[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 44 (Monday, November 3, 2003)]
[Pages 1494-1499]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Columbus, Ohio

October 30, 2003

    Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is great to be 
back in Columbus. I feel comfortable coming here. I like good football. 
I like to be around good people. And my grandfather was raised here. I 
don't know if you know that, but Prescott S. Bush was raised in 
Columbus, Ohio, and the last time I came to Ohio, I said I was proud of 
the fact that my paternal grandfather was raised here. And my mother got 
me on the phone. She said, ``You forgot about your maternal grandfather, 
Marvin; he grew up in Dayton.'' So, Mother, if you're paying attention--
[applause]. I'm proud to be in Ohio, because my two grandfathers grew up 
in Ohio.
    I'm proud of my family roots here. I am proud of what you all did in 
the year 2000. And I want to thank you for coming. Today we're laying 
the foundation for what is going to be an Ohio victory and a national 
victory in the fall of 2004. And I'm getting ready. I'm loosening up. 
[Laughter] But the political season will come in its own time. I have 
got a job to do. I've got a job to do for all Americans, and that is to 
keep this Nation secure and strong and prosperous and free.
    My one regret about this event today is that Laura isn't traveling 
with me. She is a fabulous First Lady. She's doing a great job. She is 
working her way down to Crawford,

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where we'll spend the night tonight. She is stopping off in Tyler, 
Texas, to do a little political work herself. And then we're going to 
spend some time on the weekend, although I'm going to take off on 
Saturday. We've got some Governors' races coming up. But we're looking 
forward to getting some quality time together after spending a lot of 
quality time together on the airplane when we traveled throughout the 
Far East on a very successful trip. I want you to know our alliances 
with our friends are strong, and the world is more peaceful for it.
    Speaking about a man who married well, so did your Governor. And I'm 
honored the first lady of Ohio is with us. Hope Taft, thank you for 
coming. And I'm proud to call Governor Taft my friend. I want to thank 
you for your service to your great State and appreciate your leadership.
    We've got other officials here. The Lieutenant Governor, Jennette 
Bradley, is with us. Ken Blackwell is with us. Joe Deters is with us. 
Jim Petro, the attorney general, Betty Montgomery, the State auditor--
all friends and all great leaders for the State of Ohio. Thank you all 
for coming.
    I'm honored that members of the statehouse are here, particularly 
the speaker of the house, Larry Householder. Sorry he didn't bring all 
his kids with him. [Laughter] Maybe the person serving the meals isn't 
sorry he brought all his kids with him. I think he said he's got six or 
seven kids, which is pretty darn good, Speaker. And I want to thank the 
president of the senate, Senator Doug White, for being here as well. I 
thank the legislators for coming. I'm proud to have your support, and 
I'm counting on your support as we get in this election cycle.
    I selected a man from Ohio, from Cincinnati, Ohio, to be the 
national finance chairman of this campaign, and he's doing a terrific 
job. His name is Mercer Reynolds. I'm proud to call him friend. I'm 
proud he has taken on such a vital role for the Bush-Cheney 2004 
campaign. I also want to thank Tim Timken and Bill DeWitt and Jo Ann 
Davidson for their hard work all across the State of Ohio. I want to 
thank the cochairmen of this event for making this an incredibly 
successful event. I want to thank the grassroots activists who are with 
us today: the party chairman, Bob Bennett; Michael Colley, who is the 
national committeeman; Martha Moore, the national committeewoman.
    I'm honored you all are here. I'm going to need you and count on you 
to energize the grassroots here in the State of Ohio, to man the phones 
and put up the signs and mail the letters. I want you to remind people 
that when you do so, this administration has got a hopeful, optimistic 
vision for every single American.
    In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to 
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems 
instead of passing them on to future Presidents and future generations. 
I came to seize opportunities and not let them slip away. This 
administration is meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got. We've captured or killed many key leaders of the Al Qaida 
network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan 
and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those regimes chose 
defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million people in those 
two countries once lived under tyranny, and today they live in freedom.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the 
resources it needed and morale was beginning to suffer, so we increased 
the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today, 
no one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the 
spirit of the United States military.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession, and 
then our country was attacked, and we had some scandals in corporate 
America, and we marched to war, all of which affected the confidence of 
the American people. But we acted. We took the lead. We passed tough new 
laws to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy 
going again, I have twice led the United States Congress to pass 
historic tax relief for the American people.
    I know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, to 
save, or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more likely to 
find a job. So we returned more money to the people to help them raise 
their families. We reduced taxes on dividends

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and capital gains to encourage investment. We gave small businesses 
incentives to expand and to hire new people. With all these actions, 
we're laying the foundations for greater prosperity and more jobs across 
America so that every one of our citizens has a chance to realize the 
American Dream.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education 
reform, and there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called for and the 
Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan 
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a 
generation. I believe that every child can learn. And this country ought 
to expect every child to learn. In return for Federal money, we have 
begun to ask the question, are you teaching our children? Are you 
holding up high standards? Are you willing to challenge the soft bigotry 
of low expectations? The days of excuse-making are over in public 
education. We expect results in every classroom so that not one single 
child is left behind.
    We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to better safeguard our ports and borders and to protect the 
American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for Ohio's manufacturers and farmers and ranchers. We passed 
budget agreements that is helping to maintain much needed spending 
discipline in Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this administration 
has acted on principle. We have kept our word, and we have made progress 
for the American people.
    The United States Congress shares in the achievements. I thank the 
Speaker, Denny Hastert, and I thank Majority Leader Bill Frist for their 
hard work. We're working to try to change the tone in Washington. 
There's too much politics in the Nation's Capital, too much zero-sum 
attitude. We've got to lift the rhetoric and focus on results. And 
that's what we're working to do in the Nation's Capital, results for all 
the people.
    And those are the kind of people I've asked to serve in my 
administration. When you're sitting around your coffee shops and 
community centers, you're talking up the campaign--which I hope you do--
remind the people that I put together a great team on behalf of the 
American people--people from all walks of life, people who have come to 
our Nation's Capital to serve their country, people like Dick Cheney, 
our country's greatest Vice President we've ever had. Mother may have a 
different opinion. [Laughter]
    In 2\1/2\ years, we have done a lot, if you think about it. We have 
come far, but our work is only beginning. I have set great goals worthy 
of a great nation. First, America is committed to expanding the realm of 
freedom and peace for our own security and for the benefit of the world. 
And second, in our own country, we must work for a society of prosperity 
and compassion so that every single citizen has a chance to work and to 
succeed and to realize the great promise of America. It is clear that 
the future of freedom and peace depend on the actions of America. This 
Nation is freedom's home and freedom's defender. We welcome this charge 
of history, and we are keeping it.
    Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle, 
and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will not tire; we 
will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed.
    We are confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein 
holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw Iraq 
into chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers and innocent 
Iraqis. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be a major 
defeat for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to 
shake the will of the United States of America. And we will not be 
intimidated.
    We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat 
them there so that we do not have to face them in our own country. We 
continue to call on other nations to help build a free country in Iraq. 
After all, it will make the world more secure when this happens. We're 
standing with the Iraq people as they assume more of their own defense 
and move toward self-government. And these aren't easy tasks. But 
they're essential tasks. They're essential for the future of our 
children and grandchildren. We will finish what we have begun in Iraq, 
and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty, 
because free nations

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don't support terror. Free nations do not attack their neighbors. Free 
nations do not threaten the world with weapons of mass terror. Americans 
believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of every human heart. 
And I believe that freedom is the right of every person. And I believe 
that freedom is the future of every nation.
    This country also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. And we have duties in this world. When we 
see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, America will not turn 
away. This great, mighty Nation is leading the world in confronting a 
terrible disease on the continent of Africa. This Nation is bringing the 
healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children now 
suffering with AIDS. This great land is leading the world in this 
incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges here at home as well. I'm about to go to a 
business here in Ohio to talk about the economy. My attitude is that 
anybody--if anybody who wants to work in Ohio or in America is looking 
for a job and can't find a job, it says we've got a problem. I'll 
continue to work to create the conditions in which small businesses can 
grow to be big businesses, the conditions necessary for the 
entrepreneurial spirit to flourish. We want everybody working in 
America. We're making progress, but we will not stop until there are 
jobs aplenty for those who are looking for work.
    We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by 
strengthening and modernizing Medicare. Congress is taking historic 
action to improve the lives of our older citizens. For the first time--
hear this--for the first time since the creation of Medicare, the House 
and the Senate have passed reforms to increase the choices for our 
seniors and to provide coverage for prescription drugs. The House and 
the Senate must iron out their differences. They must come together and 
get a bill to my desk soon. We have a promise to keep to our seniors, 
and we must modernize the Medicare system for those of us who are fixing 
to become seniors.
    For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the 
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. People who have 
been harmed by a bad doctor deserve their day in court. Yet the system 
should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for rich settlements. 
Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, and they therefore 
affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue 
which requires a national solution. I proposed a good bill to solve the 
medical liability issue all across America. It was passed by the House. 
It is stuck in the Senate. Your two Senators are good votes on this 
issue. Some Senators need to hear loud and clear that not one single 
person has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We need medical 
liability reform now.
    I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men 
and women for the Federal bench, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Some of the Members of the United States 
Senate are trying to keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-
down votes. Every judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-
down vote on the Senate floor. It is time for some Members of the United 
States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.
    This Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. 
If you're worried about manufacturing jobs in Ohio, you need an energy 
plan. It's hard to hire people if you can't find energy. I proposed a 
bill two years ago to the Congress, a bill which encourages us to use, 
in environmentally friendly ways, the resources at our disposal. We need 
clean coal technology in America. We need more natural gas. We need to 
encourage alternative sources of energy. We need to encourage 
conservation. We need to make sure the electricity system is reliable. 
As the people of northern Ohio found out, it's not that reliable at 
times. [Laughter] We need to modernize the system. We need an energy 
bill. For the sake of economic security and for the sake of national 
security, the Congress needs to complete the energy bill and get it to 
my desk.
    A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation. 
I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate conservatism, 
which means we must apply the

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best and most innovative ideas to help our fellow citizens who are in 
need. There are a lot of men and women who want to end their dependence 
on government. They want to find work. They want to become independent 
through hard work, so we must build on the success of the welfare reform 
to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of our citizens. 
Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so more Americans 
can serve their communities and their country.
    Both Houses should reach agreement on my Faith-Based Initiative to 
help support the armies of compassion, which exists right here in 
Columbus, Ohio--they exist in every city in Ohio--the armies of 
compassion who are mentoring our children, caring for the homeless, who 
offer hope to the addicted. People of all faiths--Christians, Jewish, 
Muslims, Hindus--have heard a universal call to love a neighbor just 
like they'd like to be loved themselves. This Nation should not fear 
faith. We should welcome programs based upon faith to answer the deepest 
needs of the human heart which exist in our society.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the dignity and the pride that comes from ownership. This administration 
will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in America. We 
want more people owning their home. We have a minority homeownership gap 
in America. I presented a plan to Congress to close that gap. The more 
people that own their home, the better off America will be. We want 
people owning and managing their own health care plans and their own 
retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own business 
because we understand that when a person owns something, he or she has a 
vital stake in the future of our country.
    A compassionate society is one in which people respect one another 
and take responsibility for the decisions they make. The culture of 
America is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' 
and ``You got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which 
each of us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in 
life.
    If you are fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad, you are 
responsible for loving your child with all your heart. If you're worried 
about the quality of the education in the community in which you live, 
you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in 
corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your 
shareholders and your employees.
    And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for 
loving our neighbor just like we would like to be loved ourself. The 
culture of service and responsibility is growing here in America. I 
started what's called the USA Freedom Corps. If you're interested, you 
can go on the web page and look it up. It's a chance to--for people to 
serve their country, to serve their community, to help a neighbor who's 
in need. And the response has been great. It really has been. People 
want to serve. People want to--want to help their country by helping 
somebody who might be struggling.
    Policemen and firefighters and people who wear this Nation's uniform 
remind us what it means to sacrifice for something greater than 
yourself. Once again, the children of America believe in heroes, because 
they see them every day.
    In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the 
courage of America. And I've been privileged to see the compassion and 
the character of the American people. All the tests of the last 2\1/2\ 
years have come to the right nation. We're a strong country, and we use 
our strength to defend the peace. We're an optimistic country, confident 
in ourselves and in ideals bigger than ourselves.
    Abroad, we seek to lift whole nations by spreading freedom. At home, 
we seek to lift up lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of 
America. This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it. 
And we know that for our country, the best days lie ahead.
    May God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 12:14 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. 
In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Taft, Secretary of State J. 
Kenneth Blackwell, and Treasurer of State Joseph T. Deters of Ohio; Jo 
Ann Davidson, chairperson for the Ohio Valley region, Bush-Cheney '04, 
Inc.;

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Robert T. Bennett, chairman, Ohio Republican Party; Michael F. Colley, 
Ohio national committeeman, and Martha C. Moore, Ohio national 
committeewoman, Republican National Committee; and former President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq.