Great American Speeches, Volume 1

SC-Span coverage of President Bush's address to the National Restaurant Association.
May 22, 2006 (News story available as Yahoo!)

President Bush: Hello. Thank you. Heh. Yeah, so good to be in Chicago, especially with those Cubbies doing so well. Heck, almost like watching the Rangers when I owned them (polite laughter).

Thanks for having me here. Always a pleasure to speak in Illinois. Love this facility you got here, the McCormick Place. I'm a big fan of this place, and this city, a fine patriotic American city (applause). Shares the name of that fella who acts on that "Will and Grace" (unsure laughter) which is a funny program.

Stan Humphries, the head of your organization, asked me to come down and speak to you here today, and I told everyone in my office to clear my schedule so that I could be present at this engagement (applause). Heck, Stan ain't a fellow to mince words, catch my drift (laughter and whistles). Almost union-like (laughter) So, here I am, and I want to really get down to some important matters that need to be addressed. No, the most important matter. I promise to keep this short so that we can get back to enjoying these fine steaks y'all got here (mummered approval).

Now, when I thought about what to speak on, I thought to myself, "What do restauranteurs need to know about our current situation over there in Iraq?" Now I know, we could be talking about things that seem more important, like lifting the tariffs on steak tartarre or making illegals more present here for your kitchen help (raucous cheers). Heck, now, I'm not really go into that today.

What I want you to know is that freedom is strong today. That freedom gives us the liberty to enjoy the fruits of our labor. That means you and I can enjoy delicious food and drink because of the sacrifices we must make to ensure our ability to live in a manner accustomed to Americans. By that, I mean, freely (applause). The freedom to really dig down deep into a pile of barbeque or to enjoy some home fries without worries of the next disaster wrought upon us by those who cannot abide by freedom. Food is freedom, and those who hate freedom, they hate food (raucous cheers).

Listen, you can let them out there scare you into thinking that America is in jeopardy, that we're losing. That's not true. Sure, I can understand why people are concerned about whether or not our strategy can succeed because our progress is incremental. But really, trust your president, cause who else knows better (cheers) because freedom is moving but it's in incremental steps, and the enemy's progress is almost instant on their TV screens. So you see, there's no buts about it, we're winning and the terrorists who hate our freedom are losing (cheers and clinking of crystal wine goblets). It doesn't make much difference if you hate freedom, cause you're gonna lose (deflated applause).

Incrementally, we've gained positions that are integral to our support and transfer protocol. Incrementally, our troops have attained the necessary weaponery and armor to get the job done and get home safely to the loving arms of their freedom loving families. Incrementally, we've succeeded in establishing a country that loves freedom and much as we cherish liberty on our home soil. Incrementally, we have made the mother country safer from those who seek to use terror to cause us to tremble and falter in our steps to secure our ways of life. Incrementally, we've put the right people in position to ensure a more better world situation for us. Incrementally, the rewards of such necessary actions are at hand, and incrementally, we have come toward completing a total turnaround of the disaster that some of those out there want to say almost did happen. That's not freedom (applause). That's not my idea of America.

So, you see, the progress we've made has been hard-fought, and it's been incremental. There have been setbacks and missteps, like Abu Ghraib or Valerie Plume or a few other things that didn't go according to plan, that were felt immediately and have been difficult to overcome. Yet we have now reached a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror (applause). Its not so easy when you have power, so when things go right, you know that freedom and liberty are on your side while terror took the back door out to the caves that they have to hide in. Incrementally, we're flushing them out, and we'll see the day someday.

Now, see, we fight the enemy with a conviction that is stronger than fear. The terrorists fought this moment with all their hateful power, with suicide attacks and beheadings and roadside bombs. We fought with peace and love and all things that are good and inspiring, drawn from the wellspring of liberty that exists within our God-fearing hearts. They fought all that good energy, and they rued the day that right defeated fearful might. We could have turned tails in flight, but look at us, now the day they feared has arrived. And with it's come a moment of great clarity: The terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom (applause). Freedom is too, too free to really stop, and they know that now.

So, here's where I'm going to end. I'm here to tell you this. I want everything better, sure I do. I want us all to live in a world that is incrementally better, and I'm going to incrementally improve everything around us, including freedom, before I'm done here. We've got to stay the course; it's important to stick to the fight because the terrorists are determined to kill innocent life. Those aren't my words, but that Al-Quida guy. We'll eventually leave that country, and bring our boys home, but not before the fight is done and a new nation of democracy rises from the ashes of tyranny and terror. So, now, I'll withdraw from this dais so that you can get back to your steaks. God bless America. God bless Chicago. God bless the Restaurant group. Thank you.

(standing ovation)

Chef in white hat: Another round of applause for our president (applause). On behalf of all the cooks and chefs in our country, I'd like to thank you, Mr. President for creating jobs in the restaurant industry and running the country the way a chef would run the country.


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Can you identify the parts that are real from the parts that are made up?