[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[August 10, 2004]
[Pages 1589-1595]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in Panama City, Florida
August 10, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. Thank you 
all very much. So Little Brother says, ``Why don't 
you come to north Florida; maybe we can get some people to show up.'' We 
are so honored so many came out to say hello. Thanks a lot. We really 
appreciate you being here. I'm here to ask for your vote. I'm here 
traveling--I'm traveling this part of your State to let the people of 
north Florida know there is more to do to make this country safer, 
stronger, and better. And I want your help.
    I'm keeping fine company. I'm proud to be traveling with Senator 
John McCain. What a fantastic American he is. 
I'm glad Brother is here. He's doing a great job for the people of 
Florida, and I'm proud to call him Brother. I know you're proud to call 
him Governor.
    I'm sorry Laura is not here. No, I know it. 
She's a great wife and a wonderful mother, and she's doing a heck of a 
job as the First Lady of this country. Today I'm going to give you some 
reasons to put me back into office, but perhaps the most important one 
of all is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years.
    And I'm proud of my runningmate. I admit 
he's not the prettiest face in the race. [Laughter] But I didn't pick 
him for his looks. I picked him because of his experience, his judgment. 
I picked him because he can do the job.
    I'm proud my friend J.C. Watts is here, 
I appreciate you being here, J.C. I want to thank Lieutenant Governor 
Toni

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Jennings and Attorney General Charlie 
Crist for joining us today. I'm proud to be on 
the stage with them. I want to thank the house speaker-designate, Allan 
Bense, for being on the bus and traveling with 
us today. We've been traveling with Bev Kilmer as 
well. Put her in the House. She'll be a great Member of the U.S. 
Congress.
    I want to thank Aaron Tippin for being 
here. I want to thank all the grassroots activists. Those are the people 
who put up the signs, make the phone calls. Make sure you go out and 
register your friends and neighbors. See, we have a duty in this country 
to vote. We have an obligation in a free society to show up at the 
polls. Don't be afraid of convincing discerning Democrats and wise 
independents to go to the polls as well. They know what good government 
is. They know strong leadership when they see it. They understand the 
world is going to be safer and stronger and better with 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. In the past few years, we've been through a lot 
together, and we've accomplished a great deal together. But there's only 
one reason to look backwards, and that is to determine who best to lead 
this Nation forward. I'm asking for your vote because so much is at 
stake. We have so much more to do to move this Nation forward. I want to 
be your President for 4 more years. From creating jobs to improving our 
schools, from fighting terror to spreading the peace, we made much 
progress, and there is more to do--and there is more to do.
    We've got more to do to make our schools, our public schools, the 
centers of excellence we know they can be so no child is left behind in 
America. Listen, when we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many of 
our children were being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, 
without learning the basics. So we're challenging the soft bigotry of 
low expectations. We're raising the bar. We believe in accountability. 
We believe in local control of schools. We believe in challenging the 
status quo when children are trapped in schools which will not teach and 
will not change. And we're making real progress. We're making real 
progress.
    We've got more to do. I understand the jobs of the future will 
require greater knowledge and higher level skills, so we're going to 
work to reform our high schools so a high school diploma means 
something. We'll expand science and math 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 in the classrooms. What I'm telling you is, 
after 4 more years, a rising generation will gain the skills and the 
competence necessary to realize the American Dream.
    We've got more to do to make quality health care available and 
affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans heard year 
after year after year the promise of prescription drugs for Medicare. We 
got the job done. More than 4 million seniors have signed up for drug 
discount cards that provide real savings. And in 2006, all seniors on 
Medicare will be able to choose a plan that fits their needs, and 
Medicare will give them coverage for prescription drugs.
    We've done more, though, than that in health care. We've expanded 
community centers to help low-income Americans. We've created health 
savings accounts so families can save tax-free for their own health care 
needs. But there's more to do. See, most Americans get their health care 
coverage through their work, yet many small businesses, which create the 
most new jobs in America, cannot afford health coverage. So you know 
what we need to do? We need to let our small businesses pool together, 
join together so they can purchase insurance at the discounts available 
to the big companies.
    To improve health care, we must end the frivolous lawsuits that run 
up the cost of health care and run the doctors out of

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business. You cannot be pro-patient and pro-doctor and pro-trial-lawyer 
at the same time. You have to choose. And my opponent has made his choice: He put him 
on the ticket. [Laughter] I made my choice: I am for medical liability 
reform now.
    Listen, we're going to use technology to reduce cost and prevent 
health care mistakes. We'll do more to expand research to seek new 
cures. 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 Government 
bureaucrats.
    We got more to do to make this economy stronger. We've been through 
a lot when it comes to our economy. We've been through a recession. 
We've been through scandals. We've been through the terror attack. And 
yet we've overcome these obstacles, because our workers are great, our 
small businesses are strong, our farmers are good at what they do. I 
also think we overcame these obstacles because of two well-timed tax 
cuts. We didn't pick winners or losers when it came to tax relief. We 
said if you're paying taxes, you ought to get relief. And we're helping 
American families with that tax relief. If you have a family with 
children, you get tax relief. If you married, you get tax relief. We've 
got a Tax Code that has a marriage penalty.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. We ought to be encouraging marriage in this country, 
not penalizing marriage.
    And our tax relief helped small businesses. And this time, the check 
really was in the mail. [Laughter] Listen, because we acted, our economy 
since last summer has grown at a rate as fast as any in nearly 20 years. 
We've added over 1.5--nearly 1.5 million new jobs since last August. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. Because we acted, Florida has 
added almost 300,000 new jobs since the end of 2001, and your 
unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. People in this State are working, and 
that's good for our country.
    Listen, I'm not going to be satisfied until everybody who wants to 
work can find a job, and so there's more to do. To keep jobs in America, 
regulations must be reasonable and fair. To keep jobs in America, we 
must reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. To keep jobs in 
America, we need tort reform. To keep jobs in America, we will not 
overspend your money, and we will keep your taxes low. To keep jobs in 
America, we will help our workers retrain, when necessary, at places 
like our community colleges. To keep jobs in America, we will level the 
playing field when it comes to trade. Listen, America can compete with 
anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as we're treated fairly.
    What I'm telling you is, if you give me 4 more years, we will still 
be the leading economy in the world, our farm economy will be strong, 
more small businesses will exist, and Americans will be able to have 
better and higher paying jobs.
    We have more to do to wage and win the war against 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. That is not going to happen on my watch.
    The world changed on that terrible September morning, and since that 
day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as a home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands 
of killers to set up terror cells around the world, including our own 
country. Because we acted, because we were resolute and firm, today 
Afghanistan is a rising democracy; Afghanistan is an ally on terror. 
Many young girls now go to school for the first time in Afghanistan, 
thanks to the United States and our coalition. Because we acted, America 
and the world are safer.
    Prior to September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for 
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America 
and the world are safer.

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    Before September the 11th, Saudi Arabia was not paying attention to 
those who were raising money and recruiting and operating with little 
opposition. Today, the Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida. 
They're an ally in the war on terror. 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 sent 
a 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 enforcing the 
world's sanctions. He was a threat. He used weapons of mass destruction 
against his own people. He harbored terrorists. He invaded his 
neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein 
murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great 
instability in the world.
    After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats in the world 
in a new light. One of the lessons of that fateful day, a lesson I will 
never forget as your President, is that we must take threats seriously, 
before they fully materialize. My administration saw a threat. We looked 
at intelligence; it further confirmed in our mind that Saddam 
Hussein was a threat. The United States 
Congress--Members of both political parties, including my opponent--looked at the same intelligence and came to 
the same conclusion: Saddam Hussein was a threat. The United Nations 
Security Council looked at that intelligence and came to the conclusion 
that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    The United Nations Security Council then demanded a full accounting 
of his weapons and his weapons programs, or face serious consequences. 
As he had for over a decade, the tyrant 
refused to comply with the demands of the free world. As a matter of 
fact, he systematically deceived the inspectors that were in his 
country. And so I had a choice to make: Do I forget the lessons of 
September the 11th and trust the actions and words of a madman, or take 
action to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend our country 
every time.
    No, we didn't find the stockpiles we expected to find. Yet, he had 
the capability to make weapons of mass destruction, and he could have easily shared that capability with 
terrorist enemies. Knowing what I know today, I would have taken the 
same action. America and the world are safer because Saddam sits in a 
prison cell.
    Almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and almost 220 
days after switching positions to declare himself the anti-war 
candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance. He 
now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq. After months of 
questioning my motives and even my credibility, Senator Kerry now agrees 
with me that even though we have not found the stockpile of weapons we 
believed were there, knowing everything we know today, he would have 
voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power. I want to thank Senator Kerry for clearing 
that up. But be careful, there's still 84 days left in this campaign for 
him to change his mind.
    Listen, I'm running for 4 more years because there's more work to 
do. We'll work with our friends and allies around the world to 
aggressively pursue the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to these people. You can't 
negotiate with these people. You cannot hope that they change. We will 
aggressively pursue them. We will engage them. We will defeat them so we 
do not have to face them here at home.
    America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral 
clarity. See, we put together a strong coalition to help us. There's 
over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative. 
There are

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nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan. There are some 30 nations 
involved in Iraq. We thank their leaders, we thank their people for 
sacrificing for freedom and peace. We'll continue to build alliances and 
work with our friends. I will never turn over America's national 
security decisions to leaders of other countries.
    In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men 
and women who wear our uniform. I am really proud of our military, and I 
know you are as well. I've had the privilege of meeting with those who 
defend our country and sacrifice for our security. I have seen their 
decency and their unselfish courage. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, 
the cause of freedom is in really good hands.
    And we have a duty in Government to make sure those who wear our 
uniform are fully supported by the Government. Last September, while our 
troops were in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental 
funding to support them in our missions. The legislation provided body 
armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, spare parts, fuel, health 
benefits, and ammunition. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-
mainstream minority of 12 Senators voted against the legislation. Two of 
those twelve Senators are my opponent and his 
runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When asked about why he voted no to support our 
troops, he said, ``I actually did vote for the 
$87 billion, before I voted against it.'' Now, I've spent some time here 
in north Florida; I understand that's not the way the people talk up 
here. They like people who say one thing and mean it. And then when 
pressed he said, well, he's proud of his vote, and then he said, well, 
the whole thing is a complicated matter. There is nothing complicated 
about supporting our troops in combat.
    In the long run our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We 
will work to change the conditions that give rise to terror: poverty and 
hopelessness and resentment. See, a peaceful and free Iraq and a 
peaceful and free Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a 
neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. Free countries do not export 
terror. Free countries listen to the dreams and aspirations of their 
people. Afghanistan and Iraq have now got strong leaders who are 
committed to free societies. The people of those countries, having been 
brutalized by tyrants, are now beginning to step up and take 
responsibility. More Afghan citizens and more Iraqis are joining their 
militaries and police forces to secure their own country so it can be 
free.
    See, by serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others 
and that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, 
we're spreading peace. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving 
the deepest ideals of our Nation. Freedom is not America's gift to the 
world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this 
world.
    Listen, we've got a lot of work to do, and I understand that. That's 
why I'm running for 4 more years. There are enemies who hate us, and 
they're still plotting to harm us. My opponent 
says that going to war with the terrorists is actually improving their 
recruiting efforts. His logic is upside-down. It shows a dangerous 
misunderstanding of the enemy we face. See, during the nineties, the 
terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us, long before we 
went to war with them. They hate us. They don't need an excuse for their 
hatred. It was wrong to blame America for the anger and evil of the 
killers. We don't create terrorists by fighting back. We defeat 
terrorists by fighting back.
    I agree with the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission when they said 
our homeland is safer, but we're not yet safe. We've got more to do. 
We'll secure this homeland by staying on the offense. We're going to 
do--to secure this homeland as well, by continuing to push for 
meaningful reform.

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Listen, we started the hard process. We transformed our defenses and 
created a Department of Homeland Security to better protect you. We 
passed the PATRIOT Act. The PATRIOT Act is necessary to give law 
enforcement the tools necessary to track down terrorists.
    We're integrating intelligence and law enforcement better than ever 
before. We're taking action on a lot of the commission's 
recommendations. Today I name a good Floridian to head the Central 
Intelligence Agency. Congressman Porter Goss 
is my nominee before the United States Senate. We'll work together to 
strengthen that vital agency, so we have the intelligence necessary to 
better secure our homeland. I also will look forward to working with 
Congress to create the position of National Intelligence Director, so 
one person is in charge of coordinating all our intelligence, both 
overseas and domestic.
    These reforms aren't going to be easy. They're never easy in 
Washington. There's a lot of entrenched interests there, people willing 
to defend the status quo. It's not enough to advocate reform, you have 
to be able to get it done. When it comes to improving our public 
schools, we got the job done. When it comes to improving health care for 
our senior citizens, we got the job done. When it comes to improving our 
economy and creating jobs, we're getting the job done. When it comes to 
better securing our homeland and spreading the peace, we're getting the 
job done. When it comes to electing a President, put somebody in office 
who can get the job done.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Listen, we live in exciting times--exciting times. 
But they're times of change. In order to help people through times of 
change, I think the Government ought to stand side by side with families 
and workers. One way to do that is promote an ownership society in 
America. See, we want people owning their own health care accounts, so 
if they change jobs their health care account goes with them. We want 
people to have more control over their lives. We want people being the 
decisionmakers when it comes to health care.
    When it comes to our retirement accounts, listen, old guys like me 
and McCain are in pretty good shape when it 
comes to Social Security. But if you're a younger worker, there is doubt 
as to whether or not Social Security is fiscally sound enough to--for 
you. That's why I think younger workers need personal savings accounts, 
so they can take them from job to job and pass them on to people they 
want to pass them on to.
    In a changing world, I think it's a positive sign to know more 
people own their own home. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high in 
America. I love the fact when a new homebuyer can open the door and say, 
``Welcome to my house. This is my home.'' We want more people owning 
their own business. There's nothing better, when you say you own 
something in America. If you own something, you have a vital stake in 
the future of this country.
    In a world that changes, some things that are not going to change, 
our belief in liberty, in opportunity, in the nonnegotiable demands of 
human dignity. The individual values we try to live by won't change, 
courage and compassion, reverence and integrity; our belief in 
institutions that give us direction and purpose, our families, our 
schools, our religious congregations. We stand for institutions like 
marriage and families, which are the foundation of our society. We stand 
for a culture of life in which every person counts and every person 
matters. We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the law instead of 
legislating from the bench.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Listen, this 
culture of ours is beginning to change 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

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make in life. If you are 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 are responsible for doing something 
about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are 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 yourself.
    I understand the strength of this country is in the hearts and souls 
of our citizens. I'm running for 4 more years to continue to rally the 
armies of compassion so that we can help and heal and change America, 
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 time. It's a time we 
need firm resolve and clear vision. None of us will ever forget that 
week when one era ended and another began. September the 14th, 2001, I 
stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I will never forget. I 
remember the guys in hardhats screaming at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I 
remember working the ropeline and looking in the eyes of a man who had 
just come out of the rubble searching for a buddy. He said, ``Do not let 
me down.''
    He took that day personally. All the people at that site took it 
personally. You took it personally, and I took it personally. I have a 
duty that goes on. I wake up every day trying to figure out how best to 
protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever 
it takes.
    We've come through a lot. We've come through a lot together. We've 
done a lot of hard work. We're moving our country forward. During the 
next 4 years, we will spread opportunity and ownership through every 
corner of this country. During the next 4 years, we'll pass the enduring 
values of our Nation to another generation. During the next 4 years, we 
will lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
    Four years ago, I traveled this great State and this great country 
asking for the vote, and I made a pledge to my fellow Americans, if you 
honored me with this great responsibility, I would uphold the dignity 
and the honor of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, 
we will carry Florida, we will carry America, and I will continue--I 
will continue to honor my high office.
    God bless you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 5:55 p.m. at the Panama City Marina. In his 
remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, and State 
Attorney General Charlie Crist of Florida; former Representative J.C. 
Watts, Jr., of Oklahoma; Speaker-designate Allan Bense of the Florida 
House of Representatives; Bev Kilmer, candidate for Florida's Second 
Congressional District; entertainer Aaron Tippin; and Col. Muammar Abu 
Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya.