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Skriven 2006-11-02 23:32:30 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0611024) for Thu, 2006 Nov 2
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Illinois Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 2, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Illinois Victory 2006 Rally
Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center
Schaumburg, Illinois



12:28 P.M. CST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Roma. Thank you very much. Thanks very much to Don
and Roma. Thank you for your very cute and fun introduction. And thanks to
each and every one of you for joining me today and for your very, very warm
welcome. I'm so happy to be here.

I'm especially happy to be here with State Senator Peter Roskam, your next
congressman from the 6th district. (Applause.) Peter's family, Elizabeth
and his children are here with us, as well. I'm not sure where all the
family members are. Maybe over here. Thank you all for joining us.
(Applause.) I'm so proud to stand with Dave McSweeney, your next
congressman from the 8th district. (Applause.) Dave's wife Margaret, and
their girls are over here, as well. Thank you for joining us. (Applause.)

And I'm very proud and honored to be here with Judy Baar Topinka, your
governor. Thank you very much, Judy. (Applause.) Also in the crowd is State
Senator Christine Rodogno, your candidate for Illinois state treasurer.
(Applause.) Congressman Don Manzullo is here from the 16th district.
(Applause.) Andy McKenna, the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party,
thank you very much, Andy. (Applause.) And my good friend, Jean Hastert,
wife of Speaker Denny Hastert. Thank you, Jean, for joining us. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to have this chance to be with you today to support Dave
McSweeney and Peter Roskam's campaign for the United States Congress, and
Judy Baar Topinka's election for the governor of your state. (Applause.)
These candidates care deeply about the people of your state, and in
Washington and Springfield, they'll be passionate advocates for Illinois
families.

As the 6th district's congressman, Peter Roskam will carry on the important
environmental work he's begun here in Illinois. In Wheaton, Peter and
Elizabeth started their hometown's curbside recycling program. In the State
Senate, Peter sponsored legislation to increase recycling statewide and to
improve energy efficiency.

Dave McSweeney will bring to Washington the principles of efficiency and
accountability that he developed during his successful business career.
He'll make sure Illinois tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. Dave
supports the Presidential Line Item Veto, which will help eliminate
unnecessary spending from the federal budget. (Applause.)

During his time in Springfield, State Senator Roskam has opposed tax hikes,
and he's authored 14 bills to lower your state taxes. (Applause.) In the
U.S. Congress, Peter and Dave will support tax cuts. The tax cuts that have
been effected over the last six years have fueled our economy, and they've
helped add 6.6 million new jobs. And that means 6.6 million more Americans
wake up every morning with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes
with a job. (Applause.)

Judy Baar Topinka is dedicated to bringing jobs to Illinois. As your state
treasurer, Judy cut wasteful government spending, which helped lower taxes.
Her efforts have improved the business climate for Illinois entrepreneurs,
so they can expand their companies and create more jobs.

Farming is vital to Illinois's economy, and through her Agriculture Loan
Program, Judy has dedicated nearly $900 million in funding to support more
than 10,000 farmers across the state. (Applause.) She's a champion of
Illinois agribusiness. And as Governor Topinka, Judy will make sure
everyone in Illinois benefits from our nation's growing economy. Thank you
very much, Judy. (Applause.)

Offering young people the hope of good employment is one of the most
important things we can do for our children. Another way we can help them
is by steering them away from risky behavior, and guiding them toward the
knowledge and the self-respect they need to build successful lives.
(Applause.)

Dave McSweeney, Judy Baar Topinka, and Peter Roskam have strong records of
commitment to young people. When Dave and Margaret were newlyweds living in
New York, they tutored at-risk students in Harlem. Here in Illinois, the
McSweeneys are active in Women In Need Growing Stronger, which is a program
that assists homeless women and their children, and are giving them a
second chance at successful lives. Thank you, Margaret and Dave, for this
important work. (Applause.)

Judy Baar Topinka is dedicated to improving education in your state. She
created the Bright Start and Bright Directions college savings program,
which has helped more than 135,000 Illinois families save more than a
billion dollars for their children's tuition. Through Bright Start and
Bright Directions, Judy is helping thousands of Illinois young people
realize the dream of a college education. (Applause.) And as governor, Judy
will advance Illinois education at all levels. She has an ambitious plan to
modernize classrooms, and to provide new funding for work that's close to
my heart, and that's reading instruction. We know that children who can
read can do every single subject. Thank you very much, Judy, for these
great ideas. (Applause.)

After he graduated from the University of Illinois, Peter Roskam's first
job was teaching high school history and government in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Peter will tell you that it was also one of his favorite jobs.

In the State Senate, Peter has strengthened Illinois's education system by
supporting families and teachers. He's authored legislation that doubles
the child tax credit, so that families can save more of their earnings for
their children's education. He co-sponsored a bill that provides tax relief
for teachers who must use some of their own money to purchase school
supplies. He supports background checks, so that Illinois children will be
safe in their schools. Thank you, Peter, for your commitment to children.
(Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people in Illinois and
across our country ultimately depends on our government's ability to
protect them -- by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.
(Applause.) In Congress, Dave McSweeney and Peter Roskam will be champions
of the men and women of the United States military. (Applause.)

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. (Applause.) Peter Roskam and Dave McSweeney stand
with our troops. (Applause.) They understand that this election is critical
to the future of our country, and they know that America faces challenges
too important to be reduced to just politics. 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.)

Peter Roskam and Dave McSweeney understand their responsibility to you and
to our country, so it's so important that we stand with them during this
crucial time in our country's history.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Peter Roskam, Dave
McSweeney, and Judy Baar Topinka. Thanks especially to all the volunteers
out there for your hard work, making the phone calls and knocking on doors.

We're looking forward to Election Day. This is a spirited contest, and
we've got great candidates. We've also got the best grassroots volunteers.
(Applause.)

Our candidates are depending on you, so be sure to get everyone you know to
the polls. Go to the phone banks, knock on all those doors, and talk to
your friends and neighbors about Dave McSweeney, Peter Roskam and Judy Baar
Topinka. They need your support, and our country needs them. (Applause.)

Thank you all very, very much for coming out today, and thank you for all
your hard work to make sure that Peter, Dave and Judy are elected on
Tuesday, November 7th. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

END 12:41 P.M. CST
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