[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[October 4, 2004]
[Pages 2354-2371]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in a Discussion in Clive, Iowa
October 4, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for being 
here. Please be seated. We've got to get started. I've got some things I 
want to tell you.
    First thing I'm going to tell you is I'm here asking for the vote in 
Clive, Iowa. I'm enjoying this campaign. It gives me a chance to get out 
among the people and tell people what I believe and where I stand and 
where I'm going to lead this country for the next 4 years. I'm here also 
to ask for your help. There's no doubt in my mind, with your help, we'll 
carry Iowa and win a great victory in November. [Applause] Thank you 
all.
    They tell me I'm the first sitting President ever to visit Clive. I 
don't know what took all the other ones so long to get here--
[laughter]--but thanks for being here. I wish Laura were here. Imagine this conversation: ``Will you marry 
me?'' ``Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech.'' 
[Laughter] I said, ``Okay.'' [Laughter] Fortunately, she didn't hold me 
to the promise, because when people see Laura, they see a strong, 
compassionate, fine, fine First Lady. I think in the course of the 
campaign you have to tell people why they should vote for you; that's 
what I'm here to do. But perhaps the most important reason of all is so 
that Laura will be the First Lady for 4 more years.
    Today I'm going to talk to some of your fellow citizens about why 
our policies make sense, and I'd like to answer some questions if you 
have some. Before I do that, I do want to introduce some people 
traveling with me. First, I do want to thank the next Congressman from 
the Third Congressional District, Stan Thompson. He's a good Member, I hope you put him in office. I'm 
here to tell you he ought to be the next United States Congressman.
    I appreciate Members of the U.S. Congress from the Iowa delegation 
for coming. From the east side of the State, Jim Nussle and Jim Leach, two really fine 
friends. And I appreciate you all being here. Thanks for coming. Leach 
is a longtime Member, one of the most decent men you'll ever meet. 
Chairman Nussle is the chairman of the Budget Committee, making sure 
that the Iowa taxpayers' monies is well-spent in Washington. I also want 
to thank Tom Latham from northwest Iowa for being 
here today. Congressman, thanks for coming. Proud you're here.
    And I just signed an important piece of legislation making a lot of 
the tax relief--extending a lot of the tax relief for 5 years. And I was 
able to stand on stage with the chairman of the Senate Finance 
Committee, Chuck Grassley. He's a good 
man. He went back to Washington. I told him if he'd suffer through one 
of my speeches, I'd give him a ride back. [Laughter] But he's frugal. 
[Laughter] I also told the people, I said, ``I'm really getting to be 
good friends with Chuck Grassley, for a reason. The south lawn of the 
White House''--[laughter]--``is mighty big, and we're looking for a good 
mower.'' [Laughter]

[[Page 2355]]

    I want to thank the State auditor, David Vaudt, for being here. I appreciate you coming, David. I want to 
thank the Senate president, Lamberti, as well 
as my friend Stew Iverson, the 
majority leader. Thank you all for coming. Good to see you all. Big 
Stew, looking good. Stew has got that same hair style as the Vice 
President. [Laughter]
    By the way, I didn't pick the Vice President 
because of his hair. [Laughter] I picked him because he's a man of great 
judgment, wonderful experience, a guy who can get the job done for the 
American people.
    I want to thank David Roederer, the 
chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign. I want to thank all the grassroots 
activists, the people putting up the signs and making the phone calls 
and registering the voters. I can't thank you enough for what you're 
going to do, which is to work as we're coming down the stretch. It 
really means a lot. It really means a lot.
    I'm running because I want this country to be a safer country and a 
more hopeful country. I understand that we're living in changing times, 
and the institutions of Government must change with those times. See, my 
philosophy of Government is that Government ought to help people realize 
the great opportunities of our country, not tell you how to live your 
lives. There's a fundamental difference in this campaign about 
Government philosophy.
    When I say ``changing institutions,'' I'm talking about the labor 
laws need to change with the times. Think about this fact: 30 years ago, 
most women stayed at home; today, most women are working inside the 
house and outside the house. Yet the labor laws reflect yesterday, not 
tomorrow. I believe the labor laws ought to change and have flex-time 
for workers, so that they can better manage their families and their 
workloads.
    The retirement systems were designed for yesterday. I believe they 
ought to be designed for tomorrow. Let me tell you about my plans for 
Social Security. First of all, you might remember the campaign in 2000. 
Latham reminded me of it. When they were running, 
they said, ``If George W. gets elected, he's going to take away your 
Social Security check.'' Remember those ads? Well, you remind your 
friends and neighbors, you got your check. That's the same old stale 
political rhetoric. You'll hear it again this time too. And baby-
boomers, we're in good shape when it comes to Social Security.
    But it's the youngsters who have to pay for the baby-boomers' 
retirement we better worry about. That's why I believe we ought to allow 
young workers to take some of their own tax money and set up a personal 
savings account that will earn better interest than the Social Security 
trust today, so they can be able to more likely get the benefits of the 
Social Security System, a personal savings account they call their own, 
a personal savings account they can pass on to their kids or grandkids, 
and a personal savings account that the Government will not take away.
    We've got to make sure that our worker training programs work. They 
were designed for yesterday. They need to be designed for tomorrow. 
Listen, in this changing world of ours, it requires--oftentimes requires 
new skills. These jobs are new jobs, the jobs of the 21st century. Just 
look at the health care industry. It's a booming part of our economy, 
yet, oftentimes, people don't have the skills necessary to fill those 
jobs. So one of the things Government must do is make sure the Workforce 
Investment program works, make sure there's access to our community 
college system, expand Pell grants, and expand Government help for 
workers.
    This is the kind of thing that is necessary to make sure people have 
the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. And do you 
realize that most new jobs in America now require at least 2 years of 
college, yet one in four of our students gets there? And that's why it's 
essential we

[[Page 2356]]

keep working on No Child Left Behind, to make sure every child has got 
the skills necessary to read and write and add and subtract.
    I'm looking forward to discussing No Child Left Behind with the 
American people. You might remember, there were times when they would 
just move kids through school, grade after grade, year after year, 
without teaching the basics. I don't think that's right. That's what I 
call--that's why I went to--when I say I went to Washington to challenge 
the soft bigotry of low expectations, that's what I'm talking about. 
Expectations were so low that they just moved kids through. We've 
changed that. We're raising the bar. We believe in local control of 
schools, but we're now saying, ``In return for increased Federal 
spending, measure. Show us whether or not a child can read. Let's 
correct problems early, before it is too late.''
    We've got to stop this business about shuffling kids through school, 
and we are. There's an achievement gap in America that's beginning to 
close, but there's more to be done. I believe we ought to have 
intermediate help programs for at-risk students in high school. We ought 
to emphasize math and science. We ought to expand Pell grants for low- 
and middle-income families. We want more of the kids graduating from 
college being able to fill the jobs of the 21st century. That's how you 
make sure this country is a hopeful place.
    In changing times, it helps to own something. It brings stability to 
your life. I'm proud of the fact that homeownership rates are at an 
alltime high in America under my administration. And so we got plans to 
make sure homeownership is spread to every corner of America.
    Speaking about ownership, it helps when somebody owns their own 
health care account in changing times. There's a big difference of 
opinion about health care in this campaign. I believe the decisions 
ought to be made by you and your doctor. My opponent believes that the Federal Government ought to be making 
your decisions.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Yes. That's what I call--he's got a system that's creeping toward ``Hillary 
Care.'' [Applause]
    I got a commonsense, practical way of making sure health care is 
available and affordable. I'm a big believer in community health 
centers. That's where the poor and the indigent can get primary and 
preventative care. I believe every poor county in America ought to have 
a community health center to make sure health care is available for 
people. I believe we ought to make sure that the children's health care 
program for low-income families is fully subscribed.
    To make sure health care is affordable, I want to help the small 
businesses afford health care. Do you realize 50 percent of the 
uninsured today work for small businesses? Small businesses are having 
trouble affording health care. I believe they ought to be allowed to 
pool risk with other small businesses so they can afford insurance at 
the same discount big businesses get.
    I believe in health savings accounts, individualized health savings 
accounts that provide for catastrophic care and tax-free savings for 
routine medical costs. It's a plan that you own. When you change jobs or 
if you change jobs, you take your health care with your--with wherever 
you go. These are innovative, commonsense ways to make sure that health 
care is available and affordable.
    I'll tell you another thing we need to do about health care costs. 
We've got to do something about these frivolous lawsuits that are 
running up the costs on small businesses. You cannot be pro-doctor, pro-
patient, and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. [Laughter] I think you 
have to choose. My opponent made his choice, 
and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket. I made 
my choice. I'm for medical liability reform--now.
    Let me talk about Medicare right quick. I went to Washington to fix 
problems, not

[[Page 2357]]

to pass them on to future Presidents. I thought Medicare needed to be 
fixed. It's a very important program. Yet, as medicine modernized, 
Medicare was not modernizing with it. And I'll give you an example. 
Medicare would pay $100,000 or so for heart surgery but not one dime for 
the prescription drugs that would prevent the heart surgery from being 
needed in the first place. That didn't make any sense for our seniors. 
It did not make any sense for the taxpayers. So I worked with Democrats 
and Republicans to modernize Medicare, and starting in 2006, our seniors 
will get a prescription drug benefit in Medicare. And today, our seniors 
can sign up for a drug discount card; 4.4 million seniors have done so 
in order to derive substantial savings at their local pharmacies.
    We're making a difference when it comes to health care. But all we 
do to make sure health care is available and affordable, we'll make sure 
the decisionmaking is between patient and doctor, not between 
bureaucrats in the Nation's Capital.
    It's important to make sure America is a hopeful place, by growing 
our economy. I want you to tell your friends and neighbors and remind 
them what we have been through. The stock market was in significant 
decline prior to my arrival in Washington, DC. That was an indicator 
that something was taking place in the economy, and sure enough, we had 
a recession. And the recession hurt us, but so did the corporate 
scandals. You know, our economy is based upon trust. And when some of 
our citizens didn't tell the truth, it shook our confidence and hurt our 
economy. We passed tough laws, and that made it abundantly clear that 
we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
    And then the attacks hurt us. And then we got attacked. On September 
the 11th, 2001, our Nation was brutally attacked, and those attacks cost 
us a million jobs during the 3 months after September the 11th. Think 
about what we've been through as an economy, recession, attack, 
corporate scandal. And yet, the economy is strong, and it's getting 
strong. It's growing at rates as fast as nearly in any 20 years. Your 
great State of Iowa has got a farm economy that's really strong. 
Unemployment rate in this State is 4.5 percent. The national 
unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, lower than the average of the 1970s, 
1980s, and 1990s.
    And people say, ``How did it happen? How did we get out of this 
recession so quickly?'' One reason is, we've got great workers. 
Secondly, the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. More and more 
people are owning their own small business. Thirdly, we had well-timed 
tax cuts. Those tax cuts left more money in the hands who earned it. 
People had more money to spend.
    The tax cuts also helped to stimulate the job creators. Not only did 
we help to stimulate demand, but we helped to stimulate the job 
creators. See, 70 percent of new jobs in America are created by small-
business owners. Ninety percent of small businesses pay tax at the 
individual income-tax rate, because they're either Subchapter S 
corporation or a sole proprietorship; those are legal terms which 
basically mean they pay an individual income tax. And so when you cut 
individual income taxes on everybody who pays taxes, you're really 
helping our small businesses. And when you help the small businesses, 
you help the job creators. And when you help the job creators, somebody 
is more likely to find work. We've added 1.7 million jobs since August 
of 2003. The tax relief plan is making a difference.
    And there's a difference in taxes in this campaign. There's a big 
difference. I've lowered taxes, and my opponent wants to raise taxes.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You may have noticed, he 
changes positions quite frequently--[laughter]--but not on taxes. 
[Laughter] During his 20 years in the Senate, he's voted to raise your 
taxes 98 times.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!

[[Page 2358]]

    The President. Now, all of a sudden, he's 
saying, well, he's for a middle class tax relief. Except he voted 
against raising the child credit. He voted against reducing the marriage 
penalty. He voted against creating a 10-percent bracket, which helps 
low-income Americans. Plus, he's proposed $2.2 trillion in new Federal 
spending. And so how--they asked him, ``How are you going to pay for 
it?'' And he said, ``Oh, I'll just tax the rich.'' We've heard that 
before, haven't we?
    Well, I want you to remember one thing. We're about to talk to a 
businessowner that will be affected by the so-called tax-the-rich 
policy. If most small businesses pay individual income taxes and you 
raise the top two brackets, you're taxing job creators. And that's bad 
economic policy, to be taxing the people who are creating the new jobs. 
If you want more jobs, you keep people's taxes low, not run them up.
    If you propose 2.2 trillion, and you only raise a little over 600 
billion by raising the top two brackets, there's a gap. [Laughter] Two-
point-two trillion in spending, a little over 600 billion in revenues 
raised, means you've got to fill the hole. You've got to find additional 
taxes if you're going to fulfill your promises. And guess who ends up 
paying? Every time somebody out of Washington makes the promises and 
falls short of being able to raise the revenues, they're going to tax 
the middle class every singe time, aren't they?
    Let me tell you one other problem he has with that. He says, ``Oh, 
I'm just going to tax the rich.'' Well, the rich hire lawyers and 
accountants for a reason; that's to stick you with the tab. But we're 
not going to let him tax you. We're going to 
carry Iowa and the country in November.
    A couple other points I want to make and then I want to talk to some 
of our citizens. It's one thing to have overcome obstacles and get the 
economy growing, the fundamental question is, what do you intend to do 
to keep it growing? Now that we're on the track to recovery, how do you 
make sure the recovery is lasting? Here are some ideas for you.
    In order to make sure jobs stay here in America, America must be the 
best place in the world to do business. That means less regulations. My 
opponent's plans increase regulations. I 
believe in providing regulatory relief. If you want to keep jobs here in 
America, there needs to be fewer frivolous lawsuits that make it hard 
for employers to expand the job base.
    If we want to keep jobs here in America, Congress needs to pass my 
energy plan. You can't have a growing economy unless we have a 
reasonable energy plan, an energy plan that encourages conservation, 
that provides money for research and development, so that we can develop 
alternative sources of energy, an energy plan that relies upon ethanol 
and biodiesel to help us become less dependent on foreign sources of 
energy, an energy plan that uses technology so we can burn the coal of 
our country, an energy plan which encourages the exploration for natural 
gas in environmentally friendly ways. To keep jobs here, we must become 
less dependant on foreign sources of energy.
    To keep jobs here, we've got to open up markets. One reason Iowa's 
farmers are doing so well--I fulfilled a promise. I said, ``If you let 
me be President, I'll work to make sure you can sell your crops anywhere 
in the world,'' and it's making a difference. We're selling a lot of 
soybeans to China. And that's the task of the President.
    See, you'll hear some talk about, you know, reviewing trade 
agreements. That's really kind of hinting about economic isolationism. 
That makes no sense for Iowa workers and farmers and small-business 
owners. It makes no sense to wall ourselves off from the world. What we 
ought to be doing is opening up markets. We've opened up our markets for 
foreign goods, and it's good for you. If you've got more products to 
choose from, you're likely to get what you want at a better price and 
higher quality. That's how the market works. So what

[[Page 2359]]

the President ought to be doing is what I'm doing, which is saying, 
``China, you treat us the way we treat you,'' saying to the world, 
``Open up your markets the way we've opened up our markets.'' And I'm 
saying that with confidence because I know we can compete with anybody, 
anytime, anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
    One thing I forgot to mention about the Medicare Plan that 
Chuck and I worked on, along with the 
Members of Congress, is that we understood, under Medicare Iowa's 
hospitals weren't being treated fairly. I remember that clearly when I 
campaigned here in 2000. When I was knocking on doors, I can remember a 
lot of the citizens here were saying, ``Now, if you get up there, do 
something about the rural hospitals. Make sure Iowa's hospitals are 
treated fairly.'' I delivered. So did Chuck Grassley. So did these 
Members of Congress. Iowa's hospitals are being treated fairly under the 
new Medicare law.
    In order to make sure this economy grows, we've got to keep people's 
taxes low. We need to make sure the tax relief we pass is permanent. 
Today I signed a piece of legislation that extended the child credit, 
marriage penalty, and the 10-percent bracket for 5 more years.
    And we're about to talk to a family. Bobbi 
and Ricardo Ramirez are with us. Thanks for 
coming. I've asked them to join us because I want you to hear their 
story. You know a lot of times, politicians talk or economists talk 
about tax relief this, tax relief that--but I always think it's good to 
put a face on it. Let people know exactly what the tax relief has meant.
    What do you do? What do you all do?
    Bobbi Ramirez. My husband works for Knapp 
Properties. He's a residential maintenance worker, and I'm a stay-at-
home mother.
    The President. Very good. And how many kids we got?
    Mrs. Ramirez. We have three girls.
    The President. There they are. Hi, girls. Good to see you. Thanks 
for coming. And so tax relief?
    Mrs. Ramirez. Tax relief has been a huge 
blessing for us.
    The President. How much did you save?
    Mrs. Ramirez. We saved about $1,700.
    The President. Yes. That's probably not a lot when you're working up 
in Washington. [Laughter] It's a lot for this family. It's their money 
to begin with.
    What did you do? What did you do with the money?
    Mrs. Ramirez. We were able to use the 
money mostly for our children, to be able to get them school clothes and 
school supplies and extracurricular activities that maybe we normally 
would not have been able to do, like softball and dancing and things 
like that.
    The President. Yes. They were able to use the money so they could do 
their job as a mom and dad. When you think about it, they were able to fulfill--
begin to fill ambitions for their family. That's what tax relief means. 
It not only helps the economy--just remember they said, ``We were able 
to go out and buy some school supplies.'' Well, when somebody shows up 
to buy school supplies, it means somebody has got to make those school 
supplies. Somebody makes them; somebody is going to work. But equally 
importantly, these people with more money were able to begin to realize 
dreams for their children. Tax relief was important.
    You also did something with your home.
    Mrs. Ramirez. We did. We refinanced our 
home, and we were able to--in the amount that we saved for interest, we 
didn't raise our monthly payment, but we were able to build on and put 
an addition onto our home.
    The President. Right, and refinancing their home--low interest 
rates, good fiscal policy meant they were able to improve their home. 
Nothing better than hearing somebody stand up and say, ``I'm improving 
my home. This is my piece of property.''

[[Page 2360]]

That's what the American experience is all about, isn't it? And tax 
relief helps.
    Do you realize that had we not extended the tax relief, this good 
family would have paid $600 additional in taxes last year--next year? 
See, that's $600. The fundamental question in this campaign is, who do 
you want spending the people's money? Now, look, I think we need to set 
priorities. That's why I work with Chairman Nussle, to set priorities. But I believe that after we fund our 
priorities, the Ramirez family can spend their money better than the Federal 
Government can.
    I'd like to--Jeff Henning is with us. Jeff, 
thanks for coming.
    Jeff Henning. Good afternoon, Mr. 
President.
    The President. Straight out of Johnstown, Iowa. [Laughter]
    Mr. Henning. Close, Mr. President.
    The President. Good to have you.
    Mr. Henning. You too.
    The President. You run what?
    Mr. Henning. Henning Construction Company.
    The President. Henning Construction Company. That's--since your name 
is Jeff Henning, I presume you own it.
    Mr. Henning. Yes, I own the store. 
[Laughter]
    The President. That's good. Did you start it?
    Mr. Henning. My grandfather started the 
business in 1924.
    The President. Oh, fantastic. Isn't that interesting? And so give me 
a sense of the business.
    Mr. Henning. We are general contractors. As 
I say, we have four generations. Our business and our customers have 
come to us as a result of the tax bonus act and said, ``We need to make 
investment. We want to take advantage of this.'' Therefore, our business 
has grown by 60 percent this year.
    The President. See, what he's saying is, is 
that part of the Tax Code incented small businesses to invest. If they 
invested, they got tax relief. Investment means spend money. And so one 
of the things they spent money on, I take it, was something you had to 
build.
    Mr. Henning. That's correct. We build 
buildings and equipment for our customers, and we had to make 
substantial investments, ourselves, in order to equip those troops to do 
that work.
    The President. Yes. So what did you buy?
    Mr. Henning. We bought forklifts, 
equipment, trucks, vehicles----
    The President. Somebody had to make them. See, here's how the 
economy works. Good tax policy says to Jeff or 
his customers, invest. And when he invests, somebody has to make the 
product he buys. And so it has a ripple effect. And we'd rather that 
ripple effect be done in the private sector. That's what we're beginning 
to see in this country.
    Have you hired anybody?
    Mr. Henning. Yes, we have. We've hired 56 
people additional this year.
    The President. This year? [Applause] Yes. All of them live in 
Johnston?
    Mr. Henning. No, Mr. President, they're all 
over the United States of America.
    The President. Really? This guy has got 
quite a far reach. [Laughter] He is a intercontinental businessman. 
[Laughter] Let me ask you this: You were talking to me about your 
concerns about the death tax, why?
    Mr. Henning. Well, Mr. President, we just 
went through some estate planning. We have two daughters in the 
business, and in order for us to be able to pass this on, they would 
have to sell the business if something happened, if we didn't take care 
of it.
    The President. See, this is a problem in America, and we're about to 
talk to a farmer who can relate to it as well. But it's a problem when 
you've got a family-owned business and the Tax Code forces you to sell 
it. I think we need to simplify the Tax Code, and one way to simplify it 
is to get rid of the death tax forever.

[[Page 2361]]

    Good job. Oh, wait a minute. I got one other point. Hold on. I got 
one other thing to tell you about this good man. He's an S corp. That's one of those companies that pays taxes 
at the individual income-tax rate.
    Mr. Henning. That's correct.
    The President. Yes, see, I wasn't making it up. [Laughter] And so 
when you hear them say ``tax the rich,'' think about Jeff. That's the so-called rich. He hired 54 people this year. 
And I'm going to tell you, when they start taking money out of 
employers' pockets, like him, he's going to be less likely to hire 
somebody. If we want to keep this job--this recovery growing and people 
being able to find work, we should not be taxing Jeff Henning's company. 
We ought to be encouraging his company to expand and grow. [Applause] 
Thank you.
    And my opponent doesn't understand that. 
Either he doesn't understand it, or he doesn't care, because he wants 
more money for the Federal Government.
    Let's talk to Craig Lang. Yarrabee Farms, 
straight out of Brooklyn, and I'm talking Brooklyn, Iowa. [Laughter]
    Craig Lang. Yes, that's right.
    The President. Thanks for coming.
    Mr. Lang. Thank you.
    The President. Tell us about your farm.
    Mr. Lang. Well, I'm fifth generation farmer. 
My great-great grandfather walked from Ohio to Brooklyn, Iowa, back in 
1860, and we've had that farm in our family ever since. And we not only 
own it; we also operate it.
    The President. That's good, yes. How's the farm economy?
    Mr. Lang. It's great. It was wonderful to 
hear you talk about world trade--in Iowa, 30 percent--everything that 
the farmer produces in Iowa is sold somewhere outside of our borders. 
It's just absolutely important that we're competitive as farmers in the 
world market, and your administration is allowing us to do that.
    The President. Actually, our administration is creating the 
conditions for somebody who knows what they're doing to be able to 
succeed. We can't make you succeed. That's up to you. All we can do is 
create the conditions, the opportunity, by opening up markets and have 
good tax policy. Did the tax policy help you?
    Mr. Lang. That's right, the reduction tax 
policy, the income expensing, all those things have been very important 
this year. We've had one of the best years--my brother, my father, and 
myself. In fact, it's been such a great year that we're--right now we're 
working with an attorney and CPA and insurance agent----
    The President. That's a heck of a year if you've got to hire an 
attorney. [Laughter]
    Mr. Lang. ----to make sure that at the time 
of a death, that the estate taxes aren't a burden on our family, so the 
next generation beside me can have the opportunity to operate that farm 
too.
    The President. Yes, see, that's a problem, isn't it? Here's a good 
man who is trying to figure out ways to pass his 
farm on, so he has to hire a lawyer and an accountant to do it. And 
again, this is where the death tax makes a huge difference. And people 
have got to understand out there listening that if you own a farm, 
sometimes you don't have much liquidity. And in order to pay the tax, 
you actually have to sell the farm in order to be able to pay the tax.
    I hope that's an unintended consequence of the fellows who wrote the 
death tax years ago, but it's a lousy consequence. And that's why we got 
to get rid of this death tax. We want farms to stay family to family, if 
that's what the owners choose to do. We want people to make decisions. I 
appreciate you.
    Finally, Hank Evans is here. Hank, thanks for 
coming. We've got a mike headed your way. You are the owner of?
    Hank Evans. A.F. Johnson Millwork Company.
    The President. And where are you? Des Moines--right here.
    Mr. Evans. We're in West Des Moines.

[[Page 2362]]

    The President. Very good, thanks for coming. What do you do?
    Mr. Evans. We custom build architectural 
millwork, and we build things like teller lines, reception desks, and 
nurses stations.
    The President. Really?
    Mr. Evans. Store fixtures.
    The President. Must we doing well--a lot of nurses.
    Mr. Evans. It's been a good year, sir.
    The President. A couple of points that we want to talk to 
Hank about is, one, he's concerned about the 
health care costs of his company. At least you told me you were, 
backstage.
    Mr. Evans. Yes, Mr. President, our health 
care has gone up about 20 percent on average over the last half dozen 
years. A number of years ago, through the Association of Business and 
Industry, we had a group health plan for all the members of that 
association, 2,000 of them.
    When the law changed, we were no longer able to do that, and as a 
result the level of health care we've been able to offer is not only had 
the cost has gone up, but the quality has gone down. We would love to 
see the ability for that association to again offer health care. It 
would allow us hire and attract and keep better workers and offer them a 
better plan.
    The President. Right. Was this a health care association plan just 
for Iowa?
    Mr. Evans. It was, yes, the Iowa Association 
of Business and Industry.
    The President. Basically what he's saying 
is--and here is what we're talking about, see--a stand alone purchaser 
of health, like Hank, means he's not going to be able to afford a policy 
relative to being able to have others bid with him. In other words, the 
more people you have to spread risk, the lower the cost of your 
insurance is going to be. That makes sense, doesn't it? And so if you're 
a smaller business and stand-alone trying to purchase insurance in the 
marketplace, it's going to be a lot higher than if you had others to 
share the risk with you. And here in Iowa, evidently, you had the 
capacity to do that, but law changed.
    Mr. Evans. Yes, it did.
    The President. Yes. See, what I believe we need to do is let 
Hank and his company pool with people not only in 
Iowa but in other States. The bigger the pool, the less costly the 
insurance. But Federal law won't let us do that now. And my opponent 
doesn't want that to happen. I think it makes sense to have it happen, 
because I want Hank making the health care decisions. I don't want there 
to be a great Federal pool.
    He's done something else very interesting. 
Remember I was talking about making sure the workforce training programs 
work, actually mean something. Explain what you've done. This is a 
fantastic story.
    Mr. Evans. Well, trying to find cabinetmakers 
is about like trying to find hens teeth, Mr. President. They're very 
scarce.
    The President. Really? [Laughter]
    Mr. Evans. We've had difficulty for years 
finding good workers. So about 3 years ago, we went to the local 
community college, DMACC, up in Ankeny, and we set up on an 
architectural millworker training program. It's a year-long program. 
We're training 16 kids a year now to be architectural millworkers and 
cabinetmakers.
    The President. Isn't that something? Community colleges are great. 
I'll tell you something really interesting. Think about the 
attractiveness of the community college system: Curriculum change if 
need be. In other words, if there's a demand for workers, the community 
college can change curriculum or adapt curriculum or come up with 
curriculum necessary to train those workers for the jobs which actually 
exist. And all of a sudden, here you have an employer that says, ``I'm 
going to be creative. I'm going to work with the local education 
institute to help people get the skills necessary to actually work.''
    In the old days, some of these worker training programs, they'd 
train people for

[[Page 2363]]

jobs which didn't exist. Now we got an opportunity to train people for 
jobs which actually exist. And that's why I'm going to ask Congress to 
spend $250 million to make sure industry-type programs with community 
colleges are expanded. People want to work. They don't have the skills 
sometimes, and we can do--provide skills in a creative way, just like 
Hank has done, so people can realize their dreams 
here in this country.
    Thanks for coming.
    Mr. Evans. Thank you.
    The President. I want you to know that in changing times, some 
things don't change, the values we try to live by, courage and 
compassion, reverence and integrity. We stand for a culture of life in 
which every person matters and every person counts. We stand for 
marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. And we 
stand for judges who know the difference between personal opinion and 
the strict interpretation of the law. [Applause]
    Okay, a couple of other points. I got some other things I got to 
tell you. I just saw somebody stand up with an ``Army Wife for Bush'' 
shirt. I'm going to talk about--[applause]--thank you. That's what I 
want to talk about, a safer America. My most solemn duty is to protect 
you. My most solemn obligation as the President is to do everything in 
our power to prevent harm to the American people.
    You know, as I was campaigning here in 2000, I never dreamt that 
we'd be attacked the way we were. Nobody asked for this attack in 
America. But since they came, we're going to deal with it. I want to 
share some thoughts with you. Let me share some thoughts with you.
    Let me share some thoughts with you about what I have learned and 
what I hope the country has learned. First of all, we're dealing with an 
enemy that has no conscience. Today, if you noticed, there was a car 
bomb near a school. These people are brutal. They--they're the exact 
opposite of Americans. We value life and human dignity. They don't care 
about life and human dignity. We believe in freedom. They have an 
ideology of hate. And they're tough, but not as tough as America. It's 
really important for people to understand, you cannot negotiate with 
these people; you cannot hope for the best. We must--we must chase them 
down all around the world, so we do not have to face them here at home. 
That's the lesson number one: Be relentless and determined; never yield.
    Secondly, that this is a different kind of war that requires a 
different kind of strategy. And it's really important for you to realize 
that these people--their ambition is beyond just a single attack. Their 
ambition is to take over countries from which they can spread their 
ideology of hate. That's why they were in Afghanistan. They're like a 
parasite, hopefully being able to overcome a weak host, and they were in 
the process of doing that.
    And so I laid out a doctrine that said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, 
you're equally as guilty as the terrorist.'' Now, when the President 
says something, I believe the President must speak clearly, and when he 
says something, he must mean what he says. I meant what I said, and 
thanks to our military, the Taliban got routed.
    Now, let me tell you about the Taliban. Their vision was so dark 
that many young girls were not allowed to go to school. It's hard for 
people in America to imagine that, but that's the way it was. And if 
their mothers or if the women of that country didn't toe the line, 
they'd be taken out into the public square and whipped or killed. These 
people were barbarians. And by routing them out, by toppling their 
government, not only did we deny Al Qaida a safe haven, but we have 
liberated people.
    And I want you to hear this statistic. I think it's one of the most 
powerful statistics of the 21st century. Because we acted, 10 million 
citizens in that country, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered

[[Page 2364]]

to vote in the October 9th Presidential election. Amazing, isn't it? 
It's an amazing statistic. The way I like to describe it is people are 
emerging from darkness to light because of freedom. And it's in our 
interest that Afghanistan be free. It's in our interest that we have an 
ally in the war on terror. It's in our interest that we have a model of 
freedom in a part of the world where freedom is desperately needed.
    The third lesson is, when we see threats, we must deal with them 
before they fully materialize. When we see a threat--see, in the old 
days, we'd see a threat, and we'd say, ``Well, maybe this threat will--
we need to deal with, or maybe we don't.'' But we never thought it would 
come to hurt us. Every threat now must be taken seriously. We scan the 
world, watching very carefully. If our job is to protect you, then we 
just got to watch every threat seriously.
    And we saw, I saw, my administration saw--Congress saw, by the way--
a unique threat in Saddam Hussein. You know, 
at the time, we thought he had stockpiles of weapons. Everybody did. 
Since then we have found that he has had the capability of making 
weapons. And here's the danger. Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of 
America. We had been to war with Saddam Hussein before. Saddam Hussein 
was a source of great instability in a volatile part of the world. 
Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons. At the time, of 
course, we knew he had used them, so we knew he had that mindset. Since 
then we've discovered he had the capability. And we knew that he had 
terrorist connections. Saddam Hussein--here's the danger. Saddam Hussein 
could have shared that capability of weapons of mass destruction with 
the enemy. And that's a risk we could not afford to take. Knowing what I 
know today, I would have made the same decision to remove Saddam Hussein 
from power.
    We have a difference of opinion in this campaign. My opponent calls Iraq a ``great diversion'' from the war on 
terror. I strongly disagree. The reason why Zarqawi is fighting so hard--why this terrorist is fighting so 
hard, is because he understands the stakes. A free Iraq will be a 
devastating blow for the ideologues of hate. He's called it a 
``diversion'' from the war on terror. I call it a battle in the war on 
terror.
    You cannot be the Commander in Chief of this country and tell those 
fine troops in Iraq that they're participating in a ``grand diversion'' 
from the war on terror. You can't be the Commander in Chief and lead 
those troops and at the same time say, ``Wrong war, wrong place, wrong 
time.''
    No, we have a difference of opinion. My opponent said that--in the debate--I didn't say this; he said it--
that we must pass a ``global test'' before we commit troops into harm's 
way.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Think about that now. Our most solemn duty is to 
protect you. Can you imagine taking an international poll of nations to 
determine whether or not we need to protect you?
    I'll tell you what's was really interesting, in 1991, when my dad 
was President, he saw a threat, and that was that Saddam 
Hussein was going to overrun Kuwait. And he 
went to the Congress and the United Nations and put together a vast 
coalition that I think under any scrutiny would pass the ``global 
test.'' My opponent voted against authorizing 
the use of force in 1991. So now he says, you know, Iraq would have been 
a--Iraq is a mistake, and voted against 1991--that means Saddam would 
not only have been in his palaces, that means he would have been in 
Kuwait as well. The policies of my opponent are dangerous for world 
peace. If they were implemented, they would make this world not more 
peaceful but more dangerous.
    In Iraq we're going to have elections in January. In Iraq we're 
training people, Iraqis, so they can do the hard work of defending 
themselves. We're training and equipping army, national guard, police, 
border patrol. I don't know if you've seen any newspapers recently, but 
in Samarra, the

[[Page 2365]]

Iraqi soldiers performed brilliantly. Slowly but surely, they're getting 
the confidence and the training necessary for them to do the hard work. 
That's our strategy. They're willing to fight for freedom, and they need 
the help to do so. In Iraq we're going to spend money to help them 
rebuild that society. In Iraq we'll continue to work with our friends 
and allies, and we've got a great coalition. You can't lead a coalition 
by saying to the leaders of those countries, ``Join me for the wrong 
war.'' [Laughter]
    As a matter of fact, my opponent--in the 
debate they said--he kept saying, ``I've got a plan.'' If you listen 
carefully to it, the plan was to call a summit. I've been to summits. 
You don't bring terrorists to justice at summits. I can imagine him 
walking in to the leaders of the world saying, ``We need your help, but 
Iraq is a mistake. We need your help. Commit your troops into harm's way 
for the wrong war at the wrong time and the wrong place.'' He has no 
plan. A summit won't solve the problem. Strong consistent leadership is 
what this world needs. [Applause] Thank you all.
    Two other points, real quick. I'm not trying to filibuster. 
[Laughter] Two points, to the Army wife, I say to you, one, thank you 
for your husband's sacrifice. And I--[applause]--hold on for a minute. 
You're filibustering. And we owe you and your loved one the full support 
of the Federal Government. And that's why I went to the Congress to ask 
for $87 billion of funding. And it was important funding. It was funding 
that would give our troops that which they needed for combat in both 
Afghanistan and Iraq. And the bipartisan support was overwhelming for 
the funding. Think about this fact: Only four United States Senators 
voted for the authorization of force and against funding the troops--
only four--two of whom are my opponent and his 
runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. So they asked him about the 
vote, and he issued the famous quote of the campaign, ``I actually did 
vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] And 
they pressed him. He's given about five different answers on the vote. 
He said, well, he was proud of the vote. Then he said, ``It was a 
complicated matter.'' [Laughter] And then he said that it was a protest 
vote. On national TV, he said, ``Well, that vote was a protest vote.'' 
Think about somebody who wants to be the Commander in Chief saying that 
he's going to vote against important support for the troops in combat 
and calling it a protest vote. Finally he said, oh, his vote--the other 
night on the debate, he said, ``Well, the vote was a mistake.'' No, what 
was a mistake was--he said, ``What I said was a mistake.'' No. What he 
said wasn't the mistake. His vote was the mistake.
    Finally, let me share with you about my beliefs on liberty. I 
believe liberty has got the ability to transform societies. I do. And I 
believe that because I'm watching it happen in Afghanistan. But also I 
spend time with my friend Prime Minister Koizumi. He's an interesting guy. I saw him at the United 
Nations recently when I was up in New York, and I said, ``I'm telling 
people all across the country about our relationship. Do you mind?'' He 
said, ``No.'' I didn't tell him I was going to tell you that Elvis is 
his favorite singer. [Laughter] It's true. [Laughter]
    Think about this story, though--think about what I'm telling you. It 
wasn't all that long ago that my dad and 
your dads or granddads were fighting the Japanese. They were the sworn 
enemy of the United States of America. And after World War II, after we 
won, Harry Truman believed that liberty could transform an enemy into an 
ally. That's what he believed. And I bet there was a lot of skepticism, 
don't you? There was a lot of heartache, lot of anger at the Japanese. 
``Why help them, you know. They killed some of our sons. Why do we 
care?'' But Harry Truman cared, because he had a vision that was a long-
term vision about world peace. People in America cared, because they 
have

[[Page 2366]]

deep faith in the values that makes us a unique nation. As a result of 
Harry Truman's faith in liberty, I now sit down at the table with the 
leader of a country that was a sworn 
enemy, talking about the peace we all want. Think about that. Think 
about what liberty can do.
    People like Zarqawi know the power 
of liberty, and that's why they're resisting. He's got one weapon. They 
can't whip our military. He's got one weapon. His weapon is to shake our 
conscience. His weapon is to conduct such horrific acts against innocent 
people that America loses its will and our faith in liberty to change 
the world is shaken. My faith in liberty will not be shaken. I 
understand what we're doing has got a chance to change the world for the 
better. Someday, when we achieve our goal in Afghanistan, which is 
helping this country get up to be a democracy, someday, an American 
President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader from Iraq, 
talking about the peace, talking about how to keep the peace in a 
troubled part of the world. And our children and our grandchildren will 
be better off for it.
    I want to thank you all for giving me the chance to share with you 
why I'm running. See, I believe somebody running for office can't just 
sit on their laurels. They've got to talk about what they are going to 
do. I'm here to tell you America will be a safer place, a stronger 
place, and a better place when you send me and Dick Cheney back into office for 4 more years.
    All right, let me see if we got some time for some questions. I'm 
ready to take some questions if anybody has got a question. Yes, sir, 
holding the child right there. [Applause] Thank you all.

Freedom of Religion

    Q. Mr. President, first, we just want to tell you that we pray for 
you every night, as our President.
    The President. Thank you, sir.
    Q. We thank God that we live in a representative republic, that 
we're able to home-school our children, and--a fact that we're sharing 
with Leon Mosley the other night at the Christian Coalition dinner what 
we're teaching our children about a representative republic, and he said 
maybe my little 7-year-old should come down here and share it with you. 
Can you tell the President what Noah Webster said about our republic?
    Participant. It would do our system well to learn at an early age 
that the correct principles of our republic is the Holy Bible, the New 
Testament, and Christianity.
    The President. Thank you. Thank you. Let me say something about 
religion. Let say something about religion. First of all, that was well 
done. Here's the strength of America. You can worship or not worship, 
and be equally patriotic. That's the strength of this country. Think 
about it. A free society--a truly free society is one in which people 
can worship the Almighty God or choose not to worship the Almighty God, 
and you're free to do so. And you're just equally an American, no matter 
what choice you make.
    Let me tell you something else. If you choose to worship the 
Almighty, you're equally an American if you're a Christian, Jew, or 
Muslim. That's the strength of America. It's essential that we maintain 
that strength. Thank you for your prayers. Amazing nation when they pray 
for the President and his family. It strengthens us and sustains us, and 
for that, I'm really grateful. I appreciate it a lot.
    All right, anybody got a question out here? Yes, ma'am.

Medicare

    Q. Why is Medicare--[inaudible].
    The President. She asked about Medicare going up 17 percent. I'll 
give you the answer right now. First of all, because there was a formula 
fixed by the United States Congress in 1996. This wasn't the 
administration saying, ``Raise it.'' This went up because of a formula 
that my opponent voted for, for example. 
Secondly, because the cost

[[Page 2367]]

for doctors went up. In other words, when they reimbursed doctors more 
for Medicare, your premium went up. Thirdly, it went up because there 
are additional benefits that you're going to realize as a result of the 
law we passed, preventative medicine. And it's the first time ever that 
Medicare--you as a Medicare patient can get a screening and preventative 
care. Never has that been done before, and now we've got it in the new 
law. In '06, you're going to get a drug benefit. But those are the 
reasons why. Thanks for asking.
    Yes, sir.

Timing of Troop Withdrawal From Iraq

    Q. [Inaudible]--my son was able to serve in Iraq, and by the grace 
of God has come home safe.
    The President. Fantastic. Thank you. What branch of service?
    Q. He's in the Army.
    The President. Army. Good.
    Q. My question is, is when can other parents rest easy, knowing 
their sons and daughters are on their way home?
    The President. You bet. Thanks for asking. As soon as the mission is 
complete. As quickly as possible, but we've got to get the mission done. 
I'll tell you, it's--whether it be for the sake of your son who 
sacrificed or for a son who did not come home, we must complete the 
mission in their honor. In the honor of your son's sacrifice and 
service, and in the honor and the sacrifice of those who didn't make it, 
it's essential we finish the job. It's in our interest that Iraq become 
a free country.
    Think about what a free country will do in the broader Middle East. 
Think about what the signal will send to the Palestinian people, who 
must reject corrupt leadership and embrace a peaceful form of government 
called democracy--true democracy. Think about the example that a free 
Iraq will set for women in the broader Middle East. I believe everybody 
desires to be free. I believe that, and it's essential that there be a--
an example of freedom in a part of the world that is desperate for 
freedom. If we want to win this war on terror, we not only need to stay 
on the offense, we need to help nations become free nations. I believe 
all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world; 
freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
    Yes, ma'am. You're on.

Community Colleges/No Child Left Behind Act

    Q. I was excited about your proposal about funding for community 
colleges.
    The President. Yes.
    Q. I, myself, have gone back to school.
    The President. Good. Thank you.
    Q. My daughter is 12 years old. She's been behind in reading all 
along, but since I went back to school, myself, last fall, she has 
increased and is reading above grade level at this point.
    The President. Fantastic.
    Q. My point is that that also--educated parents educate their 
children better. And that affects No Child Left Behind. Would this 
funding affect all of community colleges or merely the industrial aspect 
of community college?
    The President. First of all, there's a lot of money going to help 
people get worker training. We spend billions for worker training 
programs. What I'm talking about is a specific program aimed at 
encouraging the job creators and the community colleges to come together 
to give people the skills necessary to fill the jobs. I mean, there's 
trade adjustment assistance. There is help. I don't know if you're 
receiving Federal help or not, but there is all----
    Q. [Inaudible]
    The President. Well, full scholarships help. [Laughter] Sounds 
like--full scholarship is more than half scholarship. [Laughter]
    She said something interesting about No Child Left Behind. She said, 
``My daughter was not reading at grade level.'' Think about that. How do 
you know, unless you

[[Page 2368]]

measure? How can a mom say, stand up in front of the President of the 
United States and say, ``You know, my daughter wasn't reading at grade 
level, and now she's reading above grade level,'' unless you measure? If 
you do not measure, you cannot diagnose problems and solve them. That's 
what No Child Left Behind has done. It gives you the confidence to say, 
``My daughter is reading above grade level.''
    Think about a system in which you have no idea. And what happens in 
a system like that is--is that somebody gets out of high school, and 
they can't read. And all of a sudden, that person becomes disillusioned 
and can't find the work of the 21st century. No Child Left Behind is 
really a good piece of legislation. We start early in measuring. People 
say, ``Oh, don't test.'' You've got to test. How can you tell whether or 
not the curriculum is working? How can a parent decide whether or not 
her child's school is measuring up to the next neighborhood school? This 
isn't a way to punish people. This is a way to solve problems. It's 
essential that we stay strong when it comes to accountability. That's 
how we make sure children are educated.
    Listen, I was the Governor of Texas. I heard them say all the time, 
``All you're doing is teaching the test.'' No, we're teaching a child to 
read so they can pass the test, and we better determine whether or not 
that child can read. I appreciate you bringing it up. The first 
teacher--a child's first teacher is a mom or a dad. And you're right, 
and I appreciate you helping a young child.
    Yes, sir.

Possible Reserve Callups/Future of Iraq/Draft

    Q. [Inaudible]--I am appreciative of your leadership. We have a son 
that was in Iraq, in the Marine Corps----
    The President. You do?
    Q. ----he went in----
    The President. You don't look old enough. [Laughter]
    Q. Thank you.
    The President. Certainly, the mom doesn't look old enough. 
[Laughter]
    Q. He went in with the invasion, did 7 months there, came back, and 
he went back again. He was in the Sunni Triangle, and he's back now, 
safely, at home.
    The President. Good.
    Q. I served under your father, in Desert Storm, in the Air Force.
    The President. Thank you, sir.
    Q. Right now I'm currently in the Air Force Reserve. And my question 
to you is, I know the Reserves have more commitment and more 
responsibilities, and I'm wondering how will that look in the next 4 
years for the Reserves?
    The President. Yes, I appreciate that. Let me talk about the 
military. Thanks for your service. He's wondering whether he's going to 
get called up. Let's get to the bottom line. [Laughter] Yes, that's what 
I thought. [Laughter]
    Here's the goal. The goal is to train the Iraqi citizens so they can 
do the work. And it takes the--it will take away the need for us to 
rotate troops in. That's the goal. People say, ``What's the timetable?'' 
Let me tell you what's wrong with saying a timetable. You might remember 
my opponent said, ``Well, we'll have them out 
of there in 6 months.'' I got on him for that, because you can't send a 
signal for 6 months. Well, 6 months--so the enemy says, ``Fine, I'll 
wait them out for six months and one day.'' That doesn't do any good.
    You know, if I tell the Iraqis, ``Well, we're coming out whether we 
get the job done or not,'' then they'll quit. They need confidence that 
we'll help them do the job. These people have gone from a tyrannical 
situation to a freedom, and that's hard to do. And you need the 
confidence necessary to start assuming the obligations of a free 
society. And that's why it's essential we not send any mixed signals to 
them and that we're wise about, you know, talking about timetables.

[[Page 2369]]

    My answer to you, as quickly as possible. But the way to relieve the 
pressure off of our troops and the coalition troops is to train Iraqis 
as quickly as possible. We've got 100,000 of them trained now. We've got 
125,000 of them trained by--at the end of this year. We'll have nearly 
200,000 trained by the end of next year, and that's a significant number 
of troops and folks to help.
    You know, my opponent says, ``Well, what 
we're going to do is get other nations to send troops in.'' They're not 
going to go in for the ``wrong war.'' I know these people. [Laughter] 
I've talked to them a lot. They're our friends. They're not going to 
say, ``Yes, let us sacrifice for the wrong war at the wrong place at the 
wrong time.''
    To answer your question, sir, we're going to do our job as quickly 
as we can and make sure we get the job done.
    Now, secondly, I want to answer something. You didn't ask it, but 
I'm going to ask it myself. [Laughter] Are you going to keep the All-
Volunteer Army volunteer? And the answer is, absolutely. That is why we 
increased pay to make the All-Volunteer Army work. That's why we 
increased housing benefits. That's why we're making sure these troops 
are skilled.
    Secondly, in order to win the war on terror, we need specialized 
forces. This is specialty work. If you draft, you don't get the 
specialized force you need. We don't need a draft. We will not have a 
draft so long as I'm the President of the United States.
    Yes, ma'am.

International Criminal Court/Partial-Birth Abortion

    Q. I want to thank you, Mr. President, for not joining the 
International Criminal Court. And thank you for----
    The President. Put the mike on that.
    Q. Thank you for not joining the International Criminal Court, and 
thank you for signing into law the partial-birth abortion ban act, which 
was--[applause].
    The President. Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you all. Listen, I 
understand the life debate. And I believe reasonable people who disagree 
on the issue can come together for commonsense policy. Banning partial-
birth abortion was commonsense policy. People on both sides of that 
issue recognize the brutality of the practice. My opponent wasn't for the ban. He's out of the--really out of the 
mainstream, it seems like to me, on that issue.
    The lady brought up the International Criminal Court. This is a 
court based in The Hague, where our troops or diplomats, could be 
brought before a foreign judge, an unaccountable foreign judge, because 
of decisions made by our country. I think that would be really bad. I 
think it would be bad for our troops to have to be, you know, facing an 
unaccountable prosecutor in a foreign land for decisions that the 
Commander in Chief made.
    Listen, if somebody does something wrong in our country, we've got 
plenty of justice, and we don't need to be signing up for a Federal--
international court. My opponent would join 
the International Criminal Court.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You see, they talk about, you know, popularity. I 
don't think you should try to be popular and make bad decisions. That 
may be popular in certain European capitals to join the International 
Criminal Court, but I assure you it is unpopular with our military and 
the diplomats. It is bad policy, and my opponent is wrong in supporting the International Criminal Court.
    Yes, ma'am. You. [Laughter]

President's Leadership

    Q. [Inaudible] Okay, I'll speak louder. [Laughter] Thank you, 
President Bush, for your integrity. You're a man of honesty, and I trust 
you with my life and my family's.
    The President. Thank you.
    Q. [Inaudible] [Laughter]

[[Page 2370]]

    The President. That's kind of boiling it down right there, you know? 
Thank you. I appreciate that.
    My job as President is to do a lot of things and make a lot of tough 
decisions. The job also is to set the right example, to live, you know, 
a life that will make the people proud. I told the people of Iowa when I 
was campaigning that if I had the honor of serving this office--if I was 
given the honor of serving the office, I would uphold the honor and 
dignity of the office. And I'll do so for 4 more years.
    Thank you, sir. Yes, ma'am. They've got a mike coming right behind 
you. Hope this one works.

Presidential Debates/North Korea

    Q. I would like to know when you go in to the next debate, if you 
would just stand up and tell that opponent of yours exactly what you're 
saying today. We're behind you. We pray for you.
    The President. Thank you. Thank you. You know, I appreciate that. 
It's what you--that's about the only thing to do, is tell people what 
you believe. I--the last debate was really interesting. I mean, here we 
had a fellow who said he's for a ``global 
test'' for U.S. policy, that he thought my decision on Korea was the 
wrong decision. See, let me talk about Korea right quick so you 
understand.
    There was a bilateral relations between Korea and the United States 
before I became President. We had an agreement. We paid the Koreans, 
gosh, I think about $350 million in fuel oil in the hopes that they 
would honor the agreement they made. Part of the agreement was they 
couldn't enrich uranium, and they enriched uranium. And my 
administration found it out. So I figured that, well, if one bilateral 
relations failed, maybe the next one won't work, and tried to do 
something differently to get other nations--you might remember, I've 
been criticized as being a unilateralist, but here I am putting together 
a multilateral effort--that means more than one voice saying to the 
North Koreans, give up your weapons. And perhaps the most important 
voice in that discussion is China.
    And we went down to Crawford, and Jiang Zemin, the predecessor of Hu Jintao, and 
I sat down at the table and said, ``Why don't we come up with a joint 
declaration, a joint statement that says that the United States and 
China both think the Korean Peninsula ought to be nuclear-weapons-
free.'' And he agreed, and we said that. And so now we have China 
involved, not one voice but two. And then we got South Korea involved 
and then Japan involved and Russia involved. There's five countries now 
saying the same thing.
    So this time if Kim Chong-il decides to 
renege on any agreement, he's not only showing disrespect for the United 
States, he's showing disrespect for China. And my opponent says we need to go back to the old days of unilateralism 
with North Korea. It failed once. It will fail again. And so I believe 
we're on the right path to convincing North Korea to give up its 
weapons.
    Let me say what else in that last debate. I'm glad you brought up 
that last debate. He also said--they asked him, was it a mistake to go in--or he said it was a mistake to 
go into Iraq. And then when asked, ``Well, then is it a mistake to have 
our troops dying there,'' he said, ``No.'' You cannot have it both ways. 
You can't have it both ways. And if you try to have it both ways, it 
sends mixed messages. See, what I--listen, I understand tactics change. 
But what shouldn't change is someone's core beliefs, because of 
politics.
    All right, I'm getting the hook. I got to go back to Washington. I 
can't thank you enough for coming. I'm honored to have your support. 
Work hard, and we'll carry Iowa and win a great victory in November.

Note: The President spoke at 12:21 p.m. at the 7 Flags Event Center. In 
his remarks, he referred to Stan Thompson, candidate for Congress in 
Iowa's Third Congressional District; Iowa State Auditor David A. Vaudt; 
Jeff

[[Page 2371]]

Lamberti, president, and Stewart E. Iverson, Jr., majority leader, Iowa 
State Senate; David Roederer, Iowa State chairman, Bush-Cheney, '04, 
Inc.; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi of Japan; former President Jiang Zemin and President 
Hu Jintao of China; and Chairman Kim Chong-il of North Korea.