    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 11, 2004]
    [Pages 1595-1612]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Discussion at Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque, New Mexico
     August 11, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. I'm glad you all
    are here. Thank you all for coming. It's good to be back. Please be
    seated. Yes, thanks for being here today. It's good to be back----
        Audience member. [Inaudible]

    [[Page 1596]]

        The President. Yes. [Laughter] It's good to be back in country where
    people wear cowboy hats.
        Thanks for your hospitality. I'm traveling our country asking for
    the vote. I think you have to go out and ask people for their help and
    ask people for their support. I've got a reason for running again--I'm
    going to share some of that with you today. We're going to do it in a
    little different way. We're going to talk about small businesses. We'll
    talk about homeownership. We're going to talk about jobs and education,
    all aimed to let the people know that I have a desire to make sure this
    country is a stronger country and a better country for everybody--por
    todos.
        I want to thank my friend Pete Domenici. You got a good one in Pete Domenici. He's a United States
    Senator--he's a strong leader for New Mexico. When you're with Pete, all
    he talks about is New Mexico--[laughter]--occasionally works in the
    United States. [Laughter] He loves this State, ever since he was a fire-
    balling righthander. [Laughter] He's a wonderful man. I'm proud you're
    here, Pete. Thanks for taking on a leadership role in my campaign.
        I'm also proud to be traveling with John McCain. Nothing better than waking up in the country and getting
    a cup of coffee and getting in the pickup truck and driving around and
    looking at the cows. That's what John and I did this morning. It's a
    good way to clear your mind and keep your perspective.
        Yesterday, we were in the Panhandle of Florida. We ended our day in
    Panama City, Florida. There was 22,000 people that came out to say
    hello. It's--listen, I'm going to tell you what I'm seeing. I'm seeing
    big crowds; the enthusiasm is high. We're on our way to victory.
        There's two people I wish who were here who aren't. One is Heather
    Wilson. I know she's out working. She's a
    fantastic lady. You need to put her back in Congress. People of this
    district are lucky that Heather is your Congresswoman. She's very
    competent, very smart, very able person who has got a lot of respect--
    who has earned a lot of respect in Washington.
        And the other person who I regret is not here is Laura. [Applause] Yes, you do too. You know, she was born and
    raised right around the corner. I was raised right around the corner;
    she was born and raised right around the corner. We're right on the
    other side of the New Mexico border. We've spent a lot of time in this
    State. This is a State where we don't have to have a tour guide to
    figure out how to get around. And we don't need to have somebody explain
    to us how the people of New Mexico think. She's a great First Lady, a
    great mother, and a wonderful wife. And she sends her best to Pete and
    all our friends here in New Mexico.
        I also want to thank the sheriff--the high sheriff is here, Darren
    White. It's good to see you, Sheriff. I
    appreciate you being here. He's sitting next to my friend John
    Sanchez. John, thanks for taking a leadership
    role. I want to thank Pat Lyons and Manny
    Lujan, friends of mine. I appreciate so
    very much Allen Weh, the chairman of this--the
    chairman of the party.
        I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here.
    [Applause] Yes, there you go. You're the people who are going to get
    people registered to vote. That's what we're really here to talk about
    in many ways, is to get people to show up to the polls. I'm confident if
    we can get a lot of people to vote, we'll carry New Mexico this time--
    wasn't but about 300 votes last time. [Laughter] Too many of our people
    got the head cold right before the election. This time, we're going to
    get them out to vote. And I want your help. And remember, there are a
    lot of Democrats here who like what's going on in Washington, DC--make
    sure you get those people to the polls. Make sure you get the
    independents. They understand that this administration is dedicated to
    keep this country safer and stronger and a better country for everybody.

    [[Page 1597]]

        I met Tom Hesch today. Where are you, Tom?
    There he is, right there. He's a doc; he's a dentist. Guess what he
    does? He provides free dental care for people who need help; that's what
    he does. One of the reasons--I call him a soldier in the army of
    compassion. You know why I mention Tom, is because the strength of this
    country is the hearts and souls of citizens like Tom who are willing to
    reach out to somebody who needs help and says, ``Can I help you, brother
    or sister? What can I do to help your life?'' I'm running for 4 more
    years because I want to continue to rally and encourage the soldiers in
    that vast army of compassion, so that America can change one heart, one
    soul, one conscience at a time.
        I understand the limitations of Government. I understand that
    Government is not a loving organization. [Laughter] But Government can
    stand side by side with loving organizations to help improve the lives
    of people from all walks of life.
        Tom, I want to thank you for being here. Thank you for the example
    you set.
        I'm also running because I want this country of ours to be a
    stronger country, and by that I mean a country in which people can
    realize their dreams. And people can better realize their dreams when
    our economy is strong. Now, we've been through a lot. We've been through
    a lot in this country. If you really think about what we've been
    through, it's amazing to say that we're strong and getting stronger.
    We've been through a recession; that's when things are going backwards.
        We've been through an attack. That's when things really shook up the
    country. It shook our conscience. The attacks of September the 11th
    affected our economy. Remember, airplanes weren't flying; Wall Street
    was shut down; banks were closed. I mean, it was a terrible time for our
    Nation.
        We went through corporate scandals. Make no mistake about it, when
    you've got a system that relies upon trust--in other words, somebody
    opening up the books, and you trust in what you read--and that trust has
    been violated by a corporate officer, it affected our economy. It shook
    our confidence in the system. But we acted. We acted to overcome all
    these obstacles. We passed tough new corporate reforms. The message
    ought to be clear to everybody now that if you don't tell the truth,
    we're coming after you, to keep the trust.
        We acted after the enemy attacked us. I'll talk about that a little
    later. We also acted to help cure the ills of a recession. I believe
    that when somebody has got more money in their pocket to save or spend
    or invest, it causes there to be an increase in demand for goods and
    services, and when there's an increase in demand for goods and services,
    somebody is going to produce the good or a service. If somebody produces
    that good or a service, somebody is more likely to find a job.
        My whole focus on getting out of this recession was to help the
    economy grow so people can find work, and we're making progress. We've
    added 1.5--nearly 1.5 million new jobs since last August. We're a strong
    economy. If you look at all the major industrialized nations in the
    world, we're the strongest. That's where we should be.
        There's more to do--there's more to do. We're going to talk about
    the entrepreneurial spirit. See, I don't think the role of Government is
    to create wealth. I believe the role of Government is to create an
    environment in which the entrepreneurial spirit can soar and is strong,
    where the strong businesses--you know what that means? You see, in order
    to keep jobs here at home, that means we better have the best
    environment for job creation in the world. We want jobs to be here in
    New Mexico and in Texas and all around the country, like we all do. That
    means this has got to be the best place to be an employer, which means
    good tax policy; it means we've got to do something about all these
    lawsuits, which are threatening the job creators.

    [[Page 1598]]

        We've got to do something on health care costs. I'll tell you what
    we can do on health care costs. We can take care of our seniors with
    good Medicare law, which we've done. We can have more community health
    centers in urban New Mexico and rural New Mexico and the tribal areas of
    New Mexico to help poor citizens get primary care and take the pressure
    off our emergency rooms. We can have associated health care--I mean
    associated health plans, which will allow small businesses to pool risk
    across jurisdictional boundaries so they can have the same purchasing
    power as large companies do and, therefore, better afford insurance for
    their employees.
        We can continue to promote health savings accounts, which allow
    individuals and small businesses to put money aside for workers and/or
    yourself on a tax-free basis, which will help control costs. We can
    spread new technologies, electronic records for patients, to help wring
    out the inefficiencies which now exist in the medical system.
        And you know what else we need to do in order to make sure health
    care is available and affordable? Medical liability reform. These
    lawsuits are making--I'm telling you, the frivolous lawsuits are running
    up the cost of health care, and they're driving doctors out of business,
    and they're hurting our hospitals. And 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 has made his
    choice, and he put him on the ticket.
    [Laughter] I made my choice. We're standing with the patients and the
    doctors and the small-business owners.
        In order to make sure jobs stay here and the economy is strong, we
    need good trade policy. Let me tell you something about trade. Our
    economy has been open for goods from overseas. You know why? If you're a
    customer and you have more choices, you're going to get a better product
    at a better price. That's how the economy works. The more choices you
    have as a customer, the more likely it is you're going to get a product
    that you want at higher quality and better price.
        And so Presidents before me from both parties have said let's help
    the customers of America--the consumers--you. In return, though, other
    countries have not opened their markets to our products like we have
    opened our markets to theirs. Good public policy and good trade policy
    says to places like China and elsewhere, ``Open up your markets. Ours
    are open. You open up yours.'' We can compete with anybody, anytime,
    anyplace, so long as the rules are fair.
        I'm going to talk--I'm going to ask Rudy Gonzalez to stand up. Rudy is a small-business owner. One of the
    things that--one of the things I love to do is talk to small-business
    owners, people who have started their own business. Isn't that a
    fantastic thing to be able to say? Rudy owns his own business. And he
    started it himself, which is really good. It means that something is
    going right in the society where people are willing to risk capital to
    start their own business.
        Part of our tax relief plan was aimed directly at the Rudys, the
    small businesses of the world, because 90 percent of the small
    businesses are Subchapter S or sole proprietorships. That's legalese for
    they pay tax at the individual income-tax rate, not corporate tax rate.
    And so when you hear us saying we're--reduce the income tax, the
    individual income taxes, think about Rudy.
    Think about his business.
        Rudy, when did you start your company?
        Rudy Gonzalez. Well, Mr. President, first
    of all, thank you for inviting me. I started my company back in 1997.
    And I'm a first-generation Hispanic. My parents were born in Mexico.
    They came over to this country because, just like you, Mr. President,
    they have three fundamental values: a belief in a higher power; a belief
    in the family as the best institution to secure our future; and a belief
    that if you work hard and

    [[Page 1599]]

    you apply yourself, in the United States you can get anywhere you want
    to be.
        The President. That's great. Fe, familia, y esperanza--fe, familia,
    y esperanza. Exactly right. What does your business do? In case somebody
    might be listening. [Laughter]

    [At this point, Mr. Gonzalez made brief remarks.]

        The President. Actually, let me stop you for a minute. I appreciate
    the credit. No, you did it, see. They wouldn't be giving you a contract
    if you couldn't do the job. You've got to be able to do the job. And if
    you can't do the job, then you shouldn't be given the contract. But you
    can do the job. You're good at what you do. Thanks for the credit. I
    don't deserve it, you do.
        Let me ask you this question: How many people have you hired this
    year?
        Mr. Gonzalez. Well, I'd like to go back a
    little bit. When I started off--you were right, I started by myself in
    1997. Today, we have approximately 65 employees. This year--we've grown
    every single year since 2001. This year, we added 20 new employees.
        The President. That's good. Let me stop you there. Let me stop you.
    A lot of the job growth is happening because companies like
    Rudy are expanding their job base. Most new
    jobs in America are created by small-business owners. It's important for
    the American people to understand that. And so you're seeing Rudy hires
    20 here, and somebody else hires 20 there, and it begins to add up.
    People are working in the small-business sector. That's why we've got to
    make sure small businesses have got affordable health care. And that's
    why we've got to make sure tax policy does not harm small businesses.
        Are you making investments this year?
        Mr. Gonzalez. Yes, sir, I sure am.
        The President. What will you be buying? [Laughter] Just in case
    there's a seller here. [Laughter]
        Mr. Gonzalez. You can talk to my friend
    Ken over there because this year, he sold us four vehicles.
        The President. Okay. [Laughter] The only reason I ask is that people
    have got to understand when you hear the tax relief encouraged
    investment, investment means you're purchasing something, and somebody
    has to make that which you purchase and sell that which you purchase.
    And that's how the economy works. There's a million decisionmakers, or
    more than that, like Rudy who are out saying
    the Tax Code encourages me to buy something, and as that purchasing
    takes place, it adds economic vitality and growth.
        Rudy is an S corp. That means he pays tax
    at the individual income-tax rate. And so when you hear my opponent
    talking about taxing the rich--that means running up the rate, the high
    rates--he's really taxing small businesses. See, they put out $2.2
    trillion of new spending promises. He hasn't even got to September yet,
    by the way. [Laughter] And he says he's going to pay for it by taxing
    the rich. That means that S corps that are doing okay are going to pay
    higher taxes. We don't need to be taking money out of the small-business
    coffers as this economy is beginning to grow. If most new jobs are
    created by small businesses, and most small businesses are Subchapter S
    or sole proprietorships, it makes no sense to run up the taxes on these
    people as this economy is beginning to grow.
        You know what else I think? You know what else I think when they say
    ``tax the rich''? Most rich people are able to avoid taxes, and if you
    can't raise enough money from taxing the rich, guess who pays the taxes?
        Audience members. [Inaudible]
        The President.  Yes, you do. But we're not going to let him. That's what this campaign is about, to make sure we've
    got good tax policy.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. All right, Rudy. Go ahead.

    [[Page 1600]]

    [Mr. Gonzalez made further remarks.]

        The President. Fabulous. See, that's what he's talking about. The tax relief encouraged him to make
    this investment.
        Good job, Rudy. Thanks for coming.
    Appreciate it. Thanks. Good job.
        We've got another entrepreneur with us, Vern Raburn. He is the--so here's a guy who said, ``I can build a
    better airplane.'' That's what you call a grand vision. [Laughter]
        Why don't you tell the folks about your company.

    [Vern Raburn made brief remarks.]

        The President. McCain and I will fly the
    first one. [Laughter] So how's it going? I mean, this is--this is----
        Mr. Raburn. Things are going great.
        The President. You've hired since I saw you last, 4 years ago, how
    many?
        Mr. Raburn. Well, 4 years ago, at this time,
    we had about 18 employees. We have 342 employees now.
        The President. That's good. And like what skill level is required--
    skill level of the worker?
        Mr. Raburn. Skill levels--we have very high
    skill level. Most of our workforce today are engineers, manufacturing
    folks, white-collar workers. In fact, our average salary of each of our
    employees is about twice that of the average family income in New
    Mexico.
        The President. Yes, let me stop you there. One of the real
    challenges we have in our country to make sure jobs stay here is to
    educate people, is to make sure the education system works. You just
    heard what--it's a new business, new business. He says that we pay twice as much as the average income,
    but we require high-level skills. You know what that says to me? It says
    to me that we've got to make sure No Child Left Behind works. We've got
    to make sure we keep raising the bar, make sure the young kids can read
    and write and add and subtract early, before it's too late. We've got to
    make sure our community colleges are able to train workers for the jobs
    of the 21st century, so that Eclipse can find a workforce necessary to
    make this company fly.
        So when are we going to see the first unit take off?
        Mr. Raburn. Well, we'll be flying again late
    this year, and we expect to have the aircraft certified in early '06,
    March of '06. Today we've got orders for about 2,200 airplanes, about
    $2.5 billion in back--[applause].
        The President. That's good.
        Mr. Raburn. Good problem.
        The President. Yes. Well, Vern's pulling to
    make sure this economy stays strong. Any of them overseas?
        Mr. Raburn. A lot of those are overseas.
        The President. Let me tell you something. See, if we get into a mode
    where we become economic isolationists, he won't
    be able to sell these airplanes overseas. We don't need trade wars. He
    wants to be able to sell this product overseas without having to compete
    with government bureaucracies and unnecessary tariffs and restrictions.
    That's why we believe in fair trade and open trade.
        You got workers here who are going to be working because you've got
    planes being sold overseas. So when you hear them talk about trade, you
    need to be thinking about jobs. Jobs exist when you're able to trade
    overseas. You've got some farmers in this State, don't you? [Laughter]
    Yes, the farm economy is strong around the country. You know why?
    Because not only are we feeding our own people, we're feeding other
    people. Other people are eating our corn and our soybeans and our wheat,
    because we're opening up markets--still working to get that New Mexico
    cattle around the world. Open up markets for the Mexican cattlemen--and
    Texas cattlemen too, I want you to know. [Laughter]
        So what else? What else is on your mind, Vern? You get the chance to tell the President something.
    [Laughter] By the way, I guarantee he's a big believer in tort reform.

    [[Page 1601]]

    [Laughter] A lot of airline companies, a lot of manufacturers in the
    past got shut down because of all kinds of lawsuits. And these
    lawsuits--we want good justice in America, but when the trial bar
    converts the law into a legal lottery, it begins to affect jobs. You
    just got to know that. It's one thing to have justice; it's another
    thing to go overboard with justice, because people start to lose work. I
    don't know what your opinion is----
        Mr. Raburn. I agree. [Laughter]
        The President. Yes. See, you'd think I was a lawyer. I'm not.

    [Mr. Raburn made further remarks.]

        The President. Yes, that's strong. See, this is a vibrant company.
    And I'm excited to be here. I want to thank you for inviting us.
    He's got a newly-hired employee named Vernon
    Oliver. Where's Vern? There he is. Hi, Vern.
    Welcome. So what happens to you? So how do you end up here in the
    airplane manufacturing world?

    [Vernon Oliver made brief remarks.]

        The President. What Vernon is telling you
    is, is that since 9/11, things have changed. People are getting their
    confidence; jobs are coming back; and in his case, he had the skill
    levels necessary to fill the jobs.
        Yesterday, we were in Florida, and we talked to some people that
    needed to go back to community colleges, but we were happy to help them
    go back to community colleges. There's all kinds of plans, trade
    adjustment assistance, and NAFTA-related job loss. People who then can
    get a scholarship or get direct grants to go back and retrain for the
    jobs which actually exist. This fellow didn't need to be retrained.
    He just showed up, and they wanted him. And he
    saved $3,000 in taxes last year. And he's going to save $3,000 this
    year.
        Remember, we not only reduced income taxes on everybody who pays
    taxes, but we helped people with children by raising the child credit to
    $1,000; and we reduced the marriage penalty; we created a 10-percent
    bracket. In other words, we said we're going to help families. And this
    family right here has got $3,000 in relief--I think that's right--you
    probably can say, ``Mind your own business, Mr. President.'' [Laughter]
        Mr. Oliver. No, sir. [Laughter]
        The President. But if the tax relief is not made permanent,
    his taxes go up by $1,200. See, I believe
    Government can set priorities and fund our priorities and that after the
    priorities are funded the people can spend that money better than the
    Government can spend it. That's what I believe. And I like the fact that
    Vernon's got $3,000 additional of his own money in his pocket. It's his
    money to begin with, of course, and so he has it.
        Well, thanks for coming, Vernon.
        And Guy is with you as well, Guy Hoisington. All right. He's a newly hired guy. Tell us, Guy.

    [Guy Hoisington made brief remarks.]

        The President. Here's a guy who tried out
    the promised land for a while--that would be Texas--[laughter]--changed
    his mind, came home to the other--to the enchanted land, and is working
    because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong. He's able to more realize
    his dream, which is to raise your family here. So the job of government
    is to help when needed. The tax relief helps his family. I suspect it
    helped him move. I think it--I know it helps him raise his family.
        Mr. Oliver. Yes, Vern helped me move, too.
        The President. He helped? That's good.
    [Laughter] You must be good at what you do.
        Mr. Oliver. Yes, sir.
        The President. That's good. That's real good. [Laughter] But the
    point is--that what I'm trying to tell you is, is that when the
    entrepreneurial spirit is strong, when people like Vern feel comfortable
    about taking a risk and expanding and growing, people can find work.
    That's what we want

    [[Page 1602]]

    in America. We want people to find work. We want people to be
    comfortable with their lives as best as they can.
        You know, we can't make you decide to be somebody, but we can help
    you. We can help educate your children, to make sure they're educated.
    We can provide tax relief so that you're more comfortable and confident
    in tough times and also to help this economy grow. That's what we're
    talking about. We're talking about the proper role of Government. We're
    talking about how to make sure Government stands side by side with moms
    and dads and entrepreneurs and workers.
        One of the--one of my goals is to continue to push an ownership
    society in America. First-generation American says, ``I own my own
    business.'' I just think those are wonderful words. I like the idea of
    health accounts where people own them and manage them so that the
    principal decisionmakers for health care are doctors and patients, not
    bureaucrats.
        I see some younger faces here, and Social Security--the solvency of
    Social Security is an issue for future generations. McCain, Domenici,
    and I are in good shape--[laughter]--at least our age group. But when
    you start looking at younger workers, down there in the thirties and
    twenties, there's a question of whether or not Social Security is going
    to be around. And therefore, we need to explore with Congress the idea
    of personal savings accounts for younger workers--their option--so
    Social Security exists.
        And finally, one of the great promises of this country is
    homeownership. There's something--the homeownership rate in America is
    at an alltime high. More minorities are owning their homes than ever
    before. In other words, we got more people opening their door and
    saying, ``Welcome to my home.'' Those are magical words, aren't they? I
    think a healthy society is one in which people own something. If you own
    something, you have a stake in the future of your country.
        Today we've got Debra and Arnold
    Reano. Thank you all for coming. I'm honored
    you're here. First of all, I want you to know Debra's birthday is today.
    Happy birthday. Arnold whispered in my ear when we were coming out.
    Secondly, see the beautiful jewelry she's wearing and he's wearing--they
    made it. They're artisans. That's a tradition of New Mexico, where
    people are really skilled at making beautiful jewelry. Thanks for mine.
    I told Debra that I'm going to play like I bought it for Laura. [Laughter] No, I'm not. No, I wouldn't do that. Because
    she's probably watching on C-SPAN. [Laughter]
        You all just bought a home.

    [Mr. Reano made brief remarks.]

        The President. What he's talking about is the Indian Home Loan
    Guarantee Program, which is a way to encourage homeownership in tribal
    areas. And it's working. That's what we want, isn't it? Doesn't it make
    sense to have public policy aimed at helping people own their own home?
    I can't think of a better use of resources. It's working.

    [Mr. Reano made further remarks.]

        The President. By the way, this couple saved $3,200 in Federal
    income taxes last year. Tax relief helps all kinds of people.
        Good. Listen, I appreciate you coming. I asked them to come--we
    asked them to come because homeownership is valid for everybody. We want
    people owning their own home all across the country--every corner of
    America, we want people to put out that welcome mat, ``Welcome to my
    home.'' And it's happening. I think one of the most positive things
    that's happening in the country is there's more minority small-business
    owners in America and more people from all walks of life owning their
    own home.
        Thank you all for coming. It's good to see your girls too--beautiful
    girls.
        One way to make sure the economy continues to grow is to keep the
    country safe.

    [[Page 1603]]

    That's a charge we've been given. Nobody wants to be a war President,
    but an enemy which had been planning for a long time struck us. And we
    must never forget the lessons of that day. I'm going to give you three
    quick lessons. As fellow citizens, it's important to know--for you to
    know that I know the stakes and that I know the realities of the world
    in which we live.
        Lesson one is there's an enemy out there which hates us because of
    what we believe. And you cannot negotiate with them. You cannot talk
    sense into them. It's hard for the American conscience to understand the
    nature of these people, but they behead people because they know we've
    got hearts and we know we weep. They know we value human life and human
    dignity. And they're trying to shake our will. And the only way to deal
    with these folks is to bring them to justice.
        Second lesson, which we'll do this year and we'll do over the next 4
    years--we must bring them to justice in places where they hide and plot
    so we do not have to face them here at home. That's the reality of the
    world, is that this is a different kind of enemy--a different kind of
    enemy. These are people that will hide in caves, and they will seek safe
    haven. Their ideal situation is where they can find a weak government
    that fears them or likes them and lets them hide and lets them burrow in
    the--in their countryside or in their cities.
        And so, the second lesson is that we need to send clear messages,
    strong messages to countries around the world that say if you harbor a
    terrorist--in other words, if you provide safe haven for these people,
    if you allow them to arm up and plot and plan and train, you will be
    held to account just like the terrorists will be.
        And that explains our Afghanistan policy. And that explains why we
    took action we did in Afghanistan. We said to the Taliban, ``Get rid of
    these people. Turn them over, or face consequences.'' And by the way, if
    America says something, it must be easy to understand, and you must mean
    it. In order--if we're uncertain or if we doublespeak, the world will
    drift toward tragedy. That's the reality of the world in which we live.
    It's a lesson that we must remember.
        By the way, on Afghanistan, it is--there's still hard work there.
    But think about what's happened in a very quick period of time. Think
    about this. There is going to be a Presidential election in a country
    that was ruled by this barbaric regime, so barbaric that many young
    girls never got to go to school and their mothers were publicly whipped.
    That's barbaric. And now they're going to have a Presidential election.
    Over 8 million people are registered to vote. And here I'm going around
    the country saying, ``Please register to vote, and vote''--these people,
    when given a chance, are showing up in big numbers, in spite of the fact
    that some of these thugs are trying to stop them from going to the
    ballot box.
        I was in Cleveland, Ohio, kicking off the International Children's
    Game, and standing in front of me was the Afghan girls soccer team. I'm
    telling you, I wish--it was--there wasn't a dry eye in my house. It's
    unbelievable to think that in a very short period of time, people are
    liberated. Free countries are peaceful countries. The world is better
    off, and America is more safe. The third lesson of--because Afghanistan
    is free.
        The third lesson is, when we see a threat, we must take it seriously
    before it fully materializes. That's a serious lesson of September the
    11th. You see, it's a different kind of war--it's a different kind of
    war. We cannot hope for the best anymore. In the old days, we could,
    because we thought oceans would protect us. It wasn't all that long ago
    that we thought we were safe from harm's way. And all of a sudden, on
    that fateful day, the world changed. And these lessons are serious
    lessons, because we're talking about the most solemn duty

    [[Page 1604]]

    of a government, and it's to protect the people. We must take threats
    seriously.
        And so, that begins to explain to you why I made the decision I
    made. Senators McCain and Domenici came to the same conclusion I did, that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat. And I want you to
    remember, he was a threat because he behaved like a threat. He had used
    weapons of mass destruction on his own people. He had terrorist ties.
    There was terrorist organizations in and out of Iraq over time. He had
    defied the world, I think 17 resolutions. In other words, imagine a
    world saying, ``Okay, we're only going to tell you one more time.''
    [Laughter] ``This is the 16th time we're going to tell you. Cough them
    up, get rid of your ability to make weapons, get rid of what you even
    have, or face serious consequences.'' And if you say it 17 times and
    nothing happens, pretty soon you embolden somebody whose instincts were
    dark and dim.
        This is a person who tortured his own people. There were mass
    graves. He invaded his neighbors. We had been
    to war with him before. He was shooting at our pilots that were
    enforcing--he was a threat. And so I went to the Congress and said to
    the Congress, ``Gosh, we've got a threat here, and the world has
    changed.'' By far the vast majority of Members of Congress--from both
    political parties--they took a good look at the intelligence. They
    looked at what I was looking at. We all came to the same conclusion,
    including my opponent. He looked at that
    intelligence--[applause].
        And then the U.N. looked at it and said, again, ``Disclose, disarm,
    or face serious consequences.'' And they said, but--the world said we
    work in diplomacy then, which is wise to do. And they said, ``Gosh,
    let's let the inspectors work.'' So, okay. It seems to make sense,
    doesn't it, let the inspectors in. But guess what? They were being
    deceived, systematically deceived by Saddam Hussein. He wasn't--he was doing all kinds of things to prevent
    them from finding out the truth.
        So I had a choice; Tony Blair had a choice;
    Silvio Berlusconi had a choice; Aleksander
    Kwasniewski had a choice; John
    Howard had a choice. And that is, hope for the
    best, forget the lessons of September the 11th, trust a madman, or take
    action to defend our country. You've just got to know, folks, given that
    choice, I will defend us every time.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Thank you all. A couple other points I want to make--
    let me make a couple of points, and I'll answer some questions if you
    have some.
        First, when we put troops in harm's way, they will have our
    Government's support. A lot of folks in this town--you got relatives in
    the military; you've been in the military yourself. This is a--this is
    what I believe. This is what Pete believes. This is what John believes.
    We believe--and a lot of others in Washington do too. That's why I asked
    for an $87 billion supplemental last September to make sure our troops
    had what they needed: spare parts, body armor, fuel, support. A
    difference in this campaign is that my opponent
    voted against the supplemental funding.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He has said on the TV shows,
    before the vote came up, there's no excuse for not supporting the
    troops. And then when he was asked why he didn't ask for it, he said,
    well, he actually did vote for it, right before he voted against it.
    [Laughter] It's--and then he said it was a complicated matter. There's
    nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat. They need--
    the troops need our support.
        I want to make two other points, and then I'll answer questions. The
    other day, he was asked on a--by a TV reporter or
    a newspaper reporter, what about the troops? And he said he's going to
    substantially reduce the number of troops six

    [[Page 1605]]

    months after he's the President. Now, let me--listen, we all want the
    mission to be completed as quickly as possible. But we want the mission
    to be completed.
        Secondly, the mission is not going to be completed as quickly as
    possible if the enemy thinks that we're going to be removing a
    substantial number of troops in six months. Thirdly, the person--the
    people that should be making the recommendations as to whether or not
    the mission is nearly completed so that we can relieve troops are the
    commanders on the ground. That's who ought to be making the
    recommendations. I know what I'm doing when it comes to winning this
    war. And I'm not going to be sending mixed signals.
        Now, the other thing I want to tell you about is, when people say,
    ``What is--what are you trying to accomplish, what is America trying to
    accomplish,'' what we're going to accomplish is a free society in the
    heart of a part of the world where people are desperate for freedom.
    See, this is a historic moment in world history, I think, because
    freedom has got the capacity to change people's lives in a positive way.
    America stands for peace, and we understand that the best way to achieve
    peace is to spread freedom, because free societies listen to the hopes
    and aspirations of their people. The best way to defeat resentment is to
    spread freedom and hope. You can't have a hopeful society if you've got
    tyranny looming over you. You can't have a hopeful society if you're not
    allowed to express your opinion or worship freely.
        So that's what you're seeing. We're seeing the short-term actions of
    our Government are to protect us. That's why we're using force, to
    protect us. The long-term solution is to spread liberty.
        I was having dinner with Koizumi, who
    is the Prime Minister of Japan, and we were talking about how to keep
    the peace in North Korea. Think about what--think about that for a
    second, the American President and the Prime Minister of Japan, former
    enemies--countries were former enemies. Maybe some of you here in the
    audience were fighting the Japanese in World War II. His dad was, and my
    dad was, and I bet a lot of other dads were
    as well. And here we are now, sitting down at the same table, talking
    about peace with a former--and you know why I was able to do so and
    other Presidents were able to do so, is because after World War II, we
    believed so strongly in liberty that we worked with the Japanese to
    develop a society that was self-governing, that believed that--based
    upon the principles of human dignity and human rights and human freedom.
        Now, there were skeptics who said, ``No, it's too hard to work.
    We've been at it for too long. This country can't self-govern.'' But
    fortunately, predecessors believed so strongly in the ability of liberty
    to change the habits of citizens for the good that they stuck to their
    guns, and now I'm talking to Koizumi about the peace. Someday, an
    American President is going to sit down with an elected Iraqi leader and
    they're going to say, ``Thank God old Bush, McCain, and Domenici believed in
    freedom. Thank God the American people listen to the skeptics, rejected
    pessimistic thought, and said, `Let's complete the mission.' ''
        Freedom is going to change the world. Freedom--and you know what
    else freedom does? It validates what we believe in our hearts. Freedom
    is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift
    to each man and woman in this world.
        Let me--[applause]--thank you all. Let me answer some questions
    while we've got time. Thanks for giving me a chance to talk. Now, I'll
    give you a chance to answer some questions. We're here for a little bit,
    and then John and I are heading west. We're
    going out to Phoenix, and then I'm off to Nevada, California, Oregon,
    Washington, and Iowa. I want to win. I'm willing to work.

    [[Page 1606]]

        All right, who's got a question? You've got one?

    Support for the President/Stem Cell Research

        Q. First I want to make a prediction.
        The President. Okay, thank you.
        Q. President Bush is going to win by a landslide.
        The President. Okay, we can leave it there if you like.
        Q. Number two----
        The President. How about we work as if it's going to be close.
    [Laughter]
        Q. Number two, I respect your position on human life and your demand
    for abortion. I respect it.
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. And I thank you every moment. You're the top President when it
    comes to us speaking out for life. Thank you.
        The President. Thank you, sir. Thank you.
        Yes, sir--thank you, sir. I hope you're a good prognosticator.
    [Laughter]
        Q. First, I agree with him. I hope we see you in a landslide.
        The President. Let's just win the thing. [Laughter] Let's just win
    it. Thank you, though.
        Q. First of all, let me say it's an honor to speak to you. It's an
    honor every day when I get to pray for you as President.
        The President. Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.
        Q. I just--I wanted to say that. I wanted to agree with him--your
    stand for life, for stem cells. We do not need to be doing research with
    fetal stem cells. And I appreciate that. Could I ask you two more
    questions?
        The President. Sure, go ahead. Ask them.
        Q. Real short.
        The President. Okay. You haven't asked one yet. But go ahead.
    [Laughter]
        Q. Can I introduce my mother and mother-in-law who are new citizens
    to this country?
        The President. That's a very interesting move by the guy. [Laughter]
    He's got the President standing here, and he wants me to meet the
    mother-in-law. [Laughter] Strong move. Absolutely. And the mother--yes.
    Fantastic. Is this the mom-in-law?
        Q. This is my mother-in-law.
        The President. Where are you from, mom-in-law?
        Q. Okinawa.
        The President. Fantastic. New citizen?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. This year?
        Q. Two years.
        The President. Two years ago. So this is your first Presidential
    election?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. Okay. Welcome--welcome. There's a long tradition in
    America that you only vote for the person who looks you in the eye and
    asks. Just kidding. And where's mom? Oh, hi, mom. Strong move. That's
    very good, yes. Are you listening to your mother?
        Q. I do.
        The President. I listen to mine too. In my case, I don't have much
    choice. In my case.
        Let me talk about stem cells real quick. There had been no research
    on stem cells prior to my arrival. I said that stem cell lines which had
    already existed prior to a certain date ought to be allowed to receive
    Federal money to research, and from that point forward, that we ought to
    make sure we deal with science and ethics in a very balanced way. And so
    we're just beginning to understand embryonic stem cell research. We're
    also, by the way, spending research dollars on adult stem cell research,
    and we're also spending it on fetal tissue.
        And so, what we're--what I'm saying to you is, is that I think my
    administration has struck a proper balance between science and ethics. I
    think we have done a very good job about exploring that which is
    possible without stepping over a line that we may come to regret later
    on. And so I assembled a panel of experts, ethicists,

    [[Page 1607]]

    to help me better understand this very vital issue.
        Listen, we--I'm sure you've heard from folks with juvenile--got a
    child with juvenile diabetes. I certainly have. And I care deeply about
    the families who are wondering whether or not we can do more to help
    solve their child's problems. It's sad, and I know these Senators have
    heard from those with juvenile diabetes. And the policies I made were,
    on the one hand, trying to help as best as we can move science forward
    and, at the same time, keep an ethical balance so that we promote a
    culture of life. And the decision I made, in my judgment, is the right
    decision. And it's one that respects the value of life and, on the other
    hand, is one that says, hopefully science can use these existing stem
    cell lines, of which I think there's going to be 23 which are viable and
    vibrant, and they're just beginning to look at them to help come up with
    cures that we all want to have happen--we all want--we want human--we
    want these young kids with--that have been affected by juvenile diabetes
    to better survive. That's what we want. But thank you for bringing up
    the subject.
        Any--yes, sir, here's a man right here. First of all, he's one of
    my--he's cheering really loud. [Laughter] Thank you.

    Opportunities for the Disabled

        Q. Thank you, President Bush, and I just want to say it's a honor to
    speak to you today. And you probably already touched on this question,
    but seeing as I'm a disabled person myself--I'm 20 years old and going
    to college in the great State of--well, I live in the great State of New
    Mexico, but I also go to college in the great State of Texas. [Laughter]
    And I'm----
        The President. Where you going, by the way? Excuse me for
    interrupting, but where are you going?
        Q. McMurray University in Abilene.
        The President. Oh, yes. Abilene, Texas.
        Q. Yes, sir. And my current major is political science, and I'm just
    curious----
        The President. I better give you some counseling before it's too
    late. No, go ahead. [Laughter]
        Q. How can we, as a team--and I understand people ask you for help,
    but how can we, as a team, be ensured that other people that are
    disabled can be a part of the big business or small business, to help
    bring jobs for the people of this country?
        The President. Yes, absolutely. I appreciate that very much. One of
    the great advances of our era is technology. There's fantastic
    technological opportunities for the visually-impaired to be able to have
    a computer that speaks to them. I don't know if you've been involved
    with that or not. You have?
        Q. Yes, sir, I have a--it's called a braille note, and it has a
    braille display. And I also have a thing on my computer--it's called
    Jaws for Windows--that gets on and reads the screen to me whenever I get
    on the Internet.
        The President. See, that's coming. So one thing we can do is help
    members of our community who need this kind of program. We can help them
    with financial aid to buy them. I mean, this is equally as important as
    going to college, is to have the opportunity--listen, the role of
    Government is to help people help themselves. And we're talking about
    helping this guy with--we're helping him realize his dreams. There are
    touch computers where, if you're disabled without the ability--and you
    can't use your hands, there are new computers and new ability to be able
    to turn a computer on and log on and surf the Net, and that technology
    is now more available.
        What I'm telling you is, to answer your question, is to make sure
    technologies are more readily available and we help people afford them
    as they come on the market. And it's going to change people's lives for
    the better. Again, we want everybody to be able to participate in this
    experience called America. And we want people to be able to realize
    their dreams, no matter their condition, or no matter whether they're

    [[Page 1608]]

    first generation or 800th generation--18th or how ever many generations
    there have been, and that's what we want.
        So I appreciate your question, sir. Thank you.
        Q. And I just want to say thank you so much, and I'm really proud of
    what you're doing and what America's doing, because--and I want to thank
    my mom and my parents, because I'm the only blind people--or blind
    person in my family, and I'm excited to graduate and go to college and
    be part of that small business.
        The President. Congratulations.
        Let's see, all right, man in a cowboy hat. Yes, we've got to try the
    cowboy hat. You're next.

    Support for the President/Veterans Benefits

        Q. Hello, Mr. President.
        The President. Yes, sir.
        Q. I'm a retired Navy, 20 years. I flew the S-3, the same that you
    came aboard in the Lincoln.
        The President. Yes, sir.
        Q. Four tours in Vietnam, and all I can say is thank God we finally
    have a Commander in Chief.
        The President. Thank you, sir.
        Let me say something. You've got a lot of veterans in this State.
    People have served their country in this State, and I want to thank you
    for your service. And I thank you for setting such a good example for
    the----
        Audience member. Hooah!
        The President. There you go. [Laughter] For the hooahs of the world.
    But thank--[laughter]--thank you for setting such a good example for
    those who wear our uniform. I'm going to the VFW Convention on Monday.
    I'm looking forward to going. I've got something to say. I've got
    something to say about how we've worked together to make sure we've
    honored our vets with good, strong health care. I made some promises to
    the VFW in 2000. I'm going to go back and remind them of the promises I
    made and remind them of the promises we have kept. And that's what we
    owe our veterans.
        Yes, ma'am. There you go. No, I said--yes, ma'am. Sorry. [Laughter]
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. You bet. Crank that thing up.

    Domestic Violence

        Q. Mr. President, I would like to know what your administration has
    done to help women and children in domestic violence situations.
        The President. Well, we've said to the Justice Department, work with
    States to make sure that the States have got the resources necessary to
    bring people to justice. That's what States are supposed to do, supposed
    to--States are supposed to pass laws that make it easier for law
    enforcement to be able to do its job when it comes to domestic violence.
        And when I was the Governor of Texas, we made it easier for an
    abused spouse to be able to call her spouse into account without facing
    retribution. We had notification laws when a spouse was released from
    jail. In other words, we stood on the side of the abused person. We had
    the law stand side by side with the person, as opposed to making the
    environment such that many people were afraid to turn in an abusive
    spouse and, two, if the abusive spouse had been punished, they were
    afraid of the consequences after the spouse had been out.
        This is--the truth of the matter is most good policy--or policy is
    made at the State level under State laws. And what the Federal
    Government can do, the Federal Government can help on grantmaking to
    help States with those type of laws.
        Q. And what about the Family Justice Center Initiative? Didn't you
    announce that last year?
        The President. The family----
        Q. The pilot program--$21 million?
        The President. Oh, I did, so thanks for reminding me. [Laughter] How
    quickly we forget. It was a loaded question, wasn't it?

    [[Page 1609]]

        Let me ask you something. U.S. Marine Corps mom--is that what that
    means? You have a son in the Marine Corps? I know you didn't want to ask
    a question, but----

    Support for Troops/All-Volunteer Military

        Q. I want to thank you for all the support you have given the
    military.
        The President. Where is he? Hold on for a minute. Where is your son?
        Q. He's in Yuma, and he's on his way to be deployed.
        The President. Is he?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. Let me say something to the mom here. First of all,
    you're going to be nervous, and I know you are, and you should be. But I
    just want you to know that your son is making an historic contribution
    to the peace and security of our country.
        Q. Thank you.
        The President. And you know what--you know the great thing about
    this country? I'll tell you the great thing about the country. There's a
    lot of people praying for him. Yes. I appreciate you wearing ``USMC
    mom.'' That's great. He's going to be just fine, by the way.
        Q. He said that he was anxious to go over there and do his job and
    defend our country.
        The President. Yes, that's what he's doing, and it's important for
    everybody to understand that--it's important for everybody to understand
    that. It's important to understand the consequences of her son's
    decision, first, to join an All-Volunteer Army, and secondly, to be in a
    position to go over and help freedom take hold in Iraq. That's really
    what we're talking about.
        On the one hand, we're defeating people that could come here to hurt
    us, but we're also spreading freedom. And you know what's going to make
    it work? It's when the Iraqis and the Afghan step up and say, ``I'm now
    ready to defend my country.'' And that's what's happening--that's what's
    happening. And the enemy sees it happening. And that's why they're
    taking action. See, that's why they're blowing up innocent life. They
    see what's happening. And that's why we cannot send mixed signals, and
    that's why we've got to be firm in our resolve. And while we are, that's
    why we've got to be thankful to the moms who raised a son who says, ``I
    want to serve my country.''
        I was asked the other day whether or not we ought to--some think we
    ought to get rid of the All-Volunteer Army. The answer is absolutely
    not. We need to keep the All-Volunteer Army. And what we need to do is
    to make sure that people--there's incentive to stay in the All-Volunteer
    Army, by making sure people are better paid, which we have done over the
    course of four appropriations bills. Since I've been the President,
    military pay is up 21 percent. We've got to make sure the housing on the
    bases are better than adequate. And we've got--in other words, we've got
    to win the hearts and souls not only of the soldiers but of their
    families. And we're making good progress toward that. But this All-
    Volunteer Army is, one, an important concept, and two, it's working.
        Let's see. Yes, sir.
        Q. Mr. President, thank you so much. I just returned from a 13-month
    tour, Lieutenant Colonel Jackson.
        The President. Thanks. Where were you?
        Q. I was the deputy commander of our forces in Kosovo.
        The President. Oh, fantastic. Thanks for doing that. Bondsteel?
        Q. Yes, sir.
        The President. I went there.
        Q. I know you were there, and in fact, the education center is named
    after your wife.
        The President. Is it? Well, smart move.
        Q. Yes, sir. Mr. President, all the forces overseas are thankful
    that you are such a strong Commander in Chief, and even when I was
    medevac'd out--I was injured and medevac'd out to Germany, along with

    [[Page 1610]]

    forces from Iraq and Afghanistan--the morale was very high, because we
    knew that you were in charge and going to take care of us.
        The President. Well, thank you. Thank you, sir. Let me say
    something. Let me say something about medevac'ing troops. It's really
    important for our citizens to know that if somebody gets hurt, they're
    going to get really good treatment quickly--I mean quickly. And I know
    that a lot of us have been to Bethesda--I know John has and Pete has--or
    Walter Reed. These are the big hospitals in Washington, DC, that take
    care of those who have been injured. These kids are coming off the
    battlefield in one or two days' time. I mean, we're taking kids who have
    been hurt, and we're getting them into incredibly good care quickly.
        That's a--what a compassionate Government, when you think about it.
    You know, there's other governments that might let their troops kind of
    languish around, you know, maybe get them out of the tent somewhere,
    sometime. Not America--not America. We value every life. We appreciate
    the service of our troops. When I see these families in these hospitals,
    I'm quick to ask them, ``Are you getting everything you need?'' I need
    to know. And admittedly, sometimes the President gets the Cook's tour,
    but the answer is, ``Yes, Mr. President, they're taking care of my
    kid.'' And that's what families or citizens need to know about our
    country, is that we are grateful for the service of those who wear our
    uniform, because the world is going to be better off for it.
        A couple of more questions. McCain is
    getting anxious. He wants to get to Phoenix--[laughter]--and so do I.
        Who have we got here? Where's the little boy? This little guy? You
    got all kinds of little boys. Go ahead.

    Photo With the President

        Q. I was wondering if I could take a picture with you.
        The President. Yes. [Laughter] All right, let him through. Crawl on
    underneath there. Scoot on through. Come on. Got it? Hello, Mom.
    [Laughter] Got it?
        Yes, go ahead.

    Prayers for the President

        Q. First of which, first part of comment, just know that my wife and
    I are praying for you. We appreciate what you've done the 4 years you've
    been in office.
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. Thank you for that. A question I have----
        The President. I appreciate your prayers. Think about--I mean, work
    on your question while I say something here. [Laughter] It's an amazing
    country where people from all walks of life pray for the President. It
    really is. I'm grateful. I am really grateful. Any President would be
    grateful. It's one of the most sustaining aspects of my life now, to
    know that people pray for me and Laura and the kids.
        Go ahead.

    Constitutional Amendment on Marriage

        Q. The question I have--one of our concerns is, is the continued
    erosion of the moral fabric of this country with the--obviously the
    removal of prayer in schools, the removal of the Ten Commandments,
    abortion, and now we're faced with the issue of gay marriage. And
    obviously, there was an attempt to at least get it in the Constitution
    among the parties in Congress, with no success. What do you plan to do
    when you're reelected----
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. ----to abolish that attempt by the left? And my second question
    is, would you mind if I got your autograph? [Laughter]
        The President. We've started a bad trend here. Let me talk about
    marriage, traditional marriage. First of all, I believe our society is
    better off when marriage is defined as between a man and a woman. It's
    my belief.

    [[Page 1611]]

        Secondly--hold on a second. Secondly--secondly, this is an issue
    that ought to be decided by the people, not by a few judges. And that's
    what's caused the issue. That's what has brought this issue to a head,
    is because in a particular State, the four judges redefined the
    definition of marriage. That's what happened. And my worry is, is that
    that definition will be spread to other States, even though the people
    of those States do not accept that definition.
        And now, there's laws on the books. And what happened was, a lot of
    the Senators accurately noted there's a current law on the book called
    the DOMA, Defense of Marriage Act, which specifically defines marriage
    as between a man or a woman and says that the actions of one State
    cannot affect the behavior in another State. And I readily concede that
    law is on the books, signed by my predecessor, by the way.
        My worry has been that the courts will overturn that law and that we
    will end up with a series of activist judges defining marriage. And so
    the easiest way--not the easiest way, probably the toughest way--but the
    clearest way to define marriage is to put it in the Constitution like I
    suggested.
        Now, let me also tell you, the constitutional process takes a long
    time. It--many amendments have taken years to be passed by the Senate
    and then ratified by the States. I will also explain to the American
    people that the ratification process of the constitutional amendment is
    an essential part of including people's opinions as to this very
    delicate issue.
        And finally, let me encourage everybody, as we debate this issue, to
    do so with the utmost of respect. I mean, this is a issue that requires
    thoughtful dialog. It's a serious issue. And it's one that--I hope we
    can have a debate in a way that is uplifting and not tearing people down
    on either side of the issue. And I will pledge to you, I will do my very
    best to bring a thoughtful dialog on this vital issue.
        And so what I'll do the next 4 years is continue to state what I
    believe. I'm not going to change my beliefs just because there's been an
    election. Quite the contrary. I will be telling people what I believe.
        Okay, last question. You have been very patient. This is the last
    one. I hope everybody understands I've got to work. [Laughter]

    Support for the President/Duty To Vote

        Q. President Bush, we want you to know something. This group of
    ladies right here, we represent an international company--an
    international AGLOW fellowship. This is women all over the world. There
    is a woman over there by the name of Bernadette Martinez who is the
    prayer coordinator for New Mexico. And we want you to know, we are
    praying for you.
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. We are praying for righteous leaders in Washington and throughout
    our country, because we know that it's time for America to get back to
    its moral roots that our Founders put in place for us when this country
    was founded. And it is time for the people in this country to realize
    and to call out for righteous leaders. That is our right as God's
    children. And we are doing that.
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. And you will be in the White House.
        The President. I appreciate that. One more? Okay, hold on. Let me
    tell you what else you can do. Let me tell you what else you can do.
    Register people to vote. And then, right around election time, start
    saying to people, we have a duty; we have a duty in a free society, no
    matter what you believe; we have a duty to vote. So I appreciate your
    enthusiasm and your drive. Convert it to getting people to the polls
    too, which I know you will.
        Okay, final question. One more, this is it. Then we got to go to
    Arizona.

    [[Page 1612]]

    Support for the Troops

        Q. Mr. President----
        The President. Yes, ma'am. No more hands going up; I'm a man of my
    word.
        Q. And I am a persistent woman. My name is Cassandra Dennis. My
    husband is Captain Dominic Dennis. He sends his hellos all the ways from
    Log Base Seitz, Iraq.
        The President. Good. Thank you. He's a captain--in the Army?
        Q. Army National Guard.
        The President. Very good.
        Q. I want your prayers for him.
        The President. You got it. Thank you very much. Yes. And tell you--
    I'll tell you what do. You know, one of the interesting possibilities
    now, because of high-tech, because of the high-tech world, is that you
    can e-mail your husband, correct?
        Q. We e-mail. We do instant-messaging. We've got web cams. We have
    telephones.
        The President. All right, why don't you do this, then? Would you do
    me a favor?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. Would you rather e-mail him or instant-message him?
        Q. I'm going to instant-message him.
        The President. Instant-message him. Instant-message him this: The
    Commander in Chief is grateful and incredibly proud of his service.
        Thank you all. God bless. Thanks for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:40 p.m. at the Eclipse Aviation hangar.
    In his remarks, he referred to Darren White, sheriff, Bernalillo County,
    NM; John Sanchez, southwest regional chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.;
    Patrick H. Lyons, New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands; former
    Representative Manuel Lujan, Jr., executive committee member, and Allen
    Weh, chairman, New Mexico Republican Party; former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; Prime
    Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy; President Aleksander Kwasniewski of
    Poland; and Prime Minister John Howard of Australia. He also referred to
    Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo.