[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[September 16, 2004]
[Pages 2064-2073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in St. Cloud, Minnesota
September 16, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. I'm honored 
to be here in St. Cloud. I understand I am the first sitting President--
[applause]--I am glad I came, and the other Presidents missed a lot. 
Thanks for coming out today. It's such

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an honor to be here. I really want to thank you for being here. A little 
early in the morning, I know. [Laughter] It seems like I provided a 
pretty good excuse for some kids to miss school. Don't make a habit of 
it. [Laughter]
    I'll tell you what I'm doing. We're taking a bus trip across your 
beautiful State. I'm asking for the vote. That's what I'm doing today. 
I'm here to tell you in St. Cloud, I want your vote. And I'm asking for 
your help. I know we've got a lot of people working hard here to 
register voters. Keep doing it. See, we have a duty in this country to 
participate in the elections, is what I believe we have. And I'm asking 
you to find people and register them to vote. And when you're 
registering people to vote, don't overlook discerning Democrats, people 
like Zell Miller. And then when you get people 
registered to vote, head them to the polls. And when you get them headed 
to the polls, tell them, if they want a safer America, a stronger 
America, a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    So I told Laura I was going to St. Cloud. She 
said, ``Tell everybody hi.'' I wish she were here. I know--I love Laura 
too. [Laughter] She is a great mother, a wonderful wife. You know, when 
I married her, or asked her to marry me, she was a public school 
librarian in Texas. She said, ``Fine, I'll marry you. Just, I don't want 
to give any political speeches.'' I said, ``Okay, you won't have to give 
any speeches.'' Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise. 
[Laughter] She is a great speaker, because she is a compassionate, 
decent soul. I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back in today, 
but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady 
for 4 more years.
    I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. 
Admittedly, he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] I 
didn't pick him because of his hair. I picked him because he's a man of 
great experience, sound judgment, and he's a man who can get the job 
done.
    I appreciate working with Mark Kennedy. 
He's a fine Member of the United States Congress. He's a good fellow. 
Every time I see him, he says, ``Don't forget those Minnesota farmers.'' 
As you can tell by some ag prices, we haven't.
    I appreciate your Governor, Tim Pawlenty. He's a fine man, too. I'm honored. Norman 
Coleman is not with us, but I tell you, he's a 
good one for the United States Senate. I'm proud to work with him. I 
want to thank all the other State and local officials who are here. I 
want to thank John Stone. I appreciate his--
country music songs he sings. I'm honored that he has joined us today.
    I want to thank my friend Lieutenant Colonel Joe Repya. He runs the veterans program for this campaign. First of 
all, I want to thank all the veterans who are here. I appreciate your 
strong support. And I want to thank my friend Joe for his leadership. 
He's scheduled to deploy to Iraq soon, and of course, Joe, you'll be in 
our prayers, and we appreciate your service.
    I know Coach John is with us today, the 
great coach from St. John's University. We had him to the White House a 
while ago, and it was such an honor to receive such a class act. He is a 
wonderful man. He's got a great family. He lifts everybody's spirits, 
and I'm proud to have him on my team. Coach John, thanks for coming.
    I want to thank the grassroots activists. Those are the people who 
put up the signs and make the phone calls and turn out the vote. I can't 
thank you enough for what you have done. And I'm going to thank you for 
what you're going to do, and that is, keep working, because I'm going to 
be working right alongside of you. I want to win, and I know we are 
going to win.
    I like getting out with the people. I like to get out and tell 
people where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm going to lead this 
Nation for the next 4 years. I believe every child can learn, and every

[[Page 2066]]

school must teach. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of 
low expectations. I thought it was wrong to shuffle children through the 
schools, grade after grade, year after year, without teaching the 
basics. So we increased Federal help, but we also are now measuring. And 
we're measuring so we can determine problems early, before they're too 
late.

[At this point, the audio system failed, and a portion of the 
President's remarks were not available.]

    The President. ----schools. We're closing an achievement gap in 
America, and we are not turning back.
    I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with 
good health care. I went to Washington to fix problems, not pass them on 
to future Presidents. Medicare needed to be strengthened. People say, 
``What do you mean by that.'' I'll tell you what I mean. Medicare would 
pay $100,000 or so for heart surgery, but it would not pay for the 
prescription drugs necessary to prevent the heart surgery from not being 
needed. It didn't make any sense, did it, not to pay drugs that would 
stop the heart surgery from being needed and yet pay for the heart 
surgery?
    I worked with Republicans and Democrats. We're modernizing Medicare. 
Prescription drugs will be available for our seniors, and we're not 
turning back.
    I believe in the energy and innovation, the spirit of our farmers, 
workers, small-business owners. And that's why we unleashed that energy 
with the largest tax relief in a generation.
    Listen, when you're out gathering the vote, remind people what we 
have been through. We have been through a recession. We've been through 
corporate scandals, and that affected economic growth by the way. And 
secondly, we passed laws, tough laws. It's now abundantly clear to 
everybody in America, we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the 
boardrooms of America. And the attacks of September the 11th hurt us. 
They hurt our economy. But our economy is strong, and it's getting 
stronger. We're overcoming these obstacles.
    You tell folks out there that our economy is growing at rates as 
fast as any in nearly 20 years, that we've added 1.7 million new jobs 
since August of last year, that the national unemployment rate is 5.4 
percent, below the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The 
unemployment rate in your great State is 4.4 percent. This economy is 
strengthening, and we're not turning back.
    I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to 
protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness 
in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This isn't going to 
happen on my watch. I'm running for President with a clear and positive 
plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with 
a compassionate conservative philosophy that Government should help 
people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this 
Nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership. And that is why, 
with your help, we're going to carry Minnesota and win a great victory 
in November.
    Listen, the world in which we live is changing. Think about how much 
it's changed since our dads and granddads' generations started working. 
I mean, it used to be the man worked outside the home, and one job, one 
career, had one pension plan, one health care account. Today, people 
oftentimes change jobs and careers. The most fundamental shift in the 
workforce has been women work both inside the home and outside the home 
now. And yet, the fundamental systems of our Government have not 
changed. See, the Tax Code and health coverage and pension plans and 
worker training were created for yesterday, not tomorrow. In a new term, 
I will work to transform these systems so that all our citizens are 
equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to make your own

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choices, so you can pursue the great promise of our country.
    Any hopeful society requires a growing economy. And I've got a plan 
to keep this economy moving forward. To create more jobs in America, 
America must be the best place in the world to do business. We need to 
reduce the burden of regulation on small-business owners if we want to 
keep this economy growing. We need to stop junk lawsuits if we want to 
keep this economy growing.
    To make sure this country's economy is strong and people can find 
work at home, Congress needs to pass my energy plan. It's a plan that 
encourages conservation. It's a plan that uses biodiesel and ethanol. 
It's a plan that says we can burn our coal cleaner and explore for 
natural resources in an environmentally friendly way. But it's a plan 
that understands that in order to keep America's economy strong, we must 
be less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    To keep this economy strong, we've got to have good agriculture 
policy. I worked to phase out the death tax, so families can pass their 
farm from one generation to the next. We're working with our farmers and 
ranchers on the Conservation Reserve Program, so we can improve land, 
protect wildlife, and help our farmers. We've got a dairy policy that 
treats all people equally across this country.
    And to make sure our farm economy is strong, we're going to continue 
to open up markets around the world. See, here's the issue when it comes 
to trade. We've opened up our markets for foreign goods, and it's good 
for you to do so. If you're a consumer and you have more choices, you're 
likely to get that which you want at a better price and higher quality, 
with more products available. And so what I'm telling you is, is that 
we're going to continue to say to countries like China, ``You treat us 
the way we treat you.'' See, we can compete with anybody, anytime, 
anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
    In order to make sure this economy grows, we've got to be wise about 
how we spend your money and keep your taxes low. Taxes are an issue in 
this campaign. See, they're an issue because I'm running against a 
fellow who has already promised over $2 trillion 
of new Federal spending.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And so they said, ``How are you going to pay for 
it?'' And he said, ``Well, that's easy. I'm just 
going to tax the rich.'' We've heard that before, haven't we? [Laughter] 
First of all, you can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to pay for 
$2.2 trillion worth of new programs. There's a tax gap. Guess who's 
going to get stuck if he has his way?
    The other thing about the language ``taxing the rich'' is, the rich 
hire lawyers and accountants for a reason, so you get stuck with the 
tab. We're not going to let him tax you. We're 
going to win in November.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. This Tax Code of ours--we need to change the Tax Code 
of ours. It's a complicated mess. It's full of all kinds of special 
interest loopholes. You realize the Tax Code is over a million words 
long. That's why Americans spend about 6 billion hours annually trying 
to fill out the tax returns. Listen, we need to simplify the Tax Code. 
To keep this economy growing, we need to simplify the Tax Code. To treat 
our citizens fairly, we need to simplify the Tax Code. In a new term, 
I'm going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to change the Tax 
Code for the good.
    A changing world is one in which the jobs--the nature of the jobs 
change. See, look at your own community. Look at the health care 
industry. It's changing the workforce. But oftentimes our workers don't 
have the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. In order 
to keep jobs here at home, we've got to help our workers gain the skills 
they need to fill the jobs. That's why I'm such a big backer in the 
community college system. I believe

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we ought to make community colleges more accessible for worker training 
programs, and we will do so.
    I also recognize most new jobs are filled with people with at least 
2 years of college. Yet only one in four of our students gets there. 
That's why I believe we ought to fund early intervention programs at our 
high schools to help at-risk students. I know we need to emphasize math 
and science in our high schools. Over time we will require a rigorous 
exam before graduation from our high schools. By raising performance in 
our high schools and expanding Pell grants for low and middle-income 
families, we will help more Americans start their career with a college 
diploma.
    In a time of change, we've got to also reform our health care 
systems. Health care costs are rising rapidly. They're burdening our 
economy. They're leaving too many people uninsured. I have a 
commonsense, practical plan to make high-quality health care more 
affordable and more accessible. When it comes to health care, we have a 
difference of opinion, and it's a big difference of opinion in this 
campaign. My opponent wants Government to 
dictate. I want you to decide when it comes to health care.
    More than half of the Americans who are currently uninsured are 
small-business employees and their families. I want to change law to 
allow small firms to pool together so they can purchase insurance at the 
same discounts that big companies can purchase insurance.
    My opponent opposes this plan. He calls it 
association health plans, and he opposes them. He says that health plans 
such at these, association health plans, would hurt consumers. No, what 
hurts consumers is not having health insurance. What hurts consumers is 
small businesses don't have the same advantages that big businesses 
have. Under my plan, the same laws that protect workers at large 
companies will protect consumers at small companies. It is time to stop 
the excuses. It is time to act to give more Americans quality health 
insurance coverage.
    We need to expand tax-free health savings accounts. These are 
important for our consumers. These are tax-free way to save for your own 
health care needs. Small businesses will be given tax credits that 
encourage them to put money into health savings accounts for their 
employees. We want more people to have their health savings accounts. So 
they make decisions based on the advice of their doctor, not somebody 
working at a distant HMO. In order to make sure health care is available 
and affordable, we need to expand community health centers all across 
our country. These are places where the indigent and poor can find 
preventative care and primary care help. In order to make sure health 
care is available and affordable, we're going to spread health 
information technology throughout our society.
    In order to make sure health care is available and affordable, we 
need to do something about the junk lawsuits that are running good docs 
out of business and running up the costs of health care. I hear from 
people everywhere I go about the problems of these junk lawsuits. I hear 
from ob-gyns how hard it is to practice their profession. I hear from 
pregnant women who are worried about the fact they can't find a good 
doc. See, I don't think you can be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
trial-lawyer at the same time. [Laughter] I think you have to choose. My 
opponent has made his choice, and he put a trial 
lawyer on the ticket. I made my choice: I am 
for medical liability reform--now.
    See, I think the problem in this campaign that my opponent has is 
that it's a plan that is massive, and it's big, and it puts the 
Government in control of health care. And you can tell it's massive by 
the price tag. This week an independent group estimated the cost of 
Senator Kerry's plan would be $1.5 trillion. 
That's trillion with a T. [Laughter] And that's big even for

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a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter] The only possible way for him 
to pay for this plan is to tax you.
    The other problem is that it expands the Government. See, now let me 
give you an example. His plan will crowd out 
private health insurance, giving businesses an incentive to drop the 
health care plans they currently provide. That's the reality of 
expanding Medicaid coverage. A recent study showed that the plan would 
cause 8 million low- to moderate-income workers to lose private health 
coverage they currently get at work and be placed on Medicaid. Now, 
here's the problem with that: Medicaid is a Government program. And when 
the Government is in charge, bureaucrats make the decisions, deciding 
what doctors you can see and what health services are covered. That's 
the exact opposite of what we believe. I believe that when we reform and 
strengthen health care, the health decisions must be made by doctors and 
patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    In changing times, it helps to promote--it helps families to promote 
ownership. If you own something, it brings stability into your life. 
During my administration, the homeownership rates in America are at an 
all-time high. More and more people are owning their own home. It's a 
fantastically hopeful sign for our country when people are opening the 
front door where they live, saying, ``Welcome to my house.'' Welcome to 
my piece of property.'' Over the next years, we'll continue to expand 
ownership to every corner of America to help our families bring 
stability in times of change.
    And we've got to understand, our retirement systems need to be 
strengthened. If you're a Social Security recipient, nothing is going to 
change. I don't care how hot the political rhetoric gets; you're safe. 
Nothing changes. There's ample money in the Social Security trust to 
take care of you. For baby boomers like me, there's money in the trust 
to take care of us. But we need to think about our children and our 
grandchildren when it comes to Social Security. And I believe, in order 
to strengthen Social Security for the young, they must be allowed to 
take some of their tax money and set up a personal account, a personal 
savings account that strengthens Social Security, a personal savings 
account they call their own, and a personal savings account that 
Government cannot take away.
    Listen, we have a difference of philosophy in this campaign. It's a 
clear difference. My opponent's programs will 
expand Government. Our programs will expand opportunity. And I believe 
that is necessary because I trust the American people. I trust the 
American people to make the right decision with their own money. I trust 
the American people to make the right decisions about schools. I trust 
the American people to make the right decisions about their health care 
plans. I trust the American people, and the Government must do so as 
well.
    There are some things in this world that aren't going to change. In 
changing times, values matter. The values we try to live by, courage, 
compassion, reverence and integrity, will provide stability in changing 
times. In changing times, we'll support the institutions that give our 
lives direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our religious 
congregations. We stand for a culture of life in which every person 
matters and every being counts. We stand for marriage and family, which 
are the foundations of our society. We stand for the appointment of 
Federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the 
strict interpretation of the law.
    This election will also determine how America responds to the 
continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September 
the 11th, 2001, we fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for 
pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at 
stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. We're 
transforming our military. We're strengthening the intelligence 
services.

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We're staying on the offensive. We're striking the terrorists abroad, so 
we do not have to face them here at home.
    We'll work to advance liberty around the world, in the broader 
Middle East and elsewhere, and we'll prevail--we will prevail. Our 
strategy is succeeding--it's succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was 
the home base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorists; 
Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for fundraising for the terrorists; 
Libya was pursuing--secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a 
gathering threat; Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned 
attacks.
    Because we acted, because we led, the Government of a free 
Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders; 
Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its 
weapons programs; the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and 
more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key leaders and associates have 
been brought to justice. We have led. Many have joined, and America and 
the world are safer.
    This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and 
some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam 
Hussein's record of aggression and his 
support for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing and even using 
weapons of mass destruction. We knew he was the sworn enemy of America, 
and we knew that after September the 11th, our country must think 
differently. We must take threats seriously before they fully 
materialize.
    In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. I 
went to the United States Congress. They looked at the same intelligence 
I looked at. They remembered the same history I remembered. And they 
came to the conclusion that I came to: Saddam Hussein was a threat. And 
they voted to authorize the use of force. My opponent looked at the same intelligence. And when they said, 
``Show of hands for the authorization of force,'' he said, ``Yes.''
    Before the Commander in Chief commits troops into harm's way, we 
must try all options. I was hoping diplomacy would work. I went to the 
United Nations. The United Nations looked at the same intelligence I 
looked at. They concluded Saddam Hussein was a threat. They voted by 15 
to nothing in the U.N. Security Council for Saddam Hussein to disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. I 
believe when bodies say something, they better mean it. I believe when a 
President speaks, he better mean what he says.
    Saddam Hussein ignored the demands of the 
free world again, as he had for over a decade. He wasn't interested in 
what the free world had to say. As a matter of fact, he systematically 
deceived inspectors that were sent into his country. So I have a choice 
to make at this point in time, diplomacy isn't working. Do I forget the 
lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman, or do I take action to 
defend this country? Given that choice, I will defend America every 
time.
    Because we acted to defend ourselves, because we acted in our self 
interest, more than 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan are now 
free--50 million people. You know, it wasn't all that long ago in 
Afghanistan where young girls won't allowed to go to school because the 
Taliban was so backward and so barbaric that they wouldn't allow for 
education for young kids, that their mothers were taken to the public 
square and whipped sometimes in sports stadiums and killed, because they 
wouldn't toe their line.
    Today, over 10 million citizens--3 short years after the Taliban has 
been removed--10 million citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, have 
registered to vote in the upcoming presidential elections. It's 
unbelievable.
    In Iraq, there's ongoing acts of violence. This country is headed 
toward democracy. There's a strong Prime Minister in place. They have a National Council, and national 
elections are scheduled for January. It

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wasn't all that long ago that Saddam Hussein was in power with his 
torture chambers and mass graves, and today, this country is headed 
towards elections.
    Freedom is on the march, and that helps us in America because free 
societies don't export terror. Free societies are hopeful societies, 
which leads to peace. Free societies will join us in fighting the 
terrorists, instead of harboring them. No, we're standing with the 
people of Afghanistan and Iraq. It's not only in our self-interest to do 
so, but when America gives its word, America will keep its word under my 
administration.
    Our mission is clear in Afghanistan and Iraq. We'll help these new 
leaders to train their armies so citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq can do 
the hard work of protecting their people against a few who would try to 
destroy the hopes of the many. We'll help them get their elections. 
We'll get them on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as 
possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they have 
earned.
    We've got a great military. I'm incredibly proud of the men and 
women who wear our Nation's uniform. I've traveled around our country, 
at bases here, and I've been overseas and seen them at bases overseas. 
I'm telling you, these troops are fantastic. They are people of great 
courage and decency. The cause of freedom is in really good hands.
    And they deserve the full support of our Government. I made a 
commitment that we'll give the troops that which they need in order to 
complete their missions. That's why last September I went to the 
Congress and asked for $87 billion in funding for body armor and spare 
parts, ammunition, fuel, supplies needed for troops in combat in both 
Afghanistan and in Iraq. And we received great support for that request. 
Matter of fact, the support was so strong that only 12 Members of the 
United States Senate voted against the funding request, 2 of whom are my 
opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When you're out gathering the vote, when you're out 
gathering the vote, remind your fellow citizens that only four United 
States Senators voted to authorize the use of force and then voted 
against funding our troops--only four--two of whom are my 
opponent and his runningmate. They asked him, said, ``Why did you do that vote?'' He 
said, ``Well, I actually did vote for the $87 billion right before I 
voted against it.'' [Laughter] Yes. I don't know, here on the town 
square of St. Cloud, whether many people talk that way. [Laughter] I 
doubt it.
    They then said--well, he's--kept pressing. He 
said he's proud of the vote. And he--finally, he just said, ``It's a 
complicated matter.'' There's nothing complicated about supporting our 
troops in combat.
    You know, knowing what I know today, even though we haven't found 
the stockpiles of weapons we thought were there, I'd have still made the 
same decision. America and the world are safer with Saddam 
Hussein sitting in a prison cell. I would 
have made the same decision because he had the capability of making 
weapons, and he could have passed that capability on to an enemy. I 
would have made that same decision because I'll never forget the lessons 
of September the 11th, 2001.
    Now, during the course of this campaign, the fellow I'm running against has probably had about eight 
positions on Iraq: for the war but wouldn't provide the funding; then he 
was the antiwar candidate; then he said, ``Knowing everything we know 
today, I'd have done--did the same thing;'' then he said, ``Well, we're 
spending too much money''--that's after he said we weren't spending 
enough money. [Laughter] And so yesterday in a radio interview, he tried 
to clear things up. He said, there were no circumstances--none--under 
which we should have gone to war. Although he said his own vote to go to 
war was the right vote, and it was right to hold Saddam

[[Page 2072]]

Hussein accountable. [Laughter] The radio 
interviewer concluded, ``I can't tell you what he said.'' [Laughter] Let 
me be clear: Mixed signals are the wrong signals to send to our troops 
in the field, the Iraqi people, to our allies, and most of all, to our 
enemies.
    It is critical----
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. It is critical--it is critical that the President of 
the United States speak clearly and consistently at this time of great 
threat in the world and not change positions because of expediency or 
pressure.
    I appreciate the contributions our friends and allies have made in 
our efforts. We work hard to convince people to join us--about 40 
nations involved in Afghanistan, and some 30 nations are involved in 
Iraq. I speak to leaders of those countries often and thank them for the 
contributions their folks have made to help us. It's in their interests 
that they work to make the world a freer place and a more peaceful 
place. In the next years, I'll continue to work to build alliances, but 
I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders 
of other countries.
    At the heart of my policy is my deep belief in the transformational 
power of liberty to change the world. The wisest use of American 
strength is to advance freedom. I spend time with Prime Minister 
Koizumi, the Prime Minister of Japan. It 
wasn't all that long ago that we were at war with Japan. If you really 
think about it, in the long march of history, it really wasn't all that 
long ago that Japan was a sworn enemy. My dad fought against the Japanese. I'm sure your dads, 
granddads, loved ones did the same thing.
    Yet after World War II was over, my predecessor, Harry Truman, 
citizens of this country had great faith in the ability of liberty to 
transform an enemy into a friend. And so they worked with Japan to build 
a democracy. There was a lot of skeptics during then. You can understand 
why. We're trying to help an enemy grow into a democracy. People 
couldn't fathom that the people--the country with whom we were at war 
could conceivably be an ally. And yet because we had great faith in the 
ability of liberty to transform countries, I today sit at the table with 
Prime Minister Koizumi talking about the 
peace we all want, talking about making sure this world is a more 
peaceful place.
    See, I believe that millions in the Middle East want liberty, that 
in their silence, they want there to be a free society. I believe women 
in the greater Middle East long to be able to realize their hopes and 
aspirations in a free society. I believe in freedom. I believe in the 
transformational power of liberty because freedom is not America's gift 
to world, see? That's not what I'm telling you. I believe in the 
transformational power of liberty because freedom is the Almighty God's 
gift to each man and women in this world.
    This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting freedom 
at home and abroad, we'll build a safer world and a more hopeful 
America. By reforming our systems of Government, we will help more 
people in our country realize their dreams. We will spread ownership and 
opportunity to every corner of the country. We will pass the enduring 
values of our country on to a new generation. We will continue to lead 
the cause of freedom and peace.
    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. This is a time 
that requires firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values 
that make this a great nation.
    None of us--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'll never forget. There were workers in 
hardhats there yelling at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' 
You know, I'm

[[Page 2073]]

doing my best to console these--thank these folks that had been in the 
rubble looking for a buddy. A guy grabbed me by the arm, he looked me 
right in the eye, and he said, ``Don't let me down.'' Ever since that 
day, I wake up thinking about how to better protect our country. I will 
never relent in defending America, whatever it takes.
    Four years ago, when I traveled your beautiful State asking for the 
vote, I made a pledge that said if I--if you gave me the chance to 
serve, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office to which I 
had been elected. With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 
4 more years.
    God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for being here. 
Now you can tell them a sitting President came to St. Cloud, Minnesota. 
Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 9:47 a.m. at Dick Putz Field. In his 
remarks, he referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made the 
keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention; Gov. Tim 
Pawlenty of Minnesota; entertainer John Stone; Lt. Col. Joe Repya, USA 
(Ret.), Bush-Cheney '04 Minnesota Veterans Co-Chair; John Gagliardi, 
head football coach, St. John's University; Prime Minister Ayad Allawi 
of the Iraqi Interim Government; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of 
Japan.