President Bush: Democrats' Philosophy of the Stop Sign

Remarks by the President at 2005 President's Dinner: "Political parties can take one of two approaches. One approach is to lead, to focus on the people's business, to take on the tough problems. And that is exactly what our party is doing.

The other approach is to simply do nothing -- to delay solutions, obstruct progress, refuse to take responsibility. Members of the other party have worked with us to achieve important reforms on some issues. Yet, too often, their leadership prefers to block the ideas of others. We hear 'no' to making tax relief permanent. We hear 'no' to Social Security reform. We hear 'no' to confirming federal judges. We hear 'no' to a highly qualified U.N. ambassador. We hear 'no' to medical liability reform. On issue after issue, they stand for nothing except obstruction, and this is not leadership. It is the philosophy of the stop sign, the agenda of the roadblock, and our country and our children deserve better.

Political parties that choose the path of obstruction will not gain the trust of the American people. If leaders of the other party have innovative ideas, let's hear them. But if they have no ideas or policies except obstruction, they should step aside and let others lead.

The United States has a special obligation, in my view, to work with freedom fighters all around the world, to stand squarely with the reformers. I believe it's important for generations to come, because I understand that democracies don't fight each other, that democracies are the way to defeat hatred, that democracies provide the best hope for men and women around the world. There's no doubt in my mind the policies that this administration has taken will make the world more peaceful for generations to come.

The American people have entrusted us with the leadership of this great country at an historic moment. We've set big goals, and they're not always easy to achieve. Otherwise they'd have been done already. But we're going to continue to be the party that sets the big goals, the party that's idealistic, the party of reform. We'll continue to lead, no matter how tough the challenge might be. You see, the American people have given us their trust. But the good news for the American people is, in our policies we trust them. We trust their values; we trust their judgment; we trust them with their own money. So long as we stay true to our values and our ideas, we will do what Americans have always done. We will build a better world for our children and our grandchildren. "