[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 45 (Monday, November 11, 2002)]
[Pages 1973-1979]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

November 4, 2002

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you all. So I couldn't 
think of a better place to roll over in my bed and--[laughter]--and say 
to Laura, ``Happy birthday.'' Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a great place. I 
want to thank you all for coming. Old Jim Leach said, ``If you come by, 
we may be able to get a couple of our friends over early in the morning 
before election day.'' I said, ``All right, I'll come.'' [Laughter] He's 
always understated things. [Laughter]
    I really do appreciate coming out so early in the morning. It shows 
your concern for our democracy. Laura and I are working our way home. 
I'll be voting in Crawford, Texas, tomorrow morning, and so will she. 
I'm not undecided. [Laughter] And I'm not undecided about what's best 
for Iowa, either. I'm here to urge the good folks of Iowa from all 
political parties to vote. See, we have a duty as Americans to support 
our democracy. We have an obligation as citizens of this free land to 
exercise our right to express ourselves in the voting booths. We have 
that obligation. I don't care whether you're a Republican or a Democrat 
or could care less about political party, you have an obligation to 
America. Part of the American spirit is the participation by our 
citizens.
    But when you get in that voting booth here in Iowa, I've got some 
suggestions for you. Jim Leach is the right man for the United States 
Congress. Doug Gross is the right man to be your Governor. Greg Ganske 
is the right man to represent you in the United States Senate.
    We've got two other candidates--three other candidates here today, 
running for Congress, a good man named Jim Nussle, Tom Latham and Stan 
Thompson. They're all running, and they're good folks, good, honorable 
folks.
    So I want to thank you all for coming. I particularly want to say 
thanks to the senior Senator from Iowa, Mr. Chuck Grassley. I remember 
traveling the State with Chuck. He knows everybody. [Laughter] We're 
driving along, he says, ``That's where the old Jones house is.'' He 
said, ``I shook their hand 10 years ago.'' [Laughter] He not only does a 
great job here in Iowa; he does a fantastic job in Washington, DC. And 
it makes sense to send another Senator up there with whom he can work 
and with whom I can work, and that Senator is Greg Ganske.
    Ganske is leading a lot of issues. He's leading on these medical 
issues that are going to make a big difference in people's lives. He's 
for Patients' Bill of Rights. He's for modernizing Medicare. He wants to 
make sure the Iowa seniors are treated fairly. He's a doctor. He's a 
compassionate soul. He's the kind of person with whom I can work. And 
there's a lot of issues I need to work on in the United States Senate.
    Perhaps one of the most crucial issues is the judiciary. It's a 
defining issue, as far as I'm concerned. It's a fundamental issue, and 
we've got a problem because the leadership in the Senate has done a 
lousy job with my nominees. And the problem is, there's a vacancy gap in 
America. There's a problem on the bench. We can't get our nominees 
through the Senate. They're playing needless politics with them. And in 
some cases, they're distorting their records. They don't like my 
nominees because I'm putting good, honorable people up there who will 
not use the bench from which to legislate but will use the bench to 
strictly interpret the United States Constitution.
    I know I can count on Greg, just like I've been counting on Chuck 
Grassley's support. I hope you send him to the Senate. It's in the best 
interest of this State; it's in the best

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interest of our country that Greg Ganske represent us in Washington, DC.
    Congressional District 1 is represented by Jim Nussle. He's the 
chairman of the Budget Committee. I can't imagine anybody in their right 
mind getting rid of a chairman. It doesn't make any sense. Maybe I'm 
missing something when some Iowa citizens say it makes sense to get rid 
of powerful chairmen. That's not the politics I remember. It seems like 
to me that when you've got somebody in an important position that could 
help their district and help their State, you want to keep them there, 
particularly somebody like Nussle, who is doing a fantastic job.
    See, Jim and I understand this. We're not spending the Government's 
money in Washington, DC. As the chairman of the Budget Committee, it's 
important to have somebody who understands, it's the people's money we 
spend. And we better have people watch the people's money. Nussle is a 
good man who deserves to be reelected to the United States Congress.
    And then there's Tom Latham, out of the Fourth Congressional 
District. I know him well. I've worked closely with him on a lot key 
issues related to the citizens of Iowa. He's been strong about making 
sure our communities are drug-free and are safe. He understands that, 
like the other Members up here, we got to work together to keep the 
commitments of Social Security. He's the right man for Congressional 
District 4. He's done a fantastic job in the past. There's no doubt in 
my mind he'll continue that tradition of excellence. Tom Latham deserves 
to be reelected to the United States Congress.
    Stan Thompson is running from the Third. He's with us today. Stan is 
a good, young, bright star of the Republican Party. He's got him an 
uphill climb. He's got a tough race. I walked on the stage; he looked me 
right in the eye; and he said, ``Mr. President, if we turn out the vote, 
I'm going to the United States Congress.'' And I appreciate you being 
here, Stan. I'm honored that you're here. I appreciate the fact that 
you're running. And I'm going to take you for--your word for it. I look 
forward to working with you.
    And then from the Fifth Congressional District is Steve King, State 
Senator Steve King. Nothing--you can't take anything for granted in 
politics, but I'll bet--well, I shouldn't bet anything. [Laughter] I'm 
looking forward--let me put it to you this way: I'm looking forward to 
working with the man in the United States Congress. He's run a great 
campaign. I appreciate him coming.
    One thing I certainly know something about is what it takes to be a 
good Governor. I understand the role of Governor in a State. The 
Governor must set some priorities. You can't try to be all things to all 
people--can't try to promise everybody everything with the people's 
money; otherwise, you can't control your budget. You got to have the 
courage to set priority. Doug Gross knows how to do that. He understands 
how to set clear priorities so that your money isn't wasted, so that 
your money is focused, so you don't have these kind of endless budget 
crises that you try to blame on somebody else. You need somebody who can 
manage the budget as your Governor.
    You also got to have somebody who will set education as the number 
one priority. Iowa's got a good reputation in its schools. Better make 
sure you got a Governor who keeps that reputation strong by challenging 
the status quo when it needs to be challenged, by praising teachers when 
you find excellence. But demanding excellence for every single child in 
Iowa is absolutely essential with your next Governor. You've got to have 
a Governor who is not beholden to the special interests that tend to 
capture the statehouses. You've got to have a Governor, when it comes to 
education, who's got one interest in mind. And that's the schoolchildren 
and their parents of the State of Iowa. And that person is Doug Gross. 
He'll make you a fine Governor for the State of Iowa. I look forward to 
working with him.
    No, I appreciate all the grassroots activists who are here, the 
party chairman, Chuck, and all the people who are working hard to turn 
out the vote, all the people who are manning the phones and putting up 
the signs. See, these elections, they're kind of tight. And a tight 
election means you can have a tremendous influence on who wins. So Laura 
and I are here today to thank you for what you have done, and more 
importantly, thank you for what you're going to do, today and tomorrow, 
to get people to the

[[Page 1975]]

polls, to turn them out, to not only encourage them to vote but 
encourage them to vote for the right person.
    And don't be afraid to--talking to Democrats. There's some 
discerning Democrats who know the difference between lousy Government 
and good Government, and they want good Government. Make sure you find 
those independent souls who are looking for good, honorable people.
    And there's nobody more honorable in this race than Jim Leach. He's 
a breath of fresh air in Washington, DC. He's so honest, he squeaks. 
[Laughter] He's an independent thinker. But when he thinks, he's 
profound in thought. He's not the typical person that you think would be 
in politics. I can't imagine anybody in their right mind in 
Congressional District 2 putting this man out of office. I don't 
understand the thinking. Not only do I not understand the thinking about 
why you would turn back somebody who is full of integrity and decency 
and courage of his convictions but also turn back another chairman. This 
man has worked hard in the Congress to build up--put himself in a 
position where he can influence policy in a positive way. He's the kind 
of man you want representing you in Congress because you can turn to 
your kids and say, ``I'm proud of Jim Leach. I'm proud of how he handles 
himself.''
    And so I hope you go turn out that vote in this Congressional 
District 2. It's important. And when he wins, you can take great 
satisfaction in knowing you had a big hand in influencing the outcome of 
this election.
    And there's some reasons why I'm here. I want some allies in 
Congress to work with on key issues. Not only am I here because I 
understand the character of the people that are represented on this 
stage, but we've got some key issues ahead of us. Of course, we've got 
a--our economy is kind of bumping along. It's not as strong as it should 
be. It's bumping and bumping. And therefore, some people can't find 
work, and when they can't find work, it says to me we got a problem. The 
best way to help people find work--and this is a fundamental difference 
of philosophy--is to let people keep more of their own money.
    See, when you have more money in your pocket, when more of your own 
money--I want you to remember this fundamental economic fact, that when 
you've got more money in your own pocket, you're likely to demand a good 
or a service. And when you demand a good or a service, somebody is 
likely to produce that good or a service. And when somebody produces the 
good or a service, somebody in Iowa or somebody around America is more 
likely to find work. The best way to encourage job growth is to let you 
keep your own money. And therefore, I need people in the Senate and the 
House of Representatives who will make the tax cuts permanent.
    I don't know what they're saying here in these campaigns, but I'm 
beginning to hear that echo around the country that says, ``Well, we 
might ought to revisit the tax relief.'' That's code word; that's 
Washington, DC, speak for, ``I'm fixing to get back into your pocket.'' 
The worst thing for economic vitality and jobs is to increase your 
taxes. And these Members up here on the stage are going to work with me 
to make sure that the tax relief is permanent and real, and you can plan 
on it.
    Good economic policy means good farm policy. And I look forward to 
working with these Members on good farm policy. We took a step toward 
good farm policy by opening up markets for Iowa growers. Iowa farmers 
are the best in the world. They're the most productive in the world. And 
if you're the best in the world, you want to have a chance to sell your 
product all around the world. And I want to thank these Members up here, 
all the Members of Congress--and Ganske, soon to be in the Senate; of 
course, Chuck Grassley--for joining together to grant the President the 
capacity to open up markets for Iowa farmers. It's important to do that.
    It's also important to continue to promote ethanol, which I will do, 
and work with these Members to promote ethanol. And there's another 
cutting-edge issue when it comes to farmers, people who own the land, 
and that's the death tax. See, people talking about the family farm--a 
lot of people have to give up their farms prematurely in order to pay 
the Government twice. First pay them if they ever make any money. Then 
they pay them on the value of their assets when they die.

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It's bad for farmers. It's bad for the agriculture community. The death 
tax is running too many people off their farms too early. The death tax 
is bad for small-business owners who want to leave their assets to 
somebody they choose, not to the Federal Government. A key issue in this 
campaign is, are we going to get rid of the death tax once and for all? 
I'm for it. These Members are for it, and you should be for it.
    I'm looking forward to working with these folks on good education 
policy. Thanks to the Members up here, we're sending a record amount of 
Federal money back to Iowa schools. And I want to thank them for that 
help. I want to thank Leach and Nussle and Latham and Greg Ganske and 
Chuck Grassley for working hard on behalf of the citizens of this State. 
But I want you to remember, for the first time in our State's history--
our country's history and your State's history--we're saying, ``We want 
something in return for the money.'' See, we're going to challenge the 
soft bigotry of low expectations. We believe every child can learn. 
We're going to set high standards. We believe in local control of 
schools. But in return for excess--additional Federal money, we want us 
to--we want you to show us and to show everybody else whether or not 
every child in this State is learning. And when they are, we'll praise 
the teachers. But we refuse to accept schools which won't teach and 
won't change. No child should be left behind in the State of Iowa.
    I look forward to working with these Members for good health policy. 
Make no mistake about it, they're leading the charge in the House of 
Representatives and in the Senate to make sure that the Medicare system 
works. Oh, the others talk a good game, but they haven't delivered. The 
House of Representatives, controlled--led by Denny Hastert, passed a 
prescription drug benefit, and yet it can't get out of the Senate. 
There's a lot of good talkers in Washington. We need doers.
    The Medicare issue is an important issue. It's an important issue 
for Iowa for two reasons: One, the formulas need to be fair for the Iowa 
citizens, and these Members are working to make the formulas fair; and 
secondly, medicine has changed. Medicine is modern. Things have changed 
in the medical world. Technology has changed. There's new discoveries 
which make it easier for people to become healthy. And yet, Medicare is 
stuck in the past. Medicare hasn't changed. It's been so politically 
driven, nothing can get done. These Members can get it unstuck. They can 
help me modernize Medicare, which means prescription drug benefits for 
our senior citizens.
    And finally, I look forward to working with these Members, and 
it's--up there on the biggest issue we face, which is your protection. 
See, that's the number one issue. So long as there's an enemy out there 
lurking around, our biggest responsibility is to protect our homeland; 
it's to do everything we can to protect innocent life from nothing but a 
bunch of coldblooded killers, people who hate us because of what we 
love. See, we love freedom. We love the idea that people can worship 
freely in America. We love the fact people can speak their mind. We love 
a free press. We love every aspect about freedom, and we're not 
changing.
    They're out there, and they're out there moving around. But we got 
the message, and therefore, there's a lot of good people working hard to 
protect you. Anytime we get any lead, any hint of evidence that somebody 
might be thinking about doing something, we're moving on it. We're 
disrupting. We're denying. We're working long hours to protect the 
American people. And that's the way it should be.
    But we can do a better job. That's why I asked the Congress to join 
me in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, where we can 
get all the--bunch up these people that are involved with your 
protection into one agency, so there's one culture, one priority, and 
that's your protection; so that the good people at the Federal level 
understand what the new rules are--the rules of the game in our world. 
And the rules are, we got to do everything we can to protect you. It's 
changed. The nature of our life has changed, and we've got to change 
with it.
    The House of Representatives, thanks to the Members up here, voted a 
good piece of legislation out, which I can say will give me the capacity 
to be able to manage this organization and protect you. The bill is 
stuck

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in the Senate because the Senate wants me to give up power that 
Presidents have had for 40 years. And that power is the capacity for a 
President to suspend some collective bargaining rules for the sake of 
national security.
    In other words, if there are rules involved that prevent me from 
putting the right people at the right place at the right time for your 
protection, I ought to be able to suspend those rules. I ought to be 
able to do what it takes to protect you. But the Senate has a lousy 
version. They're more interested in special interests, which dominate 
the dialog in Washington, DC, than they are in protecting the American 
people. I refuse to accept a lousy bill, and I need Senators like 
Grassley and Ganske to support the creation of a Department of Homeland 
Security which will work.
    Now, there's a good, honest debate on this issue. But we can't have 
a big, thick of bureaucratic rules preventing this President and future 
Presidents from doing whatever it takes to keep the homeland secure. The 
best way to secure this homeland is to stay on the hunt, to get this 
enemy on the run, and to bring them to justice, which is exactly what 
this country is going to do.
    You got to understand, it's a different kind of war. In the old 
days, we blew up tanks and airplanes, and everybody said, ``Well, 
they're making progress.'' These folks we're after hide in caves. They 
send youngsters to their suicidal deaths. They don't value life like we 
do. See, in this country, we say, ``Everybody matters. Everybody is 
precious. Everybody counts. Every life counts.'' These people are 
willing to take innocent life in the name of a great religion.
    Not only do I want you to remember September the 11th, but I want 
you to think about Indonesia and the attack on our marines in Kuwait, 
the attack on a French freighter. I mean, they're out there. And the 
only way to deal with them--and by the way, I've come to the conclusion, 
and I hope you have, that therapy is not going to work. [Laughter] So 
we're chasing them down. We're chasing them down. We're making good 
progress. Slowly but surely, we're dismantling that terrorist network.
    I went to the Congress and asked for the biggest increase in defense 
spending since Ronald Reagan was President. I want to thank the Members 
up here for their support. No question where they stand. No question 
where they--they believe that I believe that anytime we put our troops 
into harm's way, these youngsters deserve the best pay, the best 
training, and the best possible equipment.
    And also, our message is real firm to friend and foe, alike: It 
doesn't matter how long it takes to defend freedom; we're going to 
defend freedom. It just doesn't matter. There's not a calendar on my 
desk in the Oval Office that says, such-and-such a date, we're quitting. 
That's not how I think. That's not how these Members think. See, history 
has called us into action. We have an obligation to future generations 
of Americans, and we're not going to forsake that obligation. And it 
doesn't matter how long it takes. It doesn't matter how deep the cave. 
The United States of America, with a great United States military and a 
strong alliance for freedom, will work hard all of the time to protect 
the homeland and protect our freedoms.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. It's important--it is important for us to be 
realistic about the threats to our country. Times have changed. Used to 
be, oceans could protect us, and therefore, we could see a gathering 
threat and maybe deal with it or maybe not. Used to be, we could be 
quite confident in our capacity to protect our homeland because we never 
thought an enemy could make it to our shore. And we learned a tough 
lesson. We did. And therefore, it's important for all of us in elective 
office to be clear-eyed about the threats we face, to see the world 
exactly the way it is, not the way we wish it would be. In order to 
protect America from current threats and future threats, we've got to be 
cold-eyed realists, and that's why I brought up the issue of Saddam 
Hussein.
    See, I view him as a serious threat to America. I see him as a 
threat to our country because I understand his hatred toward America 
and, equally important, his hatred toward our friends in the Middle 
East. This

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is a man who has deceived the world for 11 long years. He said he 
wouldn't have weapons of mass destruction. He's got them. We know for a 
fact he was close to having a nuclear weapon at one time. We don't know 
how close he is today because he has stiff-armed the United Nations.
    We not only know he's got chemical weapons, but incredibly enough 
he's used chemical weapons. He's used them in his neighborhood; he's 
used them on his own people. This is a man who has got terrorist 
connections, who would like nothing more than to provide--be the arsenal 
and the training grounds for these coldblooded killers. And they could 
attack us, and he would leave no fingerprints behind. He's a threat.
    I went to the United Nations, I want to assure you, because I want 
the United Nations to be effective. I want it to work. I want this 
collection of body--this body of countries to work together to make the 
country free, to promote the peace. The United Nations can be effective. 
But for 11 years and 16 resolutions, this man has defied the United 
Nations. It's an historic moment, as far as I'm concerned, for the U.N. 
They can show the world whether or not they can work together to keep 
the peace, whether they be the United Nations, or whether they'll be the 
League of Nations, an ineffective debating society. And the choice is 
theirs.
    And the choice is Saddam Hussein's as well. For the sake of peace, 
he must disarm. He said he would disarm. But if he doesn't disarm, and 
if the United Nations cannot find the backbone necessary to assume its 
responsibilities, for the sake of peace, for the sake of freedom, for 
the sake of doing our obligations to our children, the United States 
will lead a coalition of nations to disarm Saddam Hussein.
    I believe out of the evil done to America is going to come some 
great good. I believe that. I can't imagine what was going through the 
mind of the enemy when they hit us. They said this country must have a 
religion called materialism, that we were so selfish, so self-absorbed, 
probably looking at ourselves in the mirror all the time, that all we 
would do after 9/11/2001 is step back and maybe file a lawsuit. That's 
what they thought.
    They don't understand the determination and drive. They don't 
understand the American spirit. I believe if we're--remain strong and 
firm in our conviction and clear in our thinking, if we don't forget our 
roots and remember that freedom is not America's gift to the world, it 
is God's gift to the world, if we stand true to our beliefs, we can 
achieve peace. We can achieve peace.
    That's the vision of this Government, is to achieve peace not only 
at home but in parts of the world. See, every life matters to Americans. 
Everybody counts. Everybody is precious, not just a few--everyone. And 
we want peace for people all around the world, and we can achieve it. By 
staying the course and remaining strong, we can have peace not only for 
America but for the Middle East and South Asia. It is possible. As a 
matter of fact, I believe it's going to happen.
    And I know what's going to happen here at home. We'll be a better 
society as a result of what's happened. A lot of people have taken a 
step back and kind of taken an assessment, an inventory of their lives, 
and realized that the American spirit says we've got serve something 
greater than ourself in life. Government can help; we'll help people in 
need. Listen, there are people who hurt in Iowa, and they hurt all 
around America. There's addiction and loneliness and hopelessness in 
this country. And if any of us hurt, we all hurt. And we've got to do 
something about it. And Government will help. We'll all work together to 
try to help. But Government is limited in its capacity. And that's what 
we know up here on this stage. Government can't put hope in people's 
hearts or love in people's lives.
    No, the best way to help bring light where there's darkness, to help 
people see a better tomorrow, is for the strength of the country to step 
forward. And the strength of the country is the heart and soul of 
American people. People are stepping around--coming around. They're 
saying, ``What can I do to help?'' And they're putting their arm around 
somebody who hurts and says, ``I love you.'' There are mentors in this 
audience who are making a difference. There are Boy Scout leaders and 
Girl Scout leaders who are making a difference, and Boys' and Girls' 
Club leaders--people who are working hard to

[[Page 1979]]

change America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
    No, the enemy hit us. But out of the evil done to America is going 
to come some great good. There's going to be peace in the world, and 
we'll have a better tomorrow, a hope--more hopeful America, an America 
where everybody understands the great promise of this country belongs to 
them just as much as to their neighbor.
    You know, the American spirit means not only should we participate 
in the process, the democratic process; the American spirit says that 
when we're threatened, we respond. We defend our freedoms. We have an 
obligation to future generations. But the American spirit also says that 
we must serve something greater than ourself.
    It was personified vividly to me--I want the youngsters here to 
remember the story of Flight 93, people flying across the country that 
fateful day. They heard the airplane they were on was going to be used 
as a weapon. They told their loved ones goodbye. They said a prayer. A 
guy said, ``Let's roll.'' They took the plane into the ground to serve 
something greater than themselves. The spirit of this country is strong 
and alive and well, and it allows me to boldly predict that we'll have a 
more peaceful world, and a more--better America.
    Thanks for coming. May God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 8:55 a.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center. In 
his remarks, he referred to gubernatorial candidate Doug Gross; 
senatorial candidate Greg Ganske; Chuck Larson, Jr., chairman, 
Republican Party of Iowa; and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.