    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 4, 2004]
    [Pages 754-761]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Lebanon, Ohio
    May 4, 2004

        Thank you all for coming. I'm proud to be the first sitting
    President to have visited here. I am--actually, I'm a standing President
    today. [Laughter]
        I'll tell you why I'm here. I want to--I'm here to tell you I want
    to be your President for 4 more years. I see clearly where we need to go
    in order to make this country safer and stronger and better,

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    and I need your help. I need you to find people to register to vote. I
    need you to turn out the vote. I need you to put up the signs. I need
    you to do your duty as Americans and vote, and when you do, I'll be
    reelected, thanks to your help.
        Rob told me 11 other Presidents have visited
    the Golden Lamb. None of them came on a bus like this. [Laughter] I
    don't think so, do you?
        I really appreciate my friends here in Ohio. This is an important
    State. And it's the State that we're going to work hard to earn the
    confidence of the people from all walks of life. But it's going to
    require a good grassroots effort in order for us to get the message out.
    I want you to make sure you tell your friends and neighbors--it doesn't
    matter what their political party is--that our message and our vision is
    one that is positive and hopeful and optimistic for every single
    American. That's what we believe.
        I regret that Laura is not here today. I know
    it. You drew the short straw. [Laughter] You know, I really got lucky
    when she said yes. She is a fabulous wife, a great mother, and she's
    doing a wonderful job as the First Lady of this country. I think she
    deserves 4 more years.
        I want--as you get out and gather the vote, remind people that it's
    the President's job to surround himself with excellence, to put a good
    team together on behalf of the American people. I've assembled a great
    Cabinet and a great administration, people from all walks of life,
    people from different backgrounds, people who have come to Washington,
    DC, to serve our Nation and not their self-interest. We've had no finer
    Vice President of the United States than Dick Cheney. Mother heard me say that one
    time. She said, ``Wait a minute, Buster.'' [Laughter]
        No, I'm proud of my team. And I'm proud of working with the Members
    of Congress. You got a fine Congressman in Rob Portman. I didn't know he was an innkeeper. [Laughter] But he's a
    great guy, an honest fellow, a smart person, a person who cares deeply
    for the people of Ohio. I traveled today down from Dayton with
    Congressman Mike Turner, who's doing a
    fine job as well. I appreciate you coming, Congressman Turner.
        I appreciate Lieutenant Governor Jennette Bradley, who is with us today, and State Treasurer Joe
    Deters. I want to thank the members of the
    statehouse who are here.
        I appreciate the mayor came out today, Amy Brewer. Madam Mayor. She didn't ask for any advice, but I'm going
    to give her some. [Laughter] Fill the potholes, Mayor. [Laughter] And
    thank you for your service.
        I want to thank my friend Jo Ann Davidson, who is my regional chairman, a former speaker of the
    house of Ohio.
        I understand Anthony Munoz is here. Where
    is Anthony? Anthony, como esta? Good to see you again, buddy. Thank you
    for coming. What a class act he is. He's a person who understands that a
    responsible citizen is somebody who puts something back in the community
    in which they live. And I'm proud to call you friend, Anthony. Thank you
    for coming.
        I want to thank all the people who care about your country and
    decided to participate in the political process. It's really important.
    It's important for citizens to understand we have a duty in democracy to
    participate. I hope you go out and gather people to the polls. You might
    suggest they vote for me when you do, and tell them I've got a reason.
    Look, I'm here asking for the vote. The reason I've come here is I want
    people to know I want to be your President. I take nothing for granted.
    I'm here to say I need your help and want your help to lead this country
    for 4 more years.
        I'm seeking the endorsement of the people. I'm running against the--
    and it's going to be a tough campaign, by the way. We're not going to
    take anything for granted, and neither should you. I'm running for a
    fellow who's got a lot of experience. He's been

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    in Washington an awful long time--so long, he's taken about--both sides
    of just about every issue. [Laughter] That's called Washingtonitis.
        And he's seeking the endorsements too. As you
    might remember, he claims to have picked up some important endorsements
    from foreign leaders. He just won't give us their names. Here's what he
    said about that one question. He said, ``What I said is true.'' He said,
    ``I mean, you can go to New York City, and you can be in a restaurant,
    and you can meet a foreign leader.'' That's what he said when one of the
    big-time reporters asked him about it. I've got a hunch this whole thing
    might be a case of mistaken identity. [Laughter] Just because somebody
    has an accent or a nice suit or a good table in New York City, it
    doesn't make him a foreign leader. Whoever these mystery men are, they
    will not be deciding the election. I'm here to ask for the endorsement
    not of foreign leaders but of the American people.
        And I've got a reason. I've got a job to make this country a safer
    country. My job is to do everything in our power to protect the American
    people from an enemy which is coldblooded, an enemy that has no
    conscience, an enemy which struck us on September the 11th. We have
    rallied together as a Nation. We're doing everything we can to protect
    our homeland. Our ports are more secure. The borders are better off.
    It's harder to get through an airport these days, I fully understand.
    After all, they're looking inside your shoes, but it's for a reason.
    It's to make sure that we do everything we can to protect the homeland.
    But the best way to protect America is to stay on the offensive and
    bring these killers to justice, one person at a time.
        It's important for the President and future President to understand
    the nature of the war we face. This is more than a war that requires law
    enforcement and intelligence. That's what some people have said. That's
    the attitude we took after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. We
    served some legal papers, and some thought the matter was settled. But
    the enemy was still planning, and they were plotting, and they were
    training. After the carnage of September the 11th, you need to have a
    President who understands you can't win this war with legal papers.
    We've got to use every asset at our disposal.
        The terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war
    is what they got. And we're making good progress. We're chasing them
    down. We've got a lot of friends on the hunt. We're cutting off their
    money. We're sharing intelligence. We've got some fantastic military
    troops on the hunt for them. Two-thirds of known Al Qaida leaders have
    been brought to justice, and the rest of them can feel us breathing down
    their neck.
        You've got to have a President who understands the nature of the
    war. It's essential that we not show any weakness. We must be determined
    and strong and unrelenting in our search for those who would do harm to
    the American people. The war on terror is more than just chasing down Al
    Qaida. The war on terror is enforcing doctrine. It's essential that when
    an American President speaks, he speak clearly and, when he says
    something, means what he says.
        When I said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as
    the terrorist,'' I meant what I said. When a President says something,
    it must be clear, and it must be meaningful. In order to keep the peace,
    there must be truth in the words of the President. The Taliban found out
    what I meant. Thanks to our troops and our coalition members, we routed
    the Taliban from power. And Afghanistan is no longer a training base for
    Al Qaida.
        Part of the war on terror was making sure Al Qaida couldn't train
    there. Part of the war on terror is to spread freedom in places like
    Afghanistan. I want you to remember what life was like for little girls
    in Afghanistan before we arrived. The Taliban were so barbaric and so
    backwards,

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    so corrupt in their vision, that young girls--many young girls never
    received an education. Thanks to the United States of America and our
    brave troops, thanks to our friends and our coalition, not only did we
    rout the Taliban and America is more safe, we routed out a Government.
    And now young girls have got hope and optimism for their future.
        A President must understand the world the way it is. And after
    September the 11th, this country needs to have a President who
    understands that when we see a threat, we must take it seriously before
    it materializes. When a President sees a threat, he just can't hope it
    goes away. He just can't hope that somehow the--a tyrant will change his
    mind.
        I saw a threat in Iraq.* I looked at the intelligence and saw a
    threat. The Congress looked at the intelligence. Members of both
    political parties looked at that same intelligence and saw a threat. The
    United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a
    threat. The United Nations Security Council, like me, remembered--we saw
    more than a threat. We remembered that Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction against his own
    people and against his neighborhood, that Saddam Hussein professed
    hatred for America, that he had terrorist ties, that he paid suiciders
    to kill innocent citizens in the Middle East. We remembered all that.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
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        And so we went to the United Nations, and the United Nations agreed
    with America when, unanimously, the Security Council said, ``Disarm, or
    face serious consequences.'' When America speaks, we must mean what we
    say. We said, ``Disarm, or face serious consequences.'' Saddam
    Hussein, as he had for a decade, defied the
    demands of the free world. So I had a choice to make: Either trust the
    word of a madman, or defend America. Given that choice, I will defend
    America every time.
        The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power. Because we acted, torture chambers are
    closed. Because we acted, democracy is rising in the heart of the Middle
    East. Because we said something and did what we said, countries like
    Libya got the message and voluntarily disarmed. Because we acted,
    America is more secure, and the world is more peaceful.
        There's hard work still to do, and like you, I mourn the loss of
    every life. And like you, I recognize how difficult the work in Iraq is.
    It's essential that we implement our strategy for the sake of long-term
    peace and freedom. You see, free societies are peaceful societies.
        I also know that freedom is in the soul of every human being.
    Freedom isn't America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's
    gift to every man and woman in this world.
        The Iraqi people long to be free. The Iraqi people want to self-
    govern. But there are thugs and assassins who want to stop the march to
    freedom. That's what you're seeing on your television screens. You're
    seeing a few killers trying to halt the progress of freedom because they
    understand that freedom will be a major defeat in the cause against
    terror. Terrorists can't stand free societies. Terrorists understand the
    power of freedom just like Americans understand the power of freedom.
    This country will finish what we have begun. We will see that Iraq is
    free and self-governing and democratic. We will accomplish our mission.
    We will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
        I'm running because I understand the historic opportunity we have.
    It's an historic moment to help change the world. I believe, as the
    strongest nation on the face of the Earth, we have a duty and an
    obligation to spread freedom, to resist tyranny, to help people from all
    walks of life realize their ambition. And I know that by fulfilling that
    duty, by using our strength and our

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    influence, by spreading freedom, that we will leave behind a legacy of
    peace for our children and for our children's children. This is the
    course that history has put before us, the challenge that history has
    put before us. We welcome it. We do not shirk our duty. We welcome our
    duty.
        There is a difference of opinion, when it comes to that duty, in
    foreign policy. My opponent says he approves of bold action in the world
    but only if other countries do not object. I believe strongly in
    alliances. I believe strongly in working with other nations that share
    the same values we share, that understand the need for freedom and peace
    to be spread throughout the world. But I will never turn over America's
    national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
        I'm running because I have a vision for a stronger America that's
    based on a strong economy. I understand the role of Government is not to
    create wealth but an environment in which the entrepreneurial spirit
    flourishes. I understand the job of Government is to empower people to
    realize their dreams. You see, we have a difference of opinion in this
    race, the role of the Federal Government versus the role of the private
    individual.
        We went through tough economic times. We've been through a recession
    and a war and a national emergency and corporate scandals. But I
    understood that in order to come out of these tough economic times, the
    best thing to do is not to increase the size and scope of the Federal
    Government, but the best thing to do is to let people keep more of their
    own money. In order to grow the economy, when people have more money,
    they demand--the cornerstone of our pro-growth economic policy is to
    trust the people of America with their own money. We're not spending the
    Government's money in Washington, DC. It's your money, and when you have
    more money in your pocket, this economy will grow and expand.
        I like to say that the numbers look good. First quarter economic
    growth was strong. Jobs are now being created in Ohio. They're being
    created nationwide. More people own their home than in a long period of
    time. Homeownership rate is the highest ever. More minorities are owning
    their own home. People are starting their own business. It is clear that
    the economic stimulus package we passed is working. It is clear that
    people are spending their money far wiser than the Federal Government
    would have.
        And the fundamental question in this campaign is how do we make sure
    the economy continues to grow? How do we make sure America is the best
    place in the world to do business? How do we make sure we're the leader
    in the world? Let me give you some ideas.
        First, we've got to make sure we're wise with the people's money.
    We've got to make sure that we don't run your taxes up. The worst time
    to raise taxes on the American people would be right now. I'm running
    against a fellow who's made over a trillion
    dollars of promises in this campaign, and we're only getting started.
    We've got 6 months to go, and he's already over a trillion. I can't
    imagine what it's going to be like next October. And the problem is, he
    said he's going to pay for it by taxing the rich. That's code word.
    That's the way they talk in Washington. There's not enough money. You
    can't tax the rich enough to pay for his promises. Guess who he's going
    to tax? He's going to tax me and you. You're going to pay for this. He's
    either going to break his promises on these new spending increases,
    which I don't think he'll do, or he's going to tax the American people,
    which I will think he'll do.
        This is a terrible time to raise taxes on the American people. You
    need to put me in office for 4 more years so your taxes won't go up.
        We've got to make sure that we've got good trade policy in this
    country. You hear a lot of talk about ideas that would isolate

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    us from the world. I think that would be a disaster. If we want to be
    competitive in the long run, we don't want to be isolated. We just want
    to have a chance to compete.
        Presidents before me have opened up the United States for foreign
    goods because it's good for consumers. If you've got more goods coming
    in, it gives you more products from which to choose and helps you get a
    better price for something you want to buy. The problem is we haven't
    had other countries open up their markets like ours. In order for us to
    be competitive, in order for us to be--for people to be able to find
    work in the short term and the long term, you need you a President who
    will continue to open up foreign markets so we can compete. Just give us
    a chance to compete. We've got the best workers in the world. We've got
    the best farmers in the world. ``Open up those markets,'' is what we're
    saying, ``and give us a chance to compete, and this economy will
    continue to grow and expand.''
        If we want to compete in the long term, we need tort reform. There's
    too many frivolous and junk lawsuits that are making it hard for small
    businesses to expand and grow. We need medical liability reform in this
    country in order to control the cost of health care. We need health
    savings accounts and association health care plans. Look, we need to
    make sure the patient and the doctor are the center of the health care
    system in the world, not Federal bureaucracies.
        If we want to be competitive and strong, if we want our people to be
    able to find work, you better get you a President who understands we
    need to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. I've laid
    out a strong energy strategy that's stuck in the United States Senate.
    It's an energy policy that encourages alternative sources of energy.
    It's an energy policy that encourages conservation. But it's an energy
    policy that's realistic too. We need clean coal technology. We need
    clean nuclear power. We need to become less dependent on foreign sources
    of energy if we want this economy to grow.
        Finally, if we want to be smart, if we want to be the leading
    country in the world when it comes to growth so people can work, we got
    to be better--we've got to be smarter about how we educate our people. I
    mean, this No Child Left Behind Act I signed is a good start. I look
    forward to debate on educational excellence. See, this bill is one that
    says we're going to raise the standards, not lower the standards. This
    is a bill that says we believe every child can learn, not just a few.
    This is a bill that says we expect the very best. This is a bill that
    says we're going to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations.
        You see, if you believe every child can learn, then you want to
    know; you want to see. This is a bill that says, ``For increased Federal
    dollars, you measure. You get to run your schools''--I believe in local
    control of schools--``but you measure.'' You show us whether or not
    every child is learning to read. And if we find they're not, parents
    need different choices. When we find that children aren't learning to
    read, we'll change the curriculum. When we find children stuck in
    schools that won't teach and won't change, we can demand something
    better. We've got to insist that no child be left behind in America.
        And good policy also understands a vision for the future sees
    clearly the need to use our community college system to train workers
    for the jobs which actually exist. You see, we've got a lot of people
    who want to work, and there are new jobs being created in our economy,
    what they call the jobs of the 21st century. But they don't have the
    skills necessary to fill those jobs. This country must expedite, must
    help, must pay for through Pell grants and other assistance programs,
    training--programs to train workers for jobs which actually exist.
        Sure, there's some jobs leaving, and that breaks our hearts. But
    there's new jobs being created--better paying, higher-quality

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    jobs. And we have a duty to help train workers to meet those jobs. No, a
    vision for the future is one that understands that in order for us to
    compete, we've got to be the best place for people to do business. And
    the best place means good tax policy, good regulatory policy, and an
    educated workforce to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
        And finally, you need to put me back in office because I understand
    the true strength of this country is in the hearts and souls of our
    citizens. We talk a lot about our military being the strength of
    America, and it's an important part of our strength. And by the way, I
    intend to keep the military strong. And if you have a loved one in the
    military, you thank him on behalf of a grateful Commander in Chief. And
    we'll continue to push progrowth policies so that we're a wealthy
    nation. But the strength of this country is the fact that we've got
    citizens who are willing to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be
    loved themselves. The strength of this country is the fact that there
    are thousands and thousands of citizens who are willing to take time out
    of their life to help somebody who hurts, to help the lonely, to feed
    the hungry, to find shelter for the homeless.
        You see, the great fabric of America is made up of the thousands
    acts of kindness and generosity that take place on a daily basis, not
    because Government has said to do so but because they've heard a call
    that is bigger than Government. They understand that a responsible
    citizen is one that reaches out to somebody who hurts. The job of the
    President is to capture and lift that spirit, is to call people to a
    service greater than self, is to help change this country one heart, one
    soul, one conscience at a time by rallying and tapping the true strength
    of the country, which is the hearts and souls of the American people.
        Linda Rabolt is here today. She works for
    the Interfaith Hospitality Network. [Applause] That's good. Some of you
    heard about Linda. They work at churches in this community to serve 41
    families. You see, they saw somebody who hurt, and they reached out to
    them. They're showing what it means to love a neighbor.
        Here's what she said about serving the
    homeless: ``It's not that they don't have needs and desires and dreams.
    They're just down on their luck.'' See, Linda sees a better day--a
    better day. She sees a bright future. ``It's rewarding to be a part of
    their lives,'' she says, ``and to watch them to grow and change and move
    on.''
        That's the spirit of this country, isn't it? What a fabulous country
    we have, a country that's resolute and determined, a country that's
    resolute never to give in to an enemy that hates us, determined to do
    what it takes to make the world more peaceful, a country that is
    compassionate and decent when it comes to making sure the future is
    bright for every single citizen. And it is such an honor--such a high
    honor--to be the President of such a fantastic land.
        I thank you for your support. I thank you for your friendship. May
    God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of
    America. Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. at the Golden Lamb Inn. In his
    remarks, he referred to Lt. Gov. Jennette Bradley and State Treasurer
    Joseph T. Deters of Ohio; Mayor Amy Brewer of Lebanon, OH; Jo Ann
    Davidson, Ohio Valley regional chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; pro
    football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz; and former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq.

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