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Skriven 2006-06-30 23:34:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060630e) for Fri, 2006 Jun 30
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Reception Honoring Mike Sodrel
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
June 30, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Reception Honoring Mike Sodrel
Huber's Orchard and Winery
Starlight, Indiana



5:24 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Congressman Sodrel, for that very nice and
brief introduction. That's the kind I like. (Laughter.) And thanks to each
and every one of you for your warm welcome.

I'm very excited to be here, and I can tell all of you are, too. It's
always a good idea to campaign at a winery. (Laughter.) And isn't this the
prettiest place? It's so lovely. (Applause.) When we drove up on the
winding roads to get up here to the top of the hill, there were families
sitting out on their front porches waving as we drove by, and it really was
a great, very, very warm and friendly neighborhood, I could tell, where
people have solid values, and it's pretty obvious.

So thank you all. Thank you for coming here today. And I want to thank you
very much for supporting Mike Sodrel for re-election to the United States
Congress. (Applause.)

I want to recognize Keta Sodrel and the whole Sodrel family. The lights are
so bright I can't tell where they're sitting. But anyway, stand up, you
all, so we can see you. Thanks so much. (Applause.) Mike and Keta have
precious grandchildren, really darling granddaughters. So it's fun to get
to see them.

I think Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman is here. I saw her earlier in
the photo line. I hope she's still here. Governor, are you here?
(Applause.) Oh, there she is, right in front of me. Thank you very much.

And the Secretary of State for the state of Indiana, Todd Rokita is here,
and Kathy, his wife. Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) And your state
Treasurer, Tim Berry. Thank you, Tim, very much for coming. (Applause.)

I also want to thank the whole Huber family for the great work they do here
at this -- I got a little tour of the front part of the market here and the
vineyards, and I saw as I drove up the trees, the Christmaas tree farm and
the orchards. And it's really such a beautiful, beautiful site. I want to
thank them for their hospitality, as well. So thanks to all of them.
(Applause.)

I don't know if you watched the news today, but this morning, the President
and I took Prime Minister Koizumi from Japan to Graceland. (Laughter.) If
you'll watch your news later, you'll see that Prime Minister Koizumi
actually sang, "I want you, I need you, I love you." (Laughter.) It was
really fun. He has been a very good friend to my husband, and one of the
world leaders that we've enjoyed knowing the most of all the very
fascinating world leaders that we've had a chance to meet.

George often tells crowds that he thinks it's so amazing that Prime
Minister Koizumi's father and George's father were sworn enemies in World
War II when Japan was our sworn enemy. And now 50 years -- 60 years later,
the two sons who are Prime Minister and President are best of friends, and
our countries have a very, very strong alliance. (Applause.)

And one of the reasons that happened is because the United States after
World War II was committed to helping Japan build a democracy, just like we
were committed to helping Germany, as well. And that commitment led to a
democracy in Japan and in Germany, and led to having these two really
strong allies that had been our enemies before.

So we have a former President, President Truman, to thank for that. And I
know that that's what President Bush is trying to do right now -- that is
to make very good friends and democracies out of countries that had been
our enemies in the Middle East. (Applause.)

Today, I'm so happy to be here for Mike Sodrel. He's gotten off to a very
great start in Congress, and not just because he sponsored legislation last
year -- which was passed, by the way -- congratulating Tony Stewart on his
2005 NASCAR win. During his first term, Mike has distinguished himself as a
passionate advocate for Indiana's families. Mike has brought the principles
of efficiency and accountability developed during his successful business
career to the House of Representatives, ensuring that Indiana tax dollars
are spent wisely and responsibly.

He supports tax cuts, and with his support last month, President Bush
signed into law the largest tax relief package in American history.
(Applause.)

And these tax cuts have fueled our economy. They've helped add 5.3 million
new jobs since 2003. And that means 5.3 million more people wake up every
morning with the dignity and sense of purpose that comes with a job.

Mike's business experience has inspired his work to end America's
dependence on foreign oil. Congressman Sodrel spent 30 years in the
transportation industry, building successful trucking and motor coach
lines, and even slight increases in fuel costs affected Mike's business. So
he understands the burden of increased energy costs on Indiana's working
families.

In Congress, Mike has supported energy legislation that promotes clean coal
technology, biofuels, wind and solar energy as alternatives to oil and gas.

Mike's transportation background has made him an effective leader on the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where, of course, he's
made Indiana his top priority. On the committee, Congressman Sodrel helped
secure more than $20 million for the Ohio River Bridges Project, which will
build two new bridges over the Ohio River, to connect Louisville and
southern Indiana, improving transportation options for the people of the
9th district. (Applause.)

And Mike has been a powerful advocate for his constituents through his
leadership on the Agriculture Committee. The farm bill comes up next year
for reauthorization, and it's important to re-elect Mike so he can make
sure that the next bill benefits southern Indiana farmers. (Applause.)

Strengthening Indiana's economy is just one way Mike is helping families in
your state. Making sure that every child in Indiana can grow up to be
healthy and successful is another way.

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

I was in Indianapolis earlier this month for our first Helping America's
Youth regional conference. At the conference, we heard from community
leaders here in Indiana and throughout the Midwest about some of the work
that parents, mentors, pastors, coaches and teachers are doing to bring
opportunity and hope to young people.

And we heard about the special importance of helping boys, because research
shows us that boys are more likely to drop out of school, and less likely
to go to college. More boys than girls abuse drugs, join gangs, or engage
in violent behavior. Almost three-quarters of the youth that are arrested
are boys. And America's children -- boys and girls -- need adults to help
them find positive alternatives to dangerous activities.

Since the President announced the Helping America's Youth initiative, 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 visited fatherhood initiatives. I've met with
mentors and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I visited gang intervention
programs, where I've met young people who are leaving gangs and finding
jobs.

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. Theey 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 Home Depot Employee of the Month. (Applause.)

All of these visits culminated last October in a conference that we hosted
in Washington. The conference in Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago was the
first of our regional conferences, but at the conference in Indianapolis,
and at the one in Washington, we introduced an online Community Guide. This
guide can help concerned adults learn more about the problems facing youth
in your own communities, and what local resources are available to address
those problems. The information is available on the website, >
www.helpingamericasyouth.gov -- that's g-o-v. I urge you to look at the
website, and then use the guide here iin your own neighborhoods in Indiana.

Congressman Sodrel has a long record of commitment to Indiana's young
people. He's been a member of the board of the Guerin Home for Abused
Children, and Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana. He served on the Advisory
Committee of the Boys and Girls Club. And as chairman of the Boy Scouts
Regional Council, Mike has helped thousands of boys in Indiana build
leadership skills and develop the character they need to become healthy and
successful young men.

We all know, though, that the well-being of families in Indiana and
throughout our country ultimately depends on our government's ability to
keep them safe by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.

In the House, Mike has been a champion of the men and women of the United
States military. He's visited our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. And as a
veteran of the Army National Guard, Mike has sponsored legislation to
increase benefits for veterans throughout America. (Applause.)

Thanks to the men and women of the United States military, women and girls
in Afghanistan can now go to school. It's hard for us to imagine a country
that would actually forbid education to girls or to anyone. So this is a
great development. And earlier this month, President Bush visited with the
new Iraqi government in Baghdad. In Iraq's new cabinet -- now it's all
complete; the last two ministers were chosen right before President Bush
went to Baghdad -- and I know, I hope they know that our country stands
with them as they build a democratic government. (Applause.)

Congressman Sodrel's dedication to the people of Indiana, and his
achievements, remind us of why he must be re-elected. Mike understands that
America faces challenges 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 immigration, rebuilding the
Gulf Coast, and keeping our country safe from terrorism are not easy tasks,
but they're absolutely vital goals. To accomplish them, we must have
serious national conversations, conducted with civility and respect. And
Congressman Sodrel will be a thoughtful, positive and powerful part of that
dialogue. (Applause.)

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

Thank you all so much for joining us today. Thank you for your generous
support of Mike Sodrel's re-election. Thank you in advance for the work
that you're going to do to make sure he is re-elected in November to the
United States Congress.

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

END 5:39 P.M. EDT
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