    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 3, 2006]
    [Pages 1993-2000]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Missouri Victory 2006 Rally in Joplin, Missouri
    November 3, 2006

        The President. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's good to be here in
    Joplin.
        Audience members. Welcome to Missouri, George W. Bush! Welcome to
    Missouri, George W. Bush!
        The President. As I was saying--[laughter]--it's good to be back
    here in southwest Missouri. I like coming here. You've got pretty
    countryside, and you've got hard-working, commonsense people. And that's
    what you need in the United States Senate, someone with common sense,
    someone who brings good, sound Missouri values to the United States
    Senate, someone who has got the right priorities, starting with his
    family, in the United States Senate. And that someone is Jim
    Talent.
        I appreciate you coming. I appreciate your interest in this
    campaign, and I urge you to do your duty as a citizen and vote. And when
    you vote, your vote is not only going to be good for Missouri; it's
    going to be good for the United States when you send Jim Talent back to the Senate.
        There's unanimity in my family about who ought to be your Senator
    from Missouri; Laura believes that Jim
    Talent ought to be the Senator from Missouri
    as well. She's not with me today; she's campaigning elsewhere. Tomorrow
    evening, however, I'm going to celebrate with her her 60th birthday
    party. But don't tell anybody. [Laughter] I want it to be a surprise.
    [Laughter] She sends her love. She sends her thanks. She knows what I
    know: Jim Talent is about as fine a United States Senator as you'll ever
    have.
        I'm proud to be with your Governor. I was a
    Governor one time, but I didn't look as young as he looks. [Laughter]
    But he's doing a fine job, and you did a smart thing by sending him to
    the statehouse. I'm proud to be with the Governor's father, Majority Whip Roy Blunt, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt's
    son Charlie, and today
    happens to be his second birthday. And from the looks of things, he's
    trying to figure it out. [Laughter]
        I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder for joining us today. Your mayor, Jon Tupper, is joining us today. Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming. Party
    Chairman Doug Russell, all the grassroots
    activists, I thank you for coming. Grassroots activists are those who
    put up the signs, make the phone calls, put the envelopes in the mail.
    In other words, you're the ones who are going to join Jim Talent in
    working hard until election day and turn out the vote. Thank you for
    doing what you're doing.
        I want to thank the Pierce Arrow Band. I'm sorry I wasn't here to
    hear them. [Laughter] But from all accounts, they did a fabulous job.
        Election is four days away, and I'm sprinting to the finish line,
    and Talent is sprinting to the finish line,
    and we're asking you to join us as we sprint to the finish line.
        You probably heard all the reports from the punditry--[laughter]--in
    Washington, DC. Some of them are already measuring for new drapes.
    That's not the first time, by the way, people have said the election's
    over before the people vote. You might remember 2004. Some of the crowd
    up there was picking out their offices in the West Wing. [Laughter] Then
    the people of Missouri and people from around the country voted, and the
    movers were not needed.
        And the same thing is going to happen on November the 7th, 2006.
    With your help, we'll send Jim back to the
    United States Senate, and we're going to keep control of the House and
    the Senate. And there's a reason why: Because our party understands the
    values and the priorities of the American people. We don't need to take
    an opinion poll to tell us what to think, and we've delivered.

    [[Page 1994]]

        First, let me talk about some of the work that Jim Talent has done in Washington. See, I've seen him up close.
    I know he cares a lot about the people of Missouri, and he understands
    that this Nation is at risk if we remain dependent on foreign oil.
        When you get oil from parts of the world where people don't like
    you, it's a national security problem. And that's why I have worked
    closely with Jim to advance new technologies
    that will enable us to use Missouri farm products to power our
    automobiles. We understand, by the way, that when the farmers and
    ranchers are doing well, the American economy does well. And if you're a
    Missouri farmer or a Missouri rancher, it makes economic sense to send
    Jim Talent back to the United States Senate.
        Jim understands small businesses. If
    you're a small-business owner, he understands you. See, he understands
    small businesses are having trouble getting insurance, and so he's
    proposed a plan called associated health plans, which enable small
    businesses to join together to pool risk so they can buy health
    insurance at the same discounts big companies get to do. If you're a
    small-business owner in the State of Missouri, it's in your interest to
    send Jim Talent back to the United States Senate.
        Jim understands that this Nation must
    have a focus on eliminating methamphetamines. He's done something about
    it. He passed good law that gives law enforcement new tools to defeat
    this deadly drug and to shut down meth labs in Missouri and around the
    United States. If you're concerned about what meth does to your fellow
    citizens, send Jim Talent back to the United States Senate.
        I want to talk about another issue that's important, and that is the
    nature of the judiciary. A lot of people in Missouri understand what
    Jim and I know, that in order to have a
    good, sound judiciary, we need judges who strictly interpret the law and
    not legislate from the bench. The people of this State have got to
    understand, when you cast your vote on Tuesday, you're electing more
    than just a United States Senator. Your vote will determine what kind of
    judges we have.
        You know, I named two really solid judges for the Supreme Court,
    smart and capable men who share our judicial philosophy. Thankfully, we
    had Senators like Senator Talent and Senator
    Bond from Missouri who worked
    hard to get these men confirmed. However, if the Democrats had control
    of the Senate, they wouldn't be sitting on the Supreme Court. You tell
    your friends and neighbors who are still undecided in this race that if
    you want a judiciary full of judges who will strictly interpret the law
    and not legislate, send Jim Talent back to the United States Senate.
        There are big differences between what we think and what the other
    bunch thinks. Perhaps the two biggest issues can--two differences can be
    seen on two issues. One, what's going to happen to your taxes, and which
    party will take the necessary steps to defend you.
        Let me start with taxes. We have a philosophy: We believe you can
    spend your money far better than the Federal Government can. Democrats
    want to raise your taxes because they believe they can spend your money
    better than you can.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. We believe that when you have more money to save,
    spend, or invest, the whole economy benefits.
        We're not just people who philosophize. We're people who act. Thanks
    to Senators like Jim Talent and Congressmen
    like Roy Blunt, I signed the largest tax decreases
    since Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States. Remind
    people of our record: We cut the 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.

    [[Page 1995]]

        If you're a farmer here in Missouri, you need to remember which
    Senator--or which candidate strongly supports making sure that death tax
    stays dead. We don't think it's right you pay taxes while you're alive
    and then you pay taxes after you die.
        You might remember the debate. All the Democrats in Washington
    predicted the tax cuts would not create jobs. They predicted they would
    not increase wages, and they predicted the tax cuts would cause the
    Federal deficit to explode. Well, the results are in. The tax cuts have
    led to a strong and growing economy.
        Just this morning, we got additional good news. The unemployment
    rate around the United States has dropped to 4.4 percent. That's the
    lowest rate in 5\1/2\ years. Our economy added 92,000 jobs in the month
    of October, and over the past 3 months, America has added 470,000 new
    jobs. People are working in the United States. The tax cuts have worked.
    Real wages went up 2.4 percent over the past year, which means an extra
    $1,327 for the typical family of four with two wage earners.
        And finally, you might remember all the forecasts, but we have cut
    the deficit in half 3 years ahead of schedule. If the Democrats'
    election predictions are as good as their economic predictions--
    [laughter]--we're going to have a good day on November the 7th.
        Now in this campaign, whether it's here in Missouri or anywhere else
    across the country, the Democrats don't want you to know their tax
    plans. Listen to the words of the top Democrat leader in the
    House, when she said, ``We love tax cuts.''
    Well, given her record, she must be a secret admirer. [Laughter] She and
    her party voted against reducing the marriage penalty, against cutting
    taxes on small businesses, against lowering taxes for families with
    children, against reducing taxes on capital gains and dividends, and
    against cutting the death tax. I mean, time and time again, when they
    had their chance to show their love for tax cuts, they voted no. Now, if
    this is their definition of love, I'd sure hate to see what hate looks
    like.
        Now there's a difference of opinion in Washington, DC, about what to
    do with your money. If these tax cuts are not extended or made
    permanent, your taxes are going up. You see, if the tax cuts are not
    made permanent, you can bet the Federal Government is going to be in
    your wallet.
        And that's precisely what the Democrats want to do. They asked the
    man who would be the chairman of the Ways
    and Means--that's the tax-writing committee in Washington--could he
    think of any tax cuts he would extend. And he said, ``Not a one.'' Not a
    tax cut. Make no mistake about it, they may not be admitting it on the
    campaign trail, but they're going to raise your taxes.
        If the tax cuts aren't extended, think about what that does to the
    child tax credit. Right now the tax credit is $1,000 per child. If those
    tax cuts are not extended, those tax credits go down to $500 a child,
    which means you've got yourself a $500 tax increase per child. So
    tonight, when you're sitting around the dinner table, just count the
    heads. [Laughter] If you've got two children, you can count on a $1,000
    tax increase. If you got three little heads there, you can count on a
    $1,500 tax increase. I know some people here in Joplin may have four
    children. Yes, there you are--the man right there has got four children,
    so when you're having dinner this evening, just go, one, two, three,
    four times 500; that's a $2,000 tax increase, if the Democrats win.
        That may not sound like a lot of money to Washington Democrats, but
    it's a lot of money to me, and it's a lot of money to Talent. It's a lot
    of money to you. So my strong advice is, if you're a small-business
    owner, if you've got children, if you pay income taxes, you're a farmer
    and you want to keep the money that you've worked hard to earn, vote for
    Jim Talent for the United States Senate.

    [[Page 1996]]

        This election is taking place in an historic time for our country.
    And when our children and grandchildren look back on this period, one
    question will overwhelm the rest: Did we do everything in our power to
    fight and win the war against the terrorists? That is the question which
    faces this generation.
        I wish I could report to you here in Joplin that we were not at war,
    but we are. We face a determined enemy. They have no conscience. They
    kill the innocent in order to achieve objectives. These people are
    totalitarian, and they share an ideology that is the exact opposite of
    what we believe. We believe in the right of every person to worship
    freely; they don't. We believe in the freedom to dissent, freedom to
    speak. We believe every life is precious. We believe in human dignity.
        Their totalitarian point of view is dark and dismal, and yet they
    have objectives, and they want to spread that point of view. And they
    want to create enough chaos and havoc to cause people to withdraw so
    they can spread their attitude. The best way to protect you is to stay
    on the offense and bring these people to justice before they hurt
    America again.
        You can't negotiate with these people. You can't try to talk sense
    in these people.
        Audience members. Noo!
        The President. You must be firm and determined to protect you. At
    the same time, here at home, we've got to do enough to be able to say,
    we're doing our duty. See, my most important job and the important job
    of people elected to Washington is to protect the American people.
    That's the call of this generation.
        The enemy has to be right one time when it comes time to attacking
    us again. We have to be right 100 percent of the time to protect you.
    And therefore, I made sure that our professionals had the tools
    necessary to protect you. There was a wall that separated the
    intelligence community from sharing information with the law enforcement
    folks.
        It's hard to rationalize that that happened, but that is what
    happened prior to September the 11th. In other words, you had--somebody
    had some intelligence about somebody who might be coming our way, and he
    couldn't share that information with somebody whose job it was to stop
    them. I know it doesn't make sense, but it's the reality of what we
    faced.
        So I asked the Congress to pass the PATRIOT Act, which brought down
    that wall. The Senate Democrats tried to filibuster that reauthorization
    of that important bill. As a matter of fact, the Senate minority
    leader, the head Democrat in the Senate, bragged,
    ``We killed the PATRIOT Act.'' See, there's a different mindset. If our
    most important job is to protect you, we've got to make sure our
    professionals have the tools necessary to do so.
        I guess, maybe if--I'm just trying to guess the mentality, but they
    must not think there's an enemy that wants to hit us again. It's the
    only justification I can give you for not making sure those
    professionals had the tools.
        I decided to institute another program. If Al Qaida or an Al Qaida
    affiliate is making a phone call into the United States from outside the
    United States, it seems like it makes sense to know why. They hadn't
    voted on this bill in the Senate, but they did in the House, and by far,
    the overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against the program.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. We have got to understand what the enemy is thinking,
    in order to be able to protect you. And that's why I authorized the
    program through the Central Intelligence Agency that would allow us to
    detain and question people we picked up off the battlefield.
        And let me give you a reason why. See, we captured Khalid
    Sheikh Mohammed; our intelligence
    services think he's the person that ordered and masterminded the
    September the 11th attacks. And so when I heard we captured him, I
    thought it made

    [[Page 1997]]

    sense, common sense, to say to our professionals, ``If he knew the first
    attack, he might have information on another attack, and why don't you
    see if you can find out if he does.''
        Seventy percent of the Senate Democrats voted against that bill.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. We're at war. It's a different kind of war, but is,
    in fact, a war. That war came home on September the 11th, 2001. You
    should expect people in Washington, DC, to give our professionals the
    tools necessary to protect you. It's a big difference in this campaign,
    between what Republicans think and what Democrats think. I'm going to
    tell you something: You can't wait to respond after we're attacked. We
    must take the necessary measures to make sure we're not attacked in the
    first place.
        That's why I feel so strongly about a person like Jim
    Talent. He understands the stakes. He also
    understands what I know: When we see a threat overseas, we must take
    that threat seriously. That's one of the lessons of September the 11th.
    It's important never to forget lessons. That lesson is a clear lesson to
    me. I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein; members
    of both political parties in the Congress saw the same threat; the
    United Nations saw the threat in Saddam Hussein. The decision to get rid
    of Saddam Hussein was the right decision, and the world is better off
    for it.
        We're in a global war that's being fought on a variety of fronts,
    and Iraq is the central front of that war. Now I understand you hear the
    voices out of Washington, they say, ``Well, Iraq is a distraction in the
    war on terror.'' To me, that's a dangerous point of view, but
    nevertheless, that's what they say. Well, the doubters about Iraq ought
    to listen to Usama bin Laden before they
    make up their mind as to whether Iraq is the central front.
        See, Usama bin Laden calls the fight
    we're in in Iraq the third world war. He says that victory for the
    terrorists in Iraq will mean America's defeat and disgrace forever. Now
    there's a difference of opinion. I want you to listen to the words of a
    senior Democrat in Washington who--she said
    this: ``The President says that fighting them there makes it less likely
    we will fight them here.'' Yes, that's precisely what I said, and I
    strongly believe it's right. [Applause] She went on to say--hold on for
    a minute--she went on to say, ``The opposite is true; because we are
    fighting them there, it may become more likely that we will have to
    fight them here.''
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. See, that's the kind of mentality that you're voting
    on on November the 7th. You do not create terrorists by fighting the
    terrorists.
        Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. We
    weren't in Iraq when the terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in
    1993. We were not in Iraq when they bombed our Embassies in Kenya and
    Tanzania. We weren't in Iraq when they bombed the USS Cole, and we
    weren't in Iraq when they attacked us on September the 11th, 2001.
        The best way to protect you is to bring the terrorists to justice
    wherever we find them. And they are fighting us in Iraq because they
    can't stand the thought of a democracy in their midst. And so they're
    fighting with brutality, the likes of which we haven't seen in a long
    time. See, they'll kill innocent people.
        Our goal in Iraq is victory. Our goal in Iraq is an Iraq that can
    sustain itself, an Iraq that can govern itself, Iraq that can defend
    itself, an Iraq that will be an ally against these extremists and
    radicals. But this enemy, which understands the stakes, also understands
    that their violence, their unspeakable violence against innocent life
    gets on our television screens. And they are trying to shake our will
    because they think our will is shakable.
        Audience members. Noo!
        The President. They don't think we have the stomach necessary to
    defend ourselves

    [[Page 1998]]

    in the long run, but they don't understand this administration and many
    in our country. We will not run from thugs and assassins.
        We are constantly adjusting our tactics to meet the enemy. The enemy
    adjusts; we adjust. I've given our commanders the flexibility necessary
    and whatever they need to win this war. And we've got a lot going for
    us. We got a strategy that helps us achieve victory, and we got a
    military that is the finest military any country has ever assembled.
        And whether or not our citizens agree with my decision to fight the
    enemy in Iraq, all citizens owe a debt of gratitude to those who wear
    our uniform. And those of us in Washington owe it to our troops and
    their families to make sure they have the full support, all they need in
    order to do the jobs I've asked them to do.
        Our troops have got no finer supporter than Senator Jim
    Talent, another reason to send him back to
    Washington. We've also got something else going for us, and that is
    brave Iraqis. Listen, these people have suffered unspeakable violence,
    and yet they still want to live under a free society. I was pleased at
    the outcome of the elections when the Iraqis voted, but I wasn't
    surprised. I believe freedom is universal. I believe there's an
    Almighty, and a great gift of the Almighty to each man and woman and
    child on the face of the Earth is the desire to be free.
        I'm not surprised when 12 million people say, ``I want to be free.''
    It's in our interests we help this young democracy. It's in our
    interests we defeat the enemy where we find them. It's in interests we
    help people realize the blessings of liberty. And that's why our
    strategy is to help the politics of Iraq succeed, to help their economy
    grow, and to train Iraqi troops so they can take the fight. One day Iraq
    will be a government of, by, and for the people--unless we quit.
        If I didn't think we'd win, I wouldn't have our troops there. If I
    didn't know this mission is noble and important, I wouldn't have our
    troops there.
        You know, the debate is interesting about this vital part of
    protecting the country. If you listen carefully to what the Democrats
    say about Iraq, you think about what they're saying about their plan for
    success, there isn't one. This is a major political party that has no
    plan for success in Iraq. As a matter of fact, their only plan is to
    leave before the job is done. Oh, you listen to some of them--they say
    we pull out the troops now. And then they got a bunch of them saying,
    ``Let's have a fixed date,'' and we'll leave on that fixed date,
    regardless of whether the job is done. They've actually got a Member of
    the House of Representatives who has recommended moving our troops 5,000
    miles away on another island--on an island. Nineteen House Democrats
    introduced legislation that would cut off funds for our troops in Iraq.
        Here we are in the middle of a national campaign that will determine
    our future, and one of Jim Talent's Democrat
    colleagues put it this way--she said,
    ``We haven't coalesced around a single plan, but we're in general
    agreement on the basic principles.'' She's right. The principle they
    agree on is, get out before the job is done.
        Audience members. Boo!
        The President. Look, I'm not saying these people are unpatriotic;
    I'm just saying they're wrong.
        On this important issue of Iraq and the global war on terror, the
    Democrats have taken a calculated gamble. They believe that the only way
    they can win this election is to criticize and offer no plan of their
    own. Here's how one senior Democrat describes
    their strategy: ``The election is about them,'' talking about me and us.
    So far, they've refused to tell how they plan to secure this country;
    but there's still 4 days left. [Laughter] There's still time. There's
    still time for them to tell us how they intend to prevail.
        Listen, if you happen to bump into a Democrat candidate, you might
    want to ask

    [[Page 1999]]

    this simple question: What is your plan? [Laughter] If they say they
    want to protect the homeland but opposed the PATRIOT Act, ask them this
    question: What is your plan? If they say they want to uncover terrorist
    plots but oppose listening in on terrorist conversation, ask them the
    question: What's your plan? You know, if they say they want to stop new
    attacks on our country but opposed letting the CIA detain and question
    the terrorists who might know what the plots are, ask them the question:
    What's your plan?
        Audience members. What's your plan?
        The President. If they say they want to win the war on terror but
    called for America to pull out from what Al Qaida says is the central
    front in that war, ask them this question----
        Audience members. What's your plan?
        The President. They're not going to be able to answer that question.
    They have no plan. When you're rounding up the vote, remind people,
    harsh criticism is not a plan for victory. Second-guessing is not a
    strategy. You cannot win the war on terror if you don't have a plan to
    win the war.
        The most important duty we have is to protect you. We have a plan, a
    strategy that we're implementing every single day, and part of our plan
    to make sure that America does everything we can to protect you is to
    send Jim Talent back to the United States
    Senate.
        Retreat from Iraq before the job is done would embolden the enemy,
    make our country more vulnerable to attacks. This is a different kind of
    war. It's unlike any other war we have fought. If we retreat from Iraq
    before the job is done, the enemy will follow us here. Leaving before
    the job is done would enable these extremists and radicals to recruit
    better. Leaving before the job is done would dash the hopes of millions
    of people who reject the ideology of hate and who want to live a simple
    life that is a peaceful life. Retreating before the job is done would
    dishonor the sacrifice of the men and women who have worn the uniform of
    the United States of America. Retreating before the job is done would be
    felt for generations to come.
        The enemy has said they expect us to retreat, and they want us to
    retreat. This is their words, not mine. In a time of war, you must take
    the words of the enemy very seriously. They would like to have another
    safe haven from which to plot and plan attacks, similar to the safe
    haven they had in Afghanistan before we removed that safe haven. The
    enemy would like to be in a position to topple moderate governments.
    They would use any means necessary to do so. Can you imagine what the
    world would look like if they were able to get ahold of oil resources
    which they would then use to extract economic blackmail against those of
    us who want--need to protect ourselves, and, two, to help freedom
    expand.
        See, imagine what would happen if they were able to control enough
    energy, if they pulled enough off the market to run the price of oil up,
    and then said, ``Fine, we'll let the price back down unless you give up
    your alliance with Israel,'' or, ``until you withdraw,'' so that they
    could establish their--what they've declared they want to do, which is a
    caliphate.
        And in the midst, put a country that doesn't like us with a nuclear
    weapon. And what's going to happen 30 years from now is, people will
    say, ``What happened to those folks in 2006? How come they couldn't see
    the impending danger? What clouded their vision?''
        I want to tell you all, my vision is clear. I see the threat. I
    understand the consequences of the world in which we live. America must
    lead. We will support our troops in Iraq. We will fight in Iraq, and we
    will win in Iraq.
        If you got a second, I'd like to share one other story about the
    power of liberty.
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. Thank you. [Laughter] Recently Laura and I took our friend, who was then the Prime Minister
    of Japan, to

    [[Page 2000]]

    Elvis's place. You might remember that. Oh, they said, ``Why did you go
    to Elvis's place?'' Well, I had never been there. [Laughter] Prime
    Minister Koizumi wanted to go there--he was an Elvis fan. I also wanted
    to tell a story. It's important for all people to understand this story,
    but particularly for people who are trying to figure out the world in
    which we live and the power of liberty.
        See, after the Japanese attacked our country, a lot of young
    Americans signed up. You've got relatives who signed up to fight the
    sworn enemy, the Japanese. So did I: my dad. And then he, like thousands, went through a bloody
    battle. We lost a lot of Americans, and the Japanese lost a lot--it was
    a brutal war, brutal war. And yet it's amazing, isn't it, that years
    later his son is on the airplane with the Prime Minister of the former enemy flying to Elvis's place. And
    guess what we talked about? Keeping the peace. Isn't that interesting?
        We talked about working together to convince the North Korean
    leader to give up his nuclear weapons. We talked
    about the fact that Japan has 1,000--had 1,000 troops in Iraq. The Prime
    Minister and I understand that when you
    find a young democracy in this ideological struggle against reason
    versus extremists, you got to help those young democracies. It's in our
    long-term interests that we help people realize the blessings of
    liberty. We talked about the need to help fight the pandemic of HIV/AIDS
    on the continent of Africa, which the United States is doing. We talked
    about feeding the hungry. We talked about keeping the peace.
        My dad fought the Japanese; his son is
    talking about keeping the peace with the Japanese. Liberty--the lesson
    is this: Liberty has got the capacity to change an enemy into an ally,
    and liberty has got the capacity to change a region of despair and
    hopelessness into a region of light and hope. Liberty is the best way to
    defeat the enemies of freedom in the long run.
        Someday an American President will be sitting down with duly elected
    leaders from the Middle East talking about keeping the peace, and a
    generation of Americans will be better off.
        These are the stakes in this election, and I'm asking you to go from
    the hall and find fellow Republicans, discerning Democrats, and
    openminded independents, and remind them about the stakes in this
    election. If you want your taxes low so you can have more money to spend
    and this economy continues to be strong, vote for Jim Talent. If you want the United States to do everything that
    we can to protect you and to lay the foundation of peace for generations
    to come, vote for Jim Talent.
        It's such an honor to be with you. I thank you for your time. May
    God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. at Missouri Southern State
    University. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri;
    former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin Laden, leader of the
    Al Qaida terrorist organization; former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
    of Japan; and Chairman Kim Jong Il of North Korea.