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Skriven 2005-01-19 23:33:36 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050119g) for Wed, 2005 Jan 19
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Remarks by the Vice President Introducing the President at "celebration of
Freedom" Inaugural Concert
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
January 19, 2005

Remarks by the Vice President Introducing the President at "celebration of
Freedom" Inaugural Concert



REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT INTRODUCING THE PRESIDENT AT "CELEBRATION OF
FREEDOM" INAUGURAL CONCERT

The Ellipse

5:53 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. It's a great honor for my
family and me to be here tonight to welcome fellow Americans from the
North, the South, the East and the West. (Applause.) I'd also like to thank
Ryan for the introduction. Even though Lynne would not let me try out as a
contestant, I'm glad to meet the host of "American Idol."

I want to thank all the entertainers on the program, and everyone who
worked to organize this "Celebration of Freedom." They've given us an
evening to remember on the threshold of an historic occasion for our
country -- the inauguration of George W. Bush for a second term as
President of the United States. (Applause.)

Tomorrow at noon, a watching world will see the continuity of our great
democracy in a ritual that our country has performed every four years for
more than two centuries. You and I will be privileged to witness the moment
as our President places his hand on the Bible and repeats the oath first
taken by George Washington on April 30, 1789.

I count it the highest honor of my life to serve beside our 43rd President
in this time of great consequence for our nation. Since 2001, America has
lived with adversity and sometimes with sorrow, and often with uncertainty,
yet we have refused to live in fear or be intimidated by the task before
us. And we have seen the best aspects of our character reflected in the man
who leads our country. We know George W. Bush as a person of deep
conviction and personal kindness. He speaks his mind. He keeps his word. He
is a man of moral seriousness. (Applause.) And he is unafraid of hard
decisions and persistent and doing what is right. Above all, he is
unrelenting in his determination to protect the American people. And he has
earned the gratitude of all of us. (Applause.)

Tomorrow, the President renews his great responsibilities. On Inauguration
Day and in all the days that follow, he will be assured of the confidence
of the nation he serves, and sustained by his wonderful wife and family,
and lifted up by the prayers of millions. He has made us proud, and I am
pleased to present him to you now.

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. (Applause.)

END 5:57 P.M. EST

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