[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 33 (Monday, August 16, 2004)]
[Pages 1541-1546]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Panama City, Florida

August 10, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. Thank you 
all very much. So Little Brother says, ``Why don't you come to north 
Florida; maybe we can get come people to show up.'' We are so honored so 
many came out to say hello. Thanks a lot. We really appreciate you being 
here. I'm here to ask for your vote. I'm here traveling--I'm traveling 
this part of your State to let the people of north Florida know there is 
more to do to make this country safer, stronger, and better. And I want 
your help.
    I'm keeping fine company. I'm proud to be traveling with Senator 
John McCain. What a fantastic American he is. I'm glad Brother is here. 
He's doing a great job for the people of Florida, and I'm proud to call 
him Brother. I know you're proud to call him Governor.
    I'm sorry Laura is not here. No, I know it. She's a great wife and a 
wonderful mother, and she's doing a heck of a job as the First Lady of 
this country. Today I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back 
into office, but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura 
is the First Lady for 4 more years.
    And I'm proud of my runningmate. I admit he's not the prettiest face 
in the race. [Laughter] But I didn't pick him for his looks. I picked 
him because of his experience, his judgment. I picked him because he can 
do the job.
    I'm proud my friend J.C. Watts is here, I appreciate you being here, 
J.C. I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings and Attorney 
General Charlie Crist for joining us today. I'm proud to be on the stage 
with them. I want to thank the House Speaker-designate Allan Bense for 
being on the bus and traveling with us today. We've been traveling with 
Bev Kilmer as well. Put her in the House. She'll be a great Member of 
the U.S. Congress.
    I want to thank Aaron Tippin for being here. I want to thank all the 
grassroots activists. Those are the people who put up the signs, make 
the phone calls. Make sure you go out and register your friends and 
neighbors. See, we have a duty in this country to vote. We have an 
obligation in a free society to show up at the polls. Don't be afraid of 
convincing discerning Democrats and wise independents to go to the polls 
as well. They know what good government is. They know strong leadership 
when they see it. They understand the world is going to be safer and 
stronger and better with 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. In the past few years, we've been through a lot 
together, and we've accomplished a great deal together. But there's only 
one reason to look backwards, and that is to determine who best to lead 
this Nation forward. I'm asking for your vote because so much is at 
stake. We have so much more to do to move this Nation forward. I want to 
be your President for 4 more years. From creating jobs to improving our 
schools, from fighting terror to spreading the peace, we made much 
progress, and there is more to do--and there is more to do.
    We've got more to do to make our schools, our public schools, the 
centers of excellence we know they can be so no child is left behind in 
America. Listen, when we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many of 
our children

[[Page 1542]]

were being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, without 
learning the basics. So we're challenging the soft bigotry of low 
expectations. We're raising the bar. We believe in accountability. We 
believe in local control of schools. We believe in challenging the 
status quo when children are trapped in schools which will not teach and 
will not change. And we're making real progress. We're making real 
progress.
    We've got more to do. I understand the jobs of the future will 
require greater knowledge and higher-level skills, so we're going to 
work to reform our high schools so a high school diploma means 
something. We'll expand science and math 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 in the classrooms. What I'm telling you is, 
after 4 more years, a rising generation will gain the skills and the 
competence necessary to realize the American Dream.
    We've got more to do to make quality health care available and 
affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans heard year 
after year after year the promise of prescription drugs for Medicare. We 
got the job done. More than 4 million seniors have signed up for drug 
discount cards that provide real savings. And in 2006, all seniors on 
Medicare will be able to choose a plan that fits their needs, and 
Medicare will give them coverage for prescription drugs.
    We've done more, though, than that in health care. We've expanded 
community centers to help low-income Americans. We've created health 
savings accounts so families can save tax-free for their own health care 
needs. But there's more to do. See, most Americans get their health care 
coverage through their work, yet many small businesses, which create the 
most new jobs in America, cannot afford health coverage. So you know 
what we need to do? We need to let our small businesses pool together, 
join together so they can purchase insurance at the discounts available 
to the big companies.
    To improve health care, we must end the frivolous lawsuits that run 
up the cost of health care and run the doctors out of business. You 
cannot be pro-patient and pro-doctor and pro-trial-lawyer at the same 
time. You have to choose. And my opponent has made his choice: He put 
him on the ticket. [Laughter] I made my choice: I am for medical 
liability reform now.
    Listen, we're going to use technology to reduce cost and prevent 
health care mistakes. We'll do more to expand research to seek new 
cures. In all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure 
the health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by Government 
bureaucrats.
    We got more to do to make this economy stronger. We've been through 
a lot when it comes to our economy. We've been through a recession. 
We've been through scandals. We've been through the terror attack. And 
yet we've overcome these obstacles, because our workers are great, our 
small businesses are strong, our farmers are good at what they do. I 
also think we overcame these obstacles because of two well-timed tax 
cuts. We didn't pick winners or losers when it came to tax relief. We 
said if you're paying taxes, you ought to get relief. And we're helping 
American families with that tax relief. If you have a family with 
children, you get tax relief. If you married, you get tax relief. We've 
got a Tax Code that has a marriage penalty.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. We ought to be encouraging marriage in this country, 
not penalizing marriage.
    And our tax relief helped small businesses. And this time, the check 
really was in the mail. [Laughter] Listen, because we acted, our economy 
since last summer has grown at a rate as fast as any in nearly 20 years. 
We've added over 1.5--nearly 1.5 million new jobs since last August. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. Because we acted, Florida has 
added almost 300,000 new jobs since the end of 2001, and your 
unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. People in this State are working, and 
that's good for our country.
    Listen, I'm not going to be satisfied until everybody who wants to 
work can find a job, and so there's more to do. To keep jobs in America, 
regulations must be reasonable and fair. To keep jobs in America, we 
must reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. To keep jobs in 
America, we need tort reform. To keep jobs in America, we will

[[Page 1543]]

not overspend your money, and we will keep your taxes low. To keep jobs 
in America, we will help our workers retrain, when necessary, at places 
like our community colleges. To keep jobs in America, we will level the 
playing field when it comes to trade. Listen, America can compete with 
anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as we're treated fairly.
    What I'm telling you is, if you give me 4 more years, we will still 
be the leading economy in the world, our farm economy will be strong, 
more small businesses will exist, and Americans will be able to have 
better and higher-paying jobs.
    We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror. America's 
future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If America shows 
uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward 
tragedy. That is not going to happen on my watch.
    The world changed on that terrible September morning, and since that 
day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as a home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands 
of killers to set up terror cells around the world, including our own 
country. Because we acted, because we were resolute and firm, today 
Afghanistan is a rising democracy; Afghanistan is an ally on terror. 
Many young girls now go to school for the first time in Afghanistan, 
thanks to the United States and our coalition. Because we acted, America 
and the world are safer.
    Prior to September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for 
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America 
and the world are safer.
    Before September the 11th, Saudi Arabia was not paying attention to 
those who were raising money and recruiting and operating with little 
opposition. Today, the Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida. 
They're an ally in the war on terror. 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 sent 
a 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 enforcing the world's sanctions. He was a threat. He 
used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He harbored 
terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of 
suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein murdered tens of thousands of his own 
citizens. He was a source of great instability in the world.
    After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats in the world 
in a new light. One of the lessons of that fateful day, a lesson I will 
never forget as your President, is that we must take threats seriously, 
before they fully materialize. My administration saw a threat. We looked 
at intelligence; it further confirmed in our mind that Saddam Hussein 
was a threat. The United States Congress--Members of both political 
parties, including my opponent--looked at the same intelligence and came 
to the same conclusion: Saddam Hussein was a threat. The United Nations 
Security Council looked at that intelligence and came to the conclusion 
that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    The United Nations Security Council then demanded a full accounting 
of his weapons and his weapons programs, or face serious consequences. 
As he had for over a decade, the tyrant refused to comply with the 
demands of the free world. As a matter of fact, he systematically 
deceived the inspectors that were in his country. And so I had a choice 
to make: Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust the 
actions and words of a madman, or take action to defend America? Given 
that choice, I will defend our country every time.
    No, we didn't find the stockpiles we expected to find. Yet, he had 
the capability to make weapons of mass destruction, and he could have 
easily shared that capability with terrorist enemies. Knowing what I 
know today, I would have taken the same action. America and the world 
are safer because Saddam sits in a prison cell.
    Almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and almost 220 
days after switching positions to declare himself the anti-war 
candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance. He now agrees it was the 
right decision

[[Page 1544]]

to go into Iraq. After months of questioning my motives and even my 
credibility, Senator Kerry now agrees with me that even though we have 
not found the stockpile of weapons we believed were there, knowing 
everything we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove 
Saddam Hussein from power. I want to thank Senator Kerry for clearing 
that up. But be careful, there's still 84 days left in this campaign for 
him to change his mind.
    Listen, I'm running for 4 more years because there's more work to 
do. We'll work with our friends and allies around the world to 
aggressively pursue the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to these people. You can't 
negotiate with these people. You cannot hope that they change. We will 
aggressively pursue them. We will engage them. We will defeat them so we 
do not have to face them here at home.
    America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral 
clarity. See, we put together a strong coalition to help us. There's 
over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative. 
There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan. There are some 30 
nations involved in Iraq. We thank their leaders, we thank their people 
for sacrificing for freedom and peace. We'll continue to build alliances 
and work with our friends. I will never turn over America's national 
security decisions to leaders of other countries.
    In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men 
and women who wear our uniform. I am really proud of our military, and I 
know you are as well. I've had the privilege of meeting with those who 
defend our country and sacrifice for our security. I have seen their 
decency and their unselfish courage. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, 
the cause of freedom is in really good hands.
    And we have a duty in Government to make sure those who wear our 
uniform are fully supported by the Government. Last September, while our 
troops were in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental 
funding to support them in our missions. The legislation provided body 
armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, spare parts, fuel, health 
benefits, and ammunition. In the Senate, only a small, out-of-the-
mainstream minority of 12 Senators voted against the legislation. Two of 
those twelve Senators are my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When asked about why he voted no to support our 
troops, he said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I 
voted against it.'' Now, I've spent some time here in north Florida; I 
understand that's not the way the people talk up here. They like people 
who say one thing and mean it. And then when pressed he said, well, he's 
proud of his vote, and then he said, well, the whole thing is a 
complicated matter. There is nothing complicated about supporting our 
troops in combat.
    In the long run our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We 
will work to change the conditions that give rise to terror: poverty and 
hopelessness and resentment. See, a peaceful and free Iraq and a 
peaceful and free Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a 
neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. Free countries do not export 
terror. Free countries listen to the dreams and aspirations of their 
people. Afghanistan and Iraq have now got strong leaders who are 
committed to free societies. The people of those countries, having been 
brutalized by tyrants, are now beginning to step up and take 
responsibility. More Afghan citizens and more Iraqis are joining their 
militaries and police forces to secure their own country so it can be 
free.
    See, by serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others 
and that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, 
we're spreading peace. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving 
the deepest ideals of our Nation. Freedom is not America's gift to the 
world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this 
world.
    Listen, we've got a lot of work to do, and I understand that. That's 
why I'm running for 4 more years. There are enemies who hate us, and 
they're still plotting to harm us. My opponent says that going to war 
with the terrorists is actually improving their recruiting efforts. His 
logic is upside-down. It shows a dangerous misunderstanding of the enemy

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we face. See, during the nineties, the terrorists were recruiting and 
training for war with us, long before we went to war with them. They 
hate us. They don't need an excuse for their hatred. It was wrong to 
blame America for the anger and evil of the killers. We don't create 
terrorists by fighting back. We defeat terrorists by fighting back.
    I agree with the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission when they said 
our homeland is safer, but we're not yet safe. We've got more to do. 
We'll secure this homeland by staying on the offense. We're going to 
do--to secure this homeland as well, by continuing to push for 
meaningful reform. Listen, we started the hard process. We transformed 
our defenses and created a Department of Homeland Security to better 
protect you. We passed the PATRIOT Act. The PATRIOT Act is necessary to 
give law enforcement the tools necessary to track down terrorists.
    We're integrating intelligence and law enforcement better than ever 
before. We're taking action on a lot of the commission's 
recommendations. Today I name a good Floridian to head the Central 
Intelligence Agency. Congressman Porter Goss is my nominee before the 
United States Senate. We'll work together to strengthen that vital 
agency, so we have the intelligence necessary to better secure our 
homeland. I also will look forward to working with Congress to create 
the position of National Intelligence Director, so one person is in 
charge of coordinating all our intelligence, both overseas and domestic.
    These reforms aren't going to be easy. They're never easy in 
Washington. There's a lot of entrenched interests there, people willing 
to defend the status quo. It's not enough to advocate reform, you have 
to be able to get it done. When it comes to improving our public 
schools, we got the job done. When it comes to improving health care for 
our senior citizens, we got the job done. When it comes to improving our 
economy and creating jobs, we're getting the job done. When it comes to 
better securing our homeland and spreading the peace, we're getting the 
job done. When it comes to electing a President, put somebody in office 
who can get the job done.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Listen, we live in exciting times--exciting times. 
But they're times of change. In order to help people through times of 
change, I think the Government ought to stand side by side with families 
and workers. One way to do that is promote an ownership society in 
America. See, we want people owning their own health care accounts, so 
if they change jobs their health care account goes with them. We want 
people to have more control over their lives. We want people being the 
decisionmakers when it comes to health care.
    When it comes to our retirement accounts, listen, old guys like me 
and McCain are in pretty good shape when it comes to Social Security. 
But if you're a younger worker, there is doubt as to whether or not 
Social Security is fiscally sound enough to--for you. That's why I think 
younger workers need personal savings accounts, so they can take them 
from job to job and pass them on to people they want to pass them on to.
    In a changing world, I think it's a positive sign to know more 
people own their own home. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high in 
America. I love the fact when a new homebuyer can open the door and say, 
``Welcome to my house. This is my home.'' We want more people owning 
their own business. There's nothing better, when you say you own 
something in America. If you own something, you have a vital stake in 
the future of this country.
    In a world that changes, some things that are not going to change, 
our belief in liberty, in opportunity, in the nonnegotiable demands of 
human dignity. The individual values we try to live by won't change, 
courage and compassion, reverence and integrity; our belief in 
institutions that give us direction and purpose, our families, our 
schools, our religious congregations. We stand for institutions like 
marriage and families, which are the foundation of our society. We stand 
for a culture of life in which every person counts and every person 
matters. We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the law instead of 
legislating from the bench.

[[Page 1546]]

    We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Listen, this 
culture of ours is beginning to change 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 are fortunate enough to be a 
mother or a father, you're responsible for loving your child with all 
your heart and all your soul. If you're worried about the quality of the 
education in the community in which you live, you are 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 a responsibility society, each of us is responsible 
for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved yourself.
    I understand the strength of this country is in the hearts and souls 
of our citizens. I'm running for 4 more years to continue to rally the 
armies of compassion so that we can help and heal and change America, 
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 time. It's a time we 
need firm resolve and clear vision. None of us will ever forget that 
week when one era ended and another began. September the 14th, 2001, I 
stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I will never forget. I 
remember the guys in hardhats screaming at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I 
remember working the ropeline and looking in the eyes of a man who had 
just come out of the rubble searching for a buddy. He said, ``Do not let 
me down.''
    He took that day personally. All the people at that site took it 
personally. You took it personally, and I took it personally. I have a 
duty that goes on. I wake up every day trying to figure out how best to 
protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever 
it takes.
    We've come through a lot. We've come through a lot together. We've 
done a lot of hard work. We're moving our country forward. During the 
next 4 years, we will spread opportunity and ownership through every 
corner of this country. During the next 4 years, we'll pass the enduring 
values of our Nation to another generation. During the next 4 years, we 
will lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
    Four years ago, I traveled this great State and this great country 
asking for the vote, and I made a pledge to my fellow Americans, if you 
honored me with this great responsibility, I would uphold the dignity 
and the honor of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, 
we will carry Florida, we will carry America, and I will continue--I 
will continue to honor my high office.
    God bless you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 5:55 p.m. at the Panama City Marina. In his 
remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, and State 
Attorney General Charlie Crist of Florida; former Representative J.C. 
Watts, Jr., of Oklahoma; Speaker-designate Allan Bense of the Florida 
House of Representatives; Bev Kilmer, candidate for Congress in 
Florida's Second Congressional District; country music entertainer Aaron 
Tippin; and Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya.