    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [March 31, 2004]
    [Pages 492-497]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Dinner
    March 31, 2004

        Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Thank you all.
    Alex, thank you very much. I didn't realize
    you were such a good orator. [Laughter]
        I wasn't Alex's first choice to speak
    tonight. His request was that Laura come to be
    the key speaker. Alex is a man of good judgment. So am I, by asking
    Laura to marry me. She's a fabulous wife and a great First Lady. She
    sends her love. I think Laura deserves 4 more years as the First Lady.
        Laura will be out campaigning with me, and so
    will Dick Cheney. Our country has had no finer
    Vice President than Dick Cheney. Mother heard
    me say that the other day, and she said, ``Now, wait a minute.''
    [Laughter] No, I'm proud of the Vice President. He's doing a fabulous
    job.
        And I want to thank you all for supporting this ticket, and thanks
    for coming tonight. This is a huge turnout. Alex said, ``Why don't you come by. I may have a few friends
    here''--[laughter]--``a few Greek Americans might show up.''
        And Manny, thank you as well. I
    appreciate you and Alex working so hard to
    make this a spectacular event. I want to thank my friend Mercer
    Reynolds, who is the national finance
    chairman for Bush-Cheney. He's a business guy who has taken time out of
    his life to help. I thank my friends Jim Langdon and Julie Finley for being the
    Washington, DC, finance cochairmen. Manny and Alex have helped the DC
    finance cochairmen meet their goals, for which we are grateful.
        I want to thank Congressman Mike Bilirakis from the great State of Florida, for joining us.
    Congressman Jim Greenwood is with us
    today, from the great State of Pennsylvania. Thanks for coming, Jim.
    Jerry Kilgore, the attorney general from
    Virginia, is with us today. The Lieutenant Governor of the great State
    of Maryland, Michael Steele, is with us
    today. I really appreciate you all being here.
        I finally got an opponent. The campaign season has arrived. My
    opponent is an experienced Senator, and he's
    built up quite a record. In fact, he's been in Washington long enough to
    take both sides of just about every issue. Senator Kerry voted for the
    PATRIOT Act. He voted for NAFTA. He voted for No Child Left Behind, and
    he voted for the use of force in Iraq. Now he opposes the PATRIOT Act,
    NAFTA, No Child Left Behind, and the liberation of Iraq. He feels
    strongly about these issues. [Laughter] If he could find a third side, I
    imagine he'd take that one too. [Laughter]
        It's going to be an interesting campaign. Someone asked Senator
    Kerry why he had voted against the $87 billion funding bill to help our
    troops in Iraq. And here's what he said, ``I actually did vote for the
    $87 billion before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] Clears things up,
    doesn't it? [Laughter]
        The voters this year are going to have a clear, unmistakable choice.
    It's a choice between the tax relief that is moving this economy forward
    or putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people.

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    It is a choice between an America that leads the world with confidence
    and strength or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger. I
    look forward to this campaign. I look forward to the debate. I look
    forward to reminding the American people that in the last 3 years, we've
    accomplished great things. And I look forward--and most importantly, I
    look forward to laying out a positive vision for the years ahead, a
    positive vision for winning the war against terror and extending peace
    and freedom throughout the world, a positive vision for creating jobs
    and promoting opportunity and compassion here at home. I will leave no
    doubt where we stand, and we are going to win on the 2d of November.
        The last 3 years have brought serious challenges, and we've given
    serious answers. When we came to office, the stock market was in decline
    and our economy was headed into recession. We delivered historic tax
    relief, and now our economy is the fastest growing of any major
    industrialized nation in the world.
        We had to confront corporate crimes that cost people their jobs and
    their savings, so we passed strong corporate reforms, and we made it
    clear that 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 terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed
    many key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest of them 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 Washington,
    we found a military that was underfunded and underappreciated, so we
    gave our military the resources they deserve. And today, no one can
    question the skill, 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. A President needs to step
    up, to make hard decisions, to keep his commitments, to speak clearly,
    and that is exactly how I will continue to lead our great country.
        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. Security and the prosperity of America are at stake. The
    other side hadn't offered much in the ways of strategy to win the war or
    policies to expand our economy. So far all we hear is old partisan
    rhetoric and bitterness. Anger and bitterness are not an agenda for the
    future of America.
        I will take on the big issues, set big goals. With optimism,
    resolve, and determination, we stand ready to lead this Nation for 4
    more years.
        A big issue for every family in America is the Federal tax burden.
    With the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was President, we have 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 would have.
        I'm optimistic about our future. I'm optimistic about our economy
    because I've seen the hard work of the American people. I understand the
    entrepreneurial spirit of this country. Because of good policies and
    because of that spirit, our economy is strong, and it is growing
    stronger. Economic growth in the second half of 2003 was the fastest in
    nearly 20 years. Manufacturing activity is increasing. Business
    investment is rising. Disposable income is up. Inflation is low.
    Interest rates are low. Homeownership is at the highest rate ever in
    American history. Job creation is gaining strength. We've added over
    350,000 new jobs over

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    the last 6 months. The tax relief we passed is working.
        My opponent has a different view of tax
    relief. When we passed an increase in the child credit to help families,
    he voted against it. When we reduced the marriage penalty, he voted
    against it. When we created a lower 10-percent rate for working
    families, he voted against it. When we reduced tax on dividends that
    many seniors depend upon, he voted against it. When we gave small
    businesses tax incentives to expand and hire, he voted against them.
    When we phased out the death tax, he voted against it. We're beginning
    to see a pattern here. [Laughter]
        My opponent is one of the main opponents of
    tax relief in the United States Congress. But when tax increases are
    proposed, it's a lot easier to get a ``yes'' vote out of him. Over the
    years, he's voted over 350 times for higher taxes on the American
    people, including the biggest tax increase in American history. He
    supported higher gas taxes 11 times. He's favored a gas tax increase of
    50 cents a gallon. That would cost you another $5 or more every time you
    fill up the tank. For that kind of money, at least he ought to offer a
    free car wash. [Laughter]
        Senator Kerry is proposing a lot of new
    Government spending as well--about $1.7 trillion at last count--and the
    campaign is just getting started. He says he's going to pay for all this
    by raising taxes on the rich. To cover all of the spending, Senator
    Kerry would need to eliminate every single one of the tax reductions we
    passed as well as more tax increases. The marriage penalty would go back
    up. The child credit would go down. Taxes on many small businesses would
    rise. Even low-income people paying the 10-percent rate would see their
    taxes go up. I guess that's his idea of taxing the rich. It turns out,
    if you have a job, a child, or a dollar to spare, Senator Kerry thinks
    you're rich enough to pay more taxes. Fortunately, we're not going to
    give him that chance.
        Higher taxes would undermine growth and destroy jobs, just as our
    economy is getting stronger. Raising taxes is lousy economic policy. To
    help grow the American economy and to create more jobs for our workers,
    I have a better idea. We should make the tax cuts permanent.
        We must do more to keep this economy growing and to create jobs. We
    need to maintain spending discipline in the Nation's Capital. We need to
    protect small-business owners and employees from frivolous and junk
    lawsuits. We've laid out a plan to control the cost of health care and
    get people better access through association health care plans, tax-free
    health savings accounts. And we need to pass medical liability reform at
    the Federal level in order to hold down health care costs.
        This country must never become isolated from the world. We must
    reject the pessimistic thoughts of the economic isolationists and knock
    down trade barriers and open up new markets around the world for our
    country's farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs and manufacturers. I
    proposed a sound energy strategy, one that will modernize our
    electricity system and one that will make America less dependent on
    foreign sources of oil. The Congress needs to pass the energy bill.
        You hear a lot of talk about job creation up here, but the other
    side is against every one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk
    about jobs and economic isolationism won't get anyone hired. The way to
    make sure this economy continues to grow is to reelect a pro-growth,
    pro-entrepreneur President, and that is 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

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    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 of
    America. 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, a
    lesson this Nation must 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 this country.
        In 2002, the U.N. Security Council yet again demanded a full
    accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons
    programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply.
    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.
    [Applause] Thank you all.
        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 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 because we acted, 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, and there's a
    reason why. They know that a free Iraq will be a major defeat in the
    cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake our will.
    America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins. We are
    aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat them there
    so we do not have to face them in our own country.
        Other nations are helping. They're helping Iraq become a free
    society, because they understand what we in America know: The world will
    be a safer place with a free Iraq. We stand with the Iraqi people as
    they assume more of their own defense and move toward self-government.
    These are hard tasks, but they're necessary tasks. America will complete
    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. I'm all for united
    action, and so are our 34 coalition partners in Iraq right now. Yet,
    America must never outsource America's national security decisions to
    the leaders of other countries.
        Some are skeptical if the war on terror is really a war at all. My
    opponent said the war on terror is far less of a
    military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law
    enforcement operation. I completely 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. But the
    terrorists were still training in Afghanistan. They were plotting in
    other nations. They were drawing up more ambitious plans. After the
    chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not

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    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. Our men and
    women in the military are taking great risks, and they're doing great
    work. At bases across our country and the world, I have had the
    privilege of meeting with those who defend our country, 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 our citizens. We're
    strong because of the values we try to live by, courage and compassion,
    reference and integrity. We're strong because of the institutions that
    give us direction and purpose, our families, our schools, and our
    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, so they can
    receive Federal support for the 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 every person counts and
    every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as
    a commodity to be experimented upon, 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 or judges who try to remake the values of
    America by court order.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. We're changing
    the culture of this country 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 are fortunate enough to be a mother or
    a father, 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're responsible for telling the
    truth to your shareholders and your employees. And in this new
    responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
    neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
        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 is not one of those times. You and I are
    living in a period when the stakes are high, the challenges are
    difficult, and the choices are clear. We live in 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.'' A guy pointed 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
    Nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American
    character, our capacity to meet serious challenges, or our willingness
    to serve a cause greater than self-interest. But

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    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 will 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. Thank you for coming. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park
    Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Alex G. Spanos and Manuel N.
    Stamatakis, event cochairmen, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; and former
    President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.