    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 3, 2003]
    [Pages 1247-1252]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1247]]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Milwaukee
    October 3, 2003

        Thanks for coming. Thanks for that rousing Wisconsin welcome. It's
    such an honor to be back here. It's a great State, full of a lot of
    really neat people, and I want to thank you for your friendship. And I
    want to thank you for your contributions and help and prayers. With your
    help, Vice President Cheney and I came pretty
    darn close of carrying this State in 2000. There's no doubt in my mind,
    in 2004 we're going to win the State of Wisconsin. And that victory in
    Wisconsin is going to be part of a great nationwide victory in November
    of 2004.
        I want to thank you for your help in getting there. I appreciate the
    fact that you've contributed your money, and now I need you to
    contribute your time. When you put up those signs at the right time,
    knock on the doors, when you go to your coffee shops--if you live in a
    community with a coffee shop--you tell them that this administration is
    working for everybody. We believe in a hopeful, positive, optimistic
    vision for every single person who is fortunate enough to live in this
    country. You tell them that this is an administration focused on the
    people's business.
        You know, I'm loosening up for this campaign. I'm kind of getting
    ready. [Laughter] But the political season will come in its own time.
    I've got a job to do. I've been entrusted to lead this great Nation, and
    I will do so. We've got a lot on our agenda in Washington, DC. And what
    I'm going to do until the political season comes, I will work hard to
    earn the confidence of every American by keeping this Nation strong and
    secure and prosperous and free.
        Rick, I want to thank you for your
    leadership and thank you for your kind introduction. I've known Rick for
    a while. When he says we're going to win, I believe him. And I want to
    appreciate him energizing the grassroots, and I want to thank all of you
    grassroots participants for getting ready to go.
        I traveled today with a really good, fine friend, a man I'd say you
    trained well, a person who is making an enormous contribution to my
    Cabinet and to our country, a person who has got a huge job running the
    Department of Health and Human Services, and that's Tommy
    Thompson.
        I heard Tommy whispering to somebody;
    he said, ``You know, the campaign made a mistake in sending George W.
    They should have sent Laura.'' [Laughter]
    Speaking about Laura, she just got back from a sensitive diplomatic
    mission. [Laughter] You probably saw the picture in the newspaper.
    [Laughter] But I'm proud that she represented our country, because she
    does it with such class. She is a fabulous First Lady.
        She sends her best and sorry she can't be
    here. Right after here, I'm going to fly back to Washington, and she's
    organizing a National Book Festival. She loves books. She loves the idea
    of people teaching kids how to read books, and she's going to herald
    some of our great authors. She's making an enormous contribution. I'm
    lucky she said yes when I said, ``Will you marry me?'' [Laughter]
        I want to thank the Members of the Congress flying with us today--
    who flew with us today, and one who met us here today. The chairman, Jim
    Sensenbrenner, is with us, and it's
    been a joy to work with Jim. He's a good, strong patriot. Tom
    Petri is with us today, good, honorable, decent
    guy. Tom, I want to thank you for your friendship, and I appreciate you
    coming today. A young star--we've got some young stars from the State of
    Wisconsin, people who are making a big difference in the Halls of
    Congress, and they've done so in a quick period of time. That would be
    Paul Ryan, the Congressman from this

    [[Page 1248]]

    part of the world, and Congressman Mark Green.
        I want to thank people from the statehouse who have joined us today.
    John Gard, who is the speaker of the assembly.
    Mary Panzer, who is the senate majority
    leader, is with us today. Mary, thank you for coming. Jack
    Voight, your State treasurer is with us. Jack,
    thank you for being here. Scott McCallum, the
    former Governor, is with us. Scott, I'm honored that you're here. Thank
    you for coming. And Scott Walker, local man, is
    with us today. I appreciate you, Scott. Thanks for the good work you're
    doing.
        My friend Mercer Reynolds from
    Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the national finance chair of the Bush-Cheney
    2004 campaign, he's taking time out of his business to travel the
    country with us and organize this very important fundraising effort
    we're doing nationwide. Mercer, I want to thank you for coming. Glad
    you're here.
        I appreciate my longtime friend Jim Klauser
    for taking on the State campaign chairman role for the State of
    Wisconsin. San Orr is the State finance chairman.
    Jon Hammes is the State finance cochair. San Orr
    is the cochair as well. We've got cochairmen here. I'm thankful for your
    hard work. Thanks for making this event go so well. Mary
    Buestrin is the national committeewoman from
    this State. I appreciate all of you all, again, for coming.
        I particularly want to say something about the Arrowhead High School
    Choir. I am glad you're here. Thanks for coming.
        In the last 2\1/2\ years, this Nation has acted decisively to
    confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not
    to pass them on to future presidents and future generations. I came to
    seize opportunities and not let them slip away. This administration is
    meeting the tests of our time.
        Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is
    what they got. We've captured or killed many of the key leaders of Al
    Qaida, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan
    and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose
    defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million people--50
    million people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and
    today, they live in freedom.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the
    resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we acted. We
    increased the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era,
    and no one today in the world can question the skill and the strength
    and the spirit of the United States military.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And
    then we had the attacks on our country, coupled with the march to war,
    and corporate scandals. All of those events affected the confidence of
    the American people. But we acted. We passed tough laws to hold
    corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy going, I have
    twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax relief for the
    American people.
        We believe and know that when people have more money in their
    pocket, more money to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy
    grows, and someone is more likely to find a job. We also understand
    whose money we're spending in Washington, DC. We're not spending the
    Government's money. We spend the people's money. And we're sending more
    of the people's money back to them so they can help raise their
    families. We reduced the taxes on dividends and capital gains to
    encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand
    their businesses and hire new people.
        With all these actions, by being proactive, we're laying the
    foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs, so that each and every
    single purpose--person in this country has a chance to realize the
    American Dream.

    [[Page 1249]]

        Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education
    reform in Washington, DC, but there just wasn't much action. So I acted.
    I called for and Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a
    solid, bipartisan majority, we delivered the most dramatic education
    reforms in a generation. Finally we are bringing high standards and
    accountability to public schools. We said, in return for the receipt of
    Federal money, ``Please show us whether or not a child is learning to
    read and write and add and subtract.'' We're challenging the soft
    bigotry of low expectations. We believe in raising the bar. We believe
    in high standards. We believe every child can learn. And for the first
    time in Federal history, we're insisting that every child learns. We
    don't want one single child left behind in America.
        We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland
    Security to better safeguard our borders and ports and to protect the
    American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new
    markets for Wisconsin's entrepreneurs and manufacturers and farmers. We
    passed, with the Congress, much needed spending discipline. We passed
    budget agreements to help hold the line on spending.
        On issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle. We
    have kept our word, and we have made progress for the American people.
    And the Congress gets a lot of credit. I've got a great relationship
    with Speaker Denny Hastert. He's a good,
    solid man. I've got a great relationship with Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader. We're working together; we're
    working together to get results for the American people. We're working
    hard to change the tone in Washington, DC. It needs a--it needs a tonal
    change. There's too much partisan bickering. There's too much zero-sum
    politics. We need to focus on results, not politics. And those are the
    kind of people I've surrounded myself with in Washington.
        I've put together a fantastic administration for the American
    people. We've got a great National Security staff, a great economic
    team. We've got people who have come to Washington to serve the people,
    not petty partisan politics. Richard B. Cheney
    is the greatest Vice President our country has ever had. Mother's got a second opinion. [Laughter]
        In 2\1/2\ years, if you think about it--and you tell them at the
    coffee shops--in 2\1/2\ years, this administration has come far. We've
    done a lot. We've tackled a lot of tough problems. But our work is only
    beginning. My job is to set great goals worthy of a great nation.
        First, America is committed to expanding the realm of peace and
    freedom for our own security and for the benefit of the world. And
    second, in our own country, we must work for a society of prosperity and
    compassion, so that every citizen has a chance to work and to succeed
    and to realize the great promise of our land. It is clear that the
    future of freedom and peace depend on the actions of America. This
    Nation is freedom's home, and we are freedom's defender. We welcome this
    charge of history, and we are keeping it.
        The war on terror continues. There's still people out there that
    hate America, coldblooded killers who hate what we stand for. These
    people are not idle, and neither are we. This country will not rest; we
    will not tire; we will not stop until this danger to civilization is
    removed.
        We continue to confront that danger in Iraq, for Saddam holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying
    to throw Iraq into chaos by attacking coalition forces, aid workers,
    innocent Iraqis. See, they know that the advance of freedom in Iraq will
    be a major defeat in the cause of terror. This collection of killers is
    trying to shake our will. They're trying to frighten the civilized
    world. They don't understand this country. They don't understand this
    administration. We will not be intimidated.

    [[Page 1250]]

        We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we will not have to face them in our own country. We'll call on
    other nations to continue to help us in Iraq. See, by making Iraq a free
    country, it'll make the world more secure. We'll stand with the Iraqi
    people as they assume more of their own defense and move toward self-
    government. These aren't easy tasks. I know that. But they're essential
    tasks. We will finish what we have begun, and we will win this essential
    victory in the war on terror.
        Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty,
    because free nations don't support terror. Free nations do not attack
    their neighbors. Free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of
    mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope
    of every human heart. And I believe that freedom is the right of every
    person, and I believe that freedom is the future of every nation.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. And when we
    see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away.
    On the continent of Africa, this great Nation is committed to bringing
    the healing power of medicines to millions of men and women and children
    now suffering with AIDS. I want to thank Tommy for his good work. He's a part of our great land's
    leadership. We're leading the world in providing this incredibly
    important work of human rescue.
        We face challenges here at home as well, but we'll be equal to those
    challenges. First of all, any time anybody who is looking for work and
    can't find a job is still looking, I think we've got a problem. I will
    continue to work to create an environment in which the entrepreneurial
    spirit flourishes, in which small businesses can grow, so that people in
    America can find work.
        I just had a great session with small-business owners here in
    Milwaukee. The optimism is high. The spirit is strong. We will continue
    to create the conditions for increased employment in America, so
    everybody can find a job.
        We also need to keep our commitment to America's seniors by
    strengthening and modernizing Medicare. A few weeks ago, earlier in the
    summer, Congress took historic action to improve the lives of older
    Americans. For the first time since the creation of Medicare, the House
    and the Senate have passed reforms to increase the choices available for
    America's seniors and to provide coverage for prescription drugs.
    Tommy's working this issue on the Hill.
    He's working with the House and the Senate so they can iron out their
    differences and get a good bill to my desk. We have a duty to America's
    seniors. We have a duty to those of us who are going to be seniors to
    make sure that we have a modern Medicare system.
        And for the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on
    the frivolous lawsuits which increases the cost of medicine. People who
    have been harmed by a bad doc deserve their day in court, no doubt about
    it. Yet, the system should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for
    a rich settlement. Because of frivolous lawsuits, docs practice
    defensive medicine, which drives up the cost of health care. And they
    therefore affect--frivolous lawsuits affect the Federal budget. Medical
    liability reform is a national issue which requires a national solution.
    The House of Representatives passed a good bill to reform the system. It
    is stuck in the United States Senate. The Senators must understand that
    no one has been healed by a frivolous lawsuit in America.
        I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well. And I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men
    and women for the Federal benches, people who will interpret the law,
    not legislate from the bench. Yet some Members of the United States
    Senate--you might know some of them--[laughter]--are trying to keep my
    nominees off the bench

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    by blocking up-or-down votes. Every judicial nominee deserves a fair
    hearing and an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. It is time for some
    Members to stop playing politics with American justice.
        The Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan.
    Wisconsin is a State--it is a manufacturing State. Manufacturers need
    reliable sources of energy. The manufacturing sector lags in America.
    And one way to help us was good trade policy that levels the playing
    field, good tax policy that encourages investment, less regulations.
        But as well we need to have an energy plan. I submitted one 2 years
    ago. This summer, we had a problem with our electricity grid. You might
    remember that. It should be a wake-up call to the Congress that we need
    to modernize our ability to move electricity around America. We need to
    make sure that reliability standards for electricity are mandatory, not
    voluntary. We need to encourage more investment into modernizing the
    grid. We need to use our technological capacities to increase
    conservation, to find new sources of energy. But we need to use the old
    sources of energy in an environmentally friendly way to make sure we're
    less dependent on foreign sources of crude. The Congress needs to get an
    energy bill to my desk. For the sake of national security and for the
    sake of economic security, they need to get a bill to my desk soon.
        Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate
    nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate
    conservatism, which means we'll apply the best and most innovative ideas
    to the task of helping our fellow citizens in need. There's still
    millions of men and women who want to end their dependence on Government
    and become independent through hard work. We must build on the success
    of welfare reform, to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of
    our fellow citizens.
        Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act,'' to encourage
    more Americans to serve in their communities. And Congress should
    finally pass my Faith-Based Initiative, to help empower the armies of
    compassion which exist all across America. The soldiers in that army
    mentor children; they care for the homeless; they offer hope to the
    addicted. One of the great strengths of America is the faith of the
    American people. People of all faiths, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and
    Jew, should be welcomed by our Government to help people who hurt, to
    help save lives. This Government should not fear faith. We should
    welcome faith.
        A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including
    the independence and dignity that come from ownership. This
    administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in
    America. We want more people owning their own home. We want people to
    own and manage their own retirement accounts. We want people to own and
    manage their own health accounts. And we want more people owning a small
    business. You see, we understand in this administration that when
    somebody owns something, he or she has a vital stake in the future of
    our country.
        In a compassionate society, people respect one another, and they
    take responsibility for the decisions they make. The culture of America
    is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, just go ahead
    and do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a
    new culture in which each of us understands that we are responsible for
    the decisions we make in life.
        If you're fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad, you're responsible
    for loving your child. If you're worried about the quality of the
    education in which you live, you're responsible for doing something
    about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for
    telling the truth to your shareholders and your employees.

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        And in a responsibility society, each of us are responsible for
    loving a neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself. We can see
    the culture of service and responsibility growing around us here in
    America. I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage
    Americans to extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. The
    response has been very strong. Go to the web page and take a look at it,
    if you're interested in serving your community by helping somebody who
    hurts.
        Our faith-based charities are strong in America. People have heard
    the call, just like policemen and firefighters and people who wear our
    Nation's uniform are reminding us what it means to sacrifice for
    something greater than ourselves. Once again, the children of America
    believe in heroes, because they see them every day. In these challenging
    times, the world has seen the resolve and courage of America, and I have
    been fortunate enough to see the compassion and the character of the
    American people.
        All the tests of the last 2\1/2\ years have come to the right
    nation. We are a strong country, and we use our strength to defend the
    peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in ideals
    bigger than ourselves. Abroad, we seek to lift up whole nations by
    spreading freedom. At home, we seek to lift up lives by spreading
    opportunity to every corner of America. This is the work that history
    has set before us. We welcome it, and we know that for our country and
    for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at noon at the Italian Community Center. In
    his remarks, he referred to Rick Graber, chairman, Republican Party of
    Wisconsin; and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.