    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [February 23, 2004]
    [Pages 257-263]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Republican Governors Association
    February 23, 2004

        Thank you all very much. It is always an honor to welcome fellow
    Governors to Washington, DC. I'm a proud former member of the RGA. And
    tonight we're proud to welcome the newest members of this growing
    organization, Olene, Ernie, Haley, and
    Arnold. The Governor of California
    is new to politics, so he's still getting used to all the cameras and
    lights. [Laughter] I used to think the coolest Governor was from Florida. [Laughter]
        The most distinguished former member of the RGA is a predecessor of
    Governor Schwarzenegger and a
    predecessor of mine. President Ronald Reagan had his 93d birthday this month, and tonight we want
    Nancy and his family to know we are thinking of
    this great American. Ronald Reagan's leadership revived America's
    economy, renewed America's strength, and lifted America's confidence.
    And that spirit of optimism and faith in fundamental American values is
    the spirit we will carry to victory in November of 2004.
        I married really well. [Laughter] I am so honored--I appreciate you
    coming tonight, Laura. She's a great First Lady
    for our country. I'm really proud of the job she's doing.
        I want to thank my friend Bob Taft for being
    the chairman of this august group. I appreciate Kenny Guinn from Nevada for being the vice chairman. I thank Governor
    Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for hosting this
    reception. I want to thank all the other Republican Governors who are
    here. I'm proud to call you friend.
        I want to thank all of you who are here to support these Governors.
    They're making a significant difference in their States. They

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    bring such optimism and hope. I appreciate the members of my Cabinet who
    are here.
        I also want to acknowledge a man who is not here. Vice President
    Dick Cheney spent the day campaigning in
    Minneapolis and Wichita, but he's recently completed another important
    assignment. Once again I put him in charge of my Vice Presidential
    search committee. [Laughter] He tells me he's reviewed all the
    candidates, and he's come back with the same recommendation as last
    time. [Laughter] In fact, I made the choice myself, after I had taken
    the measure of this man. They don't come any better, and I am proud to
    have Dick Cheney by my side.
        We meet during the Presidential primary season. We're witnessing a
    clear trend. It looks like we have a winner in the Republican primaries.
    [Laughter] The other party's nomination battle is still playing out. The
    candidates are an interesting group with diverse opinions: For tax cuts
    and against them; for NAFTA and against NAFTA; for the PATRIOT Act and
    against the PATRIOT Act; in favor of liberating Iraq and opposed to it.
    And that's just one Senator from Massachusetts.
        The other party is still not finished selecting its nominee. Yet
    this much is already certain: Come November, the voters are going to
    have a very clear choice. It's a choice between keeping the tax relief
    that is moving the economy forward or putting the burden of higher taxes
    back on the American people. It is a choice between an America that
    leads the world with strength and confidence or an America that is
    uncertain in the face of danger. The American people will decide between
    two visions of Government, a Government that encourages ownership and
    opportunity and responsibility or a Government that takes your money and
    makes your choices. I will set these alternatives squarely before the
    American people in a spirited campaign. I look forward to the contest.
        We have a record of historic achievement. And most important, we
    have a positive vision for the years ahead, for winning the war against
    terror, for extending peace and freedom and creating jobs and
    opportunity here at home. We'll leave no doubt where we stand, and we
    will win our second term in November.
        The last 3 years have brought serious challenges. We've given
    serious answers and the strong leadership these times of extraordinary
    change demand. We came to office with an economy heading into recession.
    We delivered historic tax relief, and the consumer spending and
    investment that resulted helped lift our economy back to growth so that
    people are getting hired again. At a time when competition is not just
    across town but across borders and continents, America's productive
    workers have made this economy the fastest growing of any major
    industrialized nation.
        We had to confront corporate crimes that cost people jobs and
    savings, so we passed the strongest corporate reforms since Franklin
    Roosevelt and 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, and from
    that day to this, we have pursued terrorists across the world. We've
    captured or killed many of the key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and
    the rest of them know we're on their trail. There is no cave or hole
    deep enough to hide them.
        We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror and the spread
    of weapons of mass destruction. We have used the power of this country
    to end forever two of the most violent and dangerous regimes on Earth.
    More than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq are reclaiming the
    rights and dignity of free men and women, and America has been proud,
    once again, 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
    increased the defense budget to give our men and women the tools and
    training they

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    need to win the war on terror. And today, no one in the world can
    question the skill, the strength, and the spirit of the United States
    military.
        We learned that on September the 11th, our homeland is no longer
    protected by vast oceans, so we reorganized our Government and created
    the Department of Homeland Security to safeguard the ports and borders
    and to better protect the American people.
        When we came to office, people in this city had gotten used to
    gridlock. Old problems were used to score points. Old problems were
    politicized, debated, and just passed on from year to year. We didn't
    come here to this Nation's Capital to do things the Washington way. We
    chose to lead and to get things done. We passed major reforms to raise
    the standards of public schools. We passed reforms in Medicare to give
    prescription drugs and choice to our seniors. We're showing that with
    big goals and clear principles, you can get past old differences and
    make progress for all of the American citizens.
        It's the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
    to future Presidents and future generations. It's the President's job to
    seize opportunities and not let them slip away. A President needs to
    step up and make the hard decisions and keep his commitments, and that
    is how I will continue to lead our 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. The security and prosperity of America are at stake. Our
    course is clear.
        In the next 4 years, we'll keep our enemies on the run and extend
    the frontiers of liberty. In the next 4 years, we'll help more Americans
    to find that there are opportunities in a changing economy. In the next
    4 years, we will stand for the values that make us a good and decent
    country.
        Our opponents have not offered much in the way of strategies to win
    the war or policies to expand our economy. So far, all we hear is a lot
    of old bitterness and partisan anger. Anger is not an agenda for the
    future of America. We're taking on the big issues with strength and
    resolve and determination, and we stand ready to lead this Nation for
    the next 4 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 of
    those who earned it. By saving and spending and investing and to help
    create new jobs, the American people have used their money far better
    than the Federal Government would have.
        Our opponents have their own plan for these tax cuts. They plan to
    take them away. They will use that money to expand the Federal
    Government. I have a better idea. To keep this economy growing, we will
    have fiscal discipline in Washington, DC. To keep this economy going,
    the tax cuts must be permanent.
        We must do more to keep this economy growing. We need to protect
    small-business owners and employees from frivolous lawsuits and needless
    regulation. We need to control the costs of health care by passing
    medical liability reform. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous
    lawsuit. We need to pass sound energy legislation to modernize our
    electricity system and to make America less dependent on foreign sources
    of oil.
        Our opponents talk about job creation, but they're against every one
    of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about jobs won't get anybody
    hired. The way to create jobs is our pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-
    small-business-owner agenda.
        This economy of ours is going through a time of challenge and
    change. In the new economy, many workers change jobs several times or
    start their own businesses or work out of their homes as contractors.
    They often don't have pensions or health care through their jobs. Many
    have had to learn new skills. It's our responsibility

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    to help people gain the skills and security to make a good living and to
    look forward to their retirement.
        All skills start with education. My administration has put education
    at the top of the agenda. We passed the No Child Left Behind Act, a good
    law that is bringing higher standards and accountability to every public
    school in America. We have a plan to help high school students who fall
    behind in reading and math. We have a plan to help community colleges
    train workers for the industries that are creating the most new jobs. We
    are strongly committed to education because we believe everyone in
    America should have a chance to learn and to succeed and to realize the
    great promise of our country.
        My administration understands the importance of ownership in our
    society. We've set a great goal: We want every worker in America to
    become a saver and an owner. And we have an agenda to meet this goal.
    We'll help more people of every background to own their homes and build
    their own savings. We'll encourage more people to own their own small
    businesses. We'll help more people to own their own health care plans.
    We want younger workers to own and manage their own retirement under
    Social Security, so that one day every worker can have the security of a
    personal account. When people have solid assets to call their own, they
    gain independence and security and dignity and more control over their
    future. I believe in private property so much, I want everyone in
    America to have some.
        On issue after issue, the American people have a clear choice. Our
    opponents are against personal retirement accounts, against putting
    patients in charge of Medicare, against tax relief. They seem to be
    against every idea that gives Americans more authority and more choices
    and more control over their own lives. We'll hear them make a lot of
    promises over the next eight months, and listen closely, because there's
    a theme. Every promise will increase the power of politicians and
    bureaucrats over your income, over your retirement, over your health
    care, and over your life. It's the same old Washington mindset. They'll
    give the orders, and you'll pay the bills. I've got news for them.
    America has gone beyond that way of thinking, and we're not going back.
    I trust the people, not Washington politicians, to make the best
    decisions for their own money, their own health, their own retirement,
    and their own lives.
        Our future also depends on America's leadership in this 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. The actions we take and the decisions we make in
    this decade will have consequences far into this century. If America
    shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy.
    That will not happen on my watch. This Nation is strong and confident in
    the cause of freedom, and no friend or enemy today 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 have not forgotten.
    America must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my
    administration looked at the intelligence and saw a danger. Members of
    Congress looked at the intelligence, and they saw a danger. The United
    Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a
    danger. The previous administration and Congress looked at the
    intelligence and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our country.
    We all knew Saddam's history well. He waged
    aggressive

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    wars against neighboring countries and aspired to dominate the Middle
    East. He cultivated ties to terrorists. He built weapons of mass
    destruction. He hid those weapons. He used chemical weapons against
    thousands of Iraqis and Iranians.
        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, Saddam Hussein refused to comply.
    So we had a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman, or take
    action to defend America and the world. Faced with that choice, I will
    defend America every time.
        Others would have chosen differently. They now agree that the world
    is better off with Saddam out of power. They
    just didn't support removing Saddam from power. [Laughter] Maybe they
    were hoping he'd lose the next Iraqi election. [Laughter] We showed the
    dictator and a watching world that we mean what we say. Because our
    coalition acted, Saddam's torture chambers are closed. Because we acted,
    the Middle East is more peaceful. Because we acted, Iraq's weapons
    programs are ended forever. Because we acted, nations like Libya have
    gotten the message and renounced their weapons programs. Because we
    acted, an example of democracy is rising at the 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. They know that
    a free Iraq would be a major defeat in the cause of terror. This
    collection of killers is trying to shake the will of America and the
    civilized world. They don't know us very well. America will never be
    intimidated by thugs and assassins.
        We're aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we do not have to face them in our own country. We're calling
    other nations to help Iraq build a free society, which will make us all
    safer. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of their
    own defense and move toward self-government. These aren't easy tasks,
    but they're essential tasks. We will finish what we have begun, and
    we'll win this important victory in the war on terror.
        On national security, Americans have the clearest possible choice.
    Our opponents say they approve of bold action in the world but only if
    no other government disagrees. I'm all for united action, and so are the
    34 coalition partners we have in Iraq right now. But America must never
    outsource America's national security decisions to the leaders of other
    governments.
        Some of our opponents are skeptical that the war on terror is really
    a war at all. They view terrorism more as a crime, a problem to be
    solved with law enforcement and indictments. Our Nation followed that
    approach after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was
    handled in the courts and thought 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, and war is what they got.
        The men and women who are fighting this war and who have seen the
    enemy understand the stakes. Last year, in a letter home from the Iraqi
    theater, a Navy Corpsman named Lonnie Lewis
    wrote this: ``We have to remind ourselves of what this country stands
    for, life, liberty, and justice for all. In order to maintain those
    rights, we have to stop the threat of terrorism.'' Corpsman Lewis'
    letter concludes, ``My family is first. My country is where they live. I
    will defend it.''
        This is the caliber of the people who are defending America. We are
    counting on them. The people of Iraq and people across the Middle East
    are depending on

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    them. 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 the
    sources of America's greatness. We're strong because we love freedom.
    America has a special charge to keep, because we are freedom's home and
    defender. We believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of every
    human heart. We believe that freedom is the future of every nation, and
    we know that freedom is not America's gift to the world. It is the
    Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
        We also know that the greatest strength of this country lies 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're
    strong because of the institutions that help to 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 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
    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 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 by court
    order.
        And 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 culture in which each of us understands we're responsible for the
    decisions we make. If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a
    father, you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart. If
    you're concerned 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 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 leaders. This is not one of those times. You and I are
    living in a period when the stakes are high and the challenges are
    difficult, the choices are clear, and 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 remember a lot that day. Workers in hardhats were shouting,
    ``Whatever it takes.'' One fellow 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've a
    responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in bringing justice to
    our enemies. I will defend America, whatever it takes.
        In these times I've 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, 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.

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    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 of 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. We have a duty to spread compassion and opportunity to every
    part of America.
        This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it. And
    we know that for the United States of America, the best days lie ahead.
        God bless. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:18 p.m. at the Washington Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Olene S. Walker of Utah;
    Gov. Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky; Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi; Gov.
    Arnold Schwarzenegger of California; Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; Gov. Bob
    Taft of Ohio; Gov. Kenny C. Guinn of Nevada; and former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a
    Spanish language transcript of these remarks.