[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 13 (Monday, March 29, 2004)]
[Pages 473-477]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Boston, Massachusetts

March 25, 2004

    Thank you all very much for coming. Thank you. Thank you all. Thanks 
for the warm welcome. It's great to be back in Boston. Thank you. 
[Laughter] I spent some quality time here in the seventies--[laughter]--
mostly in the library at Harvard, of course. [Laughter] Well, I spent 
some quality time here.
    I really appreciate the traditions here in Massachusetts. Last 
weekend I had the honor of participating in one of the city's finest 
traditions. It was the annual Saint Patrick's Day breakfast in South 
Boston. I called in. The good Senator took my call. Actually, he took 
Andy Card's call, a great Massachusetts citizen. And Andy handed me the 
phone. When I called in, I had the feeling they were going to ask me 
about a Massachusetts politician who had his eye on the White House, so 
I addressed the issue as directly as possible. I told Mitt the job was 
filled until 2008.
    I'm proud of the job this good man is doing as Governor of this 
great State. Mitt Romney is a great Governor. And like me, he married 
very well. [Laughter] I'm proud Ann is here with us tonight. Ann, thank 
you for coming.
    And I'm sorry Laura is not here. She is a fabulous First Lady. She 
is a great wife. She's visiting her mom in Midland, Texas. Like me, we 
put our faith in families first, above all. And she is--[applause].
    I appreciate my friend Ambassador Dick Egan, for helping make this 
an incredibly successful fundraiser. The country called, and he 
responded as the Ambassador to Ireland. He did a fine job on behalf of 
the citizens of this country. Dick, thank you for your service.
    And my old buddy, the former Governor of Massachusetts, Bill Weld is 
here tonight. I appreciate you coming, Governor. I want to thank all the 
State officials who are here and local officials who are here. I see the 
high sheriff and others here today. I want to thank my friend Joe 
O'Donnell for renting a tie for tonight. [Laughter] I appreciate so very 
much Mercer Reynolds, who is the national finance chairman for my 
campaign, for taking time out to make sure that we're able to get our 
message out all across our country.
    I want to thank all the people who have worked so hard to really do 
a fantastic job, when you think about it. We've come to Boston, 
Massachusetts--some people would think that we wouldn't have much 
support here. But they're wrong. We've got a lot of support in this 
city.
    I want to thank Darrell Crate, who is the chairman of the 
Massachusetts Republican Party, for being here. And I want to thank all 
the grassroots activists who are here. Nobody should take any State for 
granted in 2004.
    The Vice President and I are counting on you. We want your help. We 
want you out there turning those voters out. Speaking about the Vice 
President, I made a really good pick when I asked Dick Cheney to be the 
Vice President of the United States. One time, giving a speech in front 
of Mother and Dad, I said, ``Dick Cheney is the finest Vice President 
our country has ever had.'' Mother said, ``Wait a minute.'' [Laughter] 
But he's doing a great job. [Laughter]
    I've had the opportunity to observe the two United States Senators 
from this State. Your senior Senator, Ted Kennedy, is a very effective 
legislator. In Washington, he's known as the conservative Senator from 
Massachusetts. [Laughter] Your other Senator, my opponent, is an 
experienced Senator. He's built up quite a record. My opponent has been 
in Washington long enough to take both sides on just about every issue. 
[Laughter] He voted for the PATRIOT Act, for NAFTA, for the No Child 
Left Behind Act, and for the use of force in Iraq. Now he opposes the 
PATRIOT Act, NAFTA, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the liberation of 
Iraq. My opponent clearly feels very strongly about each of these 
issues. [Laughter]
    In order to lead this country, you have to be consistent and clear. 
Someone asked Senator Kerry why he voted against the $87-billion funding 
bill to help our troops in Iraq. Here's what he said: ``I actually did 
vote for the 87 billion, before I voted against it'' --[laughter]--end 
of quote. [Laughter] That sure clears things up, doesn't it? [Laughter]

[[Page 474]]

    His answers aren't always so clear, but the voters will have a clear 
choice in this campaign. It's a choice between keeping the tax relief 
that is moving this economy forward or putting the burden of higher 
taxes back on the American people. It is a choice between an America 
that leads the world with strength and confidence or an America that is 
uncertain in the face of danger.
    I'm looking forward to this campaign. I'm looking forward to 
traveling this great country to talk about what I want to do for our 
country. I'm looking forward to reminding people that in 3 years, we've 
achieved great things. The most important thing is that we have a 
positive vision, an optimistic vision, a hopeful vision for the years 
ahead. We have a positive vision for winning the war against terror and 
extending peace and freedom throughout the world, a positive vision for 
promoting opportunity and compassion here at home. I'm going to leave no 
doubt where we stand, and we're going to win on the 2d of November.
    The last 3 years have brought serious challenges, and we have given 
serious answers. We came to office with a stock market in decline, an 
economy heading into recession. We delivered historic tax relief, and 
now our economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized 
nation in the world. We had to confront corporate crime that cost people 
their jobs and their savings. We passed strong corporate reform and made 
it clear we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
    We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we 
pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed 
many of the key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest of them 
will learn there is no cave or hole deep enough to hide from American 
justice. We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror and the 
spread of weapons of mass destruction, so we ended two of the most 
violent and dangerous regimes on Earth. We freed over 50 million people, 
and once again, America is proud to lead the armies of liberation.
    When Dick Cheney and I came to office, we found a military that was 
underfunded and underappreciated, so we gave our military the resources 
and respect they deserve. And today, no one can question the skill, the 
strength, or the spirit of the United States military.
    It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on 
to future Presidents and future generations. A President needs to step 
up to make the hard decisions and to keep his commitments, and that is 
how I will continue to lead our Nation.
    Great events will turn on this election. The man who sits in the 
Oval Office will set the course of the war on terror and the direction 
of our economy. The security and prosperity of America are at stake. The 
other side hasn't offered much in the ways of strategy to win the war or 
policies to expand our economy. So far, all we hear from that side is a 
lot of old bitterness and partisan anger. Anger is not an agenda for the 
future of this country. I will take on the big issues with optimism and 
resolve and determination. I will make it clear to the American people, 
I stand ready to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
    The big issue for every American family is the Federal tax burden. 
With the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was President, we've 
left more money in the hands that earned it. By spending and investing 
and helping to create new jobs, the American people have used their 
money far better than the Federal Government could have.
    I'm optimistic about the future of this country because I've seen 
Americans overcome economic challenge after economic challenge. I'm 
optimistic because of the good policies we've put in place but 
optimistic because of the hard work and productivity of the American 
people.
    Economic growth in the second half of 2003 was the fastest in nearly 
20 years. Manufacturing activity is increasing. Business investment is 
rising. Disposable income is rising. Inflation is low. Homeownership is 
at the highest rate ever. The minority homeownership rate is at the--
nearly at the highest level ever. Job creation is gaining strength. 
We've added over 350,000 new jobs over the last 6 months. The tax relief 
we passed is working.
    My opponent has a different view of tax relief. When we passed an 
increase in the child credit to help families, he voted against

[[Page 475]]

it. When we reduced the marriage penalty, he voted against it. When we 
created a lower 10-percent rate for working families, he voted against 
it. When we reduced the tax rate on dividends that many seniors depend 
upon, he voted against it. When we gave small businesses tax incentives 
to expand and hire, he voted against it. When we passed a phase-out of 
the death tax, he voted against it. We're beginning to see a pattern. 
[Laughter]
    My opponent is one of the main opponents of tax relief in the United 
States Congress. When tax increases are proposed, it's a lot easier to 
get a ``yes'' vote out of him. Over the years, he's voted over 350 times 
for higher taxes on the American people, including the biggest tax 
increase in American history. He supported a 50 cent a gallon tax 
increase on gasoline. He wanted you to pay the extra money at the pump, 
and he wouldn't even throw in a free car wash. [Laughter]
    Now my opponent is proposing a lot of new Federal spending--a lot of 
Federal spending. But somehow he's going to have to pay for it. There's 
a gap between Senator Kerry's spending promises and Senator Kerry's 
promise to lower the deficit. It's called a tax gap. Given Senator 
Kerry's record for supporting tax increases, it's pretty clear how he's 
going to fill the tax gap. He's going to tax all of you. But 
fortunately, he will not have that chance.
    Higher taxes would undermine growth and destroy jobs just as this 
economy is getting stronger. To help grow the American economy and to 
create more jobs for American workers, I have a better idea. We should 
make all the tax cuts permanent.
    And there's more to do. We must maintain spending discipline in the 
Nation's Capital. I've offered a plan to protect small-business owners 
and employees from frivolous lawsuits and needless regulation. We need 
tort reform in America. I've laid out a strategy to help control the 
cost of health care so people have better access to good health care 
through association health care plans and tax-free health savings 
accounts. We must have medical liability reform to protect our docs and 
to stop running up the cost of medicine on people.
    In order to make sure we grow our economy, we need to reject 
economic isolationism and open up other countries' markets for U.S. 
goods and U.S. services.
    I proposed--in order to make sure job growth is strong, we need to 
have an energy policy in America. We need to modernize the electricity 
system, and this country must become less dependent on foreign sources 
of energy.
    Oh yes, there's a lot of talk about job creation. But my opponent is 
against every one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about jobs 
and economic isolationism will not get anyone hired. The best way to 
make sure people can find work is to reelect a pro-growth, pro-
entrepreneur President.
    Our future also depends on America's leadership in the world. The 
momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face serious 
dangers. Al Qaida is wounded but not broken. Terrorists are testing our 
will in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and Iran are 
challenging the peace. If America shows weakness and uncertainty in this 
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my 
watch.
    This Nation is strong and confident in the cause of freedom. And 
today, no friend or enemy doubts the world of the United States of 
America. America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime 
in Afghanistan. The Taliban chose defiance; the Taliban are no longer in 
power. America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in 
Iraq. The dictator chose defiance. Now the dictator sits in a prison 
cell.
    September the 11th, 2001, taught a lesson I will never forget. 
America must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my 
administration looked at the intelligence information, and we saw a 
threat. Members of Congress looked at the intelligence information, and 
they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the 
intelligence information, and it saw a threat. The previous 
administration and previous Congress looked at the intelligence and made 
regime change in Iraq the policy of our Nation. In 2002, the United 
Nations Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam 
Hussein's weapons program. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein 
refused

[[Page 476]]

to comply. So I had a choice to make, either to take the word of a 
madman or defend this country. Given that choice, I will defend America 
every time.
    My opponent admits that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He just didn't 
support my decision to remove Saddam from power. Maybe he was hoping 
Saddam would lose the next Iraqi election. [Laughter] We showed the 
dictator and a watching world that America means what it says. Because 
our coalition acted, Saddam Hussein's torture chambers are closed. 
Because we acted, Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we 
acted, a source of money to suiciders in the Middle East has been ended. 
Because we acted, nations like Libya got the message and renounced their 
own weapons programs. Because we acted, an example of democracy is 
rising in the heart of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world is 
more free and America is more secure.
    We still face thugs and terrorists in Iraq who would rather go on 
killing the innocent than accept the advance of liberty. And there's a 
reason. They know that a free Iraq will be major defeat for the cause of 
terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake the will of 
America. They don't understand our country. America will never be 
intimidated by thugs and assassins.
    We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat 
them there so we do not have to face them in our own country. We're 
calling on other nations to help Iraq build a free society, which will 
make the whole world more secure. And we're standing with the Iraqi 
people, the brave Iraqi people, as they assume more of their own defense 
and move toward self-government. These aren't easy tasks, but they are 
essential tasks. America will finish what we have begun, and we will win 
this essential victory in the war on terror.
    On national security, Americans have the clearest possible choice. 
My opponent says he approves of bold action in the world but only if 
other countries do not object. I'm all for united action, and so are the 
34 coalition partners in Iraq right now. Yet America must never 
outsource America's national security decision to the leaders of other 
countries.
    Some are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all. My 
opponent said, and I quote, ``The war on terror is less of a military 
operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law enforcement 
operation.'' I disagree--strongly disagree. Our Nation followed this 
approach after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was 
handled in the courts and thought by some to be settled. But the 
terrorists were still training in Afghanistan, plotting in other 
nations, and drawing up more ambitious plans. After the chaos and 
carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies 
with legal papers. With those attacks, the terrorists and their 
supporters declared war on the United States of America, and war is what 
they got.
    Our men and women in the military are taking great risks, and 
they're doing great work. At bases across our country and the world, 
I've had the privilege of meeting with those who defend our country and 
sacrifice for our security. I've seen their great decency and their 
unselfish courage. I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of 
freedom is in good hands.
    This Nation is prosperous and strong, yet we need to remember that 
our greatest strength is in the hearts and souls of our citizens. We're 
strong because of the values we try to live by, courage and compassion, 
reverence and integrity. We're strong because of the institutions that 
help give us direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our 
religious congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental 
to our lives, and they deserve the respect of our Government.
    We stand for a fair treatment of faith-based groups, charitable 
groups of all faiths, so they can receive Federal support for their 
works of compassion and healing. We will not stand for Government 
discrimination against people of faith.
    We stand for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen 
marriage, which have helped millions of Americans find independence and 
dignity. We will not stand for any attempt to weaken those reforms and 
send people back into lives of dependence.
    We stand for a culture of life in which every person counts and 
every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of

[[Page 477]]

any life as a commodity to be experimented upon, to be exploited, or to 
be cloned.
    We stand for the confirmation of judges who strictly and faithfully 
interpret the law. We will not stand for judges who undermine democracy 
by legislating from the bench and judges who try to remake the values of 
America by court order.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. We're changing 
the culture of our country from one that has said, ``If it feels good, 
do it,'' and ``If you've 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're fortunate enough to be a mother or 
a father, you're 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 the responsibility 
society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like 
we'd like to be loved ourself.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is 
expected of its leaders. These aren't one of those times. You and I are 
living in a period when the stakes are high, the challenges are 
difficult, a time when resolve is needed.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. I'll never forget the day. A guy looked at me and said, ``Don't 
let me down.'' A lot of the workers were shouting, ``Whatever it takes. 
Whatever it takes, Mr. President.'' As we all did that day, these men 
and women searching through the rubble took it personally. I took it 
personally. I have a responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in 
bringing justice to our enemies. I will defend America, whatever it 
takes.
    In these times, I've also been witness to the character of this 
Nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American 
character. They had doubts about our capacity to meet a serious 
challenge or to serve a cause greater than self-interest. Americans have 
given their answer. I've seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've 
seen the heroism of Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the 
spirit of service and compassion renewed in our country. We've all seen 
our Nation unite in common purpose when it mattered most.
    We'll need all these qualities for the work ahead. We have a war to 
win. And the world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and 
peace. We have a duty to spread opportunity to every part 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.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 6:10 p.m. at the Park Plaza Hotel and 
Towers. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts 
and his wife, Ann; former Gov. William F. Weld of Massachusetts; Joseph 
J. O'Donnell, fundraiser, and Mercer Reynolds, national finance 
chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; and former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq.