QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Bush Commemorates Foreign Policy Achievements and Presents Medal of Freedom to Ambassador Ryan Crocker
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
You know, people -- I tell people all the time, they ask me about Condi, and I say, she's like my sister. We've been through a lot together. (Laughter.) And one of the things about her is that she has never lost her great optimism. She's plenty tough when she needed to be tough; she's plenty charming when she needs to be charming. But during the darkest of days, she always had a sense of optimism and constantly reminded me of what is possible and what will happen if we don't lose confidence in fundamental truths. History will say that Condi Rice was one of the great Secretaries of State our country has ever had. (Applause.)
And I thank my friend John Negroponte. I call him Ponte -- you better call him -- (laughter) -- Mr. Secretary. He has done a lot of hard work on behalf of the country, and he has really done it well -- a variety of jobs that have required skill and dedication and courage, and each job he's handled with a lot of class, he really has.
I want to thank the ambassadors who have joined us. Thanks for coming. Appreciate your service to your countries. And I want to thank all those who work here -- veterans and rookies alike. (Laughter.) This is a fabulous department and a vital part of making sure this country remains secure in the long run. And it's been a joy to work with you.
Tonight I'm going to give a farewell address to the American people. It's going to be a short one. (Laughter.) But it's got a lot of meaning to it, as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to urge our nation to continue to engage the world with confidence -- confidence in the transformative power of freedom and liberty.
These are the ideals that gave birth to our own nation -- these universal ideals gave birth to America. And over the past eight years, together we have worked to advance these ideals. And every member of this department can be proud of the results.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY
President George W. Bush, right, kisses Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, at the State Department in Washington