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Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: S S FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records Collection/Office of Origin: Speechwriting, White House Office of Series: Speech File Backup Files Subseries: Chron File, 1989-1993 OA/ID Number: 13693 Folder ID Number: 13693-003 Folder Title: GOP AC Reception 11/6/89 [OA 6270] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 26 19 4 6 GOPAC RECEPTION / EAST ROOM Tina MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1989 / 5:05 P.M. THANK YOU. LET ME TIP MY HAT TO THE TWO GOPAC CHAIRMEN: FORMER CONGRESSMAN Bo CALLAWAY -- AND, IN ABSENTIA, OUR OUTSTANDING REPUBLICAN WHIP, CONGRESSMAN NEWT GINGRICH. CONGRESSMAN JOE BARTON, ONE OF YOUR CHARTER MEMBERS. AND TO KAY RIDDLE, YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR... IT'S A PLEASURE TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE THIS AFTERNOON. - 2 - " You KNOW, THE OTHER NIGHT I SAW THAT MOVIE "LETHAL WEAPON Two." I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED. I WAS HOPING IT WAS GOING TO BE A MOVIE ABOUT NEWT... )) OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS -- DURING WHAT I HEAR HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL BIANNUAL CHARTER MEETING -- YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF TERRIFIC SPEAKERS. SECRETARIES BRADY AND KEMP, LEE ATWATER, AND MEMBERS OF THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF, AMONG OTHERS. - 3 - So MY ROLE TONIGHT IS SOMETHING LIKE BATTING EIGHTH CLEAN-UP. " BUT I CAN HANDLE IT. BUILT UP LOTS OF EXPERIENCE IN COLLEGE.)) THIS GROUP HAS TAKEN ON A GOAL THAT'S AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS CHALLENGING: UNLOCKING -- AND GAINING CONTROL OF -- THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I BELIEVE GOPAC IS ON A SERIOUS MISSION -- AND YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THAT MISSION SUCCESSFUL. 104 - 4 - You MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT BACK IN 1965, Bo CALLOWAY WAS ADDRESSING A RALLY IN HOUSTON. HE CALLED ME UP TO THE PODIUM AND INSISTED THAT MY FRIENDS FROM HARRIS COUNTY SUPPORT ME FOR CONGRESS. AND THIS WAS BEFORE I EVEN DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE JOB! AND NEWT, WELL, ANY OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN AROUND HIM KNOW HE'S A MAN OF EQUAL VISION AND ENERGY. - 5 - I UNDERSTAND HE'S OUT HELPING A FELLOW MEMBER OF CONGRESS IN MISSOURI -- AND SOMEHOW, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE GUY'S OPPONENT. IN THE COMING YEAR, AS GOPAC BUILDS "AN AGENDA WORTH VOTING FOR" -- AND CANDIDATES WORTH FIGHTING FOR -- I BELIEVE MORE AMERICANS WILL COME To UNDERSTAND THE REPUBLICAN AGENDA THAN EVER BEFORE. How CAN WE MAKE SURE WE GAIN A MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE? IN TWO WAYS. - 6 - FIRST, WE CAN DO IT BY MAKING SURE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS FAIR -- SEEING TO IT THAT DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN TO GIVE EVERY VOTER AN EQUAL SAY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. SINCE THE 1981 REDISTRICTING EFFORT, WE'VE FALLEN BEHIND BOTH POLITICALLY AND TECHNICALLY IN OUR ABILITY TO AFFECT THAT PROCESS. - 7 - IN FACT, DEMOCRATS HAVE A REDISTRICTING ADVANTAGE IN STATES THAT COMPOSE ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE SEATS IN CONGRESS. So YOUR EFFORTS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEY ARE TODAY. SECOND, SINCE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT LINES ARE GENERALLY DRAWN BY STATE LEGISLATURES, TO ENSURE FAIR REDISTRICTING AND WIN THE U.S. HOUSE, WE MUST CONTROL MORE STATE LEGISLATURES. 14 - 8 - THAT MEANS RECRUITING AND HELPING TO ELECT MORE LOCAL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES, IN DISTRICTS WHICH SHOULD -- AND CAN -- BE REPUBLICAN. You ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT OUR BASE AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL IS TO THE FUTURE OF THE PARTY -- AND YOU'RE KEEPING THAT FOUNDATION STRONG. - 9 - BY WORKING EXTENSIVELY WITH OVER 4,000 CANDIDATES LAST YEAR; BY TRAINING VOLUNTEERS, AS WELL AS INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; BY WORKING WITH THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN ACADEMY; AND THROUGH THE "SHIRTSLEEVE SESSIONS" WITH BUSINESS LEADERS -- GOPAC IS MAKING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FLY. EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING WILL BE GOOD FOR THE PARTY, OF COURSE -- BUT IT'LL BE EVEN BETTER FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. - 10 - TONIGHT IT'S A PLEASURE TO IMAGINE WHAT A REPUBLICAN WHITE HOUSE -- TOGETHER WITH A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN CONGRESS -- COULD ACCOMPLISH. BUT YOU KNOW, THANKS To GOPAC's LEADERSHIP, SOMEDAY -- AND I HOPE SOON -- WE WON'T HAVE To IMAGINE IT ANY LONGER. WE'LL KNOW. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH -- AND NOW, I THINK I'LL LET THE PARTY GO BACK TO THE PARTY. ### Staffed (Lange Martin November 1, 1989 6:00 p.m. [GOPAC.DOC] PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: GOPAC RECEPTION EAST ROOM MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1989 5:05 P.M. Thank you. Let me tip my hat to the two GOPAC chairmen: former Congressman Bo Callaway -- and, in absentia, our outstanding Republican Whip, Congressman Newt Gingrich. And to Kay Riddle, your Executive Director It's a pleasure to have all of you here this afternoon. (( You know, the other night I saw that movie "Lethal Weapon Two." I was a little disappointed. I was hoping it was going to be a movie about Newt )) Over the last couple of days -- during what I hear has been a very successful biannual Charter Meeting -- you've already heard from a number of terrific speakers. Secretaries Brady and Kemp, and Lee Atwater, among others. So my role tonight is something like batting eighth clean- up. (( But I can handle it. Built up lots of experience in college. )) This group has taken on a goal that's as important as it is challenging: unlocking -- and gaining control of -- the House of 2 Representatives. I believe GOPAC is on a serious mission -- and you've got the right leadership to make that mission successful. You may not know this, but back in 1965, Bo Calloway was addressing a rally in Houston. He called me up to the podium and insisted that my friends from Harris County support me for Congress. And this was before I even decided to run for the job! And Newt, well, any of you who've been around him know he's a man of equal vision and energy. I understand he's out helping a fellow member of Congress in Missouri -- and somehow, I have to tell you, my heart goes out to the guy's opponent. In the coming year, as GOPAC builds "An Agenda Worth Voting For" -- and candidates worth fighting for -- I believe more Americans will come to understand the Republican agenda than ever before. How can we make sure we gain a majority in the House? In two ways. First, we can do it by making sure the redistricting process is fair -- seeing to it that districts are drawn to give every voter an equal say in the democratic process. Since the 1981 redistricting effort, we've fallen behind both politically and technically in our ability to affect that process. 3 In fact, Democrats have a redistricting advantage in states that compose about 90 percent of the seats in Congress. So your efforts have never been more important than they are today. Second, since congressional district lines are generally drawn by state legislatures, to ensure fair redistricting and win the U.S. house, we must control more state legislatures. That means recruiting and helping to elect more local Republican candidates, in districts which should -- and can -- be Republican. You all know how important our base at the state and local level is to the future of the Party -- and you're keeping that foundation strong. By working extensively with over 4,000 candidates last year; by training volunteers, as well as incumbent Republican legislators across the country; by working with the American Campaign Academy; and through the "shirtsleeve sessions" with business leaders -- GOPAC is making the Republican Party fly. Everything you're doing will be good for the Party, of course -- but it'll be even better for the country as a whole. 4 Tonight it's a pleasure to imagine what a Republican White House -- together with a Republican majority in Congress -- could accomplish. But you know, thanks to GOPAC's leadership, someday -- and I hope soon -- we won't have to imagine it any longer. We'll know. Thank you all very much -- and now, I think I'll let the Party go back to the party. ### (Lange/Martin) October 31, 1989 4:00 p.m. [GOPAC.DOC] PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: GOPAC RECEPTION EAST ROOM MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1989 5:05 P.M. Thank you. Let me tip my hat to our two GOPAC chairmen: former Congressman Bo Callaway, and our outstanding Republican Whip, Congressman Newt Gingrich and Kay Riddle, your Executive Director [Other acknowledgements ] (( You know, the other night I saw that movie "Lethal Weapon Two. " I was a little disappointed. I was hoping it was going to be a movie about Newt Gingrich )) Over the last couple of days -- during what I hear has been a very successful biannual Charter Meeting -- you've already heard from a number of terrific speakers. Secretaries Brady and Kemp; Bob Novak, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Lee Atwater So my role tonight is something like batting eighth clean- up. (( But I can handle it. Built up lots of experience in college. )) This group has taken on a goal that's as important as it is challenging. When Kay Riddle says "We really will control the 2 U.S. House, and we'll do it in the next two or three elections," I believe GOPAC is on a serious mission. And the way you're going about fulfilling that mission -- systematically, deliberately -- makes me certain we're going to succeed. You all know how important our base at the state and local level is to the future of the Party -- and you're keeping that foundation strong. By working extensively with over 4,000 candidates last year; by training volunteers, as well as incumbent Republican legislators across the country; by working with the American Campaign Academy; and through the "shirtsleeve sessions" with business leaders -- GOPAC is making the Republican Party fly. In the coming year, as you build "An Agenda Worth Voting For" -- and candidates worth fighting for -- I believe more Americans will come to understand the Republican agenda than ever before. How can we make sure we gain a majority in the House, early in the coming decade? 3 We'll do it by making sure the redistricting process is fair -- seeing to it that districts are drawn in a non-partisan manner, reflecting the true nature of our constituencies. And we'll do it by recruiting and helping to elect local candidates from the Republican party, in districts which should -- and can -- be Republican. Those two steps will be good for the Party, of course -- but they'll be even better for the country as a whole. Tonight it's a pleasure to imagine what a Republican White House -- together with a Republican majority in Congress -- could accomplish. But thanks to GOPAC's leadership, we won't have to imagine for very much longer. We'll know. Thank you all very much --- and now, I think I'll let the Party go back to the party. ###