[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[July 9, 2004]
[Pages 1279-1286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in York, Pennsylvania
July 9, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. I'm honored you're here. We've had a 
fantastic day in the great State of Pennsylvania. See my little bus 
there? We've been traveling the backroads of this great State. It's so 
beautiful. All kinds of people came out to say hello. And what a great 
place to end a great trip, in York, Pennsylvania. Thanks for coming.
    You probably know this, but for 9 months in 1777 and 1778, York was 
the capital of the United States. Today, York is the capital of Bush-
Cheney country.
    I want to thank all my fellow Republicans. I want to thank the 
discerning Democrats and wise independents who are here today. I'm proud 
you're here. I'm here to let you know that I have the desire, the drive, 
and the vision to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I'm back in this important State to ask for the vote. 
And I'm here in this crowd to ask for your help. Register your friends 
and neighbors. Work those phones. Put up the signs. If you want to help, 
go onto georgewbush.com on the Internet. You can find out how to sign up 
to help. I'm counting on you. And together we will win a great victory 
in Pennsylvania and a great victory across this Nation on November the 
2d.
    You know how many people running for President would love to have 
Joe Paterno introduce him in Pennsylvania? 
Everybody who has ever run for President wants Joe Paterno to introduce 
him. [Laughter] But in the year 2004, there's only one, and I'm honored 
it's me. I want to thank you, Joe. Thank you very much for being here. 
I'm proud of the example you set. You're a fine, fine, fine American. 
And you raised a fine son in Scott. We need to send him to the United 
States Congress--Scott Paterno.
    I regret that Laura is not here. I'm going to 
give you all kinds of reasons to send me back to Washington today, but 
probably the most important one is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 
more years. I'm really proud of her. She's a fantastic, fantastic woman. 
I love her dearly. We talked to her on the phone on the bus; she sent 
her best. And in her stead, traveling with me today is a new graduate 
from the University of Texas, one of my great daughters, Jenna 
Bush. Made it through in 4 years, I want you to 
know.
    Proud to be here on stage and traveling today with a fine United 
States Senator, Senator Rick Santorum. What a 
fine job Congressman Todd Platts is doing for 
the people of this area. Where's your mother? There's Mom, right there. 
She made me some fudge. [Laughter] I'm going to run all day--well, I'm 
going to bike all day tomorrow. [Laughter] Thanks for the fudge; I 
actually had some.

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    I appreciate Jerry Pappert, the 
attorney general from the great State of Pennsylvania, who joined us 
today. Thanks for coming, General. State Senator Jeff Piccola is with us. I know other members of the statehouse 
are here. Thank you all for coming. I'm proud you're here. Turn out the 
vote. Make sure you spend enough time in your district to get the vote 
out.
    I want to thank State Senator Charlie Dent. He's running for the Congress up the road here. He's going 
to make a fine United States Congressman. Charlie, thanks for coming. I 
know we've got other candidates here, and I want to thank you for 
running.
    I appreciate my friend Alan Novak, the 
chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. He's representing the 
grassroots activists who are here. A grassroots activist is somebody who 
is getting ready to turn out the vote. And for those of you who are 
going to do that, thanks a lot. It really means a lot. It's important. 
The stakes are high in this election. Just like you're counting on me, 
I'm counting on you.
    I love the Oak 
Ridge Boys. 
Every time I see them, they say, ``We're your friend. You can count on 
us.'' And sure enough, every time I've counted on them, they have been 
there. I am honored to have you here. Thanks for coming. I want to thank 
the Matt Goss Band as well. Thank you for coming.
    Ethel Berdall is with us. She is 101 years 
young. Hi, Ethel. I'm proud to have your support. Thanks for coming.
    The last 3\1/2\ years have brought serious challenges. We have given 
serious answers. We came to office with a stock market in decline and an 
economy headed into a recession. But we acted. We led. We delivered 
historic tax relief, and over the past 3 years, America has had the 
fastest growing economy in the industrialized world.
    There were corporate crimes in America recently, people who forgot 
what it means to be a responsible citizen. We acted. We passed tough 
corporate reforms. We're bringing wrongdoers to account. It is now clear 
that we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
    We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning. We acted. 
I have led. We pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We have 
captured or killed many key leaders of the Al Qaida network. We will 
stay on the hunt until justice is served and America is safe from 
attack.
    We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror and the spread 
of weapons of mass destruction. We acted against two of the most violent 
and dangerous regimes on Earth. We have liberated over 50 million 
people. America is safer because of our actions. The world is better 
off. America is once again proud to lead the armies of liberation.
    When the Vice President--and oh, am I running with a fine man in 
Dick Cheney--when he and I came to Washington, 
the military--remember back 3\1/2\ years ago--the military was 
underfunded and underappreciated. We gave our Armed Forces the resources 
and respect they deserve. And today, no friend or foe can question the 
skill, the strength, and the spirit of the United States military.
    It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on 
to future Presidents and future generations. It is the President's job 
to make hard decisions, to keep his commitments. That is how I have led 
our country, and that is how I will continue to lead our country for 4 
more years.
    I'm ready for the contest. I'm ready for the contest. I'm looking 
forward to it. It's going to be a tough race, make no mistake about it. 
That's why I'm traveling stop to stop on this great bus. I take nothing 
for granted. After all, I'm running against an experienced United States 
Senator from Massachusetts.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He's been there a long, long 
time. He's been there long enough to take both sides on just about every 
issue.

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He voted for the PATRIOT Act, for NAFTA, for the No Child Left Behind 
Act, and for the use of force in Iraq. Now he opposes the PATRIOT Act, 
NAFTA, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the liberation of Iraq. If you 
disagree with the Senator from Massachusetts on most any issue, you may 
just have caught him on the wrong day. [Laughter]
    And now, just last weekend, he even tried to 
claim he was the candidate with conservative values. [Laughter] I know--
I know, but I'm quoting his own words. Believe it or not, that's what he 
said. [Laughter] It's hard to square that statement with his previous 
statement when he said, ``I'm a liberal and proud of it.'' On issue 
after issue, from funding our troops who are on the battlefield, to 
involving parents in important decisions of their minor daughters, to 
supporting faith-based and community organizations that are helping 
those in need, the Senator is out of step with the mainstream values 
that are so important to our country.
    My opponent now has a runningmate. I look forward to a spirited debate. Senator Kerry is 
rated as the most liberal Member of the Senate, and he chose a fellow 
lawyer who is the fourth most liberal Member of the Senate. Back in 
Massachusetts, that's what they call balancing the ticket. [Laughter]
    Great events will turn on this election. The person who sits in the 
Oval Office will set the course of the war on terror and the direction 
of our economy. I have a clear vision to win the war on terror and to 
extend peace and freedom throughout the world. I'm asking for your vote 
because I have a plan and a strategy to create more jobs so every single 
citizen has a chance to realize the great promise of America. I'm 
seeking the vote to rally the compassionate spirit of this country so 
every citizen can realize their full, God-given potential. I will be 
clear on where I stand, and I'll be certain about where I'm going to 
take this Nation. When America gives me 4 more years, America will be 
safer, stronger, and better.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. A big issue for every family in America is the tax 
burden. By providing the largest Federal tax relief since Ronald Reagan 
was the President, we have left more money in the hands that earned it. 
By spending and investing and helping create new jobs, the American 
people have used their money far better than the Federal Government 
could have.
    Our economy is strong, and it is growing stronger. Since last 
summer, our economy is outpacing the entire world by growing at its 
fastest rate in nearly 20 years. In less than a year's time, we've added 
more than 1.5 million new jobs. In this State, in the great State of 
Pennsylvania, you've added 44,000 new jobs since February. The 
unemployment rate in this State is at 5.1 percent, below the national 
average. Across the country, the manufacturing sector is growing 
stronger. Homeownership rate is at an alltime high. Interest rates are 
low. Business investment is growing. Consumer confidence is at a 2-year 
high. Personal incomes are on the rise. The economy is moving into high 
gear. The tax relief we passed is working.
    My opponents look at 
all this progress and somehow conclude the sky is falling. But whether 
their mission is--whether their message is delivered with a frown or a 
smile, it's the same old pessimism. And to cheer us up, they propose 
higher taxes, more Federal spending, and economic isolationism. That's 
the surest way to end economic growth and to put Americans out of work. 
This Nation is on the path of progress, and we're not turning back.
    To sustain economic growth, we need to keep your taxes low. Higher 
taxes right now would undermine growth and destroy jobs. To help grow 
the American economy and create more jobs for American workers, I have a 
better idea. Congress needs to make the tax relief permanent and not 
raise taxes

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on the American people. To make sure this economy continues to grow, 
we've got to be wise about how we spend the money you send to 
Washington. That's why we need discipline, spending discipline, in 
Washington, DC. And spending discipline starts with understanding whose 
money we spend. We're not spending the Governor's--Government's money in 
Washington, DC; we're spending the people's money in Washington, DC.
    I not only want us to grow next year, but I want us to keep growing 
in the out-years. So I've got a plan to do so. First, we've got to stop 
these frivolous and junk lawsuits. You cannot be pro-small-business and 
pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My 
opponent has made his choice, and he put 
him on the ticket. I have made my choice. I 
will continue to push Congress to reform tort laws and end frivolous and 
junk lawsuits.
    And that includes medical liability reform. Small businesses make it 
difficult--it's very difficult for small businesses to hire new people 
because their health care premiums are going up. And one of the reasons 
why is because there's too many junk lawsuits suing the docs around this 
country and in this State.
    We need energy legislation, commonsense energy legislation, if we 
want our economy to continue to grow. A couple of years ago, I submitted 
a plan to the United States Congress that encourages conservation, that 
modernizes our electricity grid, but also says that we need to use the 
resources we have at hand in environmentally friendly ways. We need to 
be less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    We need to be opening up markets for Pennsylvania entrepreneurs and 
farmers and ranchers. Listen, I know we've got some farmers here. You're 
making a good living these days, and one of the reasons why is because 
we're selling Pennsylvania farm products all around the world. We need 
to be opening up markets. Our market is open; let's get other countries 
to open up theirs. Give us a level playing field, and America can 
compete with anybody, anyplace, anywhere, anytime.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. Angry talk and class warfare rhetoric and economic 
isolationism won't get anybody hired. That's not a plan for the future. 
The best way to make sure our people find work and keep work is to 
reelect a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-small-business, pro-farmer 
President, George W. Bush.
    America's future also depends on our willingness to lead in the 
world. The momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face 
serious dangers. Al Qaida is wounded but not broken. Terrorists continue 
to attack in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and Iran are 
challenging the peace. If America shows weakness or uncertainty in this 
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my 
watch.
    As in other times, many Americans are serving and sacrificing to 
keep this country safe and to bring freedom to others, and we thank them 
for their sacrifice. We mourn the dead and vow never to forget their 
sacrifice. I thank the families--the wives and the husbands, the moms 
and the dads, and the sons and daughters--of those whose loved one is 
overseas serving our Nation. We stand with your loved one. America 
honors their service.
    They serve because after the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, 
this Nation resolved to fight the terrorists where they dwell. We 
resolved to hold regimes that hide and sponsor terrorists to account. 
Afghanistan was a terror state, provided safe haven for Al Qaida. They 
trained and plotted and planned there. Because we acted, America is more 
secure. The training camps no longer exist. Afghanistan is a rising 
democracy. Young girls go to school for the first time in their lives. 
And they're

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an ally--Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror.
    Iraq only last year was controlled by a dictator who threatened the civilized world. He had used 
weapons of mass destruction on his own people. For decades he tortured 
and tormented the people of Iraq. We must never forget the mass graves 
of the thousands he murdered. Because we acted, America is more secure. 
Because we acted, Iraq is free and a sovereign nation. And because we 
acted, the dictator is now in a prison cell and will receive the justice 
he denied so many for so long.
    We must never forget the lessons of September the 11th. It's a 
lesson--there are many lessons, but I want to share one with you that 
we--I will never forget, and I hope this country never does: America 
must confront threats before they fully materialize. When we see a 
threat, we just can't hope for the best anymore. That's the lesson of 
September the 11th, and we must never forget the lesson. My 
administration looked at intelligence, and we remembered the past of 
Saddam. We remembered he used weapons on his 
own people. And then we looked at further intelligence, and we saw a 
threat. The Members of the United States Congress from both political 
parties looked at the very same intelligence, and they saw a threat. The 
United Nations looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat.
    Remember, I went to the United Nations. I said, ``For too long, you 
had said the man is a threat, and he had 
ignored you.'' And so we went to the United Nations and demanded a full 
accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. That's what the United 
Nations said. And as he had for over a decade, he ignored the ultimatums 
of the free world. He said, ``Your resolutions don't matter to me.''
    I happen to believe that when you say something, you better mean it. 
Well, we said--``we'' being the free world--out of the United Nations 
Security Council said, ``Disclose your weapons. Disarm, or face serious 
consequences.'' That's what was said. And he 
denied. He deceived. He wasn't about to listen to the demands. So I had 
a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman or defend America. 
Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. Although we haven't found stockpiles of weapons, I 
believe we were right to go into Iraq. And America is safer today 
because we did. We removed a declared enemy of America who had the 
capability of producing weapons of mass destruction and could have 
passed that capability to terrorists bent on acquiring them. In the 
world after September the 11th, that was a risk we could not afford to 
take.
    We've got tough work to do. We've got hard work to do in Afghanistan 
and Iraq. Our immediate task in those countries is to capture or kill 
the terrorists and foreign fighters. Every terrorist we deal with abroad 
is one who will never do harm to an innocent America or anyone else. You 
can't talk sense to these people. You can't negotiate with these people. 
They're coldblooded. They are--they've hijacked a great religion. 
They're not religious people. You cannot sit back and hope for the best. 
We must engage these people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world 
so we do not have to face them here at home. And that's exactly what I 
will do during the next 4 years.
    My most solemn duty is the security of American families. It's my 
solemn obligation. There is no such thing as perfect security. The 
threats to our homeland are real. We know the terrorists want to strike 
us again because they want to spread fear and disrupt our way of life. 
We've reorganized our Government to protect the homeland. I put a good 
man in there to run that organization. You trained him well. Tom Ridge 
is doing a great job. A lot of people

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are working hard on our behalf, your behalf--a lot of good people. I 
want to thank the police and firefighters and emergency teams from York, 
Pennsylvania, for standing on the frontlines of homeland security.
    We're defending our homeland. We will defeat the terrorists abroad. 
Yet, in the long run, our safety and the safety of our children and 
grandchildren requires something more. We must work to change the 
conditions that give rise to terror in the Middle East: the poverty, the 
hopelessness, and the resentments that terrorists can exploit. Life in 
that region will be far more hopeful and peaceful when men and women can 
choose their leaders and the people can decide their own future.
    By serving the ideal of liberty, we are bringing hope to others, and 
that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we also 
serve the deepest ideals of our country. We know that freedom is not 
America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each 
man and woman in this world.
    Because we have taken this fight to the enemy, because freedom is 
rising in places they claim as their own, the terrorists are 
increasingly desperate. They know their cause is failing. They know that 
time is against them, and their only chance is to shake the resolve of 
America and Iraq and anyone else who loves freedom. So their actions 
have grown even more cruel and sadistic. They cover their faces in 
videos of their crimes, but those hoods cannot hide the face of evil. 
We've seen their kind before, in death camps and gulags. And as before, 
America will persevere. We will fear no evil, and we will prevail.
    Our men and women in the military are keeping America more secure. 
They're taking great risks on our behalf. At bases across the country 
and around the world, I have had the privilege, the high privilege, of 
meeting with those who defend our country and sacrifice for our 
security. I've seen their decency and their unselfish courage. And I 
assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in good hands.
    And when we put our soldiers in harm's way, they deserve the very 
best. They deserve the full commitment of the Federal Government. That's 
why I proposed supplemental funding to support our military in its 
mission. This legislation provided for body armor and vital equipment, 
for hazard pay, for health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare parts 
for the military. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-mainstream 
minority voted against the legislation, and 2 of those 12 Senators are 
my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When asked to explain his vote, the Senator from 
Massachusetts said this: ``I actually did vote 
for the $87 billion, before I voted against it,'' end quote. That sure 
clears things up. [Laughter] The American President must speak clearly 
and mean what he says.
    America is leading the world with confidence and moral clarity. We 
have a strong coalition of more than 30 countries in Iraq. I will 
continue to build on our alliances and to work with our friends for the 
cause of security and peace. But I will never turn over America's 
national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
    This Nation is prosperous and strong, yet we need to remember that 
our greatest strength is in the hearts and souls of the American 
citizens. We're strong because of the values we try to live by, courage 
and compassion, reverence and integrity. We're strong because of the 
institutions that help give us direction and purpose, our families and 
our schools, our religious congregations. These values and institutions 
are fundamental to our lives. They deserve the respect of the 
Government.
    We stand for good public schools by insisting on high standards, 
local control, and strong accountability measures. We stand for fair 
treatment of faith-based groups so they can receive Federal support for 
their works of compassion and healing. We stand

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for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen marriage, which 
have helped millions of Americans find independence and dignity. We 
stand for a culture of life in which every person matters and every 
person counts. We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which 
are the foundations of our society. We stand for judges who strictly and 
faithfully interpret the law.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in our country. The culture 
of America 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 we 
make in life. If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a dad, you 
are 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 supporting the 
teachers and the schools. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're 
responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your 
employees. And in this new 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. You and I are 
living in a period when the stakes are high and the challenges are 
difficult, a time when resolve is needed.
    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. I'll never forget that day. There were workers in hardhats 
shouting at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember looking in the eyes of 
those firefighters and policemen, and a guy looked at me and said, 
``Don't ever let me down.''
    As we all did that day, these men and women searching through the 
rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I have a responsibility 
that goes on. I will never relent in bringing justice to our enemies. I 
will defend the security of America, whatever it takes.
    In these times, I've also been a witness to the character of this 
Nation. I've seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the 
heroism of Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of 
service and compassion renewed in our country. We've all seen our Nation 
unite in common purpose when it mattered most.
    We'll need all these qualities for the work ahead. We have a war to 
win, and the world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and 
peace. We have a duty to spread opportunity to every part of America. We 
will make America safer, stronger, and better. This is the work that 
history has set before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our 
blessed country, the best days lie ahead.
    God bless. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 6:02 p.m. in the Toyota Arena at the York 
Fair and Expo Center. In his remarks, he referred to Joe Paterno, head 
football coach, Pennsylvania State University; Scott Paterno and Charles 
W. Dent, candidates for Pennsylvania's 17th and 15th Congressional 
Districts, respectively; Alan Novak, chairman, Republican State 
Committee of Pennsylvania; and entertainers the Oak Ridge Boys and the 
Matt Goss Band.

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