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Skriven 2006-11-02 23:32:32 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061102c) for Thu, 2006 Nov 2
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Iowa Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 2, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Iowa Victory 2006 Rally
Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center
Waterloo, Iowa



3:00 P.M. CST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you all, thanks so much. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, Mike
and Jim. I'm honored today to be standing with these men -- Jim Nussle,
who's running for governor, Mike Whalen who's running for Congress, and, of
course, your great U.S. senator, Charles Grassley. (Applause.)

Also with us today is Ray Hoffman, the Chairman of the Republican Party of
Iowa, the State Auditor David Vaudt, who's running unopposed. Those are the
kind of races we all wish we had. (Laughter.) I think Mary Ann Hanusa is
here, who's running for Secretary of State. Mary Ann, I hope -- is she
here? Great, good. Good to see you, Mary Ann. And then, of course, I have
to recognize Karen Nussle and Kim Whalen, who are here with us on the
stage. When your spouse is in politics, you're involved whether you want to
be or not. (Applause.) And we know that successful candidates are the ones
whose families are there with them the whole time. And so I want to thank
both Kim and Karen for your support.

I'm delighted to be with you today to support Mike Whalen's campaign for
the United States Congress. (Applause.) And I'm so happy to have this
chance to campaign with Congressman Jim Nussle in his election for
governor. (Applause.)

These men care deeply about the people of your state. And in Washington and
Des Moines, they'll be passionate advocates for Iowa's families.

Kim and Mike Whalen were partners even before they were married, when Mike
hired Kim to be the bookkeeper for his new business. In 1978, Mike had just
graduated from Harvard Law School and he'd taken the bar exam. Two days
after the bar exam, he opened a restaurant in Davenport along Interstate
80. Ever since, Mike has been a successful restaurateur. Even when he's in
a business meeting, they say that Mike will pick up the coffeepot and begin
pouring coffee for everyone without even thinking about it. So when Mike
says he's committed to serving the people of Iowa, he means it. (Applause.)

Mike will bring to Congress the principles of efficiency and accountability
that have defined his successful business career. He'll make sure Iowa's
tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports the Presidential
Line Item Veto, which will help eliminate unnecessary spending from the
federal budget.

Mike Whalen supports tax cuts. The tax cuts that were enacted over the last
six years have fueled our economy, and they've added 6.6 million new jobs
since 2003. That means 6.6 million more Americans wake up with the dignity
and the sense of purpose that comes with a job.

And here in Iowa, your unemployment rate is a low 3.4 percent.
Congratulations to the hard-working Iowans. (Applause.)

Mike Whalen is dedicated to bringing jobs to Iowa. Mike first learned the
value of a job when he was 14 and employed as an entry-level salad bar
worker at a local restaurant. I just told you how Mike opened his own
restaurant after he graduated from law school. That one restaurant has
grown into a full business -- Heart of America, Inc. Mike's company now
operates 18 restaurants, and nine hotels and motels, in Iowa and five other
states.

These enterprises promote Iowa cooking. Mike's best-known restaurant, the
Iowa Machine Shed, has introduced the public to new methods of serving
pork, turkey, and other Iowa agricultural products, boosting your state's
farming industry. In good economic times and bad, Mike's dedication and
skill have sustained his business, and created thousands of Iowa jobs.
(Applause.)

Jim Nussle is dedicated to improving employment opportunities in your
state. Corn production is vital to Iowa's economy, and one of the many
promising uses for corn is as an alternative source of energy. Congressman
Nussle has worked to make our country less dependent on foreign sources of
oil. He promotes renewable fuels, including ethanol and biodiesel. As
governor, Jim's support for alternative energy will create good agriculture
jobs in your state.

As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Jim has consistently supported
tax cuts. In Des Moines, he'll work to reform the tax code, which will
improve the business climate for Iowa entrepreneurs so they can create
high-paying jobs. And these jobs will keep young Iowans home, and help them
raise their families here in your state. Thank you very much, Jim.
(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 young
people is by steering them away from risky behaviors and guiding them
toward the knowledge and the self-respect they need to build successful
lives.

Mike Whalen has a strong record of commitment to young people. He launched
a Christian radio station to provide Iowa youth with music that carries a
positive and encouraging message. Four years ago, Mike and Kim co-founded
the Wildwood Hills Ranch in St. Charles, Iowa. Wildwood Hills serves abused
and needy youth from across your state. The ranch offers summer camps that
allow children to explore the outdoors, and develop healthy new interests
like swimming and horseback riding.

At Wildwood, young people build character, leadership skills, and
self-confidence in a supportive and faith-based environment. Thank you, Kim
and Mike, for this very important work. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people in Iowa and across
our country ultimately depends on our government's ability to protect them
-- by defeating terrorism and by increasing liberty abroad. In Congress,
Mike Whelan will be a champion 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. Every day, thousands of 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.

Mike Whalen 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.

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're 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 the debate here at home in a way that
does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way.

Mike Whalen understands his responsibility to you and to our country. So
it's so important that we stand with Mike during this important time in our
country's history. (Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you for your support for Mike Whalen and
Jim Nussle. Thanks especially to all the volunteers out there in the
audience who are working hard 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. And we've got the best grassroots volunteers.
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, and talk to your
friends and neighbors about Mike Whalen and Jim Nussle and all of Iowa's
great Republican candidates. They need your support, and our country needs
them. (Applause.)

Thank you all so much for coming out today. Thank you for working hard to
make sure Mike Whalen and Jim Nussle are elected on November 7th. Thank you
all very, very much. (Applause.)

END 3:11 P.M. CST

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