If I Want to Ask Bush or Cheney About the DSMinutes, Where Will I Find Them?

Those inclined to organize peaceful nonviolent demonstrations aimed at asking Bush or members of his administration about the Downing Street Minutes may benefit from this schedule of upcoming appearances.

Friday, June 3, 2005
ROMNEY in Manchester, NH: MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) heads to NH 6/3 to speak to the state Federation of GOP Women's annual Lilac Convention; the women's group is the same one that hosted Pres. Bush in '99 on his first campaign visit there. Bay State GOP exec. dir. Tim O'Brien said that Romney will be talking about "balancing the budget and creating jobs" in MA. O'Brien "downplayed" the trip's implication for pres. politics: "Gov. Romney is a national political figure just like Ted Kennedy and John Kerry who go across the country raising money for their party. I wouldn't read too much into it. People go raise money for their party and that's what the governor is doing here" (Straub, Boston Herald, 5/26).

BUSH in Crawford, TX: Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5, NO PUBLIC EVENTS �From St. Louis, the president is expected to go on to his ranch in Crawford, Texas.� [Post-Dispatch, 5/29/05; White House, 5/27/05]

Monday, June 6, 2005
BUSH in Fort Lauderdale, FL, 11:45 am: THE PRESIDENT makes remarks at the Opening of the Organization of American States General Assembly, Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, OPEN PRESS [White House, 5/27/05]

BUSH in Washington DC, 5:00 pm: THE PRESIDENT makes remarks at the White House Black Music Month Reception, South Lawn, The White House OPEN PRESS [White House, 5/27/05]

McCAIN in Macomb Township, MI at 6:00 PM: Macomb County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner with Sen. John McCain, Wolverine Banquet Center, 17201 25 Mile Rd., Macomb Township. [MI GOP]

WATTS in New Hampshire: Manchester Union-Leader's DiStaso reports that ex-OK Rep. J.C. Watts (R) is scheduled to headline a fundraiser fo the House GOP Victory PAC on 6/1 in Concord. PAC Chair, state Rep. Michael Whalley (R), noted that the PAC "will benefit every Republican who is on the November ballot. It doesn't matter who they are and what they stand for" (5/19). [Hotline, 5/19/05]

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

BUSH in Washington DC: The White House also announced the President will host British Prime Minister Blair on June 7th. A spokesman said the two will discuss Iraq and Afghanistan, weapons proliferation and security issues in the Middle East. [The Morning Grind, 6/1/05]

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

BUSH in Washington DC: President Bush will welcome Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House on June 8, 2005. This meeting will provide an opportunity to invigorate U.S.-Turkish cooperation with respect to Turkey's European Union aspirations, and to strengthen our work together to advance freedom in Iraq and the Broader Middle East, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. [White House Release, 5/24/05]

BUSH in Washington DC: The President will welcome Republic of Korea President Roh Moo-hyun to the White House for a meeting and working lunch on June 10, 2005. The Republic of Korea has been a strong ally and partner in advancing freedom and promoting prosperity in Asia and beyond. The Republic of Korea has played a leading role in the international effort to assist the Iraqi people with security, training, and reconstruction, and now maintains the third largest contingent of forces in Iraq. The two leaders intend to discuss bilateral alliance issues and the way forward on North Korea. [White House, 5/24/05]

Monday, June 13, 2005

THUNE in New York, NY at 12:00 PM: Heartland Values PAC hosts Honorary Chairman Senator John Thune in his first fundraising visit to NYC, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Park Avenue at Grand Central Station. [SD Sources]

Vice President Dick Cheney to Address National Press Club:

THIS IS NOT A JOKE: Cheney is scheduled to give out a journalism award. Rather than awards, he should be giving answers, apologies, and truthful explanations!

Vice President Dick Cheney will address the National Press Club on Monday, June 13, as part of the 18th annual presentation of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards for outstanding coverage of the presidency and national defense.

Vice President Cheney, who served as President Ford's chief of staff, will
represent the former president at this year's awards luncheon. The National Press Club luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Remarks will begin just after 1 p.m., followed by the awards presentation and a question-and-answer session. Reservations should be made by telephoning 202-662-7501. Cost of luncheon admission is $16 for National Press Club members, $28 for their guests. This event is for members and their guests only. Credentialed press may cover this event with ID.

The National Press Club is located at 14th and F Streets, NW, one block
west of Metro Center. More information about the Club and its programs is found on its Internet Web site: http://www.press.org.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

BUSH in Washington, DC: Bush "will be the keynote speaker at the June 14 event, which will be held at the Washington Convention Center and is organized jointly by the NRCC and the" NRSC. [The Hill, 5/4/05]

BUSH in Pennsylvania: Pres. Bush will appear at a 6/14 fundraiser in Bryn Mawr for Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) [Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/2/05].

Thursday, June 16, 2005

ASHCROFT in Davenport, IA: Ex-AG John Ashcroft will headline an IA GOP fund-raiser in Davenport on 6/16 (Quad-City Times). He said of his visit: "I want to make it clear I'm not running" for president (Des Moines Register). [Quad-City Times, 6/2/05]

Friday, June 17, 2005

McCAIN in Evanston, IL: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivers commencement address at Northwestern University [ABC News, 3/25/05]

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

BUSH in Washington DC: President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Phan Van Khai of Vietnam to the White House on June 21. The visit marks the tenth anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1995 between the United States and Vietnam. Prime Minister Khai will be the most senior Vietnamese official to visit Washington since that time. The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues. This meeting is particularly timely in light of Vietnam's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in 2006. [White House, 5/27/05]

Monday, June 27, 2005

BUSH in Washington DC: The President will welcome German Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der to the White House for a meeting and working lunch on June 27, 2005. Germany is a strong ally and partner of the United States, working with us to advance freedom and reform, promote prosperity and development, and counter
terrorism and proliferation around the world. Germany has played a leading role in the international effort to assist the Afghan people with security, developing the police, and reconstructing their nation. [White House Press Briefing, 5/20/05]

July, 2005

BUSH in Denmark: President Bush will travel to Denmark prior to his participation in the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in the United Kingdom. The President's bilateral program in Denmark will take place on July 6, 2005. Denmark is a close friend and ally of the United States, and Prime Minister Rasmussen is a strong proponent of effective transatlantic cooperation. [White House, 5/25/05]

Last year's event:

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB LUNCHEON

SUBJECT: THE GERALD R. FORD JOURNALISM AWARDS

MODERATOR: SHEILA CHERRY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB PRESIDENT

PARTICIPANTS: VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY; MARTY ALLEN, CHAIRMAN OF BOARD,
GERALD R. FORD FOUNDATION; DAVID GERGEN, JOURNALIST, AUTHOR AND
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER

AWARD WINNERS: JAMES CARNEY, TIME MAGAZINE; MARK THOMPSON, TIME MAGAZINE;
MICHAEL DUFFY, TIME MAGAZINE

LOCATION: NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON, D.C.

BODY:

MS. CHERRY: Good afternoon and welcome to the National Press Club. My name
is Sheila Cherry, and I am a reporter with the Bureau of National Affairs
and president of the National Press Club. I'd like to welcome club members
and their guests in the audience today as well as those of you watching on
CSPAN or listening to this program on National Public Radio. Please hold
your applause during the speeches so that we have time for as many
questions at the end as possible and, for our broadcast audience, I'd like
to explain that if you hear applause, it may be from the guests and members
of the general public who attend our luncheons and not necessarily from the
working press. (Laughter.)

The video archive of today's luncheon is provided by ConnectLive and is
available to members only through the National Press Club website at
www.press.org. For more information about joining the Press Club, contact
us at 202-662-7511. Press Club members can also access transcripts of our
lunches at our website. Non-members may purchase transcripts, audio, and
videotapes by calling 1-888-343-1940.

Before introducing our head table, I'd like to remind our members of some
future speakers. On Tuesday, June 15, Paul Schott Stevens, president of the
Investment Company Institute will discuss reform in the mutual fund
industry. On Thursday, June 17, Secretary Alphonso Jackson, U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development will be here, and on Friday, June 25, Dr.
James Dobson, founder and chairman of the board of Focus on the Family will
be here. If you have any questions for our speakers, please write them on
the cards provided at your table and pass them up to me, and I will ask as
many as time permits.

I'd now like to introduce our head table guests, and I ask them to stand
briefly when their names are called. If you could hold your applause until
all of our head table guests are introduced. From your right, Charles
Lewis, Washington Bureau Chief, Hearts Newspapers; Albert Eisele, editor of
"The Hill" newspaper; Carl Leubsdorf, Washington Bureau Chief for the
"Dallas Morning News"; Michael Duffy, "Time" magazine, co-winner of the
Ford Journalism Prize on National Defense; Susan Page of "USA Today," a
multiple winner of the Ford Foundation Award; Mark Thompson of "Time"
magazine, our other co- winner of the Ford Journalism Prize on National
Defense. Skipping over our speaker momentarily -- Bill McCarren, president
of the U.S. Newswire and chairman of the National Press Club speaker's
committee -- skipping over our other speaker momentarily -- Ken Dalecki,
deputy managing editor of the Kiplinger Washington Editors and the member
of the speakers' committee who arranged today's luncheon; James Carney,
"Time" magazine, winner of the Ford Journalism Prize on the Presidency;
Marty Allen, chairman of the Ford R (sic/means Gerald R. Ford) Foundation;
Llewelyn King of the King Publishing Group; Knight Kiplinger,
editor-in-chief, the Kiplinger Washington Editors; and Rick Dunham of
McGraw Hill's "Business Week" and vice president of the National Press
Club. (Applause.)

I would like to start today's program by paying respect to former President
Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died this past weekend at the age of 93. Not only
was President Reagan an important national and international leader, he was
a member of this club. So on behalf of the National Press Club, I offer
condolences to the president's family and ask that you stand for a brief
moment of reflection.

Thank you. For the last 17 years, the National Press Club has been honored
to be the venue former President Gerald R. Ford has used to present the
annual Gerald R. Ford Foundation Journalism prizes. President Ford, who
celebrates his 91st birthday next month, is not able to join us today. We
regret his absence. Mr. Ford has been a good friend of the press, in
general, and the National Press Club, in particular.

His stature has grown as time has passed since his presidency, which
followed the trauma of the Watergate scandal. Mr. President, we know that
you are watching this ceremony via C-Span, and we want you to know that
your many friends here today send their very best wishes to you and Mrs. Ford.

The 38th president of the United States left office decades ago, but his
influence in national governance continues. In addition to setting a high
standard for integrity, the Ford administration was a stepping-stone for
future political leaders. None has proven to be more prominent than
President Ford's former chief-of-staff, Vice President Richard Cheney. We
are delighted to have the vice president with us today to present the Ford
Foundation Award on President Ford's behalf.

The vice president was born in Lincoln, Nebraska; grew up in Casper,
Wyoming, and earned his bachelor's and master's of arts degrees from the
University of Wyoming. He came to Washington in 1969 and worked at
President Nixon's Cost-of-Living Council. He served on President Ford's
transition team when Ford assumed the presidency in August 1974, and in
1975 was named White House chief-of-staff.

Mr. Cheney was elected Congressman from Wyoming in 1977 and was reelected
five times. He served as Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January
1993. A period that included the ousting of Panamanian dictator, Manuel
Noriega, and the ousting of Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. He was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom for his leadership during the first Gulf War.
From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Cheney served as CEO of Halliburton, the world's
largest oil and gas services company. He resigned from Halliburton to
become President Bush's running mate. Mr. Cheney's extensive experience in
government service and the strong support he has received from President
Bush has made what many consider the most influential and, some would add
controversial, vice president in American history. Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome the 2004 presenter of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation
Journalism Award for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and on
National Defense, Vice President Richard Cheney. (Applause.)

VICE PRES. CHENEY: Thank you. Thank you all very much and thank you,
Sheila. I appreciate the introduction. It's a pleasure to be here today and
to see some of my old friends from the Ford years. One of them, of course,
is your featured speaker, David Gergen, with whom I worked very closely
during my time on the Ford staff.

It's not commonly known, but many years earlier, David and I had been
classmates at Yale up until the time I dropped out -- actually, "dropped
out" isn't quite accurate. It would be more like "asked to leave" -- twice.
David, of course, went on to graduate, and he has recently showed us what
so often happens to those who excel at Yale -- they go on to teach at
Harvard. (Laughter.

)

My former boss and mentor, President Ford, asked me to be here today in his
place, and I am honored to do so. The president and I have kept in touch
over the years. In fact, we're planning to get together this summer on a
couple of occasions. As Sheila mentioned, he is only a month away from his
91st birthday, and he is doing very well.

We spoke on the phone the other day, and I know that he is watching today.
President Ford asked me to give his warmest congratulations to the honorees
as well as personal greetings to everyone gathered at what's become an
annual event. I also want to bring greetings from Betty, who was an
outstanding First Lady and who remains one of the most admired women in
America.

Of course, President and Mrs. Ford are thinking today, as are we all, of
President Reagan, who left us on Saturday. This is a sad time for the
nation and, more especially, for Mrs. Reagan, who has shown grace beyond
compare. The Fords and the Reagans had a warm friendship, and I know that
right now Betty and Jerry Ford are feeling great sympathy and love for
Nancy Reagan.

As many of us here remember, Presidents Ford and Reagan were once political
rivals, competitors, but grew close over time. It was first discovered that
they had actually encountered each other at a distance during an
Iowa-Michigan football game. Jerry Ford was on the field, playing center
for the University of Michigan, and Ronald Reagan was broadcasting for
radio station WHO in 1934.

A lifetime afterwards, it would be President Reagan who dedicated the
Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A proud day on which
President Reagan expressed the nation's gratitude to Gerald Ford for
leading America as a man of decency, a man of honor, and a man of healing.

Though it hardly seems possible, the 9th of August will be the 30th
anniversary of Gerald Ford's taking the oath of office as president of the
United States. In the space of only 10 months, the gentleman from Michigan
had risen from the House of Representatives to the vice presidency and then
to the presidency itself. He never aspired to that office, and he
maintained his modesty the entire time. He used to joke that, with him
around, the Marine band did not know whether they should play "Hail to the
Chief," or "You've Come a Long Way, Baby."

But we all remember the turmoil at that time and the challenges that faced
our government in the aftermath of Watergate. We remember, as well, the
character of the man who led our nation safely through a very dark period.
America was in a desperate need of strength and wisdom and good judgment
and all of these came to us in the unassuming person of Gerald R. Ford.
Calm and civil, forgiving, and generous of spirit, our 38th president
brought the nation together and restored the dignity of that tainted
office. President Gerald Ford met his moment as any man could ever hope to
do. And, for that, he has earned the permanent gratitude and the respect
and the affection of the American people and [audio break] the good name of
Gerald R. Ford be attached to prizes for distinguished reporting on the
presidency and national defense.

The Gerald R. Ford Foundation has made this presentation each year since
1998, and in that time the prize has gone to some of the most highly
regarded journalists in the country. Not surprisingly, there is plenty of
competition, and the judges have a difficult task. Now the work is done,
and I want to recognize the judges -- Jim Cannon, Gene Roberts, Candice
Nelson, Debra van Opstal, Edgar Prina, Sharon Squassoni, Robert Holzer,
Erik Peterson, Hal Bruno, and Mark Rozell. To all of you on behalf of
President Ford, thank you for a job well done. And my congratulations to
the winners this afternoon. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Marty Allen, the chairman of the Ford Foundation board, will join me in the
presentation of the awards.

MR. ALLEN: Mr. Vice President, ladies and gentlemen, as chairman of the
foundation, I'd just like to take this moment to thank the National Press
Club for providing this venue for these awards over the last 18 years, and
also to express our appreciation to the vice president for being here on
this occasion. Beyond their long-time relationship, I can just tell you
from conversations that I have with President Ford and Mrs. Ford that Dick
and Lynne Cheney are two of their closest personal friends, an they'll be
together in a couple of weeks.

On to the awards. On behalf of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, I am proud to
announce this year's winner of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished
Reporting on the Presidency -- James -- but as I just learned he prefers
Jay Carney -- of Time magazine. In his coverage of President Bush and the
White House during 2003, "James Carney demonstrated impressive enterprise,
fairness and balance in his reporting, depth of insight about the character
of the president" -- and I'm quoting this from the judges -- "His quality
of writing simultaneously engaged readers and informed them of presidential
decisions and actions. His stories were strong on substance and broad in
scope. Carney's work best meets the prime test of this Ford Prize: To
foster public understanding of the president." Ladies and gentlemen, Jay
Carney. (Applause.)

MR. CARNEY: Thank you very much. Thank you, Marty, and thank you, Vice
President Cheney. I appreciate that. You know, it's funny because one of
the stories that I submitted that won me this award was a long piece I did
on Vice President Cheney, and I would thank him for that too, except that
he wouldn't give me an interview for that story -- (laughter) -- which
turned out well for me, but I'd like to renew my request as long as I've
got you here. (Laughter.)

I'd also like to thank the editors and my colleagues at Time magazine, some
of whom are here -- Michael Duffy, who is a co-winner, but is my bureau
chief, and the person who probably has taught me more about covering
Washington than anybody. I'd like to thank John Dickerson, my colleague and
partner covering the White House -- who is not here, because he's traveling
with President Bush; my colleague Matt Cooper, others members of the
Washington bureau; my editors Rick Stangel and Lisa Beyer, and my managing
editor Jim Kelly.

I want to thank also my wife Claire Shipman, my father Jim Carney, and my
stepmother Paula Carney who are here. And I want to say that now that I no
longer cover the Bush White House, I want to say I'm glad I got this award,
because it's my last chance to get it -- at least for now -- and it's a
hard place to cover, as everyone here who knows -- has tried covering this
White House, it's tough, but it's rewarding, and it's important work.

And I want to thank you all very much. Thanks to the judges, the panels. I
got a check for this award, and I'll be giving you your portion later.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)

MR. ALLEN: Never leave your notes on the podium.

MR. CARNEY: I thought they were the vice president's.

MR. ALLEN: You thought the vice president's notes?

This year's joint winners of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished
Reporting on National Defense are Mark Thompson and Michael Duffy of Time
magazine. The judges were particularly impressed by the ability of the
Thompson-Duffy team to report complex policy issues in an approachable way.
The task of educating the American public on the difficulties and dilemmas
of preserving America's security -- and the challenges confronting our
leaders and our nation -- has rarely been so important. Their stories not
only helped to inform the public about the people, the politics and the
challenges of current military affairs, but laid the basis for informed
public opinion on the issues and decisions that lie ahead. I'd like to call
now first Mark Thompson for his award. Mark, would you please step forward?
(Applause.)

MR. THOMPSON: Two thousand and three was quite a big year for national
security, and I'd like to thank my wife Diane and my sons Jonathan and
Jeffrey for tolerating my absence from home. For tolerating my presence at
work, I'd like to thank Michael Duffy, my bureau chief; Jay Carney, my
deputy bureau chief; and all my fine colleagues in the Washington bureau;
as well as the people, the WD40 in New York, that really keeps this
magazine going, everybody from Jim Kelly to Ratu Kamlani. And most of all
I'd like to thank the people on whose behalf we strive to report -- the
soldiers, sailors, and airmen and Marines that every day are trying to do
their best, even if we sometimes screw it up back in Washington. Thank you.
(Applause.)

MR. ALLEN: And at this time I'd like to call forward Michael Duffy. Mike?
(Applause.

)

MR. DUFFY: Thank you very much. Congratulations, Mark. Congratulations to
Jay. I'm obviously a very happy man today. It's kind of triply sweet for
me, because not only did we really not expect to win one -- we certainly
didn't expect to win two, and that's just a great, lucky, wonderful sweep
for us. So I thank the judges and the foundation and the vice president for
coming today.

I also want to note that one of my older employers here -- the first job I
had in Washington -- Llewellyn King hired me and said, "You know, you
should cover defense." And I said, "I don't know anything about defense."
And he said, "Well, you ought to." So in many ways I tip my hat to
Llewellyn a long time ago, "You should learn something about this subject,
boy." So thank you, Llewellyn.

I want to thank the editors of Time and the art department and the photo
department who do a great job of making our stories come alive. And I want
to congratulate not only my colleagues, but none of us at this magazine do
anything by ourselves. They reason we're up here is we had a lot of help
from basically this half of the room, and in many ways, guys, we couldn't
have done any of this without you. So thank you very much, you're the best.
(Applause.)

MS. CHERRY: Ladies and gentlemen, the vice president will have to leave
shortly -- after -- now that we have given the presentations. And I would
ask that you remain seated while he makes his exit from the room.

But, right now, I would like to give the vice president a certificate of
appreciation for coming and being a part of this award ceremony today, and
also -- (laughter) -- to give him the much- coveted National Press Club
mug. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

VICE PRES. CHENEY: Thank you, Sheila. (Applause.)

MS. CHERRY: And I'd like to say congratulations to Jay, Mark and Michael.
And thank you, Marty, and the vice president.

We have a guest speaker with us today at the request of President Ford. He
is someone who has seen government from inside and out as an advisor to
four presidents, as an academic and, most important, as a journalist.

Just a quick reminder before he starts: If you have any questions for Mr.
Gergen, please write them on the cards at your table, and pass them on up.
And I will ask as many as time permits.

David Gergen is perhaps the nation's most experienced expert at
presidential press relations and damage control. He was a special assistant
to President Nixon, a special counsel to President Ford, director of
communications for President Reagan, and a counselor to President Clinton.
Mr. Gergen held those positions during some of the darkest moments of those
presidencies, and through it all managed to maintain his reputation among
journalist for honesty, integrity, and at times candor.

Currently he is a professor of public service at the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University, and a commentator on numerous news
program. He is editor-at-large for U.S. News and World Report, and is the
author of a best-selling book, "Eyewitness To Power: The Essence of
Leadership From Nixon to Clinton."

Mr. Gergen is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and is an honors graduate
of Yale and Harvard Law Schools. He's a member of the D.C. Bar, a Navy
veteran, a member of so many public service boards we don't have time to
name them all.

Ladies and gentlemen, here to give us his unique perspective on the
presidency and the press is another Ford staffer with a distinguished
career, David R. Gergen. (Applause.)

MR. GERGEN: Thank you. (Laughter.) He carries a black bag too -- you know
that. Somebody has to make those decisions.

Good afternoon, and thank you -- thank you, Sheila. Thank you. That was an
overly kind introduction. I can assure you there's more than one way to
look at my checkered past. A fellow introduced me once not long ago and
reviewed the presidents I had worked for, Republican and then a Democrat.
And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the newest member of the
world's oldest profession." (Laughter.) So there is more than one way.

But I am -- you know, if the vice president could have stayed, I know that
he would have enjoyed addressing you today. He did have other callings, but
we were honored to have him here. He has been such a close friend of
President Ford's, and such a valued advisor for President Ford over the
years that I wish we could have heard from the vice president.

I can tell you we did share some time at Yale, and I will just assure you
that all of us at Yale continue to claim Dick Cheney for a couple of
reasons. One is that, you know, the university is very proud of the fact
that since 1974 in all but four years a Yale graduate has been president or
vice president, and we like to count Dick Cheney among that group. And that
tradition we believe has a good chance of continuing for the next four
years. I don't think Ralph Nader has a Yale degree, but we'll see.

But the other thing is Dick Cheney is on the favorite mailing list of the
Yale Alumni Fund, and we look to him for regular contributions from the oil
and gas industry. But -- so we'll miss him.

I must tell you I'm deeply humbled today to be here at the request of
President Ford and of the foundation -- and, Marty Allen, thank you.
President Ford is such a dear, dear man, and to be standing here to speak
on his behalf is an honor more than I deserve. So I'm deeply appreciative
of that.

And this has been an event that he has just loved to come to, because he
did enjoy mixing up with the press. He had good relationships with the
press. And he came to understand how important the press is as an
institution, and to have such a great respect for the fourth estate. So
this is the first year he's not been able to come and present this award in
person. And I know that he would want to express to all of you his great
admiration for the winners, to Jay and Mark and Michael, and also to take
note of the fact that this year Time magazine swept the boards. They took
both awards. And looking back over the folder you have on the chair, I
think you may see that this is the first time since 1993 that the same
publication has won both awards, and in that year it was the Washington
Post with Bart Gellman and Ann Devroy. And anybody who can be in the same
company as Ann Devroy has really earned their stripes in journalism. It's a
great tribute to all of you to have won this.

It does seem to me particularly symbolic and appropriate that this occasion
-- on this occasion we find ourselves with the sad death of President
Reagan and now this Gerald R. Ford special day in Washington bracketing
D-Day, the 60th anniversary of D-Day. It seems to me those three go
together in a very natural and fitting way, because President Reagan and
President Ford together represent so much of the best of the World War II
generation, the young men and women who served during the 1940s for whom
that was such a defining experience, and have given so much to the country
over the years, and Tom Brokaw has appropriately called the "greatest
generation." And I just found that President Reagan dying on the weekend of
the 60th -- of course we all remember him going 20 years ago to give that
wonderful speech about the boys at Pointe du Hoc. And then to have now this
day with President Ford, it is such a good time to reflect a bit on these
two men and what they have come to represent.

As President Cheney, they were rivals earlier in life, Jerry Ford and
Ronald Reagan. Nineteen seventy-six, Dick was serving as the chief of staff
to President Ford -- I happened to be on that staff -- and Ronald Reagan
came running, as you know, in the primaries straight at Jerry Ford, and it
was a tough, stiff, almost often bitter election campaign -- but always
clean. And Jerry Ford won the first seven primaries. And then Ronald Reagan
caught fire in North Carolina over the issue of the Panama Canal, and he
won this big victory in North Carolina, and then began -- you could just
hear his hoofbeats from behind us in the White House as he made his stretch
run. And it was a tough one, I will tell you. It came right down to the
wire. In this case Marty Jones won. But it was a tough go all the way down.
It was a near death experience for us and the Ford entourage. And only when
we got to the convention and Mississippi went for Jerry Ford did President
Ford win the nomination. And by that time he was some 33 points behind
Jimmy Carter, and simply could not catch up. He made a valiant run to catch
Jimmy Carter -- came close.

And one of the great assets he had in that campaign was someone named Dick
Cheney, who was his chief of staff, really growing up during those years --
mid 30s -- did a wonderful job. Many of us came out of those days thinking,
you know, Dick Cheney one day would make a wonderful president. He had the
kind of integrity and solidity and the anchors in life that impressed so
many of us who had a chance to work with him and others.

But Jerry Ford lost that race to President Carter. And, as you know, he
left the stage very gracefully. And his relationship with Ronald Reagan
grew over the years. And I think that they found that, as in so many
instances -- just as his relationship with Jimmy Carter grew so much closer
over the years -- I think that they found that they shared so much more
than divided them. What united them was so much greater than what divided
them, because they were part of this World War II generation. Ronald Reagan
and Jerry Ford were both essentially two years apart. They both came from
the Midwest, and they shared common values, the old-fashioned values of
thrift, of industry, of hard work, of a belief in God. They were men of the
people. They both had fairly hard-scrabble days. But they learned from
their family life these old-fashioned values. When President Ford
celebrated his 90th birthday here in Washington last year, he talked about
the three rules that his mother had taught him that he said had served him
well all his life. And they were: work hard, tell the truth, and come to
dinner on time. And they have served him well all his life. And in the same
way I think that President Reagan had those old-fashioned values that
served him well too. So they were people of or men of common values.

They were also, very importantly, men of common sacrifice. When they were
young, when the call came, they both volunteered for their country. They
both wore uniforms. They both took time out of their lives and put
themselves in the country's service. And that was true of a World War II
presidency. And that's what's been so remarkable as you look back at this
group of World War II presidents. From John Kennedy through George Bush,
Senior, we had seven presidents all -- they were the World War II
presidents -- the men who were lieutenants in the Second World War. Every
one of those seven presidents wore a uniform. Six of them were World War
II. Only one, Jimmy Carter, was too young to serve in World War II -- he
was in the Naval Academy when the war ended, and he went on to serve
honorably as you know in the Navy thereafter.

But all of those men were men of common sacrifice. And the war for all of
them was the defining experience. It's no accident that when John Kennedy
was inaugurated he had in his inaugural parade a copy of the PT boat that
was sliced in half when he captain out in the Pacific. And it's no accident
then at the end of that parade of seven presidents George Bush, Senior, had
a replica in his inaugural parade, a replica of the Avenger aircraft that
was shot out from under him in the Pacific when he went down, the youngest
pilot shot down in the Pacific. And that -- what united them was common
values and common sacrifice. It really was important that they all gave back.

And what also united them, and unites so much the spirit of Ronald Reagan,
and the continuing vitality of Jerry Ford, is they had a sense of common
destiny for the country, a common belief in the future of the country. He
had great faith that America's best days were ahead of us, that we had lost
our way to some extent in the '60s and '70s, and we began to lose faith in
ourselves. Always before that time there had been a sense that today is
better than yesterday, and tomorrow is going to be better still. And
somehow by the end of the '70s we got into the view that -- and Pat Cadell
told Jimmy Carter this -- that yesterday was better than today, and today
is going to be better tomorrow: We had a downward slope in our view. And
Reagan was the man who helped to bring us up again, because he had that
sense that the country's best days were ahead of us. And Jerry Ford had
that sense as well. And so what united them then was common values, common
sacrifice, and common belief in the future.

Now, when Jerry Ford and President Reagan were in office, of course, they
each had times when there were great controversies. They each had times
when they seemingly stumbled. All of you here or who were around in those
days remember so well that Sunday morning 30 days after President Ford took
office, 11 a.m., he had an announcement to make to the country -- and
announced, to the astonishment of the country, that he had pardoned Richard
Nixon. And all hell broke lose. The thunderstorm that you could hear, the
thunderclaps that you could hear around the country were deafening, and he
had a long time in explaining why he had done that.

President Reagan had his own controversies, Howie Kurtz reminded us in the
paper this morning, in the Washington Post this morning, that there were
controversies with the press along the way. As someone who was his first
communications director, I had to explain to people, listen, if some of the
facts or often some of these stories, you've