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Skriven 2006-10-31 23:31:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610315) for Tue, 2006 Oct 31
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at North Carolina Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 31, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at North Carolina Victory 2006 Rally
The Morris L. Mac McGough Arena
Fletcher, North Carolina



10:41 A.M. EST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Congressman. Thank you very much. Thank you
Congressman Taylor. Thank you all very much. Thanks, everybody. Thanks to
each and every one of you for the very warm welcome to North Carolina.

One of the great things about traveling around our country during election
time is that I get to see fall foliage all over our country. Yesterday, I
was in New Hampshire and saw it there, and Pennsylvania. But I have to tell
you, you've got the best. (Applause.) It was so beautiful flying in and
looking down at the woods, which are just gold and orange and so really,
really beautiful. So you've got a wonderful state, one of the most
beautiful states in our country. (Applause.)

I want to recognize Congresswoman Virginia Fox, the United State
Representative from the 5th district. She is here with us. Virginia, where
are you? She's right over here. Thank you, Virginia, for joining us.
(Applause.) The chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Ferrell
Blount, is with us today. (Applause.) And I know you've already been
introduced to some other local officials and other candidates. Thank you
all. Thank you for serving your communities.

Charles' wife, Betty Taylor, is here. (Applause.) When your spouse is in
politics, you're involved whether you want to be or not. (Laughter.) And we
know that successful politicians are the ones whose families stand with
them are there with them all the time. So thank you very much, Betty, for
your support. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be with you to support Charles Taylor's campaign for the
United States Congress. (Applause.) Charles cares deeply about the people
of North Carolina, and in Washington, he's distinguished himself as a
passionate advocate for the 11th district.

Congressman Taylor is helping North Carolina by increasing employment
opportunities in your state. Charles first learned the value of a job as a
young man, bagging groceries at the A_

During his 15 years in Congress, Charles Taylor has made sure all North
Carolinians can provide for themselves and their families. He's improved
the business climate for western North Carolina - for western North
Carolina entrepreneurs, so they can expand their companies and create more
jobs for the 11th district. Earlier this year, Congressman Taylor brought
$2.6 million in federal funding to 3TEX, a Rutherford County defense
company. These resources will help protect our nation, and create hundreds
of jobs for your state. (Applause.)

And Congressman Taylor has secured more than $15 million to bring broadband
Internet to western North Carolina. This new technology will attract
high-paying jobs to your state, and help the 11th district compete in the
21st-century economy. Thank you, Congressman Taylor, for this good work.
(Applause.)

In Washington, Congressman Taylor makes sure that North Carolina's tax
dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports President Bush's tax
cuts. (Applause.) These tax cuts have fueled our economy, and they've
helped add 6.6 million new jobs since 2003. And that means 6.6 million more
Americans wake up with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes with
a job. (Applause.)

Something else Congressman Taylor and the President have in common - and
something I share with them - is a commitment to natural preservation.

Congressman Taylor is an enthusiastic steward of our country's natural
resources. Charles has devoted his career to farming hardwood trees in
western North Carolina, and he's the only registered forester in Congress.
(Applause.) In the House, he's deeply committed to preserving North
Carolina's forest ecology.

Congressman Taylor serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where he's
chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. On the subcommittee,
Charles oversees federal funding for the National Park Service, the U.S.
Forest Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Congressman Taylor
is a champion of responsible federal conservation initiatives - and he
makes sure these efforts benefit from the latest advances in environmental
sciences. Thank you, Congressman, for this very important work. (Applause.)

And one of the benefits of natural and historical preservation is that it
gives our children more opportunities to learn about our country. Visits to
national parks, to museums, to aquariums, to national monuments are great
activities for young people, offering them positive and healthy ways to
learn and spend time with their families.

Congressman Taylor has a strong record of commitment to young people. Here
in North Carolina, Charles and Betty are actively involved scouting. Their
support helps boys in western North Carolina build leadership skills and
develop the character they need to become successful young men. (Applause.)

Charles just mentioned the Education and Research Consortium, which works
with local universities and public schools to bring advanced technology
into western North Carolina's classrooms. As part of the consortium's
"American Memory" program, more than 4,000 local teachers have integrated
digitized primary sources from the Library of Congress into their
curriculum. And through Congressman Taylor's "Math Labs" initiative,
teachers use high-speed technology to help struggling middle school and
high school students master mathematics. Thank you, Congressman Taylor, for
your commitment to North Carolina's young people. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well being of young people in North Carolina
and throughout our country ultimately depends upon our government's ability
to protect them - by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.

Charles Taylor understands the needs of our troops at this crucial time in
our country's history. (Applause.) Charles and Betty's son Bryan is an Army
Captain who graduated from West Point, and who served in Iraq. (Applause.)
Here in the 11th district, Charles has improved benefits for North
Carolinians who've served our country in uniform. He's secured more than
$75 million to expand and improve the VA Medical Center in nearby Oteen.
(Applause.) And in Congress, Charles Taylor is a champion of the men and
women of the United States military. (Applause.)

And thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are now free from the oppression
of Saddam Hussein, and are working to build a democratic future for their
country. (Applause.)

And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be educated. (Applause.) It's
hard for us to imagine a country that would prohibit half of its citizens
from being educated. But now, little girls are in school all over
Afghanistan. (Applause.)

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. (Applause.) Every day, thousands of these men and
women risk their lives overseas to make sure that their families, and all
of our families, are kept safe here in the United States. Their love of our
country, and of liberty, never wavers - and neither does their belief in
our cause. (Applause.)

Many of these men and women have given their lives for this belief. Around
the country, President Bush and I meet with their families. In military
hospitals, we meet with their fellow soldiers who've been wounded in
combat. And from our troops and their families, the President and I hear
the same request: that we honor the sacrifice of these men and women by
seeing their mission through. (Applause.) They ask the American people to
stand with our troops.

Charles Taylor stands with our troops. (Applause.) He understands that this
election is critical to the future of our country. And he knows that
America faces challenges too important to be reduced to just 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. (Applause.) Ending our dependence on foreign oil, reforming our
immigration system, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and keeping our country safe
from terrorism are not easy tasks, but they are absolutely vital goals. To
accomplish them, we must have serious national conversations, conducted
with civility and respect.

The right to have these conversations is part of what makes our country
great, and our democracy strong. We must be mindful that people around the
world are listening to these discussions. Responsible candidates understand
that the men and women of our military are risking their lives for us
overseas, and that we must conduct our debate here at home in a way that
does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way. (Applause.)

Charles Taylor understands his responsibility to our country as your
representative in Congress. It's so important that we stand with
Congressman Taylor during this crucial time in our country's history.
(Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Charles Taylor. Thanks
especially to all of the volunteers for your hard work making the phone
calls and knocking on doors. You've already done so much to help Charles
and our other terrific candidates in North Carolina. And in the next week,
they'll need more of your energy and enthusiasm.

We're looking forward to Election Day. This is a spirited contest, and
we've got great candidates. We've got the best grassroots volunteers, too.
Our candidates are depending on you, so be sure to get everyone you know to
the polls. Go to the phone banks, knock on those doors, talk to your
friends and neighbors about Charles Taylor and North Carolina's great
Republican candidates. They need your support - and our country needs them.
(Applause.)

Thank you all. Thanks so much for coming out today. Work hard over the next
week to make sure Charles Taylor is re-elected to the United States
Congress on November 7.

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

END 10:56 A.M. EST

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