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Skriven 2006-11-03 23:46:42 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0611033) for Fri, 2006 Nov 3
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at California Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 3, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at California Victory 2006 Rally
Goal Line Productions, Inc.
Pleasanton, California



10:05 A.M. PST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you all very, very much. Thanks, everybody. (Applause.)
Thank you very much, Richard. Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you very
much. Thanks to each and every one of you for the very, very warm welcome
to California. I'm so happy to be here today for Richard Pombo, to support
his reelection to the United States Congress. (Applause.)

I think -- but I didn't meet him at the front -- I think Duf Sundheim, the
Chairman of the California Republican Party, is here. Is Duf here?
(Applause.) Thank you for your hard work, Duf. And of course, I also want
to recognize Annette Pombo. When your spouse is in politics, you're
involved, whether you want to be or not. (Laughter.) And we know that the
most successful politicians are the ones whose families are there with
them, who stand with them all the time. And thank you very, very much,
Annette, for your support for Richard. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to have this chance to stand with Richard Pombo. Richard
cares deeply about the people of California, and in Washington, he's
distinguished himself as a passionate advocate for the 11th district.
Congressman Pombo is helping Northern California families by increasing
employment opportunities in your state. During his 13 years in Congress,
Richard has improved California's business climate. This work has allowed
entrepreneurs to expand their companies, especially local tech companies,
and create more jobs for the people of this district. (Applause.)

Farming is vital to this region's economy, and as a rancher himself,
Richard understands the needs of California's family farmers. Through his
leadership as vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman
Pombo makes sure area farmers can compete in the global marketplace. He's
helped build farming and ranching into a booming $2 billion-a-year industry
for the 11th district. Thank you, Richard, for that. (Applause.)

Congressman Pombo has secured more than $100 million in funding to improve
local infrastructure with ambitious plans for these resources. These funds
will deepen the shipping channels, expand mass transit, and help build a
new freeway from the Central Valley to the East Bay. (Applause.) These
projects will help keep trucks off your highway, they'll ease traffic on
I-205 and I-580, and create good construction jobs for the 11th district.

Richard Pombo brings to Congress the principles of efficiency and
accountability that have defined his public service. He makes sure
California's tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. (Applause.)
Richard supports the presidential line item veto, which will help eliminate
unnecessary spending from the federal budget. (Applause.) And he supports
tax cuts. (Applause.) The tax cuts that have been enacted over the last six
years have fueled our economy, and they've helped add -- and they announced
this today -- 6.8 million new jobs since 2003. (Applause.) And that means
6.8 million more Americans wake up every morning with the dignity and the
sense of purpose that comes with a job.

Something Congressman Pombo and the President have in common, and something
I share with them, is a commitment to natural preservation. Congressman
Pombo is an enthusiastic steward of our country's natural resources.
(Applause.) As chairman of the House Resources Committee, Richard promotes
responsible conservation initiatives -- programs that protect wildlife
while also improving the lives of his constituents.

Last year, Richard led the effort to pass the Energy Policy Act. This
legislation promotes the use of alternative fuels, which will help end our
country's dependence on foreign oil. The bill also included tax incentives
that will bring a new biodiesel facility to the Port of Stockton, and
create high-paying jobs for the 11th district. (Applause.)

Nestled between the San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento River, the 11th
district always faces the threat of devastating flooding. Local communities
have been protected by your levee system, but these levees are in need of
repair. In Congress, Richard has led efforts to reform the Endangered
Species Act. This work will help eliminate regulatory barriers that have
prevented the levees from being fixed. (Applause.) Congressman Pombo is
committed to safeguarding local ecosystems -- and because of his
leadership, wildlife, property, and people will be protected from dangerous
flooding. Thank you, Richard, for this important work. (Applause.)

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 monuments are great activities
for young people, offering them healthy and positive ways to learn and
spend time with their families.

Congressman Pombo has a strong record of commitment to young people. He's
actively involved in the Tracy Boys and Girls Club. Boys and Girls Clubs
provide local youth with safe places to play and learn. They help young
people build character, self-confidence, and leadership skills under the
guidance of caring adults. Thank you, Congressman Pombo, for your
commitment to California's children. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of California's young people and
young people across the country ultimately depends upon our government's
ability to protect them -- by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty
abroad. In Congress, Richard Pombo is a champion of the men and women of
the United States military. (Applause.)

Thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are now free from the oppression of
Saddam Hussein, and they're 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 government that would prohibit half of its
citizens from being educated. But now Afghanistan has an elected
government, and little girls are in school all over the country.

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. 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. (Applause.) Their love
of our country, and of liberty, never wavers -- and neither does their
belief in their cause.

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.

Richard Pombo 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 are absolutely vital goals. (Applause.) 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.)

Richard Pombo understands his responsibility to you and to our country. So
we must stand with Richard during this important time in our country's
history. (Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Richard Pombo. Thank you
to all the volunteers for your hard work making the phone calls and
knocking on doors. Thanks especially for the time some of you will spend at
the Victory '06 headquarters this afternoon. 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. That's you. (Applause.)

Our candidates are depending on you, so make sure everyone you know goes to
the polls. Go to the phone banks, knock on those doors, and talk to your
friends and neighbors about Richard Pombo, and all of California's great
Republican candidates. They need your support, and our country needs them.
(Applause.)

Thank you all very much. Thanks so much for coming out today. (Applause.)
Thank you very, very much. (Applause.) And thank you all -- thank you for
the hard work you're going to do to make sure Richard Pombo is reelected to
the United States Congress on November 7th. (Applause.) Thank you all.
(Applause.)

END 10:20 A.M. PST
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