    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 14, 2004]
    [Pages 1658-1667]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Sioux City, Iowa
    August 14, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thanks for
    coming. I've got an interesting line of work, don't I. Yes, it's a line
    of work where you get introduced by your wife.
    [Laughter] Thankfully, she said yes when I said, ``Will you marry me?''
    What a great First Lady she is, a fabulous mom, and a wonderful wife.
    I'm going to

    [[Page 1659]]

    give you some reasons today why I think you ought to put me back into
    office, but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura will
    be the First Lady for 4 more years.
        We're glad to be in Sioux land, and we thank you all for coming. I'm
    here to ask for the vote. I'm here traveling this important State to
    say, there's more to do to make this country a safer, stronger, and
    better nation for all of our citizens. And I'd like your help. I'd like
    you to register your friends and neighbors. See, we have an obligation
    in this free land to vote. And I'd like my supporters to encourage all
    your citizens to register to vote and to do our duty. And when you get
    them headed to the polls, you might just tell them, for the sake of a
    better nation, George Bush and Dick Cheney are
    ready to lead for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. We're coming off a swing around the West. It's been a
    great trip. The crowds are large. The enthusiasm is strong. And there's
    no doubt in my mind with your help, we will carry Iowa, and we will win
    a great national victory in 2004.
        Tomorrow I'm going to travel down to Florida to visit with those
    whose lives have been hurt by Hurricane Charley. I just want them to
    know that our Federal Government is responding quickly. We have got aid
    stations in place. FEMA Federal officials are on the ground working with
    State and local officials. Many lives have been affected by this
    hurricane. And I know you join me in sending our prayers to those people
    who look for solace and help.
        I'm running with a really good man in Vice President Cheney. Look, I didn't pick him because he's the prettiest guy
    in--[laughter]--I picked him because he can do the job. I picked him for
    his advice and his sound judgment. And we're ready to go. I'm looking
    forward to it. There are big differences, and I'm looking forward to
    making those differences clear to the American people.
        I want to thank my friend Congressman Steve King. I appreciate his leadership. I look forward to working
    with him for 4 more years for the good of this country.
        I know the State auditor, David Vaudt, is
    here. I know the speaker is with us today, Christopher Rants. And I want to thank Ralph Klemme for coming. I want to thank all the State officials who
    are serving the State of Iowa and those from Nebraska. Those good souls
    from South Dakota who have come down here. Let me make something clear
    about South Dakota: John Thune needs to be the
    United States Senator.
        I want to thank the mayor, Dave Ferris, here
    from Sioux City. Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming. Fill the potholes.
    [Laughter] I want to thank my friend Dave Roederer, who is the State campaign chairman for Iowa. He knows
    what I know; we're going to carry this State.
        Backstage, I had the honor of meeting Jeff Fortenberry. He's running for the United States Congress for
    Nebraska. I want to thank the Blue County band for being here. I
    appreciate you lending your talents. I thank the All-American Concert
    Band for being here. Most of all, I want to thank you all for being
    here. Thanks for taking time out of your weekend to come.
        You know, in the past few years, Americans have been through a lot
    together. These have been hard times. We've accomplished a great deal.
    But there's only one reason to look backwards, and that is to determine
    who best to lead us forward. See, that's the only reason to look
    backwards, is who best to get the job done for the American people.
        I'm asking for the vote, and I'm working hard to ask for the vote
    because so much is at stake in this election. We have much more to do to
    move this country forward. I'm running again because I want to work to
    continue to create jobs and improve our

    [[Page 1660]]

    schools. I'm running again because I know we've got to continue to fight
    the terrorists to secure our homeland. I'm running again to spread the
    peace. I'm running again--what I'm here to tell you is, we have made
    much progress, and there is more work to be done.
        We have more to do to make our public schools the centers of
    excellence we all know they can be, so that no child is left behind in
    America. You might remember, 3\1/2\ years ago, there was--when we came
    to office, too many of our children were being shuffled from grade to
    grade, year after year, without learning the basics. We have challenged
    the soft bigotry of low expectations. We have raised the bar. We believe
    in accountability because we want to know whether or not our children
    are learning to read and write and add and subtract. We believe in local
    control of schools. When we find schools that will not teach and will
    not change, we are bold enough to challenge the status quo.
        There's more work to be done. We want our high school diplomas to
    mean something. We want to intervene early, before it's too late. We
    want to make sure that technology is in the classrooms so that we can
    bring high-level training to our kids. We want to emphasize math and
    science. What I'm telling you is after 4 more years, a rising generation
    will have skills and confidence necessary to compete in the 21st
    century.
        We have more to do to make quality health care affordable and
    available. You might remember those Medicare debates. You might remember
    campaign after campaign, people would travel this State saying, ``Don't
    worry. We'll strengthen Medicare.'' We got the job done. Drug discount
    cards that provide real savings are available for our seniors. Beginning
    in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose a plan that
    suits their needs and gives them coverage for prescription drugs.
        I was working with--I remember campaigning in this State in 2002.
    There were a lot of skeptics. People would say, ``Well, you know, they
    talk a good game in Washington.'' Do you remember what was happening to
    the rural hospitals of Iowa? Do you remember what it was like when the
    reimbursement levels didn't support health care in this important State?
    I stood up for Charles Grassley, the
    fine United States Senator from Iowa. I said, ``We're going to work
    together to get the job done,'' and we got the job done for the people
    of this State.
        We're helping low-income seniors by expanding community health
    centers. We've created health savings accounts so families can save tax-
    free for their own health care needs. We're getting the job done in
    America for health care, and there's more to do. We want our small
    businesses to be able to pool across jurisdictional boundaries so they
    can afford insurance just like big companies are able to do.
        In order to make sure you've got health care available and
    affordable in Iowa and Nebraska and South Dakota, we need medical
    liability reform now. See, I don't think you can be pro-patient and pro-
    doctor and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. I think you have to
    choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put
    him on the ticket. [Laughter] I made my choice.
    We need medical liability reform now.
        We will expand research and seek cures for diseases. We will harness
    technology to reduce costs. And in all we do to improve health care in
    America, I'll make sure that the health decisions are made by doctors
    and patients, not by Washington, DC, bureaucrats.
        Listen, there's more work to be done to keep our economy strong.
    We've been through a lot. Think about what this economy has been
    through. We've been through a recession, corporate scandals, a terror
    attack; yet we've overcome those obstacles. We've overcome them because
    our workers are great. We've overcome them because our farmers and
    ranchers are really good

    [[Page 1661]]

    at what they do. We've overcome them because the entrepreneurial spirit
    of this country is really strong. We've overcome it because small
    businesses are vibrant and healthy and expanding. And we've overcome it
    because of well-timed tax cuts.
        When it came time for providing tax relief, when it came time--which
    really means just letting you keep more of your own money. Sometimes you
    hear them in Washington say, ``Well, we're going to give them some
    Government money.'' [Laughter] That's not Government money. No, that's
    the people's money. That's whose money it is. We said, ``If you pay tax,
    you ought to get relief.'' It seems like to be the fair way to do
    things, instead of trying to pick winners and losers. If you're a mom or
    a dad, you got relief. We increased the child credit. We provided relief
    from the marriage penalty. I never quite understood a Tax Code that
    penalizes marriage. It seems like policy ought to encourage marriage in
    America. We helped our small businesses, and this time, the check
    actually was in the mail. [Laughter]
        Because we acted, our economy, since last summer, has grown at a
    rate as fast as any in nearly 20 years. This economy is strong. It's
    getting stronger. We've added about 1.5 million new jobs. The national
    unemployment rate is 5.5 percent, and right here in the State of Iowa,
    your unemployment rate is 4.3 percent.
        And there's more work to be done. I'm running because I understand
    that we've got to continue with a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-
    agricultural policy in order to make sure this economy stays strong and
    people can find work. You know, when I campaigned before, I said, ``Give
    me a chance, and I'll stay focused on the agricultural economy of
    America.'' See, I understand, good agricultural policy is good economic
    policy for this country.
        We passed a good farm bill, and it's working. Farm income is up.
    Property values are up. Our farmers and ranchers are making a good
    living, and that's good for the American economy. And we also did
    something else to help our farm economy, put the death tax on its way to
    extinction. The problem is, unless you have a President and Congress who
    understands how devastating the death tax is to our agricultural economy
    and our small-business economy, it's going to come back to life in 2011.
    It's going to make it kind of strange in 2010. I believe we ought to get
    rid of the death tax forever.
        In order to make sure jobs stay here in America and people can find
    work, we need an energy policy which makes us less dependent on foreign
    sources of energy. That's why I am a strong supporter of alternative
    sources of energy like ethanol and biodiesel. Someday my hope is that
    somebody walks in the Oval Office and plops a report right in front of
    the President and says, ``The corn crop is up, and we're less dependent
    on foreign sources of energy.''
        In order to make sure we've got jobs here, we must have wise trade
    policy. See, I believe in free trade, and I believe in fair trade. I
    believe the job of this administration is to reject economic
    isolationism and open up markets. One reason the farm economy is high is
    because not only are our farmers feeding Americans; they're feeding
    people all around the world.
        In order to make sure we've got jobs here, we need less regulations
    and less lawsuits against our employers. In order to make sure we've got
    jobs here, we must not overspend your money, and we must keep your taxes
    low. And that's an issue in this campaign.
        We've still got about 80 days to go in this campaign, and the fellow
    I'm running against has already made over $2.2 trillion of new promises.
    And so I said, ``Well, how are you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh,
    don't worry, we'll tax the rich.'' You've heard that rhetoric before,
    haven't you? It's why the rich have got accountants--[laughter]--figure
    out how he can't tax them. In order to make sure he fulfills all his
    promises, guess who is going to pay? You are.

    [[Page 1662]]

    But the good news is we're not going to let him
    get in office in the first place.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I'm running because I know we need to continue with a
    pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-farmer economic agenda to make sure
    people can find a decent wage in this country and to make sure this
    country is the strongest economy in the industrialized world.
        We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror. Our
    future depends on our willingness to lead in this world. See, if America
    shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift
    toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
        The world changed on that terrible September morning. And since that
    day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan
    served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed
    thousands of killers to set up terrorist cells around the world,
    including our own country. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising
    democracy. Because we acted, Afghanistan is an ally in the war on
    terror. Because we acted, many young girls now go to school for the
    first time. Because we acted, America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
    terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America
    and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, the terrorists were
    raising money and recruiting and operating with little opposition.
    Today, the Government, the Saudi Government, is after Al Qaida. America
    and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
    weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies sent
    a clear and strong message, the leader of Libya has abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass
    destruction. 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. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the
    world's sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapons of mass
    destruction. He had harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He
    subsidized the families of suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein murdered tens
    of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of instability in the
    world's most volatile region. He was a threat.
        We looked at intelligence. Not only did we look at the facts, we
    looked at intelligence as we had it and saw a threat. I knew it was
    important to bring the Congress in, so I called on Congress to give me
    its judgment. The Congress remembered the facts and looked at the
    intelligence and saw a threat. You see, both of us saw a threat--me and
    the Congress saw a threat--because we remembered one of the lessons of
    September the 11th was, is that when we saw a threat we must deal with
    it before it fully materializes. It's a different world we're in. So
    Members of Congress--like me--saw that lesson and voted overwhelmingly
    to use force, if necessary, to protect America. Members of both
    political parties looked at the intelligence and made that declaration.
    My opponent looked at the same intelligence and came to the same
    conclusion I did.
        I then went to the United Nations. See, I do think it's important
    always to have war as the last resort and that we must try diplomacy as
    first resort in order to bring the peace. So I went to the U.N. They
    agreed with our assessment that Saddam Hussein was a threat. You might remember they voted
    overwhelmingly in the U.N. Security Council to say to Saddam Hussein,
    ``Disclose. Disarm, or face serious consequences.''
        As he had for over a decade--he didn't
    care what the free world said. Remember, he defied the world, resolution
    after resolution after resolution. He did so again. As a matter of fact,
    when we sent inspectors

    [[Page 1663]]

    in to find out the facts, he systematically deceived them. So I had a
    choice to make: Either forget the lessons of September the 11th and
    trust the word of a madman, or take action to defend our country. Given
    that choice, I will defend America every time.
        Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we thought we would
    find, you need to remember that Saddam Hussein had the capability to make weapons of mass
    destruction, and he could have passed that capability on to our enemies.
    And that's not a risk, after September the 11th, that we could afford to
    take. Knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same action.
    America and the world are safer because Saddam is in a prison cell.
        Now--and now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and
    about 220 days after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar
    candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance.
    [Laughter] He now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq. See,
    after months of questioning my motives and my credibility, the Senator
    from Massachusetts now agrees with me that even though we have not found
    the stockpile of weapons we all believed were there, knowing everything
    we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam
    Hussein from power. And I want to thank
    Senator Kerry for clearing that up. [Laughter] Although, I caution you,
    there are still 80 days left where he could change his mind again.
        I'm running because I know we must continue to work with friends and
    allies around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorists in Iraq
    and Afghanistan and elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to these
    people. You cannot negotiate with them. In this post-9/11 world, we
    cannot simply hope for the best. We must aggressively pursue them and
    defeat them in foreign lands so we do not have to face them here at
    home.
        During the next 4 years, America will continue to lead the world
    with confidence and moral clarity. We have put together a strong
    coalition to help us in the pursuit of the terrorists and to spread
    peace. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, and some 30
    nations involved in Iraq. I really appreciate the moms and dads in those
    countries who share the same sacrifices that the moms and dads and
    husbands and wives in our country share, knowing a loved one is serving
    a noble cause during historic times. I will continue to build alliances
    and strengthen alliances and 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 countries.
        These are crucial time. They're crucial times, and we're doing the
    hard work to secure our country and to spread peace. And our commitments
    are being kept by our men and women of the military. I want to thank the
    veterans who are here for setting such a good example to those who wear
    the uniform today. I appreciate you all coming.
        I've had the privilege of traveling to bases in our country and
    around the world. I've met those--with those who defend our security.
    I've seen their great decency and their unselfish courage. I can assure
    you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in really good hands.
        And those who wear our uniform deserve the full support of our
    Government. 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
    vital equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, spare
    parts. I appreciated the bipartisan support my request received in the
    House and the Senate. It was a strong support in the United States
    Senate. As a matter of fact, only a small, what I would call, out-of-
    the-mainstream minority of 12 voted against the funding, and 2 of those
    12 are my opponent and his runningmate.

    [[Page 1664]]

        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. You might remember his initial explanation. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before
    I voted against it.'' [Laughter] That doesn't sound like the way people
    in Sioux land talk. The pressure got on a little bit about that vote.
    Then he said, well, he's proud of the vote, and he went on to say the
    whole thing is a complicated matter. [Laughter] There's nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We
    must work to change the conditions that give rise to terror, poverty and
    hopelessness and resentment. These are historic times. A free and
    peaceful Iraq and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful
    examples in a neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. See, Americans
    believe that peaceful societies emerge when governments listen to the
    hopes and aspirations of their people. In Iraq and Afghanistan, there
    are strong leaders who have emerged who believe in the hopes and
    aspirations of their people.
        Success in Iraq will be achieved when more Iraqis are trained to
    defeat those who want to stop the advance of freedom. Our job is to
    stand with the Government that is heading toward elections and preparing
    the Iraqis for a day of security and freedom. That's what we're doing in
    Iraq.
        And it's important work. It's important work because by serving the
    ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others, and we're making our
    own country more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're
    spreading peace. Free countries are peaceful countries. By serving the
    ideal of liberty, we're serving our deepest ideals as Americans. We
    believe that freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in
    this world.
        Let me share a story with you right quick, tell you what I'm talking
    about. Laura and I were having dinner with Prime Minister of
    Japan, and--Prime Minister Koizumi--in
    Tokyo. And we're talking, and during the course of the conversation, it
    dawned on me that it's really interesting that I was having a meeting
    with the leader of a former enemy. My dad
    fought in World War II. Many of your dads fought against the Japanese,
    and here we were sitting down to dinner. What was remarkable about the
    conversation is, we were talking about how to keep the peace.
        Fortunately, my predecessor and others in our Government after World
    War II believed in the power of liberty to transform enemies into allies
    and friends. They believed that liberty had the capacity to take a
    former enemy and help them become a peaceful advocate for freedom, and
    that's what happened. And fortunately, they defied the pessimists. They
    didn't listen to the doubters. They didn't listen to the naysayers. They
    held deep in their hearts this conviction that we hold in America that
    freedom is a right of people all around the world, and freedom is an
    amazingly powerful, transforming philosophy.
        And so we were talking about the peace. We were talking about how to
    deal with North Korea, as allies in peace. Someday, when we complete our
    mission, an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected
    leader of Iraq, saying to himself or herself, thank God America didn't
    forget its values, and they'll be talking about how to keep the peace.
        We have more work to do. We have more work to do to protect our
    country. There's enemies who hate us. They still plot to harm us. You
    know, there's a debate about the course of action I've taken. They say--
    he says that going to war with the terrorists is actually improving
    their recruiting efforts. I strongly disagree with that. There's
    obviously a clear difference of opinion. I think it shows a
    misunderstanding of the nature of the enemy. I want you to remember,
    during the 1990s, the terrorists were recruiting and training for war
    with us long before we went to war with them. I don't think they need an
    excuse

    [[Page 1665]]

    for their hatred and their evil hearts. You do not create terrorists by
    fighting back; you defeat the terrorists by fighting back.
        We're reforming how we protect our homeland. It's hard work to
    reform how you protect your homeland. It's hard work to reform at all in
    Washington--a lot of entrenched interests there. But we're making
    progress. You just need to know there's a lot of really good people
    working hard on your behalf to find terrorists before they can hurt us.
    We've created a new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the
    PATRIOT Act. Listen, the PATRIOT Act is a vital piece of legislation
    which gives our law enforcement the tools necessary to crack these
    terrorist networks. And they do so without compromising your
    constitutional rights as an American. We're integrating intelligence and
    law enforcement better than ever before. We're taking action on a large
    majority of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, which I found to be a
    very helpful report and a good report.
        We've got more to do to secure our ports and borders and to train
    our first-responders and dramatically improve intelligence gathering
    capability. When Congress comes back in, we'll continue to work with
    them on the National Intelligence Director, so one person is in charge
    of coordinating intelligence overseas and at home. We're working hard. A
    lot of people are working hard, and I'm proud to be associated with
    great people at the Federal level and at the State level and the first-
    responders here at the local level who are doing their duty to the
    American citizens--for the American citizens.
        I told you reform is hard. It's easy to advocate it in Washington,
    but you have to get the job done. When you're out campaigning and
    rounding up the voters, remind them, when it comes to reforming public
    schools and improving education for every child, we're getting the job
    done. When it comes to health care reforms and giving families more
    access and more choices in health care, we're getting the job done. When
    it comes to a strong agricultural economy, we're getting the job done.
    When it comes to growing our economy and creating quality jobs, we're
    getting the job done. When it comes to securing our Nation and spreading
    the peace, we're getting the job done. When it comes to electing a
    President, put a man in there who can get the job done.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. These are exciting times we live in, and they're a
    time of change. And I think one of the ways that Government can help
    people during a time of change is to encourage an ownership society. We
    want more people owning their own health care accounts, so that if they
    change jobs, they can take the health care accounts with them. We want--
    look, I've got to tell you, I'm concerned about Social Security. For old
    guys like me, Social Security is fine. [Laughter] It's for the younger
    workers, those who are just starting to work, we've got to worry about
    the fiscal solvency of the Social Security system. That's why I believe
    we ought to allow younger workers to own their own personal retirement
    account in Social Security.
        I love the fact, in a changing world, more people own their own
    home. The homeownership rate is at an alltime high in America. There's
    nothing better than thinking about somebody opening a door, say,
    ``Welcome to my home. Come into my piece of property.'' You know, the
    entrepreneurial sector of America is strong and vibrant. More people are
    owning their own business. The reason I believe in an ownership society
    is not only to provide stability during changing times, I also
    understand that if you own something, you have a vital stake in the
    future of our country.
        During changing times, though, there are some things that won't
    change, our belief in liberty, opportunity, and the nonnegotiable
    demands of human dignity. Individual values we try to live by won't
    change, courage, compassion, reverence,

    [[Page 1666]]

    and integrity; the institutions that give us direction and purpose, our
    families, our schools, our religious congregations. By the way, these
    institutions are fundamental to our lives. They deserve the respect of
    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 matters and every person counts. We stand for judges who
    faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. The culture of
    this country is changing from one that has said, you know, ``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. Listen, if you're fortunate enough to be a
    mother or a 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 Sioux City, Iowa, 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 in a
    responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
    neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
        No, I understand the strength of this country is in the hearts and
    souls of our citizens. Government can hand out money, but Government
    cannot put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a person's
    life. Compassion* happens when a loving neighbor puts their arm around
    somebody who hurts and says, ``I love you,'' and ``Can I help you?'' I
    will continue to rally the armies of compassion so that we change
    America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
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        For all Americans these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of nations when little is
    expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is the
    times where we need firm resolve and clear vision, strong belief in the
    values that make us such a wonderful country.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the 14th,
    2001. It's a day that I'll never forget. Amidst all the scenes in my
    memory that day, a couple stand out--the workers in hardhats that were
    chanting, ``Whatever it takes.'' I was working the ropeline. A guy grabs
    me. His eyes were bloodshot. He says, ``Do not let me down.'' I remember
    meeting with the victims' families who had this great hope of all hopes
    that somehow a loved one who had rushed in the rubble to save life would
    still be alive. All of us there took that day personally. I took it
    personally. I know you took it personally.
        I have a duty that goes on. Every day that I wake up, I think of
    best how to defend our country. I will never relent. I will stay firm in
    my desire to bring justice to the enemies, to keep America safe and
    secure, whatever it takes.
        We've come through a lot. We've come through a lot together, and
    we've done hard work and important work. But there's more to be done.
    During the next 4 years, we'll spread ownership and opportunity to every
    corner of America. We will pass the enduring values of our country on to
    a young generation. We'll stay focused and firm in our resolve to secure
    America and to spread the peace.
        You know, when I campaigned through your State in 2004, I said that
    if I had the high honor of holding this office, I would pledge to you
    that I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office of the
    Presidency. And with your help, during the next 4 years, I will continue
    to do so.
        May God bless you all. Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all.

    [[Page 1667]]

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 1:15 p.m. at the Tyson Events
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Iowa State Auditor David A.
    Vaudt; Speaker Christopher Rants and State Representative Ralph Klemme,
    Iowa State House of Representatives; former Representative John R.
    Thune, senatorial candidate in South Dakota; Mayor Dave Ferris of Sioux
    City, IA; Jeff Fortenberry, candidate for Nebraska's First Congressional
    District; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; 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.