[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.
[[Page 1439]]
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.
[[Page 1440]]
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.
[[Page 1441]]
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.
[[Page 1442]]
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.
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*White House correction.
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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
[[Page 1443]]
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
[[Page 1444]]
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
[[Page 1445]]
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).