[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[November 4, 2006]
[Pages 2010-2018]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at a Colorado Victory 2006 Rally in Greeley, Colorado
November 4, 2006
The President. Thank you. Thank you all very much. I appreciate you
coming. Thanks. It's great to be back in Greeley. Thanks for your
hospitality. This isn't the first time I've been to Greeley. I like
coming to places like Greeley, Colorado, because the people here are
down-to-earth, hard-working; people here have a lot of common sense.
That's what we need in Washington, DC, common sense. And Marilyn
Musgrave brings common sense to
Washington, DC. I'm not surprised she is a native of this important
State, and she was raised right here in this district. And you raised
her well. She understands your values; she knows what you're thinking.
Send her back to the United States Congress.
I appreciate you coming today. I'm sorry that Laura is not with me. Yes, well, I don't want her to know
that I know it's her birthday. [Laughter] Well, she knows I know. I'm
just not telling you the gift I'm going to give her. It's a surprise.
[Laughter] But she sends her very best to our friends here in Colorado.
She understands what I know: Marilyn Musgrave is a fine United States Congresswoman and deserves your
support.
I'm proud to be here with Senator Wayne Allard. He's doing a fine job for the people of this State. I
know firsthand. I deal with him all the time; he's always got Colorado
on his mind.
I'm proud to be here with a man who's done an
excellent job as your Governor, Governor Bill Owens. And I'm also
pleased that the next Governor of Colorado, Bob
Beauprez, is with us. So when you're in that box voting for
Marilyn, make sure you put your check by
Beauprez's name as well.
[[Page 2011]]
You're going to get good, solid government with Bob Beauprez.
I appreciate very much that Mike Coffman is
with us. I appreciate Bob Schaffer is
with us. I want to thank the mayor, Tom Selders,
who's with us. Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming. I want to thank all the
candidates and local officials.
I particularly want to thank the grassroots activists who are here.
You're the people putting up the signs and making the phone calls and
turning out the vote. Rest assured, Marilyn is going to work hard, and she's counting on you to work
hard with her.
This election is just 3 days away. Oh, you've probably heard them in
Washington; all the pundits and prognosticators have already determined
the outcome of the election. I want to remind them, the folks of
Colorado haven't even voted yet. Oh, it's not the first time we've been
through this. You might remember 2004. I suspect it was about the time I
came to Greeley that some of them in Washington were already picking out
their offices in the West Wing. [Laughter] And then you voted, and the
movers weren't needed. They're not going to be needed on November the
7th. With your help, we will hold the House, Marilyn will win, and we will control the United States Senate.
And there's a reason. We've got a fantastic group of folks who will
turn out the vote. But we also share the values with the majority of the
American people. We share their priorities. We're going to win this
election because our values and priorities don't change because of the
latest poll or the latest focus group. We're going to win this election
because we've got a good, strong record to run on.
See, I got to know the Congresswoman
well. Last time I talked to her, she said, ``Don't you ever forget those
Colorado ranchers.'' By the way, it's good to be in country where the
cowboy hats outnumber the ties. She said, ``Don't forget, we've got
farmers here.'' Let me tell you something: I know what she knows: If the
ag economy is strong, the United States overall economy is strong.
I understand something about ranching and farming. You might
remember, I was raised in west Texas. And I understand that we need to
be opening up markets, and we are. I also understand we have a fantastic
opportunity to use agricultural products grown right here in Colorado to
make us less dependent on foreign oil. And Marilyn understands that as well. If you're a farmer or a rancher
or count on the agricultural industry to make a living, it is in your
interest to send Marilyn Musgrave back to the United States Congress.
One thing I don't have to worry about is her support for the United
States military. I don't have to worry about her strong support for
making sure our veterans get the benefits they deserve. She understands what I know: We will honor those who
have worn the uniform and support those who wear it today.
Marilyn Musgrave understands the
importance of defending traditional values. In Washington, she's worked
to defend the Pledge Allegiance and to protect the flag from
desecration. She has worked to prevent the institution of marriage from
being redefined by activist judges. She understands your values, and
that's another reason to send her back to the United States Congress.
Oh, there's big differences between how the Democrats think and how
we think, and there's no clearer difference on two big issues: One issue
is taxes, and the other issue is who best to defend the United States of
America.
First, let me start with taxes. We have a clear philosophy. This
philosophy says this: We believe you know how to spend your money better
than the Federal Government does. I know that the Democrats want to
raise your taxes because they think they can spend your money better
than you can.
Audience members. Noo!
[[Page 2012]]
The President. We understand that when you have more of your own
money in your pocket to save, invest, or spend, the whole economy
benefits. But you didn't expect people to go off to Washington and just
philosophize; you expected us to act. And that's what we have done. I
have signed the largest tax cut since Ronald Reagan was the President of
the United States, and Marilyn Musgrave
is a strong supporter of lower taxes.
We cut the taxes for every American who pays income taxes. We
doubled the child tax credit. We cut taxes on small businesses. We cut
taxes on--we reduced the marriage penalty. We cut taxes on capital gains
and dividends to encourage investment. And I want the farmers and
ranchers to listen carefully--we put the death tax on the road to
extinction. We don't think you need to be taxed when you're living and
then when you die.
Oh, I'm sure you remember the debate in Washington, DC. Democrats in
Washington predicted that the tax cuts would not create jobs, would not
increase wages, and that the tax cuts would cause the Federal deficit to
explode. Well, the facts are in. The truth is, the tax cuts have led to
a strong and growing economy. And just yesterday we got additional good
news. The national unemployment rate is down to 4.4 percent. Our economy
added 92,000 months [jobs]* last month, and over the past 3 months,
America has added 470,000 new jobs.
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*White House correction.
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The ag economy is strong in the United States. Real wages rose 2.4
percent over the past year. And thanks to our growing economy and being
wise with your money, we cut the deficit in half 3 years ahead of
schedule. Our economic policies are working. And if the Democrats'
election predictions are as good as their economic predictions--
[laughter]--next Tuesday is going to be a great day for Republicans.
It's important for people in this district and around the country to
understand, the Democrats are going to raise your taxes, but they don't
want you to know it. [Laughter] They asked the top Democrat leader in
the House about tax cuts, and she made an
interesting statement. She said, ``We love tax cuts.'' But given her
record, she must be a secret admirer. [Laughter] See, she and her party
voted against reducing the marriage penalty, voted against cutting taxes
on small businesses, voted against lowering taxes for families with
children, voted against reducing taxes on capital gains and dividends,
voted against putting the death tax on the road to extinction. Time and
time again, when she had her opportunity to show love, she voted no.
[Laughter] If that's their definition of love, I'd sure hate to see what
hate looks like.
Let me explain to you how it works. Here's how it works: If these
tax cuts we passed are not extended or not made permanent, your taxes
are going to go up.
Audience members. Boo!
The President. In other words, if we don't have people in Congress
who will join me in saying, ``Let's make these tax cuts extend,'' or,
``Make them permanent,'' you'll be paying more taxes.
And so they asked the person who
wishes that he would be the head of the tax writing committee, the lead
Democrat, whether any of the tax cuts we passed should be extended, and
the person said, ``Not a one.'' In other words, what they're advocating
without coming out and saying it is, ``We're going to raise your
taxes.''
And let me explain how it will work for you. If you have children,
your child tax credit will go from 1,000 per child to $500 per child. So
when you're sitting around the dinner table tonight, you count the
number of heads you've got at the table with you, and then you multiply
by $500 a child, the sum of which will be how much you're going to pay
in increased taxes. So, just say you got three children, you go, one,
two, three times 500; that's $1,500
[[Page 2013]]
additional taxes if the Democrats take over the House of
Representatives. Somebody has got more than three children I bet in this
crowd--[applause]. Yes, how many you got? Got four children. There you
go. Well, then you're going to go, one, two, three, four, times 500;
that's a $2,000 tax increase. That may not seem like a lot to people in
Washington, DC, but it seems like a lot to me and Marilyn. And therefore, send her to the Congress, and we'll
keep your taxes low.
And the American people must understand the facts. If you vote
Democrat, you're voting for a tax increase. And if you're voting
Republican, you're voting for low taxes and a strong economy.
The election is taking place in an historic time for our country.
And when the children and grandchildren look back at this period, one
question will overwhelm all the rest: Did we do everything in our power
to fight and win the war against the terrorists? I wish I could come to
Greeley and report this war is over. It is not. There's still an enemy
which desires to inflict harm on America. I live it every day. I
understand what I am talking about. Our most important job in Washington
is to protect you from further attacks.
We face an enemy which has no conscience. They kill innocent people
to achieve their objectives. They share an ideology, and it's an
ideology that's foreign to the United States. It's an ideology that is
the exact opposite of what we believe. We believe in basic freedoms. We
believe in human dignity. We value human life. They use human life to
achieve objectives. They don't believe in freedom. They are
totalitarians, and they have a desire to spread their vision, their
point of view throughout as much of the world as possible. And they
recognize we stand in the way, and that's why they want to inflict
damage on the United States of America. The best way to protect you is
to find these enemies overseas so we do not have to face them here at
home.
Part of our strategy is to stay on the offense, and the other part
of the strategy is to give our professionals the tools necessary to
protect you here at home. So after the attacks, I evaluated programs to
determine what we could do better to do our most important job, and that
is to protect you. One of the problems we had is that over time, there
was a wall that built up that prevented the intelligence community from
sharing information with law enforcement. That didn't make any sense.
You see, in this new kind of war, we must understand what the enemy is
thinking and what they're about to do, in order to protect you.
And so I asked the Congress to pass what we have called the PATRIOT
Act, which makes it now possible for intelligence folks to give the
information to law enforcement officials so they can do their jobs.
Interestingly enough, by far, the vast majority of Democrats in the
House of Representatives voted against the reauthorization of the
PATRIOT Act. And the reason I'm telling you this, it's important, if you
have not made up your mind in this election, to understand there is a
different mindset between what Republicans and what you believe and what
Democrats in Washington believe. See, they must not believe we're at
war; otherwise, why wouldn't they have given them--our intelligence
folks and law enforcement folks--the tools necessary to protect you?
I've always believed that if the enemy, Al Qaida or an Al Qaida
affiliate, is making a phone call from outside the United States to
inside the United States, we must understand why, if our job is to
protect you. If we want to protect you and somebody that we know wants
to harm a fellow citizen is calling in to somebody, it makes sense to
understand why. Yet, when this program came up in front of the United
States Congress, by far, the vast majority of Democrats voted against
it. They must
[[Page 2014]]
think it's okay to respond after we're attacked. I believe we've got to
do everything to prevent the attacks in the first place.
We capture the enemy on the battlefield. Recently--or not recently,
a while ago, we picked up a fellow named Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed. Our intelligence folks
believe he's the man that masterminded the September the 11th attacks.
And when they picked him up, I recognized it would be important to find
out what he knew. See, if he ordered the first attack, he might know
something about a further attack. And it makes sense, if our job is to
protect you, to say to the CIA professionals, ``Find out what he
knows.'' It's a different kind of war. We must understand what the enemy
is thinking in order to protect you. So I sent this bill up to the
United States Congress. By far, the vast majority of Democrats in both
bodies voted against giving our professionals the tools necessary to
protect you. There's just a different mindset. If you want to be
protected, you send Marilyn Musgrave
back to the United States Congress.
We are on the offense overseas. It's hard to plot and plan if you're
on the run. It's hard to plot and plan if you're hiding. There's some
fantastic people who have volunteered to serve your country, who are
keeping the pressure on this enemy.
One of the lessons of September the 11th, a vital lesson of
September the 11th, a lesson any President must always remember is that
when we see a threat overseas, we have got to take those threats
seriously. You can't just hope for the best in a war against people who
want to kill our citizens. And so when you see a threat, for the sake of
our children, we must take those threats seriously. I saw a threat in
Saddam Hussein; Members of the United States
Congress from both political parties saw the same threat; the United
Nations saw the threat. My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the
right decision, and the world is better off for it.
We are in a global struggle. By global struggle I mean, we will find
and face the enemy wherever we can. And we're on a multiple of fronts,
the most important of which is Iraq. It is the central front in the war
on terror. I have heard Democrats in Washington say, Iraq is a
distraction from the war on terror. What I'm describing to you over and
over again, there is a different mindset, and voters have got to
understand when they go into the polls, the difference of opinion. See,
I know Iraq is the central front in the war on terror, and so do our
troops. But I want people to listen to the words of Usama bin Laden. If you have doubt about whether Iraq is
important to this war on terror, listen to the words of the enemy. Usama
bin Laden calls this fight the third world war. He went on to say,
victory for the terrorists in Iraq will mean America's defeat and
disgrace forever. He understands the consequences.
But I want you to hear the words of a senior Democrat in the House
of Representatives about her view. She said,
``The President says fighting them there makes it less likely we will
have to fight them here.'' I do say that, because I believe that. 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.''
Iraq is not the reason why the terrorists are at war with us. You remind
your citizens that we were not in Iraq when they attacked the World
Trade Center in 1993. We were not in Iraq when they bombed our Embassies
in Kenya--Tanzania and Kenya. We were not in Iraq when they attacked the
USS Cole. And we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001.
You do not create terrorists by fighting the terrorists. The best
way to protect you is to stay on the offense and bring these people to
justice before they can hurt us again.
Our goal in Iraq is victory. Victory means a country which can
sustain itself, govern itself, and defend itself and will be an ally
[[Page 2015]]
in the war on terror. And this is tough fighting. I know it's tough
fighting, and you know it's tough fighting. It's tough fighting because
we face an enemy which is willing to kill innocent people in order to
achieve an objective. See, they can't stand the thought of a young
democracy succeeding in the midst of their plans to spread a
totalitarian vision of darkness. And that's why you're seeing the
struggle you're seeing.
And the enemy understands that if they put enough carnage on the TV
screen that America will be shaken. At least that's what they believe.
And that's what you're seeing. And that's why a lot of our fellow
citizens are justifiably concerned about Iraq. But what the enemy
doesn't understand about this administration and millions of Americans
is we're not going to run in the face of thugs and assassins.
Our goals have not changed; our tactics constantly change. I have
given our commanders all the authority they need to keep adjusting to
the tactics of this enemy. And we are; we're constantly altering the
tactics. As the enemy changes, we change. And we've got a lot going for
us. We've got a good strategy that's going to work, and we've got a
fantastic United States military that deserves the full support of the
United States.
Whether or not the people of this country agree with my decision,
one thing they need to do is to honor and respect the volunteers who
wear the uniform. And you don't have to worry about Marilyn
Musgrave making sure our troops have all
they need to do the jobs I've asked them to do.
There's something else happening in Iraq. There are brave Iraqis
who've endured unspeakable violence, and the reason they have is because
they want to live in freedom. I was pleased at the outcome of their
elections, but I wasn't surprised. I'll tell you why I wasn't surprised.
I believe in the universality of freedom. I believe there's an Almighty,
and one of the gifts of the Almighty to each man and woman and child on
the face of the Earth is a desire to be free.
So our strategy is to help this young democracy survive. And we'll
help them politically. The 12 million people--nearly 12 million voted
and said, ``We want to be free.'' I believe there will be a government
of, by, and for the people. They've got good resources, and we'll help
them get their feet on the ground after years of tyranny. And we're
going to help train--continue to train Iraqi troops so they take the
fight, so they're capable of defending this country. There's no doubt,
let me say to you, if you've got a relative in the military, I wouldn't
have your loved one in the theater if I didn't think we'd win. I can't
look at the mothers and fathers and husbands and wives of those who wear
our uniform who may be in Iraq and say, ``It's noble,'' but not think I
can--we can win the--the only way we can win is if we leave before the
job is--I mean, the only way we can lose is if we leave before the job
is done. That's the only way.
You know, it's an amazing debate here coming down the stretch. Iraq
is vital to our security. Iraq is the central front in this war on
terror. But I've been listening for the Democrats' plan for success.
[Laughter] There's national silence. [Laughter] They have no plan for
victory. You know, some of the leading Democrats say we ought to pull
out now. Others suggest we ought to pull out at a specific date, even
though we may not have done the job. One leading Democrat suggested we
move our troops 5,000 miles away to an island. [Laughter] Nineteen House
Democrats introduced legislation that would cut off funds for our
troops.
It was an interesting observation last week by a Democrat
Senator who explained her party's
position this way: ``We haven't coalesced around a single plan, but
we're
[[Page 2016]]
in general agreement on the basic principles.'' Well, she's right. They
are in agreement on one thing: They will leave before the job is done.
Audience members. Boo!
The President. I'm not saying these people are unpatriotic; I'm just
saying they're wrong. On this vital issue, the Democrats have taken a
calculated gamble. They believe that the only way they can win this
election is to criticize and not offer a plan of their own. One senior
Democrat describes their strategy, ``Well, the
election is all about them''--that would be us. There's 3 days left in
this election, and there's still time for them to explain to the
American people what they intend to do. [Laughter]
If you happen to bump into a Democratic candidate, you might want to
ask them this simple question: What's your plan? They say they want to
protect the homeland but oppose 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 conversations, ask them this question:
What's your plan? If they say they want to stop new attacks on our
country but oppose letting the CIA detain and question the terrorists
who might know what those plots are, ask them this 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
call for America to pull out from what Al Qaida says is the central
front on that war, ask them this question: What's your plan?
Audience members. What's your plan?
The President. Well, they don't have a plan. [Laughter] I want the
people of this district and around the country to understand, harsh
criticism is not a plan for victory. Second-guessing is not a strategy.
You can't win a war if you don't think we're in a war. We have a plan
for victory, and part of that plan is making sure we got people in the
Congress who understands the stakes. Vote for Marilyn
Musgrave.
Retreat from Iraq would embolden the enemy and would make this
country less secure. This is a different kind of war. I know I said it
once; I'm going to keep saying it because it's important for people to
adjust their thinking about the stakes. In this war, if we were to leave
Iraq before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here. Leaving
Iraq before the job is done would provide a tremendous victory for the
extremists and radicals. It would enable them to further recruit.
Leaving before the job is done would dash the hopes of the millions and
millions of people in the Middle East who long for a peaceful life and
who reject the extremists and the radicals. And leaving 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.
The consequences of retreat from Iraq would be felt for generations.
The enemy has made it clear that, one, they believe we'll leave because
if the fighting stays tough, that we don't have the stomach for it. And
they want us to leave because they want to, one, establish a safe haven,
just like they had in Afghanistan. And the reason they want a safe haven
is so they have a place from which to launch further attacks.
Secondly, they have an objective--by the way, this is all their
words. I'm just telling you what they say. Secondly, they want to topple
moderate governments. It's part of their desire to spread their
caliphate, their governing regime across as much of the world as they
can.
Thirdly, you can imagine a world in which these extremists and
radicals got control of energy resources. And then you can imagine them
saying, ``We're going to pull a bunch of oil off the market to run your
price of oil up, unless you do the following.'' And the following would
be along the lines, ``Well, retreat and let us continue to expand our
dark vision,'' or it would
[[Page 2017]]
be, ``Give up your alliance with Israel, because part of our objective
is to destroy your ally'' or----
Audience members. Noo!
The President. In other words, they would use energy as economic
blackmail. And then you can compound that further by a nation which
doesn't like us, at this point in history, with a nuclear weapon. And 30
years from now or so, people will look back and say, ``What happened in
2006?'' They'll look back at this period and say, ``What went wrong with
our leaders? How come their vision was clouded to the point where they
could not see impending danger for young Americans growing up?''
Well, I want to assure you, I clearly see the danger. I understand
the consequences of retreat. That's why we'll support our troops. That's
why we'll fight in Iraq, and that's why we'll win in Iraq.
I have been sharing this story with our fellow citizens all around
the country because I want people to pay attention to the power of
liberty to help us defeat this ideology of hate. You might remember,
Laura and I had the honor of taking then-sitting
Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi, to
Elvis's place--[laughter]--Memphis, Tennessee. [Laughter] People said,
``Why did you go down there?'' Well, I'd never been. [Laughter]
Secondly, the Prime Minister of Japan--he was the then-sitting Prime
Minister; he's since been replaced--loved Elvis. So I thought it would
be fun to take him down there. But I wanted to tell the story.
The Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor, and millions of Americans
volunteered to fight against the enemy. By the way, the same thing is
happening today. We got kids--men and women volunteering to fight the
enemy. One of those people was my dad, and
I'm certain some of your relatives did the same thing. They said,
``We're under attack. We're now going to go do everything we can to
defeat the sworn enemy.'' And it was a bloody war, and thousands of
people lost their lives.
And here I am on Air Force One flying down to Memphis, Tennessee,
with the Prime Minister of the former enemy talking about keeping the peace. We were talking
about how we can work together to convince the leader in North Korea to give up his nuclear weapons. We were talking about
the fact that Japan had 1,000 troops in Iraq. See, the Prime Minister
and I know that when you find a young democracy that is willing to fight
off extremists and radicals, we have a duty--those of us who are free
have a duty--to support those young democracies. We're in an ideological
struggle between extremists who cannot stand liberty and millions who
want to live free.
We talked about the need for--to whom much is given, much is
required. And we'll continue to save lives on places like the continent
of Africa by battling HIV/AIDS. In other words, we talked about our
obligations in the world to make it more peaceful.
I find it interesting that my dad fought the Japanese, and his
son is working to keep the peace with the
Japanese. Something happened after World War II: Japan adopted a
Japanese-style democracy. And the lesson is, liberty has got the
capacity to convert an enemy into an ally. Liberty is powerful. Liberty
has got the capacity to change regions of hopelessness and despair, the
type of thing that the extremists exploit to achieve their dark vision.
It has the capacity to change regions to hope and optimism. Someday
elected leaders from the Middle East will be sitting down with an
American President talking about keeping the peace, and a generation of
Americans will be better off for it.
And I thank you for giving me a chance to share with you the
important issues facing our electorate. And these are fundamental
issues, and they're important issues that will determine how you live
and the world in which your children grow up.
See, if you think health care decisions should remain in the hands
of bureaucrats
[[Page 2018]]
and insurance companies, then you ought to just vote for the Democrats.
If you believe you and your doctor should control your health care
decisions, vote Republican.
If you think trial lawyers should be allowed to continue driving out
good doctors and honest job creators, vote Democrat. If you believe that
we should rein in the trial lawyers and protect our physicians and
small-business owners from junk lawsuits, support the Republicans.
If you think activist judges should be allowed to redefine our
country and issue new laws from the bench, vote Democrat. If you believe
that the role of the judge is to strictly interpret the Constitution and
leave legislating to legislators, vote Republican.
If you think your family budget can afford more taxes, you vote
Democrat. If you believe you pay more than enough in taxes and you would
rather invest your money and save your money and spend your money the
way you see fit, vote Republican.
And if you think the way to best protect America and win the war
against these terrorists is to simply criticize and offer no plan, vote
Democrat. But if you believe the way to win the war on terror and to
protect the United States is to stay on the offense and to work hard to
lay the foundation of peace for generations to come, you vote Marilyn
Musgrave back to the United States
Congress.
I'm proud to be with you. Go from this hall and turn out the vote.
Find your friends and neighbors, and get them to the poll. And come
election day, we'll have a great victory, and the country will be better
off for it.
God bless. May God bless America.
Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. at Island Grove Regional Park. In
his remarks, he referred to Colorado State Treasurer Mike Coffman;
former Rep. Robert W. Schaffer of Colorado; Mayor Tom Selders of
Greeley, CO; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin Laden,
leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization; and Chairman Kim Jong Il
of North Korea.