[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 19 (Monday, May 10, 2004)]
[Pages 781-786]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Cincinnati, Ohio

May 4, 2004

    The President. Thanks for coming. It is exciting to end what has 
been a great bus trip across Ohio right here in a wonderful city, 
Cincinnati, Ohio. Thanks for coming out tonight. I appreciate you coming 
out. I appreciate you giving me a chance to thank you for what you're 
going to do as we come down the stretch in this campaign in 2004.
    I'm here asking for your vote, and I'm here asking for your help.
    Audience member. Viva Bush!
    The President. Vamos a ganar. That means, we're going to win. We set 
up a web site called georgewbush.com. It will give you a chance to find 
out how to volunteer, how to register voters, how to turn them out. We 
need your help. And when you're talking to people, talk to people from 
all walks of life about this campaign. Talk to people who may never have 
voted before about this campaign. Talk to people from different parties 
about this campaign, because, see, we've got a positive vision. We've 
got a positive vision for everybody who lives in America. We've got a 
vision to make sure America is safer and stronger and better. We have a 
mission to make this country as hopeful as it can possibly be. Put out 
the word, and we will win in November of 2004.
    I wish Laura were here to see this crowd. Listen, a good reason to 
put me back in there is so she will have 4 more years as the First Lady. 
She's a great First Lady. She's a fantastic wife and a great mom and a 
wonderful First Lady. I'm really proud of her. She sends her best. She 
sends all her best--she sends her best to all her friends here in 
Cincinnati.
    By the way, a measure of a good President is whether or not he 
surrounds himself with excellence. I do. I put together a fantastic team 
to serve the American people, people from different backgrounds, people 
from different walks of life, smart and capable people, all of whom have 
come to Washington to serve a cause greater than themselves, the United 
States of America. Our country has got a great Vice President in Dick 
Cheney.
    I want to thank the elected officials who have come here today. Your 
Governor, Bob Taft, is with us. And Governor, I'm honored you're here. 
Thank you for coming. Congressman Rob Portman is with us today. I 
appreciate Congressman Portman. Congressman Steve Chabot is with us 
today. I'm honored you're here. I mean, we've got statewide officials. 
We've got elected--local officials. We've got all kinds of people who 
are here, and I'm proud you've come.
    I appreciate the grassroots people who are here. Listen, you've got 
to work hard to turn out the vote, and that's what we call grassroots. I 
want to thank you. I'm here to fertilize the grassroots today. I'm here 
to ask you to grow.
    I want to thank our entertainers who are here. I'm proud you've 
come, Billy. It's good to see you again. I appreciate you coming. My 
friend Billy Cerveny was with us yesterday, as well as Steven Chapman. 
I'm honored that Steven was here as well.
    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 headed into recession. We delivered historic tax relief. And 
now, our economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized 
nation in the world.
    We uncovered corporate crimes that cost people their jobs and their 
savings, so we passed strong corporate reforms. We brought the 
wrongdoers to account, and we made it clear, we will not tolerate 
dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.

[[Page 782]]

    We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we 
pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We have captured or killed 
many 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 liberated over 50 million people. Once 
again, America is proud to stand against tyranny and to set nations 
free.
    When Dick Cheney and I came to Washington, 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 and the strength and 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 and to make the hard decisions and to keep his commitments, and that 
is how I will continue to lead our great Nation.
    I'm so glad you're here, because 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. I'm running against an experienced 
United States Senator. He's been in Washington a long period of time.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. No, he's been there quite a while. He's been there 
long enough to take both sides of just about every issue. He spent some 
time here in Ohio looking for the vote, just like I'm looking for the 
vote, and he's looking for endorsements, just like I'm looking for 
endorsements. But you know, he's claimed he's picked up some important 
endorsements from foreign leaders. He just won't give us their names. 
[Laughter] He did drop a hint a few days ago. He insisted, quote, ``What 
I said is true''--what he said on national TV about the foreign 
leaders--``What I said is true. I mean, you can go to New York City, and 
you can be in a restaurant, and you can meet a foreign leader.'' End of 
quote. [Laughter] I've got a hunch this whole thing might be a case of 
mistaken identity. Just because somebody has an interesting accent, a 
nice suit, and a good table at a New York restaurant doesn't make him a 
foreign leader. Whoever these mystery men are will not be deciding the 
election. The American people will be deciding this election.
    The people of this State and the people of this country have an 
unmistakable choice in this election. 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's a choice between an 
America that leads the world with strength and confidence or an America 
that is uncertain in the face of danger. The other side hasn't offered 
much in the way of strategy to win the war or policies to expand our 
economy. We're into this campaign and all we hear is old bitterness, but 
they're going to learn something from the American people. Anger is not 
an agenda for the future of this country.
    I will take on the big issues with optimism and resolve and 
determination, and I will make it clear to the American people I stand 
ready to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. A big issue for every family in America is the 
Federal tax burden. With the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was 
President, we have left more money in the hands that earned it. By 
spending and investing and helping create new jobs, the American people 
have used their money far better than the Federal Government could have. 
Our economy is getting better.
    I know there are still people in this important State who hurt. 
There are still people looking for work. That's a reason to be--that's 
not a reason to fall into pessimistic policy. We've got to be 
optimistic, and there's reason to be optimistic. The entrepreneurial 
spirit is strong. Small businesses are vibrant. We're going through a 
time of transition, but things are getting better. Just look at the 
facts. The economy grew at a strong rate of 4.2 percent in the first 
quarter of this year.

[[Page 783]]

Economic growth over the past three quarters has been the fastest in 
nearly two decades. In March, the economy added 308,000 jobs; 7,900 of 
those were created right here in Ohio.
    No, there's been some tough times for people in Ohio. But listen to 
this: The unemployment rate has dropped from its high of 6.3 percent 
last summer to 5.7 percent in March. Manufacturing activity is 
increasing. Business investment is rising. Disposable income is up. 
Homeownership is at the highest rate ever. 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 ``no.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When we reduced the marriage penalty, he voted 
against it.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When we lowered a 10-percent break for working 
families--or created the 10-percent rate, he voted ``no.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When we voted to reduce the taxes on dividends that 
seniors depend on, he voted against it. When we gave small businesses 
tax incentives to expand and hire, he voted ``no.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Are you getting the picture? But when tax increases 
are proposed, it's a lot easier to get a ``yes'' out of him. Over the 
years, my opponent has voted over 350 times for higher taxes----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. ----including the biggest tax increase in American 
history. He supported raising the gas tax. He won't even give you a free 
car wash. [Laughter] There is a trend here. He's got a record. In this 
campaign thus far, he has proposed a lot of Government spending, over a 
trillion dollars thus far. And there's 6 more months to go. [Laughter] 
And yet, he says he's going to pay for it by taxing the rich. You can't 
tax the rich enough to pay for all the spending promises he's made. So 
guess who's going to pay? You're going to pay. But the good news is, 
we're not going to let him raise your taxes. The tax relief we passed 
must be permanent. We don't need to be raising taxes on the American 
people.
    In order to make sure this economy grows and people can find work, 
we've got to make sure we protect small-business owners and employers 
from frivolous and junk lawsuits. We need tort reform. We've got to help 
control the cost of the increasing medicine by medical liability reform. 
We've got to make sure the doctor-patient relationship is central to 
decisionmaking in health care through association health care plans and 
health savings accounts.
    In order for us to grow and make sure we're the leading economy in 
the world so people can find work, Congress needs to pass an energy 
plan. We need an energy plan that encourages conservation, an energy 
plan that helps develop alternative sources of energy. We need an energy 
plan that has clean coal technology as a part of its supply. We need to 
make sure that we explore for natural gas in environmentally friendly 
ways. We need to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    We need to have trade policy that is confident and optimistic. We 
need to reject economic isolationism. See, we're good at things here in 
America. We're good at growing crops. We're good at raising cows. We're 
good at high-tech. We're good at manufacturing. We've got the most 
productive workforce in the world. Rather than walling ourselves off 
from the world, we need a President who will open up markets. We can 
compete with anybody, any time, anywhere if the playing field is level.
    This economy is strong, and it's getting stronger. And I've got a 
plan to keep us on the path to economic vitality and strong growth so 
people can find work, because I understand the role of Government is not 
to create wealth. The role of Government is to create an environment in 
which the entrepreneurial spirit can flourish, in which small businesses 
can grow to be big businesses. I need 4 more years to make sure a pro-
growth, pro-small-business agenda--[applause].
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The 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

[[Page 784]]

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 word of the United States of 
America. America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime 
in Afghanistan. The Taliban chose defiance, and the Taliban are no 
longer in power. America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror 
regime in Iraq. The dictator chose defiance, and 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, and we saw a threat. Members 
of Congress looked at the intelligence, and they saw a threat. The 
United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a 
threat. The previous administration and Congress looked at the 
intelligence and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our 
Government.
    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, the man who had used weapons of mass 
destruction before, the man who had terrorist ties, the man who paid 
suiciders to go kill innocent Israelis, refused to comply.
    So I had a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman, or take 
action to defend America. Faced with 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's torture chambers are 
closed. Because we acted, Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. 
Because we acted, nations like Libya have gotten the message and have 
voluntarily disarmed. Because we acted, an example of democracy is 
rising at the very heart of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world 
is more free and America is more secure.
    On the ground in Iraq, we still face serious and dangerous 
challenges. Illegal militias and remnants of the regime, joined by 
foreign terrorists, are trying to take by force the power they could 
never gain by the ballot. They know that a free Iraq will be a major 
defeat in the cause of terror. These groups have found little support 
among the Iraqi people. They will find no success in their attempts to 
shake the will of America. They do not understand this country. America 
will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins.
    Our coalition is implementing a clear strategy in Iraq. We will 
ensure an atmosphere of security as Iraqis move toward self-government. 
We support the efforts of local Iraqis to disarm the radicals in 
Fallujah. We made it clear that militias in Najaf and elsewhere must 
disarm or face serious consequences. American and coalition forces are 
in place, and we will enforce order in Iraq.
    We will return sovereignty to the people of Iraq on the schedule 
that we agreed to. Like any proud people, Iraqis want to manage their 
own affairs, and that is a goal we share. On June 30th, a sovereign 
Iraqi interim government will take office.
    These are tough days. We honor the sacrifice of those who have 
fallen. We appreciate their families. We ask for God's blessing. These 
are tough times. They're difficult tasks, but they're 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 our 
more than 30 coalition partners in Iraq. I will never turn over 
America's national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
    We've got fantastic troops. They've got to have the best supplies, 
best equipment, best body armor. And that's why I proposed an $87 
billion supplemental last fall. Someone recently asked my opponent why 
he voted against that bill. Here is what he said: ``I actually did vote 
for the 87 billion, before I voted

[[Page 785]]

against it.'' The American President must speak clearly and mean what he 
says.
    We have a difference of opinion. We have a difference of opinion 
about whether the war on terror is really a war at all. My opponent 
said, and I quote, ``The war on terror is far less of a military 
operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law enforcement 
operation.'' I disagree--I disagree. Our Nation followed that 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 freedom. I've seen their great decency and unselfish 
courage. And I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is 
in really 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, family and schools and religious 
congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental to our 
lives, and they deserve the respect of our Government.
    We stand for the fair treatment of faith-based groups 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 any life as 
a commodity to be experimented upon or exploited or 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 try to remake the values of America by 
court order.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. The culture of 
this country is changing 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 
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 are responsible for telling the truth to your 
shareholders and your employees. And in the new responsibility society, 
each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to 
be loved ourselves.
    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 the leaders. This isn't one of those times. You and I are 
living in a period where the stakes are high, the challenges are 
difficult, a time when firm 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 that day. I'll never forget the workers in the 
hardhats who were shouting, ``Whatever it takes.'' I'll never forget the 
firefighter that pointed at me and said, ``Don't let me down.''
    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 the security of America, whatever it takes.

[[Page 786]]

    In these times, I have also been a witness to the character of this 
Nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American 
character, our capacity to meet serious challenges 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, and we've all seen our Nation unite in common 
purpose when it mattered most.
    We will need all these qualities for the work ahead. You see, I'm 
running for 4 more years because we have a war to win, and the world is 
counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and peace. I'm asking for 
your help because 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.
    May God bless you all. May God continue to bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 6:48 p.m. at the Cincinnati Gardens Arena. 
In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio; entertainers Billy 
Cerveny and Steven Curtis Chapman; and former President Saddam Hussein 
of Iraq.