[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 20 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[Pages 837-843]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in LaCrosse, Wisconsin

May 7, 2004

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. It's a 
great turnout. Laura and I are so honored so many came out to say hello 
here in the great State of Wisconsin. I'm glad to be back in LaCrosse. 
What a fine city, full of fine, fine people.
    Listen, traveling your State on the bus is a fantastic experience, 
particularly for two people who grew up in the desert. [Laughter] As 
Laura said, people lined the road and were really friendly. We had a 
stop at the Kuhle family farm. That's between Hazel Green and Cuba City. 
It gave us a chance to shake hands with some hard-working people just 
like you all. A guy asked me if I wanted to milk his cows. I said, ``I 
think we better get back on the bus.'' [Laughter] Had a little Culver's 
ice cream on the way here too, I want you to know.
    I came here to ask for your vote. I came here to tell you I've got a 
reason to be President for 4 more years. I want this country to be safer 
and stronger and better, and working together, we can make it that way.
    I also came here to ask for your help. I want you to feel so 
inspired to put up the signs and knock on your neighbors' doors and go 
to community centers and your houses of worship and encourage people to 
vote. Tell them to go to the polls, and tell them when you're--when 
you're telling them how to vote or suggesting to them how to vote--
[laughter]--remind them that we have a positive vision, an optimistic 
vision, a hopeful

[[Page 838]]

vision for every single American who lives in this country.
    If you can't figure out what else to say, tell them they need to put 
me back in so that Laura can be the First Lady for 4 more years. I'm 
really proud of Laura. She's been a fantastic First Lady. She's a great 
wife and wonderful mom. She is--I'm a really lucky guy--[laughter]--and 
I think the people of America are lucky to have her as the First Lady.
    I put together a fantastic team of people to serve this country, 
people from all walks of life, people from different backgrounds, people 
like Tommy Thompson of the State of Wisconsin. By the way, Tommy is 
doing a great job. He's got a tough job, but he's doing a great job. He 
helped us reform Medicare so we keep the promise to the seniors of 
America. Tommy--you trained him well here in Wisconsin.
    I'm also running with a really fine man. Vice President Dick Cheney 
is a great Vice President.
    I want to thank Dan Kapanke, the--one of the co-owners of the 
baseball team that plays here. I appreciate you opening up your field. 
It's nice to be here in ``the Lumber Yard.'' It's a beautiful stadium. 
You know I'm a baseball fan. I love baseball. It's a perfect setting for 
us to talk about how to make sure our country is the best it can 
possibly be. So thanks for opening up ``the Lumber Yard'' to a bunch of 
tall timber. [Laughter]
    I want to thank Congressman Mark Green and Congressman Paul Ryan, 
two fine Members of the United States House of Representatives.
    I know the State treasurer Jack Voight is with us today, and I'm 
proud that the treasurer has come. I appreciate Mary Panzer and John 
Gard, two members of the statehouse who have joined us today, the leader 
in the senate and the speaker. And I want to thank all the members of 
the statehouse who are here. I particularly want to thank State Senator 
Dale Schultz, the next Congressman from this district.
    We've even got them coming in from Milwaukee today. Scott Walker, 
who is the Milwaukee County Executive, has joined us. And I'm proud that 
Scott is here. Thank you for coming, Scott.
    And I want to thank Rick Graber, the party chairman for the State.
    I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here, people 
who do the hard work at turning out the vote.
    I appreciate my friend Larry Gatlin, who is here today. Larry is a 
great friend of Laura of me. Have you sung yet? Good. Gatlin and I both 
grew up in west Texas, so when he sees trees and water, he's somewhat 
taken aback. [Laughter]
    I want to thank all the military personnel who are with us today. 
Thank you for serving this country.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. When you're out rounding up the vote, remind the 
people that you talk to that this administration and our country has 
faced serious challenges in the last 3 years, and we have given serious 
answers. We came to office with a stock market in decline and an economy 
headed into a recession, but we acted. We delivered historic tax relief, 
and now our economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized 
nation.
    We uncovered corporate crimes that cost people their jobs and their 
savings. We passed strong corporate reforms. Wrongdoers are being 
brought to account. And we have made it clear we will not tolerate 
dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
    We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning. We pursued 
the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed many key 
leaders of the Al Qaida network. And the rest will learn this about 
America: There is no cave or hole deep enough to hide from American 
justice.
    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.
    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 have liberated over 50 million people. 
Once again, America is proud to stand against tyranny and to set nations 
free.

[[Page 839]]

    It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on 
to future Presidents and future generations. The President needs to 
speak clearly, mean what he says, to step up and make the hard 
decisions. And that is how I will continue to lead our country. 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.
    We've got a tough race ahead of us, and that's why I'm glad so many 
came out. That's why I'm glad you gave me a chance to ask for your help. 
It's going to be a hard campaign, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm 
looking forward to the challenge. I'm looking forward to the opportunity 
to do what we have done today and explain to the American people why I'm 
running and what I intend to do. Yes, we've done a lot in the past, but 
there is more to do to make this country a better place and a safer 
place and a stronger place.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. We should not take my opponent lightly. He is an 
experienced United States Senator. He has built up quite a record. In 
fact, he's been in Washington long enough to take both sides on just 
about every issue. [Laughter] He voted for the PATRIOT Act, for NAFTA, 
for No Child Left Behind, and for the use of force of Iraq. Now he 
opposes the PATRIOT Act, NAFTA, No Child Left Behind, and the liberation 
of Iraq. His positions on these issues remind me of a saying we have in 
Texas: If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it 
will change.
    Now, we're both going to spend a lot of time in this State. I've 
been here today picking up the endorsements of the hard-working people 
of Wisconsin. I've been here--out there talking to as many people as I 
can to let them know I have a desire to serve this country for 4 more 
years. As you might remember, he claims to have picked up some important 
endorsements among foreign leaders. The problem is, he won't give us 
their names. [Laughter]
    Now, he did say the other day on national TV, ``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.'' [Laughter] I think this whole thing is 
a case of mistaken identity. [Laughter] I mean, just because somebody 
has an accent and a suit and a nice table at a New York restaurant 
doesn't make him a foreign leader.
    But no matter who these mystery people are, they're not going to 
decide the election. The American people will be deciding this election, 
and there will be a clear choice--a clear choice, the 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.
    The other side hasn't offered much in the way of strategies and 
plans to win the war on terror or to expand prosperity throughout our 
country. As a matter of fact, all we hear is bitterness and old partisan 
anger. But they're going to find out right quick that anger is not an 
agenda for the future of America. I look forward to taking on the big 
issues, the issues that matter, with optimism and resolve and 
determination. And I will make it clear that I stand ready to lead this 
country 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--the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was the 
President. We have left more money in the hands that earned it. By 
spending and investing and to--helping to create new jobs, the American 
people have used their money far better than the Federal Government 
would have.
    This economy of ours is strong, and it is getting stronger. The 
economy grew at a rate of 4.2 percent in the first quarter. Economic 
growth over the past three quarters has been the fastest in nearly two 
decades. Manufacturing activity is increasing. Business investment is 
rising. Disposable income is up. Inflation is low. Mortgage rates are 
low. Homeownership rate amongst Americans is the highest ever. This farm 
economy is strong.

[[Page 840]]

America has had 4 straight years of rising exports. Last year, we had 
the highest farm income on record.
    This morning, we got some more good news. Last month, America added 
288,000 new jobs. Our people are going back to work. We've added 1.1 
million jobs since last August. The unemployment rate in this State is 
5.1 percent, down from 5.8 percent last summer. The tax relief we passed 
is working.
    There is a difference of opinion about tax relief in this campaign. 
When you're out garnering the vote, remind people about the stands that 
I have taken and the stands my opponent has taken. See, on every one of 
the tax relief plans we passed the last 3 years, he voted against them. 
He voted against increasing the child credit, for reducing the marriage 
penalty, for creating a 10-percent lower bracket, for business 
investment breaks to small businesses.
    And also remind them that when it comes to tax increases, it's been 
a lot easier to get a yes vote out of him. These are the facts. Since 
he's been representing the people of Massachusetts, he voted for taxes 
350 times. He's not afraid to raise the taxes on the people. And that 
matters because, in a campaign, the tendency is for people to make 
promises. We're counting up the promises. He has so far promised $1.9 
trillion of spending, and we're just getting started. And there's 6 
months more to go. [Laughter]
    And the question you've got to ask of the Senator is, ``How are you 
going to pay for it?'' He said, ``by taxing the rich.'' But the problem 
is, you can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to pay for $1.9 
trillion of new money. So he has a tax gap, and given his record, you 
know who's going to have to pay that tax gap. That's you, but we're not 
going to let him have the chance to do so.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Raising taxes on the American people would wreck this 
economic growth and destroy job creation. No, what we need to do is to 
make sure this administration stays in office so we can keep taxes low 
and not raise taxes on the hard-working people of this country.
    And there's more we've got to do. I'll continue to bring fiscal 
discipline to Washington, DC, by reminding the people over there whose 
money they spend. In Washington, we don't spend the Government's money. 
We spend your money, and we have an obligation to be wise about how we 
spend your money.
    In order to make sure this economy continues to grow, we need an 
energy policy in America. We need a policy that encourages conservation. 
But we need a policy, also, that encourages alternative sources of 
energy. We ought to be using more corn and soybean to produce ethanol 
and biodiesel. We need clean coal technology. We ought to be spreading 
safe nuclear power. We ought to be exploring for natural gas in 
environmentally friendly ways. We need an energy policy to become less 
dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    We need association health care plans and tax-free health savings 
accounts to help control the cost of medicine so people will be able to 
find work. We need medical liability reform in Washington, DC, so that 
the frivolous lawsuits don't keep running up the cost of medicine and 
driving docs out of business.
    We need to be confident when it comes to trade policy. Listen, other 
Presidents before me have opened up U.S. markets for the good of 
consumers. When you get more products coming into America, consumers get 
better choices at better prices and better quality. What we need to do 
is reject economic isolationism and say to other nations, ``Treat us the 
way we treat you. Open up your markets.'' Create a level playing field 
for America's workers and farmers and manufacturers, and we can compete 
with anybody, anyplace, anywhere on the face of the Earth.
    No, I'm running because I want to make sure this economic growth 
continues. I'm running to make sure America is the greatest economy on 
the face of the Earth. I'm running because I want our people with good, 
solid jobs. I'm running to promote a pro-entrepreneur, pro-small-
business, pro-growth economic agenda.
    America--our future, the future of this country also depends on our 
leadership in the world. The momentum of freedom in our time is strong, 
but we still face serious dangers. We're still at war. Al Qaida is 
wounded but not broken. Terrorists are testing our will

[[Page 841]]

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, nobody, no one, 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 today, 
the dictator sits in a prison cell.
    September the 11th, 2001, taught a lesson I will never forget and 
the country must never forget. America must confront threats before they 
fully materialize. In Iraq, my administration looked at the 
intelligence, and we saw a threat. I want to remind you that the United 
States Congress looked at the intelligence, and they saw a threat. The 
United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a 
threat.
    In 2002, the U.N. Security Council yet again demanded a full 
accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs, and the reason why they 
did, again--because they remembered the history. Not only did they see a 
threat, they remembered the actions he had taken. He had attacked 
countries in his neighborhood. He had used weapons of mass destruction 
against people in other countries as well as people in his own country. 
He had ties to terrorism. He paid suiciders to go in and kill innocent 
Israelis. No, we remembered the nature of the man. Saddam Hussein, as he 
had for over a decade, refused to comply with the demands of the free 
world. And so I had a choice to make: Either trust the word of a madman, 
or defend America. And 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. And 
that's really important to keep the peace. 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 in the heart of the Middle East. Because 
we acted, the world is more free. Because we acted, America is more 
secure.
    It's been tough days in Iraq for the American people, especially 
those families with soldiers overseas and those families of a loved one 
who has sacrificed for our freedom and security--tough work. And there's 
a reason why. There are foreign fighters and remnants of the old tyrant 
who can't stand the thought of freedom taking hold in Iraq. That's what 
we're seeing. Freedom scares terrorists. Freedom scares people who hate. 
Freedom scares people with no conscience.
    What they're trying to do is they're trying to shake our will. They 
want us to leave. They want us to show weakness. They do not understand 
America, and they do not understand this President. No thug or assassin 
will intimidate America. We will finish the work that we have begun, for 
our own security. We will finish the work we have begun, for peace and 
freedom. Free societies do not attack their neighbors. Free societies do 
not breed hate. Free societies provide hope, so that moms and dads can 
raise their children in a peaceful world, so their children can aspire 
what we want our children to aspire to, a good education and a hopeful 
life.
    No, these are historic times. These are times that require strong 
will and strong determination. These are times in which we could 
literally change the world by the spread of freedom. Freedom is not 
America's gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each 
man and woman in this world. We 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. Now, I'm for working with other 
countries. I've put together coalitions to fight the war on terror--the 
coalition in Afghanistan. There's over 30 nations working with us in 
Iraq right

[[Page 842]]

now, because they understand what I understand: A free Iraq will make 
the world more secure; a free Iraq will change the Middle East for the 
better. But let me tell you this as clearly as I can. I will never turn 
over America's national security decisions to leaders of other 
countries.
    And we have a difference of opinion about whether the war on terror 
is really a war at all. My opponent says 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 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. They were still plotting 
in other nations. They were still drawing up more ambitious plans.
    After the carnage and chaos 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.
    And winning the war on terror requires that we use all our assets, 
including a fantastic military. And as we use that military, our troops 
must be given the best equipment in the world. That is why I went to 
Congress and asked for an $87 billion appropriation last fall to help 
our troops. I want to thank the two Congressmen for supporting that 
supplemental. But my opponent chose to vote ``no,'' and here's what he 
said. He said, ``I actually did vote for the 87 billion, before I voted 
against it.'' [Laughter]
    The American President must speak clearly. The American President 
must mean what he says. And when I say the troops will get the support 
they need, I mean that the troops will get the support they need to win 
this war on terror.
    Our men and women in the military are taking great risks, and 
they're doing great work. Like you, I was disgusted about the pictures I 
saw on TV, about the humiliation given to the prisoners in Iraq. No 
American can stand for that. That doesn't reflect us, nor does it 
reflect the character and the decency and the honor of the men and women 
who wear the uniform of the United States of America. I have seen their 
decency, and I have seen their 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 fellow 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, families and 
schools and our religious congregations. These values and institutions 
are fundamental to our lives, and they deserve the respect of the 
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 
to 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 or judges who 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, just 
go ahead and 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 a mom or a dad--if you're lucky enough to be a mom or a 
dad, 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

[[Page 843]]

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 this 
new responsibility society, each of us--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. This isn'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 firm, 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. There were policemen and 
firefighters shouting, ``Whatever it takes, Mr. President. Whatever it 
takes.'' A guy in a hardhat pointed at me and said, ``Do not 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.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. 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, our capacity to meet a serious challenge or a 
willingness to serve a cause greater than self-interest. Americans have 
given their answer. I have seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I 
have seen the heroism of Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the 
spirit of service and love 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 of these qualities for the work ahead. See, we've 
got work to do. We've got a job. We must win the war on terror, and the 
world is counting on America to continue to lead the cause of freedom 
and peace.
    We have work to do. We must spread opportunity to every part of the 
country. We must work together over the next 4 years to make America a 
safer place, a stronger place, and a better place for every citizen.
    This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it, and 
we know that for our great country, the best days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our country. 
Thank you for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:25 p.m. at Copeland Park. In his remarks, 
he referred to Dan Kapanke, owner, Lacrosse Loggers baseball team and 
candidate for Wisconsin State Senate; State Senator Mary Panzer and 
State Representative John Gard of Wisconsin; country music entertainer 
Larry Gatlin; Dale W. Schultz, candidate for Congress in Wisconsin's 3d 
Congressional District; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. 
This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate 
issue.