[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[October 29, 2004]
[Pages 2815-2821]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks in Manchester, New Hampshire
October 29, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for
coming. We are honored you are here. Thanks for being here today. You've
lifted our spirits. And with your help, we'll carry New Hampshire and
win a great victory next Tuesday.
I want to thank my friends Senator Judd Gregg
and Kathy. I want to thank Senator
Sununu, Congressman Bradley, Congressman Bass,
Governor Benson--put him back in. Put Gregg
back in too. Most of all, thank you for coming.
Laura and I are thrilled you are here. You
know, I'm here to tell the people of New Hampshire, you need to put me
back in for a reason. Perhaps the most important one of all is so that
Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years. I love her dearly. She is a
great First Lady.
In the final 4 days of this historic campaign, I'm taking my vision
of a more hopeful America directly to the people of this country. That's
what I've come to New Hampshire about, to talk about a hopeful future
for all of us. Today, our economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
The tax relief we passed is working. Think about this: Homeownership
rate is at an alltime high in America. More minority families own a home
than ever before in our Nation's history. Our farmers are making a good
living. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America.
In the course of traveling your State, I met a lot of small-business
owners who are making a good living because of our tax relief and
because of their ingenuity and vision. And because they're making a good
living, they're hiring people. We've added 1.9 million new jobs across
this country in the last 13 months. The national unemployment rate is
5.4 percent. Let me put that in perspective for you. That's lower than
the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. The
unemployment rate in the great State of New Hampshire is 3.5 percent.
Our economic policies are working.
In a new term, we'll keep your taxes low. We'll reduce the
regulations. We'll do something about these lawsuits. We will put plans
in place to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit is strong so people can
continue to work.
When I campaigned in 2000, I promised to challenge the soft bigotry
of low expectations in our public schools. I kept my word. In a new
term, we'll stay on the path of
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reform and results in all our schools so no child is left behind in
America. In a new term, we'll make sure health care is more affordable
and accessible for our families. In all we do to reform health care, we
will make sure the health care decisions are made by doctors and
patients, not by officials in Washington, DC. In a new term, we'll keep
the promise of Social Security for our seniors and strengthen the system
for our children and our grandchildren. In a new term, we'll protect
marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society.
And all the progress we hope to make depends on the security of our
Nation. We face enemies who hate our country and would do anything to
harm us. I will fight these enemies with every asset of our national
power. We will do our duty, and we will protect the American people.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. On September the 11th, 2001, our Nation suffered
terrible harm, and the pain was greatest for our families of the lost.
With us today are Ernie Strada and his wife,
Mary Ann, who lost their son, Tom, at the
World Trade Center. Please welcome the Stradas. The September 11th
families will always be in our thoughts and always be in our prayers.
This Nation must never forget their pain.
On the day of that tragedy, I made a decision: America will no
longer respond to terrorist murder with half-measures and empty threats.
We will no longer look away from gathering dangers and simply hope for
the best. We are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to fight the
terrorist enemy and defend America. We will not relent, and we will
prevail.
First, we're on the offensive against the terrorist networks. The
best way to prevent future attacks is to go after the enemy. We will
confront the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at
home. We are waging a global campaign from the mountains of central Asia
to the deserts of the Middle East, from the Horn of Africa to the
Philippines. We're getting results. Since September the 11th, more than
three-quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates have been
detained or killed, and the rest of them know we are on their trail.
Secondly, we are confronting regimes that harbor terrorists and feed
the terrorists and support the terrorists. I set a doctrine that these
regimes are equally as guilty as the terrorists. When a President
speaks, he must speak clearly and he must mean what he says. I meant
what I said, and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan doubted our
commitment. The regime is no more, and America and the world are safer.
Third, we're confronting outlaw regimes that pursue weapons of mass
destruction, have ties to terror, and defy the world. A lesson of
September the 11th is we must never allow the terrorists to gain the
world's most dangerous weapons. Saddam Hussein chose to defy the world. He doubted our resolve, and
America and the world are safer because he is sitting in a prison cell.
And that message was heard in Libya, which has now given up its weapons
of mass destruction programs, and that has made America and the world
safer.
Fourth, we're promoting freedom and democracy in the broader Middle
East. If 20 years from now the Middle East is dominated by dictators and
mullahs who build weapons of mass destruction and harbor terrorists, our
children and our grandchildren will grow up in a nightmare world of
danger. This does not have to happen. We have a duty to protect
ourselves and to protect future generations of Americans.
By taking the side of reformers and democrats in the Middle East, we
will gain allies in the war on terror, and we'll isolate the ideology of
hatred, and we'll help defeat the despair and hopelessness that feeds
terror. So we're helping to build free societies in Afghanistan and Iraq
and across that troubled region. Freedom is on the
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march, and America and the world are more secure.
Our strategy to win the war on terror is succeeding. We are
shrinking the area where terrorists can operate freely. We have the
terrorists on the run. And so long as I am your President, we'll be
determined and steadfast, and we will keep the terrorists on the run.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. To win the war on terror, to do our duty, America
needs an unwavering commitment to see the task through. In any war,
there are good days and there are bad days, but everyday, you need the
same resolve.
When I took the oath of office 4 years ago, none of us could have
envisioned what these years would bring. We've been through a lot
together. My years as your President have confirmed some lessons and
have taught me some new ones. One of the things I've learned about the
Presidency is that whatever your strengths are, you're going to need
them, and whatever your shortcomings are, people are going to notice
them. [Laughter] Sometimes, I'm a little too blunt. I get that from my
mother. Sometimes, I mangle the English
language. [Laughter] I get that from my dad. But all the times, you know where I stand, what I
believe, and where I'm going to lead this country.
A President must make America's priorities absolutely clear,
especially in our uncertain world. I've learned firsthand how hard it is
to send young men and women into battle, even when the cause is right.
I've been reminded that the world looks to America for leadership, and
it is crucial for the American President to be consistent. I have
learned a President must base decisions on principle, core convictions
from which he will never waver. The issues vary. The challenges are
different every day. The polls go up; the polls go down. But a
President's convictions must be consistent and true.
And through these 4 years, I have learned anew the enduring
character of this great Nation. I have met exceptional men and women
during my time as your President. I have seen their strength and their
sacrifice, and their examples have confirmed there is no limit to the
greatness of America. I have seen the character in people like Cheryl
McGuinness, Debra Burlingame, and Elizabeth Kovalcin,
who are with us today.
Cheryl's husband, Tom, and
Debra's brother, Charles, were both pilots
who lost their lives on September the 11th. Elizabeth's
husband, David, was a passenger on Flight
11. These women have shown that hope can be found even in the worst
tragedy. Cheryl says this: ``While those terrorists may have killed
almost 3,000 of our husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, children
and friends on that day, they did not take away our spirit, our hope, or
the promise of tomorrow.'' There is hope beyond the ashes of September
the 11th, and nobody can take that away from us.
I've seen the character of America in people like Lisa
Beamer and the husband she lost. Todd Beamer and
other passengers on Flight 93 rushed those hijackers and led the first
counterattack in the war on terror. Todd's final words captured the
spirit of a nation. He said a prayer, and then he said, ``Let's roll.''
Todd's dad, David Beamer, is with us today. I
have been honored to have met Lisa as well. In terrible sadness, this
family has been a model of grace, their own and the grace of God.
Just over a month after her husband's death, Lisa decided to take the same Newark-to-San Francisco flight
that Todd had taken. And she explained, ``I won't be held captive by
fear.'' In the years to come, Lisa's words must be remembered by all
Americans. As we fight the terrorists, they will try to frighten us.
They will test our will by their barbaric tactics. We must be resolved.
So long as I'm your President, we will not be held captive by fear.
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The enemies who hit our country on September the 11th thought
Americans would be fearful and weak. Instead, the world saw courageous
rescuers, like New York City firefighters Michael Boyle and Tim and Tom
Haskell, who ran toward danger. Michael's father, Jimmy, is with us today. Also with us is Ken Haskell, brother of Tim and Tom. America honors the courage of our
first-responders. And we must always be grateful to those who carry out
the great tradition of bravery and courage in the likes of Michael, Tim,
and Tom.
After September the 11th, the world saw strangers comforting each
other and a nation united in pride and defiance. For 3 years, the people
of this country have shown patience and purpose in the hard tasks of
history. We've risen to great challenges, and every American can be
proud of their country.
I have seen the spirit of our country in those who wear our Nation's
uniform, people like Mike McNaughton. Mike
is a platoon sergeant from the Louisiana National Guard. He enlisted
after September the 11th. He fought in Afghanistan and lost two fingers
and a leg. I remember visiting Mike in the hospital. I said, ``What do
you like to do?'' He said, ``I like to run.'' I said, ``Well, someday,
you and I are going to run on the South Lawn of the White House.'' I
don't know if he believed me at the time, but one day he showed up at
the South Lawn of the White House, and we ran. I will never forget his
determination and his courage and his sacrifice for our freedom.
I've spoken with so many of our people in uniform, from bases across
America to a Thanksgiving in Baghdad. And I know their courage and their
honor. They have fought our enemies with skill. They have treated the
innocent with kindness, and they have delivered millions from
oppression.
I have returned the salute of the wounded who told me they were only
doing their duty. I've tried my best to comfort the families of the lost
who told me to honor their loved ones by completing the mission. Like
the men of Normandy and Iwo Jima before them, another great generation
is serving America today, and our Nation is proud to stand with them.
All Americans must always remember the debt this Nation owes to the
men and women who defend us. Those who wear the uniform are people of
great character and service and duty and honor. We are thankful. And as
we remember those who wear the uniform today, we must always remember
the veterans who have set such a good example for today's men and women.
And we are grateful to our military families for their sacrifice. And as
long as I am the Commander in Chief, I assure you, we will keep our
commitment we have made to our troops and their families. They will have
the resources they need to complete their missions. As America saw on
the $87 billion supplemental request, when I say something, I mean it.
We are not in this war alone. We must remember, our cause has been
joined by many great nations and strong leaders. I've seen the
determination of allies like Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain. The Prime Minister and I come from
different political backgrounds and traditions, yet we share a clear
understanding of the threat we face and our duty to defeat it. I
remember a phone call I had with Prime Minister Blair on a Sunday
morning early last year. I called him when he was facing a political
crisis at home. I told him I wanted him as an ally, but if politics was
such that he could not commit British troops to combat in Iraq, I would
understand. The Prime Minister replied that he believed our cause was
right, and because it was right, Britain would join us. He said, ``I am
with you, and I mean it.'' That day I heard the spirit of Winston
Churchill in the Prime Minister of Britain.
More than 90 countries share this commitment in the war on terror,
because they understand this is civilization's fight. All 26
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NATO nations have personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, or both. And 14 of the
countries that have joined our coalition in Iraq have lost forces in our
vital work. In the war on terror, America has led; many have joined; and
America and the world are safer.
We must always remember the steadfast conviction of our good allies.
Their contributions and their sacrifice must never be dismissed or
denigrated. They have earned the gratitude of the American people. In a
new term, in order to secure America, I will continue to work with our
allies. We will strengthen our alliances. But I will never turn over
America's national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
As the President, I've also seen the spirit of the people we have
liberated. I will never forget the day when seven Iraqi men came into
the Oval Office. Coming into the Oval Office can be sometimes a awe-
inspiring experience. It's a magnificent shrine to democracy. They came
in--they had all had their right hands cut off by Saddam
Hussein. They had had their hands cut off
because his currency had been devalued and he needed a scapegoat. These
men had been discovered in Iraq, had been flown to America to get a
prosthesis, a new hand.
I told them, I said, ``Welcome to the Oval Office. As we helped
secure liberty in your country, we'll make sure--and you need to make
sure--the institutions are bigger than the people who occupy the
offices.'' That's certainly the case of the Oval Office. The institution
of the President is always bigger than the person. I told them that by
having the institutions bigger than the people, never again will
somebody be able to pluck them out of society and arbitrarily cut off
their right hands.
I will never forget the moment when one of those Iraqi men grabbed a
Sharpie and in his new hand that he was just learning to use, slowly
wrote out in Arabic a prayer for God to bless America. America should
always be proud that our country remains the hope of the oppressed and
the greatest force for good on this Earth.
Just last month, I welcomed Iraq's Prime Minister Allawi to the White House. For decades, he was a fearless
critic of Saddam Hussein. As a matter of
fact, in 1978, a team of assassins sent by the dictator attacked Dr.
Allawi and his wife with axes and nearly killed him. He is a courageous
man. Saddam Hussein knows the man he tried to murder is the leader of a
free Iraq. Prime Minister Allawi is now confronting the enemies of
freedom with strong determination. In the Rose Garden, he said that his
nation would fight the terrorists in Iraq, room to room and house to
house, so that the people of Iraq would never again have to live in
tyranny.
Our mission in Iraq is clear. We are helping Iraq's new Government
train armies and police forces and security forces so they can do the
hard work of defending their freedom, so they can stand up and fight the
terrorists who are trying to stop the advance of liberty. We'll help
Iraq get on the path to stability and democracy as quickly as possible,
and then our troops will come home with the honor they have earned.
The will of the Iraqis is strong, and their dream for freedom is
moving forward. The terrorists are brutal and cruel. Yet everyday, Iraq
and coalition forces are defeating the enemy's strategic objectives. The
enemy in Iraq wants to establish terrorist bases from which to operate.
We are on the offensive. We are denying them sanctuary. The enemy wants
to intimidate Iraqis from joining the security forces, yet more 100,000
Iraqi soldiers and police and border guards are bravely serving their
country. The enemy seeks to disrupt the march toward democracy, but
Iraqis are preparing for free elections on schedule this coming January.
The violent acts of a few will not divert Iraqis or our coalition from
the mission we have accepted. Iraq will be free. Iraqis will be secure.
And the terrorists will fail.
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The Afghan people are also showing their character. The terrorists
did everything they could to stop this month's elections, but the will
of the Afghan people was more powerful than the hatred of the killers.
Millions of Afghans lined up at the polls. The first vote in the
Presidential election--the first voter was a 19-year-old woman. Imagine what the Taliban would have said about that.
[Laughter]
The new President, Hamid Karzai, is a
brave, respected leader who traveled southern Afghanistan by horseback
to rally forces against the Taliban. Three years ago, his country was
the training camp of Al Qaida. Now it is a democracy, a friend of
America, and an ally in the war on terror.
By acting in Afghanistan and Iraq, we removed threats. We're making
our country safer. We are also living up to the highest calling of our
history. We're the Nation that freed Europe and lifted up former enemies
in Germany and Japan. And we gave hope to captive peoples behind the
Iron Curtain. The liberation of more than 50 million people in our time
is a noble achievement, and every American can be proud of that
achievement.
We must always remember the principles of our founding and the hope
that our country has brought to the world. As long as I'm your
President, this Nation will stand for freedom and stand by our friends
and never cut and run. I believe everybody wants to be free. Freedom is
not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to
each man and woman in this world.
These experiences have helped shape my view of the world and the
kind of leader I am. And one of the most powerful and defining
experiences took place on September the 14th, 2001. George Howard, an
officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was off-duty
on September the 11th. But when he learned the news, he went right to
the Twin Towers. He died trying to save others. On that day of September
the 14th, I met his mom, Arlene, who is with
us today. She gave me George's police shield. She asked me not to forget
the fallen. I carry Shield Number 1012. I will never forget the fallen.
God bless you, Arlene.
Time passes, but we must always remember the enemy that kills
without shame or mercy. I will always remember the men in hardhats at
Ground Zero shouting at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it
takes.'' My determination has not faded since that day. My determination
is wrong--strong. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it
takes.
We have come so far. We've accomplished so much. Yet, our work is
not finished. All of us are part of a great historic endeavor. We will
lead our country through a time of danger. We will build a world of
freedom and peace beyond the war of terror. I know we'll succeed. I know
the character of the American people.
The polls open in Manchester at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. For a safer
America, for a stronger America, and for a better America, I ask the
people of New Hampshire to vote for me.
God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all.
Note: The President spoke at 10:56 a.m. at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
In his remarks, he referred to Kathleen MacLellan Gregg, wife of Senator
Judd Gregg; Gov. Craig Benson of New Hampshire; former President Saddam
Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; Prime
Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; and President
Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.
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