The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 14, 2011

Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service for Richard Holbrooke

Kennedy Center

Washington, D.C.

3:33 P.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  To Kati, Anthony, David and Elizabeth, to all the friends and admirers of Richard, we come together to celebrate an extraordinary life.

  In 1999, at the height of the crisis in Kosovo, Richard gave an interview in which he addressed the question of why the United States was engaged in bringing peace to that war-torn corner of the world.  Why bother?  His answer was simple:  “Because we could make a difference.”  Because we could make a difference.

  That is the story of American leadership in the world.  And that is also the story of Richard Holbrooke.  He made a difference.

  In 1962, when he was just 22 years old, he set out for Vietnam as a Foreign Service Officer.  He could not have known the twists and turns that lay ahead of him and his country in that war, or the road that he would travel over nearly five decades of service to his country.  But it’s no coincidence that his life story so closely paralleled the major events of his times.

  The list of places he served and the things he did reads as a chronicle of American foreign policy.  Speaking truth to power from the Mekong Delta to the Paris peace talks.  

Paving the way to our normalization of relations with China.  Serving as ambassador in a newly unified Germany.  Bringing peace to the Balkans.  Strengthening our relationship with the United Nations.  And working to advance peace and progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  

  Richard came of an age looking up to the men who had helped shape the post-war world -- Dean Acheson, Averill Harriman, Clark Clifford, Dean Rusk.  And in many ways, he was the leading light of a generation of American diplomats who came of age in Vietnam.

It was a generation that came to know both the tragic limits and awesome possibilities of American power -- born at a time of triumph in World War II; steeped in the painful lessons of Southeast Asia; participants in the twilight struggle that led ultimately to freedom’s triumph during the Cold War.

After the shadow of Communism lifted along with the Iron Curtain, Richard understood that America could not retreat from the world.

He recognized that our prosperity is tied to that of others; that our security is endangered by instability abroad; and most importantly, that our moral leadership is at stake when innocent men, women and children are slaughtered through senseless violence -- whether it’s in Srebrenica or Islamabad.  

Richard possessed a hard-headed, clear-eyed realism about how the world works.  He was not naïve.  But he also believed that America has a unique responsibility in the course of human events.

He understood American power, in all its complexity, and believed that when it is applied with purpose and principle, it can tip the scales of history.  And that coupling of realism and idealism, which has always represented what is best in American foreign policy, that was at the heart of his work in Bosnia, where he negotiated and cajoled and threatened all at once, until peace was the only outcome possible.

  By the time I came to know Richard, his place in history was assured.

 His options in the private sector -- where so many of his peers had settled -- were too numerous to mention.  But from my first conversation with him in Chicago, in my transition office -- a conversation in which he teared up when he began to talk about the importance of restoring America’s place in the world -- it was clear that Richard was not comfortable on the sidelines.  He belonged in the arena.

 To Kati, and to his wonderful family, I am personally grateful.  I know that every hour he spent with me in the Situation Room, or spent traveling to Southeast Asia, South Asia, was time spent away from you.

     You shared in his sacrifice, and that the sacrifice is made greater because he loved you so.  He served his country until his final moments.

  Those who take the measure of his last mission will see his foresight.  He understood that the futures of Afghanistan and Pakistan are tied together.  In Afghanistan, he cultivated areas like agriculture and governance to seed stability.  With Pakistan, he created new habits of cooperation to overcome decades of mistrust.  And globally, he helped align the approaches of 49 nations.

  Were he here with us, I know Richard would credit the extraordinary team that he assembled.  And today, I’d like to make a personal appeal to the SRAP team -- particularly the young people:  Stay in public service.  Serve your country.  Seek the peace that your mentor so ardently sought.  I also know that Richard would want us to lift up the next generation of public servants, particularly our diplomats who so rarely receive credit.  And so I’m proud to announce the creation of an annual Richard C. Holbrooke Award to honor excellence in American diplomacy.  

 As we look to the next generation, it is fitting, as David mentioned, that this memorial take place at the Kennedy Center, named for the President who called Richard’s generation to serve.  It’s also fitting that this memorial takes place at a time when our nation has recently received a tragic reminder that we must never take our public servants for granted and must always honor their work.  

  America is not defined by ethnicity.  It’s not defined by geography.  We are a nation born of an idea, a commitment to human freedom.

 And over the last five decades, there have been countless times when people made the mistake of counting on America’s decline or disengagement.  Time and again, those voices have been proven wrong, but only because of the service and sacrifice of exceptional men and women, those who answered the call of history and made America’s cause their own.  

  Like the country he served, Richard contained complexities.  So full of life, he was a man both confident in himself and curious about others, alive to the world around him with a character that is captured in the words of a Mathew Arnold poem that he admired.  “But often, in the din of strife, there rises an unspeakable desire after the knowledge of the buried life; a thirst to spend our fire and restless force in tracking our true, original course; a longing to inquire into the mystery of this heart which beats so wild, so deep in us -- to know whence our lives come and where they go.”

  Richard is gone now, but we carry with us his thirst to know, to grasp, and to heal the world around him.  His legacy is seen in the children of Bosnia who lived to raise families of their own; in a Europe that is peaceful and united and free; in young boys and girls from the tribal regions of Pakistan to whom he pledged our country’s friendship; and in the role that America continues to play as a light to all who aspire to live in freedom and in dignity.  

  Five decades after a young President called him to serve, we can confidently say that Richard bore the burden to assure the survival and success of liberty.  He made a difference.  Let us now carry that work forward in our time.

  May God bless the memory of Richard Holbrooke, and may God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)   

END
3:45 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
January 13, 2011

Remarks by Vice President Biden to the U.S. Forces-Iraq Troops

Al-Faw Palace, Camp Victory

5:50 p.m. Arabian Standard Time
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Task Force Troy, Task Force 807 Med, Task Force Phantom, USDC, I just want to say I am amazed you’re still here.  (Laughter.)  And I don't mean in Iraq.  I mean, this is my seventh trip since Vice President, my 17th or 18th here, and I can tell you four of those seven trips since I was Vice President my son was here, and I assure you he would not have waited for me.  (Laughter.)  And so thank you very, very much.  
 
I truly, truly apologize for keeping you waiting so long.  It’s all the general’s fault.  (Laughter.)  Actually, it’s all my fault, but I think we made some good progress today with all of the Iraqi leadership.
 
We met, and folks, the point I want to make to you is very simple.  I’m here to say thank you.  I’m here to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and for -- and to thank all of your families.  
 
You know, there’s an old expression that is attributable to John Milton.  He said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”  And your families, your families have made incredible sacrifices for you to be able to be here to promote the interests of the United States of America.  
 
You know, Iraq has made, in large part because of some of you -- this is more than your first tour, I know -- but for literally the hundreds of thousands of troops, over a million of troops have rolled through here.  Because of the incredible sacrifices that have been made since we arrived here, the Iraqi people for the first time, I suspect, I would argue, in their history, on the verge of literally creating a country that will be democratic, sustainable and, God willing, prosperous -- that it could have a dramatic impact on this entire region.  And God knows the Iraqi people deserve it.
 
But do you know, when we came to office, the President said that we were going to end this war and we’re going to end it responsibly.  By that we meant we were going to end it by bringing you all home within a time certain, but leaving behind a country that was worthy of the sacrifices that so many of your brothers and sisters have made.
 
Nearly 32,000 of your colleagues have been wounded here in this country; 4,422 fallen angels.  The good news is every time I ride home now I’m not riding home with a coffin strapped to the floor of the aircraft as we take off here.  
 
And I want you to know, though, everybody talks about essentially the war is over.  You’re still risking your lives for your country.  You lost some of your comrades, some of our brave American soldiers, just a couple of days ago.  And so I want you to know, the President wants you to know that this is not the normal day in the office for most Americans.
 
And look, the things that you are doing now in this transition period are the things that are going to put the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government in a position to maybe able to sustain the incredibly hard-fought gains that you initially were responsible for.  
 
You have trained, you have trained the Iraqi forces to the point now where they can be in the lead, and they’re getting better and better every day.  They’re going to continue to need our assistance and your assistance for some time.  
 
But the fact of the matter is that there's a lot that is changing during this transition.  Our mission has now fundamentally shifted since September.  But it’s going to shift again at the end of 2011.  We will probably be in the position of still maintaining and giving support.  We will probably be in the position of still -- in certain specific areas, having to train and equip.
 
But you know, what you’re doing now is -- what most Americans don’t realize is that each of you and your task forces are doing different things.  The 807 Med, you’re not only taking care of over the 100 bases and facilities we have around this country and America, but you’re literally providing the beginning of an infrastructure for a country to be able to deliver health care, to be able to deliver quality health care.  And so you’re leaving a legacy, a legacy of not just having helped freed a country, but helped getting the country on its feet and put in motion something that you will be proud, when you’re grandparents, to look at and see that this country is taking care of the basic needs of their country, and know you played a part in that.
 
You know, when you talk about your families, there is a -- I’ve been quoted in the last couple of years because I say it so often -- we really have one, one, only one sacred obligation as a nation.  We have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation, and that's to prepare and equip those who we send into harm’s way, and care for them when they come home.
 
There are thousands, close to 17,000, of your comrades that have come home who are going to need extended care the rest of their lives.  I visit veterans’ hospitals, I visit Army hospitals, I visit hospitals every single place I go.  You all know some of your friends are in Brooke Army Medical Center at their burn center.  The price that some of these kids, these people, have paid is beyond, beyond anything anyone should have to ever contemplate.
 
I spend -- and I don't say this like I -- my wife and I, though, spend every Christmas in Walter Reed visiting every non-ambulatory patient in that hospital and their families.  And the thing that amazes me -- the thing that amazes me about you all is no matter where I go in these hospitals, I always ask the family that's there or the soldier, sailor, Marine, Airman that's there who is the one injured, “What can I do for you?”  And almost without exception, the only request I ever get is, “Mr. Vice President, can you help me get back to my unit?
 
I just think -- you know, we talk about you all being, and you are, the greatest warrior class that the world has ever created.  This is not only the best run, but this is the most powerful, significant military force in the history of mankind.  
 
And the world knows that and our citizens know that, but I wish they knew, I wish they knew and could see what I see every single day.  I wish they could see all these young women and men, and not-so-young sometimes, who don't ask a thing for all that they’ve done, and you wonder how in God’s name can they do this.
 
Whether I was in Bosnia where we didn’t have as many casualties, or in Iraq where -- or Afghanistan where I just came from, or here, it’s the same story.  You are part of an incredibly, incredibly proud tradition.
 
And I hope that not only your military expertise wears off on our Iraqi friends, but I hope that they understand and see -- and I think they do -- the incredible patriotism, the incredible dedication to the country, the incredible diversity that we represent, men and women, black and white, Asian, Caucasian, every single mix that exists on the Earth, working this one incredible unit to protect the interests of the United States.
 
So I apologize -- I didn’t plan on getting emotional -- but I apologize for having kept you waiting, but I do not apologize for the intensity of the feeling that I and so many more Americans have for the sacrifices you and your comrades have made for your country.  
 
I'll end where I began.  We owe you.  We owe you more than we could ever repay you.  But the amazing thing to me is how after all that you’ve done, so few of you expect anything, even thanks.  
 
But the big difference between my generation and the general’s -- and I’m older than he is -- who leave their home, who leave their home, as you’ve noticed, and some of you leave home and come back, people have a sense and they know what you’ve done.  I hope you know how much they appreciate it.  
 
And I just was recently up in 10th Mountain up in Fort Drum, New York up in Watertown.  Any of you who are from that way, you’re not missing a thing.  They just had 44 inches of snow.  (Laughter.)  But I look at the expressions and the faces of the families as you all come back, and I hope, when you re-deploy home, I hope you get as much -- appreciate as much the sense of joy and overwhelming thanks that your families and your country feels, as my wife and I felt when our son came home.  
 
So folks, you’re led by one of the truly great generals in the United States military, and that's not hyperbole, and I mean that literally.  And it’s obvious that his enthusiasm for his country and his troops has worn off on all of you guys.  Otherwise there's no possibility you’d wait an hour on a marble floor to hear a Vice President of the United States of America.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.  I look forward, if you’re willing, to coming out there and shaking as many of your hands as I can to personally tell you thanks.  God bless you all.  (Applause.)

END
6:01 P.M. Arabian Standard Time

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2011

Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service for the Victims of the Shooting in Tucson, Arizona

McKale Memorial Center
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

6:43 P.M. MST


THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Please, please be seated.  (Applause.)

To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants who are gathered here, the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona:  I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow.  (Applause.)

There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts.  But know this:  The hopes of a nation are here tonight.  We mourn with you for the fallen.  We join you in your grief.  And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy will pull through.  (Applause.)

Scripture tells us:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech.  (Applause.)  They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders –- representatives of the people answering questions to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns back to our nation’s capital.  Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” -– just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.  (Applause.)

And that quintessentially American scene, that was the scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets.  And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday –- they, too, represented what is best in us, what is best in America.  (Applause.)

Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. (Applause.)  A graduate of this university and a graduate of this law school -- (applause) -- Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain 20 years ago -- (applause) -- appointed by President George H.W. Bush and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge.  (Applause.) 

His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit.  He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his representative.  John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons and his five beautiful grandchildren.  (Applause.)

George and Dorothy Morris -– “Dot” to her friends -– were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters.  They did everything together -- traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon.  Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their congresswoman had to say.  When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife.  (Applause.)  Both were shot.  Dot passed away.

A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow.  But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her three children, her seven grandchildren and 2-year-old great-granddaughter.  A gifted quilter, she’d often work under a favorite tree, or sometimes she'd sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants -- (laughter) -- to give out at the church where she volunteered.  A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.  (Applause.)

Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together -– about 70 years ago.  They moved apart and started their own respective families.  But after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.”  (Laughter.)

When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ.  A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with his dog, Tux.  His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers.  (Applause.)

Everything -- everything -- Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion.  (Applause.)  But his true passion was helping people.  As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits that they had earned, that veterans got the medals and the care that they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks.  He died doing what he loved -– talking with people and seeing how he could help.  And Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.  (Applause.)

And then there is nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green.  Christina was an A student; she was a dancer; she was a gymnast; she was a swimmer.  She decided that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the Major Leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her.  (Applause.) 

She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age.  She’d remind her mother, “We are so blessed.  We have the best life.”  And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.

Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing.  Our hearts are broken -– and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.
Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. 

I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak.  And I want to tell you -- her husband Mark is here and he allows me to share this with you -- right after we went to visit, a few minutes after we left her room and some of her colleagues in Congress were in the room, Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.  (Applause.)  Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.  (Applause.) 

Gabby opened her eyes.  Gabby opened her eyes, so I can tell you she knows we are here.  She knows we love her.  And she knows that we are rooting for her through what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult journey.  We are there for her.  (Applause.) 

Our hearts are full of thanks for that good news, and our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others.  We are grateful to Daniel Hernandez -- (applause) -- a volunteer in Gabby’s office.  (Applause.)

And, Daniel, I’m sorry, you may deny it, but we’ve decided you are a hero because -- (applause) -- you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss, and tended to her wounds and helped keep her alive.  (Applause.)

We are grateful to the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload.  (Applause.)  Right over there.  (Applause.)  We are grateful for petite Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some lives.  (Applause.)  And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt.  We are grateful to them.  (Applause.)

These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle.  They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength.  Heroism is here, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, all around us, just waiting to be summoned -– as it was on Saturday morning. Their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us.  It raises a question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward.  How can we honor the fallen?  How can we be true to their memory?

You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations –- to try and pose some order on the chaos and make sense out of that which seems senseless.  Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system.  And much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.

But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.  (Applause.)

Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “When I looked for light, then came darkness.”  Bad things happen, and we have to guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.

For the truth is none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack.  None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.  Yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy.  We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence.  We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future.  (Applause.)  But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other.  (Applause.)  That we cannot do.  (Applause.)  That we cannot do.

As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility.  Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.  (Applause.)

After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family -– especially if the loss is unexpected.  We’re shaken out of our routines.  We’re forced to look inward.  We reflect on the past:  Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder.  Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices that they made for us?  Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in a while but every single day?

So sudden loss causes us to look backward -– but it also forces us to look forward; to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us.  (Applause.)

We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives.  Perhaps we question whether we're doing right by our children, or our community, whether our priorities are in order.

We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -– but rather, how well we have loved -- (applause)-- and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better.  (Applause.)

And that process -- that process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions –- that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. 

For those who were harmed, those who were killed –- they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. (Applause.)  We may not have known them personally, but surely we see ourselves in them.  In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners.  Phyllis –- she’s our mom or our grandma; Gabe our brother or son.  (Applause.)  In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. (Applause.) 

And in Gabby -- in Gabby, we see a reflection of our public-spiritedness; that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union.  (Applause.)

And in Christina -- in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic, so full of magic.  So deserving of our love.  And so deserving of our good example. 

If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate -- as it should -- let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost.  (Applause.)  Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point-scoring and pettiness that drifts away in the next news cycle.

The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better.  To be better in our private lives, to be better friends and neighbors and coworkers and parents.  And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy -- it did not -- but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud.  (Applause.)

We should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American Dream to future generations.  (Applause.)

They believed -- they believed, and I believe that we can be better.  Those who died here, those who saved life here –- they help me believe.  We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that’s entirely up to us.  (Applause.) 

And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.  (Applause.)

That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed.  (Applause.) 

Imagine -- imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future.  She had been elected to her student council.  She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful.  She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model.  She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

I want to live up to her expectations.  (Applause.)  I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it.  I want America to be as good as she imagined it.  (Applause.)  All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.  (Applause.)

As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.”  On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life.  “I hope you help those in need,” read one.  “I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart."  (Applause.)  "I hope you jump in rain puddles.”

If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today.  (Applause.)  And here on this Earth -- here on this Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and we commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.

May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace.  May He love and watch over the survivors.  And may He bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)


                             END           7:17 P.M. MST


 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2011

Remarks by Vice President Biden and Prime Minister Gilani of Pakistan

Presidential Palace

Islamabad, Pakistan

5:04 P.M. Pakistan Standard Time

PRIME MINISTER GILANI:  Mr. Vice President, it gives me immense pleasure to once again welcome you to Pakistan.  We regard you as a good friend and appreciate your important contribution to reviewing the friendship and partnership between the United States and Pakistan.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER GILANI:  Pakistan and United States have been on the same side for over half a century and at all defining periods of contemporary history.  Our friendship and partnership is based on shared values.

Vice President Biden, your visit has provided us a good opportunity to exchange views on bilateral and regional issues.  We had very fruitful discussions.  Pakistan looks forward with confidence of a robust, enduring and mutually beneficial partnership with the United States.  Policy consultations and coordination are necessary for attaining a shared cause.  We value United States’ support for Pakistan’s economy, stability and security.  We have set ourselves a calendar of extensive engagements during 2011.  Comprehensive engagements at all plans is important.

I’m happy to note that our enhanced strategic dialogue process is now in place.  We are determined to utilize this and other mechanisms to give greater substance and strength to our relations.

I must add that our discussion today on combating terror, issues of regional stability and promoting reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan were extremely useful.  Mr. Vice President, I assure you that we intend to work practical solutions and answers to many difficult issues.  

Please convey our warm greetings to President Obama and the friendly people of United States.  Thank you very much.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister.  And it’s an honor to be back here, and I want to thank you and your colleagues for your hospitality.  I took so much of your time, and we talked about so many things in detail that you’re probably very tired, but I found it extremely useful, and I thank you very much.

I also had a chance to meet with President Zardari today, and I’m going from here -- as a matter of fact I’m late -- I’m going from here to meet with General Kayani later this afternoon.  

Although it’s been almost two years since I have been back to Islamabad -- two years this month as a matter of fact -- I’ve had the occasion and it’s been my great honor to host you as well as the President in both my home and my office, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.  And I tell you that we have had numerous telephone conversations, and I thank you for always taking my call, and I thank you for your input.

I have been privileged in my career in United States Senate and as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to have a long relationship with Pakistani leaders, going all the way back to the early ‘70s.  And our relationship, in my view and the view of President Obama, is absolutely vital, absolutely vital to U.S. interests, and I believe you believe it is to Pakistani interests, as well.

That's why I’m here.  This is why it’s the first overseas trip of the New Year.  And I can tell you President Obama sends his regards and is looking forward later this year to make a trip to Islamabad, as well.

The President and I -- indeed, the entire world, I would suggest -- were saddened, saddened by the cold-blooded murder of a decent, brave man.  The governor was killed simply because he was a voice for tolerance and understanding.  To state the obvious, there is no justification, none, for such senseless acts.

As you know all too well and all students of history know, as we’ve seen throughout history, societies that tolerate such actions end up being consumed by those actions.  So please accept my deepest condolences and those of President Obama and those of the American people.

The United States and Pakistan have forged an enduring partnership, as you referenced, Mr. Prime Minister, against extreme ideologies; a partnership based, as you pointed out, on our common interests and our mutual respect for one another.

And because we so value that partnership, I think it’s important to not only our leaders, as we talked -- as I talked about, understand one another, but that our populations understand one another, the leadership of each of our respective countries, the motives and the intentions, and avoid misconceptions about each of our motives or intentions.

That's why we in the United States and this administration pays close attention to what Pakistanis believe about the United States and U.S. intentions as it relates to Pakistan.  We read your newspaper, and to some of the columnists out here, we read you, columnists, as well.  We watch your television programs, as you do ours.  And we -- and I personally -- meet with Pakistanis from all walks of life.  And I am privileged to have close relationships with the Pakistani American communities, which is very well organized; close relationships for the past 30 years.

So I would like to take this opportunity to address directly what I believe are some misconceptions about U.S. actions and even more importantly about U.S. intentions with regard to our partner, Pakistan.

We know that there are those -- I’m not talking about the leadership; I’m talking about in the public discourse -- those who believe that in America’s fight against al Qaeda, that we have imposed a war upon Pakistan.  But violence -- violent extremists are a threat not just to the United States but to Pakistan, as well, and indeed to the entire civilized world.

The fact is that al Qaeda plotted an attack that killed nearly 3,000 American citizens.  And they continue to plot attacks against the United States and our interests to this very day.  And they have, not with your help, but they have found refuge in some of the most remote portions of your country.

As Pakistanis have wondered whether or not we are part of the problem instead of the solution, al Qaeda has worked with extremist allies who have had you as a target and your people as a target, maiming and murdering thousands of Pakistani security forces and ordinary citizens, as you saw so clearly in Swat and other parts of your country.

There are those also who accuse the United States of violating your sovereignty as we support your army and pursue terrorists where they hide.  I know well over the past 30 years the proud, proud traditions of the Pakistani military and its capacity to defend and protect Pakistan.  But I would respectfully suggest that it’s the extremists who violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and corrupt its good name.  Our goal is to work with your leaders and you, Mr. Prime Minister, to restore and strengthen sovereignties in those areas of your country where extremists have violated it.

There are even some critics in Pakistani society and elsewhere that suggest that America disrespects Islam and its followers.  I would like to take some of you to Los Angeles to one of the largest mosques in the world, where Muslim Americans practice their religion in full view and with respect of all Americans.

The assertion that we disrespect Islam is actually quite the opposite.  Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States of America.  And as President Obama said in the heart of Cairo, one of the world’s great Muslim-majority cities, and I quote, “Islam is part of America.  And I believe” -- continuing the quote, he said, “I believe America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion or station in life, all of us share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security, to get education, to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God.”

To those who make these charges against us, I would challenge them to name any other country in the world, any country in the world, who -- where those of all faiths enjoy greater freedom of worship than they do in the United States of America.  Name me a single country in the world.  

So I want to put to rest, which I know I will not by this simple assertion -- we are not, we are not the enemies of Islam, and we embrace those who practice that great religion in our country.

There are also those who believe that our policies favor India and seek to weaken -- I’ve even heard some right -- and say to even dismantle this great country.  You know and your colleagues know that is dead wrong.  We want what you want:  a strong, stable, prosperous democratic Pakistan at peace with itself and with its neighbors, including India.  We want that not just for your sake but we wish your success because it’s in our own interest.  It’s in the interest of the entire region and I would argue the entire world.

America admires, admires the vision of your great founder, who said wisely, and I quote, “Our object should be peace within, and peace without.  We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial and friendly relations with our immediate neighbors and with the world at large.”  End of quote.  President Obama and I and everyone in our administration shares that vision.  

There's one last misconception I'd like to address, and I’m not suggesting these misconceptions are held or shared by anyone in this government, but we read them, we listen to them, we watch them on your television.

The one last misconception I'd like to address is there are those who point to America’s history in this region and claim that eventually we will abandon Pakistan; we will no longer be concerned.  But I have learned and we have learned from the past that only a productive way forward -- the only productive way forward is a long-term enduring partnership.

As I said two years ago when I was here -- and some of you covered me -- as I said four years ago when I came with Senator Kerry and others, and I said before that, our nations must move from what unfortunately for several decades was a transactional relationship to a true partnership, a sustained partnership.  

That's why we’ve established in Pakistan our largest educational exchange, and English-language program, in the entire world, a long-term investment in the dynamism of your young people.

A growing number, a growing number of Pakistani Americans, Americans of Pakistani descent, play an increasingly, increasingly visible role in bridging our societies and building those enduring partnerships.

I hope you will acknowledge we have demonstrated -- I say this to the press -- we have demonstrated by our actions over the last several years we mean what we say.

Through our Strategic Dialogue, as you pointed out, we’ve begun to implement projects that will benefit the people of Pakistan, in areas ranging from energy to agriculture to communications.  This means that you will soon see more dams providing more electricity and irrigation; crop yields that are higher; more hospitals providing services to the people of Pakistan, among other tangible benefits.  

Through what used to be called the Biden-Lugar bill -- now the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation -- we committed $7.5 billion, in very difficult economic times for us, as well as you and the rest of the world, in civilian assistance over the next five years.  There has been talk, and it’s true, that it took a while to get going.  But it is moving, and we will keep the entire commitment.

Rather than dictate to Pakistan how this money should be spent, we’re partnering with the government to achieve your priorities to lay a foundation for a sustainable long-term economic growth for this great country.

We’ve increased security cooperation between our two militaries, including training, support for operations, and greater coordination among -- along the border in Afghanistan.  And we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistani people during the last summer’s devastating, amazingly devastating, floods, deploying troops, airlift support, relief supplies to the affected regions as quickly as we possibly could.  Our only regret is we could not do more, more quickly with more resources.  I know the work is not yet done with regard to the floods, and that your government, Mr. Prime Minister, faces very difficult choices in addressing the cost of rebuilding.  

And we have made a long-term commitment to assist with the reconstruction and recovery, as evidenced by our announcement last week of another $190 million in Watan -- I’m hoping I’m pronouncing it correctly -- Watan cards.

And by the way, I don’t say this to say -- for you to suggest that you owe us any debt or gratitude.  It’s what partners do for partners.  It’s what should be done.  It’s in our interest to help you beyond it being the right thing to do.

These are just some of the many initiatives underway that are strengthening our partnership and helping to forge a more secure and, God willing, more prosperous Pakistan.

Let me leave you all with this final thought.  My country’s aspirations for Pakistan largely mirror yours, Mr. Prime Minister, and the rest of the Pakistani people.  

When my grandchildren and their grandchildren read news from Pakistan, I don't want them to find articles about terrorism, poverty, political instability, lack of American support.  I want them to be able to focus on the great Pakistani scientist winning Nobel Peace Prizes -- or excuse me, Nobel Prizes for Science.  I want the focus -- them to focus on entrepreneurs founding global businesses that you have.  I want them to focus on the artists creating masterpieces.  I want them to focus on the brilliance of your culture and the incredible resources, human resources, of your country.

As we embark on this New Year, Mr. Prime Minister, we must, in my view and the President’s view, rededicate ourselves to building on the progress we have made in the last couple years and what still must be achieved together.  

Again, I'll end where I began.  A close partnership with Pakistan and its people is in the vital self-interest of the United States of America and, I would argue, although it’s for you to decide, in the vital self-interest of Pakistan, as well.  

The discussions we had today, Mr. Prime Minister, as you aptly stated, are an important, an important step of the many we’ve taken so far toward that end.  My hope is, God willing, if I’m able to stand here next year with you, that we will be able to point to greater progress, greater resolve and more, more economic prosperity for both your people and mine.  And again, I thank you all and your folks for taking so much time with me.  

And I apologize, but I am late for my meeting with General Kayani, and I am never late for generals.  Thank you very much.  

END

5:24 P.M. Pakistan Standard Time

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 11, 2011

Remarks by Vice President Biden and President Karzai of Afghanistan After Meeting

Stone Building, Presidential Palace compound, Kabul, Afghanistan

3:02 P.M. Afghanistan Time

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  (As Translated) Good afternoon.  Members of the media, Afghan media and international media, in the name of the God, I’m delighted and honored today to welcome His Excellency Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States.

      This is the fourth or fifth -- his visit -- to Afghanistan.  His first visit was at the very beginning of Afghanistan’s interim administration, where we met in a very cold room.  There was no electricity, nothing.  But because of his help and their assistance, we have electricity and everything today.  So today we had all the things, and we are in a lot improved situation for which we are grateful to their contributions.

      Today, His Excellency Joe Biden, me -- (inaudible) --and met in presence of our delegations.  We had a working lunch, and we spoke on many issues, including on several issues of mutual importance to both the countries.  And then it was followed by a one-to-one meeting that lasted for over an hour and which was also centered on the strategic partnership between Afghanistan and the United States; security in Afghanistan and in the region, as well as the transition process of security responsibilities to Afghan forces; on ways how to intensify and how to do that process and transition in the best possible manner.

      So we had discussions, and I’m pleased of the conclusions and of the results of our meetings, and I once again welcome him to Afghanistan.  And I thank you for all the cooperation and for all the contributions that you have given to the people of Afghanistan.

      Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President, thank you.  It’s a delight to be back.  Let me start by thanking you and your team for the great hospitality that you’ve extended to me and my crew I brought from Washington.  I know you know you get to see General Petraeus and Ambassador Eikenberry frequently, but it’s not as often as I get to come and visit you.  

      You know, the President reminisced very briefly on the telephone -- I guess it was a week ago or 10 days ago -- and again today about the first time I was here in Kabul nine years ago this month, as a matter of fact, and after the Taliban had been driven out, just when you were moving into the palace.  And it was under a very, very difficult circumstance that the President was taking over, and I witnessed that legendary hospitality with which the Afghans are so well known.  I really mean that.  There was no heat.  There was very little electricity that kept going on and off.  There was no paid staff --

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  Yes.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  And yet you treated me as if I were an honored guest and that you had --

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  You were, you were.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  The hospitality, the food, the dinner, it was exceptional, and I kept thinking, Mr. Ambassador, “My Lord, how is he able to do this?”  (Laughter.)

      But I also want to point out and pay tribute to not just your leadership, Mr. President, but in those days, in the circumstances, people forget is the extraordinary personal courage, physical courage, you showed.  It is -- it was notable then and it’s worth noting now.  And that's why I am pleased to -- was pleased to have President Karzai as a guest in my home in Washington on two different occasions.  And both times I apologized to him because it wasn’t nearly as lavish and wasn’t nearly as significant, but it was an opportunity to return the hospitality.  And I look forward, Mr. President, to being able to do that again.

      When I was last in Afghanistan just before our administration took office -- it was two years ago this month, and President-elect Obama asked me, as you recall, Mr. President, to once again get a firsthand look and have a discussion with you.  And now since then we have with the leadership of my -- the team that's here on the right, the President’s team, we have a strategy and the resources in place to accomplish the goal of a stable and growing and independent Afghanistan able to provide for its own security, and in the process to be able to, at the same time, to disrupt and dismantle and defeat ultimately al Qaeda in Pakistan and the little appearance there is in Afghanistan.

      A stable, sovereign Afghanistan that is not a haven for terrorists is critical toward that goal.  And to that end we’re engaged in working -- and I had the opportunity to go to a training facility today -- working with your military to train up a first-class military organization that will be eventually in the position to meet all of the Afghan security needs.  And toward that end I'd like to thank your Minister of Defense for taking me on the tour earlier today.

      In the meantime our military is breaking the momentum of the insurgents and the radicalized portion of the Taliban.  Our diplomats are working hard along with the President to promote regional cooperation, including with your neighbor, Pakistan.

      And I want to recognize the contribution toward this effort over the past several years of a significant American diplomat who passed away, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who had unparalleled skills and tenacity that -- where he spent almost two years as our special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan before he passed away last month.

      And over the past two years the United States has sent some of America’s most capable troops into enclaves where -- that have long been operated -- the insurgency and the Taliban of being able to operate with impunity.  And we’ve also substantially increased our civilian effort here in Afghanistan with diplomats and development experts side by side with our military and your soldiers and your police and your personnel, Mr. President.  And as a result, I think it’s fair to say we have largely arrested the Taliban momentum here in some very important areas, particularly in Helmand and Kandahar.

      But these gains, as you pointed out to me, Mr. President, as we know, are fragile and reversible.  And as the President knows, sustaining them is going to require the Afghans to assume the responsibility for security and governance.  And it’s going to require more pressure -- more pressure on the Taliban, from Pakistan’s side of the border, than we’ve been -- we’ve been able to exert so far.  And there are many hard days that lie ahead.

      But we know that in order to maintain the support and commitment of the people of Afghanistan and the American people, we must work with our Afghan partners to improve the provision of basic services, to promote transparency and accountability, to strengthen the institutions, and advance the efforts of reconciliation with the Taliban of which we spoke for some time; the Taliban who’ve rejected Al Qaeda and renounce violence and are prepared to embrace the Afghan constitution.

      None of this, as the President has pointed out to me and we have discussed and we know, is going to be easy. But, Mr. President, in concert with your government and our NATO allies, we now have a viable path outline to move forward.  And again, I'd like to compliment you publicly on Lisbon.  I think it was a very, very useful conference, and I think we’re finally all on the same page.

      And this year, NATO is going to begin to transition responsibility over the security in certain provinces to the government of Afghanistan, while the United States begins a condition-based reduction of our forces starting in July.  And all of this will advance our shared U.S.-Afghani objective of having an Afghan National Security Force in the lead throughout all of Afghanistan by 2014, as President Karzai wisely proposed -- there was a first to move forward on.

      Together, we will work on a framework for future bilateral relations and a lasting friendship with the Afghan people and the American people.  And going forward, we’ll continue to train and advise the forces and to provide civilian assistance.

      Let me say it plainly, Mr. President, it is not our intention to govern or to nation-build.  As President Karzai often points out, this is the responsibility of the Afghan people, and they are fully capable of it.  As President Obama said it in a slightly different way, he said, “It’s Afghans who must secure their country.  And it’s Afghans who must build their nation.”  And we stand ready to help you in that effort.  And we will continue to stand ready to help you in that effort after 2014.

      PRESDIENT KARZAI:  Wonderful.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  We have moved into a new phase -- a new phase -- in Afghanistan; a transition to a full Afghan lead that begins this year and will conclude in 2014, as we prepare a framework for our future bilateral relations.  This is President Obama’s vision for the future.  It’s a vision expressed by our allies at the Lisbon Conference.  And I believe, based on our conversation today, it clearly reflects the vision of President Karzai.

      The United States, if the Afghan people want it, are prepared, and we are not leaving in 2014.  Hopefully we will have totally turned over the ability of the -- to the Afghan security forces to maintain the security in the country, but we will -- we are not leaving, if you don't want us to leave.  And we plan on continuing to work with you, and it’s in the mutual self-interest of both our nations.

      And so, Mr. President, again, I want to thank you for a very, very good conversation.  And I look forward to seeing you and returning the hospitality in Washington. Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you, gentlemen.  I appreciate it.

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  Vice President, are we taking questions or are we not taking --

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, they tell me in order for me to get to where I’m supposed to go to Forward Operating Base --

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  Let’s go and talk.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  If I don’t leave now, I don’t get back because it --

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  You will have a chance some other time.  Today the Vice President has to leave in a hurry because we spent a lot of time doing other things.  So he has to go and greet the soldiers.

      VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I apologize.  Thank you.

      PRESIDENT KARZAI:  Next time.             

                   END          3:14 P.M. Afghanistan Time

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 10, 2011

Remarks by President Obama and President Sarkozy of France after Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

1:22 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We'll, I’m very grateful to have my dear friend, Nicolas Sarkozy, here.  And I think Nicolas has agreed that at the top I want to just make a few comments about the situation in Tucson, Arizona.

Obviously all of us are still grieving and in shock from the tragedy that took place.  Gabby Giffords and others are still fighting to recover.  Families are still absorbing the enormity of their losses.  We have a criminal investigation that is ongoing and charges that no doubt will be brought against the perpetrator of this heinous crime.

I think it’s important for us to also focus, though, on the extraordinary courage that was shown during the course of these events:  a 20-year-old college student who ran into the line of fire to rescue his boss; a wounded woman who helped secure the ammunition that might have caused even more damage; the citizens who wrestled down the gunman.  Part of what I think that speaks to is the best of America, even in the face of such mindless violence. 

And so, in the coming days we're going to have a lot of time to reflect.  Right now, the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who’ve been impacted, making sure that we're joining together and pulling together as a country.  And as President of the United States, but also as a father, obviously I'm spending a lot of time just thinking about the families and reaching out to them.

Now, I want to say to Nicolas that I want to offer my condolences to his countrymen as well.  They just recently had two French citizens who were kidnapped in Niger.  It points to the challenge of terrorism that we jointly share, and this is just one more area in which cooperation between France and the United States is so critical. 

     We don’t have a stronger friend and a stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy and the French people.  We have cooperated over the last several years on dealing with a global economic crisis, dealing with the challenges of terrorism, dealing with a range of geopolitical issues from the Middle East to Iran to Afghanistan.  And I’ve always found Nicolas to be an outstanding partner and an outstanding friend to the American people, as well as a leader on the world stage.

     We spent the initial part of this meeting discussing the G8 and G20 agenda, because both in France and the United States and around the world, although we are in the process of healing and recovery from the disastrous recession that we went through, we’re not yet where we want to be.  Too many people are still out of work.  Too many businesses are still having problems getting financing.  There’s still too many imbalances in the world economy that are inhibiting the prospects of growth.

     And so in our discussions, with the French in the lead both at the G8 and the G20 this year, we discussed how we can coordinate our agendas to make sure that we are as productive as possible in delivering the kinds of reforms and follow-through that will result in prosperity for peoples around the globe.

     After this brief press appearance we’re going to be having lunch, and during that time we’ll be discussing issues in which there has been extraordinarily close collaboration.  Obviously the French are one of our strongest allies -- a NATO ally; they are key members of ISAF.  French troops have been sacrificing alongside Americans in uniform in Afghanistan.  And we are very grateful for those sacrifices.  So we will be discussing our strategies there, building off of the discussions we had in Lisbon. 

     We’re also going to be discussing issues like Iran and the impact that sanctions are currently having on their nuclear program, and our hope that we can resolve this issue diplomatically.  But we will be building on our shared resolve to assure that we’re not seeing nuclear weapons in Iran. 

     We’ll discuss the Middle East, where Nicolas and I share a deep and abiding belief in the need for two states standing side by side in peace and security. 

We’ll be discussing issues like Cote d’Ivoire, where democracy is being threatened at this moment and where France has extraordinary historical ties and has shown great leadership; Sudan, where a referendum is taking place this weekend in which so much is at stake in preventing outbreaks of violence that could end up devastating the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, but also where there’s a prospect of a peaceful transition that could result in a better life for people in both the north and the south of Sudan.

     We’ll also finally be discussing Lebanon where I think we are all deeply concerned with the special tribunal there and making sure that justice is appropriately served.

     So I just want to say how much I appreciate not only Nicolas’s friendship but also his leadership.  And I also want to point out that the last time that Nicolas and his lovely wife Carla were here we sent them to Ben’s Chili Bowl.  I can’t say that half-smokes will be on the menu here at the White House -- the First Lady is having lunch with Carla while Nicolas and I have a working lunch -- but I hope you find the hospitality outstanding nevertheless.

     And on behalf of the American people, we want to again express our friendship to the French people and wish everybody in your country a happy new year.

     PRESIDENT SARKOZY:  (As translated.)  I, first of all, want to say to the American people how deeply moved and upset the French people have been at your loss and tragedy.

     And I also want to thank President Obama for his expression of solidarity to the French people in light of the loss that we have felt at the cowardly killing of two young Frenchmen who were killed in a barbaric fashion by terrorists.

     Both the U.S. and France are determined to stand firm as allies on this issue of terrorism.  Both of us believe that any show of weakness would be culpable.  We have no choice but to go after these terrorists wherever they may be.  When values as fundamental as those we cherish are being challenged, democracies cannot afford to give in.  They must -- they must -- combat.

     With the American President, we talked about the future of the G20, and I said to him in very clear terms that we wish to work hand in glove, France and the United States, on these issues.

     We are in the 21st century, and we need new ideas for this new century.  And with President Obama, we are determined to forge ahead, come up with these new ideas for the greater benefit of the peoples of the world, for their prosperity and for the stability of this world of ours.

     I’ve always been a great friend, a tremendous friend of the United States, and I know how important a role the U.S. plays in the world, how important the U.S. dollar is as the world’s number one currency.  And with Barack Obama, we are determined to propose new ideas to get things moving, both within the framework of the G8 and the G20.

     And our teams are going to be working very hard together to come up with common papers and common positions on the issues which are of interest and which come within the agreement of the G20, such as the matter of currencies, of commodity prices, and all that needs to be done in order to reduce the current and present imbalances. 

     Lastly, I want to thank Barack Obama, my host, for his show of leadership, and also point out that something that has always struck me about him, is his ability to get to the fundamentals, the root of issues, the root causes of things.  I appreciate his openness, the way he speaks very frankly about things with me.  And I am convinced, ladies and gentlemen, that in 2011, we will be able to come up with the structural solutions that will enable us to settle or at least to tackle the world’s imbalances and problems. 

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, everybody.

     Q    Will you go to Tucson, Mr. President?

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We’re in close consultations with the families who have suffered these losses, as well as Governor Brewer, congressional leadership.  There is no doubt that we will establish some mechanism, memorial, during the course of the next several days.  And when we have that, we will announce it. 

But I think it’s going to be important, I think, for the country as a whole, as well as the people of Arizona, to feel as if we are speaking directly to our sense of loss, but also speaking to our hopes for the future and how out of this tragedy we can come together as a stronger nation.

                             END                1:36 P.M. EST    

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 08, 2011

Remarks by the President on the Shootings in Tucson, Arizona

State Dining Room

4:46 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  As many of you are aware, earlier today a number of people were shot in Tucson, Arizona, including several who were meeting at a supermarket with their congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords.  We are still assembling all the facts, but we know that Representative Giffords was one of the victims.  She is currently at a hospital in the area, and she is battling for her life.

We also know that at least five people lost their lives in this tragedy.  Among them were a federal judge, John Roll, who has served America’s legal system for almost 40 years; and a young girl who was barely nine years old.

     I’ve spoken to Arizona governor Jan Brewer and offered the full resources of the federal government.  A suspect is currently in custody, but we don’t yet know what provoked this unspeakable act.  A comprehensive investigation is currently underway, and at my direction, Director Bob Mueller is en route to Arizona to help coordinate these efforts.  I’ve also spoken to the Democratic and Republican leaders in the House.

     Gabby Giffords was a friend of mine.  She is not only an extraordinary public servant, but she is also somebody who is warm and caring.  She is well liked by her colleagues and well liked by her constituents.  Her husband, Mark Kelly, is a Navy captain and one of America’s valiant astronauts. 

It’s not surprising that today Gabby was doing what she always does -- listening to the hopes and concerns of her neighbors.  That is the essence of what our democracy is all about.  That is why this is more than a tragedy for those involved.  It is a tragedy for Arizona and a tragedy for our entire country.

What Americans do at times of tragedy is to come together and support each other.  So at this time I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping all the victims and their families, including Gabby, in our thoughts and prayers.  Those who have been injured, we are rooting for them.  And I know Gabby is as tough as they come, and I am hopeful that she’s going to pull through.

Obviously our hearts go out to the family members of those who have been slain.  We are going to get to the bottom of this, and we’re going to get through this.  But in the meantime, I think all of us need to make sure that we’re offering our thoughts and prayers to those concerned.

Thank you.

                        END           4:49 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 07, 2011

Remarks by the President on the December Jobs Report and Economic Personnel Announcements

Thompson Creek Manufacturing, Landover, Maryland

11:40 A.M. EST

      THE PRESIDENT:  Please, everybody have a seat.  It is wonderful to be with all of you today.  I want to make just a couple of quick acknowledgments.  First of all, we have one of the fine senators from the great state of Maryland, Ben Cardin, in the house.  Where’s Ben?  There he is right here.  (Applause.)  Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker is here.  (Applause.)

      I want to thank Rick Wuest, the CEO and owner of Thompson Creek Manufacturing, and all the employees here at Thompson.  Thank you so much for your hospitality and the great work that you’re doing.  (Applause.)  And I want to acknowledge the family and guests of those who are standing behind me today.

      It is wonderful to be here at Thompson Creek, and I want to thank Rick for showing me how you manufacture more efficient windows at this factory.  This is, as he explained to me, a family business.  Rick was just 13 when his father Fred opened the company.  And back then, his family lived above the store, and Rick started out sweeping the floors.  Three decades later, Thompson Creek has expanded.  It’s already outgrown this new 80,000 square-foot facility that it moved into just three years ago.  And I’ll bet sometimes Rick still feels like he’s living at the plant.  (Laughter.)  That’s what happens when you’re in charge.

      But building this business has been an extraordinary accomplishment for the Wuest family.  And it speaks not only to him -- it also speaks to all the employees here today, the hardworking men and women who make this company work.  And it speaks to the promise of America.  It’s the idea that if you’ve got a dream and you’re willing to work hard, then you can succeed.

      That promise is at the heart of who we are as a people, and it’s at the heart of our economic might.  It’s what helps give an entrepreneur the courage to start a business, or a company the confidence to expand.  It’s what leads to new products and new ideas, and technologies that have not only made us the world’s largest economy, but also the most innovative economy in the world.  Making it possible for businesses to succeed is how we ensure that our economy succeeds and all our people succeed.  It’s how we create jobs.

      And that’s what’s guided my administration for the past two years.  Government can’t guarantee Thompson Creek or any business will be successful, but government can knock down barriers like a lack of affordable credit or high costs for investment or high costs for hiring -- we can do something about that.  Government can remove obstacles in your path.

      And that’s why we cut taxes for small businesses over the last two years.  For example, with a tax break for hiring unemployed workers, Thompson Creek was able to grow its workforce from 200 employees to nearly 300 employees in just one year.  And it took advantage of the tax credits that we put into place.  We also passed a tax credit for products like energy-saving windows, and that led to a 55-percent boost in the sales at this firm.

      Rick was telling me that when that tax credit got into place, the marketing arm of Thompson Creek got busy.  (Laughter.)  And that's the right -- that exactly what we intended.  That's exactly what we wanted to see, is explaining to the American people you can save money on your energy bill, this is a smart thing to do, take advantage of it.

      So incentives like these are helping companies across America.  And the jobs numbers released this morning reflect that growth.  The economy added more than 100,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate fell sharply.

      Now, we know these numbers can bounce around from month to month.  But the trend is clear.  We saw 12 straight months of private sector job growth.  That's the first time that’s been true since 2006.  The economy added 1.3 million jobs last year.  And each quarter was stronger than the previous quarter, which means that the pace of hiring is beginning to pick up.  We’re also seeing more optimistic economic forecasts for the year ahead, in part due to the package of tax cuts I signed last month, including a payroll tax cut for workers and a series of tax cuts to encourage investment and innovation and hiring.

      And I fought for that package because, even though our economy is recovering, we’ve still got a lot to do.  This was a brutal recession that we went through, the worst in our lifetimes.  It left a lot of destruction in its wake.  More than 8 million jobs were lost.  So even though we’ve created 1.3 million jobs and we saved a whole lot of jobs, you’ve still got a whole bunch of folks who are out there looking, still struggling.  We've got a big hole that we’re digging ourselves out of.

      And so our mission has to be to accelerate hiring and to accelerate growth.  And that depends on making our economy more competitive so that we’re fostering new jobs in new industries, and training workers to fill them.  It depends on keeping up the fight for every job and every business and every opportunity to spur growth.  And so standing with me here today are men and women who will help America fulfill in this mission.  Let me just introduce each of them.

      We’re joined, first of all, by Gene Sperling, who I have appointed Director of the National Economic Council.  Give Gene a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Now, Gene has been an extraordinary asset to me and this administration over the past two years.  He’s been working with me.  He led our efforts to pass the small business jobs bill to help companies all across America.  He also helped negotiate the tax compromise that we passed at the end of this year.  He’s a public servant who has devoted his life to making this economy work -– and making it work specifically for middle-class families.

      Now, one of the reasons I’ve selected Gene is he’s done this before.  This is his second tour of duty heading up the NEC, and in his tenure in the Clinton administration during the late ‘90s, he helped formulate the policies that contributed to turning deficits to surpluses and a time of prosperity and progress for American families in a sustained way.  Few people bring the level of intelligence and sheer work ethic that Gene brings to every assignment he’s ever taken.  And few do so with such decency and integrity.  So, Gene, we are lucky to have you back at the NEC.  And I know you’re going to do a terrific job.

      Part of the reason I know that Gene will do a terrific job is because he’s going to have Jason Furman working with him.  I’m pleased to elevate Jason Furman to be principal deputy at the National Economic Council.  Give Jason a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

      Over the past two years, I’ve relied on Jason’s advice and expertise on a range of economic issues, from helping design the emergency steps we took to prevent our economy from sinking into a second depression, to most recently working with Gene and the economic team to pass the tax cut compromise.  And I’m confident that he will continue to do terrific work in this greater capacity.

      We’re also joined by somebody I’ve come to rely on as an advisor and a friend since my first days as a presidential candidate.  Heather Higginbottom is currently the deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council where she’s been the point person on education as we’ve pursued some of the most innovative and important reforms in decades.  I’m proud to nominate Heather to now serve as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

      And she understands the relationship between numbers on a ledger and the lives of real people.  As we make cuts that are necessary to rein in the deficit, I want to make sure I’ve got Heather there so that we’re meeting our fundamental obligations to our people and to our economy as well.  So give Heather a big round of applause.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

      And, finally, I’m nominating Katharine Abraham to the Council of Economic Advisers.  Go ahead.  (Applause.)  Katharine brings a wealth of experience as an economist, as a commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics during the Clinton administration.  I am confident that she is going to provide the kind of unbiased, unvarnished advice that will help us craft the best policies to strengthen this economy in the years to come.

      Now, part of our mission -- part of this team’s mission -- in the months ahead will be to maximize the steps we’ve taken to spur the economy.  And one of the most important is allowing businesses to immediately deduct the entire cost of certain investments like the new equipment that I was taking a look at.  This is a policy I fought for over the past two years.  We were able to pass it finally as part of the tax cut compromise.  It is going to make a real difference for our economy.

      So, talking to Rick, I know Thompson Creek is planning to take full advantage of this tax break.  And that’s going to help Thompson Creek renovate, expand, and add another hundred new employees right here.  And that’s worth applauding.  (Applause.)  That’s good.  So you’ve got companies like this all over the country.  And the Treasury Department estimates that overall this will accelerate $150 billion in tax cuts for 2 million businesses over the next two years.

      So I want to urge all businesses with capital needs to take advantage of this temporary expensing provision, because we expect it to lower the average cost of investment by more than 75 percent for companies like Thompson Creek.  It is a powerful new incentive for businesses.  It is a great opportunity for companies to grow and add jobs.  Now is the time to act.

      Companies who are listening out there:  If you are planning or thinking about making investments sometime in the future, make those investments now and you’re going to save money.  And that will help us grow the economy.  It will help you grow your business.

      Overall, the decline in the unemployment rate is positive news, but it only underscores the importance of us not letting up on our efforts.  So I’m looking forward to working with Heather and Gene and Katharine and Jason and everybody at the White House.  We have one focus, and that is making sure that we are duplicating the success of places like Thompson Creek all across the country.  We want businesses to grow.  We want this economy to grow.  And we want to put people back to work.

      And I want to promise everybody at Thompson Creek and across the country:  We will not rest until we have fully recovered from this recession and we have reached that brighter day.

      Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)

                  END 11:53 A.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 06, 2011

Remarks by the President Announcing William M. Daley as White House Chief of Staff

East Room

2:29 P.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Please have a seat, everybody.  Happy New Year.  Last October, when my former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel departed to pursue other opportunities in Chicago, I asked Pete Rouse, one of my most trusted aides, to step into the breach and lead us through a very difficult time.  And I also asked Pete to help us think about how the White House should be structured and run over the next two years.  
 
Thanks in no small part to his efforts, a period that everybody thought would be one of retrenchment turned out to be one of great progress for our country.  And Pete’s leadership is all the more remarkable when you consider that when I first met him and asked him to lead my Senate staff, he told me in that gruff voice of his that his strong inclination was to leave government.  (Laughter and applause.)  The reason everybody is applauding is because they’ve heard him say that every day -- (laughter) -- they’ve heard him say that every day for the last six years.  And yet, each time I’ve asked him to accept one more assignment, he’s saddled up and he’s taken the job.  And it’s fair to say that I would not be where I am today without his extraordinary counsel.
 
Pete didn’t volunteer to serve as interim Chief of Staff.  He made it clear that that was not his preference.  But he accepted the responsibility, and as he oversaw our strategy during the lame duck session of Congress, he also was working to develop a structure and a plan for the next two years that I believe will serve the White House, and more importantly the American people, very well.  One of those assignments was providing me recommendations for candidates to serve as Chief of Staff moving forward.
 
As part of that process, today I am proud to announce the appointment of an experienced public servant, a devoted patriot, my friend, fellow Chicagoan Bill Daley, to serve as my Chief of Staff.  (Applause.)
 
Few Americans can boast the breadth of experience that Bill brings to this job.  He served as a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet as Commerce Secretary.  He took on several other important duties over the years on behalf of our country.  He’s led major corporations.  He possesses a deep understanding of how jobs are created and how to grow our economy.  And needless to say, Bill also has a smidgen of awareness of how our system of government and politics works.  You might say it is a genetic trait.  (Laughter.)  
 
But most of all, I know Bill to be somebody who cares deeply about this country, believes in its promise and considers no calling higher and more important than serving the American people.  He will bring his tremendous experience, his strong values and forward-looking vision to this White House.  I’m convinced that he’ll help us in our mission of growing our economy and moving America forward.  And I very much look forward to working with Bill in the years to come.
 
Before I ask Bill to say a few words, I should also confess that I have prevailed once again on Pete’s sense of duty -- or sense of guilt, I’m not sure which -- and I’m grateful that he has agreed to one more tour of duty as my counselor for the next two years.  (Applause.)  
 
     As you might have noticed, people like Pete.  (Laughter.)  He is a unique and indispensable asset to me and to this administration.  I cannot imagine life here without him, and I told him so.  And I’m delighted that we’re able to keep him a little bit longer.
 
     I’ll be making further announcements in the days and weeks ahead, and I am absolutely confident that we will have a great team that’s equal to America’s task in the years to come.  But with that, what I’d like to do is to introduce my new Chief of Staff, Bill Daley.  (Applause.)
 
     MR. DALEY:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you, Mr. President.  (Applause.)
 
     Thank you very much, Mr. President, Mr. Vice President.  You have honored me and my family by giving me an opportunity to serve you and to serve our nation.  
 
     Fifty years ago this month I visited the White House with my parents and my brothers and sisters to visit a young President who went on to show great strength, leadership and vision in the face of enormous challenges in those times.
 
     You, Mr. President, are proving your strength, your leadership, your vision during a most difficult time for our nation and for the world.  You have also shown through your example that public service is an honorable calling, and I am pleased to answer your call.
 
     I look forward to working with the wonderful staff which you have assembled, and I know my job will be made easier by the great work and direction of Pete Rouse, the direction and great work he has provided over these past couple of months, and the President talked about the enormous successes under Pete’s watch.
 
     Pete, too, has dedicated his life to public service and to our nation, and I’m grateful for his efforts, and I am proud to call him my colleague.  I assure you, Mr. President, as they have done in the last two years, that this team will not let you down, nor the nation.  
 
Thank you very much for this extreme honor.  (Applause.)

END
2:35 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 04, 2011

Remarks by the President to the Travel Pool aboard Air Force One en route Andrews Air Force Base

Aboard Air Force One, En Route Andrews Air Force Base

January 3, 2011
10:00 P.M. HST

      THE PRESIDENT:  Did you guys have a little bit of fun?

      Q    Happy New Year.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Happy New Year.  I hope you guys had a little fun.  At least one guy had the right wardrobe.

      Q    Did you have beans in your shaved ice?  I ask this every year.

      THE PRESIDENT:  No, I did not.  I'm a plain shaved ice guy.  No beans, no ice cream, no sweet milk on top.

      Q    What were the flavors today?

      THE PRESIDENT:  I went for the melon and cherry.  I was --

      Q    Consistent.

      THE PRESIDENT:  I was consistent.

      Q    Could the Democratic Convention be out here -- have you considered bringing it out here?  (Laughter.)

      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we've got the APEC convention so we'll be back in November.  That will be a big event.  So everybody is very excited about that.  The mayor and governor and all those folks are excited.

      Q    A serious question:  Are you concerned you're going to get a chilly reception in Washington?  Republicans, on Sunday, were talking about the first thing they’re going to do is repeal health care.  They’re talking about asking you to get rid of Eric Holder, the Attorney General.  It sounds like a relatively chilly reception awaiting you.

      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I mean, I think that there’s going to be politics.  That's what happens in Washington.  They are going to play to their base for a certain period of time.  But I'm pretty confident that they’re going to recognize that our job is to govern and make sure that we are delivering jobs for the American people and that were creating a competitive economy for the 21st century; not just for this generation but the next one.

      And so my expectation, my hope is that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will realize that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 in 2012, and that our job this year is to make sure that we build on the recovery.  We started to make good progress on that during the lame duck, and I expect to build on that progress when I get back.

      All right?

      Q    What do you think about their effort to repeal health care?

      Q    Anything on Larry Summers’ replacement?

      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, guys.  Happy New Year.

                       END              10:02 P.M. HST