    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 12, 2004]
    [Pages 1628-1636]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Victory 2004 Dinner in Santa Monica, California
     August 12, 2004

        The President. Thanks for coming. And thanks for having us. Thank
    you all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm, warm welcome.
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. Thank you. Thank you all. Mine is the only line of
    work where you get introduced by your wife--[laughter]--and I'm really
    glad I did. I can't tell you how proud I am of Laura. She is a fabulous First Lady. I like to tell these
    folks I've been campaigning with recently, I said I'm going to give you
    some reasons to put me back in office, but perhaps the most important
    one of all is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years. And by
    the way, it's a joy to campaign with her, and it's a great joy for both
    of us to campaign with our daughters. It's really been a fun experience
    for us to have Barbara and Jenna on the campaign trail with us. And it's kind

    [[Page 1629]]

    of like the camping trip I never took them on. [Laughter]
        I'm also proud to be here with the Governor of
    California. He's a--because he and I
    share a lot in common. We both married above ourselves--[laughter]--we
    both have trouble with the English language--[laughter]--we both have
    big biceps--[laughter]--well, two out of three aren't bad. If I had to
    put a motto or slogan on Governor Schwarzenegger, I would say he's a guy
    who got the job done. He came to this important State, and he got the
    job done. That's how I hope people view me as well--as the President,
    came to the Capital and got the job done.
        This is a part of a western swing that actually started in Florida.
    [Laughter] John McCain and I were campaigning in
    Panama City the other day. We had 23,000 people show up, a big crowd for
    August. Last night in Phoenix, there was about 15,000, 16,000, loud,
    energetic, enthusiastic people. I'm telling you what I'm seeing. The
    crowds are big. The enthusiasm is high. We're going to win in November.
    [Applause] Thank you all.
        And I want to thank you for your help tonight. This is not the first
    time we've been out here, by the way, nor is it going to be the last
    time. I intend to compete in California. I know that Parsky, my man Parsky says, ``Don't worry, you're going to
    win it this time.'' And I said, ``You know what? I think I am.'' I'm
    looking forward to coming to this great State. Nobody should take this
    State for granted in 2004.
        I'm running with a good man. And Dick Cheney, you know, I like to tell people he's not the prettiest
    face on the ticket. [Laughter] I didn't pick him for his looks.
    [Laughter] I picked him because he can do the job. I picked him because
    of his experience. I picked him because of his sound advice.
        I want to thank my friend Brad Freeman. I'm
    thankful for the fact he didn't introduce me. [Laughter] But I love him
    like a brother. And I thank you all for coming too.
        Rabbi Hier, I want to thank you for your
    outstanding prayer. I got up after he offered that prayer and said I
    want a copy of it. It was really strong. What a fine man Rabbi Hier is.
    What a sweet, fine man. Roland said, ``That's my rabbi.'' I said I can
    understand why.
        I want to thank all the Congressmen who are here, Ed Royce and Ken Calvert and Chris
    Cox and Dana Rohrabacher. These are fine Members of the United States Congress,
    good, hard-working, decent people. I see Riordan is here--Mr. Secretary, I'm glad you're here, glad you
    finally found work. [Laughter] Remember the last job I tried to give
    you, but--Ambassador to Chad. But he didn't want it. [Laughter]
        I'm glad the next Senator from California, Bill Jones, is with us. I appreciate you, Senator.
        I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds, who has helped raise money all across the country.
    He's from Cincinnati, Ohio. He's an entrepreneur, a business guy, former
    partner of the Texas Rangers who said, ``How can I help?'' I said, ``Why
    don't you lead the efforts to make sure we're well-funded.'' And he has
    done a fabulous job. I appreciate you being here, friend. Finally, I
    want to thank my friend Gerry Parsky and
    Robin for being here as well and being such
    great friends.
        Listen, I'm here to ask for the vote. I'm traveling the country
    letting the people know that I've got a reason to be your President for
    4 more years. I've got a reason to run for office. I want this country
    to be a safer country, a stronger country, and a better country for
    every one of our citizens.
        And we've done a lot. You know, this country has come through a lot,
    and we've accomplished a lot. But there's only one reason to look
    backward, and that's to determine who best can lead us forward. I'm
    traveling the country talking about what more we can do to make this
    country the

    [[Page 1630]]

    best country it can possibly be. I have more work to do on behalf of the
    American people. We've got more work to do to make sure our public
    schools work well.
        You might remember, when I came to office, the system was such that
    it just shuffled the kids through grade after grade, year after year,
    without teaching them the basics. And I went to Washington to challenge
    the soft bigotry of low expectations. And so we changed the attitude
    toward our public schools, at least in the Nation's Capital. We've now
    raised the bar. We've said we expect results, show us whether or not the
    children can read and write and add and subtract. If they can't, we'll
    fix the problems early. The whole goal is to make sure that not one
    single child is left behind in America. And we're making progress--we're
    making progress.
        We've laid the foundation for excellence. You know, there's a lot of
    talk in these campaigns about funding. We've increased funding by--for
    elementary and secondary education by 49 percent. We've increased
    funding since 2001 by 52 percent for Title I. But that's part of the
    issue. The other issue is, are we actually getting the job done? Are the
    schools functioning the way they're supposed to function? And if not,
    we're demanding change. When we find kids trapped in schools that will
    not teach and will not change, this administration is calling for
    change.
        There's more to do. We've got intervention programs in junior high
    and high school to make sure, at the very minimum, our kids can read. A
    high school diploma must mean something, so we've got a plan to
    restructure our high schools in a more effective way. We want to make
    sure the Internet is in our classrooms to bring the latest technology
    for our kids. What I'm telling you is, over the next 4 years, our
    children will gain the skills and confidence ready to succeed in the
    21st century.
        There's more to do. There's more to do for health care. You might
    remember the Medicare debate. President after President, Congress after
    Congress said, ``Oh, don't worry, we'll strengthen Medicare,'' and yet,
    Medicare was not meeting the needs of our seniors. We pay $100,000 for
    heart surgery, but not the medicines necessary to prevent the heart
    surgery from the first place. We got a job done. We worked with the
    Congress to strengthen Medicare. Seniors will now have a choice. Seniors
    will have prescription drug coverage. Poor seniors will be helped.
    There's a lot of talk in Washington, but this administration, like
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in
    California, is getting the job done.
        We've expanded low-income--we've expanded community health centers
    for low-income Americans. We've established what's called health savings
    accounts so families can save tax-free for their health needs. We need
    more to do. We've got to make sure we bring technology into the health
    care industry to save money and to cut down on medical errors. I'll tell
    you what else we need to do. We need medical liability reform in the
    Nation's Capital now. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
    trial-lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him
    on the ticket. I made my choice. I'm going to continue the Congress to
    get medical liability reform.
        In all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure
    that the health decisions are made between the doctor and the patient,
    not made by Government officials in Washington, DC.
        There's more to do on our economy. Just remember what we've been
    through in this country. We've been through a recession and stock market
    decline. We've been through a corporate scandal. We've been through
    terrorist attacks. And yet our economy is strong and getting stronger. I
    believe the reasons why is because the American people refuse to fold. I
    also know the reason why is because the entrepreneurial spirit is
    strong. The role of Government

    [[Page 1631]]

    is not to create wealth; the role of Government is to create an
    environment in which the entrepreneur can flourish.
        And part of making sure the entrepreneurial spirit is strong, we cut
    taxes. We needed tax relief in order to get out of the recession we're
    in. When people have more money of their own in their pocket, they're
    going to demand an additional good or a service, and when they demand
    that additional good or a service, somebody in our system is going to
    produce it. The tax relief we passed is working; the economy is growing.
    More jobs are being added, and there is more work to do.
        I'm running because I understand, in order to keep jobs here in
    America, America must be the best place in the business--in the world to
    do business. Now, what does that mean? That means tort reform. It means
    letting small businesses pool risk when it comes to health care so they
    can buy more affordable insurance just like big businesses do. It means
    an energy policy that is less dependent on foreign sources of energy to
    keep jobs here. It means having a trade policy that is confident in our
    capacity to compete. We ought to be opening markets around the world. My
    view is American entrepreneurs and manufacturers and small-business
    people and farmers and ranchers can compete with anybody, anytime,
    anyplace so long as the rules are fair.
        You know what else it means? It means we better have an education
    system that encourages workers to gain the skills necessary for the jobs
    of the 21st century. I have been traveling our country a lot. I remember
    going to North Carolina where textile mills had moved overseas. And, of
    course, there was despondency there. But our Government provided help
    for those workers so they could go back to community colleges to train
    for the jobs which actually now exist in North Carolina. And when a
    worker becomes more productive as a result of more education, they make
    more money. People are finding new jobs in this changing economy of
    ours, and a proper role for Government is to provide job training which
    works.
        I'm running for a reason. I want people finding work in this
    country. I want more small businesses flourishing. I want to continue
    this fantastic story of homeownership in America. Do you realize the
    homeownership rate in our country is at the highest rate ever? I love
    the fact that more and more people from all walks of life are opening
    their front door and saying, ``Welcome to my home.''
        After 4 years, America's economy will still lead the industrialized
    world. After 4 years, people will get better paying jobs. And after 4
    years, more people will be able to realize their dream and say, ``This
    is my business, and I'm expanding it.''
        The next 4 years also require diligence when it comes to foreign
    policy. If America shows weakness or uncertainty in this world, the
    world will drift toward tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
        You know, our world changed on September the 11th. And since that
    day, we have led and the world has changed. Just think about this. Prior
    to September the 11th, Afghanistan was a home base of Al Qaida. Al Qaida
    was training there. They trained thousands of killers and sent them
    around the world in secret cells, including our own country. Because we
    acted, because we were firm--and with resolve, Afghanistan is now free.
    Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. In Afghanistan, young girls
    now go to school for the first time.
        The other day I was in Cleveland, Ohio, for the International
    Children's Game, and I had kicked off the games. They had all these kids
    out in front from all around the world. Right there in my vision was the
    Afghan girls soccer team. It was a fantastic feeling. I can't tell you
    how proud I was of our country. We believe in freedom and liberty.
        Remember, before September the 11th, Pakistan was a transit point
    for Al Qaida.

    [[Page 1632]]

    Today, Pakistan is a strong ally in the war on terror, and America and
    the world are safer for it.
        Prior to September the 11th, Libya was a country that had designs on
    weapons of mass destruction. Because we acted, because we were clear in
    our resolve, Muammar Qadhafi
    got the message, dismantled his weapons programs. America and the world
    are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Saddam Hussein
    was the sworn enemy of America. Remember, Saddam Hussein's history. He
    defied the world, resolution after resolution after resolution. He was
    firing weapons at our pilots when our pilots were trying to enforce the
    world's sanctions. Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction.
    Saddam Hussein paid the families of suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein
    harbored terrorists. Remember Abu Nidal? He killed Leon Klinghoffer. His
    organization was given safe harbor in Iraq. Zarqawi, the person who'd just behead somebody because he feels
    like it, trying to intimidate the free world, had been given safe haven
    in Iraq. Saddam Hussein killed thousands of his own citizens. He was a
    threat in a volatile part of the world.
        We saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. After
    September the 11th, America must deal with threats before they fully
    materialize. I made a decision to go to the United States Congress to
    seek a resolution of support in case we needed to use force in Iraq. I
    say ``in case we needed to use force in Iraq''; the use of force should
    be the last option of the President of the United States. It certainly
    is in my case. And so I went to the Congress, and they looked at the
    facts as we saw them and looked at the intelligence as I saw it. And
    they agreed with me that Saddam Hussein was a threat--``they'' being
    members of both political parties, looked at the same intelligence--
    including my opponent, who looked at the very
    same intelligence.
        I went to the United Nations. I think it's very important for our
    country to try to solve problems and deal with threat diplomatically as
    a first resort. So I went to the U.N. I asked them to take a serious
    look at Saddam Hussein as a threat to the world. I described how threats
    in the post-September-the-11th era must be looked at in a new light.
    They agreed. You might remember, the United Nations Security Council
    passed a resolution 15 to nothing that said, ``Saddam Hussein, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' The
    world spoke with one voice, and yet, once again, he defied the world.
    Remember, we thought weapons inspectors were a good idea. And yet, he
    systematically deceived the weapons inspectors. He wasn't about to
    disclose. And as he had for year after year after year, he basically
    said there's no consequences. So I had a choice to make at this point in
    time: to forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman, or
    take action to defend our country. Given that choice, I will defend
    America every time.
        You know, even though we didn't find the stockpiles that everybody
    thought we would find, Saddam had the
    capability to make weapons. And in a post-September-the-11th era, the
    thought of him having that capacity and that capability and the thought
    of him being able to pass that capability on to our enemies, our sworn
    enemies who had the willingness to kill thousands in one attack, was a
    threat we had to deal with. Knowing what I know today, I would have
    still made the same decision.
        And now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and
    almost 220 days after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar
    candidate, my opponent found a--what I call a new
    nuance. [Laughter] He now agrees it was the right decision to go into
    Iraq. After months of questioning my motives and even my credibility,
    Senator Kerry agrees with me that even though we did not find the
    stockpiles of weapons that we all believed were there, knowing
    everything we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq to remove
    Saddam

    [[Page 1633]]

    Hussein from power. I'm glad he cleared that
    up. [Laughter] The only problem is there's 80 more days for him to
    change his mind. [Laughter]
        I'm running because there's more to do to defend our country.
    We're--we will work with our friends and allies to pursue these
    terrorists around the world. Listen, it's better to defeat them there
    than to face them here in our own country. I know you cannot talk sense
    to these people. There's the--you can't negotiate with them. You cannot
    hope for the best. It is essential that we be firm and resolved and
    steady and stay on the offense against people who would do us harm.
        And the way--we will, of course, continue to work with our friends
    and allies. We've got a vast coalition in support of our goals. Sixty
    nations are involved with Proliferation Security Initiative. There's 40
    nations involved in Afghanistan. Nearly 30 nations are involved in Iraq.
    I thank their leaders all the time. I appreciate so very much the
    families of those soldiers who are working side by side with our
    soldiers to bring peace and freedom to the world with their great
    contributions. I have an obligation to continue building and
    strengthening alliances, which I will do. But I will never turn over
    America's national security decisions to leaders of other foreign
    countries.
        I'm really proud of our military. Our military has helped us to keep
    our commitments. We must keep our commitments to our military. That's
    why, last September, I proposed supplemental funding to support our
    troops who are in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This money was
    for body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health benefits,
    ammunition, fuel, and spare parts. It was an important piece of
    legislation. We received great bipartisan support in both the House and
    the Senate. As a matter of fact, only 12 Senators voted against that
    vital funding for our troops, 2 of whom are my opponent and his runningmate.
        When questioned about that vote, I found it interesting that
    he said this: ``I actually did vote for the $87
    billion, before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] End quote. [Laughter]
    He got pressured more, and he went on to say he was proud to vote, then
    he said the whole thing was a complicated matter. There is nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force alone.
    We've got to work to change the conditions that give rise to terror, and
    that's poverty and hopelessness and resentment. The best way to do that
    is to spread freedom. We believe that liberty can change people for the
    better.
        I oftentimes tell the story about visiting with Prime Minister
    Koizumi, a good friend of mine.
    Laura and I were having dinner with him one night
    in Tokyo. And it dawned on me that it was amazing that here is the
    leader of America and the leader of Japan sitting around the table
    talking about peace. What's amazing is that we were enemies not all that
    long ago. As a matter of fact, my dad, and
    I'm sure many of your dads, fought against the Japanese people, bitter
    enemies. Fortunately, after World War II, my predecessor and others in
    positions of responsibility in Washington believed that liberty could
    change Japan for the better. They defied the critics and the pessimists
    and said, ``Let's help build a self-governing society based upon the
    principles of liberty.'' And as a result of being--having such a
    heartfelt belief in the fact that liberty can change the habits of
    people, I'm now at the table with a former enemy talking about peace.
        And this is what--this is the historic moment we're in in the world
    today, as far as I'm concerned. I truly believe that someday, an elected
    Iraqi President will be sitting down--or Prime Minister--will be sitting
    down with the President of the United States talking about peace,
    talking about how to make sure our world is a better place.

    [[Page 1634]]

        See, what's happening is, is that freedom is beginning to rise up in
    a part of the world that is desperate for freedom, a part of the world
    where people are resentful because they are not free human beings. And
    we believe that freedom is the Almighty's gift to every person in this
    world. It is the basic belief of the American system.
        And so--I say this to the families of the soldiers I meet. I tell
    them their sons and daughters or husbands and wives are on an incredibly
    important mission for history. See, when Iraq is free, it will begin to
    change the vision of those in Iran who want to be free. When Iraq is
    free, it will say to the Palestinians, who have been subjected to
    leadership that has not led in their interest, that it's possible to
    live at peace with our close friend Israel. Freedom will change the
    habits of people so that peace prevails in this world.
        There are still--you know, there are still enemies who hate us, and
    they are plotting to harm us--that's the world we live in--and we've got
    a lot to do here at home to protect us. I'll just give you some thoughts
    about some statements that have been made about our staying on the
    offense in the war on terror. My opponent says
    that going to war with the terrorists is actually improving their
    recruiting efforts. I think the logic is upside-down. I think that shows
    a misunderstanding of the enemy. See, remember, during the nineties, the
    terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us long before--
    long before--we went to war with them. They don't need an excuse for
    their hatred. I think it's wrong to blame our country for the anger and
    evil of those killers. See, we don't create terrorists by fighting back;
    we defeat the terrorists by fighting back.
        We're starting the hard work of reform, I want to--inside Washington
    on homeland security. I want to thank the Members of Congress who are
    here. We put together a new Department of Homeland Security, and they're
    doing good work. There's a lot of good people working hard on your
    behalf. The PATRIOT Act is a very important piece of legislation. The
    PATRIOT Act gives our law enforcement officers the tools necessary to
    crack terror networks. It is necessary. Congress needs to renew the
    PATRIOT Act.
        We're sharing intelligence better than before. As you recently read,
    I picked a really good man out of the United States Congress from
    Florida, Porter Goss, to head the Central
    Intelligence Agency. I'm looking forward to working with Congress on the
    creation of the National Intelligence Director. What I'm telling you is
    our Government understands what we need to do to secure ourselves. I
    understand, you know, the--we've got to be right 100 percent of the
    time, the enemy only right once. We should take great comfort that
    there's people at all levels of government--really decent, honorable
    people--who are working hard as they possibly can to do their duty and
    protect our country.
        I talked about reforming in Washington. It's never easy to do that.
    Entrenched interests there are pretty strong. The status quo has got a
    lot of defenders. But if you think about it, we've gotten good results
    for the people by pushing hard for reform. See, when it comes to raising
    standards in schools and insisting on excellence for every child, we're
    getting the job done. When it comes to reforming Medicare so our seniors
    have got prescription drugs and insisting that the doctors and the
    patients are the center of health care decisionmaking, we're getting the
    job done. When it comes to growing this economy and creating jobs and
    enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit, we're getting the job done. When
    it comes to defending America and spreading freedom and peace, we're
    getting the job done. What I'm telling you is, when it comes to electing
    a President, put somebody in office who can get the job done.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

    [[Page 1635]]

        The President. Thank you. Listen, the world we're in is a changing
    world, but there's some things that aren't going to change: our belief
    in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable demands of human
    dignity. They won't change. In a changing world, the values we try to
    live by will not change: courage and compassion, reverence and
    integrity. In a changing world, there are some just very vital
    institutions: our families and our schools, our religious congregations.
    These institutions are really important for our country. They deserve
    the respect of Government.
        We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
    foundations of our society. We stand for a culture of life in which
    every person matters and each person counts. We stand for judges who
    strictly interpret the law, not legislate from the bench.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in this country. The
    culture is changing; slowly but surely it's changing 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'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 this community, 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 and your
    employees. And I believe a central tenet of a responsibility society is,
    each of us should love our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved
    ourself.
        You know, for all Americans, these years in our history will always
    stand apart. There are quiet times in the life of this Nation when
    little is expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. It's a
    time we need firm resolve and clear vision. This is a time we must stick
    to those ideals which make this country such a fabulous country.
        You know, I'll never forget the day I went into the ruins of the
    Twin Towers, September the 14th, 2001. There were workers in hardhats
    there yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I can remember walking--
    working the ropeline there and shaking hands with people, guys with
    bloodshot eyes, and they'd been in the rubble looking for a buddy. He
    said, you know, ``Mr. President, do not let me down.'' He took that day
    personally. Everybody searching through the rubble took it personally. I
    know you took it personally, and so did I. I have a duty that goes on.
    Every day I wake up thinking about how to better secure our country. I
    will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes.
        We have done a lot together--we have done a lot together, and we
    have done the hard work. And there is more hard work to do, and I'm
    ready for the task. I've got the energy to continue leading this
    country, and I know where I want to take us. Over the next 4 years,
    we'll be dedicated to spreading opportunity and ownership to every
    corner of America. For the next 4 years, we will pass the enduring
    values of our great land on to another generation. And for the next 4
    years, we'll be relentless in our pursuit of freedom and peace.
        You know, when I traveled your State 4 years ago and our country, I
    said if you gave me the high honor of holding this office, the
    Presidency of the United States, I would uphold the dignity and honor of
    that office--the pledge I made. With your help over the next 4 years, I
    will continue to honor that pledge.
        Thanks for coming, and may God bless you all. Thank you for your
    support. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 6:54 p.m. at the Santa Monica
    Municipal Airport. In his remarks, the President referred to Gov. Arnold
    Schwarzenegger of California; Gerald L. Parsky, California State
    chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc., and his wife, Robin; Brad Freeman,
    California State

    [[Page 1636]]

    finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and
    founder, Simon Wiesenthal Center; former Mayor Richard J. Riordan of Los
    Angeles, CA; Mercer Reynolds, Victory national finance chairman,
    Republican National Committee; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi,
    leader of Libya; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; senior Al
    Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; and Prime Minister Junichiro
    Koizumi of Japan. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady, who introduced
    the President.