    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [March 8, 2004]
    [Pages 330-335]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Dallas, Texas
    March 8, 2004

        Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. I told Louis I like a short introduction. [Laughter] He
    didn't let me down. I'm glad you all are here. Nothing like spending the
    weekend in Texas, and there's nothing better than being with a bunch of
    friends. I'm so pleased that you all came. Thanks for being here. If you
    can't count on your home State in politics, you're in deep trouble.
        Texas is going to be the cornerstone of the victory that Dick
    Cheney and I are going to achieve in November of
    2004. And I appreciate so very much your loyal friendship. It just means
    a lot to Laura and me. Speaking about Laura, she
    is in New Orleans. She's eating lunch at Galatoire's, and you're stuck
    with me. [Laughter] But she's doing great. She's a fabulous First Lady.
        And Dick Cheney is a great Vice President.
    I'm proud to have him standing by my side. I oftentimes say Dick Cheney
    is the country's greatest Vice President ever. Mother says, ``Wait a second.'' [Laughter]
        I appreciate my friend Louis Beecherl. He's been a longtime friend, and you can count on Louis.
    And Louis, I want to thank you for being the Dallas regional finance
    chair.
        I'm honored to be on the stage with a man who's doing a fabulous job
    as the Governor of the great State of Texas, Rick Perry.
        Texas is blessed to have two really good, fantastic United States
    Senators in Kay Bailey Hutchison and
    John Cornyn. I'm proud to call them friends.
    Thank you all for coming.
        I want to thank Fred Meyer and Jeanne Johnson
    Phillips and Roger
    Williams and all the regional chairs and
    all the people who worked hard to fill up this hall. Thank you for your
    hard work. I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the national chairman
    for Bush-Cheney `04. He's doing a really good job.
        I want to thank the Members of the United States Congress who are
    here, starting with Ralph Hall. Ralph, I'm for
    you in tomorrow's primary. I wish you all the very best. Thank you. Glad
    you're here.
        Chairman Joe Barton is with us. Joe,
    thanks for coming. I'm proud you're here. Appreciate you coming. Sam
    Johnson is with us today. Sam, thanks for
    coming. Good to see Shirley. I appreciate
    Pete Sessions. I'm glad you're here, Pete.
    Pete has got a big race. I'm pulling for him. Got to make sure you turn
    out to vote for this good Congressman.
        I appreciate Michael Burgess being here
    as well. Michael, thank you for coming. Finally, a man who is making a
    mark as a good freshman Congressman, Jeb Hensarling. I appreciate you coming, Jeb.
        I saw my friend Agricultural Commissioner Susan Combs. Thank you for being here. I know Victor
    Carrillo is with us today, railroad
    commissioner. Good to see you, Victor. Michael Williams is with us. Mike, good to see you. One time I was
    Michael's campaign chairman in the Republican primary in Midland County
    and helped him come in third. [Laughter] He got rid of me as his
    campaign chairman, and now he's doing big things statewide in the State
    of Texas. [Laughter]
        I want to thank very much the speaker of the house who is with us
    today, Tommy Craddick from Midland. Where are
    you, Tommy? Thanks for coming. You're doing a fine job. All the members
    of the house and senate who are here, local officials.
        But most importantly, I want to thank the grassroots activists. I
    want to thank you for what you're fixing to do, which is man those
    phones, put up the signs, and turn out a huge vote. We're counting on
    you.

    [[Page 331]]

        Finally, it's good to see my friend Jack Graham, who is with us, the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist
    Church. I want to thank Jack for delivering the invocation. I want to
    thank you all for your prayers. It means a lot to Laura and me. It's a fantastic gift to give to anybody in
    public office, and for that, we're really grateful.
        Last Tuesday, I placed a call to Senator Kerry. I congratulated him on his victory, and I told him I was
    looking forward to a spirited campaign. It's going to be an interesting
    debate on the issues. My opponent spent two decades in Congress. He
    spent a long time in Washington, and he's built up quite a record.
    Senator Kerry has been in Washington so long that he's taken both sides
    on just about every issue. [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 in this election between keeping
    the tax relief that is moving this economy forward or putting the burden
    of higher taxes back on the American people, 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 setting the alternative squarely before the
    American people. I look forward to this campaign. I look forward to make
    my case to the great people of this land. We've achieved great things in
    the past 3 years. Most important, we have a positive vision, an
    optimistic vision for the years ahead, a positive vision for winning the
    war against terror and extending peace and freedom throughout our world,
    a positive vision for creating jobs and promoting opportunity and
    compassion at home. I will leave no doubt where we stand, and we will
    win on the 2d of November.
        The last 3 years have brought serious challenges, and we've given
    serious answers. We came to office with a stock market in decline and an
    economy heading into recession. We delivered historic tax relief, 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 clear
    we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
        We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we
    pursue 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 and respect they deserve. And today, no
    one in the world can question the skill and the strength 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 Washington
    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 get
    prescription drugs and choices to our seniors. We chose to lead, and we
    have delivered results for the American people.
        It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
    to future Presidents and future generations. The President

    [[Page 332]]

    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. 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 that side is a lot of old bitterness and partisan anger.
    Soon he'll learn anger is not an agenda for America. I will confront the
    big issues with optimism and resolve and determination, and Dick
    Cheney and I 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 the President, we have left more money in the hands
    that earned it. By spending and investing and helping to create new
    jobs, the American people have used their money far better than the
    Government would have.
        Because we acted, our 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 the highest rate ever.
    Manufacturing is increasing. We've added more than 350,000 new jobs over
    the last 6 months. The tax relief we passed is working.
        My opponent has plans for those tax cuts. He
    wants to take them away. He would use that money to expand the size and
    the reach of the Federal Government. I've got a better idea: To keep the
    economy growing and to create jobs, the tax cuts must be permanent.
        We must do more to keep this economy growing so people can find
    work. We need to maintain fiscal discipline in Washington, DC. We need
    to protect small-business owners and employees from the frivolous and
    junk lawsuits that make it expensive to do business. We need to help
    control the cost of health care by association health care plans, health
    savings accounts. And this Congress must pass national medical liability
    reform. We need to open up markets for Texas farmers and ranchers and
    entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We need to pass sound energy
    legislation to modernize our electricity system and to make this country
    less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        My opponent talks about job creation, but he
    is 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 economic agenda.
        This economy of ours is going through a time of challenge and
    change. We're helping people to gain the skills and security to make a
    good living, to look forward to a good retirement. All skills start with
    education. That's why I worked so hard with Congress to pass the No
    Child Left Behind Act. This good law is challenging the soft bigotry of
    low expectations. We've raised the standards. We're demanding
    accountability in every public school in America. We expect every child
    in this country to learn to read and write and add and subtract so not
    one single child gets left behind.
        There's more to do. I look forward to working with Congress. We must
    help high school students who fall behind in reading and math. We've got
    plans to help our community colleges train workers for the industries
    that are creating most new jobs. Education is the gateway to a hopeful
    future, and this administration clearly understands that gate must be
    open to all Americans.
        We're working toward an ownership society in this administration in
    which more people own their own homes and build their own savings.
    That's what we want. We want more people owning their own small
    businesses. We want people to own

    [[Page 333]]

    and manage their health care plans. We want younger workers to own and
    manage their retirement under Social Security. When people have solid
    assets, they gain independence and security 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, there is a clear choice. My opponent is against personal retirement accounts, against putting
    patients in charge of Medicare, against tax relief. He seems to be
    against every idea that gives Americans more authority, more choices,
    and more control over our own lives. It's the same old Washington
    mindset: They'll give you the orders, and you will pay the bills. I've
    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, 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:
    America must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my
    administration looked at the intelligence information, and we saw a
    threat. The 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 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, Saddam Hussein refused to comply.
    So we had a choice to make--I had a choice to make--either to take the
    word of a madman or take action to defend our country. Faced with that
    choice, I will defend America every time.
        My opponent admits that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat, he just didn't support
    my decision to remove Saddam from power. Maybe he was hoping Saddam
    would lose the next Iraqi election. [Laughter] We showed the dictator
    and a watching world that America means what it says. Because our
    coalition acted, Saddam's torture chambers are closed. Because we acted,
    Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we acted, nations
    like Libya have gotten the message and renounced their own weapons
    programs. Because we acted, an example of democracy is rising in the
    very heart of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world is more safe
    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 will be a major defeat for the cause of terror. A collection
    of killers is trying to shake our will. They don't understand America.
    America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins.
        We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we will 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 world more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they
    assume more of their own defense and move towards self-

    [[Page 334]]

    government. These aren't 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. I'm for all--I'm all
    for united action, and so are the 34 coalition partners we have in Iraq
    right now. America must never outsource America's national security
    decisions to the leaders of other countries.
        Some are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all.
    Just days ago, my opponent indicated 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 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. And 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 noted. Yet in 1995, 2 years after
    the attack on the World Trade Center, my opponent introduced a bill to
    cut the overall intelligence budget by $1\1/2\ billion. His bill was so
    deeply irresponsible that he didn't have a single co-sponsor in the
    United States Senate. 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 a nation in a time of
    war.
        Our intelligence professionals are taking great risks and doing a
    great job. 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 of
    meeting with those who defend our country and sacrifice for our
    security. I've seen the great decency and their unselfish courage. 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,
    reverence and integrity. We're 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. They deserve the respect of our Government. We stand for 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 of people of faith.
        We stand for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen
    marriage, reforms 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 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 this country from one that has said, ``If it feels good,
    do it,'' and, ``If you've got

    [[Page 335]]

    a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us
    understands we are 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 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 culture, 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, when the challenges are
    difficult, when 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. 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.'' One man 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 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 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 corner of America.
    This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it, and we
    know for our country, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:03 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel. In his
    remarks, he referred to Louis A. Beecherl, Jr., Dallas regional finance
    chairman, Jeanne Johnson Phillips, Texas State finance vice chairman, J.
    Roger Williams, north Texas regional finance 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; Shirley L. Johnson, wife of Representative
    Sam Johnson of Texas; Susan Combs, commissioner, Texas Department of
    Agriculture; Victor G. Carrillo, chairman, and Michael L. Williams,
    commissioner, Railroad Commission of Texas; Tom Craddick, speaker, Texas
    State House of Representatives; and former President Saddam Hussein of
    Iraq.