bush radio address 11/20/04 full audio, text transcript

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 20, 2004 President's Radio Address

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend I am on my first trip outside the United States since the election, traveling to South America for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. I am meeting with many allies and friends to strengthen our ties across the Pacific and discuss practical ways we can enhance prosperity, advance liberty, and improve our shared security.

America and the nations of Latin America and Asia share many vital interests. All Pacific nations benefit from free and fair trade, the foundation of this region's remarkable prosperity. The United States has completed free-trade agreements with nations throughout Asia and the Americas, including Australia, and Singapore, Chile, the five nations in Central America, and the Dominican Republic. We are also negotiating new agreements with Thailand, Panama and the Andean nations of South America. America has opened our markets, and I will urge other countries to do the same.

Pacific nations also have a clear interest in spreading the benefits of liberty, democracy and good government across this vital part of the world. From the recent history of the Asia Pacific region, we know that freedom is indivisible. The economic liberty that builds prosperity also builds a demand for limited government and self rule. Modernization and progress eventually require freedom in all its forms. And the advance of freedom is good for all, because free societies are peaceful societies.

America and our friends are helping other countries lay the foundations of democracy by establishing independent courts, a free press, political parties and trade unions, by instituting the rule of law and by keeping up the fight against corruption.

America joined with other members of the Organization of American States to create the Inter-American Democratic Charter. This charter recognizes democracy as the fundamental right of all peoples in the Americas and pledges our governments to promoting and defending the institutions of liberty.

All Pacific nations must also keep up the fight against the forces of terror that threaten the success of our economies and the stability of the world. At last year's summit, APEC leaders started a major initiative to strengthen the security of ports and transportation networks, to defend our aircraft from the threat of portable missiles, and to end the flow of terrorist finances. This year, APEC leaders will work together to improve the security of our ships and ports. We will develop a new system to track and stop the travel of suspected terrorists using forged or stolen documents. And we launched new programs to support APEC members that have the will to fight terror, but need help in developing the means. Terrorism is a threat not just to the West, or to the wealthy, but to every nation. And every nation must fight the murderers.

During my trip, I will also meet with President Lagos, of Chile, and President Uribe, of Colombia, to reaffirm our strong ties with those nations. Colombia is making progress in the fight against terrorists who traffic in illegal drugs, and America is standing with the Colombian government to oppose the drug trade that destroys lives in our countries and threatens the stability of our hemisphere.

In my second term, I will continue to pursue a confident foreign policy agenda that will spread freedom and hope and make our nation more secure. America seeks wider trade and broader freedom and greater security for the benefit of America, our partners, and all of the world.

Thank you for listening.

END

Presidential Inaugural Committee

Bush 2d Inaugural Speech Full Text, Steaming Video

President Sworn-In to Second Term
Full Video of Speech

Inaugural Parade Video
from C-SPAN, created by cable, provided as a public service
FULL STREAMING VIDEO

live webcam platform construction from the west lawn FULL STREAMING VIDEO

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 19, 2004

Personnel Announcement November 19, 2004

Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln

President George W. Bush today announced the leadership of the 2005 Presidential Inaugural Committee. The committee will be responsible for planning and coordinating all official activities associated with the President's upcoming Inauguration

The following is a list of the Members of the 2005 Presidential Inaugural Committee:

Bill and Kathy DeWitt of Ohio, Co-Chairs of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Mr. DeWitt is the Co-Chairman of Reynolds, DeWitt and Company, a Cincinnati-based investment firm. Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt served as Co-Chairs for the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Brad Freeman of California, Co-Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Mr. Freeman is a founding partner of Freeman Spogli & Co., a private investment firm with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Mr. Freeman served as Co-Chair for the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Mercer and Gabrielle Reynolds of Ohio, Co-Chairs of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Ambassador Reynolds served as the National Finance Chairman of Bush-Cheney 2004. Ambassador Reynolds served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Switzerland, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Principality of Liechtenstein. Ambassador and Mrs. Reynolds served as Co-Chairs for the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Jeanne L. Phillips of Texas, Chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Ambassador Phillips served as the Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (rank of Ambassador). Ambassador Phillips served as Executive Director of the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Ambassador Phillips is a Texas businesswoman.

Greg Jenkins of Virginia, Executive Director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Mr. Jenkins has served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Advance for the past two years.

Finance Committee Members:

Nancy and Rich Kinder of Texas, Finance Chairs Dawn and Al Hoffman of Florida, Honorary Finance Chairs Dawn and Roland Arnall of California, Finance Co-Chairs Marcie and Bruce Benson of Colorado, Finance Co-Chairs Sue Ellen and Joe Canizaro of California, Finance Co-Chairs Germaine and Jim Culbertson of North Carolina, Finance Co-Chairs Marilyn and Sam Fox of Missouri, Finance Co-Chairs Martha and Dwight Schar of Virginia, Finance Co-Chairs Patty and Roger Williams of Texas, Finance Co-Chairs

Please direct media inquiries to (202) 863-2005

RELATED:

• 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee announced participants to perform - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) Executive Director Greg Jenkins announced the initial list of participants invited to perform in the 55th Inaugural Parade.
• 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee - WASHINGTON, DC- Today, the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) Chairman Jeanne Johnson Phillips and Executive Director Greg Jenkins announced the inaugural theme, “Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service”, and the schedule of events surrounding the 55th Presidential Inauguration.
• 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee - "On January 20, 2005, George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney will be inaugurated for a second term as President and Vice President of the United States. The 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) organizes, plans, and executes most Inaugural celebration activities as well as works to select participants for the Inaugural parade and assign credentials to media covering the Inauguration and surrounding festivities. All Americans are invited to share in this historic celebration."

"On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson walked the short distance from his boardinghouse to the nearby Capitol Building to take the oath of office as president of the United States. At a joint session of Congress convened in the Senate Chamber, he became the first president inaugurated in the new federal city of Washington." "I Do Solemnly Swear": A Half Century of Inaugural Images

The Official Web Site for the 2005 U. S. Presidential Inaugural Swearing-In Ceremony and Luncheon to be held on January 20, 2005 at the United States Capitol sponsored by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Department of Defense (DoD)Joint Task-Force Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (JTF-AFIC) - Military involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition in which the armed forces celebrate democracy, honor the new commander in chief, and recognize civilian control of the military.