George W. Bush

“ Given that choice, I will defend America every time. (Applause.)
It's hard work to go from a system where there was torture and rape rooms and mass graves to freedom. That's hard work. But it is necessary work. That's why I want to herald the work and sacrifice of your husband. It's important work for our future. Free societies are peaceful societies. The way to defeat terror in the long run is to provide hope, to provide hope for families, to provide hope for children, to say that there's a bright future for you. ”

“ We got people working hard overseas that are collecting information to better help us protect ourselves. And what 9/11 was, is that -- said -- is that a threat overseas now must be taken seriously here at home. It's one thing to protect our embassies, and we work hard to do so. But now a threat overseas could end up being a threat to the homeland. And in order to protect the homeland, these good people have got to be able to share information.
Those who criticize the Patriot Act must listen to those folks on the front line of defending America. ”

“ But, as well, we're working for freedom in the heart of a part of the world that needs freedom. You know, I can't tell you how strongly I believe that -- about the power of freedom. After all, it's been a part of our national soul. We have proven how powerful freedom can be. We bring people from diverse backgrounds together under the mantel of a free society. ”

“ We're a freedom nation, we're a big nation, people come and go. And we needed to change the whole attitude about how we protect the homeland. We'll do everything we can to stay on the offensive. But just remember, we've got to be right 100 percent of the time; and the enemy has only got to be right once. And so we've got a tough job.
It means we've got to coordinate between the federal government and the state government and the local government like never before. We've got to share information on a real-time basis, so first responders and police chiefs can move as quickly as possible. ”

“ I hope, as a result of this discussion, our fellow citizens have a better understanding of the importance of the Patriot Act and why it needs to be renewed and expanded -- the importance of the Patriot Act, when it comes to defending America, our liberties, and at the same time, that it still protects our liberties under the Constitution. But more importantly, I hope our fellow citizens recognize that there are hundreds of their fellow citizens working on a daily basis to do their duty to make this country as secure as possible. ”

“ But never did we dream that they would use our own airplanes as weapons to fly, and mercilessly kill thousands of our citizens. From that day forward, we have changed our attitude, and we've got to make sure the laws reflect the realities of the generation -- of the new generation, of the generation of those of us involved with being responsible for the security of the country. ”

“ They're trying to kill to shake our will; we're too tough, too strong, too resolute, and too determined to ever have our will shaken by thugs and terrorists. (Applause.)
We live in historic times. We face a different kind of war. And one of the key victories in this battle against terror is going to be the spread of freedom throughout the greater Middle East. And we'll succeed. We'll succeed because, deep in the heart of every human being is the deep desire to be free. ”

“ President, people have to realize -- and it's not just with the FBI or our Joint Terrorism Task Force, but so many in this room have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of this country. The Patriot Act is a law; the Patriot Act has the judicial oversight. The rules are there; we follow the rules. The last time I checked, the terrorists don't have the rules that we have and don't have to play by them. ”

“ He takes time out of his life to see what he can do to make the Buffalo area more secure.
My call to people in this area is see what you can do to make Buffalo a more compassionate, decent place. See, societies change one conscience, one soul a time. All it takes is for citizens to hear that universal call to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself, and mentor a child, or feed the hungry, or provide shelter for the homeless, or love the lonely. ”

“ We created the Department of Homeland Security which would allow us to better coordinate between agencies. It's kind of -- what happens in bureaucracies is you get what they call stovepipes -- in other words, people don't talk to each other, they kind of stay in their own lane, and they don't share information across the lanes, and therefore, vital information may show up, but it's not widely disseminated so there's not real-time action on, say, a threat. ”

“ And sometimes the use of paper trails and paper will lead local first responders and local officials to a potential terrorist. We're going to have every tool, is what I'm telling you, available for our people who I expect to do their job, and you expect to do their jobs.
We had tough penalties for drug traffickers; we didn't have as tough a penalty for terrorists. That didn't make any sense. The true threat to the 21st century is the fact somebody is trying to come back into our country and hurt us. ”

“ I love the fact that a dad puts his family first. And that's a vital part of life, isn't it? And so, he did a heck of a good job. He's also doing a very good job as his most important responsibility, which is to be a loving dad. ”

“ They talk about the strength of our country being the fact that we're a prosperous nation, and we need to make sure we continue to expand prosperity so people can find work. But the true strength of the country lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens. See, Frank represents the strength of America because he volunteers to make the community in which he lives a better place. He sets such a great example for other citizens in this area. ”

“ And right after September the 11th, the Congress wisely acted, said, this doesn't make any sense. If we can't get people talking, how can we act? We're charged with the security of the country, first responders are charged with the security of the country, and if we can't share information between vital agencies, we're not going to be able to do our job. ”

“ Not only do they love their dad, and pray for their dad, but they're collecting school supplies for the Iraqi children. In other words, they're going to their own schoolmates and saying, how best can we not only help secure Iraq, so it can become a free country, how best can we show the compassion of America. ”

“ And fortunately, thanks to our coalition, thanks to brave soldiers from America, and others, the Taliban no longer is in power. We enforced the doctrine. The world is more peaceful because the Taliban is gone. And at the same time, please remember, the women and children in Afghanistan have a much brighter future because we removed a barbaric regime that refused to even educate young girls. ”

“ By the way, the reason I bring up the Patriot Act, it's set to expire next year. I'm starting a campaign to make it clear to members of Congress it shouldn't expire. It shouldn't expire, for the security of our country. (Applause.)
Administrative subpoenas mean it is -- speeds up the process whereby people can gain information to go after terrorists. Administrative subpoenas I guess is kind of an ominous sounding word, but it is, to put everybody's mind at ease about administrative subpoenas -- we use them to catch crooked doctors today. It's a tool for people to chase down medical fraud. ”

“ Thank you for your strong leadership. Thanks for caring a lot about the people of the Buffalo, New York area. Thanks for your steadfast concern about the security of our country. I appreciate your service.
I also appreciate the service of the really fine Governor of the state of New York, George Pataki. Thanks for coming. (Applause.) I know we've got state and local authorities who are here. I appreciate your service. For the local authorities, my only advice is make sure you fill the potholes. (Laughter.) Empty the garbage. (Laughter.) Answer the phone calls. ”

“ Obviously, those who rushed into burning towers set the highest of high standards for courage and bravery, and really serve as great inspiration for others who wear the uniform, as well as those of us who appreciate those who wear the uniform. ”

“ And I want to thank you guys for honoring your dad and honoring our country. (Applause.)
I also met a fellow named Frank Brusino. Where are you, Frank? There he is. Frank is an interesting character. (Laughter.) He is a retired brigadier general in the Army Reserves, a paratrooper, who is now very much involved with the Senior Corps, the Citizen Corps Council. ”