    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 5, 2004]
    [Pages 777-783]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Republican National Committee Dinner
    May 5, 2004

        The President. I'm ready. I'm here to tell you I appreciate your
    support and I want your vote. I stand ready and eager to lead this
    Nation for 4 more years.
        I've recently come off a bus tour in Michigan and Ohio. The crowds
    were big. The enthusiasm was high. Our support is strong. We're rolling
    on our way to victory in November of 2004.
        There's going to be many turns in this campaign, but this will
    remain constant: I will offer a positive, optimistic, and hopeful vision
    to the American people. I have a plan to win the war on terror and to
    spread peace and freedom throughout the world. I have a plan to help
    create an environment so more jobs are created and every single citizen
    of this country can realize the great promise of our country. I have a
    plan to promote the compassion and spirit of this country, so all
    citizens--all citizens--can realize their dreams.
        I will leave no doubt where I stand. I will leave no doubt that
    after 4 more years, this country will be safer and stronger and better.
    And with this message and with your help, I am confident that Vice
    President Cheney and I will be reelected.
        A good reason to put me back in office is to make sure Laura has 4
    more years as the First Lady.
        Audience member. We love Laura!
        The President. Yes, you love Laura, and I
    love Laura. [Laughter]
        When you're out there gathering the vote, make sure you tell people
    that I put together a fantastic administration to serve the American
    people, people from all walks of life, people who have come to our
    Nation's Capital to serve the people, not their self-interest. I'm proud
    to be running with a fine Vice President, Dick Cheney.
        And I appreciate the team we put together, starting with the RNC
    chairman, Ed Gillespie. He's a fine guy. I told
    Ed when he took the job, I said I want him reaching out to people from
    all walks of life. I want him to understand our message is so optimistic
    and hopeful that people, regardless of their political party, are going
    to like what they hear, that we've got to keep working with everybody in
    this country. I appreciate the fact that his wife, Cathy, has taken a strong lead in the campaign as well. She's
    working for ``W Stands for Women.''
        I appreciate so very much the leadership that Al Hoffman has provided to make sure that the Republican National
    Committee is well funded. I want to thank Ann Wagner as the cochairman. I appreciate my friend Mercer
    Reynolds for being the Victory 2004 finance
    chairman. He got bumped up. He was the finance chairman for Bush-Cheney.
    He did such a good job that we moved him up to the Victory committee.
        I want to thank all my friends who are seated on the stage here for
    working hard. I want to thank you all for coming. As Ed said, this is a
    record night. It wouldn't have happened without you. It's important to
    have enough fuel to make sure that the grassroots are activated as we
    come down the stretch next fall. That's what we're here to talk about.
        I've got some members of my administration here tonight--fine
    Cabinet Secretaries Gale Norton, Ann
    Veneman, Tommy Thompson, and Spence Abraham. These
    people are doing a superb job on behalf of the American citizens, and
    I'm proud to call them Cabinet members in the Bush administration.
        We've got a fantastic Congress right now. We've got great leadership
    in Bill Frist and Speaker Denny Hastert. I'm proud to be working with them. I not only want
    to make sure I find work after November--[laughter]--but I want them in
    power too. They made a big difference to this country.

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        I know that Senator George Allen is with us
    tonight from the great State of Virginia. I know my friend from the
    great State of Texas, Tom DeLay, is with us
    tonight. Majority Whip Roy Blunt from Missouri is
    with us. I want to thank Roy for being here. Congresswoman Deborah
    Pryce is with us as well, as are many other
    Members of the United States Congress.
        I also want to thank my friend Collin Raye,
    a fantastic artist who has agreed to entertain, and I'm proud that he
    has come as well.
        These last 3 years have brought serious challenges to this Nation,
    and we have given serious answers to those challenges. When we came to
    office, the stock market was declining, and this economy of ours was
    headed into a recession. But we acted. We delivered historic tax relief
    for the American people, and now our economy is the fastest growing of
    any major industrialized nation.
        We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we
    pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed
    many of the key Al Qaida leaders, and the rest of them will learn this:
    There is no cave or hole deep enough to hide from American justice.
        We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror and the spread
    of weapons of mass destruction, so we ended two of the most violent and
    dangerous regimes on Earth. We liberated over 50 million people. And
    once again, America is proud to stand against tyranny and to set nations
    free.
        When Dick Cheney and I came to office, we
    found a military that was underfunded and underappreciated, so we acted.
    Along with the Congress, we gave our military the resources and respect
    they deserve. And today, no one can question the skill and the strength
    and the spirit of the United States military.
        It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
    to future Presidents and future generations. Great events will turn on
    this election. The man who sits in the Oval Office will set the course
    of the war on terror and the direction of our economy. The security and
    prosperity of America are at stake.
        I'm running against a tough opponent. We
    should not take him lightly. He's an experienced Senator who has built
    up quite a record. [Laughter] He's been in Washington long enough to
    take both sides on just about every issue. [Laughter] He voted for the
    PATRIOT Act, for NAFTA, for the No Child Left Behind Act, and for the
    use of force in Iraq. Now he opposes the PATRIOT Act, NAFTA, the No
    Child Left Behind Act, and the liberation of Iraq. My opponent's
    positions on these issues reminded me of a saying we have in Texas about
    the weather. [Laughter] If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes,
    and it will change. [Laughter]
        He has an interesting way of saying things.
    You know we're both out looking for votes and endorsements. As you might
    know, he claims he picked up some important endorsements among foreign
    leaders. [Laughter] He just won't tell us who they are. [Laughter] He
    did drop a hint a few weeks ago on TV. He said, ``What I said is true. I
    mean, you can go to New York City, and you can be in a restaurant, and
    you can meet a foreign leader.'' End quote. [Laughter] I got a hunch
    this whole thing might be a case of mistaken identity. [Laughter] Just
    because somebody has an accent--[laughter]--and a nice suit--
    [laughter]--and a good table--[laughter]--it doesn't make him a foreign
    leader. [Laughter] Whoever these mystery men are, they won't be deciding
    the election. The voters will be deciding the election.
        The voters will have a clear choice in this campaign. It's a choice
    between keeping the tax relief that is moving this economy forward or
    putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people. It's a
    choice between an America that leads the world with strength and
    confidence or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger.

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        You know, thus far in the campaign we haven't heard much in the way
    of strategies from the other side to win the war on terror or to expand
    our economy. So far we've heard bitterness and outbursts instead of calm
    debate. The American people understand that anger is not an agenda for
    the future of America. I will take on the big issues with optimism and
    resolve and determination, and I will make it clear that we stand ready
    to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. A big issue for every family in America is the
    Federal tax burden. With the largest tax relief since Ronald
    Reagan was the President, we have left more
    money in the hands that earned it. By spending and investing and helping
    to create new jobs, the American people have used their money far better
    than the Government would have.
        The entrepreneurial spirit in this country is strong. The economy
    grew at a strong rate of 4.2 percent in the first quarter. The economic
    growth over the past three quarters has been the fastest in nearly two
    decades. In March, the economy added 308,000 new jobs, the highest
    monthly job growth total in nearly 4 years. Since August, our economy
    has added over three-quarters of a million jobs. Across America,
    manufacturing activity is increasing. Business investment is rising.
    Disposable income is up. Mortgage and interest rates are near historic
    lows. Homeownership is at the highest rate ever. The tax relief, the
    pro-economic stimulus plan we passed is working.
        There's a clear difference in this campaign about taxes. My
    opponent opposed the child--increase in the child
    credit, reducing the marriage penalty. He voted ``no'' when it came to
    creating a lower 10-percent rate for working families. He was against
    the stimulus package for small businesses. Yet, when it comes to
    increasing taxes, he's got a real record. [Laughter] It's a clear
    record. He's voted over 350 times for increased taxes on the American
    people. He supported higher gas taxes 11 times. He once favored an
    increase of 50 cents a gallon at the gas pump on the American people.
    That would cost the average driver $5 or more every time you fill up
    your tank. For that kind of money, you'd think he'd throw in a free car
    wash. [Laughter]
        Campaigns can be dangerous when it comes to spending somebody else's
    money. It's easy to make promises. My opponent
    thus far has promised $1.9 trillion of new money, new expenditures. And
    we're just getting started in the campaign. [Laughter] Six months ago,
    he said he's going to pay for it by raising taxes on the rich. But that
    wouldn't even get him half the money he needs. He's got what I call a
    ``tax gap.'' [Laughter] He needs a lot of money to pay for his promises.
    And given his record, we know where that money will come from. It will
    come from working people in America. It will come from people trying to
    raise their families. It will come from small-business owners. The good
    news: He's not going to have that chance to raise taxes on the American
    people.
        I have a better idea. We must keep taxes low. We should not raise
    taxes on the American people. We must do more to keep this economy
    growing, to create jobs. We need spending discipline here in the
    Nation's Capital. I look forward to working with Congress to bring much-
    needed discipline when it comes to spending your money. I have a plan to
    protect small-business owners and employees from frivolous lawsuits and
    needless regulation.
        We must help control the cost of health care by giving people better
    access to affordable health care through association health plans and
    tax-free health savings accounts. Congress needs to pass medical
    liability reform to make sure that costs are lower.
        In order to make sure we're strong, in order to make sure we can
    grow, in order to make sure people can find work, we

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    need an energy policy in America, an energy policy that promotes
    conservation, alternative sources of energy, an energy policy that
    promotes clean coal technology, an energy policy that encourages
    environmentally friendly exploration for natural gas. One thing is for
    certain: We need to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        In order to make sure we grow and people can find work, this country
    must be confident about our ability to compete in the world. We need to
    knock down trade barriers. We need to open up new markets around the
    world for America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers. Empty talk
    about jobs and economic isolationism will not get anyone hired. The way
    to create jobs is to reelect a pro-growth, pro-small-business, pro-
    entrepreneur President, George W. Bush.
        Our future also depends on America's leadership in the world. The
    momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face serious
    dangers. Al Qaida is wounded but not broken. Terrorists are testing our
    will in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and Iran are
    challenging the peace. If America shows weakness and uncertainty in this
    decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
    watch.
        This Nation is strong and confident in the cause of freedom. Today,
    no friend or enemy doubts the word of the United States. America and our
    allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in Afghanistan. The
    Taliban chose defiance, and the Taliban are no longer in power. America
    and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in Iraq. The
    dictator chose defiance, and now the dictator sits in a prison cell.
        September the 11th, 2001, taught a lesson I will never forget and
    America must never forget: America must confront threats before they
    fully materialize. In my administration, we looked at the intelligence,
    and we saw a threat in Iraq. The United States Congress looked at the
    intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council
    looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat.
        In 2002, the U.N. Security Council yet again demanded a full
    accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons
    programs. You see, we all understood that he had used weapons of mass
    destruction before. We remembered that he had terrorist ties. We
    remembered that he attacked countries in his neighborhood. We remembered
    clearly that he paid suiciders to go kill innocent Israelis. We
    remembered the nature of Saddam Hussein. But he chose defiance. He
    defied the demands of the free world. So I had a choice to make: Either
    take the word of a madman, or defend this country. Given that choice, I
    will defend America every time.
        My opponent admits that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat. He just didn't support
    my decision to remove Saddam from power. Maybe he was hoping Saddam
    would lose the next Iraqi election. [Laughter] We showed the dictator
    and a watching world that America means what it says. Because our
    coalition acted, Saddam's torture chambers are closed. Because we acted,
    Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we acted, nations
    like Libya got the message and have voluntarily disarmed. Because we
    acted, an example of democracy is rising at the very heart of the Middle
    East. Because we acted, the world is more free, and America is more
    secure.
        We still face serious and continuing challenges in Iraq. These have
    been tough times for the American people. I understand that. See, we're
    facing illegal militias and remnants of a regime who are joined by
    foreign terrorists. They're trying to take force by power that they
    could never gain by the ballot. They know that a free Iraq will be a
    major defeat in the war on terror. They hate freedom. They can't stand
    the thought of free societies growing up in the Middle East. These
    groups find little support among the Iraqi people, and they will

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    find no success in their attempts to shake the will of America. They
    don't understand our country. America will never be intimidated by thugs
    and assassins.
        We have a clear strategy in Iraq. We're working hard to ensure an
    atmosphere of security as Iraqis move toward self-government. We support
    the efforts of local Iraqis to disarm the radicals in their country. We
    stand with those brave souls who want their country to be free and
    peaceful. We made it clear to militias in Najaf and elsewhere to disarm
    or face grave consequences. Our forces are in position. Our forces are
    on the move. Our forces are on the offense. We will enforce order in
    Iraq.
        And as we do so, we will return sovereignty to the people of Iraq on
    a schedule that we agreed to. Like any proud people, Iraqis want to
    manage their own affairs. On June 30th, a sovereign Iraqi interim
    government will take office. We will pass sovereignty. We will stay and
    stand with those people as a free country emerges. These aren't easy
    tasks for our country, but they're essential tasks. America will finish
    what we have begun, and we will win this victory in the war on terror.
        On national security, Americans have a clear choice. My
    opponent says he approves of bold action in the
    world, but only if other countries do not object. [Laughter] I'm for
    united action. We've put together coalitions to help bring the peace in
    Afghanistan. More than 30 coalition partners are in Iraq right now. But
    I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders
    of other countries.
        We have a difference about this war on terror. My opponent said the war on terror is far less of a military
    operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law enforcement
    operation.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I disagree. Our Nation followed this approach after
    the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was handled in the
    courts and thought by some to be settled. Yet, the terrorists were still
    training in Afghanistan. They were still plotting in other nations. They
    were drawing up more ambitious plans.
        After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough
    to serve our enemies with legal papers. With those attacks, the
    terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States of
    America, and war is what they got.
        Winning this war requires steadfast resolve. Winning this war
    requires clear purpose. Winning this war requires us to give our troops
    the best equipment in the world. That's why I proposed an $87 billion
    supplemental last fall. I want our troops to have the best. My
    opponent voted against that bill, and here's what
    he said: ``I actually did vote for the 87 billion, before I voted
    against it.'' [Laughter] The American President must speak clearly and
    mean what he says, if the world is to be more peaceful.
        We've got a great military. We've got fantastic men and women
    serving our Nation. They're taking great risks, and they're doing
    excellent work. At bases across our country and the world, I have had
    the privilege of meeting with those who defend our country and sacrifice
    for our security. I've seen their great decency and unselfish courage,
    and I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in good
    hands.
        This Nation is prosperous and strong. Yet we need to remember that
    our greatest strength is in the hearts and souls of the American people.
    We are strong because of the values we try to live by, courage and
    compassion, reverence and integrity. We're strong because of the
    institutions that help give us direction and purpose, families and
    schools and our religious congregations. This is a fabulous nation
    because of the people of this Nation. I'm constantly amazed by the
    generous acts of kindness and decency and compassion that take place on
    a daily basis in our country.

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    We've got people mentoring children, feeding the hungry, finding shelter
    for the homeless, providing love for the lonely. And it all happens not
    because of government but because of the compassion of the American
    people.
        I see the culture of our country changing. It's changing from one
    that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and, ``If you've got a
    problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us
    understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. If
    you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you are responsible
    for loving your child with all your heart. If you're worried about the
    quality of the education in the community in which you live, you are
    responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate
    America, you are responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders
    and your employees. And in the responsibility society, each of us is
    responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved
    ourselves.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
    expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. You and I are
    living in a period when the stakes are high, when challenges are
    difficult, a time when firm resolve is needed.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. On September 14, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers.
    It's a day I will never forget. I remember a guy pointed at me and said,
    ``Don't let me down.'' Workers in hardhats, policemen, and firefighters
    were shouting, ``Whatever it takes.'' As we all did that day, these men
    and women searching through the rubble took it personally. I took it
    personally. I have a responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in
    bringing justice to our enemies. I will defend our country, whatever it
    takes.
        In these times, I have also been witness to the character of this
    Nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American
    character, our capacity to meet serious challenges or to serve a cause
    greater than self-interest. Americans have given their answer. I've seen
    the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the heroism of Americans
    in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of service and compassion
    that runs so deep in our country. We've all seen our Nation unite in
    common purpose when it mattered most. We will need all these qualities
    for the work ahead.
        I'm running because there's more work to do. We have a war to win.
    And the world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and peace.
    We have a duty to spread opportunity to every part of America. We have
    an obligation to work together to make this country safer and stronger
    and better. This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome
    it. And we know that for our great land, the best days lie ahead.
        Thank you for coming. May God bless. Thank you all. Thank you all
    very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:40 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park
    Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Ed Gillespie, chairman, Republican
    National Committee, and his wife, Cathy; Al Hoffman, finance chairman,
    Ann Wagner, cochair, and Mercer Reynolds, Victory 2004 national finance
    chairman, Republican National Committee; country music entertainer
    Collin Raye; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

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