    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [September 3, 2004]
    [Pages 1863-1870]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Moosic, Pennsylvania
    September 3, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thank you for
    coming. I appreciate so many people getting up so early. Laura and I are here to ask for the vote. We're here to let
    you know that I understand there's more to do to make this country a
    safer place, a stronger place, and a better place for every American. So
    we're here; we're pleased to be in Lackawanna County in this beautiful
    setting. Thanks for having us.
        Before I begin, I do--I do know you'll join me in offering our
    prayers and best wishes to those in the path of the Hurricane Frances.
    There's been some devastation in the State of Florida. There's likely to
    be more devastation. And so I've ordered Federal teams to be in position
    to help the good people of that State, but the best thing we can do here
    is to offer our prayers.
        Audience member. I can't hear you! [Laughter]
        The President. Maybe it's because I gave--maybe it's because I
    talked too much last night, you know. [Laughter] I enjoyed giving that
    speech last night, and I am so proud that your State made my nomination
    official. And with your help, your State of Pennsylvania will be a
    significant reason we are reelected for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Laura set the bar pretty high
    when she gave her speech at the convention. She is--what a great First
    Lady, a wonderful mom, a terrific wife. Listen, I'm going to give you
    some reasons why I think you ought to put me back in, but perhaps the
    most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady for 4 more
    years.
        I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He
    doesn't have the longest and prettiest hair in the race. [Laughter] I
    didn't pick him for his hair. I picked him for his judgment, experience,
    and because he can get the job done.
        I appreciate the fact that Senator Arlen Specter is with us today. Put him back in

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    for 6 more years in the Senate. Look who is next to him, Rick
    Santorum, United States Senator. Congressman
    Don Sherwood is here as well. I appreciate you
    being here, Congressman--good man.
        Mayor Lou Barletta is with us from
    Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Hey, Lou, fill the potholes. [Laughter] I
    appreciate David Wenzel, the former mayor of
    Scranton, who is with us here today. David, thank you for coming. My
    friend Bill Scranton is with us here. I
    appreciate him coming. I want to thank all the candidates who are here.
        I want to thank my friend Mark Chesnutt.
    He's great, isn't he? Bubba Shot the Jukebox. He's from Beaumont, Texas,
    and I appreciate him lending his talent to come. I hope you enjoy him as
    much as I--I love his music.
        Most of all, I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here,
    the people who put up the signs and make the phone calls and encourage
    people to register to vote. See, I think we have a duty in this country
    to vote. In a free land, we have a duty to vote. And I'm asking you to
    register your friends and neighbors to vote. Register Republicans,
    register independents, register discerning Democrats--like Zell
    Miller of Georgia, he's a discerning Democrat--
    and then kind of head them to the poll. And when you get them there,
    remind them that George Bush and Dick Cheney are
    ready to lead this country for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Now, we're coming down the stretch in this race. We
    got less than 2 months to go. And this is a historic national election.
    It's a time for choosing. It's going to come down to the records we've
    built, the convictions we hold, and the vision that guides us forward.
    Over the next 2 months, I'm looking forward to traveling our country,
    telling people where I intend to lead our country, and telling people
    what I believe.
        I believe every child can learn in America, and then I believe every
    school must teach. That's why we passed important education reform that
    challenges the soft bigotry of low expectations, that says we must
    measure to determine whether a child can read, and if not, correct
    problems early before they're too late; that says that local folks ought
    to be in charge of the schools. It's a plan--we're making good progress
    across this country, and we're not turning back.
        I believe we have a moral responsibility to our seniors. That's why
    I've worked with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen Medicare. Our
    seniors now get help buying medicine, and soon every senior will be able
    to have coverage for prescription drugs. It doesn't make any sense to
    pay $100,000 for heart surgery and not pay for the medicine to prevent
    the heart surgery from happening in the first place. We're making
    progress in honoring our commitment to our seniors, and we're not
    turning back.
        I believe the role of Government is not to try to create wealth but
    an environment in which the entrepreneur, the small business, the
    farmer, and the rancher can survive. I believe in the spirit and
    innovative power of the American worker, and that is why we unleashed
    the energy of our economy with the largest tax relief in decades.
        Because we acted, our economy is growing again. Because we acted,
    we've overcome recession, scandal, stock market decline, and a terrorist
    attack. This morning, we received jobs report for August, and it shows
    that our economy is strong and getting stronger. We added 144,000 new
    jobs, plus revisions of about 60,000 for the previous month, which means
    we've increased jobs over the last 2 months by over 200,000 jobs.
    Overall, we've added about 1.7 million new jobs since August of '03. The
    unemployment rate is now down to 5.4 percent. That's nearly a full point
    below the rate last summer and below the average

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    of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is
    5.3 percent. Our growing economy is spreading prosperity and
    opportunity, and nothing will hold us back.
        I will continue to travel our country telling people what I believe,
    and I believe the most solemn duty of the President is to protect the
    American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this
    decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
    watch.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I am running for President with a clear and positive
    plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with
    a compassionate conservative philosophy that says Government should help
    people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. As I travel this
    country, I know that this Nation wants steady, consistent, principled
    leadership, and that is why, with your help, we're going to win 4 more
    years.
        Last night I spent time talking about how the world in which we live
    is changing. Women now work outside the home as well as work inside the
    home. Many people change jobs. It's a changing world, and the role of
    Government is to take the side of our workers and families in a time of
    change. Most of the fundamental systems of today, the Tax Code and
    health coverage and pension plans and worker training, were created for
    the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm running for 4 more years to
    change those fundamental systems so more Americans can realize the great
    promise of our country.
        My plan begins--any good plan begins with making sure our economy
    continues to grow. The global market is expanding and creating new
    markets and new competition. My view is, to create more jobs here in
    America, this has got to be the best place in the world to do business.
    That's why we will expand trade in a fair way. Look, we open up our
    markets, and it's good for you that we do. See, if you have more
    choices, you're likely to get a product you want at a better price and
    higher quality. What I'm saying when it comes to trade to other
    countries is you treat us the way we treat you. We can compete with
    anybody, anywhere, anytime, so long as the playing field is level.
        But we've got to get rid of these junk lawsuits that threaten our
    small-business owners. We've got to trim back needless regulations that
    make it hard for people to employ people. In order to make sure that the
    economy expands, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money, and
    we've got to keep your taxes low.
        We have a difference in this campaign on low taxes. I'm running
    against a fellow who has promised over $2
    trillion of new spending so far.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Yes. And we're just coming down the stretch. By the
    way, 2 trillion is a lot of money to promise, even for a Senator from
    Massachusetts. And now they said--so they asked him, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' And he said,
    ``Well, I'll pay for it all by taxing the rich.'' Two things wrong with
    that: One is you can't raise enough money by so-called taxing the rich
    to pay for his promises, which means somebody else is going to get stuck
    with the bill. But the other thing is, you've heard that rhetoric
    before, haven't you?
        Audience members. Yes!
        The President. Yes, tax the rich. You know what that means. They
    dodge; you pay. But we're not going to let him,
    because we're going to win in November.
        A drag in our economy is the Federal Tax Code, which is a
    complicated mess. You know, it is filled with special interest
    loopholes. Our people spend 6 billion hours of paperwork and headache
    every year. The American people deserve and our economic future depends
    on a simpler, fairer, progrowth Tax Code. In a second term, I will lead
    a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the Federal taxes.

    [[Page 1866]]

        I'll tell you what else we need to do. We need to help our workers
    train for the new jobs of the 21st century. In a changing world, the
    jobs change, and oftentimes, there's a skills gap. And so we're going to
    make sure our community college system works better for our workers.
    We're going to provide more money to help workers gain the skills
    necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
        Most new jobs are filled by people with at least 2 years of college,
    and yet only about one in four of our students gets there. And so in our
    high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs to help students at
    risk. We will place a new focus on math and science. Over time, we will
    require exit exams from high school because we want the high school
    diploma to mean something. By raising performance in the high schools
    and by expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we
    will help more Americans start their career with a college diploma.
        There's more to do to make sure quality health care is available and
    affordable. More than one half of the uninsured in America are small-
    business employees and their families. In order to make sure small
    businesses can afford health care, we must allow small firms to join
    together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big
    companies.
        We will help small businesses and low-income Americans set up and
    purchase health savings accounts. In a new term, I will ensure that
    every poor county in America has got community health centers to make
    sure that people get preventative and primary care, not in the emergency
    rooms of America but in these clinics for low-income Americans. In all
    we do, we'll make sure that the health decisions are made by doctors and
    patient, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        I want to talk about a national issue that is of concern to millions
    here in Pennsylvania. Too many good doctors, too many really fine
    healers are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of
    junk lawsuits. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
    plaintiff-attorney at the same time. You have to choose. My
    opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I made my choice. I'm standing with the docs and
    patients. We want medical liability reform--now.
        Let me give you a quick story about what I'm talking about. I'm
    telling you, this is a national problem that requires a national
    solution. And there is a clear difference in this campaign on this
    issue. Today I met with Dr. Neal Davis from
    Carbondale. [Applause] He told all his patients to come--[laughter]--and
    Mary Coar, one of his patients. I want you to hear
    this story because it's happening all across America.
        Last November, after 15 years of practice in Pennsylvania, Dr.
    Davis learned that his insurance company would no
    longer insure physicians in this State because of the junk lawsuits,
    because the law system here in terms of medicine is like a lottery, is
    what it's like. It's unfair to patients, and it's unfair to doctors.
    It's unfair to taxpayers. He found a new policy, but it said he had to
    give up delivering babies as part of the coverage. That's what's
    happening to ob-gyns all across the country.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. That forced Mary, 4 months
    pregnant, to start driving 50 miles each way to see different doctors--a
    different doctor. When Mary's daughter arrived this summer, she was
    delivered by a doctor Mary had never met. She said, ``I started to cry
    when he told me he was going to have to stop delivering.'' This is
    happening because the legal system is gone awry. We need medical
    liability reform now.
        Another priority for my administration in a new term will be an
    ownership society. See, I believe when you own something, your life is
    more secure; you have more dignity; and you have independence. And

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    so we'll help more people own their own homes, own their own health
    plan, and gain the confidence of owning a piece of their retirement.
    There's nothing better in America than somebody opening their door
    saying, ``Welcome to my home.'' Today, the homeownership rate in America
    is at an alltime high. We will expand more homeownership over the next 4
    years.
        Listen, we will keep the promise of Social Security for baby boomers
    and older--I happen to be a baby boomer. But younger workers need to
    worry about the fiscal solvency of Social Security. We will strengthen
    Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes
    in a personal account, an account they can call their own, and an
    account that Government can never take away.
        In a world of change, there are some things that won't change, the
    values we try to live by, the institutions that give our lives meaning
    and purpose. Because family and work are sources of stability and
    dignity, I support welfare reform that strengthen family and require
    work.
        I support a culture of life in which every person matters and every
    person counts. Because religious charities provide a safety net of mercy
    and compassion, our Government must never discriminate against those
    programs. I support marriage and family, which are the foundations of
    our society. And I will continue to appoint Federal judges who know the
    difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the
    law.
        When he was campaigning out--I think it was in the Midwest, my
    opponent announced he was the candidate of
    ``conservative values.''
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Which must have confused a lot of his supporters. [Laughter] See, if you say you're--if you
    say that the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm not--
    I'm afraid you're not the candidate of conservative values. If you voted
    against a bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act, which my
    predecessor signed, you are not the
    candidate of conservative values. If you consistently vote against the
    rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment as my opponent has, you are
    not the candidate of conservative values. There is a clear difference of
    philosophy in this race. He is for expanding
    Government. I am for expanding opportunity.
        This election will also determine how America responds to the
    continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September
    the 11th, we have fought the terrorists across the globe, not for pride,
    not for power--because the security of our country depends on it. Our
    strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. I want to thank you for
    helping raise Tom Ridge. He's doing a fine job in the Department of
    Homeland Security. We're transforming our military. We're reforming our
    intelligence services. We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the
    terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And we
    will continue to work to advance liberty--liberty in the broader Middle
    East--because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all
    want. If America stays strong and resolute and determined, we will
    prevail.
        And our strategy is succeeding. We're making progress. Four years
    ago, Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. Pakistan was a transit
    point for the terrorist groups. Saudi was fertile ground for terrorist
    fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq was a
    gathering threat, and Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned
    attacks. Now, after we acted, now after the United States led--and many
    have joined--the Government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror.
    Pakistan is capturing terrorists. Saudi Arabia is making raids and
    arrests. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a free
    Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's
    members and associates have been detained or killed.

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        Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

    [At this point, an audience member fainted.]

        The President. Get another doc. Get a doctor.
        This progress involves careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and
    some tough decisions. The toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam
    Hussein's record of aggression and support
    for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing, even using weapons of
    mass destruction. And we know that September the 11th requires our
    country to think differently. We must confront threats before they fully
    materialize. In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. Members of both
    political parties looked at the same intelligence, remembered the same
    history, and came to the same conclusion. Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    My opponent, in 2002, looked at the very same
    intelligence I looked at, and he came the same conclusion. See, he was
    one of the Members of Congress that voted to authorize the use of force
    because Saddam Hussein was a threat.
        The last option for the Commander in Chief is to commit troops, and
    so I went to the United Nations. See, I believe we ought to try
    diplomacy before we commit troops. The United Nations passed a unanimous
    resolution demanding that Saddam Hussein
    disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. The free world spoke
    loud and clear. Yet Saddam Hussein, as he had for over a decade of
    diplomacy, ignored the demands of the free world. As a matter of fact,
    when we sent inspectors--or when the U.N. sent inspectors in, he
    systematically deceived the inspectors.
        We gave Saddam Hussein a final chance to
    meet his responsibility to the civilized world. And when he refused, I
    faced the kind of decision that comes only to the Oval Office, a
    decision no President would ask for but must be prepared to make. Do I
    trust the word of a madman and forget the lessons of September the 11th,
    or take action to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend
    America every time.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. America and the world are safer with Saddam
    Hussein sitting in a prison cell. Because we
    acted to defend our country, the murderous regimes of Saddam and the
    Taliban are history. More than 50 million people now live in freedom.
        Democracy is on the march in a part of the world that is desperate
    for freedom. You realize that over 10 million citizens have registered
    to vote in the upcoming Afghan Presidential elections. It's amazing,
    isn't it? Think about what life was like 3 years ago for the people of
    that country. They were run by a group of barbarians, and today, they're
    showing up in the thousands to exercise their right as free men and
    women.
        In Iraq, there's a strong leader; there's a national council; and
    elections in that country are scheduled in January. See, our Nation is
    standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq because when America
    gives its word, America must keep its word.
        But as importantly, we're serving a vital and historic cause that
    will make our country safer. See, free societies do not export terror.
    Free societies do not feed the resentment of their people. Free
    governments will fight terrorists, instead of harboring them, and that
    helps keep America more secure and the world more peaceful. Our mission
    and goals in Afghanistan and Iraq are clear: We will help new leaders
    train their armies so the Iraq and the Afghan people can defend the
    freedom within their borders. We will get them on the path of stability
    and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return
    home with the honor they have earned.
        At bases across the country, I've had the privilege of meeting with
    those who defend our country. I've seen their decency and unselfish
    courage. I assure you, the cause of freedom is in really good hands. I
    am

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    proud of our military. They deserve--and I want to thank the vets who
    are here today for having set such a great example for those who wear
    our uniform.
        I made a commitment to our troops and their loved ones, they'll have
    all the resources they need to do their jobs. That's why I submitted a
    supplemental funding request to the Congress last September for $87
    billion, money needed for fuel and spare parts and body armor and
    equipment, ammunition, hazard pay, health benefits, to support our
    troops in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, see. And that proposal
    received bipartisan support, strong bipartisan support, except for 12
    Members from the United States Senate who voted against the funding.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. As a matter of fact, only four United States Senators
    voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against the funding
    for our troops.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Two of those four are my runningmate and his opponent.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. So they asked him how could he
    have done that. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it.'' Now, we've got some motorcycle drivers
    here? [Applause] Yes. I suspect you guys don't talk that way. They
    pressed him further, he said he was proud of his vote, and then he just
    said, ``The whole thing was a complicated matter''--his words. Here are
    my words: There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in
    combat.
        We'll continue to work with nations around the world. We have some
    40 nations in Afghanistan, nearly 30 in Iraq. These are strong, fine
    allies, who are making the same sacrifices we are to send their troops
    to secure the world and make the world more free. During the next 4
    years, I'll continue to build alliances and work with our friends. But I
    will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of
    other countries.
        I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
    of American strength is to advance freedom. I believe that America is
    called to lead the cause of freedom. You know, I spend time with Prime
    Minister Koizumi of Japan. He's a friend.
    Not all that long ago, though, his country was at war with us. Matter of
    fact, my dad, I'm sure your dad or granddad
    fought a bloody war against the Japanese. But because my predecessor
    Harry Truman and others believed in the power of liberty to transform
    lives and nations, after World War II, we worked with Japan to develop a
    democracy, and today I sit down at the same table with Prime Minister
    Koizumi to discuss the peace.
        Liberty can change nations from enemies to friends. Liberty will
    change--liberty will help transform Iraq from tyranny to a free and just
    society. Some day an American leader will be sitting down at the table
    with an elected Iraqi leader, saying thank goodness this generation of
    Americans had great faith in the value of liberty, and they will be
    discussing the peace. I believe this because I know that freedom is not
    America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
    man and woman in this world.
        With the right leadership, this young century will be liberty's
    century. It will be a century of freedom. By promoting freedom at home
    and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more hopeful America.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart. See,
    there are quiet times in the life of nation when little is expected of
    its leader. This is not one of those times. This is times where we need
    firm resolve and great faith in the values that make us a wonderful
    country.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. As I mentioned last night, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
    Towers on September

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    the 14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget. There were workers in
    hardhats there, yelling at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it
    takes.'' I was thanking--I was trying to thank people as best as I
    possibly could. I guy grabbed me by the arm. He looked me in the eye,
    and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Every day I wake up thinking about
    how better to protect America. I will never relent in defending our
    country, whatever it takes.
        I am so proud so many came out today. Laura
    and I thank you for coming. When I traveled your State 4 years ago, I
    made this pledge, that if you honored me with the great responsibility
    of serving the American people, I would uphold the dignity and the honor
    of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your
    hard work, we will do so for the next 4 years.
        God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 9:35 a.m. at Lackawanna
    County Stadium. In his remarks, he referred to former Lt. Gov. Bill
    Scranton of Pennsylvania; entertainer Mark Chesnutt; and Prime Minister
    Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. The transcript released by
    the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First
    Lady, who introduced the President.