    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 10, 2004]
    [Pages 1566-1573]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Pensacola, Florida
    August 10, 2004

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Thank you
    all. Thanks for coming. What a great welcome. I'm so honored. You know,
    you're in good country when you've got a guy holding a sign up that says
    ``Bubbas for Bush.'' No, the heart and soul of America is right here in
    Pensacola, Florida.
        It's an honor to land Air Force One at the Pensacola Naval Air
    Station, right here in the cradle of naval aviation. And it's an honor
    to stand with one of the really fine naval aviators in our Nation's
    history, Senator John McCain. Forty-six years
    ago this month, Ensign John McCain reported for duty in Pensacola. He
    trained to fly here; he launched a life of true service to America that
    continues to this day. As a naval officer, as a Congressman, as a United
    States Senator from Arizona, John McCain has embodied honor and
    integrity, courage and strength. And I'm honored to have him by my side.
        We're kicking off a bus trip. We're starting here, and we're heading
    east across the panhandle of this important State. I'm asking for the
    vote. Everywhere we're going the crowds are big, the enthusiasm is high,
    and with your help, Dick Cheney and I will be
    honored to serve this country for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I wish Laura was here today.
    She is a wonderful wife, a great mom, and she's doing a fabulous job as
    this country's First Lady. I'll give you some reasons why I think you
    ought to put me back into office, but perhaps the most important reason
    of all is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years.
        I'm running with a good man in Dick Cheney.
    Listen, I recognize he's not the prettiest face on the ticket.
    [Laughter] I didn't pick him for his looks. I picked him because of his
    experience and his sound judgment and his ability to do the job.
        I've been looking around for the Governor.
    [Laughter] I had a few words for the Governor. Actually, I saw him over
    the weekend. His son George P. got married.
    Yes, it was a great wedding. He's working. He's doing what you want him
    to do. He's working on behalf of all the people of Florida. I'm proud of
    the job Jeb is doing as the Governor of this vital State.
        I'm honored that your very fine Congressman, Jeff Miller, is traveling with us today. He's doing a heck of a job
    for the people of the Panhandle.
        I want to thank all the local and State officials who are here.
    Thanks for serving your State and our country. I appreciate Joe
    Scarborough. I'm glad to
    know he's still standing and making a living. I kissed his little
    girl on the way down the stairs.
    Fortunately, she's got her mom's looks.
    [Laughter] I appreciate Ricky Skaggs. I'm
    honored Ricky took time to come over and sing for you all.
        I'm honored to be with the men and women who wear our uniform, proud
    to be here. I want to thank all the veterans who are here today. I want
    to thank you for setting such a good example.
        I want to thank all the grassroots activists. Those are the people
    who are going to put up the signs and make the phone calls and register
    the voters. I'm here to ask for your help. Not only I want your vote,
    I'd like for your help. I'd like you to go to your neighbors--listen,
    find those discerning Democrats and wise independents as well as our
    fellow Republicans, and urge them to do their duty on Election Day. See,
    we have a duty in this country to participate when it comes to voting
    time. And when you get them headed towards the polls, give them a nudge
    our way.

    [[Page 1567]]

        Every incumbent who asks for the vote has to answer an essential
    question, why--why should the American people give me the great
    privilege of serving as your President for 4 more years? In the past
    years, Americans have been through a lot together, a whole lot, and
    we've accomplished a great deal. But there's only one reason to look
    backward at the record, and that is to determine who will best lead our
    Nation forward. I'm asking for your vote because so much is at stake. We
    have much more to do to move this country forward. I want to be your
    President for 4 more years to make this country safer, to make our
    economy stronger, and to make the future better and brighter for every
    single citizen.
        From creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to
    spreading peace, we've made much progress, and there's 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.
        Remember, when we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many children
    were being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, without
    learning the basics. So we challenged what I call the soft bigotry of
    low expectations. We raised the bar. We believe in accountability
    because we want to know whether or not our children are learning to read
    and write. We believe in local control of schools. We believe in
    challenging the status quo when the status quo is failing the children
    of this country. Today, children across America are showing real
    progress in reading and math. When it comes to improving America's
    public schools, we're turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
        We have more to do. There's more work to do. The world is changing,
    and the jobs of the future will require greater knowledge and higher-
    level skills. We're going to reform our high schools to make sure a high
    school diploma means something. We will expand math and science
    education so our young people can compete in the high-tech world. We'll
    expand the use of the Internet to bring high-level training into our
    classrooms. With 4 more years, we will help a rising generation gain the
    skills and confidence to achieve the American Dream.
        We have more to do to make quality health care available and
    affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans could not
    afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. You might
    remember the past debates. Leaders of both political parties had
    promised prescription drug coverage in campaign after campaign. We got
    the job done. More than 4 million seniors have signed up for drug
    discount cards that provide real savings. 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.
        To help more people get access to quality care, we've expanded
    community health centers for low-income Americans. We've created health
    savings accounts so families can save tax-free for their own health care
    needs. When it comes to giving Americans more choices about their own
    health care and making health care more affordable, we're moving America
    forward, and we're not turning back.
        This world is changing. Most Americans get their health care
    coverage through their work. But today, most of the new jobs are created
    by small businesses, which too often cannot afford to provide health
    coverage. To help more American families get health insurance, we must
    allow small employers to join together to purchase insurance at the same
    discounts big companies are able to do.
        To make sure health care is available and affordable, we must end
    the frivolous lawsuits that raise the cost of health care. 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. [Laughter] I made my
    choice: I'm going to continue

    [[Page 1568]]

    to work with the United States Congress for medical liability reform.
        We'll do more to harness technology to reduce costs and prevent
    health care mistakes. We will expand research and seek new cures for
    terrible diseases. In all we do to improve health care in America, we
    will make sure that the health decisions are made by doctors and
    patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        We'll do more to make this economy stronger. We've come through a
    lot. We've come through a recession and corporate scandals and terrorist
    attacks. We've overcome these obstacles because of the hard work of the
    American people. We've got great workers. We've got great farmers. We've
    got great ranchers. We've got great entrepreneurs. I also think one of
    the reasons we've come through this tough period is because of well-
    timed tax cuts. We didn't try to pick winners or losers. We did it the
    fair way: If you paid taxes, you got relief. That's a fair way for tax
    relief. The tax relief helped families with children. The tax relief
    helped married couples. I mean, what kind of Tax Code is it that
    penalizes marriage? We ought to be encouraging marriage in our society.
    We helped our small businesses. And this time, the check really was in
    the mail.
        Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
    as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, we've added about a
    million--1.5 million new jobs since last year, last August. The
    unemployment rate is down to 5.5 percent, well below the national
    average of the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Because we acted,
    Florida has added nearly 300,000 jobs since the end of 2001. Florida's
    unemployment rate is now 4.7 percent. When it comes to creating jobs for
    American workers, here in Florida you have proved we're moving America
    forward, and we're not turning back.
        There's more work to do. We need to make our economy more job-
    friendly, America's workplaces more family-friendly. To keep American
    jobs here in America, regulations must be reasonable and must be fair.
    Many of you small-business owners know what I'm talking about when it
    comes to regulations. I can't guarantee anybody in Washington has ever
    read the forms you filled out. [Laughter] To keep jobs here in America,
    we must reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. To keep
    American jobs in America, we must end the junk lawsuits and enact tort
    reform. To keep American jobs in America, to keep American jobs here in
    our country, we must not overspend your money. And we will keep your
    taxes low.
        Listen, to keep jobs here, we must not become economic
    isolationists. We must be bold about our ability to compete in the
    world. I believe America's workers and farmers can compete with anybody,
    anytime, anywhere so long as the rules are fair. To keep jobs here,
    we've got to make sure our workers have the skills necessary to fill the
    jobs of the 21st century. We're going to offer American workers a
    lifetime of learning. And to be aggressive in helping them get the
    training they need for the jobs of the future at places like our
    community colleges--the education training they offer can be a bridge
    between people's lives as they are and people's lives as they want them
    to be.
        You know what else we need to do? We need to make sure our families
    have something they never have enough of, and that is time--time to be
    with your kids, time to volunteer in your community, time to take care
    of your parents, time to go back to school. I'm going to work with
    Congress to enact comp-time and flex-time to help American families
    better juggle the demands of the workplace.
        When you give us 4 more years, this economy is going to be stronger,
    more small businesses, better and higher-paying jobs. And America will
    continue to lead the world with the world's strongest economy.

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        We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror. America's
    future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If America shows
    uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward
    tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
        See, the world changed on a terrible September morning, and since
    that day we have changed the world. Before September the 11th,
    Afghanistan served as the home base for 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.
    Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. And thanks to the United
    States and thanks to members of our coalition, many young girls now go
    to school for the first time in Afghanistan.
        Because we acted, 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 the terrorists.
    Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America and the world are
    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 our 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. 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 harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He
    subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He murdered tens of
    thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great instability in
    the world's most volatile region.
        After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
    in a new light. One of the lessons of September the 11th is that America
    must take threats seriously, before they fully materialize. We saw a
    threat. My administration looked at the intelligence and saw a threat.
    The United States Congress looked at the same intelligence--members of
    both political parties, including my opponent--
    looked at the intelligence and came to the same conclusion.
        We went to the United Nations, which looked at the intelligence and
    demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs, or face serious consequences. After
    12 years of defiance, he again refused to comply. He deceived the
    weapons inspectors. So I had a choice to make: either forget the lessons
    of September the 11th and take the word of a madman who hated America,
    or defend this country. Given that choice, I will defend America.
        Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we expected to find,
    removing Saddam Hussein from power was the
    right thing to do. Saddam Hussein had the capability to make weapons of
    mass destruction. And he could have passed that capability on to
    terrorist enemies. After September the 11th, that was a chance we could
    not afford to take. And America and the world are safer because Saddam
    Hussein sits in a prison cell.
        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 has found a new nuance. He
    now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq. After months of
    questioning my motives and even my credibility, Senator Kerry now agrees
    with me that even though we have not found the stockpile of weapons we
    all believed were there, knowing everything we

    [[Page 1570]]

    know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam
    Hussein from power. I want to thank Senator
    Kerry for clearing that up--although there are still 84 days left in the
    campaign.
        We have more to do. I'm seeking the office because we must continue
    to work with our friends and allies around the world to aggressively
    pursue the terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and
    elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to these people. You cannot
    negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best. We must engage these
    enemies around the world so we do not have to face them here at home.
        America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
    clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help us defeat the
    terror. There's 60 nations involved with the Proliferation Security
    Initiative. Nearly 40 nations are in Afghanistan. Some 30 nations are
    involved in Iraq. I know you join me in thanking the leaders of those
    countries who have committed their troops to peace and freedom around
    the world. We'll continue to strengthen our alliances and work with our
    friends for the cause of security and peace. But I'll never turn over
    national--America's national security decisions to leaders of other
    countries.
        We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
    peaceful, democratic societies. Listen, these two nations are now
    governed by strong leaders. These are people who are willing to listen
    to the hopes and aspirations of their people. The moms and dads of
    Afghanistan and Iraq want their children to grow up in a peaceful and
    hopeful society. That's what they want. People of Afghanistan and Iraq
    are beginning the make the hard work of going from tyranny to freedom.
    More and more troops are stepping up in Iraq--Iraqis saying, ``What can
    I do to secure my country so my family can grow up in a peaceful
    world?''
        The people of these countries can count on us. When we acted to
    protect our own security, we promised to help deliver them from tyranny,
    to restore their sovereignty, and to set them on the path to liberty.
    And when America gives its word, America keeps its word.
        In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men
    and women of our military. At bases across our 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. The cause of freedom is in really good hands. And
    anytime--and those who wear our Nation's uniform deserve the full
    support of our Nation's 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, and spare
    parts. In the Senate only a small, out-of-the-mainstream minority of 12
    Senators voted against the legislation. And 2 of those 12 Senators are
    my opponent and his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Senator Kerry tried to explain
    his vote this way: ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I
    voted against it.'' [Laughter] That's not the way they talk here in the
    Panhandle of Florida. He's had some different explanations. He said he
    was proud of his vote, and then he further said the whole thing is a
    complicated matter. [Laughter] There's nothing complicated about
    supporting our troops in combat.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by
    force alone. We will work to change the conditions that give rise to
    terror: poverty and hopelessness, resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq
    and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples in their
    neighborhood, a neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. See, free
    nations do not export terror.

    [[Page 1571]]

    Free nations enhance the dreams of their citizens. Free nations are
    peaceful nations.
        By serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others, and
    that makes our country more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty,
    we're spreading the peace. And by serving the ideal of liberty, we serve
    the highest values of our own country. Freedom is not America's gift to
    the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in
    this world.
        We have more to do to protect America. There's enemies who still
    hate us, and they're plotting. My opponent says
    that going to war with the terrorists is actually improving their
    recruiting efforts. The logic is upsidedown. It shows a dangerous
    misunderstanding of the enemy we face. During the nineties, these
    terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us--long before we
    went to war with them. They don't need an excuse for their hatred. It is
    wrong to blame America for the anger and evil of the killers. We don't
    create terrorists by fighting back; we defeat terrorist by fighting
    back.
        I agree with the conclusion the 9/11 Commission has said: Because of
    the actions we have taken since September the 11th, our homeland is
    safer, but we're not yet safe. I understand that. The way to make this
    country more secure is to be on the offense, is to find these terrorists
    and to bring the enemies to justice. And the way to make this country
    more secure is to start the hard process of reform.
        We've transformed our defenses. We created a new Department of
    Homeland Security. We passed the PATRIOT Act to give our law enforcement
    officers tools to track terrorists. The mission of the FBI is now
    focused on preventing terrorism. We're integrating intelligence and law
    enforcement better than we ever have before. We're already taking action
    on a large majority of the 9/11 Commission Report. And we've got more to
    do to better secure our ports and borders and to train our first-
    responders, to dramatically improve intelligence gathering capability.
        Today I nominated a fine Floridian, Congressman Porter Goss, to head the Central Intelligence Agency. And we'll
    work with Congress to create a position of the National Intelligence
    Director so that one person is in charge of coordinating all our
    intelligence efforts overseas and at home.
        These reforms aren't going to be easy. Reform is never easy in
    Washington. There's a lot of entrenched interests there, people who are
    willing to defend the status quo. It's not enough to advocate reform.
    You've got to be able to get the job done. See, when it came to
    reforming schools, provide excellent education for our children, we got
    the job done, and results matter. When it came to health care reforms to
    give our families more access and more choices, we're getting the job
    done, and results matter. When it came to improving our economy and
    creating jobs, results matter. When it comes to better securing our
    homeland, when it comes to spreading the peace, results matter. When it
    comes to electing a President, results matter.
        Listen, we're living in changing times. These are changing times,
    and they're exciting times. And Government needs to stand side by side
    with the American people during these changing times. Do you know what
    that says to me? It says to me, we've got to continue to promote an
    ownership society in America. We want you to own and control your own
    health care accounts, so that if you go from one job to the next, the
    health care account is yours and stays with you.
        You know, I'm worried about younger workers in America. I'm worried
    about whether or not the Social Security system is fiscally sound enough
    for our younger workers. Old guys like me and McCain, we're set when it comes to Social Security. But to make
    sure the Social Security system works, we've got to let our younger
    workers have an option of taking some of their own money and
    establishing a personal savings

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    account that they can pass from one generation to the next.
        I'll tell you, I love the fact that more people now own their home
    in America than ever before. We love homeownership in my administration.
    I met Jack and Julie Broomes behind stage. They said, ``This year, thanks to your
    tax relief, we were able to buy a home.'' What a fantastic thought, to
    have that good family open their door and say, ``Welcome to my house.''
        We believe in ownership in this administration. We want more people
    owning their small business. I love the fact that more minority--
    minorities are owning their own business. It's a hopeful sign for
    America. In a changing world, one way to help the American people is to
    promote an ownership society. When you own something you have a vital
    stake in the future of our country.
        In this world of rapid change, there's going to be some things that
    won't change: our belief in liberty and opportunity and the
    nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. We believe in the individual
    values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and
    integrity. We honor the institutions that give us direction and purpose,
    our families, our schools, our religious congregations.
        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 being 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. This culture of
    our 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 understands we're 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 and all your soul.
    Listen, 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 in this responsibility
    society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like
    we'd like to be loved ourselves.
        The strength of this country is the hearts and souls of our
    citizens; that's the strength of America. Over the next 4 years, I'll
    continue to rally the armies of compassion and call upon people to help
    solve some of the most difficult problems of our society. Government can
    hand out money; it can't put hope in a person's heart or a sense of
    purpose in a person's life. That happens when a loving soul puts their
    arm around a lonely heart and says, ``I love you. What can I do to help
    you?'' I'm running for 4 more years to continue to call upon the great
    strength of America so we can change our country, one heart, one soul,
    one conscience at a time.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart.
    There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected of
    its leaders. This isn't one of those times. It's a time when we need
    firm resolve and clear vision. See, 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. It's a day I'll never forget. I
    remember the people in hardhats yelling, ``Whatever it takes.'' I
    remember walking the ropeline. A guy grabbed me by his arm. He had just
    been searching in the rubble for a loved one. He said, ``Do not let me
    down.''
        As we all did that day, that fellow and the people searching through
    the rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I have a duty that
    goes on. I wake up every morning thinking how best to keep America safe.
    I will never relent in defending our country, whatever it takes.

    [[Page 1573]]

        We have come through a lot together. We've done hard work. We're
    moving this country forward. During the next 4 years, we'll spread
    ownership and opportunity to ever corner of America. We'll pass the
    enduring values of our country on to another generation. We will lead
    the cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
        Four years ago, I traveled this great State and our wonderful
    country asking for the vote, and I made a pledge to my fellow Americans.
    I said if you honored me with this great responsibility, I would uphold
    the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had been elected. And
    with your help, I will do so for 4 more years.
        May God bless you. Thank you all for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:53 a.m. at the Pensacola Civic Center.
    In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; former
    Representative Joe Scarborough of Florida; entertainer Ricky Skaggs;
    Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya; former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
    Upon the United States (9/11 Commission).