[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[August 16, 2004]
[Pages 1673-1680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks in Traverse City, Michigan
August 16, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Boy, I'm glad to be
here. This is a beautiful part of our country. It turns out, I'm the
first sitting President to come up here since Gerald Ford was the President. Good to be here in cherry country.
Today it looks like Bush-Cheney country too.
I'm looking forward to this race. I want to thank you all for giving
me a chance to come out and ask for the vote. I'm traveling your
important State asking for the vote. You got some big differences in
this campaign. One of them is that my opponent thinks you can find the
heart and soul in Hollywood. I think you find it right here in Traverse
City, Michigan.
We're going to be spending a lot of time in your important State,
and there's no
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doubt, with your help, we'll carry Michigan and we'll win in November of
'04.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. I'm sorry Laura is not here.
Audience member. We love you, Laura!
The President. Yes. She is a fantastic mom, a
great wife. Listen, I'm going to give you a lot of reasons to be for me,
but perhaps the most important one is to keep Laura as the First Lady
for 4 more years.
And I'm running with a good man in Vice President Dick
Cheney. I admit it--I admit it, he is not the
prettiest face in the race. [Laughter] I didn't pick him for his looks.
I picked him because he can get the job done.
I want to thank my friend Dave Camp, the
Congressman from up here in northern Michigan. What a good man. I'm
proud to work with him--good, honorable man. I want to thank Congressman
Nick Smith for being here as well. Nick, I
appreciate you coming.
I appreciate Trick Pony, the band that was playing here. I'm glad
they're here. It's good of them to come.
Listen, I want to thank Betsy DeVos and all
the grassroots activists. Let me tell you, grassroots activists are the
people that put up the signs, make the phone calls, register the voters.
We have a duty in this country to vote. We have an obligation to do our
duty to show up at the polls. Do you realize, over 9 million people have
registered to vote in Afghanistan? These people have got a taste of
freedom, and they're showing up to vote. And so--our fellow citizens--so
I urge you to register people. Head people to the polls, and when you
get them headed there, just tell them this country is going to be safer,
stronger, and better with George Bush and Dick Cheney.
You know, we've been through a lot together. In these past few
years, Americans have been through a lot and we've accomplished a great
deal. But there's only one reason to look backward at the record, 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 country forward. From creating jobs to improving schools, from
fighting terror to spreading the peace, we have made much progress, and
we have much more work to do.
We have more to make our public schools the centers of excellence we
all know they can be so that no child is left behind in America. You
might remember the mindset 3\1/2\ years ago, when we just shuffled
children from grade to grade, year after year, and they didn't learn the
basics. I went to Washington for a reason. We challenged the soft
bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the bar. We're now measuring
in return for extra Federal help, because we want to know whether or not
our children are learning to read and write and add and subtract.
We believe in local control of schools, and we're willing to
challenge the status quo when we find schools that will not teach and
will not change. We're doing the hard work. When it comes to reforming
our schools, there's more work to do. We're going to reform our high
schools to make sure the high school diploma means something. We're
going to expand math and science education so our young people can
compete in the high-tech world. We'll expand the use of the Internet to
bring high-level training into the classrooms. With 4 more years, we'll
help a rising generation of Americans gain the skill and the confidence
necessary to realize the great American Dream.
We have more to do to make quality health care available and
affordable. You might remember all the old Medicare debates. Year after
year, they'd come up here and tell you, ``Don't worry. I'll get
something done.'' We got the job done. More than 4 million seniors have
signed up for drug discount cards, which provide real savings for our
seniors. And beginning in 2006,
[[Page 1675]]
all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose the plan that suits their
needs and gives them coverage for prescription drugs.
There's more to do. We've expanded community health centers, and
we'll continue to do so for low-income Americans. We want people getting
their primary care in these centers and not in our emergency rooms in
our hospitals. 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 choice, more opportunity in health care, we're getting
the job done, but there's more work to be done. Most Americans get their
health care through their businesses. Most new jobs are created by small
businesses, and a lot of small businesses have trouble providing health
care for their employees. To help more American families get health
insurance, we must allow small employers to gather together to purchase
insurance at discounts just like big companies get to do.
I'll tell you what else we need to do. We must end the frivolous
lawsuits that run up the cost of health care. You cannot be--you can't
be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-plaintiff-attorney 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 am for medical liability reform now.
We'll harness technology to reduce costs and prevent health care
mistakes. We'll expand research to seek new cures for terrible diseases.
And in all we do to improve health care for America, we'll make sure the
health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in
Washington, DC.
We've got more to do to make this economy stronger. Listen, we've
come through a lot together. Think about what this economy has been
through. We've been through a recession. We've been through terrorist
attacks. We've been through corporate scandals. We've been through a
stock market decline. We've overcome these obstacles because of the hard
work of America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers and small-
business owners and workers. We've come through a lot.
We've also come through it because of two well-timed tax cuts. We
didn't pick winners or losers. We did it the fair way. If you pay tax,
you get relief. We helped our families by raising the child credit. We
reduced the marriage penalty. I mean, what kind of Tax Code is it that
penalizes marriage? We ought to be encouraging marriage in America. We
helped the small businesses. And this time, the check actually was in
the mail. [Laughter]
Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown as a rate
as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, Americans added
about 1.5 million new jobs since last August. The national unemployment
rate is down to 5.5 percent.
Listen, I fully understand we face challenges in some of our
manufacturing communities. In some parts of Michigan, the recovery has
lagged, but there are good signs. This economy is strong. It's getting
stronger. We will not rest until anybody who wants to work can find a
job.
I've got a strategy to make sure good jobs stay here in America. To
make sure the jobs are here, our regulations need to be reasonable and
fair. Some of you fill out paperwork--I can't promise you whether
anybody has ever read it in Government. [Laughter] To keep jobs in
America, we need tort reform. To keep jobs in America, we must become
less dependent on foreign sources of energy. To keep jobs in America, we
must be wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low.
We've got only 2 months left in the campaign, but the fellow I'm running against already has made about $2.2 trillion
of new spending promises. No telling what's going to happen when we come
down the stretch. So they said the other day, ``How are you going to pay
for it?'' He said, ``Oh, I'll just tax the rich.'' You've heard that
talk
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before, haven't you? The rich hires accountants, and guess who gets
stuck with the tab? You do. But we're not going to let him win, are we?
In order to keep jobs here, we'll insist on a level playing field
when it comes to trade. Listen, we want Traverse City cherries being
sold and purchased all around the world. We can compete with anybody,
anywhere, anyplace, so long as the rules are fair. We want our farmers
not only feeding Americans, but we want them feeding hungry mouths all
across the globe. Farm income is up, and one of the reasons it's up is
because of exports of agricultural products are on the rise, and I
intend to keep it that way.
In order to make sure this economy continues to grow, we've got to
use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great
Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin. You might remember what my
opponent said earlier this year about Great Lakes
water diversion. He said it would be a delicate balancing act.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. It sounds just like him.
[Laughter] My position is clear: We're never going to allow diversion of
Great Lakes water.
I've got another position that's clear. We're spending money--
Federal money to help clean up contaminated sediment in Lake Michigan
and Superior, Erie and Huron, and Ontario. We want to make sure our
natural resources are well preserved.
Give me 4 more years, and this economy will still be the greatest of
any industrialized nation in the world. Our farmers will be doing well.
Small businesses will be vibrant, and people will be able to find high-
paying, good jobs.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. We have more to do to wage and win the war on terror.
America's future depends on our willingness to lead in this world. If we
show uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift
toward tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that
day, we have changed the world. Prior to September the 11th, Afghanistan
served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed
thousands of killers who set up terror cells in dozens of countries,
including our own. Today, because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising
democracy. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Many young girls
now go to school for the first time. America and the world are better
off.
Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
The President. 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 easy-to-understand message--
[laughter]--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, firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world's
sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapons of mass destruction.
He had harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors, and he subsidized
the families of suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his
own citizens. He was a source of great instability in the world's most
volatile region. He was a threat.
After September the 11th, we must take threats seriously, before
they fully materialize. It is a vital lesson our country must never
forget. It's one of the lessons of that terrible day. So I took the
threat seriously. I went to the United States Congress and said, ``I see
a threat. Why don't you take the matter up.'' They looked at the
intelligence I looked at. They remembered the history I remember. And
members of both political parties, including my opponent,
[[Page 1677]]
came to the same conclusion that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
Diplomacy is important, and so I went to the United Nations, again.
They looked at the intelligence, and they unanimously concluded, in the
U.N. Security Council, that Saddam Hussein
was a threat and that he must disclose, disarm, or face serious
consequences. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the
free world. He had no intention of listening to those resolutions. As a
matter of fact, he systematically deceived the inspectors that the world
sent in. So I had a choice to make at that point in history. Do I forget
the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman or take action to
defend America? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
Even though we didn't find the stockpiles we expected to find,
remember that Saddam had the capability to
make weapons of mass destruction, and he could have passed that
capability on to others, our enemies. And after September the 11th, that
is a risk we could not afford to take. Knowing what I know today, I
would have taken the same action. America and the world are safer
because Saddam is in a prison cell.
And now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and 7
months after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar
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, the Senator from
Massachusetts now agrees with me that even though we have not found the
stockpile of weapons we all 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 the
Senator for clearing that up. [Laughter] But I want to remind you,
there's still 78 days for him to change his mind again. [Laughter]
I'm running because I understand clearly there's more work to be
done to aggressively pursue the terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and elsewhere. You cannot talk sense to these people. You
cannot negotiate with these killers. You must not hope for the best. We
will engage these enemies around the world, so we do not have to face
them here at home.
And we will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help defeat the
terrorists. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan and some
30 nations involved in Iraq. I know you agree with me when I send my
appreciation to the mothers and dads of the soldiers from those
countries, who stand side by side with our soldiers to bring freedom and
peace to the world. And I will continue to build our alliances and work
with our friends to spread peace. But 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 of our military. At bases across our country and around the
world, I've had the privilege of meeting those who wear our uniform.
I've seen their great decency. Today I met Petty Officer 3d Class Joel
Oliver. He's from here. He was standing back
there. He told me he served in the Navy, and he said something really
interesting--when he'd come back from Iraq, he said, ``This is a great
time to serve. I was actually a part of history.'' He is a part of
history. He's a part of spreading freedom and peace. I appreciate his
service, and I appreciate the service of all who wear the uniform.
And I have made a commitment to those who wear the uniform and their
loved ones. They will have the full support of Government. Last
September, while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq,
I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their missions. This
money
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is for body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health benefits,
ammunition, fuel, spare parts for our military. It was necessary money.
And my request received strong bipartisan support in both the House and
the Senate. As a matter of fact, so strong that only 12 United States
Senators voted against it, 2 of whom are my opponent and his runningmate.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Here's how he tried to explain
his vote. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I
voted against it.'' [Laughter] I suspect not a lot of people talk like
that up here. [Laughter] I expect the people up here like the plain-
spoken fellow. He got pressed a little further on that vote. He said he
was proud of his vote. 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 and
hopelessness and resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq and a free and
peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their neighbors. Free
countries do not export terror. Free countries believe in peace.
Those are the lessons we learned after World War II. After all, one
of my strongest allies in peace is the Prime Minister of Japan. Think about that. I'm talking about how to keep the
peace--the man who runs a country that my dad fought against in World War II, and your dads did as
well. And yet, we sit at the table and talk about peace. Listen, liberty
can change attitudes. That's what Americans believe.
By serving the ideal of liberty, we bring hope to others, and that
makes us more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're spreading
the precious peace. And by serving the ideal of liberty, we serve the
deepest ideals of the American soul. Freedom is not America's gift to
the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in
this world.
We have more to do to protect America. There are enemies who hate
us, and they're still plotting to harm us. We have a difference of
opinion about the nature of the enemy. The other day, my opponent said that going to war with terrorists is actually
improving their recruiting efforts. I--the logic is upside-down, as far
as I'm concerned. So is the misunderstanding of the enemy. See, during
the 1990s----
Audience member. Louder! Louder!
The President. ----the terrorists--[laughter]--during the 1990s, the
terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us long before we
went to war with them. They don't need an excuse for their hatred. It is
wrong to blame America for the evil in the hearts of these killers. We
do not create terrorists by fighting back; we defeat the terrorists by
fighting back.
I agree with the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission when it said, the
actions we've taken since September the 11th has made us safer but not
yet safe enough. I understand that. You've just got to know, there's a
lot of good people working hard to protect our homeland. We've created
the Department of Homeland Security. We're communicating better than
ever before. Intelligence sharing between domestic and foreign agencies
are--is seamless and good. The PATRIOT Act is a vital part of the
defense of America. Our law enforcement officers need to have the tools
necessary to defend you. I'm looking forward to working with Congress to
create the position of National Intelligence Director so that one person
is in charge of coordinating all our intelligence efforts overseas and
at home.
There's more work to do--there's more work to do. But reform is
never easy, particularly in Washington. There's a lot of entrenched
interests up there. People are willing to defend the status quo. It's
not enough to advocate reform; you have to get the job done.
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I'd like for you to remind your friends and neighbors, when it came
to reforming schools and providing an excellent education for all our
children, we're getting the job done. When it comes to health care
reforms to give our families more choices, we're getting the job done.
When it comes to improving our economy and overcoming obstacles so
people can find work, we're getting the job done. When it comes to
better securing our homeland and defeating the terrorists and spreading
freedom and peace, we're getting the job done. And when it comes to
electing a President, put somebody back in there who can get the job
done.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. You know, we're living in exciting times. It's a time
of change, and that can unsettle people. I understand that. But one way
to help people during a time of change is to have Government encourage
an ownership society. We want people owning their own health care
accounts so if they change jobs, they can take it from job to job. If
you're a younger worker, I'm a little concerned about the fiscal
stability of Social Security. For old guys like me, we're doing okay
when it comes to Social Security. But if you're younger, why don't you
join me in advocating for personal retirement accounts that you can call
your own.
In a changing world, it's a fantastic thought to know that
homeownership rates in America are at an alltime high. I love the idea
of somebody opening their door and saying, ``Welcome to my home. This is
my piece of property.'' We want more people owning their own small
business. We're going to continue to advocate an ownership society
because we understand that when you own something, you have a vital
stake in the future of our country.
In these changing times, there are some things that will not change:
our belief in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable demands of
human dignity; the individual values we try to live by--courage and
compassion, reverence and integrity; the institutions that give us
direction and purpose--our families, our schools, and our religious
congregations.
We stand for institutions like family and marriage, which are the
foundations of our society. We stand for a culture of life in which
every person matters and every person counts. We stand for judges who
faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.
That's why I named Judge Rick Griffin to
the Federal courts. He's right from here. He's a good, honest fellow.
The problem is, people like my opponent are
playing politics with the judicial system on the floor of the United
States Senate.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Rick needs an up-or-
down vote in order to make sure these courts in this part of the world
are able to function like you want them to. Stop playing politics with
American justice.
We're making--we stand for a culture of responsibility in America,
and we're making progress. See, this culture of ours is changing from
one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``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
are fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, 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 are responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO
in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your
shareholders and your employees. And in this responsibility society,
each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to
be loved ourselves.
I'm running for 4 more years because I want to continue to rally the
armies of compassion. See, Government can hand out money, but it can't
put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a person's
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life. That happens when a loving soul puts their arm around somebody who
needs help, and says, ``I love you,'' and ``What can I do to help you?''
I know by rallying the armies of compassion we can 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 is not one of those times. This is a time
when we need firm resolve, strong belief in the values that have made 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 is a day I will never forget. I will never forget the workers
in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I was working the
ropelines saying thanks to people, and a fellow with bloodshot eyes--he
had just come out of the rubble, searching for one of his buddies--said,
``Do not let down.'' He took that day personally. Everybody on that site
took it personally. I know you took it personally, and so do I. I have a
duty that goes on. I wake up every day thinking how better to protect
our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it
takes.
We have come through much together. We've done a lot of hard work.
During the next 4 years, we'll spread ownership and opportunity to every
corner of this country--I mean, every corner. We'll pass the enduring
values of our country to another generation. We will continue to lead
the world in the cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
Four years ago, I traveled your great State and our great country
asking for the vote, and I made a pledge that 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, so help me God. With your help,
I will continue to do so for 4 more years.
Thank you for coming. Thank you all. God bless.
Note: The President spoke at 4:16 p.m. at the Grand Traverse County
Civic Center. In his remarks, he referred to Betsy DeVos, chairman,
Michigan Republican Party; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of
Libya; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi of Japan; and Richard A. Griffin, nominee to be U.S. Circuit
Judge for the Sixth Circuit.