    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [July 31, 2004]
    [Pages 1437-1445]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Canton, Ohio
    July 31, 2004

        The President. Thanks for coming. I'm glad so many came out on a
    Saturday morning. I appreciate the warm welcome. I particularly thank
    those who are sitting behind me; you've probably got the best view in
    the house.
        We're on the Heart and Soul of America tour. I'm out asking for the
    vote. I'm out asking for your help. I want to serve this Nation for 4
    more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Oh, there's going to be big differences in this
    campaign. You'll hear big differences on taxes, on how to win the war on
    terror. There seems to be a difference over the heart and soul of
    America. My opponents
    think you can find the heart and soul of America in Hollywood.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. The true heart and soul of America is found right
    here in Canton, Ohio.
        Last night I was in Cleveland; we're heading to Cambridge; I'm
    heading to Pittsburgh today. We're taking this bus tour. I'm excited
    about the campaign. The

    [[Page 1438]]

    crowds are big. The crowds are enthusiastic. With your help, Dick
    Cheney and I will win 4 more years.
        I'm sorry Laura is not here.
        Audience members. Aw-w-w!
        The President. That's generally the reaction. [Laughter] It's kind
    of like, ``Bring her on, and you stay at home.''
    [Laughter] But she is a great First Lady. I am proud of her. Today I'm
    going to talk about what I intend to do over the next 4 years, but
    perhaps the most important reason to put me back in is so that Laura
    will be First Lady for 4 more years.
        I mentioned my runningmate. I admit, he's
    not the prettiest on the ticket. [Laughter] That's not why I picked him.
    I picked him because he's strong, he's steady, and he gets the job done.
        I want to thank my friend Senator Voinovich. Put him back in there, will you, for the sake of Ohio and
    for the sake of America. He is a fabulous human being and a great United
    States Senator. Every time I talk to him, he says, ``You be thinking
    about Ohio, Mr. President.'' I said, ``Don't worry. Ohio is an important
    State, George.'' It's important for a lot of reasons. I carried it last
    time. I intend to work hard to carry it this time.
        And if you want to know how you can help, go to georgewbush.com.
    That's where you get your marching orders. I want to thank Mike
    DeWine, the United States Senator who serves
    with George Voinovich so well. I appreciate your Governor, Bob
    Taft, joining us today. I'm proud he's joining me
    on the bus tour. I want to thank Congressman Ralph Regula, and Mary, for joining us. I was
    proud to say hello to your mayor, Mayor Creighton, today when I came in. I appreciate the fact that Janet ran
    for office. She said, ``When you get up there, make sure you assure them
    that I'm going to fill the potholes.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay.'' I
    want to thank all the other State and local officials.
        I'm proud that grassroots activists are here. Those are the people
    who put up the signs. Those are the people who make the phone calls.
    Those are the people who register the voters. Those are the people who
    tell Republican, Democrat, and independent you have a duty in this
    country to vote. And those are the people, when they get people heading
    to the polls, are going to nudge them our way. Thanks for what you're
    doing.
        Also, I'm proud that Chris Spielman is
    here. I'm glad that he is--taking one look at him reminded me how I'm
    glad we're both on the same side. [Laughter] He's a good man. I want to
    thank the McKinley Bulldog marching band.
        Every incumbent who asks for your vote has to answer a central
    question, and that's why. Why--why should the American people give me
    the great privilege of serving as your President for 4 more years? In
    the past few years, we've been through a lot together. Think about what
    we've been through. We've accomplished a great deal. We've done a lot
    together. But there's only one reason to look backward at the record,
    and that's to determine who best to lead the Nation forward.
        I'm asking for your vote because so much is at stake. I'm asking for
    your vote because we have so much more to do together to move this
    country forward. If the people give me 4 more years, this country will
    be safer. Our economy will be stronger. Our future will be brighter and
    better for every single citizen. From creating well-paying, good jobs to
    improving schools, from fighting terror to spreading peace and
    protecting the homeland, we have made much progress. And we will do
    more.
        We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
    excellence we all know they can be so that no child is left behind in
    America. When we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many children were
    being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, without learning
    the basics. So we challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations. We
    raised the bar. We set high standards. We're focusing on results.

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    We're empowering parents. We're making sure the local folks are in
    charge of their own public schools. Today, children across America are
    showing real progress, substantial progress in reading and math. When it
    comes to improving public schools, we are turning the corner, and we're
    not turning back.
        We have more to do. The world we live in is changing. The jobs of
    the future will require greater knowledge and higher-level skills. We
    will reform our high schools to make sure a high school diploma means
    something. We will expand our math and science education so young people
    can compete in the high-tech world. We will expand the use of the
    Internet to bring high-level training into classrooms. With 4 more
    years, we will help a rising generation gain the skills and the
    confidence to achieve the American Dream.
        We have more to do to make quality health care available and
    affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans couldn't
    afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders in
    both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
    years. We got it done. More than 4 million seniors have signed up for
    the drug discount cards that provide real savings. And beginning in
    2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose a plan that suits
    their needs and gives them coverage for prescription drugs.
        We've expanded community health centers for low-income Americans.
    We've created health savings accounts so families can save, tax-free,
    for their own health care needs. When it comes to giving Americans more
    choices about their health care and making health care more affordable,
    we are turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
        This world is changing. Most Americans get their health care
    coverage through their work. Most of today's new jobs are created by
    small businesses, which too often cannot afford to provide health care.
    To help more American families get health insurance, we must allow small
    employers to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts
    available to big companies.
        To improve health care, we must limit the frivolous lawsuits that
    raise the cost of health care and drive good doctors out of medicine. To
    make the health care industry more efficient and cost effective, we must
    harness technology to reduce costs and to prevent mistakes. We must
    expand research and seek new cures for terrible diseases.
        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
    bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        Still back there? [Applause] They are.
        We have more to do to make America's economy stronger. We have come
    through a recession. We've come through terrorist attacks. We've come
    through a stock market decline. We've come through corporate scandals.
    Yet, this Nation has overcome all these obstacles. We've overcome the
    obstacles because we've got great workers in America, the most
    productive workers in the world, many of whom are right here in eastern
    Ohio. We've overcome these obstacles because we've got great farmers and
    ranchers in America. We've overcome these obstacles because the
    entrepreneurial spirit is strong and the small-business sector is alive
    and well in America.
        And we've overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax relief.
    We gave tax relief to every American who pays Federal taxes. We didn't
    play winners or losers. We did it the fair way. We gave tax relief for
    families with children. We gave tax relief for married couples. We
    provided tax relief for every small business that was making purchases.
    And this time, the check really was in the mail.
        Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
    as fast as any time in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, America has
    added 1.5 million new jobs since last August. The economy is strong, and
    it's getting stronger. It lags in places like eastern Ohio; I know that.

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    I'm aware of that. I just traveled on the bus with workers who told me
    they are nervous about their future. They're concerned. I am too. And
    therefore, we must have a President who understands that in order to
    keep jobs at home, America must be the best place to do business.
        I'm here to tell you we can do more to make America job-friendly and
    America's workplaces more family-friendly. To keep American jobs in
    America, our regulations must be reasonable and fair. To keep American
    jobs in America, we must lessen our dependence on foreign sources of
    energy. To keep American jobs in America, we must end the junk lawsuits
    that hurt our business and employers. If you want to keep jobs in
    America, the Government must not overspend your money, and the
    Government must keep your taxes low. And that's how you keep jobs at
    home.
        You also keep jobs at home by making sure American workers have a
    lifetime of learning. And you help them get training for the jobs of the
    future. And a great place to do that is in our community college system.
    The education and training they offer can be the bridge between people's
    lives as they are and people's lives as they want them to be.
        I know there's great concern about trade in eastern Ohio. Let me
    tell you something about trade. I believe that America and Americans can
    compete with anybody, anyplace, anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
        We understand what currency valuations can do to manufacturing,
    particularly in eastern Ohio. We've been working with China to put fair
    policy in place. Just give us a chance to compete, is all we're asking.
    We've been enforcing our trade agreements. We're making sure that our
    workers and our manufacturers are treated fairly.
        We'll help American families keep more of something they never
    enough of, time--time to play with their children, time to go Little
    League games or Girl Scout meetings, time to care for elderly parents,
    time to go to class to improve their lives. I believe that Congress
    should enact comp-time and flex-time rules to allow American families to
    better juggle the demands of work and home. I think Government ought to
    be on the side of the American family. After 4 more years, there will be
    better paying jobs in America. After 4 more years, there will be more
    small businesses. After 4 more years, the American economy will continue
    to be the strongest in the world.
        We have more to do to wage and win the war on terror. America's
    future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If America shows
    uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward
    tragedy. This will not 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 terror cells in dozens of countries,
    including our own. Today, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. Afghanistan
    is now a place where many young girls go to school for the first time.
        Yesterday in Cleveland, Ohio, at the International Children's Games,
    I was able to hug and say hello to a young girls' soccer team from
    Afghanistan. That wouldn't have happened 3 years ago. 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, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
    terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror. Pakistani
    forces are aggressively helping to round up terrorists, and America and
    the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising
    money and recruiting and operating with little opposition. Today, the
    Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida, and America and the
    world are safer.

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        Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
    weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have
    sent a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass
    destruction; America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the
    world. He was firing weapons at American pilots enforcing the world's
    sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapon of mass destruction.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He harbored terrorists. He
    invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He
    had murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was the source of
    great instability.
        After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
    in a new light. The lesson of September the 11th is we must take threats
    seriously before they fully materialize. The September the 11th
    Commission concluded our institutions of Government had failed to
    imagine the horror of that day. After September the 11th, we cannot fail
    to imagine that a brutal tyrant who hated
    America, who had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass destruction,
    might use those weapons or share those capabilities with a deadly enemy.
        We saw a threat. I looked at the intelligence and saw a threat.
    Members of the United States Congress from both parties, including my
    opponent, looked at the intelligence and came to the same conclusion;
    they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the
    intelligence, saw a threat, and unanimously demanded a full accounting
    of Saddam Hussein's weapons and weapons
    programs, or face serious consequences. After 12 years of defiance, he
    again refused to comply. He continued to deceive the weapons inspectors.
        And so I had a choice to make; this Nation had a choice to make:
    either forget the lessons of September the 11th and hope for the best
    and trust a madman, or take action to defend our country. Given that
    choice, I will defend America every time.
        When it comes to fighting the threats of our world, when it comes to
    making America safer, when it comes to spreading the peace, we're
    turning a corner, and we're not turning back.
        We have more work to do, more hard work to do. We'll continue to
    work with our friends and allies around the world to aggressively pursue
    the terrorists and the foreign fighters wherever they hide--in
    Afghanistan and Iraq or elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to the
    terrorists. You can't negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best.
    You must bring them to justice.
        Audience members. Yes!
        The President. We will engage these enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq
    and elsewhere so that we do not have to face them here at home. We'll
    continue to lead the world with competence and moral clarity. We put
    together a strong coalition--a strong coalition joined together to
    defeat the terrorists. There are nearly 40 nations involved in
    Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in Iraq. Over the next 4 years, we
    will continue to build alliances and work with our friends, but I will
    never turn America's national security decisions over to leaders of
    other countries.
        We must keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
    peaceful, democratic societies. You see, these two nations are now
    governed by strong leaders who believe that there's a democratic future
    for their countries. These are courageous people who have stood up and
    led. And more and more of their citizens are joining them. More and more
    of the security needs in Iraq are being handled by Iraqis. It's their
    future. It's their responsibility. They understand that the men and
    women, the fathers and mothers of Iraq, want their children to grow up
    in a peaceful world just like the moms and dads of America want their
    children to grow up in a peaceful world.

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        When we acted to protect their own security, we promised to help
    deliver them from tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, and to help
    them on the path to liberty. And when America gives it word, America
    will keep its word. And in these times, America's commitments are kept
    by the men and women of our military. I've had the privilege of meeting
    with those who defend our country and sacrifice for our security. I've
    seen their great decency and unselfish courage. The cause of liberty,
    the cause of freedom, is in really good hands.
        And we must make sure that the men and women who wear our uniform
    have the very best--the best training, the best equipment. And so last
    September, while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq,
    I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their missions. This
    legislation provided funding for body armor and other vital equipment,
    for hazard pay, for health benefits, and ammunition and fuel and spare
    parts. In the Senate, only a handful, only a small, out-of-the-
    mainstream minority voted against the legislation. And two of those
    twelve Senators are on
    the ticket opposing us.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Senator Kerry tried to explain
    his vote this way: ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I
    voted against it.'' [Laughter] End quote. [Laughter] Now, he's offering
    different explanations. At one time he said he was proud that he and his
    runningmate voted against the funding for the troops, and then he said,
    ``The whole thing is a complicated matter.'' [Laughter] There's nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        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,
    hopelessness, and resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq, a free and
    peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their neighbors. Free
    countries do not export terror. Free countries do not stifle the dreams
    of their citizens. Free countries listen to the hopes and aspirations of
    the people that live there. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're
    bringing hope to others and making America more secure. By serving the
    ideal of liberty, we serve the values we believe in. Freedom is not
    America's gift to world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man
    and woman in this world.
        We have more to do to protect America. An enemy still lurks, an
    enemy which hates what we stand for. And they're still plotting. The
    September the 11th Commission* had this interesting conclusion, which I
    agree with. It said our homeland is safer, but we are not yet safe.
    They're right. We've started the hard process of reform. We've
    transformed our defenses--or we're transforming our defenses, and we've
    created a new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the PATRIOT Act
    to give law enforcement the tools they need to track the terrorists. The
    mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism. We've
    integrated intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever have
    before. When it comes to better protecting America, we are turning the
    corner, and we're not turning back.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Listen, we've got more to do. Over the next 4 years, we'll better
    secure our ports and borders and train first-responders and dramatically
    improve our intelligence gathering capabilities. Reform is not going to
    be easy; I understand that. It never is. You see, there's a lot of
    entrenched interests around, particularly in Washington, a lot of people
    happy with the status quo. But it's not enough to advocate reform; you
    have to be able to get it done.
        When it comes to reforming schools to provide an excellent education
    for all our children, results matter. When it comes to health care
    reforms to give families more access and more choices, results matter.
    When it comes improving our economy and creating jobs, results matter.
    When it comes

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    to better securing the homeland, to fighting the forces of evil and
    spreading peace, results matter. When it comes to choosing a President,
    results matter.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. This week, the other party gathered in Boston.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. We heard a lot of--there were some clever speeches
    and some big promises. Their intentions, I think, are good. My
    opponent's intentions are good. But the problem
    is, intentions don't always translate into results.
        After 19 years in the U.S. Senate, my opponent has thousands of votes but few signature achievements.
        Audience member. He's a flip-flop.
        The President. During 8 years in the Senate Intelligence Committee,
    he voted to cut the budget--intelligence budgets,
    yet he had no record of reforming America's intelligence gathering
    capability. He's had no significant record in reforming education or
    health care. As a matter of fact, he and his runningmate consistently
    oppose reforms that limit the power of Washington and leave power in the
    hands of the people.
        He spent 20 years in Government--nearly 20
    years; it appears he's concluded that Government just isn't big enough.
    [Laughter] He's proposed more than $2 trillion of additional spending,
    and the campaign is just getting started. [Laughter] The times of the
    big promise is coming down the stretch. [Laughter] The problem is he
    hasn't told us how he's going to pay for it.
        Audience members. Yes!
        The President. If you look at his record, I
    think we can figure it out. [Laughter] He believes in higher taxes, at
    least that's how he's voted time in and time out--time in and time out.
    If I had to guess how we're going to pay for all these new promises,
    it's going to be: You get to pay.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He said he's only going to
    raise the tax on the so-called rich. But you know how the rich is;
    they've got accountants. That means you pay. That means the small
    business pays. It means the farmers and ranchers pay. That's the wrong
    medicine for this economy, and we're not going to let him prescribe it.
        There's a big philosophical difference in this campaign. Our opponents share an old
    Washington mindset: They'll give the orders, and you pay the bills. But
    we've turned a corner, and we're not turning back to that way of
    thinking.
        Listen, we live in--we're living in a time of amazing change--
    amazing period of time, isn't it? In our parents' generation, moms
    usually stayed at home and fathers worked for one company until
    retirement. A lot of people are still doing that today, but it's
    changing times, when you think about it. The company provided the health
    care and training and pension, and Government programs reflected that
    way of life. That's just the way the Government was structured in those
    days.
        Yet today, oftentimes workers change jobs and careers frequently, a
    lot of times both parents are working, a lot of times there's only one
    mom at home working. It's a different world we're living in. Government
    has got to reflect the different world. Government has got to work with
    America's working families. That's why workers need to own and manage
    their own health care accounts, so they can take them with them from job
    to job.
        That's why our pensions and retirements systems must insist that the
    owners be the workers. You see, Social Security needs to be strengthened
    by giving younger workers the opportunity to manage some of their own
    money in personal savings accounts. Social Security will be strengthened
    by telling those who have retired or are near retired, ``Nothing is
    going to change. The Government is going to pay your commitment.'' But
    younger workers--and a country will be benefited when younger workers

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    have an opportunity to take some of their own money--their choice--and
    build up their nest egg so they can pass it from one generation to the
    next.
        You see, my reforms are based on the basic conviction, the role of
    Government is not to control or dominate the lives of our citizens. The
    role of Government should help our citizens, help our citizens gain the
    time and tools they need to make their own choices and to improve their
    own lives.
        That's why I'm working hard to usher in an era of ownership in
    America. See, we want more people owning something in our country. We
    want more people owning their own home, owning their own small business,
    owning their own health care accounts, owning a piece of their
    retirement plan. When you own something, you have a vital stake in the
    future of our country.
        This is a world of change--a world of change. But some things will
    never change: our belief in liberty and opportunity for all and the
    nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. The individual values we try to
    live by will not change, courage and compassion, reverence and
    integrity. The institutions that give us direction and purpose will not
    change, our families, our schools, our religious congregations. These
    values are fundamental to our lives. These institutions are necessary
    for a hopeful America; they deserve the respect of our Government.
        Some things will not change in this changing world. 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.
        And we stand for a culture of responsibility in our country. You
    know, the culture of the country is changing from one that has said,
    ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame
    somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us understands we are
    responsible for the decisions you make in life.
        If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're
    responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul.
    If you're worried about the quality of the education in the community in
    which you live, you're responsible for doing something about it. It's
    your responsibility. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're
    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.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
    expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. It's a time
    where we need strong resolve and clear vision.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
    Towers. It's a day I'll never forget. There were workers in hardhats
    yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember walking along and a
    fellow grabbed me--policeman or fireman, I don't know which one--but he
    had tears in his eyes and said, ``Do not let me down.'' You see, all of
    them working through the rubble there took the incident personally, just
    like you did and just like I did. I have a responsibility that goes on.
    I wake up every single morning thinking about how to better protect our
    country. I will never relent in bringing justice to the enemy and
    protecting our country, whatever it takes.
        We've come through a lot together; there's more to do. We've done a
    lot of hard work, and the world is getting better. During the next 4
    years, we'll spread opportunity and ownership through every corner of
    this country. During the next 4 years, we'll continue to pass on
    enduring values to a younger generation. And during

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    the next 4 years, we will lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we
    will prevail.
        Four years ago, I had traveled the great country and the great State
    of Ohio asking for the vote, pledging to our fellow citizens that if you
    honored me with the great responsibility of being President, I would
    uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had been
    elected. And with your help, I will do so for 4 more years.
        God bless. Thanks for coming. Thank you all very much. Thank you
    all.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:04 a.m. at the Canton Memorial Civic
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Mary Regula, wife of
    Representative Regula; Mayor Janet W. Creighton of Canton, OH; former
    professional football player Chris Spielman; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-
    Qadhafi, leader of Libya; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and
    the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/
    11 Commission).