    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [September 7, 2004]
    [Pages 1934-1953]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Discussion in Sedalia, Missouri
    September 7, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all.
    Please be seated. It's such an honor to be here. Thanks for coming. I
    don't know if you know it, but we're on a bus tour. I'm out asking for
    the vote. I believe--I like coming directly to the people, and say, ``I
    want your vote, and here's the reason why I think you ought to vote for
    me.'' And that's what we're going to do today.
        I thought we'd do it a little differently. I've got some things I
    want to share with you about what I'd like to accomplish during the next
    4 years. And so we've asked some citizens to come and share some of
    their stories with you. I think that will help you understand why we
    have made decisions we have made and why we'll continue making certain
    types of decisions.
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. You betcha. And then I'd like to answer some
    questions. Some of you may have a question or two on your mind, and I'd
    like to answer them for you.
        Before I begin, I wish Laura were here. She
    is a wonderful lady. If I don't get too long-winded, I'm going to have
    dinner with her tonight. [Laughter] She was a--she was raised in
    Midland, Texas. That's where I was raised. And she was a public school
    librarian when I married her. And she said, ``Fine, I'll marry you, just
    so long as I don't have to give any speeches.'' [Laughter] Fortunately,
    she didn't--I said, ``Fine, you don't ever have to give any speeches.''
    And so, fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise that she
    wouldn't have to give any. She gave a magnificent speech in New York
    City the other night. I wasn't surprised. I wasn't surprised, because
    she's such a gentle soul. She's got a great heart. She's a wonderful
    mom, a terrific wife. I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back
    in there, but I think probably the most important one of all so is that
    Laura is your First Lady for 4 more years.
        The other thing--then I'm running with a good man. We've got a great
    ticket. Dick Cheney has done a heck of a job as
    the Vice President. I like to tease him by saying, ``Well, you know, I
    admit it, he's not the prettiest face in the race.'' [Laughter] But I
    didn't pick him because of his looks. I picked him because of his
    judgment, his experience, and the fact that he can get the job done.
    He's a great Vice President. And I'm proud to be running with him. Proud
    to be running with him.
        I want to thank my uncle Bucky Bush who is with us. He's a Missouri native--or citizen,
    right here, from St. Louis. I want to thank Charlie Kruse--where is
    Charlie? Oh, Charlie, God bless you, sir.
    Our prayers are with you. He's a good man. I've known Charlie for quite
    a while. He said--when I was campaigning in 2000, he said, ``Whatever
    you do, do not forget the Missouri farmer.'' He said, ``You keep that
    river open for our products.'' And we did. And I hadn't forgotten the
    Missouri farmer. The farm economy is strong, and we intend to keep it
    that way. I'm going to talk a little bit about that as we go on.
        I appreciate the mayor being here, Mayor Wasson. Thanks for coming. Where are you, Mayor? I appreciate
    you. Glad you're here. Thanks for your hospitality. Tell your fire and
    policemen--firefighters and policemen how thankful we are for their
    service to your community.
        And thank all the people who are involved with politics, the
    grassroots activists. Those are the people who put up the signs and make
    the phone calls and register people to vote. I'm here to ask you to--at
    this stage of the campaign, I'm going around to your State today and
    around our country asking people to participate in the political
    process. In a free society, I believe

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    people have a duty to vote. And that's what we're doing.
        We're asking people to vote, you know. And we're--in order to vote,
    you've got to register to vote. And I'd like you to register your
    friends and neighbors and explain they have a duty. And when you're out
    registering them, don't overlook independents and discerning Democrats.
    You heard Zell Miller the other night. He said
    loud and clear, ``If you want a better America, a safer America, and a
    stronger America, vote for George Bush and Dick Cheney.'' We welcome everybody in this campaign.
        Today I met Bill Dugan. Where are you, Bill?
    There he is. Thanks for coming. Bill's a soldier in the army of
    compassion; that's what he is. He's a fellow who has worked for Habitat
    for Humanity. He volunteered time out of his life to help people with a
    home, and that's an important part of our society, when you think about
    it. The strength of America is the hearts and souls of our citizens.
    Government is limited in its capacity. We can pass laws, and we will. We
    can enforce justice, and we will. But Government can't make people love
    one another. Love comes from something higher than Government. And when
    people like Bill are moved to help somebody, it makes society a better
    place.
        One of the most important initiatives of the previous 4 years--and
    it will be an important initiative for the next 4 years--is the Faith-
    Based and Community-Based Initiative, which will rally the armies of
    compassion.
        People say, ``Well, what exactly do you mean by that? What do you
    mean by that?'' I'll tell you what I mean by that. I mean this, that
    when it comes, for example, to helping the--to heal the addicted, that
    we've got to recognize that sometimes Government programs work, but
    sometimes, in order to help a fellow get off drugs, you've got to--or
    alcohol, you've got to have a change of heart. And therefore, a faith-
    based program is the kind of program that could be effective at helping
    somebody change the heart and, therefore, change the habit. We ought to
    welcome programs which work. We ought not to discriminate against faith-
    based programs. We ought to welcome faith-based programs to help
    Americans realize the full promise of our country.
        I want to thank Bill for being here. I want
    to thank you for the example you set. Thank you for loving a neighbor
    just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
        I tell people I'm for a more hopeful America, and that means our job
    base has got to grow. We've overcome a lot, when it comes to our
    economy. When you're out there gathering up the vote, remind people
    about what this country has been through. We've been through a
    recession. We've been through corporate scandals. It's now clear, by the
    way, because of the law we passed, that we'll not tolerate dishonesty in
    the boardrooms of America. We've been through a terrorist attack, and
    that hurt us. We're overcoming these obstacles because of the hard work
    of the American people; we've got great workers; because the small-
    business sector is strong; the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well
    in America. We've overcoming them because we've got great farmers and
    ranchers.
        And we're overcoming it because of tax relief. The tax relief we
    passed is working. Do you realize the national unemployment rate is 5.4
    percent? That's lower than the averages of the--average, national
    average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The question is, how do we make
    sure jobs stay at home and the economy continues to grow?
        I'll give you some ways to make sure it continues to grow. First,
    this has got to be the best place in the world to do business, which
    means we've got to do something about these junk lawsuits that are
    threatening these small employers. In order to make sure jobs stay in
    America, we have to have a national energy plan. Listen, I submitted one
    to the United

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    States Congress. They need to get it to my desk. It's a plan that
    encourages conservation. That makes sense, doesn't it? We want to
    encourage people to conserve more. It's a plan that encourages the use
    of renewable sources of energy. I'm talking about corn and soybeans, is
    what I'm talking about. See, we need to spend research dollars so that
    someday, somebody is going to walk in and say, ``Here's the crop report,
    Mr. President, and it looks like corn is up.'' And the President will
    say, ``Gosh, that means we're less dependent on foreign sources of
    energy.''
        We need to use clean coal technology. We need to explore in our own
    lands in sensitive ways. What I'm telling you is, to keep jobs in
    America, we must be less dependent on energy from overseas.
        To keep jobs here, we've got to open up markets to U.S. products.
    Listen, we open up our markets to goods from other countries, and that's
    good for the consumer. That's how the market works. If you've got more
    things to choose from, you're more likely to get a product you want at a
    better price and higher quality. That's how the economy works.
        So what this administration is saying to places like China and
    elsewhere, ``You treat us the way we treat you.'' And that's why the
    price of soybeans is doing pretty good, because we're selling soybeans
    all around the world. My job for the next 4 years is to open up markets.
    We can compete with anybody, anyplace, anytime if the rules are fair.
        In order to make sure that we've got jobs here at home, we need a
    health care system that functions well. That means health care has got
    to be available and affordable. Let's talk about health care right
    quick. First, we started by strengthen--my administration started on
    health care by strengthening Medicare. I told the people when I was
    running, ``Give me a chance, and I'll go to Washington and try to make
    sure Medicare worked well.'' You might remember those old Medicare
    debates. They called it ``Medi-scare'' for--because people were scared
    to talk about it. I went up there for a reason. See, the Medicare system
    had done great work for our seniors, but it was beginning to get
    antiquated. Medicine was changing. Medicare wasn't.
        And the system was designed that so that any new procedures has to
    be approved by bureaucracies. We would pay, for example, for heart
    surgery, which would cost maybe $100,000, but we wouldn't pay for the
    prescription drugs that would prevent the heart surgery from having to
    occur in the first place. That didn't make much sense to the seniors. It
    certainly didn't make much sense to the taxpayers, since the cost of
    prescription drugs is a heck of a lot less than the surgery.
        And therefore, I worked with Congress. I said, ``Why don't we make
    the system work better.'' Right now, seniors can get prescription drug
    coverage, and if you're a low-income senior, you get your drugs paid
    for, up to $600 a year. Next year, seniors, when they enroll in
    Medicare, are going to get preventative screening for the first time
    ever, which makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, for seniors to get--and in
    2006, prescription drugs will be available in Medicare.
        There's more to do in health care. My philosophy is, is that the
    health care decisions need to be made between doctors and patients,
    should not be made by bureaucrats in Washington, DC. So a lot of what
    I'm talking about is to strengthen the ability for people to make
    decisions. Small-business owners are having trouble with their health
    care, because the cost is going up. We're going to talk to a small-
    business owner who just told me that a while ago.
        The way to help small businesses deal with rising health care costs
    is to allow them to pool together, pool the risk together, so that they
    can be able to buy insurance at the discounts that big companies are
    able to do. Those are called association health plans. We need to expand
    health savings accounts, which will allow

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    workers and/or small businesses to put money aside on a tax-free basis,
    to earn money tax-free, to use your money tax-free for health care
    needs. There's all kinds of ways to make sure that health care is
    vibrant and alive and well without nationalizing health care.
        We've got a doc here today with us, and we're going to talk about
    medical liability reform, which is going to make sure that we--when we
    get it, it's going to help you on your costs and the availability for
    medicine.
        I want to talk a little bit about pensions. I told the people the
    other night, we have a changing world, and yet the institutions,
    fundamental institutions of our Government haven't changed with them. In
    other words, the pension plans were designed for the 19--in the 1930s.
    They haven't changed. The health care systems haven't changed. The Tax
    Code hasn't changed much since--you know, we need to change these
    systems. Job training programs haven't changed much to reflect the world
    in which we live in.
        The next 4 years, we're going to change these aspects of Government
    to help people realize their dreams. It's another one of my
    philosophies. Government ought to help people, not dictate to people,
    and Government ought to trust people.
        One way to trust them is to make sure the Social Security System
    works well. If you're an older citizen, you just don't have to worry
    about Social Security. It's not going to change. You're in good shape.
    There's ample money in the trust fund to take care of you. If you're a
    baby boomer like me, it's going to be okay, but we need to worry about
    our children and our grandchildren. That's who we need to worry about
    when it comes to Social Security. And I believe we ought to allow
    younger workers to take some of their taxes and set them aside in a
    personal savings account that they can call their own to help make sure
    Social Security is available for a younger generation.
        I think you have to think differently. Let me talk about education
    right quick. We have--I went to Washington with the idea of expanding
    the role of the local folks when it comes to schools but, at the same
    time, saying, ``In return for extra money, why don't you show us whether
    or not your children can read.'' It doesn't seem like too tough a
    request to me. It seemed like a reasonable request.
        And the reason why I thought that was necessary is because you know
    what I know: Too many of our kids were just moving through school, grade
    after grade, year after year, without learning the basics, and that's
    not right. That's setting the bar too low. I believe the role of all of
    us is to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I believe every
    child can learn to read, and I expect every child to read, and so should
    you.
        And that's the philosophy behind the No Child Left Behind Act. It
    says, ``Let us measure early so we can correct problems early.'' See,
    you can't solve a problem until you diagnose the problem. And so we're
    now diagnosing problems in education, and we're raising the standards.
    And the achievement gap in America is getting better. You know how we
    know? We measure. We can show you that more and more children are
    learning to read and write and add and subtract because we take time to
    measure. We use the measurement system to support our teachers and
    principals. We use the measurement system to determine whether or not
    the curriculum being used at the local level is working. We use our
    measurement system to heap praise on those who are doing a fantastic job
    in the public schools, and there are thousands across our country who
    are. And we use the measurement system to correct early, before it's too
    late.
        There's more to do. There's more to do. We need early intervention--
    or intervention programs in high schools. We need to make sure that
    children have got the basics. We need to emphasize math and

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    science in our high schools. Do you realize that most new jobs now
    require 2 years of college, yet one in four students in America gets
    there? That's why we need to expand access to our community college
    systems. We need to increase Pell grants to help low- and middle-income
    families. We want more and more of our children starting their careers
    with a college diploma.
        There's more work to be done in education, and I'm looking forward
    to continuing to lead the country in that direction. Let me talk to some
    of the folks with us. Perhaps they'll help me make our points that I'm
    trying to make today. One of the things I love about our society is
    people own things, an ownership society. You know, we want more people
    owning their own home. Do you realize the homeownership rate is at an
    alltime high during my administration? I think it's an incredibly
    hopeful statistic. I like to put it this way: More and more people are
    opening up the door in the places in which they live and say, ``Welcome
    to my home. Welcome to my piece of property.''
        Ownership is a part of a hopeful America. When you hear me say ``a
    more hopeful America,'' it means I'm going to encourage ownership in our
    society. And one of the things we also--I like about America and I think
    one of the things that's really interesting about our country is more
    and more people own their own small business. Do you realize 70 percent
    of new jobs are created by small-business owners--70 percent of jobs.
    Therefore, all policy or good policy is aimed at helping the small-
    business sector of America remain strong and vibrant. If 70 percent of
    all new jobs are created by small businesses and we want to continue to
    expand our job base, policy ought to focus on small-business owners.
        Today we've got one with us. Wayne Lamb is
    with us. [Applause] Sounds like some of them know you.
        Wayne Lamb. I guess so.
        The President. Okay. The name of your company?
        Mr. Lamb. Sedalia Steel Supply.
        The President. Sedalia Steel Supply. And what do you do?
        Mr. Lamb. We're a steel service center, and
    we service the Midwest--we service all the mid-part of Missouri with--we
    buy steel from large mills, break it into smaller quantities, take it to
    schools, manufacturing companies, maintenance fabricators. We process
    it. Just pass the savings on that way.
        The President. Yes, good. And let me ask you, when did you start--
    did you start the business?
        Mr. Lamb. Started it in 1976, so we're almost
    28 years old.
        The President. This wasn't one of those deals that started in your
    garage, was it?
        Mr. Lamb. No, it started just about like
    that. I had a degree----
        The President. Kitchen table.
        Mr. Lamb. Yes, there you go. I had a degree
    in accounting--in fact, it was in economics--and didn't know a piece of
    steel from a two-by-four.
        The President. Yes.
        Mr. Lamb. That's how it started.
        The President. I'm glad you learned. How many employees do you have
    now?
        Mr. Lamb. We presently have 40 employees.
        The President. Forty, good.
        Mr. Lamb. We have grown--for 27 years, we
    have grown every year. We've had an increase in sales for 27 years, and
    we've increased our employees in that kind of direction.
        The President. That's great. So did you add employees this year?
        Mr. Lamb. We've added three new employers
    this year.
        The President. Great. Here's what's happening in America: Small
    businesses are adding employees all across the country. He's put on three. I suspect some of you ought there who has
    got a small business might have added some. This economy--

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    when you hear me say, ``It's strong and getting stronger,'' it's because
    the small-business sector is alive and well and it's vibrant.
        Let me tell you something interesting about Wayne's business. He is called a Subchapter S corporation. That
    is an accounting term, or legal term--legal term.
        Mr. Lamb. Yes, it's a legal term.
        The President. Legal term, yes. You and I aren't lawyers.
        Mr. Lamb. No, sir.
        The President. A Subchapter S corporation, like a sole
    proprietorship, pays taxes at the individual income-tax level. So when
    we reduced all rates, individual income-tax rates, we're helping
    Subchapter S corporations like Wayne's.
        Now, did it help you? The tax relief help at all? I'm sure--that's
    called leading the witness. [Laughter] ``Yes, it helped, Mr.
    President.'' [Laughter]
        Mr. Lamb. Yes, it helped. [Laughter]
        The President. Let me tell you something. Listen to that rhetoric of
    this campaign. I'm running against a fellow who
    has promised about $2 trillion--well, I think maybe a little more than
    $2 trillion thus far--of new spending. So they said, ``How are you going
    to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, we're just going to tax the rich. We're
    going to raise the top two brackets.'' That's called taxing the rich.
        And guess who he taxes? He taxes Wayne. By running up the top two brackets, he's taxing nearly
    a million, about 900,000, Subchapter S corporations and sole
    proprietorships. Just as our economy is gaining strength, my opponent
    wants to run the taxes up on nearly a million small businesses, which is
    going to make it hard for this guy to add employees. If you're taking
    money out of his treasury, if he's sending money to Washington, not
    reinvesting in his company, it's less likely he's going to add people.
    Raising taxes is the wrong thing to do right now in America.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Okay, got a little work to do. Hold on here. We've
    got work to do. Sorry, thanks. Thanks for the ``4 more years.'' We can
    do that at the end. [Laughter]
        One of the things we did in the tax relief act was to encourage
    investment by small businesses. We allowed for bonus depreciation and
    extra expensing. Those, again, are accounting terms, which basically say
    to a fellow like Wayne, ``If you invest, there's
    going to be incentive for you to do so.''
        Are you investing?
        Mr. Lamb. Yes. In the last 3 years, we have
    taken advantage of that $200,000 cap that we can take off immediately
    off the large pieces of equipment. And by doing that, we've actually
    been able to buy the next piece quicker. Plus, that has also improved
    our productivity so well, and also, it made our job safer for our
    employees.
        The President. Yes, what did you buy, for example?
        Mr. Lamb. Well, 3 years ago, we bought a
    Behringer saw-handling. It saws materials. It's a complete handling
    system. It was almost $300,000. And what we used to do in a week on our
    other saw, which we thought was the cat's meow, what it would do then,
    this saw will do in less than a day.
        The President. Yes, so he buys a saw. The tax
    relief says, ``Why don't you go think about buying new equipment.'' He
    makes the decision to go buy new equipment. Somebody has to make the new
    equipment. See, when--what we've done is we've increased demand through
    good tax policy. So Wayne says, ``I need a piece of new equipment.'' He
    files an order, and the guy who takes the order says, ``Okay, I'm going
    to make it for you.'' It may mean that he has to add an employee to make
    that equipment for Wayne. That's how the economy works.
        When you hear the word ``investment,'' it means somebody is buying
    something, which means somebody has to make it. And

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    so the Tax Code encouraged decisionmakers all across the country to
    increase demand for goods and services. That's what you're hearing in
    this discussion. That's what this is all about. And as a result, the
    economy is growing. And the fundamental question, are we going to keep
    the tax relief in place? I think we should. I think we ought to
    encourage small-business growth.
        You done? You did good, Wayne. Thank you. He
    hired Steve Platt. Steve, thanks for coming.
        Steve Platt. Thank you.
        The President. Steve's brother is coming
    back from Iraq in 2 days. I told him when he saw him, after he gave him
    the hug, tell him we're all proud of him.
        Mr. Platt. I will. I definitely will.
        The President. Steve's with us because he's
    working here for Wayne. And it's an interesting
    story. He had a job, and then you decided to----
        Mr. Platt. I went back to college.
        The President. Went back to college. And where did you go first?
        Mr. Platt. I went to State Fair--got my
    associate's degree at State Fair Community College.
        The President. You're the guy who's working. You were working for--
    --
        Mr. Platt. Duke Manufacturing.
        The President. Yes, and decided to go back to college. Why did you
    make that decision?
        Mr. Platt. Well, my children--I'm on them
    about wanting to send them to college and the understanding of the
    importance of going back to school, and I didn't feel like--if I didn't
    finish something I started, I couldn't very well express that, that I
    wanted them to do it.
        The President. He made a tough choice, when
    you think about it. And there's a lot of people in this society of ours
    and this changing world who are faced with the same choice, you know.
    ``Do I make a decision to go back to a community college''--and he
    eventually went to a 4-year college--``and upgrade my skills?'' And
    that's hard in a changing world. I know it's hard in a changing world. I
    think the role of Government is to help. It's to help people, encourage
    people, to go back and get an associate degree, in Steve's case, or--and
    he went on to a 4-year, right?
        Mr. Platt. Four-year at MidAmerica Nazarene
    University in Olathe.
        The President. There you go. See, what he's
    done is, he's upgraded his skills, which makes him a more productive
    worker. So when you hear the talk about productivity, it means people
    have got additional skills, and our job base is changing.
        You know, I went down to--I've been to North Carolina a lot and went
    down there. The textile industry has been hurting down there. They've
    lost some jobs in the textile industry. But the health care industry is
    booming. So you've got one kind of job replacing another. And the
    fundamental role of Government, I think, is to make college--community
    colleges accessible to programs which will train people for the jobs
    which exist.
        And so what Steve has done is he went back,
    got a little help from some loans?
        Mr. Platt. Yes, definitely.
        The President. The Government is loaning money. It should.
    Government provides Pell grants. It will. But as well--like, you told me
    you're making a little more money in the new job?
        Mr. Platt. Yes, I've earned more money, the
    benefits are better, the company pays 100 percent of----
        The President. See, he upgraded his skills.
    He's making 10,000 more a year than he did before by going back to
    college, by going to the community college in his neighborhood.
    Community colleges work well. They work well because they take people
    who have got one skill set and help them with a new skill set. And
    people make more money when you become more productive in our society.
        Tax relief helped him too. See, one of the
    things about the tax relief is that it helps people like Steve.

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        Mr. Platt. In 2003, we earned $1,800. In
    2004, it will be $2,200.
        The President. See, he saved 1,800. And in
    '04 he saved 2,200. Now, I know that doesn't sound like a lot to the
    budgeters in Washington, DC. But here's a fellow whose wife is working,
    and he's gone back to school, and I expect that $4,000 came in handy
    over the last 2 years, didn't it?
        Mr. Platt. Yes, definitely.
        The President. And the issue is--and the issue in this campaign is
    and the issue confronting Congress now is, do we make this tax relief
    permanent, or does it go away? I'm for making it permanent, so people
    like him can keep their money.
        See, I believe Government--as a matter of fact, I know Government--
    if Government is wise about how we spend your money, we can set
    priorities and meet those priorities. But I think once we meet those
    priorities, people like Steve can spend his
    money a lot better than the Federal Government can spend his money.
    That's part of my philosophy.
        We've got another person who saved money on her taxes, Ellyn
    Wilson. Thanks for coming, Ellyn. Tell us what
    you do, Ellyn. Interesting job she's got--interesting jobs she's got.
        Ellyn Wilson. Mr. President, I work three
    jobs. I'm a single mom, which is a full-time job, anyway.
        The President. Is that your daughter?
        Ms. Wilson. Yes, this is Hannah.
        The President. Listen to your mom. I'm still listening to mine--most
    of the time. [Laughter]
        Ms. Wilson. And this is my son, Caleb
    Wilson. He's eight.
        The President. Fantastic. What do you do, Mom?
        Ms. Wilson. I am a music teacher. This is
    my 14th year starting. That's my full-time position.
        The President. Thank you for teaching.
        Ms. Wilson. And I made a change this year,
    and I'm presently at Pettis County R-12 Dresden School District, one of
    the best schools in the State of Missouri.
        The President. That's good. She's a
    marketer. [Laughter]
        Ms. Wilson. And my part-time job is out of
    my home. I'm a Mary Kay consultant, and I'm working my way up to a star
    recruiter and working my way up in the business.
        The President. Running her own business.
    She's a sole proprietor. Got her own business--kind of the American way,
    isn't it? Started her business out of her own home. Keep going.
        Ms. Wilson. And I love to serve the Lord at
    what I do, and I'm church pianist at First Baptist Church, Sedalia,
    Missouri.
        The President. There you go. She saved
    $1,000 on tax relief. A single mom--by the way, being a single mom in
    America is the toughest job in our country. It's incredibly hard work to
    be a single mom. The tax relief helps single moms--$1,000.
        Ms. Wilson. And I got braces for my kids.
    It's helped a lot.
        The President. Let's see--oh, yes. [Laughter] Did you ever.
    [Laughter]
        Ms. Wilson. With my Mary Kay supplies as
    well. So it really helped out tremendous, and I'm very thankful.
        The President. Helped her small--helped
    with the kids. She's doing her job as a mom, to take care of her kids.
    And then she's got a little business going. And that money helps.
    Someday you'll be driving that pink Cadillac. If they don't make the tax
    relief permanent, $300 goes out of her pocket. That's 300 she can use.
    Remember the tax relief, how it works? Not only did we reduce all rates,
    which helped everybody in our small businesses; we raised the child
    credit to $1,000, and we reduced the marriage penalty. The Code ought to
    be encouraging marriage, not discouraging marriage.
        We created a 10-percent bracket, which helps Ellyn. In other words, we've just got to keep this in mind,
    our country's got to keep in mind, what tax relief has meant

    [[Page 1942]]

    to working people, to people who are trying to get ahead in life. This
    is a perfect example of a soul who is working hard to do her duty as a
    mom and to realize her dreams as a small-business owner. The tax relief
    has helped. I appreciate you coming.
        I hope you get what I'm trying to say here. See, we can get people
    like me running for office, and we talk about numbers and this, that,
    and the other. The most effective way to explain the effects of tax
    relief on our society is to ask people like Ellyn come and tell you why tax relief was effective. I'm
    honored you're here, Ellyn. Great job. Thank you.
        Ms. Wilson. Thank you so much. Thank you,
    Mr. President.
        The President. Before I talk about how to make the world a safer
    place, I want to ask Dr. Don Allcorn, who
    is with us today, to stand up. I've asked Don to come today because we
    have an issue in this country. We've got an issue with these frivolous
    lawsuits that are making it difficult for people to practice medicine.
    And this just isn't in the case in Missouri, this is all over the
    country. I'm telling you, too many good docs are getting sued time and
    time and time again by frivolous lawsuits which, make no mistake about
    it, runs your cost up. It also makes it harder for you to find a good
    doc, and we need to do something about this in this country.
        I want to--Don, what kind of medicine
    do you practice?
        Don Allcorn. I'm in family practice in
    Lincoln, which is about 20 miles south of here. It's a town of about
    900.
        The President. Nine hundred.
        Dr. Allcorn. Nine hundred.
        The President. Well, that's--about 3 times bigger than Crawford.
        Dr. Allcorn. That's right. [Laughter]
        The President. Well, thanks for coming. And so, give us--tell people
    what it's like. I mean----
        Dr. Allcorn. I've always--my dream, as
    I was going through undergraduate and then medical school, was to
    practice in a small town, raise a family there. I think it's a good
    place to be.
        The President. Is this your family here?
        Dr. Allcorn. I have my family here
    with me.
        The President. Beautiful family.
        Dr. Allcorn. Four daughters and my
    lovely wife.
        The President. She sure is.
        Dr. Allcorn. My wife has a master's
    degree in nursing education, and she chose to be a stay-at-home mom and
    has done that for the last 19 years.
        The President. Good. And so, what is it like to practice medicine in
    the modern era? I mean, you said something--he was telling me that when
    he first got going, he was able to
    practice without fear of being sued.
        Dr. Allcorn. It's a real issue these
    days. I could not practice in Lincoln today had I not already started 19
    years ago, because the cost of medicine is so high. And part of the
    reason for that is medical liability.
        The President. Yes. So what are you paying--I mean, your premiums
    are high. Explain to people what it means to practice medicine
    defensively.
        Dr. Allcorn. Defensively means that
    if--for example, this morning, I had a lady in the hospital that I know
    her pneumonia's better. I can hear it. It sounds better, but her chest
    X-ray didn't look that way. It looked like it had not changed. So I kept
    her an extra day or two just to make sure the chest X-ray is better. The
    reason is because if someday I ever go to court, then I will be able to
    prove on paper, from the chest X-ray report, that that lady is better.
        The President. Yes. See, what he's
    saying is, is that if you practice medicine and you're afraid you're
    going to get sued, you will spend more than necessary to protect
    yourself in a court of law. That's just the reality of the society we
    live in.
        When I first got to Washington, I said, ``Well, maybe medical
    liability is not a national issue.'' Then they told me how much

    [[Page 1943]]

    the defensive practice of medicine costs our Treasury. Think about it.
    When you've got docs all over the country prescribing extra so in case
    they get sued, they've got a good case in court, it runs up your
    veterans' bills. It runs up your Medicare bills. It runs up your
    Medicaid bills. It costs the U.S. Treasury a lot of money, and
    therefore, I said, ``Wait a minute. Medical liability reform is a
    national issue that requires a national solution.''
        We have a problem in this country, and it's a major difference in
    this campaign. The problem is, the trial lawyers are making it hard for
    people to practice medicine. This town here--this guy provides a great
    service to the people of his town. You don't want it so that docs feel
    like they've got to quit medicine because it's too expensive and can't
    do their practice.
        Talk to an ob-gyn these days. Find out what that's like. When these
    ob-gyns are getting sued right and left, it makes it awfully hard for a
    person to be able to find a doc to deliver the baby. And that's not
    right in our society. So I'm for medical liability reform.
        I'm running against--I don't think you can choose. Here's the way I
    put it. You cannot choose between and doctor and a patient and a
    hospital and a trial lawyer. [Laughter] In other words, you can't be for
    all of them. You've got to choose. You've got to make a choice. The
    fellow I'm running against made his choice, and
    he put him on the ticket.
        You've got to make choices. I made mine. I'm for medical liability
    reform now, so good men, like this good doc, can do his job, can
    practice that which loves to do, is to heal lives without fear of a
    frivolous lawsuit running him out of business.
        Thanks for coming.
        Let me talk about how to keep America safer right quick, then I'll
    answer questions. I want to tell you some of the lessons I have learned
    and the country must learn about September the 11th. One, we face an
    enemy which is coldblooded, an enemy with which we cannot negotiate and
    hope for the best. See, you cannot talk sense into these people. These
    people are full of hatred. They're ideologues that use terror as a
    weapon, and they're trying to shake our will. They're trying to play
    upon our conscience. They don't have a conscience. They go into a
    Russian schoolhouse and mow down young kids. And the only way to deal
    with them is to find them and bring them to justice around the world so
    we don't have to face them here at home. [Applause]
        And we must be--okay, hold on. All right. Thank you. I've got to
    keep working. I've got to keep working.
        We must be strong and focused and unrelenting. Secondly, this is a
    different kind of war. It is a--I know there's a lot of vets here, and
    this is a different kind of war than you all were in. It's a war in
    which these people will hide in caves and lurk around in the cities and
    around the world and try to find safe harbor. So the second lesson is,
    is that we must not only find them--by the way, we're doing a good job.
    As I said in the speech the other night, three-quarters of known leaders
    of Al Qaida have been brought to justice, and we're on the hunt. We'll
    stay on the hunt.
        But in order to make sure that they can't find safe haven, I issued
    a doctrine that said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty
    as the terrorist.'' Now, when the President says something, I think it
    must be easy to understand and he must mean what he says. And I meant
    what I said.
        And when the Taliban refused our demand for them to give up Al Qaida
    and to stop playing safe haven--providing safe haven, we led a coalition
    and removed them from power. And America is safer for it. The Al Qaida
    can no longer train there. They can no longer plan there. The people of
    Afghanistan are free. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror now.
    They're our friends when it comes to routing out those killers. They
    helped us find them.

    [[Page 1944]]

        But something else is taking place there too, as well, which will
    mean our children and grandchildren can grow up in a more peaceful world
    that we all hope for, and that is, Afghanistan is moving toward
    democracy. It's an amazing thing for a President to be able to say. It
    wasn't all that long ago that that country was run by the Taliban. These
    are the kind of people that would take a woman in the public square and
    whip her because she didn't toe the line. They were dim-viewed.
    They're--had a dark vision of the world, and now light has arrived in
    Afghanistan in the form of a free society.
        Many young girls weren't allowed to go to school in Afghanistan. It
    wasn't all that long ago, in Cleveland, Ohio, I welcomed athletes to the
    International Children's Games. And right to my right was the Afghan
    girl's soccer team. They were there because they had been freed. Young
    girls are going to school there now the first--for the first time. Three
    years isn't very long, when you think about it. But 3 years after the
    Taliban were removed from power, 10 million citizens in Afghanistan
    registered to vote--10 million. It's an amazing thought, isn't it.
    They're going to have Presidential elections this October. The people
    are going to be allowed to go to the polls and say, who--``Here's who I
    want to be President in my country.'' An amazing thing has happened.
        The third lesson is, is that we must deal with threats before they
    fully materialize. That's one of the serious lessons of September the
    11th. You know, prior to September the 11th, we would see a threat
    somewhere and say, ``Oh, we don't need to deal with that, because it's
    not going to come home to hurt us.'' That's what we thought. That's what
    the history had taught us, that we're protected. But that changed on
    that day, and it's really important for the American President and the
    American people to understand that when we see a threat, that we must
    have to take it seriously. We must deal with it before it comes to hurt
    us.
        And that's what led me to go to the United States Congress about
    Saddam Hussein. See, I saw a threat. And the
    reason I saw one, because he had used weapons of mass destruction. He
    harbored terrorists. And the worst thing that could possibly happen is
    there be a connection between weapons of mass destruction and terrorist
    networks that we know want to inflict harm on us. He had paid--when I
    say harbored terrorists, Abu Nidal, his organization, were there. He's
    the guy that killed Leon Klinghoffer. He's a terrorist. This guy,
    Zarqawi, was in Baghdad. He's the guy
    that chops people's heads off on TV and hopes to cause us to tremble and
    shirk from our duty. Saddam Hussein subsidized the families of suicide
    bombers. It's a terrorist act when somebody goes and kills the innocent.
    And he invaded his neighbors. He was shooting missiles at our pilots.
    That guy was a threat.
        And so I went to the Congress, and the Congress agreed. As a matter
    of fact, they passed a resolution. They looked at the same intelligence
    I looked at, the very same intelligence. They passed a resolution that
    authorized the use of force.
        My opponent looked at the same intelligence I
    looked at and made some pretty strong statements about the threat of
    Saddam Hussein. He voted yes when it came to
    the authorization of force.
        Now, before a President commits troops, it's necessary to try to
    solve problems peacefully. I want you to know that. We spent time going
    to the United Nations, because I was hopeful that we could deal with
    this threat diplomatically. And I gave a speech there and laid out our
    case about Saddam Hussein being a threat.
    They looked at the same intelligence I looked at, and they looked at the
    history. They remembered the history I remembered and passed by 15-to-
    nothing a Security Council resolution that Saddam Hussein must disclose,
    disarm, or face serious consequences.

    [[Page 1945]]

        The free world spoke loud and clear, but as he had for over a decade, he ignored the demands. It's
    like, ``Go ahead and talk, I'm not interested in listening.'' He wasn't
    interested in the demands of the free world. As a matter of fact, he
    deceived the inspectors that the U.N. sent into his country. In other
    words, they said, ``Well, we'll send inspectors in,'' and he deceived
    them. And we all knew that.
        So at this point in our history, after diplomacy failed, I had a
    choice to make. Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and hope
    for the best when it came to the decisions of a madman, or take action
    to defend our country? Given that choice, I will defend America every
    time. [Applause] Thank you all.
        We didn't find the stockpiles we thought we would find, but Saddam
    Hussein had the capability of making weapons. He could have passed that
    capability on to the enemy, and that's a risk we could not afford to
    take after September the 11th. Knowing what I know today, I would have
    made the same decision.
        Fourth lesson: We put--when we put our troops in harm's way, they
    deserve the full support of our Government. That's why I went to the
    United States Congress September of '03 and asked for supplemental
    funding to support our troops in combat, $87 billion worth. We received
    great support, overwhelming support--as a matter of fact, so strong that
    only 12 United States Senators voted against the funding for our troops,
    2 of whom are my opponent and his
    runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. As a matter of fact, my opponent and his runningmate were two of
    four Senators who voted for the authorization of force and then voted
    against funding our troops. We have a difference of opinion on this
    issue when it comes to supporting troops in combat. So they asked him
    why. And he said, ``Well, I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it,'' you know. I don't know if they talk that
    way in the coffee shops here in Sedalia, Missouri. [Laughter] ``Yes,
    no.'' And then they kept pressing him, and he said, ``Well, it's a
    complicated matter.'' There is nothing complicated about supporting our
    troops in combat.
        I believe in the transformational power of liberty. Let me tell you
    what that means. I think liberty can change societies and promote the
    peace. Our short-term strategy is to help these countries achieve--get
    on the road to democracy and stability, is to train Iraqis and Afghans
    so they can do the work necessary to defend freedom. And we'll get that
    done as quickly as possible, and then our troops will come home with the
    honor they've earned.
        But the long-term strategy is to spread freedom. Let me tell you
    some interesting--a story about that that maybe will help illustrate the
    point I'm trying to make. You know, I've spent a lot of time in the past
    with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. And
    I like him a lot. He's a good guy. His favorite singer was Elvis.
    [Laughter]
        So, it's interesting, though, just to remember it wasn't all that
    long ago--what, 60 years ago, I guess--that we were at war with the
    Japanese. My dad, your husbands, dads,
    grandfathers fought in the same war against Japan. It was a bloody war.
    Japan was the sworn enemy of the United States of America, and we were
    fighting them. And here I am, 60 years later, sitting down with this
    guy, strategizing about the peace.
        What happened was, is that after World War II, Harry Truman and the
    State of Missouri and other Americans believed in the capacity for
    liberty to transform societies, believed that a free society would
    convert the Japanese people from enemies to friends. That's what they
    believed. And as a result of that belief and as a result of staring down
    the skeptics and the critics--and you can understand why people were
    skeptical after World War II about Japan becoming an ally in peace. We
    just fought them. You know, moms and dads had lost a son in combat, and
    they're saying

    [[Page 1946]]

    to themselves, ``You think liberty is going to transform these people?''
    But they--but my predecessor did and others did.
        As a result of believing in the power of liberty, Prime Minister
    Koizumi and I sit down and talk about how
    to keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula. We talk about Iraq and how a
    free Iraq will make the world a more peaceful place. What's going to
    happen someday is that when America keeps faith with our belief in
    liberty, an American President is going to sit down with a duly elected
    leader of Iraq talking about the peace. And our children and
    grandchildren will be better off.
        It's hard work. I know there's people who are skeptical about
    whether or not it will happen. Just remember what I told you about
    Afghanistan. It wasn't all that long ago that four women were pulled off
    a bus by the Taliban and killed because they're--I think they were
    registering to vote, themselves, or helping others to register. And
    people said, ``Oh no, there goes the elections.'' Since that day,
    millions have shown up to vote.
        Freedom is a powerful--freedom is powerful. Iraq will have elections
    in January. It wasn't all that long ago that Saddam Hussein was torturing and killing the people of Iraq, and now
    they're headed toward Presidential elections--or prime--or elections for
    their Prime Minister. It's amazing what happens.
        You know why I feel so strongly about the power of liberty? It's
    because I believe that freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man
    and woman in this world. That's what I believe.
        These are historic times we're living in. These are historic times
    we're living in. The free societies in Afghanistan and Iraq are going to
    affect the neighborhood that's desperate for freedom. Think about the
    example they're going to set. Women will say, ``Look at the free women
    of Iraq. Why can't we be free?'' Young boys are going to say, ``Look,
    there's a free society in our neighborhood, and why do I want to strap
    bombs on as a suicider?'' Reformers, political prisoners, are going to
    say, ``Wait a minute. The United States is standing true to its belief
    that all people ought to be free.'' Free societies there are going to
    serve as powerful examples. They're going to promote freedom in other
    countries, and that part of the world needs freedom. The long-term
    solution, so our children can grow up in a free world, is never forget
    the power of liberty to transform societies.
        That's why I'm running again. That's why I'm out asking for the
    vote. A couple of more things, then I'll answer questions. In a changing
    world, things won't change, the values we try to live by, courage,
    compassion, reverence, and integrity. We stand for some things. We stand
    for marriage and family, which are the foundation of our societies. We
    stand for a culture of life in which everybody matters and every being
    counts. We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench.
        I'm coming today to ask for the vote and tell you there's a reason
    why, and I hope you got a better feel for why I'd like to serve this
    country for 4 more years. And if you give me the chance to do so, I'll
    uphold the honor and dignity of the office to which I've been elected.
    [Applause]
        Let me answer some questions. Not yet. I've got some time for some
    questions, then we've got head on the bus here. Anybody got any
    questions? Yes, sir.
        Q. [Inaudible]
        The President. All right, well, that's not a question, that's a
    request. [Laughter] I'll sign it, so long as you go out and register
    somebody to vote.
        Yes, sir.

    France and Germany/International Cooperation

        Q. Do our previous allies remember us, such as France and Germany?
    Thank you.
        The President. Yes, I appreciate that. First of all, we put together
    coalitions. In Afghanistan, for example, there's French

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    Special Forces that have been helping our Special Forces find Al Qaida.
    We've been working together in Haiti. Haiti had a problem, and we
    provided some stability forces, along with the Canadians and the French.
    So there are places where we are working together.
        As a matter of fact, I put together what's called the Proliferation
    Security Initiative, which is a 60-nation coalition, all aimed at
    intercepting the flow of technologies so that weapons of mass
    destruction don't get in the hands of our enemies. I don't know if you
    remember when we busted the A.Q. Khan
    network. This is a guy who was a fellow out of Pakistan that was selling
    technologies to North Korea and Iran. And we intercepted a ship--we, the
    coalition, intercepted a ship of materials aimed at Libya, which helped
    us make the case to Colonel Qadhafi, which caused him to make another decision about whether or
    not he was going to have weapons of mass destruction.
        We work with Germany on a lot of causes as well. They just didn't
    agree with me on Iraq. They did on a first resolution, but when it came
    time to define serious consequences, they made a different choice. But
    our coalition was a strong one going into Iraq, you know. We shouldn't
    denigrate the contributions of our allies. My opponent called them ``the coerced and the bribed.'' That's
    denigrating allies.
        Tony Blair is a standup guy. The people of
    England are putting troops in combat. The Australians were there, Prime
    Minister Howard. The Poles went with us. Now
    there's nearly 30 nations involved in Iraq. These aren't the coerced and
    bribed; these are the brave and the dedicated to peace and freedom.
    We'll put coalitions together, and we'll work with alliances. I'll never
    turn over our national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
        Yes, ma'am. Okay, we--either way. You're next. Be thinking of a good
    question. You already got it? Okay.

    Support for Families of Fallen Soldiers

        Q. Mr. President, I know a lot of our boys are not going to come
    home because they are giving up their lives for what we truly believe in
    in America. What are we going to do for their families that are left
    behind?
        The President. Yes, I appreciate that. The first thing we'll do is
    support them with our prayers. And there will be survivor benefits. I've
    met with a lot of the families to whom you refer, and I've been struck
    by their incredible courage and strength. My promise to them is that we
    will complete the mission so that their child or their husband or wife
    has not died in vain. And that mission is to leave behind a better
    world.
        It's really important that our--that we never send mixed signals to
    our troops in harm's way or mixed signals to the Iraqi citizens who
    wonder whether or not we've got what it takes to stay the line, see.
    What I like to do is, I don't like to put artificial timetables out
    there because of politics. My--I say to the--I say to our troops and I
    say to the enemy and I say to the Iraqis, we will be there until the
    mission is finished, and then we're coming home.
        Every life matters. And it is--there's been some incredible bravery
    and sacrifice made. And I will do my best to assure those loved ones
    that the personal sacrifice will mean this world is a more peaceful
    place, because I think that's what's happening.
        Yes, ma'am? Fire away.

    Flexibility Under the No Child Left Behind Act

        Q. I have a daughter that's a fifth grade teacher just north of
    Columbia, and she's very concerned about your no-child-left-behind
    policy.
        The President. Why?
        Q. She says, what about behavior-disordered children and the
    learning-disabled children?

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        The President. I appreciate that. What she's asking me is, ``Well,
    you have an accountability system. Shouldn't there be a different
    standard for certain children?'' In other words, should the
    accountability system be flexible? And the answer is: Yes, it should be
    and is. You know, you can't expect a child that who can't speak English
    as a first language to immediately be able to adapt to the education
    system. And so the system shows flexibility, as it should.
        By the way, these systems are designed by the citizens of each
    State. These aren't Federal tests. All the Federal Government is saying
    is, ``We've increased your funding by 49 percent since 2001 for K
    through 12, and now you show us, not only Federal people, but everybody,
    whether or not a child can read.'' And you bet there's a flexibility in
    the assessments. So you tell her, there's flexibility in the assessment
    system.
        But I will tell you something, I'm not going to yield when it comes
    to assessment. A system that doesn't assess is a system that just
    shuffles kids through, and that's unacceptable. It's not a--and believe
    me, you know, as a former Governor, I've heard it all. You know, ``Oh,
    they're just teaching the test.'' I've heard that. But I--you know, when
    you teach a child to read, they pass the test. Or, ``All they're doing
    is taking tests all the time.'' Well, that's not true. They're learning
    how to be able to read; otherwise they can't pass the test.
        We should not allow the excusemaking to weaken accountability.
    Accountability saves lives. Accountability reinforces whether or not a
    school district is doing the right thing. Accountability will tell us
    whether or not there needs to be changes. Accountability will let us
    know that the teacher is doing a fabulous job. Accountability says to
    parents, ``Here's the standing of your school.'' Accountability allows
    one district to compare to another. Accountability is healthy and
    necessary for excellence in every classroom in the United States of
    America.
        Got a question? Yes. Future Farmer of America, there you go.

    Military Draft/Reconfiguration of U.S. Forces

        Q. Mr. President, if the war on terrorism continues, do you feel
    that there will be a need for the draft? And do you want to start the
    draft again?
        The President. Yes, first of all, the war on terror will continue.
    It's going to take awhile. And no, we don't need a draft. What we need
    to do is--don't worry about it. What we need to do is to make sure our
    troops are well-paid and well-housed and well-equipped.
        And that's why over the last 3\1/2\ years we've increased military
    pay by 21 percent. And that's why our housing is better. We've improved
    housing. You see, you keep a soldier in the military by appealing to his
    family or her family. When the housing is good, when the health is good,
    they stay. When the pay is decent, they stay.
        And so therefore, in making a volunteer army work, it's best to
    treat our soldiers with the best we possibly can. And we made great
    progress in doing just that. No, I'm--we don't need the draft. We don't
    need a draft at all.
        I'll tell you what else we need to do is we need to transform our
    military. And let me tell you what that means. A little flap came up the
    other day when I announced that we're going to reconfigure our troops,
    in Europe, for example. Now, our troop strength in Europe was set when
    the Soviet Union was an enemy. Well, the Soviet Union doesn't exist
    anymore. And so, therefore, our troop strength in Europe needs to
    reflect the threats of the 21st century.
        We can replace people with a lighter, more mobile military. In other
    words, the heavy--let me rephrase it. We can replace divisions of heavy
    armament and, therefore, people with fewer people and equipment which
    can move lighter and more lethal. We've changed our military since the
    day

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    in which the Soviet was a threat. It is lighter, more agile, easier to
    move. And therefore, we can reconfigure, transform how we meet the
    threats of the 21st century.
        That will take pressure off our troops at home, by the way. Cycling
    deployments is a strain on families. And so hopefully we'll have a more
    stable military so moms don't have to move their children from school to
    school to school and that people will be based in--more likely to stay
    in one base longer.
        Our military is different. It is being converted into a force that
    can move just like that, very quickly, you know, light units but are
    lethal. And that's necessary to defend against the enemy which exists.
        And so that's how you make sure you don't need a draft, is to make
    the military perform better and take care of the people in the military.
        Yes, ma'am. Hold on. We've got to crank that thing up.

    English Language Skills

        Q. You talk about accountability in reading. Will you please require
    that our schools teach English? And will you rescind President Clinton's
    Executive order so that they can read a ballot in English and not have
    ballots and other driver's license and Social Security all in whatever
    language they--is their home language?
        The President. Yes, well, listen, I think, look--no question--the
    accountability systems in schools are based on English. In other words,
    we expect kids to read English. When I was the Governor of Texas, I
    supported what's called ``English Plus.'' English is necessary to be
    able to realize dreams in our society, plus additional language. But I
    think we are--I think it's pretty clear in America that you've got to
    speak English in order to be able to succeed here.
        And so the schools are based--when he mentioned the accountability
    system, they are based on English. And it's going to take a while to
    help transition certain kids. We've got a society in which people are
    coming here to work. They're working the farms. They're working the meat
    plants. And a lot of times their children don't speak English, and so
    the function of a school is to help them learn to speak English. And
    ours is a society based on English, but we've got to recognize that a
    diverse society is one in which other languages are learned and spoke as
    well, but English is the primary language.
        Yes.

    Prayers for the President/Religious Freedom

        Q. Hi.
        The President. Hi. You're not nervous, are you?
        Q. No, how can I be? This is an answered prayer for me to get to
    speak to you.
        The President. [Laughter] Well, thanks for coming.
        Q. This is a comment to encourage you. We here in the heartland, I
    think, are responsible for being the anchor, and we know that there is a
    lot of trends on both coasts, but we try to stay steady, and we try to
    do what we feel is the right thing. And I want to tell you that I
    believe I can be a Christian representative and say there's a whole
    bunch of people praying for you.
        The President. Thank you.
        Q. There are those here that will know what I mean what I say that.
    In my prayers over the last 3 years, I am definitely impressed that
    you've been chosen for this time.
        And finally, I don't want you to worry about those weapons of mass
    destruction. They're going to find them. They're there.
        The President. Thank you very much. Thanks. I appreciate your
    prayers a lot. Let me make a comment about religion. First of all, the
    prayers help a lot, and I thank you for that. It means a lot to me and
    Laura that people would pray for us.

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        Ours is a society that is based upon the ability for people to
    worship or not worship, if that's what they choose to do. It's really an
    important part of the American tradition and history and future, and I
    believe that.
        We need to be serving the example in a world that says, ``If you
    worship, you're a patriot. If you don't worship, you're a patriot. And
    if you do worship, you can worship any way you see fit.'' It's really
    one of the most important traditions of our country. It serves as such a
    wonderful example that--around the world--we value the freedom to choose
    how we want to worship, and the great thing about our country is that
    it's that freedom, and we'll guard that. The other thing that's--about
    our country which is true, there's a lot of people who have chosen to
    pray for me and Laura, and I can't thank people enough for that. It's
    the sustaining aspect of our life, and we're very grateful for that.
    Thank you.

    2004 Election

        Q. First of all, I have to say, my mom said to tell you she loves
    you.
        The President. Your mom said that?
        Q. My mom said that. She couldn't be here today.
        The President. Tell her thanks.
        Q. I appreciate so much the choice of your runningmate. A lot was
    made over John Edwards' great head of hair when he decided to accept the
    nomination, but I would take Dick Cheney's cute little smirk over that
    great head of hair any day of the year. [Laughter]
        The President. He's a steady guy, Dick Cheney. I really like him. We're close, and he's a good guy,
    really good guy.
        Q. Any chance he'll run in '08?
        The President. Pardon me?
        Q. Any chance that he will run in '08?
        The President. Oh, no, listen, we've got to get through '04.
    [Laughter]
        Q. That's a done deal. '04's a done deal.
        The President. No, no done deal. Well, I appreciate that. I have no
    idea about '08. I will tell you, we are--Dick
    and I are focused on November of '04. We're traveling hard, working
    hard, and balancing time on the road with time we need to spend in
    Washington to do our jobs. And tomorrow, I'm going to spend the morning
    in Washington. I'll be meeting with Members of Congress. I'll be meeting
    with my national security team. And then I'm going to head on down to
    Florida and try to comfort as best I can the people whose lives, once
    again, have been affected by natural disaster.
        But no, I'm--thanks for talking about '08, but it's just kind of--
    don't forget about right now, you know? [Laughter]
        Yes, sir. A couple of more questions, and we've got to go. Yes, sir.

    Veterans' Health Benefits

        Q. [Inaudible]
        The President. Good.
        Q. [Inaudible]
        The President. Thank you, sir.
        Q. [Inaudible]
        The President. Thank you, sir.
        Q. [Inaudible]
        The President. Yes, I am. He's asking about veterans' health
    benefits. Let me just give you the record. We have spent more in 4 years
    on veterans'--we have increased veterans' benefits in 4 years by more
    than the predecessor did in 8 years. In other words, in the 4 years I've
    been President, we've increased spending by more than my predecessor
    did, one. Two, I told the people, I said, ``If I'm in, we'll reduce the
    waiting time necessary for the veterans.'' We've done that. Three, we're
    making sure that the veterans' hospitals and clinics meet the needs. A
    lot of veterans are moving kind of--the central part of our country down
    to the South and the West, and those veterans' clinics and hospitals
    need to be upgraded around the country, where the veterans live. And so
    you're seeing us now match assets with need.

    [[Page 1951]]

        We've increased the number of people receiving pharmaceuticals on
    the veterans' list. The answer is, yes, sir, we have a duty to our
    veterans. We'll keep our commitment to our veterans.
        Got one?

    Federal Highways Legislation/Partisanship in Washington

        Q. Mr. President, I'd like to thank you for your comments on the
    Faith-Based Initiative. I'm certainly for that.
        But my family is involved in trucking here in Missouri, and I was
    wondering what you, as President, could do with Federal money to upgrade
    our highways. Our trucks are falling apart because our highways are
    falling apart.
        The President. Yes, I appreciate that. We're in the midst of a
    discussion on a highway bill. I just want to make sure that the highway
    bill is a fair bill. We've put out a number we thought was fair, and
    we're working with the Congress to meet the number. And hopefully, we'll
    get it done. You know, there's a--either get the highway bill a 6-year
    extension, or they may just decide to go with a 1-year extension and
    work it out later on. There will be a highway bill, and just want to
    make sure that the highway bill honors the Highway Trust Fund. The
    Highway Trust Fund is set up so that we use the money from the gasoline
    tax and not general revenues. And I think it's very important that we
    guard that aspect of the trust, keep the trust of the trust fund.
        And that's why we're having the discussions we're having, and you
    know, we'll see if we can get a bill done. There will be a lot of
    discussions here in the next 1 month. It's hard to get things done this
    year coming down the stretch because there's a lot of politics in
    Washington. [Laughter] It's a town that--I've been frankly amazed at the
    zero-sum attitude in that town. ``We can't do this because Bush might
    look good,'' or ``We can't do this because so-and-so would do this, make
    him look bad.'' I mean, it's not the right way, but that's the way it
    is.
        I've worked hard to try to change the tone there, and I admit it's
    hard to do. But I'm going to keep trying. The President's job is to lead
    the whole Nation. I understand not everybody's for me. I believe over 50
    percent will be, but not everybody is. And therefore--but I still have
    the responsibility to be the President of everybody, and I will. And I--
    you know, I will try to do my best to work with people in the other
    party to get things done. But I can't guarantee much will get done
    between now and the election because it's pretty partisan up there right
    now. They--it's real partisan up there right now. [Laughter] That's just
    reality.
        Last question, sir, and then I've got to go. I've got to get on the
    bus.

    International Cooperation

        Q. What a pleasure, Mr. President, to actually face and see my
    Commander in Chief.
        The President. Thank you, sir.
        Q. My question is, why are the French so ungrateful for what all we
    have done for that nation, especially in the past?
        The President. The who?
        Q. The French.
        The President. Oh, yes. Yes. Well, I'm getting the picture here
    today of--[laughter]--look, we've got a--we just try to work with
    everybody as best we can, you know, and if they--if--I'm just not going
    to let anybody veto our policy, if we do what we think is right and lead
    the world in the cause of freedom and peace and try to work with
    everybody, you know, try to bring people along. And by far--a lot of
    nations are working with us so far. We've got good coalitions, and I'm
    not going to touch that. [Laughter]
        All right, one more question, then I've got to go. Got one? Okay.
    Now, I promise, she's the last one.
        Audience members. Aw-w-w!

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        The President. I know. We've got to go down the road.

    President's Autograph

        Q. Mr. President, my question was on the draft. Thank you for
    answering that. But if at all possible, could I have your autograph,
    please? [Laughter]
        The President. Tough question. Where's the guy with the hat? Oh,
    there he is. Okay, get the hat, get the vest.
        Who's got one? Okay, go ahead.

    Whiteman Air Force Base

        Q. Mr. President, 20 years ago, Ronald Reagan spoke in Sedalia,
    right here in this building.
        The President. Really? Right here? You've got to be kidding. Isn't
    that something. I'm honored to be following in his footsteps again.
        Q. My question is----
        The President. How old were you then?
        Q. Me?
        The President. Yes.
        Q. Twenty-six. I guess everybody knows how old I am. [Laughter] My
    question is, Whiteman Air Force Base and the stealth bomber are very
    important to the local economy here. And we've got a pretty good
    Representative that's done a good job sticking up for Whiteman. Trouble
    is, he's a Democrat. But that's okay; he's done a good job in that. The
    problem is, he came to town on an alleged whistlestop tour with his
    buddy, who's running against you. And we're talking about the
    Presidential election now, folks. So how is Whiteman Air Force Base and
    it's impact on our economy going to be different under you than under
    your opponent?
        The President. Well, you've seen how it is under me. You know, when
    I'm talking about a military that's transforming, the stealth was part
    of that transformation. It was the leading edge of the transformation. I
    remember those stories about the pilots loading up here in Missouri,
    flying over and delivering ordnances and coming home. Now, that's the--
    that's a military which has been transformed.
        And so the stealth was on the leading edge of transformation. It's a
    new way to approach how to keep the peace, and the fact that we've got
    the capacity to fly long-range out of our country to deliver ordnance
    and come back home is--reflects what I'm talking about. In other words,
    the military has got to be lethal, easier to move, and stealthy, in this
    case.
        And so I'm--people have seen how I've used our military up to now.
    We're going to make it stronger as time goes on by reconfiguring. It
    makes these home bases more important. And I appreciate you bringing
    that up.
        Listen, I do have to go, otherwise the people will be waiting. I
    hate to keep people waiting.
        God bless you. Thanks for your time. Get out and vote.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:06 p.m. at the Missouri State
    Fairgrounds. In his remarks, he referred to William H.T. ``Bucky'' Bush,
    Missouri State chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Charles E. Kruse,
    president, board of directors, Missouri Farm Bureau; Mayor Robert Wasson
    of Sedalia, MO; Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made the keynote
    address at the 2004 Republican National Convention; senior Al Qaida
    associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of
    Japan; A.Q. Khan, former head of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program;
    Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; Col. Muammar
    Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the
    United Kingdom; and Prime Minister John Howard of Australia.

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