[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 32 (Monday, August 9, 2004)]
[Pages 1445-1451]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Mankato, Minnesota

August 4, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for inviting 
me. It's good to be in Mankato. I understand I'm the first President to 
have visited here since Harry Truman. I don't know what took the others 
so long to get here. [Laughter] Thanks for having me.
    I'm here to ask for your vote. I'm also here to ask for your help. I 
appreciate you coming. I understand I'm not the biggest deal in town. 
After all, the Vikings practice here. [Laughter] But it is great to be 
in a place where people work hard and make a living off the land, raise 
their families. It's what I call the heart and soul of the country. The 
other folks believe the heart and soul can be found in Hollywood. I 
think it's found right here in southern Minnesota.
    I'm excited about the race. I'm looking forward to the contest. 
Everywhere we go, the crowds are big, the enthusiasm is high, the signs 
are good. With your help, Dick Cheney and I will be reelected for 4 more 
years.
    I'm sorry Laura is not here. I know you are too. You probably wish I 
had stayed at home and she was the speaker. [Laughter] She is a great 
wife, a fantastic mother, and a wonderful First Lady for our country. 
Today I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back in, but perhaps 
the most important reason of all is so that Laura is First Lady for 4 
more years.
    I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney. Admittedly, he's not the 
prettiest Vice Presidential candidate in the race. [Laughter] I didn't 
pick him for his looks. [Laughter] I picked him for his judgment, his 
sound advice.
    I'm proud to be with Norm Coleman. He's doing a fine job as a United 
States Senator. And I'm proud of the job Governor Pawlenty is doing as 
well. He's a good man. Plus, I appreciate working with Congressman 
Gutknecht and Congressman Kline, two really fine people, as well. I 
appreciate you guys being here. Thank you.
    I want to thank all the State people who are here and the local 
people who have come out. Thanks for being here today. I particularly 
want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. Those are the 
people who put up the signs and make the phone calls. These are the 
folks who go out and get people to register to vote. Let me tell you 
something, here's what I believe: I believe all of us have a duty in our 
country to vote. We have a duty to exercise our right as free citizens. 
I want to thank you for registering people and encouraging them to vote. 
Don't overlook discerning Democrats and wise independents. Get them to 
the polls, and when you get them headed our way, make sure they--give 
them a little nudge toward the Bush-Cheney ticket.
    We came close in Minnesota last time. This time, we're going to win 
it. Every incumbent who asks for your vote has got to answer one central 
question, and that's why--why should the American people give me the 
high privilege of serving as your President for 4 more years. In the 
past few years, we've done a lot, and we've come through a lot together. 
But there's only one reason to look backward, and that is to determine 
who best to lead the Nation forward.
    I'm asking for your vote because so much is at stake in this 
election. We have much more to do to move America forward. I want to be 
your President for 4 more years to make our country safer, to make our 
economy stronger, and to make the future brighter and better for every 
single citizen.
    From creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to 
spreading the peace, we have made much progress, and we have more to do. 
We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of 
excellence we all know they can be, so that not one single child is left 
behind in our country.

[[Page 1446]]

When we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many children were being 
shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, without learning the 
basics. So we've challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations. We've 
raised the bar. We believe in accountability. We trust the local folks 
to run the schools of America. Today, children across America are 
showing real progress in reading and math. When it comes to improving 
America's public schools, we are turning the corner, and we're not going 
back.
    We have more to do. Listen, this world of ours is changing. The jobs 
of the future will require greater knowledge and higher-level skills. So 
that's why we need to reform our high schools to make sure a high school 
diploma means something. We're going to expand math and science 
education so our young people can compete in a high-tech world. We'll 
expand the use of the Internet to bring high-level training into 
classrooms. With 4 more years, we will help a rising generation gain the 
skills and confidence they need to achieve the American Dream.
    We have more to do to make quality health care available and 
affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans could not 
afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders in 
both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for 
years. We got the job done. Already, more than 4 million seniors have 
signed up for drug discount cards that provide real and meaningful 
savings. Beginning in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to 
choose a plan that suits their needs and gives them coverage for 
prescription drugs.
    You see, when we reformed Medicare, we did so with rural hospitals 
in mind as well. We provided more funds to hospitals handling low 
volumes of patients. We increased payments for ambulance providers and 
suppliers in rural areas. We're giving better bonuses to physicians so 
we can keep good doctors practicing in rural America. We made a 
difference for the older citizens of this country, and we made a 
difference for those who seek health care in rural America.
    To help people get access to quality care, we've expanded community 
health centers for low-income Americans. We've created health savings 
accounts so families can save tax-free for their own health care needs. 
When it comes to giving Americans more choices about their own health 
care and making health care more affordable, we're moving America 
forward, and we're not turning back.
    Listen, most Americans get health care coverage through their work. 
But most of today's new jobs are created by small businesses, which too 
often cannot afford to provide health care. To help more American 
families get health insurance, we must allow small employers to join 
together to purchase insurance at the discounts available for big 
companies.
    To improve health care, we must end the frivolous lawsuits that 
raise health care costs and drive good doctors out of medicine. You 
cannot be pro-patient and pro-doctor and pro-trial-lawyer at the same 
time. You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on 
the ticket. [Laughter] I made my choice, and on behalf of the patients 
and doctors of America, I will continue to urge Congress to pass medical 
liability reform.
    We'll do more to harness technology to reduce costs and to prevent 
health care mistakes. We'll do more to expand research and seek new 
cures for terrible diseases. And in all we do to improve health care in 
America, we'll make sure the health decisions are made by doctors and 
patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    We have more to do to make sure our economy is stronger. Listen, 
we've come through a lot. We've been through a recession. We've been 
through corporate scandals. We've been through terror attacks. We've 
been through a market decline. Listen--and we've overcome the obstacles. 
We've got great workers in America, is one reason we've overcome them. 
We've got great entrepreneurs. We've got great farmers and great 
ranchers in this country.
    We've also overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts. 
Listen, when we cut the taxes, we didn't pick winners or losers. We said 
if you pay Federal income taxes, you get tax relief. Families with 
children got tax relief. Married couples got tax relief. It's an amazing 
Tax Code where we say we're going to have a marriage penalty.

[[Page 1447]]

Why do we want to penalize marriage? We need to encourage marriage in 
the country.
    A lot of the tax relief went to help small businesses, and the 
small-business sector of our economy is strong today. We promised all 
this. We delivered, and this time the check was actually in the mail. 
Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate as 
fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added more than 1.5 million new 
jobs since last August. Minnesota has added 32,000 jobs over the past 
year. Because we acted, the unemployment rate in this State is now 4.4 
percent. When it comes to creating jobs for America's workers, we've 
turned the corner, and we're not turning back.
    I also told the people when I was running for President the last 
time, I said, ``I understand the need to have a healthy farm economy.'' 
A good farm economy is good for the American economy. We passed a good 
farm bill. We're phasing out the death tax so farmers can pass their 
land from one generation to the next.
    In order to make sure jobs are here, we've got to make sure our farm 
economy is strong. And one way to make sure the farm economy is strong 
is to open up markets for Minnesota farm products. We want you selling 
your soybeans all around the world. We want you selling your corn all 
around the world. We want to be selling that Minnesota beef and hogs all 
around the world.
    In order to make sure jobs stay here at home, we've got to have an 
energy strategy. See, we need to be better at conserving things, and 
we've got to be exploring for natural gas in environmentally friendly 
ways. But for the sake of energy security, for the sake of economic 
security, we need more ethanol and biodiesel. I envision a day where 
sometime, somebody walks in and says, ``Well, Mr. President, you'll be 
happy to hear the corn crop is up and we're growing more soybeans in 
America, and we're less dependent on foreign sources of oil as a result 
of it.''
    And when you're out gathering the vote, remind the folks that in the 
last 3 years American farmers have posted record net-cash farm income, 
record exports, and record farm equity and land values. Our farm program 
is working.
    Listen, we can do more to keep jobs here. You know, I'm sure the 
small-business owners will tell you they've got to fill out a lot of 
paperwork. I can't guarantee whether Government has read it or not. 
[Laughter] We need less regulation. In order to keep jobs here in 
America, we need tort reform. In order to keep jobs here in America, 
we've got to make sure American workers have a lifetime of learning, and 
we've got to help them training--help them have training for the jobs of 
the 21st century. And a good place to start is at our community 
colleges.
    And you know what else we need? We need to make sure that American 
families have something they never have enough of, and that is time--
time to be with their kids, time to go to the Little League game or work 
in a Girl Scout troop, time to take care of an elderly parent, time to 
go to class to improve themselves. And that's why I think Congress ought 
to pass comp-time and flex-time rules.
    In other words, what I'm telling you is Government needs to stand 
side by side with families. After 4 more years, this economy is going to 
be strong, more people will be working with better jobs. After 4 more 
years, there will be more small-business owners. After 4 more years, our 
farmers are going to be doing better. You know why? Because we've got a 
pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-agricultural economic agenda.
    We've got to do more to wage and win the war on terror. America's 
future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If we show 
uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward 
tragedy. That's not going to happen on my watch. The world changed on a 
terrible September morning, and since that day, we've changed the world.
    Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of Al 
Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands of killers who set up terror 
cells around the world, including our own country. Today, Afghanistan is 
a rising democracy. Today, Afghanistan is a firm ally in the war against 
terror. And today, many young girls go to school for the first time. 
Afghanistan is free, and America and the world are safer.

[[Page 1448]]

    Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for 
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war against Al Qaida. 
Pakistani forces are helping to round up the terrorists, and America and 
the world are safer.
    Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising 
money; they were recruiting; they were operating with little opposition. 
Today, the Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida, and America 
and the world are safer.
    Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire 
weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have 
sent a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has abandoned his 
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and America and the world are 
safer.
    Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of 
America. He was defying the world. Remember, he was firing weapons at 
American pilots which were enforcing the world's sanctions. The tyrant 
had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction. He'd harbored 
terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. And he subsidized the families of 
suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He 
was a source of great instability in a volatile part of the world.
    After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world 
in a new light. The lesson of September the 11th is that America must 
take threats seriously, before they fully materialize.
    The September the 11th Commission concluded that our institutions of 
Government had failed to imagine the horror of that day. After September 
the 11th, we could not fail to imagine that a brutal tyrant who hated 
America, had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass destruction might 
use those weapons or share the capability of those weapons with 
terrorist enemy. In other words, we saw a threat. I looked at the 
intelligence and saw a threat. Members of the United States Congress 
from both political parties, including my opponent, looked at the 
intelligence and came to the same conclusion. The United Nations 
Security Council looked at the intelligence and unanimously demanded 
that Saddam Hussein disclose, destroy weapons or weapons programs, or 
face serious consequences. The world spoke.
    After 12 years of defiance, after 12 years of ignoring the demands 
of the free world, he once again refused to comply. As a matter of fact, 
he systematically deceived the weapons inspectors. So I had a choice to 
make: forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman who is 
a sworn enemy of this country, or take action necessary to defend our 
people. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell, the 
Iraqi people are free, and America and the world are safer.
    We have more to do. I'm seeking the office for 4 more years because 
I know we have more to do. We must continue to work with friends and 
allies around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorists and 
foreign fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. See, you can't 
talk sense to these people. You cannot negotiate with them. You cannot 
hope for the best. We must engage them so we do not have to face them 
here at home.
    America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral 
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help defeat the enemies 
of freedom. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 
nations in Iraq, and over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation 
Security Initiative. Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to build 
alliances and work with our friends in the cause of security and peace. 
But I will never turn America's national security decisions over to 
leaders of other nations.
    We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become 
democratic, free, and, therefore, peaceful societies. These two nations 
are now governed by strong people, people who are willing to listen to 
the hopes and aspirations of the people. You know what the hopes and 
aspirations of mothers and dads are in Iraq and Afghanistan? They want 
their children to grow up in a peaceful world just like in--American 
moms and dads do. They want there to be hope for their kids. They want 
them to be able to realize their dreams. These leaders understand that. 
More and more Iraqis are now stepping up

[[Page 1449]]

to defend the peace, to defend their freedom.
    And my message to those people is that they can count on continued 
help from America and our coalition. You see, when we acted to protect 
our own security, we promised to help deliver them from tyranny, to 
restore their sovereignty, and to help set them on the road to liberty. 
And when America gives its word, America will keep its word.
    In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the men and 
women of our military. First, I want to thank all the veterans who are 
here. I appreciate the example you've set for our troops today. I've had 
the privilege of meeting those who wear our Nation's uniform. I've seen 
their great decency, their unselfish courage. The cause of freedom is in 
really good hands.
    We owe our troops best pay, best training, best possible equipment. 
That's why last September, while our troops were in combat in both 
Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in 
their mission. The legislation provided funding for body armor and vital 
equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare 
parts. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-mainstream minority of 12 
senators voted against that help. Two of those twelve are my opponent 
and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Here's how my opponent tried to explain his vote. He 
said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against 
it.'' [Laughter] That doesn't sound the way they talk here in southern 
Minnesota. I suspect the people around here, when they say something, 
they mean it. Now my opponent is offering a different explanation. He 
said he was proud he voted against it, and then he further said the 
whole thing is a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about 
supporting our troops in combat.
    In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We 
must work to change the conditions that give rise to terror: poverty and 
hopelessness and resentment. See, a free and peaceful Iraq and a free 
and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their neighbors. 
Free countries do not export terror. Free countries listen to the dreams 
of their citizens. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope 
to others, and that makes our country more secure. By serving the ideal 
of liberty, we're spreading peace. And by serving the ideal of liberty, 
we're serving a basic understanding of our country, a basic value of 
America. See, freedom is not America's gift to the world. Freedom is the 
Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
    I'm running for 4 more years because I understand we have more to do 
to protect America. See, there are enemies who hate us, and they're 
still plotting to harm us. Those who claim that America's war on terror, 
our efforts to defend ourselves, is to blame for terrorist threats 
against the United States have a fundamental misunderstanding of the 
nature of the enemy we face. The 
9/11 Commission said America homeland is safe, but--safer, but we're not 
yet safe. I agree. There's more to do here at home.
    Immediately after September the 11th, we started the hard process of 
reform. We transformed our defenses and created the Department of 
Homeland Security. We passed the PATRIOT Act, which was necessary to 
give law enforcement the tools necessary to defend the American people. 
The mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism. We're 
integrating intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever have 
before. We're already taking action on a large majority of the 9/11 
Commission's recommendations. And they did good work, and I thank them 
for their work.
    We've got more to do to better secure our ports and borders, to 
train first-responders, and to dramatically improve our intelligence-
gathering capability. That's why, this week, I called on Congress to 
create the position of National Intelligence Director, so that one 
person is in charge of coordinating all intelligence overseas and here 
at home. These reforms are not going to be easy, particularly in 
Washington. [Laughter] Reform is never easy there. See, there's a lot of 
entrenched interests that love to defend the status quo. It's not enough 
to advocate reform. You have to be able to get it done.
    And that's what we have done. When it comes to reforming schools to 
provide excellent education for all our children, we got

[[Page 1450]]

the job done. Results matter. When it comes to health care reforms to 
give families more access and more choices, results matter. When it 
comes to improving our economy and creating jobs, results matter. When 
it comes to having a strong farm economy, results matter. When it comes 
to better securing our homeland, fighting the forces of terror, and 
spreading the peace, results matter. When it comes to electing a 
President, results matter.
    We live in an exciting time. It's a time of change. But we ought to 
make sure Government responds to these times by standing side by side 
with people. You know how I think the best way to do that is to promote 
ownership society. You see, if you're a worker and you're changing jobs, 
you've got to be able to own your own health care plan so you can take 
it from job to job. We want people to own their own home in America. We 
want people to be able to say, ``Welcome to my house. This is my piece 
of property.'' And more and more are, under this administration. We want 
younger workers to be able to own a Social Security personal retirement 
account they call their own, so they can pass it on to future 
generations. We want tax policy such that younger Americans can own 
their own farm. We want people owning their own small business. We 
understand that when you own something, you have a vital stake in the 
future of our country.
    No, this world is changing, but there are some things that aren't 
going to change: our belief in liberty and opportunity and the 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. The individual values we try to 
live by will not change, courage and compassion, reverence and 
integrity. The institutions that give us direction and purpose must not 
change, our families, and our schools, and our religious congregation. 
These institutions are fundamental to our lives. They deserve the 
respect of our Government.
    We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the 
foundations of our society. We stand for a culture of life in which 
every person matters and every person counts. We stand for judges who 
faithfully interpret the law instead of legislating from the bench.
    And we stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Listen, our 
culture is changing from one that 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're 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 that child with all your heart and all your soul. 
If you're worried about the quality of the education here in this 
community, do something about it. You're responsible for taking action. 
If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the 
truth to your shareholders and your employees.
    In a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving 
our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved yourself. I understand that 
the strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the American 
people. I'm seeking 4 more years to continue to rally the armies of 
compassion so we can help change our country, one heart, one soul, one 
conscience at a time.
    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. We need firm 
resolve, clear vision, a willingness to lead. And 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. It's a day I'll never forget. I remember workers in hardhats 
yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I'll never forget the guy that 
grabbed me by the arm--I don't remember if he was a firefighter or a 
policeman. I do know he had been in the rubble searching for a loved 
one. His eyes were bloodshot. He said, ``Do not let me down.''
    See, he took it personally. Folks searching the rubble took it 
personally. You took it personally, and I took it personally. I have a 
responsibility that goes on. I wake up every morning thinking how to 
better protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, 
whatever it takes.
    We've come through much together. We've done hard work. During the 
next 4 years, there's more to do, more to spread

[[Page 1451]]

ownership and opportunity for every corner of this country--I mean every 
corner. We'll pass the enduring values of our country to another 
generation. During the next 4 years, we'll lead the world in the cause 
of freedom and peace.
    When I was campaigning in your great State in 2000, I said if you 
honored me with the great responsibility, I would uphold the honor and 
the dignity of the office to which I had been elected, so help me God. 
And with your help, I will do so for 4 more years.
    Thanks for coming. May God bless. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. at the Southern Minnesota 
Construction Co. quarry. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Tim 
Pawlenty of Minnesota; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of 
Libya; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and the National 
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 
Commission).