[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 35 (Monday, August 30, 2004)]
[Pages 1685-1692]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Albuquerque,
New Mexico

August 26, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you all for coming. Gosh, I appreciate so many 
coming out to say hello to Rudy. [Laughter] We were in Las Cruces and 
Farmington, and here we end up in the great city of Albuquerque. It's 
been a fantastic day in the Land of Enchantment.
    I want to thank you all for coming out. I told Rudy, ``You're going 
to like it here.'' I said, ``You're going to see more cowboy hats than 
you see ties.'' No, we're right here in the heart and soul of America, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico.

[[Page 1686]]

    I'm proud to be traveling with this good man. He's a great leader, a 
great friend, and a wonderful American. He showed the world great 
courage during traumatic times, and I'm proud to be standing by him. I'm 
proud he's out working for me. And I'm proud you all are here too. I'm 
here asking for your vote, and I'm here asking for your help. There's no 
doubt in my mind, with your help, we'll carry New Mexico and win a great 
victory in November.
    I am sorry that Laura is not here. I kissed her goodbye in Crawford 
this morning. I said, ``I'm heading west.'' I said, ``I got to go work. 
I'm anxious for people to hear my story. I want people to know I've got 
more to do to lead this Nation for 4 more years.'' I'm really proud of 
Laura. I'm proud of her. She's a great mom and a wonderful wife. And 
she's a wonderful First Lady as well. Today I'm going to give you some 
reasons why I think you ought put me back in there, but perhaps the most 
important one of all is so that Laura will be First Lady for 4 more 
years.
    I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He might be short on hair, 
but he's long on experience. He can get the job done.
    I appreciate--listen, I enjoy working with Pete Domenici. What a 
good man Pete is. He's a--I'm proud to work with him. I know you're 
proud to call him Senator. I'm also really pleased to be here with 
Congresswoman Heather Wilson. She is as good as they come in the United 
States Congress.
    I want to thank all of my friends who are the grassroots activists, 
John Sanchez and Manny Lujan. I want to thank them for their work.
    I appreciate the fact that Brooks and Dunn are here. What great 
Americans they are, and not only that, they can sing. Really proud to 
have them here. I want to thank Tony Lynn for announcing the program.
    Most of all, I want to thank you for being here. I just want you to 
know I believe all of us in America have a duty to vote. And I would 
like for you to encourage your neighbors to register to vote. We have an 
obligation to do that, to vote in our society, and one way you can help 
in this campaign is to become a part of this massive registration 
campaign that we've got going and vote--register Republicans and 
independents and discerning Democrats. Remind them we've got more work 
to do. Remind them that with 4 more years, America will be a safer, 
stronger, and better country.
    We've been through a lot together, and we've accomplished a great 
deal. But the only reason to look backward is to best determine who to 
lead us forward, and that's what I'm here to talk about. We've done a 
lot, but there is more to do to move America forward. We've got more to 
do to create jobs, more to do to improve our schools. We've got more to 
do to fight terror. We have got more to do to spread liberty and peace.
    We've made much progress. I'm here to tell you I'm ready to lead the 
country for 4 more years to do more for the people.
    We have more to do to make our public schools the centers of 
excellence we know they can be so that no child is left behind in 
America. 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 decided to try something different. We said, ``We'll 
send more money back to the States, but in return, we expect results.'' 
We're challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. We're raising 
the bar. We're empowering parents. We believe in local control of 
schools, and we're making progress.
    There is more work to be done. We've got to make sure we've got more 
science and math courses for our high school kids. We've got to bring 
the Internet in to bring the latest to our classrooms. We must have 
intervention programs to make sure children do not slip behind. We want 
to make sure a high school diploma means something. After 4 more years, 
a rising generation will have the skills and the confidence necessary to 
realize the American Dream.
    We have more to do to make quality health care available and 
affordable. You might remember the old Medicare debates of the past. 
Politician after politician say, ``Give us a chance to strengthen 
Medicare,'' and nothing got done. We got the job done. We now have a 
Medicare system that will allow seniors to make their own choices to 
meet their own needs, and starting in 2006, a Medicare

[[Page 1687]]

system that will provide prescription drugs for our seniors.
    We've done more. We've expanded community health centers for low-
income Americans. We want people getting primary care in these centers, 
not in emergency rooms. We've created health savings accounts so 
families can save tax-free for their own health care needs.
    There is more work to be done. Most people get their health care 
through jobs--their jobs, and most new jobs are created by small 
businesses. But many small businesses are having trouble affording 
health care. In order to allow small businesses to afford health care so 
American families get the help they need, we must allow small employers 
to join together to be able to purchase health care at the discounts 
that big companies get. We will harness technology to reduce costs and 
reduce errors. We will continue to expand research and find new cures. 
And in order to make sure health care is available, affordable in 
Albuquerque, New Mexico, we must do something about the frivolous 
lawsuits that are running up the cost of your medicine.
    See, I don't think you can be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
plaintiff-attorney at the same time. I think you have to choose. My 
opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. [Laughter] I 
made my choice. I have made my choice. I'm standing with the patients 
and the doctors, the nurses and the hospitals. I am for medical 
liability reform--now.
    We've got more to do to make sure this economy is strong. Remember 
what we've been through in a short period of time. We've been through a 
recession. We've been through corporate scandals. We've been through the 
terror attacks.
    But we've overcome those obstacles. We've overcome the obstacles 
because the American worker is great. We've overcome the obstacles 
because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. We've overcome 
the obstacles because small-business owners are dreaming about expanding 
and creating new jobs. We've overcome the obstacles because our farmers 
and ranchers know what they're doing.
    We have overcome those obstacles because of two well-timed tax cuts. 
We didn't try to pick winners or losers when it came to cutting taxes. 
We said, ``If you pay taxes, you ought to get relief.'' We also helped 
our families. Remember, we raised the child credit. We reduced the 
marriage penalty. The Tax Code ought to encourage marriage, not penalize 
marriage.
    We helped our small businesses. Because we acted, our economy since 
last summer has grown at a rate as fast as nearly--as any rate in nearly 
20 years. Over the last 12 months, we've added nearly 1.5 million new 
jobs. The unemployment rate across our country is 5.5 percent. That is 
well below the national average of the seventies, the eighties, and the 
nineties. The unemployment rate in the great State of New Mexico is 5.3 
percent.
    We are moving forward. We're not going to go backward. There is more 
work to be done. In order to keep jobs here in America, we must make 
sure our regulations are reasonable and fair. In order to keep jobs here 
in America, we need an energy policy that makes us less dependent on 
foreign sources of energy. In order to keep jobs here, we've got to do 
something about these junk lawsuits that are threatening the small-
business job creators of America.
    In order to make sure jobs stay here, we want other countries to 
treat us the way we treat them. Listen, we can compete with anybody, 
anytime, anywhere, so long as the playing field is level.
    In order to make sure jobs are here, we've got to have an education 
system that provides a lifetime of learning for America's workers. 
Listen, the job base is changing. And some of these new jobs that pay 
more require new skills. That's why I strongly support helping people go 
back to the community colleges all across America to gain the skills 
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
    In order to make sure jobs stay here and this economy continues to 
grow, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money. In order to 
keep jobs here and to keep the economy growing, we need to keep your 
taxes low. I think taxes are an issue in this campaign. My opponent has 
already promised over $2 trillion of new spending.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!

[[Page 1688]]

    The President. And we've still got the stretch run. [Laughter] We've 
still got September and October to go. And so they said, ``How are you 
going to pay for it?'' And he used that old, tired class warfare line, 
``We're just going to tax the rich.'' But you know how that works, don't 
you?
    Audience members. Yes!
    The President. You've heard them say ``tax the rich.'' First of all, 
you can't tax the rich enough to pay for all the promises. And secondly, 
the rich are pretty good about hiring accountants and lawyers. 
Generally, when you hear that, be careful because he's aiming his tax 
increase at you. But we're not going to let him have it. We're going to 
win in November.
    We're doing some smart things. I passed an important law to protect 
the residents of this State and the forests from catastrophic wildfires.
    Audience members. Yes!
    The President. Our Healthy Forests Restoration Act is good law for 
New Mexico. It's important law to help us preserve these national 
treasures. The Cibola National Forest will benefit from this important 
legislation. We had a difference of opinion on this subject. My opponent 
said that the Healthy Forests Act was--really means we're taking a 
chainsaw to public forests. Then when he came out here to campaign, he 
turned his position around. He says he likes part of the law. [Laughter] 
I guess it's not only the wildfires that shift in the wind. [Laughter]
    I'm running again because I understand we have more to do to wage 
and win the war against terrorism. Our future, America's future, depends 
on our willingness to lead in this world. If America shows uncertainty 
and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This 
will not happen on my watch.
    The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that 
day, we changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served 
at the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed thousands of 
killers to set up cells around the world, including America. Today, 
because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. Over 10 million 
people in that country have registered to vote in the upcoming election. 
Because we acted, Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Because 
we acted, many young girls go to school for the first time in 
Afghanistan. Because we acted, 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, a message that's easy to understand, 
the leader of Libya 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 and firing weapons at American pilots 
who were enforcing the world's sanctions. He had used weapons of mass 
destruction. He harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He 
subsidized the families of suiciders. He had murdered tens of thousands 
of his own people. He was a source of great instability in a volatile 
part of the world. He was a threat. One of the lessons of September the 
11th that we must never forget is that we must deal with threats before 
they fully materialize.
    I went to the United States Congress. I said, ``This administration 
sees a threat.'' They looked at the intelligence I looked at. They 
remembered the history of Saddam Hussein, and they came to the same 
conclusion I did--including my opponent, who came to the same conclusion 
I did.
    Because I believe we ought to try diplomacy before we ever commit 
troops, I went to the United Nations. I said to the world, ``We see a 
threat.'' They looked at the same intelligence and concluded, with a 15-
to-nothing vote in the Security Council that Saddam Hussein must 
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. And as he had for over a 
decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply with the demands of the free 
world. As a matter of fact, we sent in inspectors. He systematically 
deceived the inspectors. So I had a choice to make: Either trust the 
word of a madman and forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take 
action to defend our country. Given that choice, I will defend America.

[[Page 1689]]

    Even though we didn't find the stockpiles we expected to find, 
Saddam had the capability to make weapons of mass destruction, and he 
could have passed that capability on to the terrorist enemy. That's a 
risk we could not have afforded to take after September the 11th. 
Knowing what we know today, I would have taken the same action in Iraq.
    America and the world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a 
prison cell. Now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and 
about 7 months after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar 
candidate, my opponent has found another nuance. [Laughter] See, he now 
agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq. After months of 
questioning my motives and even my credibility, he now agrees with me 
that even though we have not found the stockpiles we all thought he had, 
knowing everything we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq 
and remove Saddam from power. And I want to thank him for clearing that 
up. There's still a little over 60 days in this campaign for him to 
change his mind again. [Laughter]
    I'm running because I understand we have more to do. We will 
continue to work with our friends and allies around the world to 
aggressively pursue the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
elsewhere. See, you cannot talk sense into these people. You cannot try 
to negotiate with them.
    Audience members. No-o-o!
    The President. You cannot hope for the best.
    Audience members. No-o-o!
    The President. We must engage these enemies overseas 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 
nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in 
Iraq. Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to build on our alliances 
and work with our friends. But I'll never turn over America's national 
security decisions to leaders of other countries.
    We'll keep our commitments to help the people of Afghanistan and 
Iraq. We'll do so because when America says something, it better mean 
what it says in order to make the world a more peaceful place. We'll do 
so because it's in our interest they become democracies and peaceful 
societies. These nations are now governed by two strong leaders who 
believe in the hopes and aspirations of the people that live in those 
countries. We set a clear goal. We're for peaceful, democratic countries 
who can self-govern and who are allies in the war against these 
terrorists. And so our military forces are there to provide security as 
they head to elections, and we're there to help train Afghan and Iraqi 
forces so they can defeat the terrorists who are trying to stop and 
prevent the hopes of many from emerging. Our military will complete this 
mission as quickly as possible so our troops do not stay a day longer 
than necessary.
    Our Nation's commitments are kept by the men and women of our 
military. At bases around the country, I have had the high privilege of 
meeting with those who defend our country and spread the peace. I've 
seen their great decency and their unselfish courage. I assure you, 
ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in really good hands.
    I appreciate the veterans who are here today, who have set such a 
great example for those who wear the uniform.
    Our troops must have the resources they need to fight and win the 
war on terror. They must have the full support of our Government. That's 
why last September, while our troops were in combat in Afghanistan and 
in Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their 
missions. The legislation provided money for body armor and vital 
equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare 
parts. It was an important piece of legislation, and it received great 
bipartisan support. As a matter of fact, the support was so strong that 
only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against it.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Two of those twelve Senators are my opponent and his 
runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When they asked him about that vote, he said, ``I 
actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.'' 
[Laughter] Doesn't sound like the way people in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 
talk to me.

[[Page 1690]]

But they pressed him further, and he said he was proud of his vote. And 
they kept pressing, and he said, ``Well, it was 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--they'll be powerful 
examples to their neighbors. They'll be powerful examples in the part of 
the world that's desperate for liberty and freedom.
    Free countries do not export terror. Free countries do not stifle 
the dreams of their citizens. 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 the peace that we all want. And by 
serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of our 
Nation. We understand freedom is not America's gift to the world; 
freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
     Now, we've got more to do to protect our country. There's an enemy 
out there that still hates us. We have a difference of opinion on this. 
The other day, he said that going to war with the terrorists is actually 
improving their recruiting efforts. I think the logic is upside-down. I 
think it shows a misunderstanding of the enemy we face. See, during the 
1990's, the terrorists were recruiting, and they were training for war 
with us long before we went to war with them. They don't need an excuse 
for their hatred. Staying on the offense is necessary to protect this 
country. See, you don't create terrorists by fighting back. You defeat 
the terrorists by fighting back.
    There's a lot of good people working on your behalfs, a lot of good 
people at the Federal level and the State level and the local level 
responding to threats. We've got work to do, and we'll continue to do it 
to make sure that we get the best intelligence possible so we can react 
to the threats. We need the PATRIOT Act renewed. Listen, the PATRIOT Act 
is a vital tool for those who are working to disrupt the terrorist 
networks. We created the Department of Homeland Security. We're 
continuing to work to better safeguard our borders and our ports. We're 
working better between levels of government.
    But I got to tell you, reform isn't easy, particularly in 
Washington, DC. [Laughter] There's a lot of entrenched interests there. 
There's a lot of people who are willing to hold on to the status quo. 
It's not enough to advocate reform, you've got to be able to get the job 
done.
    So when you're out there campaigning, I want you to remind people 
that when it comes to reforming our schools to provide an excellent 
education for every child, we're getting the job done. When it comes to 
health care reforms for our seniors and for our families, we're getting 
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 fighting the forces of terror and spreading freedom and 
peace, we're getting the job done. And remind your friends and 
neighbors, when it comes time to choose a President, put somebody back 
in there who can get the job done.
    We're living in a time of change, and I understand change can be 
unsettling. It's an exciting time, but it's a time that Government needs 
to change its ways of thinking. Government needs to not be giving 
dictates to people; Government needs to be helping people. One way to do 
so is to understand that a lot of moms are working these days, and 
therefore, people need flex-time and comp-time so they can adjust their 
work schedules to meet the demands of family. One way to help people 
with changing times is to encourage an ownership society. That's why we 
want people owning their own health care accounts, so they can manage 
their own accounts and take them from job to job if they need to.
    These are changing times, and they're exciting times. I see a lot of 
the younger folks out here today. I thank you for coming. But when it 
comes time to think about Social Security, baby boomers like me are in 
good shape. [Laughter] But some younger workers are going to have a 
problem because there's

[[Page 1691]]

a lot of baby boomers, and the Social Security system needs to be made 
fiscally sound for you. And I believe the best way to do so is to let 
younger workers take some of their own money in personal savings 
accounts so they can carry it from one generation to the next.
    We want more people owning their own business in America. You know, 
there's some fantastic success stories right here in Albuquerque, New 
Mexico, where people had a dream and they built their own companies that 
they can call their own. In changing times, if you own your own home, it 
can help provide stability. The homeownership rate is at an alltime high 
in America. We'll continue to pursue policies to encourage people to own 
their own home. There's nothing better than somebody opening that front 
door and saying, ``Welcome to my house. Thank you for coming to my 
home.'' We understand in America that if you own something, you have a 
vital stake in the future of our country.
    In changing times, there are some things that won't change, our 
belief in liberty, our belief in opportunity, and our belief in the 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. The individual values we try to 
live by shouldn't change, courage and compassion, reverence and 
integrity. We will continue to support the institutions that give us 
direction and purpose, our families, our schools, and our religious 
congregations.
    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.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in this country. Listen, 
the culture 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're responsible 
for the decisions we make in life. If you're fortunate enough to be a 
mom or a dad, 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're responsible for 
doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are 
responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your 
employees. And in a 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 to continue to rally the armies of 
compassion which exist all across our country. Listen, the great 
strength of America is the hearts and souls of the American citizens. 
People are volunteering all over our country to help improve somebody's 
life. I met with Bernice Young. She volunteered more than 11,000 hours 
at the Children's Hospital of New Mexico. She's taking time out of her 
life to help make somebody else's life better. See, I believe societies 
will change. I believe our country will change, one heart, one soul, one 
conscience at a time, if we rally the great army of compassion, which is 
willing to love a neighbor.
    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. This is a time 
where we need firm resolve, clear vision, and strong belief in the 
values that make us a great nation.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. Rudy and I were in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the 
14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget. It is a day Rudy will never 
forget. I remember the workers in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever it 
takes, President. Whatever it takes.'' I remember shaking the hand of a 
man who had just gotten out of the rubble. He had bloodshot eyes. He 
said, ``Do not let me down.'' It was a--I wake up every morning thinking 
about how better to protect this country. I will never relent in 
defending America, whatever it takes.
    We have come through much together, and we've done a lot of hard 
work. But there's more to be done. During the next 4 years, we will 
spread ownership and opportunity to every corner of this country. We 
will pass the enduring values of our country to another generation. We 
will continue to lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we will 
prevail.
    With your support and prayers, I will be a leader America can count 
on in a time of

[[Page 1692]]

change. Four years ago, I traveled this great country and your wonderful 
State asking for the vote. I said 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, I will do so for the next 4 
years.
    God bless. Thank you for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention 
Center. In his remarks, he referred to Rudolph W. Giuliani, former mayor 
of New York City; John Sanchez and Manuel Lujan, Jr., members, executive 
committee, Republican Party of New Mexico; country music entertainers 
Brooks and Dunn; radio show host Tony Lynn; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-
Qadhafi, leader of Libya; President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; and 
Prime Minister Ayad al-Alawi of the Iraqi Interim Government.