 Well, I want to thank all of you for being here, and I'd like to especially recognize Governor Bill Clinton, or his fine leadership in the National Governors Association. It's been a pleasure to have met with you this evening and to have had this opportunity to break bread and to get to know you. Pardon me, but the circumstances remind me a bit of the story of the Christians in ancient Rome were thrown into the arena there, and moments later where the hungry lions were released and came charging out at them, and before they could quite get to them, one of the Christians stood up, stepped forward, and said something, and the lions suddenly just laid down and refused to attack the Christians. When the crowd at the Coliseum got mad, they yelled at the lions, they were throwing rocks at them and everything, but they couldn't get them to eat the Christians. Finally, Nero called the Christian leader to his side and said, what is it that you told the lions? He said, I simply told him there'd be speeches after the meal. Well, tonight there are no speeches after the meal, so I'll be brief. Having been a governor, I can sympathize that sometimes it feels like you're out in the middle of the arena and the voters are rooting for the lions. After our meeting, I hope that each of you understands that this administration is rooting for you. In these last five years, we've done our best to make certain the federal government doesn't increase taxes and drain away the revenue base that you depend on at the state and local level. Federal money is, as we all know, nothing more than local money that is given back minus a carrying charge and coupled with complex guidelines and regulations. We'd rather have local and state officials and the people themselves keep that revenue right at home. And as far as those guidelines, you've helped us save the state's billions of dollars by ridding the books of needless paperwork and trimming back the red tape. I thought from my own days as governor that the best thing the federal government can do for the states is get out of your pockets and out of your way. Today, state government has resumed its rightful role as a major force in our society. The subject we'll concentrate on tomorrow, welfare, employment training, education are the biggest challenges of today. They cannot be solved unless you are a major part of the solution. In the case of welfare reform, for example, our program is your program. What works best for your citizens in the unique circumstances that you know best? It's clear that centralized planning doesn't work here any more than it works in socialist countries. There's a story about two Russians who were walking down the road in Moscow. One of them said to the other, comrade, do you really think now that we finally have achieved all that there is, the highest state of communism that we've reached that? And the other one said, oh no, things are going to get a lot worse. Seriously though, it's a pleasure to share this wonderful evening with you all. So I now, there isn't a place on here to set this. I always have to go over and get it. I now lift a glass to all of you, to our country. May her 50 states and five territories always shine as the stars in the constellation of freedom and democracy. Thank you all, and God bless you all. Mr. Vice President, ladies and gentlemen, I think it is fair to say that all of us, no matter how many times we are privileged to come into the home of our nation's president, still feel like wide-eyed children as we come through these doors, new believers in the promise of our country. And tonight, with the snow falling outside on the birthday of George Washington under the watchful eye of Mr. Lincoln, we're hosted by the president who, according to the press, has lived the longest, it seems for every young at heart. President who has told us repeatedly whether we liked it or not that the federal government should do less and we should do more. And therefore, whether we have always agreed or not, we must thank you for Mr. President, more than any of your predecessors in recent times, you've made us all more important. In 1987, we were determined to work with you to face the problems you just mentioned and to rekindle the promise of our country in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans who today are crippled by pressures from within without. In 1983, a project initiated by your administration issued the Nation at Risk Report, a clarion call to do something about our schools, and we tried to pick up the challenge that your report laid down and to move forward in education. And I believe we have. But in 1987, we know there is still more to do. We know we have to face the fact that millions of our young people and our adults can't take advantage of these improvements in education because they drop out with teen pregnancy or drug abuse or alcohol abuse or other problems. And they come from families dependent on welfare, sometimes for generations, or perhaps they're already out of school and they can't read as well as they need in order to hold a job. You and Mrs. Reagan and her fine and wonderful work on drug abuse problems, you've tried to call attention to the American people that we have to get back to basic values and try to value individuals and get them to a point where they can protect themselves and promote their own interest. We have tried to do that, too. Tomorrow, we'll meet with you about what you think we ought to do to make people less dependent about welfare and what we think we ought to do. And I hope we can reach common ground. And I believe we can. We think there ought to be individual opportunity and strong communities in America and that one depends upon the other. Tomorrow, we're going to discuss this. Tonight, I think we should simply be very grateful that we have the right and the responsibility to be here in the nation's capital and in your home to tackle these problems. So I'd like to raise my glass to salute the president and Mrs. Reagan and our beloved country and the responsibility we all have to preserve it for our children and for the future. You said send on the clown. Well, I don't think I have to say anything. You have all said it already. How much we have enjoyed this. Sarah Vaughn, you know, she started singing in her Baptist Church choir. And then I think maybe the Lord said that more people ought to hear her than just the congregation. And so it's been a case of a career that caught on almost instantly and with every kind from a trio to a symphony to all the contemporary musical musical greats. Completely a pro one columnist has written about her that she is the eighth wonder of the world. And I don't think any of us here tonight are going to argue. Thank you very much for a very wonderful evening.