[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[October 19, 2004]
[Pages 2592-2599]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in The Villages, Florida
October 19, 2004

    The President. Thank you all for coming today. I am proud to be the 
first sitting President ever to have visited The Villages. The other 
ones missed out on a lot. Thanks for having me. Thanks for coming. This 
is a huge crowd, for which I am grateful. I told Jeb it looks like a beautiful day in The Villages. He said, 
``It's always a beautiful day in The Villages.''
    I'm traveling your State to ask for the vote. I think you got to get 
out amongst the people and say, ``I want your vote.'' I'm going to give 
you some reasons to put me back into office. I also want your help. You 
need to go to your friends and neighbors. Tell them we have a duty in 
our free society to vote. When you get them headed to the polls, remind 
them, if they want a safer America, a stronger America, a better 
America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in 
office.
    My one regret is that Laura is not with me 
today.
    Audience members. Aw-w-w!
    The President. I know, that's generally the reaction. [Laughter] I'm 
going the give you some reasons, as I said, to put me in, but perhaps 
the most important one of all is so that Laura is 
the First Lady for 4 more years. When I met her again--see, we went to 
the seventh grade together in San Jacinto Junior High in Midland, Texas. 
When I met her again, she was a public school librarian. I said, ``Will 
you marry me?'' She said, ``Fine, just so long as I never have to give a 
speech.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay, you got a deal.'' Fortunately, she 
did not hold me to that promise. She's giving a lot of speeches, and 
when she does, the American people see a strong, warm, compassionate, 
great First Lady.
    I am proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. I 
readily concede, he does not have the waviest hair in the race. 
[Laughter] I did not pick him for his hairdo. [Laughter] I picked him 
because of his experience and sound judgment.
    I am very proud of my brother, the Governor of Florida, Jeb 
Bush. He is a strong, consistent leader. You do not 
have to worry about him shifting his political thoughts because of a 
poll or a focus group. And when times were tough during the four 
hurricanes, Jeb led this State with resolve and compassion. Brother 
Marvin is with us today as well, and I want to 
thank Marv for coming. I love to be with my family. I get great strength 
from my faith, my family, and my friends.
    I want to thank Carey Baker for his service, 
not only in the Armed Forces but in the statehouse. As I came up on the 
stage, Mrs. Baker informed me they'll be having a child tomorrow. 
[Laughter] Let's just make sure it's tomorrow. [Laughter]
    I want to thank Congressman Cliff Stearns 
for his leadership in the House of Representatives. I appreciate the 
service of the State chief financial officer, Tom Gallagher. I want to thank all the other State and local officials 
who are here.

[[Page 2593]]

    I want to thank Ralph Reed, the Bush-Cheney 
'04 southeast regional chair, for his leadership and friendship. I want 
to thank Carole Jean Jordan, who's the 
Republican Party Florida chairman. I want to thank all the people who 
are involved in grassroots politics. I want to thank those of you who 
are putting up the signs. I want to thank those of you who are making 
the phone calls. With your help, there is no doubt in my mind, we will 
carry Florida again and win a great victory on November the 2d.
    Finally, I want to thank my friend Mark Wills, the country singer who has been entertaining you today.
    In the last few years, the American people have come to know me. 
They know my blunt way of speaking. I get that from my mother. [Laughter] They know that sometimes I mangle the 
English language. I get that from my father. [Laughter] Americans also know that I tell you exactly 
what I'm going to do, and I keep my word.
    I enjoyed telling the people what I was going to do, during our 
three debates. Those were important debates because they showed the 
clear differences between my opponent and me. 
We have different records. We have very different plans for the future. 
My record is one of reforming education, of lowering taxes, of providing 
prescription drug coverage for our seniors, of improving homeland 
protections, and of waging an aggressive war against the ideologues of 
hate. I enjoyed the chance to lay out my vision for the future.
    Instead of articulating a vision or a positive agenda for the 
future, the Senator, my opponent, is relying 
on a litany of complaints and an old-style scare tactic.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As proven by his record and a series of 
contradictions in this campaign, my opponent 
will say anything he thinks will benefit him politically at the time. I 
will do what I have said I will do. We will keep the promise of Social 
Security for our seniors. And there will be no draft, as long as I'm the 
President. On November the 2d, the people of America will reject the 
politics of fear and vote for an agenda of hope and opportunity and 
security.
    When I came into office, the stock market had been in serious 
decline for 6 months. And then we headed into a recession. To help 
families and to get this economy growing again, I pledged to reduce 
taxes. I kept my word. The results are clear. The recession was one of 
the shallowest in American history.
    Over the last 3 years, our economy has grown at rates as fast as any 
in nearly 20 years. Today, the homeownership rate in America is at an 
alltime high. In the past 13 months, we've added more than 1.9 million 
new jobs. The unemployment rate in America is 5.4 percent, lower than 
the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. The 
unemployment rate in Florida is 4.5 percent. This economy of ours is 
moving forward, and we're not going to go back to the days of tax and 
spend.
    To make sure quality jobs are created here in America, America must 
be the best place in the world to do business. That means less 
regulations on our job creators. That means we will do something about 
the frivolous lawsuits that plague our small-business owners.
    To keep jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan. It's a 
plan that encourages conservation, a plan that encourages renewables, 
encourages new technologies. It's a plan that recognizes we can explore 
for natural gas in environmentally friendly ways. We will not drill off 
the coast of Florida. It's a plan that uses clean coal technology. To 
keep jobs here in America, America must be less dependent on foreign 
sources of energy.
    To create jobs, we need to reject economic isolationism. We've 
opened up our markets from products for overseas, and that is good for 
the American consumer. See, the market works this way. If you have more 
products to choose from, you're likely

[[Page 2594]]

to get that which you want at a better price and higher quality. So 
instead of shutting down our market, what we'll continue to do is open 
up other people's markets. I say to China, ``You treat us the way we 
treat you.'' We can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as 
the playing field is level.
    To make sure this economy continues to grow, we've got to be wise 
about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low. My 
opponent has his own history on the economy. 
In 20 years as a Senator from Massachusetts, he has built the record of 
a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter] He voted for higher taxes 98 
times in his 20 years. That's about five times a year. I would call that 
a predictable pattern. [Laughter]
    Now the Senator is promising not to raise 
taxes for anyone who earns less than $200,000 a year. He said that with 
a straight face. [Laughter] The problem is, to keep that promise, he 
would have to break almost all of his other ones. He's made a lot of 
promises. He's promised over $2.2 trillion a program--of new spending. 
He said he's going to raise the money by taxing the rich. You can't 
raise enough money by taxing the rich to raise 2.2 trillion. There is a 
gap, a gap between what he's promised and what he can raise. And guess 
who usually gets to fill the gap?
    Audience members. We do!
    The President. Yes. You've also heard that talk before about taxing 
the rich. The rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason: to slip 
the bill and pass it on to you. We're not going to let him tax you; we're going to carry Florida and win on November 
the 2d.
    When I came in this office, our public schools had been waiting 
decades for hopeful reform. Fortunately, you had a Governor who had been providing hopeful reform. But too many of 
our children were shuffled through school, year after year, grade after 
grade, without learning the basics. I pledged to restore accountability 
to our schools and end the soft bigotry of low expectations, and I kept 
my word. We're seeing the results. Our children are making sustained 
gains in reading and math. We're closing achievement gaps all across 
America. And we're not going to go back to the days of low standards and 
mediocrity in the public schools in America.
    When we came into office, we had a problem with Medicare. Medicine 
was changing; Medicare was not. And let me give you an example. Many 
here understand what I'm talking about. Medicare would pay hundreds of 
thousands of dollars for heart surgery but not one dime for the 
prescription drugs that could prevent the heart surgery from being 
needed in the first place. That did not make any sense for people on 
Medicare. It didn't make any sense for the taxpayers of the country. I 
pledged to bring Republicans and Democrats together to strengthen and 
modernize Medicare for our seniors. I kept my word. Seniors are getting 
discounts on medicine. And beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able 
to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
    We have more work to do when it comes to moving forward with health 
care. I have practical plans to make sure health care is available and 
affordable. We need a safety net for those with the greatest need. I 
believe in community health centers, places where the poor and the 
indigent can get good preventative and primary care. In a new term, 
we'll make sure every poor county in America has a community health 
center. We will do more to make sure poor children are fully subscribed 
in our programs for low-income families.
    Do you realize that half of the working uninsured work for small 
businesses? Small businesses are having trouble affording health care. 
In order to help our workers get health care, in order to help small 
businesses, we must allow small businesses to pool together, to join 
together, so they can buy insurance at the same discounts big companies 
are able to do. We will continue

[[Page 2595]]

to expand health savings accounts so workers and small businesses are 
able to pay lower premiums and people can save tax-free in a health care 
account they call their own.
    To make sure health care is available and affordable, we must do 
something about the junk lawsuits that are running up the cost of health 
care and running good docs out of practice. By forcing doctors to 
practice defensive medicine, medical lawsuits cost the Government, and 
therefore you, about $28 billion a year. Lawsuits drive up insurance 
premiums, which drive good doctors out of practice. I have met too many 
ob-gyns who are worried about being able to stay in practice. I have met 
too many of their patients, women who are worried about getting the 
health care they need.
    See, you can't be pro-doctor, pro-patient, and pro-personal-injury-
lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put a personal injury 
lawyer on the ticket. I made my choice. I'm 
standing with the docs and the patients. I am for medical liability 
reform--now.
    And I urge you to vote for Mel Martinez 
in the Senate. He will join us in fighting for medical liability 
reform--now.
    My opponent has a health care plan, a plan for bigger, more 
intrusive Government. The other day, he tried to tell the Americans that 
when it comes to his health care plan, and I quote, ``The Government has 
nothing to do with it.'' I could barely contain myself. [Laughter] Facts 
are 8 out of 10 people who get health care under Senator Kerry's plan would be placed on a Government program. He said 
his plan helps small businesses, but yet, further study concluded that 
it is an overpriced albatross that would saddle small businesses with 
225 new mandates.
    I have a better idea. I want to help small businesses afford health 
care, not saddle them with new Government rules. The choice in this 
election is clear. My opponent wants to move 
in the direction of Government-run health care. I believe health 
decisions should be made by patients and doctors, not by officials in 
Washington, DC. He can run, but he cannot hide.
    I have set out policies that move this country toward a positive and 
optimistic vision. I believe our country can and must become an 
ownership society. You know, there's an old saying, no one ever washes a 
rental car--[laughter]--a lot of wisdom in that statement. When you own 
something, you care about it. When you own something, you have a vital 
stake in the future of your country.
    That's why we'll continue to encourage ownership. Every time a small 
business is started, someone is achieving the American Dream. That's why 
we're encouraging health savings accounts, so people have the security 
of owning their own health care plan. That's why we'll continue to 
spread the ownership of homes all across America. I love it when more 
and more people from all walks of life open up the door where they live 
and say, ``Welcome to my home. Welcome to my piece of property.''
    In a new term, we'll take the next step toward building an ownership 
society by strengthening Social Security. Now, let me remind you of 
something that took place in the 2000 campaign. They said in those 
political ads that, ``If George W. gets elected, our seniors will not 
get their Social Security checks.'' You might remember those ads. I want 
you to remind your friends and neighbors, they got their checks. Nobody 
is going to take away the checks of those who are now on Social 
Security. And baby boomers like me, we're in pretty good shape when it 
comes to Social Security.
    But we need to worry about our children and our grandchildren. We 
need to make sure Social Security is available for them. That is why I 
believe younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own 
payroll taxes and put it in a personal savings account that will earn 
better interest, a personal savings account they can

[[Page 2596]]

call their own, an account the Government cannot take away.
    My opponent wants to maintain the status 
quo when it comes to Social Security. That is unacceptable for younger 
Americans. I believe a President should solve problems, not pass them on 
to future generations or future Presidents. On issue after issue, from 
Medicare without choices to schools with less accountability to higher 
taxes on working Americans, my opponent takes the side of more 
centralized control and bigger Government.
    There's a word for that attitude. It's called liberalism.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He dismisses it as simply a 
label. He must have seen it differently when he told a newspaper, ``I am 
a liberal and proud of it.'' Don't take my word for it. Take the word of 
the nonpartisan National Journal magazine that did a study of voting 
records and named him the most liberal Member of the United States 
Senate. That takes a lot of hard work. [Laughter] It's hard to be more 
liberal than the likes of Ted Kennedy. He 
can run, but he cannot hide.
    I have a very different record and a different philosophy. I do not 
believe in big Government, and I do not believe that Government should 
be indifferent. I am a compassionate conservative. I believe in policies 
that empower people to improve their lives, not try to run their lives. 
I believe we should help men and women find the skills and tools needed 
to prosper in a time of change. We're helping all Americans to have a 
future of dignity and independence, and that is how I will lead our 
Nation for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. In this time of change, some things do not change, 
the values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and 
integrity. In a time of change, we must support the institutions that 
give our lives direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our 
places of worship. 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. The most solemn duty of the American 
President is to protect the American people. If America shows 
uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward 
tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
    Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we have 
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 reforming and strengthening 
our intelligence capabilities. We're transforming our military so the 
All-Volunteer Army will remain an all-volunteer army. We're staying on 
the offensive. We will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to 
face them here at home. We will spread freedom and liberty. And we will 
prevail.
    Our strategy is succeeding. Think about the world the way it was 
some 3\1/2\ years ago. Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. 
Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia was 
fertile ground for terrorist fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing 
nuclear weapons. Iraq was a dangerous place and a gathering threat. And 
Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks.
    Because we led, because the United States of America was firm in our 
resolve, Afghanistan is free and is now an ally in the war on 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-

[[Page 2597]]

quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates have been brought to 
justice.
    We're standing with the people in Afghanistan and Iraq. I want the 
youngsters here to understand how profound history has changed because 
of the actions we took to defend ourselves. Think about Afghanistan. It 
wasn't all that long ago that the Taliban ran that country. These 
ideologues of hatred would not even allow young girls to go to school, 
and their mothers were taken into the public square and whipped if they 
didn't toe their line. Because we acted, because we upheld doctrine that 
said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the 
terrorist,'' millions of citizens went to vote in a Presidential 
election. The first voter in Afghanistan for the election of a President 
was a 19-year-old woman. Freedom is on the 
march. Freedom is on the march in a part of world that no one ever 
dreamt would be free.
    In Iraq, there will be Presidential elections in several months. 
Think how far that country has come from the days of torture rooms and 
mass graves. No, we're standing with those people. When American gives 
its word, America must keep its word. And we're standing with them. And 
we're standing with them because we understand that free societies in 
the Middle East will be hopeful societies which no longer feed 
resentments and breed violence for export. Free governments in the 
Middle East will fight the terrorists instead of harboring them. And 
that will help us keep the peace.
    Our strategy and our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq should be 
clear. We'll train the armies and the police in those countries so the 
people of Afghanistan and the people of Iraq can do the hard work of 
defending their freedom. We will get those countries on the path of 
stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will 
come home with the honor they have earned.
    I am proud to be the Commander in Chief of a great United States 
military. I want to thank the veterans who are here for having set such 
a great example for those who wear the uniform. I want to thank the 
military families who are here.
    The single most important responsibility is to make sure our 
military has all the tools and resources they need to complete their 
missions. That's why I went to the United States Congress in September 
of 2003 and asked for $87 billion of funding to support our troops in 
combat. I was very pleased with the overwhelming bipartisan support for 
that initiative. The support was so strong that only 12 Members of the 
United States Senate voted against the funding, 2 of whom were my 
opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As you're out gathering the vote, remind people of 
this startling fact: There were only four Members of the United States 
Senate who voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against 
funding our troops in harm's way--only four members--two of whom were my 
opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You might remember his famous quote when they asked 
him about his vote, he said, ``I actually did 
vote for the $87 billion, right before I voted against it.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Sunday was the one-year anniversary of Senator 
Kerry's vote against funding for our troops. 
My opponent's many and conflicting positions on this issue are a case 
study into why his contradictions call into question his credibility and 
his ability to lead our Nation.
    September of 2003, as the $87 billion funding package was being 
debated in Congress, he said on national TV, 
``It would be irresponsible to abandon our troops by voting against 
it''--his words. And yet one month later, he did exactly that 
irresponsible thing. He voted against the funding. And so we say, why? 
What happened to change the Senator's mind so abruptly in one month? 
Well, his opponent in the

[[Page 2598]]

Democrat primary, Howard Dean, was gaining 
ground as an antiwar candidate. Senator Kerry apparently decided 
supporting the troops, even while in harm's way, was not as important as 
shoring up his own political position.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. At a time of a great threat to our country, at a time 
of great challenge in the world, the Commander in Chief must stand on 
principle, not on the shifting sands of political convenience.
    We have big differences when it comes to how to protect America. You 
might remember in one of the debates Senator Kerry proposed that we must pass a ``global test'' before we 
defend ourselves.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I didn't make that up. I was standing right there. I 
heard him. [Laughter] The problem with the 
``global test'' is that the Senator can never pass it. And that's 
dangerous in the world in which we live. I say he can't because remember 
1990; the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution supporting 
action to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. 
The international community was united. Countries throughout the world 
joined the coalition. And yet even after United Nations approval, 
Senator Kerry voted against the authorization for the use of force. He 
says removing Saddam Hussein was a ``mistake,'' during one of the 
debates.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He said--well, here's how he would have solved the problem. He would have asked the 
United Nations to pass another United Nations Security Council 
resolution.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Precisely what Saddam Hussein wanted to hear, another resolution. Had the 
Senator had his way; Saddam Hussein not only 
would be sitting in a palace; he would have occupied Kuwait. And the 
world would be dangerous for it. America is better off with Saddam 
Hussein sitting in a prison cell.
    I'll work to build alliances. We'll work to make sure our coalition 
remains strong. But I will never turn over America's national security 
decisions to leaders of other countries.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I'll tell you 
what I mean by that. One of our friends in the international community 
is the Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi. I 
saw him at the United Nations and said, ``You know, I'm talking about 
you everywhere you go across the country.'' I said, ``I hope you don't 
mind.'' He said, ``No.'' I didn't tell him I was going to tell you, 
though, that his favorite singer was Elvis. [Laughter] Shows we're 
getting to know each other quite well. Doesn't seem like much, does it, 
that the head of Japan is a friend. But think about the history. Wasn't 
all that long ago, 60 years ago, that we were at war with the Japanese. 
Perhaps some here in the crowd was in that war. My dad--our dad was fighting the Japanese. I guarantee you people 
had relatives fighting the Japanese who are here. They were the sworn 
enemy of the United States of America.
    After we won that war, Harry S. Truman, President of the United 
States, along with other Americans, believed in the power of liberty to 
transform an enemy into an ally. And there was a lot of skepticism about 
that. You can imagine why. ``Japan conceivably becoming a democracy,'' 
people would ask. ``Why do we worry about an enemy that has upset so 
many families in America?'' But people believed, and as a result of 
people having firm belief, I sit down now at the table with the Prime 
Minister of Japan, talking about the peace 
we all want.
    Someday, an American President will be sitting down with the duly 
elected leader of Iraq, talking about keeping the peace in the Middle 
East, and our children and our grandchildren will be better off for it.

[[Page 2599]]

    I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for 
their freedom. I believe women in the Middle East want to live in a free 
society. I believe the mothers and the fathers of the Middle East want 
to bring their children up in a free and peaceful world. 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.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is 
expected of its leaders. This is not one of those times. This is a time 
that requires firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values 
that makes this a great nation.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. It's a day I will never forget. I will never forget the voices 
of those in hardhats yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever 
it takes.'' I will never forget the look in the man's eyes as he grabbed 
me by the arm, and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Ever since that day, 
I wake up every morning 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 great State, 4 years ago, when 
I came to The Villages, for that matter, I made this pledge, that if you 
gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of 
the office to which I had been elected. With your help, I will do so for 
4 more years.
    God bless. Thanks for coming. Thank you all. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 2:25 p.m. at the Lake Sumter Landing Market 
Square. In his remarks, he referred to Florida State Representative 
Carey Baker and his wife, Lori; Mel R. Martinez, senatorial candidate in 
Florida; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.