[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 36 (Monday, September 6, 2004)]
[Pages 1790-1797]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Columbus, Ohio

September 1, 2004

    The President. Thanks for coming. Thank you all very much. What a 
warm welcome. It doesn't get any better than being introduced by Jack 
Nicklaus in Columbus, Ohio. While you were cheering, I asked him if he 
had any advice for my golf game. He said, ``Quit.'' [Laughter] I'm so 
honored to be here with Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. He is a--what a class 
act. And I'm proud to have him endorse my candidacy for the Presidency 
of the United States.

[[Page 1791]]

    Jack said he and Barbara are from Columbus--so am I. My grandfather 
was raised right here in Columbus, Ohio. So I'm here to ask that you 
send a home-boy back to Washington, DC.
    I'm thrilled to be traveling today with Laura. She raised the bar 
last night. What a fantastic speech she gave. I'm going to give you some 
reasons why I think you ought to put me back in, but perhaps the most 
important one is to put her back in for 4 more years.
    I appreciate you all coming. I'm here to ask for the vote. See, I 
believe you've got to come to the people and ask for their vote. I'm 
here to let you know I'm going to lay out a vision tomorrow night for a 
safer world and a more hopeful America, that we have done a lot--
[applause].
    I'm here to ask for your help as well. You can't win an election 
alone. I need you to help register your friends and neighbors. Get on 
the Internet at georgewbush.com and find out how you can volunteer for 
this campaign. For those of you who are volunteering, I want to thank 
you very much for the work you've done and the work you're going to do. 
There is no question in my mind, with your hard work, we will carry Ohio 
again and win this country.
    I'm looking forward to hearing my superb runningmate's speech 
tonight. Dick Cheney is a solid citizen. He's got good judgment and 
sound advice. He's a man who can get the job done.
    I'm thankful that Barbara Nicklaus and son Gary Nicklaus are 
traveling with Jack today. I want to thank both of them for joining us.
    I appreciate my friend Senator Mike DeWine joining us today. He's a 
fine United States Senator. You know, we've been traveling your State by 
bus, and old Mike showed up every time. He's out there shaking those 
hands and waving to the crowds. I appreciate his friendship. I also want 
to urge you to put George Voinovich back into office as your United 
States Senator. I'm proud that my friend Congresswoman Deborah Pryce is 
with us. She is a fine Member of the House of Representatives.
    I want to thank John McConnell for opening up this beautiful hall. 
He's a great citizen of this community who owns the Columbus Blue 
Jackets. He said, ``Do you have any advice?'' I said, ``I cannot 
skate.'' [Laughter] But I appreciate the hospitality.
    I want to thank Chris Spielman for being here as well. I'm honored 
he's here. I appreciate the Pickering Central High marching band for 
joining us today. I'll try to keep my speech short so you can get home 
and do your homework.
    Audience members. No-o-o!
    The President. I want to thank the folks who put this on, this 
fantastic rally on. I know it takes hard work to get this many people 
here. But thanks for all you're doing. I'm here to let you know that 
I've got a clear vision and strong determination to make this country a 
safer place, a stronger place, and a better place for every American.
    In the past few years, we've been through a lot together, and we've 
accomplished a lot. But the only reason to look back in a campaign is to 
determine who best to lead us forward. Even though we've done a lot, I'm 
here to tell you there's more to do. There's more to do to make this 
country a hopeful country for every citizen.
    We've got more to do to make sure the public schools in America are 
centers of excellence we know they can be. When I went to office--got 
into office a couple of years ago, too many of our schools were 
shuffling children through, grade after grade, year after year, without 
them learning the basics. We challenged the soft bigotry of low 
expectations in the public schools in America. We've raised the 
standards. We believe in local control of schools. And we believe in 
return for Federal money, people must show us whether or not the 
children can read and write and add and subtract, because we expect 
every child to learn in America. Because we're measuring and correcting 
problems early, before it's too late, the achievement gap in America is 
closing.
    But there's more work to be done. We've got to make sure the 
Internet is in our high school classrooms. We need to have early 
intervention programs for junior high and high school students, so 
they're not left behind. We got to make sure AP courses are expanded. We 
got to make sure we teach more math and science in the high schools

[[Page 1792]]

so that kids can compete in this global economy. We want to make sure 
the high school diploma means something. We'll increase Pell grants and 
loans so when a high school kid gets out of high school, he's got a 
chance to go to college. What I'm telling you is, after 4 more years, a 
rising generation will have the confidence and the skills necessary to 
be able to find a job in America.
    We've got more to do to make such health care is available and 
affordable. When I came to office, too many older Americans could not 
afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. You might 
remember those old Medicare debates. Matter of fact, they used to call 
it ``Mediscare,'' and the system was getting old. See, we'd pay $100,000 
for a heart operation in Medicare but wouldn't pay for the medicine to 
prevent the heart operation from happening in the first place. I went to 
Washington with the desire to improve Medicare for our seniors, and we 
got the job done.
    We're expanding community health centers for low-income Americans. 
We've created health savings accounts so families can save tax-free for 
their own health care needs. Most people get their insurance through 
their places of work. Most new jobs are created by small businesses. 
Many small businesses are having trouble affording health care. To make 
sure American families get health care, small businesses must be allowed 
to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts that big 
companies are able to get.
    There's more work to be done to make sure health care is accessible 
and affordable. We'll harness technology to reduce costs and prevent 
costly mistakes. We'll expand research to find new cures. In order to 
make sure your health care system here is a viable health care, we must 
get rid of the frivolous lawsuits that are running your docs out of 
business. 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 make a 
choice. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. I 
made my choice. I am for medical liability reform--now.
    In all we do to improve health care in this country, we will make 
sure that health decisions are made by patients and doctors and not by 
Government officials in Washington, DC.
    I'm running because I know there's more to do to make sure this 
economy continues to grow. Our economy has been through a lot. We've 
been through a recession. We've been through the terrorist attacks. We 
had the corporate scandals. These were obstacles in the way for good 
economic growth, but we've overcome the obstacles because America's 
workers are the finest in the world. We've overcome these obstacles 
because we've got great farmers and ranchers in America. We've overcome 
these obstacles because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong. The small-
business sector of our economy is thriving in this country. We've 
overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
    We didn't pick winners or losers when it came time for tax cuts. We 
said, ``If you're paying taxes, you ought to get relief.'' That's the 
fair way to do it. We also increased the child credit to help moms and 
dads. We reduced the marriage penalty. I believe the Tax Code ought to 
encourage marriage, not penalize marriage. We helped our small 
businesses; this time the check actually was in the mail.
    Because we acted, our economy has been growing at rates as fast as 
any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, over the past 12 months we've 
added 1.5 million new jobs. Because we acted, the national unemployment 
rate is 5.5 percent, well below the national average of the 1970s, 
1980s, and 1990s.
    I fully understand we still face challenges in manufacturing 
communities and places like Youngstown and some other parts of your 
great State--Canton. I've been to those communities. I know there are 
workers worried about their future. I've got a plan to continue the 
economic vitality of this State and this country. I will not rest so 
long as anybody in your State who wants to work cannot find a job. I'm 
running because I know there's more to do to create economic vitality.
    And to keep jobs here in America, this country must have an energy 
strategy that makes us less dependent on foreign sources of energy. I 
submitted a plan to the United

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States Congress that encourages conservation, encourages alternative 
sources of energy, encourages clean coal technology, encourages 
environmentally sensitive exploration for natural gas. It's a reasonable 
plan. It's stuck in the Congress. They need to get it to my desk so we 
can keep jobs here in this country.
    In order to keep jobs here in America, we need tort reform and 
regulatory relief. In order to keep jobs here in America, we must make 
sure our trade policies are fair. We've opened up our markets, and it's 
good for you that we've done so. See, if you've got more to choose from, 
you're more likely to get a better product at a better price. But it's 
only fair if other countries treat us the way they treat them. The best 
trade policy is to open up their markets. The best trade policy is to 
enforce trade laws. The best trade policy is to say, ``Treat us the way 
we treat you.'' We can compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime, if the 
rules are fair.
    In order to keep jobs in America, we must have a lifetime of 
learning opportunity for American workers. I'm a big believer in the 
community college system. I believe they make a lot of sense. It's a 
good use of taxpayers' money to encourage and help workers retrain for 
the jobs which will be created in the 21st century. If we help our 
workers find the skills necessary to fill the jobs, this economy will 
continue to grow and people will be able to realize their hopes and 
aspirations.
    In order for this economy to continue to grow and for jobs to stay 
in America, we must be wise about how we spend your money, and we must 
keep your taxes low. Running up the taxes on the working people and the 
small-business owners and the farmers and ranchers of America would hurt 
this economic recovery. I'm running against a fellow who has already 
promised over $2 trillion of new Federal spending.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And we've still got 60 days to go in the campaign. 
[Laughter] No telling what's going to happen coming down the stretch. So 
they said, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, I'll just 
tax the rich.'' Yes, we have heard that before in American politics. You 
know what it means, ``tax the rich.'' It means the rich dodge, and you 
get stuck with the bill. But we're not going to let him do it. We're 
going to carry Ohio and this country in November.
    We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror. America's 
future depends on our willingness to lead in this world. If America 
shows weakness or uncertainty 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 have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed 
thousands of killers to set up terror cells in dozens of countries, 
including our own. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. 
Because we acted, over 10 million Afghan citizens have registered to 
vote in the upcoming Presidential elections. Because we acted, many 
young girls go to school for the first time in Afghanistan. Because we 
acted, Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America and the 
world are safer.
    Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire 
weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have 
sent a strong and clear message, Libya has abandoned its 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. He was firing weapons at American 
pilots enforcing the world's sanctions. He had pursued and he had used 
weapons of mass destruction. He harbored terrorists. He invaded his 
neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein 
and his henchmen murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was 
a source of great instability in the world's most volatile region. 
Saddam Hussein was a threat. And one of the important lessons of 
September the 11th, a lesson this country must never forget, is that we 
must take threats seriously, before they fully materialize.
    So I went to the United States Congress. I said, ``I see a threat.'' 
They looked at the same intelligence, remembered the same history of 
Saddam Hussein, and came to the

[[Page 1794]]

same conclusion--Saddam Hussein was a threat--and authorized the use of 
force. My opponent looked at the same intelligence and came to the same 
conclusion.
    The President must try all options to resolve a threat before he 
commits troops into combat, and so I went to the United Nations. I said, 
``I see a threat.'' They looked at the intelligence, the same 
intelligence. They remembered the same history, and with a 15-to-nothing 
vote in the United Nations Security Council, said to Saddam Hussein, 
``Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' The world spoke.
    But as he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the demands 
of the free world. When we sent inspectors, or when the U.N. sent 
inspectors into Iraq, he systematically deceived them. So I have a 
choice to make at this point in our history: Do I forget the lessons of 
September the 11th and take the word of a madman, or take action to 
defend our country? Given that choice, I will defend America.
    Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we expected to find, 
Saddam had the capability of making weapons of mass destruction, and he 
could have passed that capability on to the enemy. That is not a risk we 
could afford to take after September the 11th. Knowing what I know 
today, I would have made the same decision. America and the world are 
safer with Saddam Hussein sitting 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, my opponent now agrees with me that even though 
we didn't find 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 clearing all this up. But I 
caution you, there's still 62 days left for him to change his mind.
    I'm running because I understand we have more to do to make this 
country secure. We will continue to work with friends and allies around 
the world to pursue the terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq and 
Afghanistan and elsewhere. You cannot talk sense to these people. You 
cannot negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best with them. We 
must aggressively pursue them around the world 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 terror. 
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 the 
alliances and work with our friends for the cause of security and peace. 
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've set clear 
goals, peaceful and democratic countries that are allies in the war on 
terror. It's our interest that those countries become peaceful and 
democratic countries. It's in our interest that they become allies in 
the war on terror.
    They're run by strong leaders now. Our military will help them on 
their way to the political process that the people demand. We'll help 
train Iraqis and Afghan citizens so they can do the hard work of 
defending their democracy. Our troops will complete this mission as 
quickly as possible so they do not have to stay a day longer than 
necessary.
    In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the fine men and 
women of the United States military. At bases across our country and 
around the world, I've had the privilege of meeting with them. I've seen 
their unselfish courage and their great decency. I appreciate the 
veterans who are here today for having set such a great example for 
those who wear our uniform.
    I made a commitment to our troops and to the loved ones of our 
troops that they will have the resources they need to fight and win this 
war against the terrorists. Last September, while our troops were in 
combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to 
support them in their mission. This legislation provided funding for 
body armor, vital equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, 
fuel, and spare parts. It was an important funding request, and it 
received significant bipartisan support.

[[Page 1795]]

As a matter of fact, so strong that only 12 Members of the United States 
Senate voted against it, 2 of whom are my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. So they asked him to explain his vote. And here's 
actually what he said: ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before 
I voted against it.'' [Laughter] Yes. Now he's offering different 
explanations. They said--he said he's proud of his vote. And they kept 
pressing him, and he said, ``Well, the whole thing 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. A free and peaceful Iraq and a free and 
peaceful Afghanistan will serve as powerful examples of liberty in a 
neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. Free countries do not export 
terror. Free countries listen to the dreams of their people.
    By serving the cause of liberty, we're helping others, and we're 
making our country more secure. By serving the cause of liberty, we're 
helping to spread the peace that we all want. By serving the cause of 
liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of our country. 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 our country. Enemies who hate us are 
still plotting to harm us. We have a difference of opinion on these 
terrorists. My opponent said that going to war with the terrorists is 
actually improving their recruiting efforts. I think the logic is 
upside-down. If you ever hear that, tell your friends and neighbors that 
during the 1990s, the terrorists were recruiting and training for war 
with us, long before we went to war with them. These people don't need 
an excuse for their hatred. I think it's wrong to blame America for the 
anger and the evil of the killers. We don't create terrorists by 
fighting back. We will defeat the terrorists by fighting back.
    There are a lot of really fine people at the Federal level, the 
State level, and first-responders at the local level who are working 
hard to protect us. I want to thank the first-responders who are here 
today. I want to thank you for your dedication.
    The cooperation has never been better between the Federal, State, 
and the local government. We're working hard to make sure we get the 
best intelligence-gathering capability. It's important that we know the 
movements of the enemy. And so we're pushing for reforms for 
intelligence-gathering. It's essential that we renew the PATRIOT Act so 
law enforcement has the tools necessary to find and disrupt terrorist 
activity in the United States. We've been pushing hard for reforms to 
make sure we better guard our borders and safeguard our ports. We 
created the Department of Homeland Security.
    These reforms are hard in Washington. See, there's a lot of 
entrenched interests there, a lot of people who like the status quo. 
It's not enough to advocate reform; you have to be able to get the job 
done. So when you're out campaigning, remind people that when it comes 
to reforming schools, raising the bar, and closing that achievement gap, 
we're getting the job done. When it comes to health care reforms and 
helping our seniors with modern health, we're getting the job done. When 
it comes to improving our economy and growing jobs so people can find 
work, we're getting the job done. When it comes to better securing the 
homeland and defeating the terrorists and spreading freedom and peace, 
we're getting the job done. And when you're out there working hard to 
garner the vote and gather the vote, tell them, when it comes time to 
choose a President, put somebody in there who can get the job done.
    Tomorrow night I'm going to talk about how this world of ours is 
changing, and Government must change with the changing world to make 
people's lives easier, to give people a chance to be able to realize the 
full promise of tomorrow. Changing times are difficult times. And one 
way to help add security to people's lives during changing times is to 
promote an ownership society. See, if you own your own health care 
account and you change jobs, you'll have the security of being able to 
take it with you from job to job.

[[Page 1796]]

    We've got a lot of younger folks here today. And I appreciate you 
coming. Baby boomers like me are in good shape when it comes to Social 
Security. The system is sound for people like me and older. But if 
you're a younger worker, you better listen carefully to the debate about 
the retirement systems here in America. I believe younger workers ought 
to be able to take some of their own tax money and create a personal 
savings account as a part of Social Security.
    We'll continue to create an environment so that people are willing 
to take risk and create their own small business. We want more small-
business owners in America. One of the most hopeful statistics is the 
fact that today the homeownership rate is at an alltime high in America. 
During changing times, owning your own home brings stability in your 
life. See, we're going to continue to promote an ownership society in 
America because it brings stability during changing times, but also 
because I understand when a person owns something, they have a vital 
stake in the future of our country.
    In a time of change, there's some things that won't change: the 
individual values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence 
and integrity; our belief in liberty and opportunity, and the 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. In changing times, we must value 
the institutions that give us direction and purposes, our families, our 
schools, our religious congregations.
    We believe and 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. You know, the culture is 
changing from one that says, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``If 
you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which of us 
understands we're 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'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.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart. You 
know, 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 
that requires firm resolve, clear vision, and an unyielding belief in 
the values that make this country a wonderful land.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. It's a day I will never forget. There were workers in hardhats 
yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I was 
thanking people for their work, and a fellow looked me right in the eye, 
and he said, ``Do not let me down.''
    Since that day, I have a duty that has gone on. I wake up every 
morning trying to figure out how best to protect our country. I will 
never relent in defending America, whatever it takes.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. We have come through much together. We have done a 
lot of hard work. We're moving this country forward, but there's more 
work to be done. During the next 4 years, we will spread ownership and 
hope and opportunity to every corner of this country--I mean every 
corner. We will pass the enduring values of this country on to a younger 
generation. We will continue to spread freedom and peace.
    You know, when I campaigned across your State 4 years ago, I said if 
you gave me the great honor of serving as President, I would uphold the 
honor and the dignity of the office. And with your hard work and with 
your help, I will do so for 4 more years.
    God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:18 p.m. at the Nationwide Arena. In his 
remarks, he referred to professional golfer Jack Nicklaus and his wife, 
Barbara, and their son, professional golfer Gary

[[Page 1797]]

Nicklaus; and former professional football player Chris Spielman.