 to put limits in the gulf and then they just they just handed you a hot potato with graham redmond aren't you feeling a little ill at ease with this group tonight what are you going to do about graham 76 trombone scotch the morning sun arm tim bernie and hospital big bassoons each bassoons of every size and trumpeter suit improvise a full thank you thank you all very much i'm delighted to welcome the members of congress from both parties as well as our other guests to this annual white house congressional barbecue first of all i would like to thank the marine band for their toe-tapping rendition of the music man by meredith wilson who posthumously received the presidential medal of freedom this year once again the marines have made my day from the halls of montezuma to river city usa wherever there is trouble the marines always have the situation well in hand we are honored to have rosemary wilson with us this evening rosemary as long as there's an american flag to wave and warm evenings with friends meredith's music will live on in our hearts we elected officials are always trying to figure out the mood of the country we look at polls we see what the newspapers are saying call in experts but i suspect that if we just listen to a meredith wilson composition we would know the spirit and soul of our nation i've been looking forward to this event because as you know i enjoy the outdoors good food and good conversation and this evening we had all three as you know these bipartisan get-togethers help build a spirit of unity and amiability between those of us who must make government work but as i think back to other such after six events when the casual conversations with members of both parties led to bipartisan policy i can't help remembering loyd george's observation that trying to enter an alliance with one of his political opponents was quote like going for a walk with a grasshopper and i know that some of my best friends from time to time think i'd been led both down and off the garden path by if not a grasshopper perhaps the occasional gypsy moth or even a bowl weevil well it's true that in american politics some of us may prefer different paths from time to time but we're all heading toward the same goal and we're more likely to get there if we remember that at its core the american political process is premised on friendly political competition between fellow citizens after all only in america can a president of one party get together with congressional members of both political parties for a friendly feast right in the middle of a heated political struggle we should be grateful for this tradition we should work hard to maintain it and in that spirit nancy and i are delighted to have been able to join you this evening for these moments of leisure friendship and goodwill so thank you all and god bless you