going to have to make just 9 days from now is clear as a crystal. that Cuba in that period had been lost to communism; that in 1960 an ultimatum hung over Berlin; that in Southeast Asia, Laos was disintegrating, and the situation in Vietnam where he had recommended intervention in 1954 growing steadily worse; that a summit conference had been canceled because of a U-2 flight; that the projected visit of our own American President to Japan had been canceled because of the fear of hostile demonstrators; that the Russian Premier was threatening to bury us economically, and many people feared that he might just do that; that the Congo was in flames and mortal danger was faced all through Africa where they were faced with being taken over by the Communists; and that Indonesia, the fifth largest nation in the world, with more than 100 million people, was sliding toward the same fate; that Chinese power threatened to overwhelm India and the rest of Asia. I could go on and talk about some other problems of that time, too. But I cite it to you today in the light of the ugly and unfair charges that have been made about our security gap and the charges that have been made about our attempts to win peace in the world. On the night of March 31st, with all the sincerity I could command, I said to the American people what I had concluded sometime before; that I wanted 1968 to be a peace year for me instead of a political year for me. Well, we are working very hard at that. It is a matter that we cannot settle in the newspapers. I do not believe we can make much progress here at the luncheon club. But I can tell you that there is not a man in all of this world that wants progress as much as I do. And there is not anybody that is doing any more about it, either.


I wish I could give you some better news and I wish I could tell you more than I have. I know how each of you feels. I am curious myself a great deal of the time. And particularly you women I live with three or four of them and I know their curiosity always prevails. Grandmother Johnson has been worried for 3 days about what our new granddaughter is going to be named. The press sometimes refers to these things as political observers believe that is what the fellow means that is writing it. But when we say something, you remember it a long, long time. There is one thing when we are dealing with the lives of human beings we must not do. We must not be careless and we must not be soft and we must not play it loose. As eager as I am and I work on it every day and every night, and I have for many, many months I just cannot make news until there is news. As soon as there is news, you will be the first to know it you, the American people and the people of the world. I am thinking now of the words that I uttered when I got off the plane the day President Kennedy was taken from us when I began to try to assume the terrifying responsibilities of the Presidency I said, Give me your prayers. What I need now is not your curiosity, I need your prayers. I have told you about some of the conditions in 1960. I tried to help solve those problems and not add to them. But I have not forgotten them. I cite them lest we forget the shape of the world the last time Richard Nixon held public office. He can make whatever promises he wants to for the future. But I am not going to let him rewrite the history that he made in the past. Now, there is a second choice this year a fellow whose fame until now rested on his ability to stand in college doorways, defying the law, and on encouraging people in his State to feel that they were a part of a separate nation. You line up a few thousand troops on the sidewalks of the city to preserve order. You throw those bureaucrats' briefcases into the Potomac not including the ones, I suppose, that contain the help for the people of Alabama. You turn the most difficult diplomatic and military problems of the country over to General Curtis LeMay. And then you use the Presidential limousine to take care of the protest movement.


Well, there it is that is a program to establish justice, to insure domestic tranquillity, to provide for the common defense, and to promote the general welfare. It is amazing that somebody did not think of that before. Well, maybe somebody did and is now consigned to the forgotten footnotes of history. He is a man who began fighting for human rights before others began to pay even rhetorical tributes to freedom. He is a man who saw the needs of our schoolchildren, and he introduced one of the earliest and more far-reaching aid-to-education bills. He is a man who introduced Medicare legislation in the United States Senate, and who endured the violent abuses of its opponents. Johnnie Rooney, your great Congressman, who sits at this dais with me today, knows that Hubert Humphrey has been a general in every effort to improve living conditions in the cities of America and to lift the workingman, and the farmers' income, and to open American doors to new immigrants. Hubert Humphrey has faced America's problems all of his livelong life. He has not deferred any of them not even a single day. He has not ignored any of them. He has not offered simplistic solutions that appeal to the voters' fears. He has offered practical solutions that appeal to the best instincts of our people. And when John Kennedy turned to him at the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, he said, Hubert, handing him this pen this is your treaty. And it was the culmination of years of working and planning for a world without nuclear fallout. Hubert Humphrey, wherever he is now, is fighting for a new treaty to halt the spread of nuclear weapons that we have negotiated but it is held up in the Senate because Richard Nixon said, Let us slow down and not take it up now until we can have a political election. because I believed that he was the best qualified man in America to be President, in the event I could not finish out my term. The 4 years since then have convinced me that my judgment was right; that today, in 1968, Hubert Humphrey is beyond question the American public servant who is best prepared by intelligence, by experience, by compassion, and by character to succeed to the highest office in this land.


You know, Coach Fulmer came up 48 hours ago, and he and Al practiced all this 15 times. We are going to be cited by the Federal Election Commission for this event. Let me tell you you know, I am not running for anything. I can tell you the whole story about this this Tennessee-Arkansas deal. And for all of you who are covering this who are not from one of the two States, let me the game was an unbelievable game, and Arkansas was ahead at the end. And there was only a minute and a half to go, and we seemed to have an insurmountable lead. And our quarterback was trying to kill the clock, a little of the clock. And the Tennessee line broke through the Arkansas offensive line and tackled him behind the line. And he fell, not with his free hand but with the hand on the ball, which squirted out into the arms of Tennessee. Who is responsible for that over there? And what you really do not what Al could not tell you, because he is not like me; I am not running for anything is that I was actually watching this game as this foreign policy crisis was unfolding. And I was talking on the phone, injecting things, and they thought, you know, I was being tougher on what was happening on the phone, and I was really just reacting to the ballgame. But to be fair, to be perfectly fair to Tennessee, I think that you had over 40 yards still to go Coach Fulmer. So it was not like he fumbled on the goal line. And they won the game, and they went on to the national championship. And I paid off my bet, and The Vice President. I will get you some ribs. aand we have had a lot of laughs about it. But I do want to say, you know, I was the first President from my home State ever elected. I owe a lot to Tennessee; if it had not been for the Vice President joining the ticket, I might not have won the first time, almost certainly would not have won the second time, because we made all the record we made together. I like teams, and people, who do not quit, who never say die, and who stick together. I like the fact that this team had a lot of stars, at different times during the year, but won as a team.

Remarks to the NCAA Football Champion University of Tennessee Volunteers


Well, you know, I really appreciate that lesson in history from the Vice President. I will tell you one thing you remember what John Nance Garner said about the Vice Presidency; he said it was not worth a warm what kettle of spit, or something like that. That is before Al Gore got ahold of it. Nobody will ever say that again ever, ever, ever say that again. And just for your information, George Clinton of New York, doubtless a relative of mine the only man in America ever to be the Governor of a State in excess of 20 years he served for 21 years as Governor of New York. It just sort of runs in the family, you know. I want to tell you all first to the White House staff and to all the appointees who are here; to the members of the Clinton/Gore campaign, from our wonderful campaign manager, Peter Knight, on down; and to the members of the people who work for our Democratic Party campaign. I want to say a special word of thanks to Don Fowler and Chris Dodd; they did a wonderful job, all the people at the party. To our terrific Cabinet over here on the left you know, they have labored for 4 years to uphold the dignity of our Government, and they sort of changed their image today. That picture of Warren Christopher in that T-shirt gets out he will be on Letterman and Leno within 48 hours. I thank you all so much. Last night I had a chance to do something really quite wonderful for me. I was able to have a meeting with when I was home in Arkansas with everybody who ever worked for me there at least we invited them all the people who worked for me 20 years ago when I was attorney general, the people who worked for me during all my five terms as Governor. And I told them something I want to tell you; that is, I have always been a very hard-working, kind of hard-driving person. I am always focused on the matter before me. Sometimes I do not say thank you enough. And I have always been kind hard on myself, and sometimes I think just by omission I am too hard on the people who work here.

Remarks at a White House Victory Celebration


You have accomplished a phenomenal amount in the last 4 years, and you have proved that even in this vast country of ours, where the Government is only one part of our national partnership and billions upon billions of decisions are made every day by people who are not in our Government thank goodness we are primarily a country of free individuals with a free enterprise system but you have proved again something that was clearly in doubt in 1992 at election time. You have proved that with disciplined, sustained, focused effort, America can be changed for the better. You have proved that we can galvanize the energies of the American people and that we can, in fact, bring the deficit down it is not a permanent feature of American life; we can, in fact, grow the economy on a sustained basis; we can, in fact, improve the education and the educational opportunities of our children; we can, in fact, lower the crime rate; and in fact, if people will help us enough in communities across the country, we can even help to change some of the very difficult cultural patterns that had begun to develop in our country over the last several years. You all did that. Very often, I get the credit for the work you do, and then when something goes haywire, if I make a mistake, you have to try to figure out how to clean it up. And I appreciate that. And I am sure I will give you other opportunities in the year ahead. I just want you to know, all of you, from the Cabinet to the staff, to the appointees, to all the others who are here, you should be very proud of this. This race was won because of the record we made and because of the plans we have and because we have established in the minds of the American people that it is more than talk with us, that we work at it hard every day. All of us, we work hard. a vision, a strategy, hard work, and success. And we have a lot more work to do. But when our work is done and when there is 8 years of sustained, disciplined effort, we will have gone a long way toward preparing our country for this new century. I cannot even imagine what the world is going to be like, but I try to imagine it all the time, 20 or 30 or 40 years from now.


As we meet here today, the serious crisis in world affairs overshadows all that we do. This country of ours, together with the other members of the United Nations, is engaged in a critical struggle to uphold the values of peace and justice and freedom. We are struggling to preserve our own liberty as a nation. More than that, we are striving to cooperate with other free nations to uphold the basic values of freedom of peace based on justice which are essential for the progress of mankind. As we engage in that struggle, we must preserve the elements of our American way of life that are the basic source of our strength. This is the purpose of this Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth. We are seeking ways to help our children and young people become mentally and morally stronger, and to make them better citizens. I think you should go right ahead with this work, because it is more important now than it has ever been. Our thoughts and prayers are with our young men who are fighting in Korea. They are engaged in a battle against tremendous odds. The full effort of the united people of this country is behind them. All of us are aware of the grave risk of general conflict which has been deliberately caused by the Chinese Communist leaders. Their action greatly changes the immediate situation with which we are confronted. It does not change our fundamental purpose to work for the cause of a just and peaceful world. No matter how the immediate situation may develop, we must remember that the fighting in Korea is but one part of the tremendous struggle of our time the struggle between freedom and Communist slavery. This struggle engages all our national life, all our institutions, and all our resources. For the effort of the evil forces of communism to reach out and dominate the world confronts our Nation and our civilization with the greatest challenge in our history. I believe the single most important thing our young people will need to meet this critical challenge in the years ahead is moral strength and strength of character. I know that the work of this conference will be of tremendous assistance in the urgent task of helping our young people achieve the strength of character they will need. If we are to give our children the training that will enable them to hold fast to the right course in these dangerous times, we must clearly understand the nature of the crisis. We must understand the nature of the threat created by international communism. In the first place, it is obviously a military threat. The Communist dominated countries are maintaining large military forces-far larger than they could possibly need for peaceful purposes.

Address Before the Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth.


And they have shown by their actions in Korea that they will not hesitate to use these forces in armed aggression whenever it suits their evil purposes. Because of this military threat, we must strengthen our military defenses. We are now engaged in a great program of rearmament. This will change the lives of our young people. A great many of them will have to devote some part of their lives to service in our Armed Forces or other defense activities. In no other way can we insure our survival as a nation. Our objective is not simply to build up our own Armed Forces. Our objective is to help build up the collective strength of the free nations the nations which share the ideals and aspirations of free men everywhere. As a matter of defense, we need the combined resources and the common determination of the free world to meet the military threat of communism. But our problem is more than a military matter. Our problem and our objective is to build a world order based on freedom and justice. We have worked with the free nations to lay the foundations of such a world order in the United Nations. We must remain firm in our commitment to the United Nations. That is the only way out of an endless circle of force and retaliation, violence and war which will carry the human race back to the Dark Ages if it is not stopped now. And this is a point that we must make sure our children and young people understand. The threat of communism has other aspects than the military aspect. In some ways the moral and spiritual dangers that flow from communism are a much more serious threat to freedom than are its military power. The ideology of communism is a challenge to all the values of our society and of our way of life. Some people are most concerned about the Communist threat to our economic system. But, serious as this is, it is only one of the many problems that communism raises. Communism attacks our main basic values, our belief in God, our belief in the dignity of man and the value of human life, our belief in justice and freedom. It attacks the institutions that are based on these values. It attacks our churches, our guarantees of civil liberty, our courts, our democratic form of government. Communism claims that all these things are merely tools of self-interest and greed that they are weapons used by one class to oppress another. We who live in this country know, from our own experience, how false this attack of communism is.


But there are many people in other parts of the world who have suffered injustice, who have been oppressed, or who stagger under burdens of poverty or disease, to whom the false doctrines of communism have an appeal. Every time our American institutions fail to live up to their high purposes, every time they fail in the proper administration of justice, the forces of communism are aided in their attempt to poison the minds of men everywhere against us and our institutions. Our teachers and all others who deal with our young people should place uppermost the need for making our young people under, stand our free institutions and the values upon which they rest. We must fight against the moral cynicism the materialistic view of life on which communism feeds. We must teach the objectives that lie behind our institutions, and the duty of all our citizens to make those institutions work more perfectly. Nothing is more important than this. And nothing this conference can do will have a greater effect on the world struggle against communism than spelling out ways in which our young people can better understand our democratic institutions. We must teach them why we must fight, when necessary, to defend our democratic institutions, our belief in the rights of the individual, and our fundamental belief in God. These White House Conferences have done much, over the years, to make our people and our Government conscious of our social problems, as they affect children, and to help solve those problems. These conferences have made our democracy work better have aided it to carry out its promise of a better life for all. In this fifth conference of this White House series you are carrying on that great tradition. This year you are mainly concerned with the mental and moral health of our children. And that is exactly what you should be concerned with at this time. I do not claim to be an expert in these things, and I know that I am addressing a conference of experts, but I think there are certain fundamental factors in the development of the American character that it is necessary for us to look to. That reminds me, when I was running the county at home Jackson County we had a welfare department. And it occurred to me that we needed an expert in that welfare department, and I succeeded in getting a couple of fine women to come out and help us carry on that program. The director of welfare came to me one day, all out of breath, and he said, Now Judge, I do not think this thing is going to work.


I find that these experts of yours never washed a dish or pinned a diaper in their lives. It did work, however, and it was a very satisfactory outcome we had with that welfare department. The basis of mental and moral strength for our children lies in spiritual things. It lies first of all in the home. And next, it lies in the religious and moral influences which are brought to bear on the children. If children have a good home a home in which they are loved and understood and if they have good teachers in the first few grades of school, I believe they are well started on the way toward being useful and honorable citizens. I have always considered my mother and father as my first great influence. I was lucky to have picked the right mother and father. I have always considered that my first, second, and third grade teachers made an immense contribution to any character that I may have at the present time. And I do not think I am being old-fashioned when I say that they ought to have religious training when they are young, and that they will be happier for it and better for it the rest of their lives. In the days ahead there will be many cases in which we will have to make special efforts to see that children get a fair chance at the right kind of start in life. For as our defense effort is increased, special problems will be created by the disruption of the lives of many families. When the White House Conference was held in 1940, the nature of the defense problems which lay ahead was not very clear to those who participated. But in the years that followed we found that the defense program created many problems that affected our children. Today we know much more about these problems, and our recent experience in trying to solve them is fresh in the minds of most of us. I know the work of this conference will give us some important guidelines as to how we can handle these matters best. Our defense effort is all-important, but we must do everything we can to see that it does not handicap the lives of children who are affected by it. The delegates to this conference can help us do a better job this time in meeting our defense problems. This is a vital part of the work of helping to make a healthier and happier life for all our children in the years ahead. We must remember, in all that we do at this conference and afterward, that we cannot insulate our children from the uncertainties of the world in which we live or from the impact of the problems which confront us all.


I am pleased to be back in the great State of New Hampshire again. And I am honored to be with the ENTITY and Air National Guard, and with reservists from every branch of our military. You are demonstrating that duty and public service are alive and well in New Hampshire. You stand ready to defend your fellow citizens, and you need to know your fellow citizens are grateful. All of you are balancing jobs and your lives and public service. You care about your communities, and you care about your country. Today I am going to talk about two great priorities for our country. We will promote economic growth and create jobs for America, and we will wage the war on terror until it is won. I want to thank Major General Blair for the introduction and for putting up with my entourage. I want to thank his commander in chief, the Governor of the great State of New Hampshire, for joining us today, Governor Benson, and first lady Denise. I want to thank Major General Joseph Simeone, Brigadier General John Weeden, Brigadier General Benton Smith, Colonel Protzmann Carolyn Protzmann, Lt. Colonel Robert Monahan, and Lt. Colonel Leroy Dunkelberger, State Command Sergeant Michael Rice, Command Chief Master Sergeant Ronald Nadeau. This State is fortunate to have an excellent Governor. You are fortunate to have an excellent congressional delegation as well. I am proud to be here today with two fine United States Senators, my friend Judd Gregg and his wife, Cathy and my friend John Sununu. These Senators are strong supporters of your mission. They appreciate what you do. They vote for strong defense budgets because they know what I know, that any time we put our troops into harm's way, you must have the best training, the best equipment, the best possible pay. Congressman Charlie Bass and Congressman Jeb Bradley, who are with us today, understand that as well. My friend Ruth Griffin is here from the Executive Council of New Hampshire. I appreciate the local officials who have come State and local officials to greet me and to be here with you today. I'd like to give you some advice, but I do not know how to ice skate. Today when I landed, I met a lady named Cathy Rice. It is important for me to herald the armies of the soldiers of compassion, people I meet when I land in respective cities. It is important because it helps our country understand our true strength is not our military might or the size of our wallet.

Remarks at Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire


The true strength of America is the hearts and souls of fellow citizens who are willing to help people who need help. You see, Cathy Rice supports provides support services to hundreds of New Hampshire National Guard families. She helps find babysitters and prepares meals and assists with paying bills, helps families when there is a deployment. She knows people stay behind; they worry about their loved ones. She helps fill that void with love and compassion and care. She offers support to the New Hampshire ENTITY National Guard Family Volunteer Program. It is an important part of completing the mission. She does so because she cares about a fellow citizen. I am proud of Cathy. I am proud of her heart. I want to thank her for her service and encourage each and every one of you to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. America's strength is the heart and soul of our citizens. New Hampshire has had citizen soldiers since before America was a country. Militia and volunteers and guardsmen have served from the Revolution to the Civil War to World War II to Desert Storm. Honor and service and courage are great New Hampshire traditions, and you are upholding those traditions. We live in an era of new threats, and the citizens of New Hampshire are stepping forward to meet those dangers. Citizen soldiers have performed mid-air refueling missions for coalition forces in Iraq. You are training members of the Afghan National ENTITY. You are guarding suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, preparing for homeland security missions. Citizen soldiers are serving on every front on the war on terror, and you are making your State and your country proud. Your lives can be changed in a moment, with a sudden call to duty. I want to thank you for your willingness to heed that important call. And I want to thank your families. I want to thank your sons and daughters, your husbands and wives, who share in your sacrifice, who are willing to sacrifice for our country, and who stand behind you. You are serving at a time of testing for this Nation. And we are meeting the tests of history. We are defeating the enemies of freedom. We are confronting the challenge to build prosperity for our country. Every test of America has revealed the character of America. And after the last 2 years, no one in the world, friend or foe, can doubt the will and the character and the strength of the American people. When you become the President, you cannot predict all the challenges that will come.


But you do know the principles that you bring to the office, and they should not change with time or with polls. I took this office to make a difference, not to mark time. I came to this office to confront problems directly and forcefully, not to pass them on to other Presidents and other generations. The challenges we face today cannot be met with timid actions or bitter words. Our challenges will be overcome with optimism and resolve and confidence in the ideals of America. Because we believe in our free enterprise system, we can be confident in our economy's future. Our economy has been through a lot. When I took office, the stock market had been declining for 9 months, and our economy was headed into recession. And just as we started to recover, the attacks of September the 11th struck another blow to our economy. And then investor confidence was shaken by scandals scandals in corporate America, dishonest behavior we cannot and we will not tolerate in our country. And then we faced the uncertainty that preceded the battles of Afghanistan and Iraq. No, we have been through a lot. We acted to overcome these challenges and acted on principle. Government does not create wealth. The role of Government is to create the kind of conditions where risktakers and entrepreneurs can invest and grow and hire new workers. We acted to create the conditions for job growth so people can find work. When Americans have more take-home pay, more money in their pocket to spend or save or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more likely to find a job. So I twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax relief for the American people. We wanted tax relief to be broad and fair as possible, so we reduced taxes on everyone who pays income taxes. We have a Tax Code that penalizes marriage. That does not make sense. So we reduced the marriage penalty. It costs a lot to raise children we understand that in Washington, DC and it costs a lot to pay for their education. So we increased the child credit to $1,000 per child. And when we said, The check was in the mail, we meant it. We recognize that it is counterproductive to discourage investment, especially during an economic recovery. So we quadrupled the expense deduction for small-business investment and cut tax rates on dividends and capital gains. It is unfair to tax the estates of people people leave behind after a lifetime of saving or building a small business or running a farm.


When you leave this world, the IRS should not follow you. So we are phasing out the Federal death tax. I proposed and signed these measures to help individuals and help families, but I did so as well to help small businesses. See, most small-business owners pay taxes under the individual tax rates, and therefore, when we cut all rates, small businesses benefit. We help mom-and-pops and start-ups and small businesses by allowing higher expense deductions. The reason I did so is because I understand small businesses create most of the new jobs in America. If we are worried about job creation, if we want there to be jobs for America, we must encourage small businesses. See, small businesses are the first to usually the first to take risk, the first to hire new people. By helping small businesses, we help the entire economy. These actions are helping people across this State. We have cut taxes on 112,000 small-business owners in New Hampshire. We have reduced the marriage penalty for 192,000 couples. We have increased the child credit for 124,000 families. I know that New Hampshire citizens can spend their money better than the people in Washington, DC. We are following a clear and consistent economic strategy, and I am confident about our future. Last month this economy exceeded expectations and added net new jobs. After-tax incomes are rising. Homeownership is at record highs. Factory orders, particularly for high-tech equipment, have risen over the last several months. Our strategy has set the stage for sustained growth. By reducing taxes, we kept a promise, and we did the right thing at the right time for the American economy. We cannot be satisfied so long as we have fellow citizens who are looking for work. I understand that here in New Hampshire, one out of every five jobs have been lost in the manufacturing sector. We must act boldly from this point forward to create jobs for America. So I want Congress to join me in a six-point plan to encourage job creation. First, we must help small businesses grow and hire by controlling the high cost of health care. I have laid out a plan to do so. We must confront the junk lawsuits that are harming a lot of good and honest businesses. I have laid out a plan to do so. We must have a sound national energy policy. We must keep the lights on and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy. We must continue to cut useless Government regulations that choke job creation.


We must work for a free trade policy that opens up markets and levels the playing field for American workers and manufacturing companies. And we need to make sure the tax relief we passed does not disappear in future years. Now, you are wondering why I would say that. Well, because of a quirk in the legislation, the tax cuts that we passed are scheduled to go away unless we act. See, the child credit goes away in a couple of years. In other words, you get the $1,000 now; it is going down to $700 in a couple years unless the Congress acts. You see, when we passed tax relief, I know most Americans did not expect to see higher taxes come back through the back door. I also understand for job creation, it is important to have certainty in the Tax Code. And so if Congress is really interested in job creation, they will make the tax cuts we passed permanent. And as we overcome our challenges to the economy, we are answering great threats to our security. September the 11th, 2001, moved our country to grief and moved our country to action. We will bring the guilty to justice; we will take the fight to the enemy. We now see our enemy clearly. The terrorists plot in secret. They target the innocent. They defile a great religion. They hate everything this Nation stands for. These committed killers will not be stopped by negotiations; they will not respond to reason. The terrorists who threaten America cannot be appeased. This is a new kind of war, and we must adjust. It is a new kind of war, and America is following a new strategy. We are not waiting for further attacks. We are striking our enemies before they can strike us again. We have taken unprecedented steps to protect our homeland. And for those of you who are here who are on the frontlines of homeland protection, thank you. Thank you for what you are doing. Yet wars are won on the offensive, and our friends and America are staying on the offensive. We are finding them. We are on the hunt. We are rolling back the terrorist threats, not on the fringes of its influence but at the heart of its power. We are making good progress. We are hunting the Al Qaida terrorists wherever they hide, from Pakistan to the Philippines to the Horn of Africa to Iraq. Nearly two-thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been captured or killed.


No matter how long it takes, all who plot against America will face the justice of America. We have sent a message understood throughout the world, If you harbor a terrorist, if you support a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, you are just as guilty as the terrorists. And the Taliban found out what we meant. Thanks to our great military, Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for terror, the Afghan people are free, and the people of America are more secure from attack. And we have fought the war on terror in Iraq. The regime of Saddam Hussein possessed and used weapons of mass destruction, sponsored terrorist groups, and inflicted terror on its own people. Nearly every nation recognized and denounced this threat for over a decade. Last year, the U.N. Security Council in Resolution 1441 demanded that Saddam Hussein disarm, prove his disarmament to the world, or face serious consequences. The choice was up to the dictator, and he chose poorly. I acted because I was not about to leave the security of the American people in the hands of a madman. I was not about to stand by and wait and trust in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein. So our coalition acted, in one of the swiftest and most humane military campaigns in history. And 6 months ago today, the statue of the dictator was pulled down. Since the liberation of Iraq, our investigators have found evidence of a clandestine network of biological laboratories. They found advanced design work on prohibited longer range missiles. They found an elaborate campaign to hide these illegal programs. There is still much to investigate, yet it is now undeniable that Saddam Hussein was in clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441. The Security Council was right to demand that Saddam Hussein disarm, and we were right to enforce that demand. Who can possibly think that the world would be better off with Saddam Hussein still in power? Surely not the dissidents who would be in his prisons or end up in mass graves. Surely not the men and women who would fill Saddam's torture chambers or the women in his rape rooms. Surely not the victims he murdered with poison gas. Surely not anyone who cares about human rights and democracy and stability in the Middle East. Now our country is approaching a choice. After all the action we have taken, after all the progress we have made against terror, there is a temptation to think the danger has passed. Since September the 11th, the terrorists have taken lives.


Since the attacks on our Nation that fateful day, the terrorists have attacked in Casablanca, Mombasa, Jerusalem, Amman, Riyadh, Baghdad, Karachi, New Delhi, Bali, and Jakarta. The terrorists continue to plot and plan against our country and our people. America must not forget the lessons of September the 11th. America cannot retreat from our responsibilities and hope for the best. Our security will not be gained by timid measures. Our security requires constant vigilance and decisive action. We must fight this war until the work is done. We are fighting on many fronts, and Iraq is now the central front. Saddam holdouts and foreign terrorists are trying desperately to undermine Iraq's progress and to throw that country into chaos. The terrorists in Iraq believe that their attacks on innocent people will weaken our resolve. That is what they believe. They believe that America will run from a challenge. The United States did not run from Germany and Japan following World War II. We helped those nations to become strong and decent democratic societies that no longer waged war on America. And that is our mission in Iraq today. We are rebuilding schools a lot of kids are going back to schools reopening hospitals. Thousands of children are now being immunized. Water and electricity are being returned to the Iraqi people. Just ask people who have been there. They are stunned when they come back when they go to Iraq, and the stories they tell are much different from the perceptions that you are being told life is like. You see, we are providing this help not only because we have got good hearts but because our vision is clear. A stable and democratic and hopeful Iraq will no longer be a breeding ground for terror, tyranny, and aggression. Our work in Iraq is essential to our own security, and no band of murderers or gangsters will stop that work or shake the will of America. Nearly every day in Iraq we are launching swift, precision raids against the enemies of peace and progress. Helped by intelligence from Iraqis, we are rounding up the enemy. We are taking their weapons. We are working our way through the famous deck of cards. We have already captured or killed 43 of the 55 most wanted former Iraqi leaders, and the other 12 have a lot to worry about. Anyone who seeks to harm our soldiers can know that our soldiers are hunting for them. Our military is serving with great courage. Some of our best have fallen. We mourn every loss. We honor every name.


We grieve with every family. And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders. In defending liberty, we are joined by more than 30 nations now contributing military forces in Iraq. Great Britain and Poland are leading two multinational divisions. And in this cause, with fine allies, we have got the Iraqis as well. They care about the security of their country. They love freedom just like we love freedom. Last week, the first battalion of the New Iraqi ENTITY completed its training. Within a year, Iraq will have a 40,000-member military force. Tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens are also guarding their own borders, defending vital facilities, and policing their own streets. Six months ago, the Iraqi people welcomed their liberation. Today, many Iraqis are armed and trained to defend their liberty. Our goal in Iraq is to leave behind a stable, self-governing society which will no longer be a threat to the Middle East or to the United States. We are following an orderly plan to reach this goal. Iraq now has a Governing Council, which has appointed interim Government ministers. Once a constitution has been written, Iraq will move toward national elections. The free institutions of Iraq must stand the test of time. And a democratic Iraq will stand as an example to all the Middle East. We believe, and the Iraqi people will show, that liberty is the hope and the right of every land. Our work in Iraq has been long. We will stay the course. We will complete our job. And beyond Iraq, the war on terror continues. I am confident of victory because I know the character of our military, shown in people like Master Sergeant Jack Negrotti of Plaistow, New Hampshire. Jake is a member of the New Hampshire Air National Guard who is volunteered for overseas deployments 3 times since September the 11th. He served in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Right now Jake is an airport manager at Baghdad Airport, helping make sure our military and humanitarian operations move ahead. People like Jake Negrotti are showing what it means to be a patriot and a citizen. We are honored to have Jake's wife, Donna, and his children, Alicia and Christopher, with us here today. Next time you talk to Jake, Donna, you tell him his President appreciates his service, and his country is grateful. The war on terror has brought hardship and loss to our country, beginning with the grief of September the 11th.


Before I take your questions, let me speak with the American people about the situation in Iraq. This has been tough weeks in that country. Coalition forces have encountered serious violence in some areas of Iraq. Some remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime, along with Islamic militants, have attacked coalition forces in the city of Fallujah; terrorists from other countries have infiltrated Iraq to incite and organize attacks; in the south of Iraq, coalition forces face riots and attacks that are being incited by a radical cleric named Al Sadr. He has assembled some of his supporters into an illegal militia and publicly supported the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Al Sadr's methods of violence and intimidation are widely repudiated by other Iraqi Shi'a. He is been indicted by Iraqi authorities for the murder of a prominent Shi'a cleric. Although these instigations of violence come from different factions, they share common goals. They want to run us out of Iraq and destroy the democratic hopes of the Iraqi people. The violence we have seen is a power grab by these extreme and ruthless elements. Most of Iraq is relatively stable. Most Iraqis, by far, reject violence and oppose dictatorship. In forums where Iraqis have met to discuss their political future and in all the proceedings of the Iraqi Governing Council, Iraqis have expressed clear commitments. They want strong protections for individual rights. They want their independence, and they want their freedom. America's commitment to freedom in Iraq is consistent with our ideals and required by our interests. Iraq will either be a peaceful, democratic country, or it will again be a source of violence, a haven for terror, and a threat to America and to the world. By helping to secure a free Iraq, Americans serving in that country are protecting their fellow citizens. Our Nation is grateful to them all and to their families that face hardship and long separation. This weekend, at a Fort Hood hospital, I presented a Purple Heart to some of our wounded, had the honor of thanking them on behalf of all Americans. Other men and women have paid an even greater cost. Our Nation honors the memory of those who have been killed, and we pray that their families will find God's comfort in the midst of their grief. As I have said to those who have lost loved ones, we will finish the work of the fallen. America's Armed Forces are performing brilliantly, with all the skill and honor we expect of them. We are constantly reviewing their needs.

The President's News Conference


Troop strength, now and in the future, is determined by the situation on the ground. If additional forces are needed, I will send them. If additional resources are needed, we will provide them. The people of our country are united behind our men and women in uniform, and this Government will do all that is necessary to assure the success of their historic mission. One central commitment of that mission is the transfer of sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. We have set a deadline of June 30th. It is important that we meet that deadline. As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation, and neither does America. We are not an imperial power, as nations such as Japan and Germany can attest. We are a liberating power, as nations in Europe and Asia can attest as well. We seek an independent, free, and secure Iraq. Were the coalition to step back from the June 30th pledge, many Iraqis would question our intentions and feel their hopes betrayed. And those in Iraq who trade in hatred and conspiracy theories would find a larger audience and gain a stronger hand. We will not step back from our pledge. On June 30th, Iraqi sovereignty will be placed in Iraqi hands. Sovereignty involves more than a date and a ceremony. It requires Iraqis to assume responsibility for their own future. Iraqi authorities are now confronting the security challenge of the last several weeks. In Fallujah, coalition forces have suspended offensive operations, allowing members of the Iraqi Governing Council and local leaders to work on the restoration of central authority in that city. These leaders are communicating with the insurgents to ensure an orderly turnover of that city to Iraqi forces, so that the resumption of military action does not become necessary. They are also insisting that those who killed and mutilated four American contract workers be handed over for trial and punishment. In addition, members of the Governing Council are seeking to resolve the situation in the south. Al Sadr must answer the charges against him and disband his illegal militia. Our coalition is standing with responsible Iraqi leaders as they establish growing authority in their country. The transition to sovereignty requires that we demonstrate confidence in Iraqis, and we have that confidence. Many Iraqi leaders are showing great personal courage, and their example will bring out the same quality in others. The transition to sovereignty also requires an atmosphere of security, and our coalition is working to provide that security.

The President's News Conference


We will continue taking the greatest care to prevent harm to innocent civilians, yet we will not permit the spread of chaos and violence. I have directed our military commanders to make every preparation to use decisive force, if necessary, to maintain order and to protect our troops. The nation of Iraq is moving toward self-rule, and Iraqis and Americans will see evidence in the months to come. On June 30th, when the flag of free Iraq is raised, Iraqi officials will assume full responsibility for the ministries of Government. On that day, the transitional administrative law, including a bill of rights that is unprecedented in the Arab world, will take full effect. The United States and all the nations of our coalition will establish normal diplomatic relations with the Iraqi Government. According to the schedule already approved by the Governing Council, Iraq will hold elections for a national assembly no later than next January. That assembly will draft a new, permanent constitution which will be presented to the Iraqi people in a national referendum held in October of next year. Iraqis will then elect a permanent Government by December 15th, 2005, an event that will mark the completion of Iraq's transition from dictatorship to freedom. Other nations and international institutions are stepping up to their responsibilities in building a free and secure Iraq. We are working closely with the United Nations envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, and with Iraqis to determine the exact form of the Government that will receive sovereignty on June 30th. The United Nations election assistance team, headed by Karina Parelli, is in Iraq, developing plans for next January's election. NATO is providing support for the Polish-led multinational division in Iraq. And 17 of NATO's 26 members are contributing forces to maintain security. Secretary of State Powell and Secretary of State Rumsfeld and a number of NATO defense and foreign ministers are exploring a more formal role for NATO, such as turning the Polish-led division into a NATO operation and giving NATO specific responsibilities for border control. Iraqis' neighbors also have responsibilities to make their region more stable. So I am sending Deputy Secretary of State Armitage to the Middle East to discuss with these nations our common interest in a free and independent Iraq and how they can help achieve this goal. As we have made clear all along, our commitment to the success and security of Iraq will not end on June 30th. On July 1st and beyond, our reconstruction assistance will continue, and our military commitment will continue.

The President's News Conference


Having helped Iraqis establish a new Government, coalition military forces will help Iraqis to protect their Government from external aggression and internal subversion. The success of free Government in Iraq is vital for many reasons. A free Iraq is vital because 25 million Iraqis have as much right to live in freedom as we do. A free Iraq will stand as an example to reformers across the Middle East. A free Iraq will show that America is on the side of Muslims who wish to live in peace, as we have already shown in Kuwait and Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan. A free Iraq will confirm to a watching world that America's word, once given, can be relied upon even in the toughest times. Above all, the defeat of violence and terror in Iraq is vital to the defeat of violence and terror elsewhere and vital, therefore, to the safety of the American people. Now is the time, and Iraq is the place, in which the enemies of the civilized world are testing the will of the civilized world. The violence we are seeing in Iraq is familiar. The terrorist who takes hostages or plants a roadside bomb near Baghdad is serving the same ideology of murder that kills innocent people on trains in Madrid and murders children on buses in Jerusalem and blows up a nightclub in Bali and cuts the throat of a young reporter for being a Jew. We have seen the same ideology of murder in the killing of 241 marines in Beirut, the first attack on the World Trade Center, in the destruction of two Embassies in Africa, in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and in the merciless horror inflicted upon thousands of innocent men and women and children on September the 11th, 2001. None of these acts is the work of a religion; all are the work of a fanatical political ideology. The servants of this ideology seek tyranny in the Middle East and beyond. They seek to oppress and persecute women. They seek the death of Jews and Christians and every Muslim who desires peace over theocratic terror. They seek to intimidate America into panic and retreat and to set free nations against each other. And they seek weapons of mass destruction to blackmail and murder on a massive scale. Over the last several decades, we have seen that any concession or retreat on our part will only embolden this enemy and invite more bloodshed. And the enemy has seen, over the last 31 months, that we will no longer live in denial or seek to appease them.

The President's News Conference


New Year's Day will soon be upon us, and with it will come New Year's resolutions. This weekend is a good time to give thanks for our blessings and to resolve to do better in the coming year. One of our greatest blessings as Americans is that we live in a country with a growing economy, where people can pursue their dreams, turn ideas into enterprises, and provide for their families. It is a measure of our economy's resilience that even with high oil prices and softness in the housing market, we are still growing. In November, our economy added jobs for the 51st straight month, making this the longest period of uninterrupted job growth on record. And the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Yet it is more important to remember that behind all these numbers are real people. These people include the entrepreneurs who live their dreams by starting up new businesses. These people include small-business owners who create most of the new jobs in our economy. And most of all, these people include the tens of millions of working moms and dads whose jobs provide for their families. I know that even in this growing economy, some of you have real concerns. Some of you worry about your ability to afford health care coverage for your families. Some of you are concerned about meeting your monthly mortgage payments. Some of you worry about the impact of rising energy costs on fueling your cars and heating your homes. You expect your elected leaders in Washington to address these pressures on our economy and give you more options to help you deal with them. And I have put forth several proposals to do so. In the last month, Congress has responded to some of my initiatives. They passed a good energy bill, they passed a temporary patch to protect middle class families from the burden of the Alternative Minimum Tax, and they passed a law that will help protect families from higher taxes when their lenders reduce their mortgage debt. Congress needs to do more to decrease America's dependence on oil. Congress needs to pass legislation that will help make health care coverage more affordable for small businesses and workers who buy their own policies. And Congress needs to act quickly on the rest of my proposals to help families struggling with rising mortgage payments keep their homes. Most of all, we need to set a good example in Washington by being careful with your money. I am disappointed that leaders in Congress sent me a massive spending bill that includes about 9,800 earmarks.

The President's Radio Address


Well, Mr. Vice President, you sure convinced me. I want to thank all of you so much for being here. Somebody's talked to Al Gore about playing Tom Hanks in an autobiography. I want to thank young Ashley Ballard. I wish her well. I thank the chairs and the vice chairs and the executive committee and the host committee, everybody who is responsible for this, this very wonderful night. I thank you all for being here. A lot of you come to a lot of these things, I know, and they may get old to you, but you know it is important. But I want to say something rather unconventional tonight about this dinner. We are doing our best to finance our campaign early and in a disciplined way so that I can spend the maximum possible time doing the job the American people elected me to do in 1992, being ENTITY. But the most important thing you can do is to take the little article and the summary of the record and leave here and make up your mind that between now and November of 1996, you are going to take every opportunity you can to talk to the people you come in contact with about what is really at stake in this election. And I was trying to think if there was some simple and halfway hilarious characterization I could give you about what is really at stake here. I think it is fair to say that everybody has figured out this is a time of great change, and the people who would like to see someone else be elected President have an enormous and psychological advantage because they are telling you, All you have to do to change this country is to destroy the Federal Government. Nothing wrong with the rest of us, it is just them, those slugs in Washington. It is interesting, because nearly all of them have been in Washington a lot longer than I have. I still have a hard time finding my way in from Andrews Air Force Base when I . And they are taking all of your money, and they are squandering it on welfare and immigration and they are just throwing it away and just get rid of them. But you do not have to do anything. I have a harder burden because I think we all have to do things. And I was making this little speech to my senior Senator, Dale Bumpers, a couple of months ago, who is one of the funniest people I ever heard.

Remarks at a Clinton/Gore '96 Dinner in Los Angeles, California


That not since the late 1800's, in the early 1900's, when we moved from being a rural agricultural society to being a more urbanized industrial society, when we moved from being a country in splendid isolation, the one that had to assume the burdens of world leadership in World War I, not since then has there been such a change in the way Americans live and work; as we move from our industrial age into a post-industrial, information-technology-based society of which many of you are the world's most glittering embodiment; as we move from a cold war period when the world is more or less organized around functioning nation-states that are divided into two opposing camps but all more or less capable of delivering basic services and sustenance to their people, into a global economy characterized by free markets and openness and rapid movement of money and management and people and technology, where there are all kinds of pressures to have global integration and a lot of pressures of economic disintegration on individual workers and families and communities throughout the world, of a world in which we think we are moving toward peace but we still see madness everywhere. In other words, there is a lot of good and a lot that is troubling. And we need a vision for what we want America to look like, because all the good things and all the troubling things are occurring in this great diverse cauldron we call the United States, every day. And my vision is that we ought to build an America for the 21st century that is a high-opportunity place where hard-working entrepreneurs can live out their dreams, where we grow the middle class and shrink the under class, where we do what is necessary to help individuals make the most of their own lives and help families and communities to solve their own problems and where we come together across all these lines that divide us, these income and racial and regional and religious and other lines that divide us so that the 21st century can still be an American century, so that we can be the world's force for freedom and peace and human rights and prosperity.


And I think to get there we have to have a lot of new ideas, but I really believe they have to be rooted in old-fashioned American values, things that sound corny like freedom and responsibility and work and family and community, seeking the common good instead of the short-term wedge issue that divides us politically and being willing to do things that are unpopular in the moment because you know that when your children are grown and look back, they will look like the right decisions. That is what I think we have to do. And just let me give you a couple of illustrations why. The Vice President talked about the economy, and I am very proud of our economic record. We have had a very serious strategy, the first time the United States has had one in a long time. We wanted to reduce the deficit while increasing investment in defense conversion to help California and other places, in new technologies, and in education and training. We wanted a vast increase in trade. We wanted to be for free but also for fair trade. And we thought we could do some good economically. But if I had told you on the day I was inaugurated ENTITY that after 30 months the following things would happen, would you have believed it? That we would have 7 1/2 million new jobs, 2 1/2 million new homeowners, 2 million new small businesses, a record number of self-made millionaires, the stock market would be at 4,700, but the guy in the middle had an income that dropped. It has never happened before in the history of the Republic. More than half the people are working harder for the same or lower wages. Because that is the way the global economy affects us today. And if we want a future where we grow the middle class and shrink the under class, we have to figure out how to deal with that. In every State in the country, the crime rate is down, the murder rate is down, believe it or not, notwithstanding the rhetoric in Washington, because the economy is better, the welfare rolls are down, and the food stamp rolls are down. Drug use among people between the ages of 18 and 34 is down. But underneath it, just like on the economy, in spite of a falling crime rate, the rate of random violence and crime by people between the ages of 12 and 17 is up, and the rate of casual drug use by children between the ages of 12 and 17 is up. So we have got to figure out what to do about that.


We have got a lot of heart-wrenching publicity, and everybody was moved by that terrible encounter in which the child lost his life here just a few days ago. But we have become inured to all the children that lose their lives every day in these violence-ridden places in America. The other day we had a study come out of the Justice Department that said that two-thirds of the gang members in America felt justified in shooting someone just because they treated them with disrespect. And within a week, blaring headlines in the East of a 16-year-old boy who shot a 12-year-old, then ran over and stood over him and emptied his gun into him because he thought the 12-year-old treated him with disrespect. It turned out the 12-year-old was the neighborhood wit who made fun of everybody and lost his life for it. Whatever happened to Count to 10 before you say, much less do, something ? Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me ? I joked to somebody in the White House the other day that if I took that approach, everybody treated me with disrespect, there would be no ammunition left in America. You have got a whole generation of kids out there raising themselves, getting out of school an hour or two earlier than any of us ever got out of school, no place to go, nothing to do. We have to figure out what we are going to do to help them, too, because I believe we are a community. So I am proud of the fact that the crime rate is going down. But I am really worried about these kids because when they all get grown, if enough of them do this and the next generation of 12 to 17-year-olds keep doing what they are doing, then the strategies we have for driving the crime rate down will not work anymore. In foreign policy, the Vice President litanized all the things we'd done. I am proud of the fact there are no Russian missiles pointed at our kids for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age. I am proud of what we were able to do in the Middle East and Northern Ireland and Southern Africa.


I am proud of the fact that in Bosnia we may be on the verge of a breakthrough because good people now in all those factions, the Muslims, the Croatians, and the Serbs, I think, have seen it is time to make a decent peace and quit killing each other. I am proud of that. The real threat to the world today is that in an open world where you have to have free movement of people and technology, where the Internet is full of wonderful things that we celebrated today, we all are more vulnerable to the forces of organized evil. And there are people that are preying on hatred and paranoia, rooted in religious or ethnic or racial bigotry. And they can still do bad things. They can blow up buses full of kids in Israel. They can break open vials of sarin gas in subways in Tokyo. And yes, they can find out on the Internet how to make a simple bomb that will blow up a Federal building in Oklahoma City. So until we have a way of dealing with that, we have to celebrate our progress, but we have to realize that there have to be some changes in the way we look at ourselves and our responsibilities to get to where we want to go. I believe with all my heart that the best days of the United States are ahead of us if, but only if, we face these changes and if we do it with new ideas rooted in old-fashioned values. Now, the big news in Washington today is the fight about the budget. The budget is more about values than it is about money. Both parties now agree we ought to balance the budget. I say, high time. We never had a structural deficit in the United States of America until 1981. We quadrupled the debt of the country in the 12 years before I showed up. It is so bad that the budget would be in balance today but for the interest we pay on the debt run up in the 12 years before I became ENTITY. We have got to quit this. Next year interest on the debt will be bigger than the defense budget. If we were not paying so much interest on the debt, we could invest more money in California to help you overcome the big defense downsizing and what has traumatized your economy so. So we should balance the budget. And are we interested in balancing the budget consistent with our values? I told you what my values are.