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Skriven 2006-06-13 23:33:42 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0606135) for Tue, 2006 Jun 13
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at a Reception for Kean - NJ Victory '06 Committee
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
June 13, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at a Reception for Kean - NJ Victory '06 Committee
Bathgate, Wegener _
Lakewood, New Jersey



5:40 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Tom. Thank you for that kind introduction. Thanks to
each and every one of you for the very, very warm welcome. I want to
acknowledge Rhonda. Thank you for joining us up here on the stage, and for
joining your husband in this campaign. I can assure you it will be a lot
more fun than you might think it will be. (Laughter.) And I think it will
be successful, as well. So thank you very much. (Applause.)

I also want to acknowledge your former governor, Christie Todd Whitman --
Governor Whitman. Thank you so much for being here today. (Applause.) And
our friend, Larry Bathgate, your host today -- Larry, and George Gilmore,
thank you both very, very much. Thank you, Larry. (Applause.) And Tom
Wilson, the Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, thank
you for your hard work, as well. (Applause.)

Nobody asked, but I'll tell you, I have talked to the President. When he
got on the plane and left Iraq earlier, he called in. (Applause.) And he's
doing great. I'm really proud of him, and I'm really proud of the Iraqi
people, as well, for being able to develop this government with their new
Prime Minister and then their whole cabinet that they have been able to put
together. And I think it was a good meeting, and it was also -- the secure
videoconference to the United States Cabinet, the Cabinet of the President
at Camp David. So that was really terrific. (Applause.)

And I'm so happy to be in New Jersey, especially to be here for your next
senator, Tom Kean. (Applause.) For Tom, public service is a family
tradition -- and I want to tell you, there's nothing wrong with that.
(Laughter.) Tom is the son and the grandson of public servants, and he
learned important lessons from his family about serving your state, lessons
that he's carried through his successful career as a volunteer firefighter,
an EMT, and as a leader in the New Jersey State Senate. (Applause.)

In the United States Senate, Tom will continue to be a passionate advocate
for New Jersey, bringing with him to Washington the principles of reform
and efficiency developed here during his time in Trenton. In the State
Senate, Tom has worked to end unethical government contracting, and in
Washington he'll make sure that New Jersey's tax dollars are spent wisely
and responsibly by the federal government.

In Trenton, Tom has opposed new taxes, as you just heard, and consistently
voted against state budgets that would raise taxes. And in the U.S., Tom
will be a supporter of tax cuts. The President's tax cuts that he most
recently signed have fueled our economy and have helped add 5.3 million new
jobs since 2003, meaning 5.3 million more Americans can get up every
morning with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes with a job.
(Applause.)

Making sure New Jerseyans can keep more of their earnings is one way Tom is
helping your state. But his work to make sure every child in New Jersey can
grow up to be healthy and successful is another.

In his 2005 State of the Union address, President Bush announced the
Helping America's Youth initiative, and he asked me to lead it. Helping
young people build the knowledge and the self-respect they need to lead
successful lives is at the heart of the Helping America's Youth initiative.

Over the last year I've traveled to many parts of our country visiting with
young people and with the adults who are so important to their lives. I've
been to schools and to after-school programs. I've met with mentors and Big
Brothers and Big Sisters. I've visited with gang intervention programs,
where I've met young people who were leaving gangs and finding jobs. I've
met with teenage dads who are in fatherhood programs to learn how to be
nurturing and involved fathers in their children's lives.

Recently, I heard from the directors of a program in Los Angeles that I
visited last year. That program, Willpower to Youth, uses the performing
arts -- performances of Shakespeare, actually -- to teach youth employable
skills. They wrote to me about a young man, Jes s, who was on the verge of
homelessness when I met him. Since then, with his experience building sets
for these performances, Jes s now has a job at Home Depot -- and he was
just named the Home Depot Employee of the Month. (Applause.)

All of these visits to these great programs around the United States
culminated last October in the White House Conference on Helping America's
Youth. At the conference, we introduced a community -- an online,
interactive Community Guide. The guide helps concerned adults learn more
about their communities -- like which neighborhoods have the most
youth-related problems, and what local resources are available to address
these problems. The information is available on the website,
www.helpingamericasyouth.gov -- g-o-v, that is. I urge you to look at the
guide and to use it here in New Jersey, in your neighborhoods.

Helping New Jersey's children is one of Tom's top priorities. He's built
strong after-school programs in your state, and he's sponsored legislation
to improve and expand after-school activities for children throughout New
Jersey.

Tom believes in the principles of educational accountability and excellence
that define the President's No Child Left Behind Act. In Trenton, as a
member of the Senate's Joint Committee on Public Schools, Tom worked to
ensure that children in New Jersey receive a quality education.

New Jerseyans have already seen the benefits of improved public schools in
their communities. And the entire country saw those benefits earlier this
month -- in prime time, no less -- when a New Jersey public school student,
Kerry Close, won the national spelling bee. (Applause.)

But Tom knows, as we all do, that the well-being of children in New Jersey
and through America ultimately depends on our ability to keep them safe --
which requires success in our efforts to defeat terrorism and to increase
liberty abroad. (Applause.)

Many New Jersey families were devastated by the terrorist attacks of
September 11th, and Tom has been steadfast in his support on the war on
terrorists. He stands with our troops, with the men and women of the United
States military who are standing for us. (Applause.)

Tom's achievements remind us of why he must be elected to the United States
Senate. (Applause.) America faces challenges that are too important to be
reduced to politics. President Bush has an ambitious agenda for the rest of
his time in Washington, and he takes his responsibility to the American
people very seriously.

Ending our dependence on foreign oil, reforming our immigration system,
rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and keeping our country safe are not easy tasks,
but they're absolutely vital goals. To accomplish them, we need to have
serious national conversations, conducted with civility and respect. And I
know Tom will be part of a thoughtful and positive part of that dialogue.
(Applause.)

This is just one reason why Tom is a wonderful leader for your state. If
you look through his distinguished record of public service, you'll find
many more.

Thank you so much for coming out today to support Tom. (Applause.) And I
want to thank you in advance for all that you do, all the work that you'll
do to make sure he's elected to the United States Senate.

Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)

END 5:50 P.M. EDT

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