    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [July 21, 2004]
    [Pages 1394-1400]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the President's Dinner
    July 21, 2004

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Gosh,
    thanks for the warm welcome. It is really good to be with you all
    tonight. There's nothing like being the President at the President's
    Dinner. [Laughter] And with your help, I look forward to being your
    guest next year as well.
        I want to thank Tom Reynolds, who is
    my good friend, for his kind introduction. I appreciate the organizers
    of this fantastic dinner. Thank you all for coming. We're here for a
    really good cause, and that is to make sure Denny Hastert remains Speaker of the House and Bill Frist majority leader of the Senate. It's not only a worthy
    cause; it is an important cause. The stakes of the country depend upon
    their leadership, their continued leadership. Plus, they're really good
    people.
        I'm sorry that Laura is not with me tonight.
        Audience member. Aw-w-w!
        The President. Yes, I know. She is--she's
    camping. [Laughter] But you know something? I am one lucky man that
    Laura said yes when I asked her to marry me. She's a great First Lady.
    There's a lot of reasons why I think I ought to be given 4 more years,
    but perhaps the most important one is so that Laura will be the First
    Lady for 4 more years.
        I want to thank George Allen and Lamar
    Alexander for representing the Senate at
    this dinner. Thank you for your strong leadership. And I appreciate Bob
    Ney as well and Tom Reynolds for representing the House at the dinner and helping to
    raise the money. These men did a fine job. I also am proud to recognize
    my fellow Texan, the majority leader of the House of Representatives,
    Tom DeLay. Thank you for coming, sir.
        I appreciate all the dinner hosts who are here at the table. It kind
    of looks like the old politburo--[laughter]--doesn't act like the old
    politburo.
        I want to thank all the Members of the Congress who are here. I'm
    proud to work with you. And thank you for representing our country with
    such dignity and class.
        I want to thank Secretary Ann Veneman,
    Secretary Elaine Chao, Secretary Tommy
    Thompson, for coming tonight. And thank

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    you for being such good Cabinet members in my administration.
        I appreciate John Popper for lending his
    talents tonight. And I love the voice of Sara Evans.
        As we meet tonight, there are a little over 100 days until an
    historic election, and the campaigns are hitting full swing. In recent
    days, I've been in Pennsylvania and Michigan and Minnesota and Wisconsin
    and West Virginia and Iowa and Missouri. Everywhere I go, the crowds are
    big, the enthusiasm is high, the signs are good: We are on our way to
    victory.
        My opponent has been spending some time with
    his base as well, at a recent gala with his Hollywood friends.
    [Laughter] Evidently, things got a little out of hand. My name came up a
    few times. [Laughter] And now the Senator refuses to release a tape of
    that whole enchanted evening. [Laughter] Could be that his friends, whom
    he said conveyed the ``heart and soul of America,'' actually embarrassed
    themselves and the candidate. I have a different theory: You see, the
    tape shows a meeting of all those unnamed foreign leaders that the
    Senator says have endorsed him. [Laughter]
        Now he has a runningmate. Some people say that Senator
    Edwards was chosen in part because of his
    boyish good looks. After all, People Magazine once named John Edwards
    the sexiest politician. One of my administration's great goals for a new
    term is to get Dick Cheney on that list.
    [Laughter] In the meantime, I value the Vice President's experience in
    Government, his expertise in national security, and his sound judgment.
        It's now been 3\1/2\ years since the Vice President and I took office. We've faced significant challenges.
    We have met them head on. I believe it's the President's job to confront
    problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future
    generations. Because of our actions, America is becoming a safer and
    stronger and better country.
        Four years ago, our economy was headed into a recession, and the
    stock market was in decline, so we passed historic tax relief for
    families and small businesses. Because we acted, our economy, since last
    summer, has been growing at the fastest rate in nearly 20 years. Because
    we acted, America has added more than 1.5 million new jobs since last
    August. Because we believe in economic freedom and left more money in
    the people's hands, America is a stronger country.
        My opponents look at
    all this progress and somehow conclude that the sky is falling. Whether
    their message is delivered with a frown or a smile, it is the same old
    pessimism. And to cheer us up, they propose higher taxes, more Federal
    spending, and economic isolationism. But that's the surest way to end
    economic growth and to put Americans out of work. This Nation is on a
    rising path, and with 4 more years, we'll achieve more growth, new and
    higher paying jobs, and greater opportunity for all of our citizens.
        Four years ago, too many of our public schools were stuck in a cycle
    of mediocrity and excusemaking, with children often shuffled from grade
    to grade, year after year. So we insisted on high standards and
    accountability, local control of schools. And now, children across
    America are showing real progress in reading and math, and America is
    better for it.
        Four years ago, our Medicare system was falling behind modern
    medicine. Many seniors were not getting the drugs they needed. Because
    we have updated Medicare and passed prescription drug coverage for our
    parents and our grandparents, America is a better place.
        Four years ago, some of the finest, most effective charities in our
    country were viewed with suspicion or even hostility by our Government,
    just because they were faith-based charities. Because we have ended
    discrimination in Government contracting, the armies of compassion are
    transforming more lives in our country, and America is better for it.

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        In each of these areas, we are keeping our promises. We are doing
    our duty. Because of our actions, our economy is stronger. Our schools
    are better. Our country is safer. We have turned a corner, and there's
    no turning back. And in the weeks ahead, I will lay out an agenda worthy
    of this advancing and confident country.
        The American economy is creating good jobs. Now we must move forward
    and make America even more job-friendly by keeping taxes low, more job-
    friendly by making regulations reasonable and fair and opening up new
    markets around the world. To keep our economy growing, we must pass a
    comprehensive energy plan to make America more energy-independent.
        We will help more Americans get training at our community colleges
    for the jobs of the future. We'll protect workers and entrepreneurs from
    junk lawsuits that threaten to close the doors of too many small
    businesses and factories. You cannot be pro-small-business and pro-
    trial-lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My opponent has made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. [Laughter] I've made my choice: I will
    continue to work with Congress to end the junk lawsuits that hurt small
    businesses and threaten jobs all across our country.
        Across America, teachers and parents and principals are now working
    hard to raise the standards at our elementary schools and to see that
    every child can read by the third grade. Now we must move forward and
    make certain that our high schools are doing their jobs as well. Every
    high school diploma must mean that our graduates are prepared for jobs,
    for college, and for success.
        The quality of health care in America is one of our great
    achievements. Now we must move forward to expand access to care and to
    keep important health decisions in the hands of patients and doctors,
    not in Government bureaucrats'. We need to make health care more
    affordable by making health insurance available to more Americans, by
    harnessing the power of information technology and by limiting the
    costly and abusive litigation that threatens health care in America.
    America needs medical liability reform. No one has ever been healed by a
    frivolous lawsuit.
        Our country has made a lot of progress in ending dependency on
    Government. Now we must move forward to strengthen work requirements
    that lead people from welfare to stable jobs. We need to encourage
    marriage and the family ties that improve the lives of our children.
        During the next 4 years, we'll help more citizens to own their
    health plan, to own a piece of their retirement, to own their own home
    or their own small business. We'll usher in a new era of ownership in
    America with an agenda to help all our citizens save and build and
    invest, so every person owns a part of the American Dream.
        This broad agenda we will carry into the new term comes from a basic
    conviction: Government should never try to control or dominate the lives
    of our citizens. Yet Government can and should help citizens gain the
    tools to make their own choices and to improve their own lives. When men
    and women have a sound education and the skills to seize new
    opportunities and the security of health care, they will achieve great
    things for themselves and for our Nation. There is no greater force for
    good in the world than the energy of free people.
        Our opponents have a
    very different agenda. Senator Kerry has spent almost 20 years in the
    Federal Government, and he's concluded that it just isn't big enough.
    [Laughter] He's proposed nearly $2 trillion in additional Federal
    spending, and we're just getting started. But he hasn't told us how he
    plans to pay for it all. I think we can guess. He has a history of
    voting to raise taxes. But we're going to make it clear to him that
    would be the wrong medicine for America's improving economy.

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        He and his runningmate consistently oppose reforms that limit the power of
    Washington and place trust in the individual. They share the same old
    Washington mindset: They will give the orders, and you pay the bills.
    But we've gone beyond that way of thinking, and we're not going back.
        America's future also depends on our willingness to lead in the
    world. On a September morning, the world changed. And since that day, we
    have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Al Qaida terrorists
    were plotting and moving across borders with little fear. Today, two-
    thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been captured or killed, and
    America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, the security of the American homeland was
    in grave danger. Our Government was not organized to meet the new
    threat. We transformed our defenses. We created a new Department of
    Homeland Security. We rallied the world to pursue terrorists abroad and
    strengthened our laws to act against terrorists at home. We're using the
    PATRIOT Act to track terrorist activity and break up terror cells. We're
    using intelligence and law enforcement better than ever before. The
    mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism. In a vast and
    free nation such as ours, it is impossible to guarantee perfect
    security. But I can assure you, many fine professionals in intelligence
    and national security and homeland security and law enforcement are
    working around the clock. They're doing everything they can to protect
    us, and because of their vigilance, America is safer.
        Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of Al
    Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands of killers to set up terror
    cells in dozens of countries, including our own. Today, Afghanistan is a
    rising democracy, an ally in the war on terror, and America and the
    world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
    terrorists. Today, Pakistani forces are aggressively helping to round up
    terrorists; they're an ally in the war on terror. America and the world
    is safer.
        Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising
    money and recruiting and operating with little opposition. Today, the
    Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida, and America and the
    world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
    weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and allies have sent
    a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass
    destruction, and America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the world
    and firing weapons at American pilots enforcing the world's sanctions.
    He had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction. He threatened his
    neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He had
    murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great
    instability in the world's most volatile region. That's why, even before
    September the 11th, the policy of our country was regime change in Iraq.
    After September the 11th, the risk that Saddam Hussein could have used
    weapons or could have shared his capability to produce them with
    terrorists was simply too great.
        We went to the United States Congress, which overwhelmingly agreed,
    then to the United Nations Security Council, which unanimously demanded
    a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons
    programs. When he again refused to comply and continued to
    systematically deceive the weapons inspectors, we made the decision to
    remove him from power.
        Although we have not found the stockpiles of weapons that our
    intelligence showed would be there, we were right to go into Iraq. With
    Saddam Hussein in prison, America and the
    world are safer.

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        We still have important and difficult work to do. Our immediate task
    is to work with friends and allies around the world to continue
    aggressively pursuing the terrorist and foreign fighters in Afghanistan,
    in Iraq, and elsewhere. You can't talk sense to the terrorists. You
    cannot negotiate with the terrorists. We must engage these enemies in
    Afghanistan and Iraq and around the world so we do not have to face them
    here at home.
        The conditions for success in Afghanistan and Iraq are now coming
    together. These two nations are now governed by strong leaders,
    committed men, people who want peace and freedom for their people. The
    people of Iraq are taking more and more responsibility for their own
    security. They want to live in a free society. Men and women in Iraq
    want their children to grow up in a peaceful world. Schools and
    hospitals are being reopened. Citizens' lives are improving. Both
    nations are on the path to elections.
        The people of those countries can count on America and our
    coalition. When we acted to protect our own security, we also promised
    to help deliver them from tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, to set
    them on the path of democracy. And when America gives its word, America
    keeps its word.
        Over the next 4 years, we will continue to defend our homeland;
    we'll continue to defeat the terrorists abroad. Yet, in the long run,
    our safety requires something more. We must work to change the
    conditions that give rise to terror in the Middle East, the poverty and
    the hopelessness and the resentments that terrorists too often exploit.
    Life in that region will be far more hopeful and peaceful when men and
    women can choose their own leaders, when the people can decide their own
    future.
        A free and peaceful Iraq, a free and peaceful Afghanistan will be
    powerful examples to their neighbors. Free countries do not export
    terror. Free countries do not stifle the dreams of their citizens. By
    serving the ideal of liberty, we are bringing hope to others, and that
    makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we also
    serve the deepest ideals of our country. Freedom is not America's gift
    to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman
    in this world.
        Our men and women in the military are serving the cause of freedom.
    They're taking great risks on our behalf. At bases across the country
    and the world, I've had the privilege of meeting with those who defend
    our country and sacrifice for our security. I've seen their great
    decency and their unselfish courage. And I assure you, ladies and
    gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in good hands.
        We must make sure our troops have the very best. Last September,
    while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed
    supplemental funding to support them in their missions. The legislation
    provided funding for body armor and other vital equipment, for hazard
    pay, for health benefits, for ammunition, for fuel, for spare parts for
    our military. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-mainstream
    minority of 12 Senators voted against that legislation, and 2 of those
    12 Senators are my opponent and his
    runningmate.
        Senator Kerry tried to explain his vote by
    saying, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted
    against it.'' [Laughter] End quote. Now he's offering different
    explanations. Last week, Senator Kerry said he was proud that he and his
    runningmate voted against the funding for the troops. Then he further
    said the whole thing is a complicated matter. There's nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat. Leaders need to stand
    behind our military and back them up 100 percent, and that's what I will
    do every day that I am your President.
        America is leading the world with confidence and moral clarity. We
    put together a strong coalition to help defeat the terrorists. There are
    over 60 nations involved in the Proliferation Security Initiative;
    nearly

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    40 nations are involved in Afghanistan; some 30 nations involved in
    Iraq. We'll continue to build our alliances. We'll continue to work with
    our friends for the cause of security and peace. But I will never turn
    over America's national security decisions to leaders of other nations.
        This Nation is prosperous and strong, yet we need to remember that
    our greatest strength is in the character of our citizens. Our Nation is
    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, our families, our schools, our
    religious congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental
    to our lives; they deserve the respect of our Government.
        We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
    foundations of society. We stand for a culture of life in which every
    person counts and every person matters. We stand for judges who strictly
    and faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.
        And we're building a culture of responsibility here in America. The
    culture of this country is 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 are fortunate enough to be a
    mother or father, you are responsible for loving your child with all
    your heart and all your soul. If you're worried about the quality of the
    education in the community in which you live, you are 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 a new responsibility society, each of us is
    responsible for loving our neighbors just like we'd like to be loved
    ourselves.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
    expected of the leaders. This isn't one of those times. 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. It's a day I'll
    never forget. There were workers in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever
    it takes.'' A fellow grabbed me by the arm--I can't remember if he was a
    policeman or fireman--and he said, ``Do not 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 our country, whatever it takes.
        In these times, I've also been a witness to the character of this
    Nation. 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 in the quiet love of
    neighbor for neighbor. We've all seen our Nation unite in common purpose
    when it mattered most.
        Ladies and gentlemen, we have come through much together. We've done
    the hard work. We've made our Nation better and safer. We've turned the
    corner in extending freedom throughout the world. We're expanding
    opportunity here at home. And now, we move forward with confidence.
    During the next 4 years, we will spread opportunity to every corner of
    this country. We will pass the enduring values of our country to another
    generation. We will continue to lead the cause of freedom and peace, and
    we will prevail.
        May God bless you all. Thank you all very much. God bless our great
    country.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to entertainers John Popper and Sara
    Evans; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya; and former
    President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

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