[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 34 (Monday, August 23, 2004)]
[Pages 1617-1623]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Traverse City, Michigan

August 16, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Boy, I'm glad to be 
here. This is a beautiful part of our country. It turns out I'm the 
first sitting President to come up here since Gerald Ford was the 
President. Good to be here in cherry country. Today it looks like Bush-
Cheney country too.
    I'm looking forward to this race. I want to thank you all for giving 
me a chance to come out and ask for the vote. I'm traveling your 
important State asking for the vote. You got some big differences in 
this campaign. One of them is that my opponent thinks you can find the 
heart and soul in Hollywood. I think you find it right here in Traverse 
City, Michigan.
    We're going to be spending a lot of time in your important State, 
and there's no doubt, with your help, we'll carry Michigan, and we'll 
win in November of '04.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I'm sorry Laura is not here.
    Audience member. We love you, Laura!
    The President. Yes. She is a fantastic mom, a great wife. Listen, 
I'm going to give you a lot of reasons to be for me, but perhaps the 
most important one is to keep Laura as the First Lady for 4 more years.
    And I'm running with a good man in Vice President Dick Cheney. I 
admit it--I admit it, he is not the prettiest face in the race. 
[Laughter] I didn't pick him for his looks. I picked him because he can 
get the job done.
    I want to thank my friend Dave Camp, the Congressman from up here in 
northern Michigan. What a good man. I'm proud to work with him--good, 
honorable man. I want to thank Congressman Nick Smith for being here as 
well. Nick, I appreciate you coming. I appreciate Trick Pony, the band 
that was playing here. I'm glad they're here. It's good of them to come.
    Listen, I want to thank Betsy DeVos and all the grassroots 
activists. Let me tell you, grassroots activists are the people that put 
up the signs, make the phone calls, register the voters. We have a duty 
in this country to vote. We have an obligation to do our duty to show up 
at the polls. Do you realize, over 9 million people have registered to 
vote in Afghanistan? These people have got a taste of freedom, and 
they're showing up to vote. And so--our fellow citizens--so I urge you 
to register people. Head people to the polls,

[[Page 1618]]

and when you get them headed there, just tell them this country is going 
to be safer, stronger, and better with George Bush and Dick Cheney.
    You know, we've been through a lot together. In these past few 
years, Americans have been through a lot and we've accomplished a great 
deal. But there's only one reason to look backward at the record, 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 country forward. From creating jobs to improving schools, from 
fighting terror to spreading the peace, we have made much progress, and 
we have much more work to do.
    We have more to make our public schools the centers of excellence we 
all know they can be so that no child is left behind in America. You 
might remember the mindset 3\1/2\ years ago, when we just shuffled 
children from grade to grade, year after year, and they didn't learn the 
basics. I went to Washington for a reason. We challenged the soft 
bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the bar. We're now measuring 
in return for extra Federal help, because we want to know whether or not 
our children are learning to read and write and add and subtract.
    We believe in local control of schools, and we're willing to 
challenge the status quo when we find schools that will not teach and 
will not change. We're doing the hard work. When it comes to reforming 
our schools, there's more work to do. We're going to reform our high 
schools to make sure the high school diploma means something. We're 
going to expand math and science education so our young people can 
compete in the high-tech world. We'll expand the use of the Internet to 
bring high-level training into the classrooms. With 4 more years, we'll 
help a rising generation of Americans gain the skill and the confidence 
necessary to realize the great American Dream.
    We have more to do to make quality health care available and 
affordable. You might remember all the old Medicare debates. Year after 
year, they'd come up here and tell you, ``Don't worry. I'll get 
something done.'' We got the job done. More than 4 million seniors have 
signed up for drug discount cards, which provide real savings for our 
seniors. And beginning in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to 
choose the plan that suits their needs and gives them coverage for 
prescription drugs.
    There's more to do. We've expanded community health centers, and 
we'll continue to do so for low-income Americans. We want people getting 
their primary care in these centers and not in our emergency rooms in 
our hospitals. 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 choice, more opportunity in health care, we're getting 
the job done, but there's more work to be done. Most Americans get their 
health care through their businesses. Most new jobs are created by small 
businesses, and a lot of small businesses have trouble providing health 
care for their employees. To help more American families get health 
insurance, we must allow small employers to gather together to purchase 
insurance at discounts just like big companies get to do.
    I'll tell you what else we need to do. We must end the frivolous 
lawsuits that run up the cost of health care. You cannot be--you can't 
be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-plaintiff-attorney at the same 
time. You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on 
the ticket. I made my choice. I am for medical liability reform now.
    We'll harness technology to reduce costs and prevent health care 
mistakes. We'll expand research to seek new cures for terrible diseases. 
And in all we do to improve health care for America, we'll make sure the 
health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in 
Washington, DC.
    We've got more to do to make this economy stronger. Listen, we've 
come through a lot together. Think about what this economy has been 
through. We've been through a recession. We've been through terrorist 
attacks. We've been through corporate scandals. We've been through a 
stock market decline. We've overcome these obstacles because of the hard 
work of America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers and small-
business owners and workers. We've come through a lot.

[[Page 1619]]

    We've also come through it because of two well-timed tax cuts. We 
didn't pick winners or losers. We did it the fair way. If you pay tax, 
you get relief. We helped our families by raising the child credit. We 
reduced the marriage penalty. I mean, what kind of Tax Code is it that 
penalizes marriage? We ought to be encouraging marriage in America. We 
helped the small businesses. And this time, the check actually was in 
the mail. [Laughter]
    Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown as a rate 
as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, Americans added 
about 1.5 million new jobs since last August. The national unemployment 
rate is down to 5.5 percent.
    Listen, I fully understand we face challenges in some of our 
manufacturing communities. In some parts of Michigan, the recovery has 
lagged, but there are good signs. This economy is strong. It's getting 
stronger. We will not rest until anybody who wants to work can find a 
job.
    I've got a strategy to make sure good jobs stay here in America. To 
make sure the jobs are here, our regulations need to be reasonable and 
fair. Some of you fill out paperwork--I can't promise you whether 
anybody has ever read it in Government. [Laughter] To keep jobs in 
America, we need tort reform. To keep jobs in America, we must become 
less dependent on foreign sources of energy. To keep jobs in America, we 
must be wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low.
    We've got only 2 months left in the campaign, but the fellow I'm 
running against already has made about $2.2 trillion of new spending 
promises. No telling what's going to happen when we come down the 
stretch. So they said the other day, ``How are you going to pay for 
it?'' He said, ``Oh, I'll just tax the rich.'' You've heard that talk 
before, haven't you? The rich hires accountants, and guess who gets 
stuck with the tab? You do. But we're not going to let him win, are we?
    In order to keep jobs here, we'll insist on a level playing field 
when it comes to trade. Listen, we want Traverse City cherries being 
sold and purchased all around the world. We can compete with anybody, 
anywhere, anyplace, so long as the rules are fair. We want our farmers 
not only feeding Americans, but we want them feeding hungry mouths all 
across the globe. Farm income is up, and one of the reasons it's up is 
because of exports of agricultural products are on the rise, and I 
intend to keep it that way.
    In order to make sure this economy continues to grow, we've got to 
use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great 
Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin. You might remember what my 
opponent said earlier this year about Great Lakes water diversion. He 
said it would be a delicate balancing act.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. It sounds just like him. [Laughter] My position is 
clear: We're never going to allow diversion of Great Lakes water.
    I've got another position that's clear. We're spending money--
Federal money to help clean up contaminated sediment in Lake Michigan 
and Superior, Erie and Huron, and Ontario. We want to make sure our 
natural resources are well preserved.
    Give me 4 more years, and this economy will still be the greatest of 
any industrialized nation in the world. Our farmers will be doing well. 
Small businesses will be vibrant, and people will be able to find high-
paying, good jobs.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. We have more to do to wage and win the war on terror. 
America's future depends on our willingness to lead in this world. If we 
show uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift 
toward tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
    The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that 
day, we have changed the world. Prior to September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed 
thousands of killers who set up terror cells in dozens of countries, 
including our own. Today, because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising 
democracy. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Many young girls 
now go to school for the first time. America and the world are better 
off.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

[[Page 1620]]

    The President. 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 easy-to-understand message--
[laughter]--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, firing weapons at American pilots who 
were enforcing the world's sanctions. He had pursued and he had used 
weapons of mass destruction. He had 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 the world's most volatile region. He was a threat.
    After September the 11th, we must take threats seriously, before 
they fully materialize. It is a vital lesson our country must never 
forget. It's one of the lessons of that terrible day. So I took the 
threat seriously. I went to the United States Congress and said, ``I see 
a threat. Why don't you take the matter up.'' They looked at the 
intelligence I looked at. They remembered the history I remember. And 
members of both political parties, including my opponent, came to the 
same conclusion that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    Diplomacy is important, and so I went to the United Nations, again. 
They looked at the intelligence, and they unanimously concluded, in the 
U.N. Security Council, that Saddam Hussein was a threat and that he must 
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. As he had for over a 
decade, Saddam Hussein defied the free world. He had no intention of 
listening to those resolutions. As a matter of fact, he systematically 
deceived the inspectors that the world sent in. So I had a choice to 
make at that point in history. Do I forget the lessons of September the 
11th and trust a madman or take action to defend America? Given that 
choice, I will defend America every time.
    Even though we didn't find the stockpiles we expected to find, 
remember that Saddam had the capability to make weapons of mass 
destruction, and he could have passed that capability on to others, our 
enemies. And after September the 11th, that is a risk we could not 
afford to take. Knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same 
action. America and the world are safer because Saddam is in a prison 
cell.
    And now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and 7 
months after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar 
candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance. He now agrees it was the 
right decision to go into Iraq. After months of questioning my motives 
and even my credibility, the Senator from Massachusetts now agrees with 
me that even though we have not found the stockpile of weapons we all 
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 the Senator for clearing that up. [Laughter] But I want to remind 
you, there's still 78 days for him to change his mind again. [Laughter]
    I'm running because I understand clearly there's more work to be 
done to aggressively pursue the terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq, 
Afghanistan, and elsewhere. You cannot talk sense to these people. You 
cannot negotiate with these killers. You must not hope for the best. We 
will engage these enemies around the world, so we do not have to face 
them here at home.
    And we will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral 
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help defeat the 
terrorists. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan and some 
30 nations involved in Iraq. I know you agree with me when I send my 
appreciation to the mothers and dads of the soldiers from those 
countries, who stand side by side with our soldiers to bring freedom and 
peace to the world. And I will continue to build our alliances and work 
with our friends to spread peace. But 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 of our military. At bases across our country and around the 
world, I've had the privilege of meeting those who wear our uniform. 
I've seen their great decency. Today I met Petty Officer 3d Class Joel 
Oliver. He's from here.

[[Page 1621]]

He was standing back there. He told me he served in the Navy, and he 
said something really interesting--when he'd come back from Iraq, he 
said, ``This is a great time to serve. I was actually a part of 
history.'' He is a part of history. He's a part of spreading freedom and 
peace. I appreciate his service, and I appreciate the service of all who 
wear the uniform.
    And I have made a commitment to those who wear the uniform and their 
loved ones. They will have the full support of Government. Last 
September, while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq, 
I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their missions. This 
money is for body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health 
benefits, ammunition, fuel, spare parts for our military. It was 
necessary money. And my request received strong bipartisan support in 
both the House and the Senate. As a matter of fact, so strong that only 
12 United States Senators voted against it, 2 of whom are my opponent 
and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Here's how he tried to explain his vote. He said, ``I 
actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.'' 
[Laughter] I suspect not a lot of people talk like that up here. 
[Laughter] I expect the people up here like the plain-spoken fellow. He 
got pressed a little further on that vote. He said he was proud of his 
vote. Then he said, ``The whole thing is a complicated matter.'' 
[Laughter] 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. 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 believe in peace.
    Those are the lessons we learned after World War II. After all, one 
of my strongest allies in peace is the Prime Minister of Japan. Think 
about that. I'm talking about how to keep the peace--the man who runs a 
country that my dad fought against in World War II, and your dads did as 
well. And yet, we sit at the table and talk about peace. Listen, liberty 
can change attitudes. That's what Americans believe.
    By serving the ideal of liberty, we bring hope to others, and that 
makes us more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're spreading 
the precious peace. And by serving the ideal of liberty, we serve the 
deepest ideals of the American soul. Freedom is not America's gift to 
the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in 
this world.
    We have more to do to protect America. There are enemies who hate 
us, and they're still plotting to harm us. We have a difference of 
opinion about the nature of the enemy. The other day, my opponent said 
that going to war with terrorists is actually improving their recruiting 
efforts. I--the logic is upside-down, as far as I'm concerned. So is the 
misunderstanding of the enemy. See, during the 1990s----
    Audience member. Louder! Louder!
    The President. ----the terrorists--[laughter]--during the 1990s, the 
terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us long before we 
went to war with them. They don't need an excuse for their hatred. It is 
wrong to blame America for the evil in the hearts of these killers. We 
do not create terrorists by fighting back; we defeat the terrorists by 
fighting back.
    I agree with the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission when it said, the 
actions we've taken since September the 11th has made us safer but not 
yet safe enough. I understand that. You've just got to know, there's a 
lot of good people working hard to protect our homeland. We've created 
the Department of Homeland Security. We're communicating better than 
ever before. Intelligence sharing between domestic and foreign agencies 
are--is seamless and good. The PATRIOT Act is a vital part of the 
defense of America. Our law enforcement officers need to have the tools 
necessary to defend you. I'm looking forward to working with Congress to 
create the position of National Intelligence Director so that one person 
is in charge of coordinating all our intelligence efforts overseas and 
at home.

[[Page 1622]]

    There's more work to do--there's more work to do. But reform is 
never easy, particularly in Washington. There's a lot of entrenched 
interests up there. People are willing to defend the status quo. It's 
not enough to advocate reform; you have to get the job done.
    I'd like for you to remind your friends and neighbors, when it came 
to reforming schools and providing an excellent education for all our 
children, we're getting the job done. When it comes to health care 
reforms to give our families more choices, we're getting the job done. 
When it comes to improving our economy and overcoming obstacles so 
people can find work, we're getting the job done. When it comes to 
better securing our homeland and defeating the terrorists and spreading 
freedom and peace, we're getting the job done. And when it comes to 
electing a President, put somebody back in there who can get the job 
done.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. You know, we're living in exciting times. It's a time 
of change, and that can unsettle people. I understand that. But one way 
to help people during a time of change is to have Government encourage 
an ownership society. We want people owning their own health care 
accounts so if they change jobs, they can take it from job to job. If 
you're a younger worker, I'm a little concerned about the fiscal 
stability of Social Security. For old guys like me, we're doing okay 
when it comes to Social Security. But if you're younger, why don't you 
join me in advocating for personal retirement accounts that you can call 
your own.
    In a changing world, it's a fantastic thought to know that 
homeownership rates in America are at an alltime high. I love the idea 
of somebody opening their door and saying, ``Welcome to my home. This is 
my piece of property.'' We want more people owning their own small 
business. We're going to continue to advocate an ownership society 
because we understand that when you own something, you have a vital 
stake in the future of our country.
    In these changing times, there are some things that will not change: 
our belief in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable demands of 
human dignity; the individual values we try to live by--courage and 
compassion, reverence and integrity; the institutions that give us 
direction and purpose--our families, our schools, and our religious 
congregations.
    We stand for institutions like family and marriage, 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. 
That's why I named Judge Rick Griffin to the Federal courts. He's right 
from here. He's a good, honest fellow. The problem is, people like my 
opponent are playing politics with the judicial system on the Floor of 
the United States Senate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Rick needs an up-or-down vote in order to make sure 
these courts in this part of the world are able to function like you 
want them to. Stop playing politics with American justice.
    We're making--we stand for a culture of responsibility in America, 
and we're making progress. See, this culture of ours is changing from 
one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``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 are 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're responsible for telling the truth to your 
shareholders and your employees. And in this responsibility society, 
each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to 
be loved ourselves.
    I'm running for 4 more years because I want to continue to rally the 
armies of compassion. See, Government can hand out money, but it can't 
put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a person's life. 
That happens when a loving soul puts their arm around somebody who needs 
help, and says, ``I love you,'' and ``What can I do to help you?'' I 
know by rallying the armies of

[[Page 1623]]

compassion we can 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 is not one of those times. This is a time 
when we need firm resolve, strong belief in the values that have made us 
a great nation.
    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 is a day I will never forget. I will never forget the workers 
in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I was working the 
ropelines saying thanks to people, and a fellow with bloodshot eyes--he 
had just come out of the rubble, searching for one of his buddies--said, 
``Do not let down.'' He took that day personally. Everybody on that site 
took it personally. I know you took it personally, and so do I. I have a 
duty that goes on. I wake up every day thinking how better to protect 
our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it 
takes.
    We have come through much together. We've done a lot of hard work. 
During the next 4 years, we'll spread ownership and opportunity to every 
corner of this country--I mean, every corner. We'll pass the enduring 
values of our country to another generation. We will continue to lead 
the world in the cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
    Four years ago, I traveled your great State and our great country 
asking for the vote, and I made a pledge that 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, so help me God. With your help, 
I will continue to do so for 4 more years.
    Thank you for coming. Thank you all. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 4:16 p.m. at the Grand Traverse County 
Civic Center. In his remarks, he referred to Betsy DeVos, chairman, 
Michigan Republican Party; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of 
Libya; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Junichiro 
Koizumi of Japan; and Richard A. Griffin, nominee to be U.S. Circuit 
Judge for the Sixth Circuit.