[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 36 (Monday, September 6, 2004)]
[Pages 1744-1750]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Perrysburg, Ohio

August 28, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for 
inviting me here to Perrysburg. It is an honor to be here. I appreciate 
you taking time out of your Saturday afternoon to come and say hello. 
I'm sorry we were running a little late; there was a slight weather 
condition. I'm here to ask for your vote. I'm traveling your State 
asking for the vote and asking for your help. I'll tell you what I 
think. From the crowds we've seen, there's no doubt in my mind, with 
your help, we'll carry Ohio and win a great victory in November.
    I'm sorry Laura is not here. She's a fabulous mom, a great wife. 
She's a terrific First Lady. I'm going to give you some reasons why I 
think you ought to put me back in, 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. I'm running with a good man in Dick 
Cheney. I picked him because he's got sound judgment, he's got great 
experience. I picked him because he can get the job done.
    I've been traveling all across your important State today with a 
really fine United States Senator in Mike DeWine. I'm proud to be 
calling Mike friend. And I hope you put old George Voinovich back in 
office. He's a great United States Senator. He's doing a fine job. I 
appreciate Congressman Mike Oxley joining us today. Larry Kaczala is 
running for the United States Congress next to this district. He's a 
fine guy.
    I want to thank the members of the statehouse who are here, Ken 
Blackwell and Betty Montgomery and Randy Gardner and Bob Latta. I want 
to thank all the State and local officials who are here.
    I want to thank my friend Lee Ann Womack. I hope she did a good job 
for you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her coming.
    I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here. I 
appreciate you. I appreciate your hard work. See, I believe we have a 
duty in this country to vote. And therefore, I'm asking you to help 
register people to vote. See your friends and neighbors and say, ``In a 
democracy, we've got to participate.'' And ask them to register, and 
reach out. And when you get them headed toward the polls come November, 
tell them if they want a safer country, a stronger country, a better 
country, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    In the past few years, Americans have been through a lot together--
been through a lot. We have accomplished a lot. But there's only one 
reason to look back at the record, and that is to determine who best to 
lead us forward. I'm here to tell you, there is more to do to make this 
country a safer place. There is more to do to make this country a 
hopeful place. I'm here to tell you, I've got the energy, the vision, 
and the willingness to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
    We have more to do to make sure our schools are the centers of 
excellence we know they can be. You might remember, when we first got up 
there to Washington, the school system was shuffling too many children 
through our schools, grade after grade, year after year, without 
learning the basics. So we challenged the soft bigotry of low 
expectations. We raised the standards because we believe every child can 
learn to read and write and add and subtract. We increased Federal help 
for States and local districts. But we started to ask a simple question: 
Are you achieving results? Can our children read and write? And, if so, 
we'll praise the teachers. But if not, we have the courage and 
willingness to challenge the status quo. No child should be left behind 
in America.
    There's more work to be done. We've got to insist upon science and 
math programs in our high schools to prepare our kids for the jobs of 
the 21st century. We've got to make sure the Internet is available in 
classrooms. We want a high school diploma to mean something. After 4 
more years, a rising generation will have the skills and confidence 
necessary to compete in our global world.
    I'm running because I understand we've got to work to make health 
care more affordable and more available. You might remember the old 
debates on Medicare. They used

[[Page 1745]]

to call it ``Mediscare.'' People were afraid to touch the issue, but the 
system needed to be strengthened for our seniors. I went to Washington 
for a reason. I wanted to fix problems. We had a problem in Medicare. 
But working with Republicans and Democrats, we got the job done. Now our 
Medicare system will provide preventative care for our seniors and 
provide prescription drugs for our seniors.
    There is more work to be done when it comes to health care. We want 
to make sure that we continue to expand community health centers for our 
low-income citizens. We want to keep people out of the emergency rooms 
when it comes to primary care. We want to make sure we continue to work 
with our small businesses. Most people get their insurance small--
through their employer, and most new jobs are created by small 
businesses. Yet, small businesses are having trouble with health care. 
We must allow small businesses to pool risk so they can buy insurance at 
the same discounts that big businesses do.
    In order to make sure your health care system is viable and in order 
to make sure there's docs available, we've got to stop these frivolous 
lawsuits that are running up the cost of your medicine. You cannot be 
pro-doctor, 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. I made my choice. I'm standing with the docs, and I'm 
standing with the hospitals, and more importantly, I'm standing with the 
patients. I'm for medical liability reform--now. 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 Washington, DC, bureaucrats.
    We've got to do more to keep this economy growing. Listen, we have 
been through a lot. We've been through a recession. We've been through a 
stock market decline. We've been through corporate scandals, and of 
course, we've been through a horrible attack on our country, all of 
which affected ability for people to find work.
    But we've overcome those obstacles. We've overcome them because the 
entrepreneurial spirit in this country is strong. We've overcome it 
because the small-business sector is alive and well. We've overcome it 
because we've got great farmers and ranchers. We've overcome it because 
we've got the best workers in the world. And I think we've overcome 
those obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
    You might remember the tax relief plan. We said, ``If you're paying 
taxes, you ought to get relief.'' We did it the fair way. We also raised 
the child credit to help families. We reduced the marriage penalty. Our 
Tax Code has got it backwards. We ought to be encouraging marriage, not 
penalizing marriage in the Tax Code.
    We're helping our small businesses, and it's paying off. Because we 
acted, our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 
years. We've added 1.5 million new jobs over the past 12 months. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. That's well below the 
national average in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. Our economy is 
strong and is getting stronger. I fully understand there are places here 
in Ohio where people are still looking for work. And so long as anybody 
is looking for work, this administration will create the conditions for 
job growth.
    We have more to do to make sure this economy remains strong. 
Congress needs to pass my energy plan. In order to keep jobs here in 
America, we need to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    In order to keep jobs in America, we need tort reform, tort reform 
so our small-business owners are not threatened by these junk lawsuits. 
In order to keep jobs in America, I will insist that countries treat us 
the way we treat them when it comes to trade. You see, our markets are 
open. They ought to open their markets. We can compete with anybody, 
anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
    In order to make sure we keep jobs here in America, we need to make 
sure there's a lifetime of learning available for our workers. It's a 
changing economy. There are new jobs available. But a lot of times, our 
workers don't have the skills necessary to meet those jobs. And that's 
why I'm such a strong backer in the community college system. We've got 
Federal monies available to help people get the skills necessary to 
realize their dreams. We will continue to work to make sure the

[[Page 1746]]

American worker has the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st 
century.
    In order to keep jobs here in America, in order to make sure this 
economy grows, in order to make sure people are able to realize their 
dreams, we need to be wise about how we spend your money, and we need to 
keep your taxes low.
    This is an issue in this campaign. I'm running against a fellow who 
has promised over $2 trillion in new programs.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. We've still got 60 days to go. [Laughter] So they 
said, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, I'll just tax 
the rich.'' Now, you've heard that before, haven't you? ``All we're 
going to do is tax the rich.'' Well, the rich dodge, and you get stuck 
with the bill. But guess what? We're not going to let him get there. 
We're going to win in November.
    We've got more to do to wage and win this war on 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. 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. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed 
thousands of killers around the world and in the United States. Because 
we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. Because we acted, over 10 
million citizens in Afghanistan have registered to vote in the upcoming 
Presidential election. Because we acted, many young girls go to school 
for the first time in Afghanistan. Because we acted, we now have an ally 
in the war on terror. 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 sent 
a strong and easy-to-understand 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. You might remember, he was 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 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. And I saw a threat. I 
looked at his history, and I saw a threat. I looked at intelligence and 
saw a threat. I also remembered one of the most important lessons of 
September the 11th. It's a lesson this country must never forget. We 
must take threats seriously before they fully materialize, before they 
come to hurt us.
    So I went to the United States Congress and said, ``I see a threat. 
What about you?'' Members of both political parties looked at the 
intelligence, remembered his history, and voted overwhelmingly for the 
use of force if need be, including my opponent.
    Because military action is the last option of the Commander in 
Chief, because the very last option ought to be the commitment of our 
youngsters into harm's way, I went to the United Nations and tried the 
diplomatic route. I said, ``We see a threat. How about you?'' They 
looked at the intelligence, and they voted overwhelmingly in the United 
Nations Security Council to say--to pass this resolution, ``Disarm--
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' That's what the free 
world said.
    As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the demands of 
the free world. They sent inspectors in there. He systematically 
deceived the inspectors. I had a choice to make, a choice that only 
comes to the Oval Office, whether I ignore the lessons of September the 
11th and trust the word of a madman, or take action to defend America. 
Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you very much. Even though we did not find the 
stockpiles we thought we would find, Saddam Hussein had the capability 
of making weapons and could have passed that capability on to our 
enemies. After September the 11th, that was a risk we could not afford 
to take. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the

[[Page 1747]]

same decision. 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 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 in Iraq. After months of questioning my motives and even my 
credibility, my opponent now agrees with me that even though we haven't 
found the stockpiles we thought we would find, knowing everything we 
know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam 
Hussein from power. I appreciate him for clearing that up. [Laughter] 
However, I want to warn you, there's still a little over 60 days for him 
to change his mind.
    I'm asking for your vote because I know there is more to do, more to 
do to continue to work with our friends and allies around the world to 
aggressively pursue the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq and 
elsewhere. See, you cannot talk sense to these people. You cannot 
negotiate with them. In this post-9/11 world, you cannot hope for the 
best with these killers. We must aggressively pursue them elsewhere 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 us defeat these 
terrorists, nearly 40 countries in Afghanistan, some 30 in Iraq, about 
60 countries involved in the Proliferation Security Initiative. That's 
an initiative that we put together to hunt down people who might be 
transporting weapons of mass destruction materials and technology. No, 
the world is working together, and I'll continue to build our alliances. 
But I will never turn over America's national security decisions to 
leaders of other countries.
    We'll keep our commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq. We'll keep our 
commitments to help them become peaceful and democratic societies. It's 
in our interests that they become peaceful societies. It's in our short-
term interests and it's in our long-term interests that peace and 
freedom prevail in those countries. We've given our word, and when 
America gives its word, America must keep its word.
    There are strong leaders now in those countries, strong leaders who 
believe in freedom and believe in the aspirations of their people. Our 
troops are there to help the political process move forward. And we're 
there to help train the Afghans and the Iraqis so they can defend their 
own freedom, so they can do the hard work that's needed for democracy. 
Our troops will complete this mission as quickly as possible so they do 
not have to stay a day longer than necessary.
    We have got a fantastic United States military. I want to thank the 
veterans who are here for having set such a good example for those who 
wear the uniform. I have made a commitment to our troops and the 
commitment to the loved ones of our troops that they will have the 
resources they need to fight and win the war against the terrorists. 
It's a solemn commitment by our Government. We are meeting that 
commitment.
    We've had the largest defense increases since Ronald Reagan was the 
President. We've increased military pay by 21 percent since I've been 
the President. We got better housing, since I've been the President, for 
our troops. And last September, while our troops were in combat in 
Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in 
their missions. This legislation provided money for body armor, vital 
equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare 
parts. It was necessary legislation. And the Congress responded in a 
very strong bipartisan fashion. As a matter of fact, only 12 United 
States Senators voted against the funding for our troops, 2 of whom are 
my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. So they asked him. They said, ``How can you not 
support our troops in combat?'' He said, ``I actually did vote for the 
$87 billion, before I voted against it.'' I don't think many people talk 
that way here in Ohio. [Laughter] And so they pressed him. And he said, 
well, he was proud of the vote. And then they pressed him even further, 
and

[[Page 1748]]

he said, ``Well, the whole thing is just 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 in a neighborhood 
which is desperate for freedom. Free societies do not export terror. 
Free societies listen to the hopes and aspirations of their people. By 
serving the cause of liberty, we are bringing hope to others, and that 
makes America more secure. By serving the cause of liberty, we're 
bringing peace to the world. By serving the cause of liberty, we're 
serving the deepest ideals of the American soul and the American spirit. 
See, we know that 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 because I want to help spread the peace. I'm running so 
these youngsters can grow up in a more secure America, in a more hopeful 
and peaceful world. I strongly believe in the power of liberty to 
transform lives.
    You know, I was recently meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi of 
Japan. We were having a discussion about the peace. It's an amazing 
conversation, when you think about it. You know, it wasn't all that long 
ago in the course of history that my dad and your dads were fighting an 
enemy called the Japanese in a tough and brutal war. Yet because we 
believed in liberty, because we believed in the transforming power of 
liberty to change an enemy into an ally, because we didn't waver in our 
belief in liberty, after World War II, we helped our enemy become a 
self-governing, democratic nation. And here I was talking to the leader 
of a former enemy about peace in the Korean Peninsula. Some day, an 
American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader from 
Iraq talking about keeping the peace.
    We have more to do to protect our country. There are enemies out 
there that hate us. You know, we have a difference of opinion on this 
subject. My opponent says that going to war with the terrorists is 
actually improving their recruiting efforts. I think the logic is upside 
down. I think it shows the misunderstanding of the nature of these 
people. 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. See, you don't create terrorists by fighting 
back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting back.
    We've got work to do to continue to defend our homeland. I've been 
working hard to make sure our intelligence services gather the best 
intelligence so those of us in Government can make the best decisions to 
defend you. There's good cooperation between the Federal, State, and 
local levels now, good conversation going on. We've created the 
Department of Homeland Security, and it was tough reforms in Washington 
to get it done. We need to renew the PATRIOT Act so our law enforcement 
officials have the tools necessary to disrupt terror cells. We're 
working hard to better protect our borders and our ports. You just got 
to know there's a lot of really decent people working long hours on your 
behalf to do everything we can to protect our country.
    I'll continue to push for reform in Washington, but it's hard. 
There's a lot of entrenched interests in Washington, DC. There's a lot 
of special interests in Washington, DC. There's a lot of people willing 
to defend the status quo in Washington, DC. See, it's not enough to 
advocate reform; you have to show the people you can get it done.
    So when you're out there lining up the vote, remind them that when 
it comes to reforming our schools and raising the standards and 
expecting the best, we're getting the job done. Tell them, when it comes 
to improving this farm economy, we're getting the job done. When it 
comes to improving the overall economy and creating jobs, we're getting 
the job done. When it comes to health care reforms for our seniors and 
our families, we're getting the job done. When it comes to better 
securing the homeland and fighting the terrorists and spreading freedom 
and peace, we're getting the job done. And remind them, when it comes to 
choosing the President, put somebody in there who can get the job done.

[[Page 1749]]

    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. You know, we live in interesting times here in 
America. These are times of change. And change can be unsettling; I 
understand that. See, I think the role of Government is to help people 
during times of change, to provide people with the tools necessary to 
adapt to times of change. That's why I'm a strong supporter of flex-time 
and comp-time. I know a lot of moms are now working, and I think we need 
to have work rules that enable people to be flexible with their schedule 
so that they can spend time with their families. I know people are 
changing jobs and, therefore, that's why I support health savings 
accounts, so people can take their insurance with them from job to job 
and know they've got coverage for their families.
    I see a lot of younger workers here today. Baby boomers like me are 
in good shape when it comes to Social Security. But you better be asking 
which candidate understands the fiscal dangers for young workers in 
Social Security. In order to make sure Social Security exists for future 
generations, I believe younger workers ought to have the option of 
taking some of their own money out of Social Security and setting up 
personal savings accounts. Those accounts will be yours that you can 
pass on from one generation to the next.
    See, what I'm telling you is, in a changing world, it's important to 
promote ownership in America. Ownership will help. Ownership means 
Government is standing side by side with people, not dictating to 
people. That's why I want to create the conditions so more people can 
own their own small business. And that's why one of the greatest 
statistics, I think, in the American scene today is that the 
homeownership rate is at an alltime high.
    We'll continue to press for homeownership in America. I think the 
idea of somebody opening up that door, saying, ``Welcome to my home,'' 
is an important part of the American experience and the American future. 
This administration understands if you own something, you have a vital 
stake in the future of the United States of America.
    In this changing times, there are some things that won't change: the 
individual values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence 
and integrity; our beliefs in liberty and opportunity and the 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. In changing times, we will honor 
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 America. You know, the 
culture is shifting 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 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 this wonderful community, you're 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 a 
responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our 
neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
    I'm running for 4 more years to continue to rally the armies of 
compassion, those loving souls who have heard a call to help somebody 
who hurts. See, I know Government can hand out money, but it cannot put 
hope in a person's heart, a sense of purpose in a person's life. We need 
to rally the strength of the country, which is the hearts and souls of 
our citizens. We can change America one heart, one soul, one conscience 
at a time, by encouraging loving souls to love their 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 is not one of those times. This is a time 
when we need firm resolve, clear vision, an unshakable belief in the 
values that make us a great nation.
    None of us will ever forget that era--that week when one era ended 
and another

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began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. It's a day I will never forget. There were workers in hardhats 
shouting at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember working the line and a 
fellow looked at me with his bloodshot eyes, and he grabbed me by the 
arm and he said, ``You don't let me down.''
    He took that day personally. Everybody there took it personally. You 
took it personally, and so do I. I have a duty that goes on. I wake up 
every morning trying to figure out how best to defend America. I will 
never relent in defending this great country, whatever it takes.
    We've come through much together. We've come through much together, 
and we've done a lot of hard work. We're moving forward by extending 
freedom around the world and expanding opportunity in this country. And 
there's more to do. During the next 4 years, we will spread ownership 
and opportunity to every corner. 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.
    Four years ago, I traveled your great State. When I was asking for 
the vote, I said if you gave me the high honor of being your President, 
I would uphold the dignity and the honor of that office. With your help, 
with your support, I will do so for the next 4 years.
    May God bless you. Thank you for coming. Thank you all for coming. 
Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 6:17 p.m. at Fort Meigs State Memorial 
Park. In his remarks, he referred to country music entertainer Lee Ann 
Womack; Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell; Ohio Auditor of 
State Betty Montgomery; Ohio State Senator Randy Gardner; Ohio State 
Representative Bob Latta; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.