    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [March 8, 2004]
    [Pages 335-341]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Houston, Texas
    March 8, 2004

        Thank you all. Go ahead and be seated--[laughter]--unless you don't
    have a seat. Thanks for a great Houston welcome. I'm so glad to be back
    home. Nothing like a

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    weekend in Texas to kind of refresh the soul. By the way, if you see
    41, tell him I was asking about him--
    [laughter]--or Mother, over there at the Rice
    Epicurean. [Laughter] I do want to thank you all for being so kind to
    Mother and Dad. They love Houston. They love the citizens of Houston.
    They're proud to call this place home, just like I'm proud to call Texas
    home.
        I'm feeling pretty good about my chances in Texas. [Laughter] But
    I'm not going to take anything for granted. With your help, Texas is
    going to be the cornerstone for a national victory in November of this
    year. Vice President Cheney and I are looking
    forward to working here in Texas to get as many votes as we can get. If
    you think about the Vice President, I picked the right man. Dick Cheney
    is doing a great job. I like to tell people, Vice President Cheney is
    the greatest Vice President the country has ever had. One time
    Mother said, ``Wait a minute.'' [Laughter]
        I married the greatest First Lady the country
    has ever had--Mother included. [Laughter] Laura
    sends her love. I'm really proud of her. She is steady and strong,
    decent and compassionate. I'm lucky she said, yes when I said, ``Will
    you marry me?''
        I'm proud to be here with Rich Kinder and
    Nancy. I want to thank them for their loyal
    friendship. He said, 4 years ago he introduced me. He's been introducing
    me for years and years and years, and I'm grateful for that.
        I'm proud to be here with the great Governor of the State of Texas,
    Rick Perry. He's doing a fine job for the people
    of Texas, all the people of Texas.
        We're blessed to have a great congressional delegation in
    Washington. I take great comfort in knowing that Kay Bailey
    Hutchison represents the State of
    Texas. She's a leader on the Senate floor. If you need to get anything
    done in the Senate, you give Kay Bailey a holler. [Laughter] I'm also
    proud that John Cornyn is representing our State
    so well in the United States Senate.
        Tom DeLay can deliver the vote. We've had a
    great record of accomplishment, working together. But make no mistake
    about it, this guy can deliver the vote in the House of Representatives,
    and the country is better off for it.
        Joe Barton is with us tonight. I want to
    thank Joe for coming. He's a Congressman from up north--that is, north
    of Texas. [Laughter] Kevin Brady is with us.
    Congressman Brady, thank you for coming. Congressman
    Culberson is here from the great city of
    Houston. I'm honored you're here, John. Congressman
    Neugebauer from Lubbock is with us today
    too. Randy, thank you for coming. You're probably wondering why the
    Congressman from Lubbock came all the way over to Houston to hear me
    speak. He heard Air Force One is flying back to Washington after the
    speech. [Laughter] I think you'll like the accommodations. [Laughter]
        I'm proud of my friend Fred Meyer for being
    the State finance chairman for the State of Texas. Thank you, Fred, and
    Jeanne Johnson Phillips. My friend
    Mercer Reynolds, the national finance
    chairman--he's from Cincinnati, Ohio. We let him come into Texas anyway.
    [Laughter] And he's doing a great job. I'm proud of Mercer and proud of
    you all, for all of you have worked hard, particularly this cast of
    characters sitting on the stage. I want to thank you from the bottom of
    my heart for being good friends and for helping us prepare for what's
    going to be a good, strong campaign.
        I finally got an opponent. [Laughter] And I called him last Tuesday to congratulate him, and I told him I'm
    looking forward to a spirited campaign. It's going to be an interesting
    debate on the issues. He spent two decades in Washington, and he's built
    up quite a record. Senator Kerry has been in Washington long enough to
    take both sides on just about every issue.

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    [Laughter] Senator Kerry 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 clearly has strong beliefs. They just
    don't last very long. [Laughter]
        The voters have a very clear choice between keeping the tax relief
    that is moving this economy forward or putting the burden of higher
    taxes back on the American people. They have a clear choice between an
    America that leads the world with strength and confidence or an America
    that is uncertain in the face of danger. I look forward to putting these
    alternatives squarely before the American people. I look forward to this
    campaign.
        We've achieved great things the last 3 years, and I look forward to
    telling the American people that. But most importantly, we have a
    positive vision for the years ahead, a positive vision for winning the
    war against terror and for extending peace and freedom throughout our
    world, a positive vision for creating jobs and promoting opportunity and
    compassion here at home. We'll leave no doubt where we stand, and come
    November, we'll be reelected for 4 more years.
        The last 3 years have brought serious challenges, and we have given
    serious answers. We came to office with the stock market in decline, and
    our economy was heading into 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 had to confront corporate crimes that cost people their jobs and
    their savings, so we passed strong corporate reforms and made it very
    clear, we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
        We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we
    pursued the enemy across the world. We've captured or killed many of the
    key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest will learn 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 freed over 50 million people. And once
    again, America is proud to lead the armies of liberation.
        When Dick Cheney and I came to office, we
    found a military that was underfunded and underappreciated. We gave our
    military the resources and respect they deserve. And today, no one in
    the world can doubt the strength and the skill and the spirit of the
    United States military.
        When we came to office, people had gotten used to gridlock, and old
    problems were used to score points. Old problems were politicized and
    debated and then just passed on from year to year. We came to the
    Nation's Capital to get some things done for the people. We passed major
    reforms to raise the standards in public schools. We passed reforms in
    Medicare to give prescription drugs and choices to seniors. We chose to
    lead, and we have delivered for the American people.
        It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
    to future Presidents or future generations. A President must stand up,
    make tough decisions, and keep his commitments. And that is how I will
    continue to lead our great Nation. 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.
        My opponent hasn't offered much in the way of
    strategies to win the war or policies to expand our economy. So far all
    we hear from the other side is a lot of old bitterness and partisan
    anger. Anger is not an agenda for the future of America. I'll take on
    the big issues with optimism and resolve and determination. Dick
    Cheney and I will

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    make it clear to this country, we are ready to lead our Nation for 4
    more years.
        A big issue for every family in America is the Federal tax burden.
    With the biggest--with the largest tax relief since Ronald
    Reagan was the President, we've left more
    money in the hands that earned it. By spending and investing and helping
    create new jobs, the American people have used their money far better
    than the Federal Government could have.
        Because we acted, the economy is growing stronger. The economy grew
    in the second half of 2003 at the fastest rate in nearly 20 years.
    Productivity is high. Business investment is rising. Interest rates and
    inflation are low. Homeownership is at its highest rate ever.
    Manufacturing is increasing. We've added more than 350,000 new jobs over
    the last 6 months. The tax relief is working.
        My opponent has plans for those tax cuts.
    [Laughter] He wants to take them away. He will use that money to expand
    the Federal Government. I have a better idea: To keep this economy
    growing and to create jobs, the tax cuts must be permanent.
        We must do more to keep this economy growing. We need fiscal
    discipline in Washington, DC. We need to protect small-business owners
    and employees from frivolous lawsuits. We need to control needless
    regulation. We need to help control the cost of health care by
    association health care plans, by health savings accounts. We need
    medical liability reform at the Federal level. This country ought to be
    opening up markets, new markets, for our farmers and ranchers and
    entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We need to pass sound energy
    legislation to modernize our electricity system and make this country
    less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        My opponent talks about job creation, but
    he's against every one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about
    jobs and economic isolationism won't get anyone hired. The way to create
    jobs is our pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, small business-owner economic
    agenda.
        This economy is changing, and people need skills. All skills start
    with education, so I worked with Congress to pass the No Child Left
    Behind Act. It's a good law. We're challenging the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. We've raised the bar for every single child. We've
    demanded accountability in our public school system. We expect the
    schools to teach our children how to read and write and add and
    subtract, so not one single child is left behind in this country.
        We have a plan to help our high school students who fall behind in
    reading and math. We've got an aggressive plan to help our community
    colleges to train the workers for the industries, the new jobs being
    created for the 21st century. Education is the gateway to a hopeful
    future, and this administration understands the gate must be open to all
    Americans.
        We're also working hard to make sure America promotes ownership. We
    promoted an ownership society in this administration. We want more
    people to own their own homes. We want people to own their own savings.
    We want more people owning their own small businesses. We want people to
    own and manage their health care plans. We want younger workers to own
    and manage their retirement under the Social Security system. We
    understand that when people have assets of their own, they gain
    independence and security and dignity and more control over their
    future. I believe in private property so much, I want every American to
    have some.
        On issue after issue, the American people have a clear choice. My
    opponent is against personal retirement accounts.
    He's against putting patients in charge of Medicare. He's against the
    tax relief. He seems to be against every idea that gives Americans more
    authority and more choices and more control over our own lives. It's the
    same old Washington mindset: They'll give

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    the orders, and you pay the bills. [Laughter] I got news for the
    Washington crowd. America has gone beyond that way of thinking, and
    we're not going back.
        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
    challenges. 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. And
    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; the Taliban are no longer in power. America
    and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in Iraq. The
    dictator chose defiance; the dictator now
    sits in a prison cell.
        September the 11th, 2001, taught a lesson I will never forget.
    America must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my
    administration looked at the intelligence information, and we saw a
    threat. Members of Congress looked at the intelligence, and they saw a
    threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence,
    and it saw a threat. The previous administration and Congress looked at
    the intelligence and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our
    Government, of our country. In 2002, the United Nations Security Council
    yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for over a decade, he
    chose defiance. And so I had a choice to make: Either take the word of a
    madman or take action to defend America. Faced with that choice, I will
    defend our country every time.
        My opponent admits that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat. He just didn't support
    my decision to remove him from power. [Laughter] 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 Hussein's torture chambers are closed.
    Because we acted, Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we
    acted, nations like Libya have gotten the message and renounced their
    own weapons programs. 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 thugs and terrorists in Iraq who would rather go on
    killing the innocent than accept the advance of liberty. You see, they
    know that a free Iraq would be a major defeat in the cause for terror.
    That's what they know, and they're right. This collection of killers is
    trying to shake the will of America. They don't really understand our
    country. America will never be intimidated by thugs or assassins.
        We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we do not have to face them in our own country. We're calling
    on other nations to help Iraq to build a free society, which will make
    the whole world more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as
    they assume more of their own defense and move towards self-government.
    These are not easy tasks, but they are essential tasks. We will finish
    what we have begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on
    terror.
        On national security, Americans have the clearest possible choice.
    My opponent says he approves of bold action in
    the world but only if other countries don't object. [Laughter] I'm for
    united action, and so are 34 coalition partners in Iraq right now.
    America must never outsource America's national security decisions to
    leaders of other countries.
        Some are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all.
    Just the other day,

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    my opponent indicated that he's not comfortable using the word ``war''
    to describe the struggle we're in. He said, ``I don't want to use that
    terminology.'' He also said the war on terror is far less of a military
    operation and far more of an intelligence gathering, law enforcement
    operation. I strongly disagree. Our Nation followed that approach after
    the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was handled in the
    courts and thought by some to be settled. But the terrorists were still
    training in Afghanistan, plotting in other nations, and 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.
        One very important part of this war is intelligence gathering, as
    Senator Kerry says. Yet in 1995, 2 years after
    the first attack on the World Trade Center, my opponent introduced a
    bill to cut the overall intelligence budget by $1.5 billion. His bill
    was so deeply irresponsible that he didn't have a single cosponsor in
    the United States Senate. [Laughter] Once again, Senator Kerry is trying
    to have it both ways. He's for good intelligence, yet he was willing to
    gut the intelligence services. And that is no way to lead our Nation in
    a time of war.
        Our intelligence professionals are taking great risks, and they're
    doing great work. And so are the men and women of the United States
    military. At bases across our country and the world, I have had the
    privilege--the high 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 can 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 our citizens. We're
    strong because of the values we try to live by, courage and compassion,
    reverence and integrity. We are strong because of the institutions that
    help give us direction and purpose, families and schools and religious
    congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental to our
    lives, and they deserve the respect of our Government.
        We stand for the fair treatment of faith-based groups from all
    faiths, so they can receive Federal support for their works of
    compassion and healing. We will not stand for Government discrimination
    against people of faith.
        We stand for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen
    marriage, which have helped millions of Americans find independence and
    dignity. We will not stand for any attempt to weaken those reforms and
    to send people back into lives of dependence.
        We stand for a culture of life in which each person counts and every
    person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as a
    commodity to be experimented upon or exploited or cloned.
        We stand for the confirmation of judges who strictly and faithfully
    interpret the law. We will not stand for judges who undermine democracy
    by legislating from the bench and try to remake the culture of America
    by court order.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. We're changing
    the culture of America from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do
    it,'' and, ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a new
    culture in which each of us understands we are responsible for the
    decisions we make in life. If you are a mom or a dad, you're 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're
    responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate
    America, you are responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders

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    and your employees. And in this new responsibility culture, 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 the leaders. This isn't one of those times. You and I are
    living in a period where the stakes are high, the challenges are
    difficult, the choices are clear, a time when resolve is needed. None of
    us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another began.
        On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
    Towers. I'll never forget that day. Workers in hardhats were shouting,
    ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember a guy pointing at me and said, ``Don't
    let me down.'' 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 the security of America, whatever it takes.
        In these times, I've also been a witness to the character of this
    country. Not long ago, some had their doubts about the American
    character, our capacity to meet serious challenges or our ability to
    serve a cause greater than self-interest. But 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 renewed in our country. We've all seen our Nation
    unite in common purpose when it mattered most.
        We'll need all these qualities for the work ahead. 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 this
    country. This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it,
    and we know that for our country, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you all. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:55 p.m. at the Hilton Americas. In his
    remarks, he referred to Rich and Nancy Kinder, fundraisers, Jeanne
    Johnson Phillips, Texas State finance vice chairman, and Mercer
    Reynolds, national finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Gov. Rick
    Perry of Texas; Fred Meyer, chairman, Republican National Committee
    Presidential Victory Team; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.