    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 4, 2004]
    [Pages 1485-1492]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Mankato, Minnesota
    August 4, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for inviting
    me. It's good to be in Mankato. I understand I'm the first President to
    have visited here since Harry Truman. I don't know what took the others
    so long to get here. [Laughter] Thanks for having me.
        I'm here to ask for your vote. I'm also here to ask for your help. I
    appreciate you coming. I understand I'm not the biggest deal in town.
    After all, the Vikings practice here. [Laughter] But it is great to be
    in a place where people work hard and make a living off the land, raise
    their families. It's what I call the heart and soul of the country. The
    other folks believe the heart and soul can be found in Hollywood. I
    think it's found right here in southern Minnesota.
        I'm excited about the race. I'm looking forward to the contest.
    Everywhere we go, the crowds are big, the enthusiasm is high, the signs
    are good. With your help, Dick Cheney and I will
    be reelected for 4 more years.
        I'm sorry Laura is not here. I know you are
    too. You probably wish I had stayed at home and she was the speaker.
    [Laughter] She is a great wife, a fantastic mother, and a wonderful
    First Lady for our country. Today I'm going to give you some reasons to
    put me back in, but perhaps the most important reason of all is so that
    Laura is First Lady for 4 more years.
        I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney.
    Admittedly, he's not the prettiest Vice Presidential candidate in the
    race. [Laughter] I didn't pick him for his looks. [Laughter] I picked
    him for his judgment, his sound advice.
        I'm proud to be with Norm Coleman. He's
    doing a fine job as a United States Senator. And I'm proud of the job
    Governor Pawlenty is doing as well. He's a
    good man. Plus, I appreciate working with Congressman
    Gutknecht and Congressman Kline, two really fine people, as well. I appreciate you guys
    being here. Thank you.
        I want to thank all the State people who are here and the local
    people who have come out. Thanks for being here today. I particularly
    want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. Those are the
    people who put up the signs and make the phone calls. These are the
    folks who go out and get people to register to vote. Let me tell you
    something, here's what I believe: I believe all of us have a duty in our
    country to vote. We have a duty to exercise our right as free citizens.
    I want

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    to thank you for registering people and encouraging them to vote. Don't
    overlook discerning Democrats and wise independents. Get them to the
    polls, and when you get them headed our way, make sure they--give them a
    little nudge toward the Bush-Cheney ticket.
        We came close in Minnesota last time. This time, we're going to win
    it. Every incumbent who asks for your vote has got to answer one central
    question, and that's why--why should the American people give me the
    high privilege of serving as your President for 4 more years. In the
    past few years, we've done a lot, and we've come through a lot together.
    But there's only one reason to look backward, and that is to determine
    who best to lead the Nation forward.
        I'm asking for your vote because so much is at stake in this
    election. We have much more to do to move America forward. I want to be
    your President for 4 more years to make our country safer, to make our
    economy stronger, and to make the future brighter and better for every
    single citizen.
        From creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to
    spreading the peace, we have made much progress, and we have more to do.
    We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
    excellence we all know they can be, so that not one single child is left
    behind in our country. 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've challenged the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. We've raised the bar. We believe in accountability. We
    trust the local folks to run the schools of America. Today, children
    across America are showing real progress in reading and math. When it
    comes to improving America's public schools, we are turning the corner,
    and we're not going back.
        We have more to do. Listen, this world of ours is changing. The jobs
    of the future will require greater knowledge and higher-level skills. So
    that's why we need to reform our high schools to make sure a high school
    diploma means something. We're going to expand math and science
    education so our young people can compete in a high-tech world. We'll
    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 confidence they need 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 could not
    afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders in
    both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
    years. We got the job done. Already, more than 4 million seniors have
    signed up for drug discount cards that provide real and meaningful
    savings. 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.
        You see, when we reformed Medicare, we did so with rural hospitals
    in mind as well. We provided more funds to hospitals handling low
    volumes of patients. We increased payments for ambulance providers and
    suppliers in rural areas. We're giving better bonuses to physicians so
    we can keep good doctors practicing in rural America. We made a
    difference for the older citizens of this country, and we made a
    difference for those who seek health care in rural America.
        To help people get access to quality care, 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 own health
    care and making health care more affordable, we're moving America
    forward, and we're not turning back.
        Listen, most Americans get health care coverage through their work.
    But most of today's new jobs are created by small businesses, which too
    often cannot afford to

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    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 for big companies.
        To improve health care, we must end the frivolous lawsuits that
    raise health care costs and drive good doctors out of medicine. You
    cannot be pro-patient and pro-doctor and pro-trial-lawyer at the same
    time. You have to choose. My opponent made his
    choice, and he put him on the ticket.
    [Laughter] I made my choice, and on behalf of the patients and doctors
    of America, I will continue to urge Congress to pass medical liability
    reform.
        We'll do more to harness technology to reduce costs and to prevent
    health care mistakes. We'll do more to expand research and seek new
    cures for terrible diseases. And in all we do to improve health care in
    America, we'll make sure the health decisions are made by doctors and
    patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        We have more to do to make sure our economy is stronger. Listen,
    we've come through a lot. We've been through a recession. We've been
    through corporate scandals. We've been through terror attacks. We've
    been through a market decline. Listen--and we've overcome the obstacles.
    We've got great workers in America, is one reason we've overcome them.
    We've got great entrepreneurs. We've got great farmers and great
    ranchers in this country.
        We've also overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
    Listen, when we cut the taxes, we didn't pick winners or losers. We said
    if you pay Federal income taxes, you get tax relief. Families with
    children got tax relief. Married couples got tax relief. It's an amazing
    Tax Code where we say we're going to have a marriage penalty. Why do we
    want to penalize marriage? We need to encourage marriage in the country.
        A lot of the tax relief went to help small businesses, and the
    small-business sector of our economy is strong today. We promised all
    this. We delivered, and this time the check was actually in the mail.
    Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate as
    fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added more than 1.5 million new
    jobs since last August. Minnesota has added 32,000 jobs over the past
    year. Because we acted, the unemployment rate in this State is now 4.4
    percent. When it comes to creating jobs for America's workers, we've
    turned the corner, and we're not turning back.
        I also told the people when I was running for President the last
    time, I said, ``I understand the need to have a healthy farm economy.''
    A good farm economy is good for the American economy. We passed a good
    farm bill. We're phasing out the death tax so farmers can pass their
    land from one generation to the next.
        In order to make sure jobs are here, we've got to make sure our farm
    economy is strong. And one way to make sure the farm economy is strong
    is to open up markets for Minnesota farm products. We want you selling
    your soybeans all around the world. We want you selling your corn all
    around the world. We want to be selling that Minnesota beef and hogs all
    around the world.
        In order to make sure jobs stay here at home, we've got to have an
    energy strategy. See, we need to be better at conserving things, and
    we've got to be exploring for natural gas in environmentally friendly
    ways. But for the sake of energy security, for the sake of economic
    security, we need more ethanol and biodiesel. I envision a day where
    sometime, somebody walks in and says, ``Well, Mr. President, you'll be
    happy to hear the corn crop is up and we're growing more soybeans in
    America, and we're less dependent on foreign sources of oil as a result
    of it.''
        And when you're out gathering the vote, remind the folks that in the
    last 3 years American farmers have posted record net-cash farm income,
    record exports, and

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    record farm equity and land values. Our farm program is working.
        Listen, we can do more to keep jobs here. You know, I'm sure the
    small-business owners will tell you they've got to fill out a lot of
    paperwork. I can't guarantee whether Government has read it or not.
    [Laughter] We need less regulation. In order to keep jobs here in
    America, we need tort reform. In order to keep jobs here in America,
    we've got to make sure American workers have a lifetime of learning, and
    we've got to help them training--help them have training for the jobs of
    the 21st century. And a good place to start is at our community
    colleges.
        And you know what else we need? We need to make sure that American
    families have something they never have enough of, and that is time--
    time to be with their kids, time to go to the Little League game or work
    in a Girl Scout troop, time to take care of an elderly parent, time to
    go to class to improve themselves. And that's why I think Congress ought
    to pass comp-time and flex-time rules.
        In other words, what I'm telling you is Government needs to stand
    side by side with families. After 4 more years, this economy is going to
    be strong, more people will be working with better jobs. After 4 more
    years, there will be more small-business owners. After 4 more years, our
    farmers are going to be doing better. You know why? Because we've got a
    pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-agricultural economic agenda.
        We've got to do more to wage and win the war on terror. America's
    future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If we show
    uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward
    tragedy. That's not going to happen on my watch. The world changed on a
    terrible September morning, and since that day, we've changed the world.
        Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of Al
    Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands of killers who set up terror
    cells around the world, including our own country. Today, Afghanistan is
    a rising democracy. Today, Afghanistan is a firm ally in the war against
    terror. And today, many young girls go to school for the first time.
    Afghanistan is free, and 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 against Al Qaida.
    Pakistani forces are helping to round up the terrorists, and America and
    the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising
    money; they were recruiting; they were operating with little opposition.
    Today, the Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida, and 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 clear 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. Remember, he was firing weapons at American pilots which were
    enforcing the world's sanctions. The tyrant had pursued and used weapons
    of mass destruction. He'd harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors.
    And he subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He murdered tens of
    thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great instability in a
    volatile part of the world.
        After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
    in a new light. The lesson of September the 11th is that America must
    take threats seriously, before they fully materialize.
        The September the 11th Commission concluded that our institutions of
    Government had failed to imagine the horror of that day. After September
    the 11th, we could not fail to imagine that a brutal tyrant

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    who hated America, had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass
    destruction might use those weapons or share the capability of those
    weapons with terrorist enemy. In other words, we saw a threat. I looked
    at the intelligence and saw a threat. Members of the United States
    Congress from both political parties, including my opponent, looked at the intelligence and came to the same
    conclusion. The United Nations Security Council looked at the
    intelligence and unanimously demanded that Saddam Hussein disclose,
    destroy weapons or weapons programs, or face serious consequences. The
    world spoke.
        After 12 years of defiance, after 12 years of ignoring the demands
    of the free world, he once again refused to
    comply. As a matter of fact, he systematically deceived the weapons
    inspectors. So I had a choice to make: forget the lessons of September
    the 11th and trust a madman who is a sworn enemy of this country, or
    take action necessary to defend our people. Given that choice, I will
    defend America every time.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Because Saddam Hussein
    sits in a prison cell, the Iraqi people are free, and America and the
    world are safer.
        We have more to do. I'm seeking the office for 4 more years because
    I know we have more to do. We must continue to work with friends and
    allies around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorists and
    foreign fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. See, you can't
    talk sense to these people. You cannot negotiate with them. You cannot
    hope for the best. We must engage them so we do not have to face them
    here at home.
        America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
    clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help defeat the enemies
    of freedom. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30
    nations in Iraq, and over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation
    Security Initiative. Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to build
    alliances and work with our friends in the cause of security and peace.
    But I will never turn America's national security decisions over to
    leaders of other nations.
        We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
    democratic, free, and, therefore, peaceful societies. These two nations
    are now governed by strong people, people who are willing to listen to
    the hopes and aspirations of the people. You know what the hopes and
    aspirations of mothers and dads are in Iraq and Afghanistan? They want
    their children to grow up in a peaceful world just like in--American
    moms and dads do. They want there to be hope for their kids. They want
    them to be able to realize their dreams. These leaders understand that.
    More and more Iraqis are now stepping up to defend the peace, to defend
    their freedom.
        And my message to those people is that they can count on continued
    help from America and our coalition. You see, when we acted to protect
    our own security, we promised to help deliver them from tyranny, to
    restore their sovereignty, and to help set them on the road to liberty.
    And when America gives its word, America will keep its word.
        In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the men and
    women of our military. First, I want to thank all the veterans who are
    here. I appreciate the example you've set for our troops today. I've had
    the privilege of meeting those who wear our Nation's uniform. I've seen
    their great decency, their unselfish courage. The cause of freedom is in
    really good hands.
        We owe our troops best pay, best training, best possible equipment.
    That's why last September, while our troops were in combat in both
    Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in
    their mission. The legislation provided funding for body armor and vital
    equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare
    parts. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-mainstream

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    minority of 12 senators voted against that help. Two of those twelve are
    my opponent and his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Here's how my opponent tried
    to explain his vote. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] That doesn't sound the way they
    talk here in southern Minnesota. I suspect the people around here, when
    they say something, they mean it. Now my opponent is offering a
    different explanation. He said he was proud he voted against it, and
    then he further said the whole thing is a complicated matter. 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 and
    hopelessness and resentment. See, a free and peaceful Iraq and a free
    and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their neighbors.
    Free countries do not export terror. Free countries listen to the dreams
    of their citizens. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope
    to others, and that makes our country more secure. By serving the ideal
    of liberty, we're spreading peace. And by serving the ideal of liberty,
    we're serving a basic understanding of our country, a basic value of
    America. See, freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the
    Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
        I'm running for 4 more years because I understand we have more to do
    to protect America. See, there are enemies who hate us, and they're
    still plotting to harm us. Those who claim that America's war on terror,
    our efforts to defend ourselves, is to blame for terrorist threats
    against the United States have a fundamental misunderstanding of the
    nature of the enemy we face. The 9/11 Commission said America homeland
    is safe, but--safer, but we're not yet safe. I agree. There's more to do
    here at home.
        Immediately after September the 11th, we started the hard process of
    reform. We transformed our defenses and created the Department of
    Homeland Security. We passed the PATRIOT Act, which was necessary to
    give law enforcement the tools necessary to defend the American people.
    The mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism. We're
    integrating intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever have
    before. We're already taking action on a large majority of the 9/11
    Commission's recommendations. And they did good work, and I thank them
    for their work.
        We've got more to do to better secure our ports and borders, to
    train first-responders, and to dramatically improve our intelligence
    gathering capability. That's why, this week, I called on Congress to
    create the position of National Intelligence Director, so that one
    person is in charge of coordinating all intelligence overseas and here
    at home. These reforms are not going to be easy, particularly in
    Washington. [Laughter] Reform is never easy there. See, there's a lot of
    entrenched interests that love to defend the status quo. It's not enough
    to advocate reform. You have to be able to get it done.
        And that's what we have done. When it comes to reforming schools to
    provide excellent education for all our children, we got the job done.
    Results matter. When it comes to health care reforms to give families
    more access and more choices, results matter. When it comes to improving
    our economy and creating jobs, results matter. When it comes to having a
    strong farm economy, results matter. When it comes to better securing
    our homeland, fighting the forces of terror, and spreading the peace,
    results matter. When it comes to electing a President, results matter.
        We live in an exciting time. It's a time of change. But we ought to
    make sure Government responds to these times by standing side by side
    with people. You know how I think the best way to do that is

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    to promote ownership society. You see, if you're a worker and you're
    changing jobs, you've got to be able to own your own health care plan so
    you can take it from job to job. We want people to own their own home in
    America. We want people to be able to say, ``Welcome to my house. This
    is my piece of property.'' And more and more are, under this
    administration. We want younger workers to be able to own a Social
    Security personal retirement account they call their own, so they can
    pass it on to future generations. We want tax policy such that younger
    Americans can own their own farm. We want people owning their own small
    business. We understand that when you own something, you have a vital
    stake in the future of our country.
        No, this world is changing, but there are some things that aren't
    going to change: our belief in liberty and opportunity 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 must not
    change, our families, and our schools, and our religious congregation.
    These institutions are fundamental to our lives. They deserve the
    respect of our Government.
        We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
    foundations of our 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 America. Listen, our
    culture is changing from one that 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're responsible for the decisions we make in
    life. If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're
    responsible for loving that child with all your heart and all your soul.
    If you're worried about the quality of the education here in this
    community, do something about it. You're responsible for taking action.
    If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the
    truth to your shareholders and your employees.
        In a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving
    our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved yourself. I understand that
    the strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the American
    people. I'm seeking 4 more years to continue to rally the armies of
    compassion so we can help change our country, one heart, one soul, one
    conscience at a time.
        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. We need firm
    resolve, clear vision, a willingness to lead. And 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. I remember workers in hardhats
    yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I'll never forget the guy that
    grabbed me by the arm--I don't remember if he was a firefighter or a
    policeman. I do know he had been in the rubble searching for a loved
    one. His eyes were bloodshot. He said, ``Do not let me down.''
        See, he took it personally. Folks searching the rubble took it
    personally. You took it personally, and I took it personally. I have a
    responsibility that goes on. I wake up every morning thinking how to
    better protect our country. I will never relent in defending America,
    whatever it takes.
        We've come through much together. We've done hard work. During the
    next 4 years, there's more to do, more to spread ownership and
    opportunity for every corner of this country--I mean every corner. We'll
    pass the enduring values of our country to another generation. During
    the next 4

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    years, we'll lead the world in the cause of freedom and peace.
        When I was campaigning in your great State in 2000, I said if you
    honored me with the great responsibility, I would uphold the honor and
    the dignity of the office to which I had been elected, so help me God.
    And with your help, I will do so for 4 more years.
        Thanks for coming. May God bless. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. at Southern Minnesota Construction
    Co., quarry. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Tim Pawlenty of
    Minnesota; 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).