    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [September 10, 2004]
    [Pages 2006-2014]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Chillicothe, Ohio
    September 10, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for coming. I'm honored to be here. Old
    Bob Ney, he said, ``Why don't you come over to
    the Ross County Fairgrounds. Maybe a couple of people will come over and
    say hello.'' Thanks for having me. It's good to be here. I'm here to ask
    for the vote; that's what I'm doing.
        I've been traveling on that bus throughout your beautiful State
    telling people I'd like their vote. And we're ending our bus trip right
    here in Ross County, and it's a good place to stop. This is where the
    people work hard. They value family. They like hunting and fishing, and
    they love their country.
        I'm traveling with my friend Zell Miller.
    He--what Zell said is something I appreciate. He said, ``You can be a
    Democrat and vote for George W. Bush.'' I understand there's a lot of
    people here in this part of your State who call themselves Democrats,
    and we welcome you here, and we welcome your vote. I want to thank my
    friend Zell Miller for traveling with me. He's a great American. He is a
    solid, solid citizen of this great country. And I'm proud to call him
    friend.
        Not only am I here to ask for your vote, I'm here to ask for your
    help. I'd like for you to go out and register your friends and
    neighbors. Remind them they have a duty to do in this democracy of ours,
    to participate in the process. So go to your coffee shops and your
    community centers, and register people. Register our Republican friends,
    the independents, and discerning Democrats. Not only register them, I'm
    here to ask you, then, to get them to go to the polls, voting time. And
    when

    [[Page 2007]]

    you head them to the polls, remind them if they want a safer America, a
    stronger America, a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
        I am sorry Laura is not here today.
        Audience members. Aw-w-w!
        The President. Most people usually do groan. [Laughter] So when I
    asked her to marry me, I said, ``Will you?'' And
    she said, ``Fine--[laughter]--``just so long as I don't have to give any
    political speeches.'' [Laughter] I said, okay, you don't have to give
    any political speeches. Fortunately, she didn't hold me to my word.
    [Laughter] See, last week in New York, people got to see Laura. They got
    to see her calm, steady, compassionate self. I love her dearly. And
    perhaps the most important reason to put me back in to office is so
    she'll be First Lady for 4 more years.
        I appreciate my runningmate, Dick Cheney.
    I'm proud to be running with him. Admittedly, he doesn't have the
    waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] I didn't pick him for his hair.
    [Laughter] I picked him because he's a man of sound judgment, strong
    experience, and he can get the job done for the American people.
        I appreciate Congressman Bob Ney, straight
    shooter, good friend, and a fine Member of the United States Congress.
        I'm proud your Governor is here. Mr. Governor,
    thank you for coming. I appreciate my friend Bob Taft joining us today.
    I'm going to thank my friend Rob Portman,
    Congressman from the Cincinnati area, Congressman from the district
    right next door--great American. Thank you for coming, Robbie.
        I appreciate it. I'm proud Mike DeWine is
    with us today. Mike is a fine United States Senator. I want to thank--
    oh, by the way, speaking about Senators, put Voinovich back in there. He's running too. He's a great United
    States Senator. He's serving these people--the people of this State with
    class and dignity, and I'm proud to call him friend. I know you're proud
    to call him Senator.
        And I want to thank Attorney General Jim Petro
    for being here. Senator Doug White--I want to
    thank all the senators and house members who are here. I want to thank
    the local officials who've come. Thank you for serving.
        I appreciate my friend Anthony Munoz,
    who's with us today. You might remember Anthony. He's nothing but an NFL
    Hall of Famer. He's a Hall of Famer in my book too because he's trying
    to help us get reelected here in the State of Ohio.
        I want to thank John Stone, the country music
    artist who was here today. I appreciate, John.
        We've had a great trip. I had the honor of visiting on the bus with
    some employees from Piketon. I appreciate those workers for being with
    me today. I reminded them, in the year 2000, I wrote the Governor a
    letter. I said, ``If I'm President, I'm going to save that plant.''
    Promise made; promise kept.
        Appreciate the grassroots activists who are here. Those are the
    people who put up all the signs we saw coming in today, people who will
    man phones when it comes time to get people to vote, people who are
    going to talk it up when it comes time to talk it up. Thank you for what
    you have done, and thank you for what you're going to do. With your
    help, we will carry Ohio again. With your help, we will be able to serve
    this great country for 4 more years.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I'm looking forward to this campaign. I like getting
    out with the people. I like to tell people where I stand, what I
    believe, and where I'm going to lead this Nation.
        I believe every child can learn, and we expect every school to
    teach. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. I believe every child can learn. We've raised the
    standards. We're measuring early so we can solve problems now, before
    it's too late. We trust the local people to make the right decisions

    [[Page 2008]]

    for the schools. We're making progress here in America. We're closing
    the achievement gap, and we're not turning back.
        I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with
    good health care. You might remember the endless debates on Medicare. As
    a matter of fact, they used to call it ``Medi-scare.'' I went to
    Washington to fix problems. We had a problem in Medicare. People say,
    ``What do you mean?'' Well, I'll tell you what I mean. Medicare would
    pay $100,000 for heart surgery, but they wouldn't pay for the medicines
    to prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. That
    wasn't right for the seniors. That was lousy for the taxpayers.
    Beginning in 2006, our seniors will get prescription drug coverage:
    they'll get a modern system, and we're not turning back.
        I believe in the energy, innovation, and spirit of America's
    workers, small-business owners, and farmers. And that is why we
    unleashed that energy with the largest tax cut in a generation.
        When you're out there rounding up the vote, remind people we've been
    through a lot. This economy has been through a lot. You know, months
    before we got ere, the stock market started to decline. Right after we
    got there, they declared a recession. Then we had corporate scandals. By
    the way, it is now clear in America, we will not tolerate dishonesty in
    the boardrooms of America. And then we got attacked. Some people
    estimate that attack cost us a million jobs in the 3 months after the
    attack.
        But we've overcome those obstacles. We've overcome them because
    we've got great people here in America. I believe we've overcome them
    because our economic stimulus plan is working. See, this economy is
    strong; it is getting stronger. We've been growing at rates as fast as
    any in nearly 20 years. We've added 1.7 million new jobs since August of
    '03. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, lower than the
    average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
        I fully understand there are parts of your great State which are
    lagging behind the national recovery. But that doesn't mean we ought to
    go to lousy policies. That means we ought to continue the progrowth
    policies that we put in place. We ought to continue to grow this economy
    so people can find work.
        I believe a President must confront problems, not pass them on to
    future generations or future Presidents. I believe the most solemn duty
    of the American President is to protect the American people. If America
    shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift
    toward tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
        I'm running for President with a clear and positive plan to build a
    safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with a compassionate
    conservative philosophy that Government should help people improve their
    lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this Nation wants steady,
    consistent, principled leadership, and that is why, with your help,
    we'll win a great nationwide victory in November.
        I fully understand the world in which we live in is changing. See,
    our dads and granddads generally had one job, one career, worked for one
    company that provided health and pension plans. The world we live in is
    different from that. Most people have more than one career. They change
    jobs several times. The most significant change in our workplace is that
    a lot of women work in the home and out of the home now. Yet the
    fundamental systems haven't changed. See, these are systems designed for
    yesterday, not tomorrow, the Tax Code, health coverage, and pension
    plans and worker training. In a new term, we will transform these
    systems so all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to
    make your own choices, to be able to pursue your own dreams.

    [[Page 2009]]

        Any hopeful society is one in which this economy is moving forward.
    To create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the
    world to do business. To create more jobs here, we need to reduce the
    regulations that burden our employers. To create new jobs here, we've
    got to do something about these frivolous lawsuits that make it hard for
    small businesses to expand. To create jobs here, we need a sound energy
    policy.
        Listen, 2 years ago, I submitted a plan to the United States
    Congress, and it got stuck, for political reasons. It needs to get
    unstuck. If we want jobs here, we need a plan that encourages
    conservation, encourages the use of renewables like ethanol and
    biodiesel, modernizes the electricity grid, uses coal--clean coal
    technology, a plan that makes us less dependent on foreign sources of
    energy.
        If we want to keep jobs here, we've got to open up markets around
    the world for U.S. products. See, we open up the markets for foreign
    goods, and that's good for you. If you've got more choices, it's going
    to mean you'll get what you want at a better price and a better quality.
    So my message to places like China is, ``You treat us the way we treat
    you.'' That's why I'm enforcing these laws. Rather than fallen prey to
    the language of economic isolationism, what I'm saying is, ``You open up
    your markets,'' because we can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere,
    so long as the rules are fair.
        Listen, to create jobs, we've got to be wise about how we spend your
    money in Washington, and we've got to keep your taxes low. Taxes are an
    issue in this campaign. See, the fellow I'm
    running against has so far proposed over $2 trillion in new Federal
    spending.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. And we still got October to go--[laughter]--and a lot
    of September. So they asked him, they said,
    ``Well, how are you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, you know, I'm
    just going to tax the rich.'' Two problems with that. One is that, his
    plan to tax the rich raises about $650 billion. If you propose $2.2
    trillion and your plan raises $650 billion, you're a little short.
    [Laughter] You know what that means, don't you, when they get that
    shortfall between the promise and the plan? You're going to get stuck.
    The other problem with that plan of taxing the rich is, we've heard that
    rhetoric before out of Washington. See, that's why they hire accountants
    and lawyers, so you get stuck with the bill. We're not going to let him
    tax you because we're going to win in November.
        We need to do something about the Tax Code as well. This Tax Code of
    ours is too complicated. It is full of special interest loopholes. It
    takes the American people about 6 billion hours a year to fill out their
    taxes. That is too much time. In a new term, I'm going to call
    Republicans and Democrats together and make this Tax Code more simple
    and more fair, for the sake of economic growth and for the sake of
    fairness to the taxpayer.
        In a changing world, jobs change. And I know that, and you know
    that. In order to help people when jobs change, we've got to make sure
    our community colleges are more accessible for American workers. We want
    people to be able to train for the skills that are needed to fill the
    jobs of the 21st century. Same things comes to our high school students.
    Most new jobs today are filled by people with 2 years of college, yet
    one in four of our students gets there. That's why we will fund early
    intervention programs to help at-risk students in high school. We'll
    place a new focus on math and science so the kids have got the skills
    necessary to fill the new jobs. Over time, we'll require a rigorous exam
    before graduation. By raising performance in high schools and by
    expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we'll help
    more Americans start their career with a college diploma.
        We've got to do more to make sure health care is available and
    affordable.

    [[Page 2010]]

    More than half of the uninsured are employees of small businesses. See,
    small businesses are having trouble affording health care. One way to
    help small businesses afford health care and to take care of American
    families is to allow them to join together to purchase insurance at the
    discounts available to big companies. Another way to help small
    businesses and the workers is to expand health savings accounts. We'll
    expand community health centers in every poor county in America, to help
    people get preventative care and primary care.
        To make sure health care is available and affordable, we got to do
    something about these frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out
    of practice and running your costs up. See, you cannot be pro-doctor,
    pro-hospital, pro-patient, and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. You
    have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and
    he put him on the ticket. I made my choice. I'm
    for medical liability reform--now. In all we do to improve health care,
    we'll make sure the health care decisions are made by patients and
    doctors, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        In changing times, stability can be brought to people's life if they
    own something. I believe in promoting an ownership society in America.
    One of the most hopeful statistics of the last couple of years is that
    under my administration, homeownership rates are at an alltime high.
    More and more people are owning their own home. We've got a plan over
    the next years to promote more ownership. We want people opening up the
    front door, saying, ``Welcome to my home. Welcome to my piece of
    property.''
        I see a lot of younger workers here. I want to thank you all for
    coming. I want to talk to you right quick about pension plans, Social
    Security. If you're an older worker, Social Security will take care of
    you. I don't care what they say in the campaign. You've heard it every 4
    years, ``They're going to take away your Social Security check.'' That's
    old, stale, tired, Washington, DC, talk. You're going to be just fine.
    Baby boomers like me are going to be just fine when it comes to Social
    Security. We need to worry about our children and our grandchildren. And
    so therefore, I believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of
    their own money and set up a personal account to help them with Social
    Security, a personal account they can call their own, a personal account
    Government cannot take away.
        We have a difference of philosophy in this campaign. If you listen
    carefully to the rhetoric of my opponent, they
    all aim to expand Government. This campaign intends to expand
    opportunity because we trust the American people.
        In a world of change, there are some things that do not change, the
    values we live by, courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In a
    time of change, we'll support the institutions that matter, that bring
    us stability, our families, our schools, our religious congregations. We
    stand for a culture of life in which every person counts and every being
    matters. We stand for marriage and family, which are the foundations of
    our society. We stand for the Second Amendment, which gives every
    American the individual right to bear arms. I stand for the appointment
    of Federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and
    the strict interpretation of the law.
        This election will also determine how America responds to the
    continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September
    the 11th, 2001, we've fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for
    pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at
    stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. We're
    transforming our military. We're strengthening our intelligence
    services. We will stay on the offensive. We will chase the terrorists
    around the world so we do not have to face them here at home. We will
    work to advance liberty in the broader

    [[Page 2011]]

    Middle East and elsewhere, and we will prevail.
        Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home
    base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups;
    Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising; Libya was
    secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat; Al Qaida
    was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Because we led, the
    Government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is
    capturing terrorist leaders; Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests;
    Libya is dismantling its weapons programs; the army of a free Iraq is
    fighting for freedom; and more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key
    members and associates have been brought to justice. We have led. Many
    have joined, and America and the world are safer.
        This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and
    some tough decisions. The toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam
    Hussein's record of aggression and support
    for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing and using weapons of
    mass destruction. We knew that after September the 11th, we must think
    differently. We must take threats seriously before they fully
    materialize.
        In Saddam Hussein we saw a threat. I went
    to the United States Congress. I said, ``We see a threat.'' They looked
    at the same intelligence, remembered the same history that we
    remembered, and concluded Saddam Hussein was a threat, and they
    authorized the use of force. My opponent looked
    at the very same intelligence I looked at, and he concluded Saddam
    Hussein was a threat and voted yes when it came to the authorization of
    force.
        Before the Commander in Chief puts troops in harm's way, we must try
    every avenue to solve the problem. I was hoping diplomacy would work. I
    went to the United Nations. I said, ``We see a threat.'' They looked at
    the same intelligence. They remembered the same history. They concluded
    Saddam Hussein was a threat. They passed a
    U.N. Security Council resolution 15 to nothing that said, ``Saddam
    Hussein, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' The world
    spoke.
        But as he had for resolution after
    resolution after resolution, Saddam Hussein ignored the demands of the
    free world. As a matter of fact, when the U.N. sent inspectors in, he
    systematically deceived them.B
        So I'm now confronted with a choice. The choice was whether to take
    the word of a madman, to forget the lessons of September the 11th, or
    take action to defend this country. Given that choice, I will defend
    America every time.
        Because we acted to defend our country, 50 million people in
    Afghanistan and Iraq now live in freedom. And the world is better off.
    It wasn't all that long ago that young girls didn't get to go to school
    in Afghanistan because of the backward ways of the Taliban. It wasn't
    all that long ago that their mothers were pulled out in the public
    square and whipped because they wouldn't toe the line to their dismal
    ideology of hatred. But think about this. Today, 10 million people, 40
    percent women, have registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential
    election. It's amazing. Freedom is so powerful. People long to be free.
        In Iraq, despite ongoing violence, there's a strong Prime
    Minister, a National Council, and national
    elections are scheduled for January.
        We'll stand with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. It's in our
    interest we stand with them. As well when America gives its word,
    America must keep its word. I say it's in our interest--I believe it is
    because freedom societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies
    which no longer feed resentments and breed export--breed violence for
    export. Freedom governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists
    instead of harboring them. And that will make us safer in the long run.

    [[Page 2012]]

        Our strategy is clear in those countries. We will help new leaders
    train their armies so they can do the hard work of defending themselves.
    We'll help them move toward elections. We'll get them on the path of
    stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will
    return home with the honor they have earned.
        We've got a great United States military. I want to thank the
    veterans who have joined us today for setting such a great example for
    those who wear today's uniform. I've seen the unselfish courage of our
    troops. I know their decency. The cause of freedom is in really good
    hands.
        I made a pledge to those who wear the uniform and their loved ones
    that the Federal Government will give them all the support they need to
    do their jobs. That's why a year ago, I went to the United States
    Congress and proposed supplemental funding for $87 billion. It was an
    important piece of legislation, really important. It provided funding
    for body armor and spare parts, ammunition, fuel, supplies, necessary
    money for troops in harm's way in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We received
    great bipartisan support in the Halls of Congress. The support was so
    strong that only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against
    the vital funding, 2 of whom are my opponent and
    his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. No, I know. In fact, only four United States Senators
    voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against funding our
    troops. And two of those are my opponent and his
    runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. You might remember when he said, when they asked my
    opponent why, and he said, ``Well, of course, I
    did vote for the $87 billion, right before I voted against it.'' Not
    exactly the way they talk here in Ross County. [Laughter] He went on to
    say, well--said he was proud of the vote. And finally, he just said,
    ``It's a complicated matter.'' There's nothing complicated about
    supporting our troops in combat.
        See, I think a Commander in Chief must be clear and steady. When it
    comes to Iraq, my opponent has more different positions than all his
    colleagues in the Senate combined. [Laughter] Senator Kerry once said, ``It would naive to the point of grave danger
    not to believe that if left to his own devices, Saddam Hussein will
    provoke, misjudge, or stumble into a future of more dangerous
    confrontation with the civilized world.'' End quote. That's what he
    said.
        In 2002, he voted for the war but then voted
    against the funding for body armor and combat pay and other needed
    measures. When the heat got on him in the Democrat primary, he declared
    himself the antiwar candidate. Then several months later, he said he
    would still have voted to go to war even knowing everything we know
    today. Earlier this week, he adopted the language of his one-time rival
    Howard Dean, saying, ``It's the wrong war at the
    wrong* time,'' even though he earlier said it was the right decision and
    he supported it.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The newest wrinkle is that Senator Kerry has
    now decided we're spending too much money in Iraq, even though he
    earlier criticized us for not spending enough. One thing about Senator
    Kerry's position is clear: If he had his way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power and would still be a threat to
    the security of America and the world.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I want to thank our friends and allies for the
    contributions they've made to making this world a more peaceful place.
    There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations
    involved in Iraq. The next 4 years, we'll continue to work with our
    allies and friends, but I will never turn over America's national
    security decisions to leaders of other countries.

    [[Page 2013]]

        I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
    of American strength is to advance freedom. I tell people about the fact
    that I've got great relations with the Prime Minister of Japan. We have consultations. We talk about important
    matters. What's interesting about those consultations is, it wasn't all
    that long ago in the march of history that Japan was a sworn enemy. My
    dad fought against the Japanese. Your dads
    and granddads, husbands fought against the Japanese. They were the sworn
    enemy.
        After we won in World War II, my predecessor Harry Truman and many
    Americans believed that if Japan would become a free society, the world
    would be better off. A lot of people were skeptical about that in
    America, at that time. You can understand why. They were the enemy. But
    they had--my predecessor had great faith that liberty could transform an
    enemy into a friend.
        Because we helped Japan become a democracy, today, I sit at the
    table with the head of a former enemy talking about the peace, talking
    about how to see the Korean Peninsula is more peaceful, talking about
    Iraq and how to keep the peace there. We're talking about feeding the
    hungry and helping people with disease. We're sitting down as allies and
    friends talking about a better world.
        Someday, a free Iraq is going to elect a leader, and an American
    President is going to be sitting down with him or her, and they'll be
    talking about the peace. The world will be better off with a free Iraq.
    America will be more secure with a free Iraq. A free Iraq will send such
    a clear signal to people throughout the Middle East that freedom and
    liberty are possible.
        I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for
    their liberty. I believe that given the chance, they will embrace the
    most honorable form of government every devised by man. I believe this,
    because freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the
    Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. This young century will be liberty's century. By
    promoting freedom at home and freedom abroad, we will build a safer
    world and a more hopeful America. By reforming our systems of
    Government, we'll help more Americans realize their dreams. We'll spread
    ownership and opportunity to every corner of the land. We'll pass the
    enduring values of our country to a new generation. We will continue to
    work to make this world more free and, therefore, more peaceful.
        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 when we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in
    the values that make us a great nation.
        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 will never forget. It's a day that workers in
    hardhats were there yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever
    it takes.'' I was trying my best to thank the workers, people who had
    been in the rubble. A guy grabbed me by the arm. He said, ``Do not let
    me down.'' Ever since that day, I wake up every morning trying to better
    protect this country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever
    it takes.
        Four years ago, I traveled your great State asking for the vote. I
    made a pledge that if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold the
    honor and the dignity of the office to which I had been elected. With
    your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more years.
        God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:40 p.m. at the Ross County Fairgrounds.
    In his remarks, he referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia,

    [[Page 2014]]

    who made the keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention;
    Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio; Ohio State Attorney General Jim Petro; Ohio State
    Senator Doug White; pro football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz; Prime
    Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; former Democratic
    Presidential candidate Howard Dean; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
    of Japan.