[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[October 30, 2004]
[Pages 2849-2850]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
October 30, 2004

    Good morning. In just a few days, Americans will choose who will 
lead our country during a time of war and economic opportunity. And the 
choice on Tuesday comes down to a few issues of great consequence. The 
first choice is the most important, because all our progress depends on 
our safety.
    Since September the 11th, 2001, I have led a relentless campaign 
against the terrorists. We have strengthened homeland security. We 
removed terror regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are on the offensive 
around the world, because the best way to prevent future attacks is to 
go after the enemy.
    My opponent has a different view. Senator 
Kerry says September the 11th didn't change him much, and his policies 
make that clear. He says the war on terror is primarily an intelligence 
and law enforcement operation. He has proposed what he calls a ``global 
test'' that would give foreign governments a veto over American security 
decisions. And when our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq needed funding 
for body armor and bullets, Senator Kerry voted against it.
    The direction of the war on terror is at stake in the election of 
2004. And when you go to the polls on Tuesday, remember this: I will do 
whatever it takes to defend America and prevail in the war on terror, 
and I will always support the men and women who do the fighting.
    The second choice in this election concerns your family budget. As a 
candidate, I pledged to lower taxes for families, and I have kept my 
word. We doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, and 
dropped the lowest tax bracket to 10 percent. Now working families keep 
more of their paychecks, and America's economy is growing faster than 
any other among major industrialized nations.
    My opponent voted against all our tax 
relief for working families. His votes would have squeezed about $2,000 
more in taxes from the average middle-class family. Now Senator Kerry is 
promising to increase Federal spending by more than $2.2 trillion. And 
to pay for all that new spending, he would have to raise taxes on 
American families. I will keep your taxes low because I know it's not 
the Government's money; it's your family's money.
    The third choice in this election involves your quality of life. As 
President, I signed historic education reforms to bring high standards 
to the classroom and make schools accountable to parents, and our 
children are making progress in reading and math. We've strengthened 
Medicare, created health savings accounts, and expanded community health 
centers to help

[[Page 2850]]

more Americans get health care. I'm proposing a series of practical 
reforms to make health care more affordable and accessible by expanding 
health savings accounts, allowing association health plans, and 
protecting patients and doctors from junk and frivolous lawsuits.
    My opponent has a different approach. 
Senator Kerry voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, but he has pledged 
to weaken the accountability standards. He's voted 10 times against 
medical liability reform. And now, he's proposing a big-Government 
health care plan that would do nothing about rising health costs and 
would cause millions of Americans to lose their private health insurance 
and end up on Government programs.
    Finally, this election presents a choice on the values that keep our 
families strong. I believe marriage is a sacred commitment, and I will 
always defend it. I will continue to appoint judges who strictly 
interpret the law. And I will keep working to move this goodhearted 
nation toward a culture of life.
    On these issues, my opponent and I are 
miles apart. Senator Kerry was part of an out-of-the-mainstream minority 
that voted against the Defense of Marriage Act. He believes there ought 
to be a liberal litmus test for judicial appointments. He voted against 
banning the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion. I believe that 
reasonable people can find common ground on difficult issues, and I will 
continue reaching out and bringing Americans together to protect our 
deepest held values.
    All of these choices make this one of the most important elections 
in our history. These past 4 years, you have seen how I do my job. Even 
when you might not agree with me, you know where I stand, what I 
believe, and what I intend to do. Soon, the decision will be in your 
hands. And however you decide, I urge you to get out and vote on 
Tuesday.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on October 29 in the Cabinet 
Room for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 30. The transcript was made 
available by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 29 but was 
embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.