    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 28, 2004]
    [Pages 1768-1775]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Troy, Ohio
    August 28, 2004

        The President. Thanks for coming. Thank you for bringing your
    families. Thanks for taking time out of your Saturday morning to provide
    such a warm welcome to somebody who is coming here to ask for your help
    and ask for your vote. I'm proud to be in Miami County, Ohio, today to
    kick off a bus tour across your important State. I'm here to say to you,
    I'm ready to lead this Nation for 4 more years, and I want your help.
        Boehner said if you came to this part of
    the world, some people might show up to say hello. He was right, and I'm
    grateful. Thanks for being here. I'm proud to call John Boehner my
    friend. I know you're proud to call him Congressman. He's doing a great
    job on the people of this part of the world, and I appreciate serving
    with him.
        I wish Laura were here to see the size of
    this crowd. She's not going to believe when I tell her how many people
    came. She's going to say it was just a Texas tall tale. Laura is a great
    mother, a wonderful wife, a terrific First Lady. I'm going to give you
    some reasons why I hope you put me back into office today, but perhaps
    the most important one of all is so that Laura will be the First Lady
    for 4 more years.
        I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney.
    Listen, I didn't pick him because of his wavy hair. [Laughter] I picked
    him because of his sound judgment, his vast experience. I picked him
    because he can get the job done.
        I want to thank Governor Bob Taft for joining
    us today. Mr. Governor, thank you for joining me on this bus trip. We're
    traveling across this great State of yours, shaking as many hands as
    possible, looking people in the eye, and saying, ``I've got a clear
    vision of where I want to take this country.''
        I want to thank Senator Mike DeWine for
    being on this bus trip with me today. I appreciate working with Mike and
    the other Senator, George Voinovich. Put
    George back in there for 6 years. You need him in the State of Ohio.
    Mike wisely brought his wife, Fran, and
    daughter, Anna. I'm proud to be traveling with
    them as well.
        I want to thank Secretary of State Ken Blackwell for joining us today.
        Mr. Mayor is with us. Mr. Mayor, His
    Honor, Mike Beamish, is with us. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your
    hospitality. I appreciate you letting us use this fantastic town square.
    Such a beautiful sight, made more beautiful by the fact that a lot of
    your citizens have come here today. My only advice, Mr. Mayor, is make
    sure you fill the potholes. [Laughter]

    [[Page 1769]]

        I appreciate Don McLaurin, the mayor
    of Trotwood, Ohio, for being here. I want to thank all the local
    officials. I want to thank the Troy High Marching Band for being here
    today.
        Today when we landed in Dayton, I met Becky Brown. [Applause] She brought some of her cousins with her.
    [Laughter] Becky is the one millionth person to sign up as a volunteer
    in the Bush-Cheney '04 effort. That means she's willing to put up signs
    and willing to get on the phone and willing to work and turn out the
    vote.
        See, we have a duty in our country to vote. We have an obligation to
    participate in the political process. So I'm here to thank all of you
    all who are involved in the grassroots efforts here in Ohio. I want to
    thank you for going to your community centers and your places of worship
    and where you work and saying to your friends and neighbors, ``Register
    to vote.'' It's important you do so. And then after you get them
    registered, remind them to vote. And as they start heading to the polls,
    tell them if they want an administration that's going to make this
    country safer, stronger, and better, put Dick Cheney and me back in office.
        Listen, we have done a lot in this country. We've accomplished a
    great deal.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. We have been through a lot together. And we've
    accomplished a lot. But there's only one reason to look backward, and
    that is to determine who best to lead us forward. I'm here to tell you
    that all--we've done a lot. We have more to do. We have more to do to
    make this country a more secure country. We have more to do to spread
    the peace. We have more to do to make America a hopeful place for every
    single citizen.
        And that starts with making sure our public schools are the centers
    of excellence we know they can be. John Boehner mentioned the No Child Left Behind Act. I want to take you
    back 3\1/2\ years ago to a system that simply moved children through,
    year after year, grade after grade, without teaching the basics. So we
    challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations. We raised the bar,
    because we know every child can learn to read and write and add and
    subtract. We expect every child to learn to read and write and add and
    subtract. We increased Federal funding, but we increased local control
    of schools and accountability across America so not one child is left
    behind in this country.
        We're making progress. We're closing the achievement gap in America,
    but there's more to do. We want to make sure math and sciences are
    emphasized in our high schools, so our youngsters can be able to
    participate in the jobs of the 21st century. We're going to expand the
    Internet in the classrooms. We're going to make sure there's early
    intervention programs available so kids don't slip behind. We're going
    to make sure that a high school diploma means something over the next 4
    years. What I'm telling you is, 4 more years of this administration will
    help a rising generation earn the skills and confidence necessary to
    compete in a global world.
        We have more to do to make health care available and affordable.
    When we came to office, you might remember all those political
    campaigns: ``Give us a chance. We'll fix Medicare for our seniors. We'll
    make sure the system is strengthened and modern.'' But nothing ever got
    done. We got the job done for the seniors of America. The Medicare
    system gives seniors more choices. And starting in 2006, there will be
    prescription drugs available for those on Medicare.
        We're making progress when it comes to health care. We've expanded
    the number of community centers that are available for low-income
    Americans. We provided health savings accounts to encourage families to
    save, tax-free, for their own needs. When it comes to making health care
    more affordable and available, there is more work to be done over the
    next 4 years. Most

    [[Page 1770]]

    people get their health care through their businesses. Most new jobs are
    created by small businesses. Many small businesses are having trouble
    affording health care. Therefore, in order to help American families, it
    makes sense to let small businesses pool together and purchase insurance
    at the same discount that big businesses are able to do.
        We will harness technology to reduce costs and reduce error. We will
    continue to expand research to seek new cures for diseases. And I'll
    tell you what else you need to do, not only in Ohio but around the
    Nation, we must stop these frivolous lawsuits that are running up the
    cost of health care and driving docs out of business. You cannot be pro-
    doctor and pro-patient and pro-hospital and pro-plaintiff-attorney at
    the same time. You have to make your choice. My opponent made his choice, and he put him
    on the ticket. I made my choice. I'm standing with the docs and
    patients. I am for medical liability reform now. In all we do to improve
    health care in America, we will make sure the health decisions are made
    by doctors and patients, not by Washington, DC, bureaucrats.
        We've got to make--we've got to do more to make this economy
    stronger. Listen, I understand there's places here in Ohio that are
    lagging behind the national recovery. We will continue to work to create
    an environment for jobs to grow so people can find work. But I want to
    remind you, we've been through a lot in this country. We've been through
    a recession and corporate scandals and an attack on our country. Yet,
    we're overcoming these obstacles. We're overcoming these obstacles
    because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. We're
    overcoming these obstacles because America's farmers and ranchers know
    what they're doing. We're coming over--we're overcoming these obstacles
    because we've got the greatest workers in the world in this country. And
    I think we're overcoming these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
        You might remember that tax relief. We said, ``If we're going to
    provide tax relief, everybody who pays taxes gets relief.'' We're not
    going to play politics with your wallet. We raised the child credit to
    help moms and dads with raising their children. We reduced the marriage
    penalty. I believe the Tax Code ought to encourage marriage, not
    penalize marriage. We're helping our small businesses, and it's working.
    Our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years.
    We've added 1.5 million new jobs over the past 12 months. The national
    unemployment rate is 5.5 percent, which is lower than the national
    average of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s.
        We're headed in the right direction, but there's more work to be
    done. In order to keep jobs here in America, this Nation needs an energy
    policy. We need to encourage conservation. We need to encourage
    alternative uses of energy. But we need to be using Ohio coal and Ohio
    natural gas to make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        In order to make sure jobs stay here in Ohio and America, we're
    going to make sure countries treat us the way we treat them when it
    comes to trade. Our markets are open. They need to open up their markets
    because American workers can compete with anybody, anyplace, anytime in
    this world.
        We need to get rid of these junk lawsuits that are threatening small
    businesses all across America. We need to make sure our regulatory
    system is reasonable and fair. In order to keep jobs here in America,
    we've got to make sure American workers gain the skills necessary to
    fill the jobs of the 21st century, which means we will continue to use
    our community college systems as a place for people to receive a
    lifetime of learning in America.
        And finally, to make sure this economy grows and jobs stay here in
    America, we've

    [[Page 1771]]

    got to be wise about how we spend your money. And we've got to keep your
    taxes low. [Applause] Yes. We have a difference of opinion in this race.
    I'm running against a fellow who has already
    promised over $2 trillion of new spending.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. And there's still September and October to go.
    [Laughter] He's got plenty of time to go out
    there and make more promises. They said, ``How are you going to pay for
    it?'' He said, ``Oh, I'm going to tax the rich.'' You've heard that
    before, haven't you? Every time they say ``tax the rich,'' the rich
    dodge and you pay. But we're not going to let him. We're going to beat
    him in November of this year.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I'm running because I know we have more to do to wage
    and win the war against the terrorists. America's future depends on our
    willingness to lead in this world. If America shows uncertainty or
    weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This is
    not going to happen on my watch.
        The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that
    day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan
    served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed
    thousands of killers to set up cells around the world, including the
    United States. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. You
    realize, over 10 million people have registered to vote in the
    Presidential elections coming this fall in Afghanistan. Because we
    acted, many young girls go to school for the first time in that country.
    Because we acted, Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Because
    we acted, America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
    weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have
    sent a strong and easy-to-understand message, the leader of
    Libya has abandoned his
    pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and America and the world are
    safer.
        Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the
    world. He was firing missiles at American pilots enforcing the world's
    sanctions. He had used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored
    terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of
    suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He
    was a source of great instability in the world's most volatile region.
        I saw a threat. One of the important lessons of September the 11th
    that this Nation must never forget is that we must take threats
    seriously before they fully materialize. I went to the United States
    Congress. I said, ``I see a threat.'' They looked at the same
    intelligence I had looked at. They looked at the same history of Saddam
    Hussein and came to the same conclusion, as
    they authorized the use of force. Republicans and Democrats alike saw a
    threat, including my opponent.
        I then went to the United Nations. Before a President is to commit
    force, we must try all means necessary to solve a threat peacefully. So
    I went to the United Nations. I said, ``We see a threat.'' They looked
    at the same intelligence, and as they had for over a decade, they
    concluded that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    The U.N. Security Council voted 15 to nothing to say to Saddam Hussein,
    ``Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' As he had for over a
    decade, he refused to comply with the demands of the free world. As a
    matter of fact, he systematically deceived the inspectors that were sent
    into his country.
        So I had a choice to make: Do I forget the lessons of September the
    11th and take the word of a madman, or defend this country? Given that
    choice, I will defend America every time.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

    [[Page 1772]]

        The President. Even though we did not find the stockpiles we
    expected to find, Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons of
    mass destruction, and he could have passed that capability on to the
    enemy. That was a risk we could not afford to take after September the
    11th. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision.
    America and the world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell.
        Now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and 7 months
    after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar candidate, my
    opponent has found a new nuance. He now agrees it
    was the right decision to go into Iraq. See, after months of questioning
    my motives and even my credibility, he now agrees with me that even
    though we did not find the stockpiles we thought we would find, knowing
    everything we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove
    Saddam Hussein from power. I want to thank
    him for clearing that up. However, I warn you that there's still a
    little more than 60 days left in the campaign for him to change his mind
    again. [Laughter]
        We have more to do. I'm running because I understand that we must
    continue to work with our friends and allies to aggressively pursue the
    terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. You cannot talk sense
    to these people, see. You cannot negotiate with them. We can't be blind
    to the realities of the world and hope for the best. We must
    aggressively pursue them around the world so we do not have to face them
    here at home.
        We will continue to lead this world with confidence and moral
    clarity. We put together a vast coalition of like-minded nations, who
    are working to secure our people and to spread the peace. We've got
    nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 involved in Iraq,
    over 60 involved in a Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict
    technology and supplies to potentially build weapons of mass
    destruction. We will continue to work and build our alliances over the
    next 4 years. But I will never turn over America's national security
    decisions to leaders of other countries.
        We will keep our commitments to Afghanistan and Iraq so that they
    become peaceful, democratic societies. It's in our interests that they
    become peaceful and democratic societies. These countries are now
    governed by two strong leaders, leaders who have set their countries on the path to
    elections.
        We have a clear goal in Afghanistan and Iraq. We want a peaceful and
    democratic country to emerge that are allies in the war on terror. Our
    military forces will help meet that goal by not only providing security
    for a political process to develop but by helping to train Afghans and
    Iraqis so they get to defeat those who want to stop the march of freedom
    in their own countries. We will complete this mission as quickly as
    possible, so our troops do not stay a day longer than necessary.
        And I'm proud of our military. They're doing the hard work of
    freedom and peace. I want to thank all the veterans who are here today
    for setting such a fine example for those who wear the uniform.
        I have made a commitment to those who wear our uniform and to their
    loved ones that they will have the resources they need to fight and win
    the war against the terrorists. We are meeting that commitment in
    Washington, DC. Last September, while our troops were in combat in
    Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in
    their missions. This legislation provided money for body armor, vital
    equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, and fuel and spare
    parts. It was necessary. It was an important piece of legislation. We
    received great bipartisan support. So strong was the bipartisan support
    that only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against this
    vital funding, 2 of whom are my opponent and his
    runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!

    [[Page 1773]]

        The President. So they said, ``Why did you make that vote?''
    He said, ``I actually voted for the $87 billion,
    right before I voted against it.'' I suspect you don't find a lot of
    people right here in the town square in Troy, Ohio, who talk like that.
    They then pressed him, and they said, ``Don't you have another
    explanation?'' He said, well, he's proud of the vote, and then he
    finally said, ``It's just a complicated matter.'' There is nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        In our long run--in the long run, our security is not guaranteed by
    force alone. We must work to change the conditions that give rise to
    terror, poverty and hopelessness and resentment. A free and peaceful
    Iraq and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will serve as powerful examples
    in a neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. Free countries do not
    export terror. Free countries listen to the hopes and aspirations of
    their people. Free countries make the world a more peaceful place.
        By serving the cause of liberty, we're bringing hope to others, and
    that makes America more secure. By serving the cause of liberty, we're
    making the world a more peaceful place. By serving the cause of liberty,
    we're serving the deepest ideals of our own country. Freedom is not
    America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
    man and woman in this world.
        We've got more work to do to protect this homeland. I see
    firefighters and police officers who are here with us today. I want to
    thank the first-responders for their hard work. You need to know that
    cooperation at the Federal level and State level and local level has
    vastly improved since September the 11th, and it needs to be. There's an
    enemy that lurks and still hates us. We have more work to do. Yesterday
    I announced further reforms of intelligence gathering systems to make
    sure that we get the best information so we can respond to threat to our
    country. It is essential that Congress renew the PATRIOT Act. The
    PATRIOT Act gives our law enforcement vital tools to break and find
    terrorist cells before they can affect America. No, we're working hard
    to secure our ports and secure our borders. There's a lot of good people
    working on your behalf to make this homeland more secure.
        But I will warn you, reform is not easy in Washington. There's a lot
    of entrenched interests there. There's a lot of people who have spent a
    lifetime in Washington, and they want to defend the status quo. It's not
    enough to advocate reform. You have to be able to get the job done.
        And so when you're out campaigning on my behalf, when you're out
    there registering people to vote and then encouraging them to vote,
    remind them that when it comes to reforming schools so we can increase
    excellence in every classroom in America, we're getting the job done.
    When it comes to health care for our seniors and for American families,
    we're getting the job done. When it comes to expanding our economy,
    defeating the recession, we're getting the job done. When it comes to
    defending this homeland and spreading freedom and peace, we're getting
    the job done. When it comes to electing a President, reelect somebody
    who can get the job done.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. We're living in a time of change. It's a time of
    change, and change can be unsettling. Government must recognize that and
    Government must stand side by side with workers and families during this
    time of change. See, we have a difference of philosophy in this race. I
    believe Government ought to help, not give orders. I believe ought to--
    Government ought to encourage people to realize their dreams, not
    dictate to people how to achieve their dreams. And there's a difference
    in philosophy that I intend to make and clarify across this country. And
    one of the ways that Government can help people during

    [[Page 1774]]

    times of change is to encourage an ownership society, is to encourage
    people to own their own business. There's nothing better than an America
    for people to know that the entrepreneurial spirit is strong and alive
    and well.
        In order to provide security during a time of change, we ought to
    encourage health care accounts that people own and call their own, that
    they can take from job to job. I see we've got a lot of younger workers
    here, and I want to thank you for coming. But you need to make sure you
    listen carefully to the debate on Social Security. Baby boomers like me
    are just fine when it comes to the fiscal sanity of Social Security.
    People just starting in the workplace better understand that we must
    think differently about how to strengthen Social Security. I believe the
    best way to do so is to make sure younger workers have the option of
    taking some of their own money and putting them in personal savings
    accounts that they can call their own.
        In a changing world, when the workplace has changed, we've got to
    make sure our work rules are family-friendly. That includes flex-time
    and comp-time to allow moms and dads to spend more quality time with
    their children.
        In a changing world, there's nothing like owning your own home to
    provide hope and stability. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high
    in America. We will continue to promote policy that encourages that
    moment when somebody opens the door of their dwelling and says,
    ``Welcome to my house.'' That's what we love to hear. We love to hear
    that phrase, ``Welcome to my piece of property.'' When you own
    something, you have a vital stake in the future of the United States of
    America.
        In a time of change, there are some things that won't change: the
    values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence, and
    integrity; our belief in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable
    demands of human dignity. In a time of change, we will support the
    institutions that give us direction and purpose, our families, our
    schools, our religious congregations.
        We believe--we stand for institutions like marriage and family,
    which are the foundations of society. We stand for a culture of life in
    which every person matters and every person counts. We stand for judges
    who faithfully interpret the law instead of legislating from the bench.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Listen, the
    culture is beginning to change from one that has said, ``If it feels
    good, just go ahead and do it,'' ``If you've got a problem, blame
    somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us understands we're
    responsible for the decisions we make in life. If you are fortunate
    enough to be a mother or a father, you're responsible for loving your
    child with all your heart and all your soul. If you're worried about the
    quality of the education in Troy, Ohio, you're responsible for doing
    something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are
    responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your
    employees. And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible
    for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves.
        The true strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the
    American citizens. I'll continue to rally the armies of compassion over
    the next 4 years, call upon those loving souls who have heard the call
    to love a neighbor so that we can change America one heart, one
    conscience, and one soul at a time.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. You know, there are quiet times in the life of a nation when
    little is expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This
    is a time where we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep belief in
    the values that make America a great place.
        None of us will ever forget that era when--that week when one era
    ended and another began. On September the 14th,

    [[Page 1775]]

    2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It is a day that I will
    never forget. There were workers in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever
    it takes.'' I remember walking the line, thanking the firefighters and
    rescuers who were there, and a guy with bloodshot eyes grabbed me by the
    arm, stared square in my eyes, and said, ``Do not let me down.'' Moments
    I will never forget. I wake up every morning thinking about how to
    better protect America. I will never relent in defending this country,
    whatever it takes.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. We have come through much together. We have been
    through a lot together. We have done a lot of hard work. We're moving
    this country forward by extending freedom around the world and
    opportunity here at home. During the next 4 years, I'll continue to work
    to spread opportunity and ownership to every corner of the country. I
    want every citizen to realize the great promise of our blessed land. We
    will continue to work to pass the enduring values of our country on to
    another generation. We will lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we
    will prevail.
        When I traveled your State 4 years ago, I made a pledge to our
    citizens that if you honored me with this great responsibility, I would
    uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had been
    elected. With your hard work, with your help, I will do so for the next
    4 years.
        May God bless. Thank you for coming. Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:42 a.m. in the Troy Public Square. In
    his remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio; Ohio Secretary of
    State J. Kenneth Blackwell; Mayor Michael L. Beamish of Troy, OH; Col.
    Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya; President Hamid Karzai
    of Afghanistan; and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim
    Government.