    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 2, 2006]
    [Pages 1977-1985]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Nevada Victory 2006 Rally in Elko, Nevada
    November 2, 2006

        The President. Thanks for coming. I appreciate the warm welcome. It
    is nice to be in a part of the country where the cowboy hats outnumber
    the ties. I can't thank you enough for coming out to say hello.
        And I'm proud to be here with three people who I know you're going
    to make sure win elections, starting with a fine United States Senator
    in John Ensign. His family settled in Nevada
    100 years ago, so it's safe to say he's got Nevada in his blood. I'm
    proud to be here with the next Congressman from this congressional
    district, Dean Heller. And finally, I'm pleased
    to

    [[Page 1978]]

    be up here with the current Governor, my friend Kenny Guinn, and the future Governor, Congressman Jim
    Gibbons.
        Laura sends her best. I wish she were here in
    Elko with me. We were both raised in a part of the world that's kind of
    like this, except the land was flat. [Laughter] But the people were
    warm. Down-to-earth, commonsense people live right here. And that's the
    kind of people we need in Washington, DC. We've got plenty of highfliers
    over there; what we need is down-to-earth, commonsense people like John
    Ensign and Dean Heller.
        I want to thank State Senator Bill Raggio for joining us today. I appreciate your mayor, Mayor Mike
    Franzoia. Thank you, Mac. Good to see
    you again. I go over to Reno to do an event, and I get off Air Force
    One, and guess who's at the foot of Air Force One, your mayor. He
    welcomed me in Reno, and he's welcomed me here to Elko. Mr. Mayor, thank
    you very much. I appreciate you and Anita being here today. I'm proud to be with you.
        I want to thank the Elko High School Band. Let me ask you something.
    You're not skipping school, are you? [Laughter] You are? Well, I'm glad
    to provide a convenient excuse. [Laughter] If you're 18, just remember
    who got you out of school today--[laughter]--and vote for who I ask you
    to vote for. If not, get a substitute for you in the polls--[laughter]--
    like mom or dad, brother or neighbor. Because see, we're here talking
    about an election that is 5 days away.
        By the way, in Washington, some of them are already measuring the
    drapes in their new offices. [Laughter]
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. The pundits have already got it figured out what's
    going to happen on election day, even before the people of Nevada vote.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. Oh, I'm used to that kind of stuff. I know you are.
    You might remember 2004. They were already picking out their offices in
    the West Wing. [Laughter] Except things turned a little differently, and
    they didn't need the movers. And the same thing is going to happen this
    November 7th. When you turn out the vote, we're going to hold the House
    and hold the Senate, and America is going to be better off for it.
        We're going to win these elections because Republicans understand
    the values and the priorities of the American people. The other thing
    about Republicans is, our values and our priorities do not shift because
    of the latest poll or focus group. We got a record to run on. See, we've
    done a lot to raise standards and accountability in public schools so no
    child is left behind. We're working to reduce this country's dependence
    on foreign oil. We're working to make sure Americans have quality health
    care and that our seniors have got affordable prescription drugs. We're
    providing compassionate care for America's veterans. You don't have to
    educate this political party about what it's like to be a rancher or a
    farmer or a hunter. With John Ensign in the
    Senate and Dean Heller in the House and Jim
    Gibbons in the Governor's office, the lives
    of your fellow citizens are going to improve.
        And I want to thank you for coming out and giving me a chance to
    tell you what's on my mind. One of the biggest threats to the values we
    share is activist judges. John Ensign
    understands what I know, that a good judiciary is one in which we've got
    judges who strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.
        So when you cast your ballot on Tuesday, your vote will determine
    more than who represents Nevada in the United States Senate. It will
    also determine what kind of judges sit on Federal benches around the
    United States. At this moment, there are about 50 vacancies on the
    Federal bench, and so it's vital to maintain a Republican Senate so we
    can confirm the men and women I have nominated.

    [[Page 1979]]

        Our record on judges is clear. With the support of Senators like
    John Ensign, we have confirmed good judges to
    the district courts, the circuit courts, and the Supreme Court. And this
    country is better off with John Roberts
    and Sam Alito as members of the United
    States Supreme Court.
        A vote for a Democrat Senator in this State or in any State in which
    there's a senatorial election is a vote against highly qualified judges
    like these. All you have to do is look at the records. When the
    Democrats held the Senate, they denied hearings to one-third of my
    nominees to the court of appeals. See, they've got a record. You can
    rest assured what's going to happen if the Democrats take over the
    Senate. When they lost the majority in 2002, they changed their tactics.
    Instead of not giving them hearings, they just simply filibustered them.
    They tried the same tactics when Sam Alito's Supreme Court nomination came before the Senate. More
    than half of Senate Democrats voted to filibuster him. When he finally
    got his vote, 44 Democrats voted no. Thankfully, we had a Senator like
    John Ensign representing Nevada, who
    understands a good judge when he sees one.
        The same thing happened to John Roberts. When I nominated him for the DC Circuit, it took--he had
    been denied a hearing when another President Bush named him. So he finally got his name up, he got in, and
    then the Senate finally confirmed him. I will just tell you this: If the
    Senate were controlled by Democrats, John Roberts would still be waiting
    for a hearing. There's a fundamental difference in this campaign. If you
    want good, sound, conservative judges who will not legislate from the
    bench, you send Republicans back to the United States Senate.
        I want to talk about two other issues that divide us, two issues
    that clearly show the difference between how we think and how the other
    bunch thinks. And the first issue I want to talk about are taxes, and
    the second issue I'm going to talk to you about is who best to protect
    you from an enemy that wants to hurt us again.
        First let me talk about taxes. Here's what those of us on this stage
    think. We think you can spend your money far better than the Federal
    Government can. Make no mistake about it, the Democrats in Washington
    think they can spend your money better than you can. And that's why if
    they get control of the House and Senate, they're going to run up your
    taxes.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. Over the past 5 years, we have done more than just
    talk philosophy. People of Elko, Nevada, want more than philosophers in
    Washington, DC. You want doers. When I campaigned in this State in 2000,
    I said, if you give me a chance to be your President, I'd work with the
    Congress to cut your taxes, and that's exactly what we've done. We
    delivered the largest tax cut since Ronald Reagan was the President of
    the United States.
        We cut taxes on everybody who pays income taxes. We doubled the
    child tax credit. We reduced the marriage penalty. We cut taxes on small
    businesses. We cut taxes on capital gains and dividends. And we put the
    death tax on the road to extinction.
        All you remember the debate where Democrats in Washington predicted
    the tax cuts wouldn't create jobs, wouldn't increase wages, and would
    cause the deficit to explode. Well, the facts are in. The truth is, the
    tax cuts have led to a growing economy that has added 6.6 million new
    jobs since August of 2003. The people in this State are working, and
    real wages are on the rise, and we cut the deficit in half 3 years ahead
    of schedule.
        Cutting taxes works. The amazing thing is, in spite of the record,
    the Democrats are going to raise your taxes. No, I know they don't want
    you to know it. As a matter of fact, the top Democrat in the
    House made an interesting declaration the other
    day. She said, ``We love tax cuts.'' Well, given her record, she must be
    a secret admirer. [Laughter] She and her party voted

    [[Page 1980]]

    against reducing the marriage penalty, against cutting taxes on small
    businesses, against lowering taxes for families with children, against
    reducing the taxes on capital gains and dividends, and against getting
    rid of the death tax. Time and time again, when she and the Democrat
    party had a chance to show their love--[laughter]--they voted no.
    [Laughter] If that's their idea of love, I sure would hate--I'd hate to
    see what hate looks like. [Laughter]
        And by the way, this attitude doesn't extend just to the House. John
    Ensign will tell you that the Senate--46
    Members of the 48 Members of the Democrat Senate voted against the tax
    cuts we passed. Now, let me tell you how it's going to work. If we don't
    have people in the Congress like Dean and John
    Ensign, who are willing to extend the tax cuts or make them permanent,
    your taxes are going up.
        Audience member. Make them permanent.
        The President. I agree. [Laughter] That man knows what he's talking
    about over there. [Laughter] He said, make it permanent. There way be
    won't any doubt about it. But, see, they asked the man who wants to be the top tax man in the Congress, the
    Democrat, ``Would you extend any of the tax cuts?'' He said, ``Not a
    one.'' That's what's at stake in this election.
        See, when you have the top tax man,
    the head of the Ways and Means Committee to be, say they're not going to
    extend any tax cuts, that's code for, your taxes are going to go up.
    That's exactly what's going to happen. That's why we've got to put Dean
    Heller in the United States Congress.
        Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. You might
    remember, we raised the child tax credit from $500 a child to $1,000 a
    child. Those of you with children understand what I'm talking about,
    particularly when it came time to fill out your tax form. If those tax
    cuts are allowed to expire, just like the Democrats want, your taxes go
    up by $500 a child. So when you're sitting around the table this
    evening, count the number of children--[laughter]--and multiply by 500.
    So if you've got four children, your taxes are going to go up four times
    500, which is 2,000. Now, that may not seem like a lot to Democrats in
    Washington, DC, but it seems like a lot to those of us on this stage.
    That's why you're going to get Dean Heller and
    John Ensign back to Washington, and we're
    going to keep your taxes low.
        This election is taking place at an historic time for this country.
    When our children and grandchildren look back on this period, one
    question will overwhelm all the rest: Did we do everything in our power
    to fight and win the war on terror? That's the fundamental question
    facing this country right now.
        We face an enemy that's brutal. I wish I could tell you we weren't
    at war, but we are. I think about this every day. I understand there's
    an enemy that wants to attack us, and the most important responsibility
    I have and the most important responsibility people elected to
    Government in Washington have is to protect you. It is the fundamental
    responsibility of the Federal Government, and we face an enemy that's
    brutal. They have no conscience; they kill to achieve ideological goals.
        They have an ideology. It's an ideology based upon hate. They do not
    believe in freedom. They don't believe in freedom to worship. They don't
    believe in freedom to speak. They don't believe in freedom of dissent.
    They don't believe in freedom for women. We believe in the exact
    opposite, and that's why they consider us their enemy. And because we're
    not going to change, they will continue to try to inflict damage on the
    American people.
        Let me tell you, my most important job is to protect you at home. We
    got to be right 100 percent of the time to do so, and the enemy only has
    to be right one time, and that's the challenge. And so after

    [[Page 1981]]

    9/11, I decided to review all the tools available for our professionals,
    and if they didn't have them, let them have them so they can protect
    you. See, this is a different kind of war. In old times, you could
    measure progress based upon territories seized or the number of
    airplanes shot down or the number of ships sunk. In this kind of war, in
    order to protect you, we got to know what the enemy is thinking. We've
    got to know what's on their mind, and we've got to make sure our
    professionals have got the capacity to be able to protect you.
        And so I saw walls that prevented the intelligence folks from
    sharing information with the law enforcement people. I know that it's
    hard for you to believe. But that's what had happened over time. And so
    you had a professional say, ``I know something that the enemy is
    thinking,'' but you couldn't give it to law enforcement. And that's why
    I asked the Congress to pass the PATRIOT Act, which tore down the wall
    and, at the same time, protected your civil liberties.
        Right after 9/11, the Senate voted 98 to 1 to put the law in place.
    However, when it came up for renewal in 2005, they filibustered. As a
    matter of fact, your Senator--not this one, but
    the other one--[laughter]--bragged, ``We killed the PATRIOT Act.''
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. That's what he said, ``We
    killed the PATRIOT Act.'' Well fortunately, they didn't kill the PATRIOT
    Act. I was able to sign it into law. Most of the House Democrats voted
    against the bill. And so you had a Senate bragging, we tried to kill
    it--a leading Democrat. You can get a sense that there's a difference of
    opinion.
        When I found out that we had the capacity to listen to phone calls
    on Al Qaida and affiliates that they're making inside the country, I
    said, ``Let's do that.'' In this new kind of war, if Al Qaida is making
    that phone call in the country, we want to know why, in order to be able
    to protect you. Ninety percent of the House Democrats voted against that
    bill.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. See, there's just a different mindset. The people in
    Elko, Nevada, have got to understand that the people--a lot of people in
    Washington, particularly the Democrats, don't share the same point of
    view we do when it comes time to protecting you.
        We're picking a lot of these people up off the battlefield, and I
    think it's important for us to know what they know. See, we picked up a
    man named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed; the
    intelligence folks think he was the mastermind of the September the 11th
    attacks. And when we had him in our custody, I approved of a CIA program
    to question him. I tell you why I did it. If he had knowledge of the
    September the 11th attacks, we needed to know if he had knowledge of
    another attack.
        Audience members. Yes!
        The President. Our most important job is to protect you from attack.
    This capacity to detain these terrorists and question them came up in
    front of the House and the Senate. The vast majority of Democrats voted
    against giving us the tools necessary to protect you.
        In all these vital measures for protecting you in this war on
    terror, the Democrats in Washington follow a simple philosophy: Just say
    no. [Laughter]
        When it comes to listening on the terrorists, what's the Democrats'
    answer: Just say no.
        When it comes to detaining terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer?
        Audience members. Just say no!
        The President. Yes, when it comes to questioning terrorists, what's
    the Democrats' answer?
        Audience members. Just say no!
        The President. When it comes to trying the terrorists, what the
    Democrats' answer?
        Audience members. Just say no!

    [[Page 1982]]

        The President. When it comes to trying the terrorists, what's the
    Democrats' answer?
        Audience members. Just say no!
        The President. So when the Democrats ask you for their vote on
    November the 7th, what's your answer?
        Audience members. Just say no!
        The President. John Ensign and Dean
    Heller will make sure the professionals have the
    tools necessary to do their jobs to protect you. The best way to protect
    you, however, is to go on the offense and defeat the enemy overseas so
    we do not have to face them here at home.
        One of the lessons of September the 11th is, when this Nation sees a
    threat, we must take it seriously, before it comes home to haunt us.
    When we see a threat, you just can't ignore it anymore. If you see
    something that's brewing out there, we're going to have to deal with it.
    I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein; members of
    both political parties saw the same threat in Saddam Hussein; the United
    Nations saw the threat in Saddam Hussein. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein
    was the right decision.
        And now Iraq is the central front in this war on terror. See, we're
    in a global conflict. If the goal is to defeat the enemy overseas so we
    don't have to face them here, we confront the enemy where we find them.
    And the central front of this global war is Iraq. Oh, there's all kinds
    of opinions in Washington about this. The predominant opinion amongst
    the Democrats is, Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror. They
    just couldn't be more wrong.
        But don't take my word for it. Take the word of Usama bin Laden. He calls this fight the third world war. Usama
    bin Laden has said that victory for the terrorists in Iraq will mean
    America's defeat and disgrace forever.
        Or listen to the words of leading Democrats in Washington. Here is
    what one woman said. She said, ``The President
    says that fighting them there makes it less likely we'll have to fight
    them here''--that's exactly what I say. She said, ``The opposite is
    true. Because we're fighting them there, it may become more likely that
    we have to fight them here.''
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. You do not create terrorism by fighting the
    terrorists. Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war with us. I
    would remind that Democrat that we were not in Iraq when the terrorists
    struck the World Trade Center in 1993; we were not in Iraq when they
    blew up the Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; we were not in Iraq when
    they blew up the USS Cole; and we were not in Iraq on September the
    11th, 2001, when they killed nearly 3,000 of our citizens.
        The best way to protect the American people is to stay on the
    offense and bring these terrorists to justice before they hurt us again.
    Our goal in Iraq is victory. If I didn't think we could win in Iraq, I
    wouldn't have our sons and daughters there.
        The mothers and fathers of our troops have got to understand that
    the cause is noble and just, and the sacrifice is important. And if I
    didn't believe we could succeed the mission, I'd pull them out. But I
    know we can succeed, and success is a government that can defend itself
    and govern itself and sustain itself, a new democracy in Iraq, in the
    heart of the Middle East.
        But this is a tough fight. This is a tough fight because the enemy
    understands the stakes. This is a tough fight because we face an enemy
    that kills innocent people in order to achieve their objective. This is
    a tough fight because the enemy knows when they get images of carnage on
    our television screens, it causes some Americans to wonder whether it's
    worth it. But they don't understand this administration, and the enemy
    doesn't understand our country. We will never run from thugs and
    assassins.

    [[Page 1983]]

        And we've got a plan to defeat them. Our commanders are constantly
    adjusting our tactics on the ground. We're staying ahead of the enemy.
    We're inflicting damage. And at the same time, we're helping this young
    Iraqi democracy succeed. We've got tremendous stuff going for us,
    starting with the finest United States military ever assembled.
        And whether or not you agree with my decision to go into Iraq, all
    Americans owe a debt of gratitude for the men and women who wear the
    uniform of our military. And I know Dean and
    Ensign will join me in making sure they have
    all the equipment and all the support necessary to do the jobs that I
    have asked them to do.
        We've got--also got something. We've got brave Iraqis who want to
    succeed. These people have suffered unspeakable violence. And yet they
    want a government of and by and for the people. Remember, it was 12
    million people--nearly 12 million people defied the car bombers and
    assassins to make a declaration, they want to be free. I was pleased
    with the results, but I wasn't surprised. I'll tell you why. One, I
    believe in an Almighty. Two, I believe a great gift of the Almighty is
    freedom. Three, I believe freedom is universal.
        So we'll help them on the political front. We'll help their economy
    grow, and we'll train Iraqi troops and Iraqi police so they can take the
    fight. And that's what's happening. Matter of fact, the only way we can
    lose is if we leave before the job is done.
        Oh, I've heard the Democrats. I'm sure you have too. If you listen
    for their plan on Iraq, they don't have one. On this crucial issue
    facing the country, they don't have a plan for victory. And I want to
    remind our fellow citizens, harsh criticism and second-guessing is not a
    plan.
        Oh, they've got some ideas. Some of their leaders say we ought to
    pull out right now. Others suggest we withdraw on a specific date, even
    though the job might not be done. One of the House leaders, Democrat
    House leaders said, why don't we move the troops to an island 5,000
    miles away. [Laughter] Nineteen House Democrats said they're going to
    cut off the funds for our troops in Iraq. One of John Ensign's fellow Senators, a
    Democrat lady, she said, ``We haven't coalesced around a single plan,
    but we're in general agreement on the basic principles.'' She's right;
    they're in general agreement about this: Get out of Iraq before the job
    is done, is what their message is. I'm not saying these people are
    unpatriotic; I'm saying they're wrong.
        You can't win a war if you're unwilling to fight the war. Retreat
    from Iraq before the job is done would embolden the enemy and make this
    country more vulnerable. Unlike other wars we have fought, this one is
    different. If we leave Iraq before the job is done, the enemy will
    follow us here. Leaving Iraq before the job is done would provide a
    tremendous propaganda boost for these killers, which would enable them
    to recruit more. Leaving before the job was done would dash the hopes of
    millions of people who simply want to live in peace, millions of people
    in the Middle East who hunger for something other than their extremist
    and radical agenda. And leaving before the job is done would dishonor
    the sacrifice of the men and women who wear our uniform. And that is why
    we'll win in Iraq.
        I want to tell you something. If we leave before the job is done in
    Iraq, the consequences of that decision will be felt for generations.
    Our enemies have made it clear that they believe we don't have the
    stomach for the fight, and that it's just a matter of time before we
    abandon our commitments. And that's something they want us to do because
    they need to establish new safe haven from which to launch further
    attacks, a safe haven like that which they had in Afghanistan, where
    they trained thousands of killers and plot--and planned the attacks of
    September the 11th. They have made it clear they want to topple moderate
    governments in the Middle East.

    [[Page 1984]]

    They've made it clear that they would like to use oil as an economic
    weapon against countries which stand against them.
        Now you can imagine all that with a nation that doesn't like America
    with a nuclear weapon. And 20 or 30 years from now, people will look
    back at this period of time, and they'll ask, ``What happened to those
    folks in 2006? How come they couldn't see the impending danger for a
    generation of Americans? What in the world clouded their vision to the
    threats that the free world would face?''
        I'm going to tell you something: I see the threat. I understand the
    consequences of retreat. I understand what will happen if America tries
    to isolate ourselves off from the problems of the world, and that is why
    we will support our troops. We will stand, and we will fight in Iraq,
    and we will win.
        And a victory will be a blow to these extremists and radicals. A
    victory will say to rational, moderate people, we hear your cries for a
    peaceful life. A victory will mean we'll have allies in the war on
    terror. A victory will prevent them from spreading their radical view
    across the Middle East.
        You know, we've got a lot going for us. We got great courage. We've
    got a fantastic country and a great military. We got something else
    going for us, and that is the power of liberty. I want to share a quick
    story with you. It's the story about Prime Minister Koizumi, who was sitting Prime Minister at the time, and my
    trip to Elvis's place. [Laughter] See, I went down to Memphis with the
    Prime Minister of Japan. People say, ``Why did you go to Elvis's
    place?'' Well, Laura and I hadn't been on a trip
    for a while--[laughter]--and Prime Minister Koizumi wanted to go to
    Elvis's place. He liked Elvis. Like probably some of you, he thought
    Elvis was cool. [Laughter]
        But I also wanted to tell a story. I wanted to tell a story to
    generations of Americans who really haven't thought much about the
    consequences of World War II. See, like your relatives, my dad joined the Navy after our country was attacked.
    That's what's happening today, by the way. Thousands of young Americans
    have joined the military; many have reenlisted; a lot are continuing to
    join, because they understand the Nation was under attack.
        Same thing happened in the forties. And like your relatives and my
    dad, thousands fought--thousands died in a
    bloody conflict. I think it's--found it really interesting when I was
    flying on Air Force One to Memphis, talking to the Prime
    Minister of the former enemy about keeping
    the peace. See, we were talking about North Korea, how we can work
    together to make sure the Korean Peninsula is nuclear weapons-free. We
    were talking about the fact that Japan has 1,000 troops in Iraq. See,
    the Prime Minister knows what I know, that when you find a young
    democracy that's willing to reject extremists and radicals, it's in our
    interest, it's in our mutual interests as free societies to support
    societies based upon liberty. We talked about the scourge of HIV/AIDS on
    the continent of Africa, and why our nations ought to be involved with
    helping to eradicate that pandemic. To whom much is given, much is
    required. See, that's what we were talking about, the peace.
        Isn't it interesting? My dad fought the
    Japanese, and his son is talking about keeping the peace. Something
    happened. What happened was, Japan adopted a Japanese-style democracy.
    The lesson is, liberty has got the capacity to transform enemies into
    allies. Liberty has got the capacity to transform a region of
    hopelessness and despair into a region of light and optimism. The best
    way to defeat this enemy in the long run is to deny them the recruiting
    tools and recruitments made possible by resentment and hatred. Liberty
    is a powerful force.
        Someday elected officials in the United States will be sitting down
    with duly elected leaders in the Middle East talking about how to keep
    the peace, and a generation

    [[Page 1985]]

    of Americans is going to be better off for it.
        The stakes are high in the election. And I thank you for giving me a
    chance to come and visit with you and talk about the stakes. And I ask
    you to go--go from here and find fellow Republicans and discerning
    Democrats and wise independents, and tell them we have an obligation to
    vote, and make sure they clearly understand the stakes. If you want your
    taxes low, if you want more money in your pocket so you can save, spend,
    or invest, vote for John Ensign and Dean
    Heller.
        Remind them that we're at war. And if you want your Government to do
    everything in our power to protect you and to stay on the offense and to
    lay the foundation of peace for generations to come, you vote for Dean
    Heller and you vote for John Ensign.
        I can't wait to tell Laura how much fun it
    was to come to Elko. You got beautiful country here, and you got great
    people. And it's my honor to be with you.
        God bless you, and God bless the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:35 p.m. at the Elko Regional Airport. In
    his remarks, he referred to Mayor Michael J. Franzoia of Elko, NV, and
    his wife, Anita; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin
    Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization; and former Prime
    Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.