[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 38 (Monday, September 20, 2004)]
[Pages 2018-2024]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Rochester, Minnesota

September 16, 2004

    The President. Thank you all.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you all. That's what I'm here to tell you. I'm 
ready to serve this country for 4 more years. Thanks for coming. 
Rochester, Minnesota, is a fantastic city. I appreciate--I know 
something about it. You see, my mother is a trustee of the Mayo Clinic, 
and I'm still listening to my mother, after all these years. And she 
said, ``When you get over to Rochester, you tell them to keep doing what 
they're doing, and Barbara Bush sends her best.''
    Thanks for coming out today. Today, as I traveled your State on the 
bus, I've been on the telephone getting updates on the devastation being 
caused by Hurricane Ivan in Florida and Alabama and parts of Mississippi 
and Louisiana. Federal teams are there to do everything possible to help 
the folks down there. I know all my fellow Americans join me in sending 
our prayers and concern for the families who lost loved ones and for 
those whose lives are being affected by this devastating storm.
    I also want to express my sympathy and concern for the people just 
down the road in Austin, Minnesota, and the surrounding areas who have 
been affected by flash flooding there.
    I've had a great day traveling your State--St. Cloud, Anoka, the 
Halloween capital of America--[laughter]--Blaine, Minnesota, and right 
here in Rochester. What a great way to spend a day. I kind of like to 
spend an afternoon in the ballpark. I also like coming to ask people for 
their vote, and that's what I'm doing here in the great State of 
Minnesota. I want your vote. I also want your help. I'm traveling on 
this bus to let people know that I'd like your help coming down the 
stretch in this campaign.
    We have a duty in this country to vote. And I'd like you to go out 
and register your friends and neighbors to vote. Remind them we have an 
obligation in a free society to go to the polls. And when you're 
registering people, don't overlook discerning Democrats like Zell 
Miller. And after you get people registered to vote--and voting time is 
around the corner--get them headed to the polls, and tell them if they 
want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better America, to put 
me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    My only regret of today is that Laura is not traveling with me. When 
I asked her to marry me, she said, ``Fine, just so long as I don't ever 
have to give a political speech.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay.'' 
Fortunately, she didn't hold me to her word. The American people in New 
York City got to see a compassionate, strong, fine First Lady in Laura 
Bush. Today I'm going to give you some reasons why I think you ought to 
put me back into office, but perhaps the most important one of all is so 
that Laura will be First Lady for 4 more years.
    I want to thank my friend Gil Gutknecht, the fine United States 
Congressman from this part of the world. I appreciate his service. I 
appreciate working with him to do what's right for our country. He's a 
stalwart friend, and he's a great Member of Congress.
    Today I had the privilege of being on the bus with your Governor, 
Tim Pawlenty, who has done such a fine job for the people of Minnesota. 
I'm proud to work with United States Senator Norm Coleman. I want to 
thank all the State and local officials who are here. I want to thank 
the people running for office.
    I want to thank the grassroots activists. You are the people who put 
up the signs and make the phone calls and do all the hard work and never 
get enough credit. I'm here to give you credit for what you have done 
and what you're going to do, as we're coming down the pike. There's no 
doubt in my mind, with your help, we will carry the great State of 
Minnesota.
    I'm looking forward to this campaign. I like to get out amongst the 
people and tell people where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm 
going to lead this Nation for the next 4 years. I believe every child 
can learn and every school must teach. I went to Washington, DC, to 
challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I didn't like a system 
that just shuffled kids through the schools, year after year, without 
learning the basics. So we raised standards. We measure early to solve 
problems before it's too late. We believe in

[[Page 2019]]

local control of schools. We're closing an achievement gap here in 
America, and we're not turning back.
    I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our citizens with 
good health care. I went up to Washington to solve problems. We had a 
problem in Medicare. Medicine was modernizing. Medicare wasn't. Medicare 
would pay $100,000 for heart surgery and would not pay for the 
prescription drugs to prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the 
first place. That didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense for 
our seniors. It certainly didn't make any sense for the taxpayers. We've 
modernized Medicare. In 2006, our seniors are going to get prescription 
drug coverage, and we're not turning back.
    I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our workers, 
our small-business owners, our farmers, and ranchers. And that is why we 
unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation. 
Listen, when you're out gathering the vote, when you're out there in the 
hustings convincing people to go to the polls, remind them what this 
economy has been through. We've been through a recession. We had 
corporate scandals. We passed tough laws in Washington. By the way, it's 
now abundantly clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the 
boardrooms of America. And the attack on our country hurt. It hurt 
people looking for work. They estimate in the 3 months after September 
the 11th, we lost a million jobs.
    But we're overcoming these obstacles. This economy of ours is 
strong, and it is getting stronger. Our economy has been growing at 
rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added 1.7 million new 
jobs in the last 12 months. The national unemployment rate is at 5.4 
percent, which is lower than the average of 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The 
unemployment rate in Minnesota is less than 5 percent. This economy is 
overcoming the obstacles we have faced, and we're not turning back.
    I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to 
protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness 
in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not 
happen on my watch. I am running for President with a clear and positive 
plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with 
a compassionate conservative philosophy that Government should help 
people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this 
Nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership, and with your 
help, we're going to win a great victory in November.
    Listen, the world in which we live is changing. You know, when our 
dads and granddads were coming up, a man usually worked at one company 
all his life, and there was a pension plan and health care. And women 
stayed at home. This world of ours is different. Men change--or people 
change careers and jobs often. And women not only work inside the house; 
they're now working outside the house. And yet the systems of our 
Government, the fundamental systems haven't changed with the times. Tax 
Code, health care, pensions plans, worker training were created for the 
world of yesterday, not tomorrow. In the new term, we'll transform these 
systems so all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to 
be able to make your own choices and to pursue the great American Dream.
    A hopeful society is one in which the economy grows. The best way to 
keep jobs here in America is to make sure America is the best place in 
the world to do business. To make sure we have jobs here, we've got to 
lessen the regulations on our job creators. To make sure we have jobs 
here in America, we've got to stop these frivolous lawsuits that are 
plaguing small-business owners.
    To create jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan. I 
proposed a plan over 2 years ago that encourages conservation, that uses 
technologies to explore for hydrocarbons in environmentally friendly 
ways, that promotes clean coal technology, that uses ethanol and 
biodiesel. It's an energy plan that understands in order to keep jobs in 
America, we must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    To create jobs, we've got to reject economic isolationism and open 
up markets for our farmers and entrepreneurs. We open up our market, and 
it's good for you. When you have more choices, you're likely to get the 
product you want at better quality and better

[[Page 2020]]

price. And so what I tell countries like China and elsewhere is, ``You 
treat us the way we treat you.'' I say that because I know we can 
compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
    Listen, to create jobs, we've got to be wise about how we spend your 
money and keep your taxes low. Taxes are an issue in this campaign. 
They're an issue. I'm running against a fellow who's promised 2.2 
trillion--that's with a ``T''--new dollars so far. And we're coming 
down--we haven't even got to the stretch run yet. [Laughter] So they 
said to him, ``Well, how are you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, 
that's easy, we're just going to tax the rich.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You've heard that before, haven't you? Yes. First of 
all, you can't tax the rich enough to pay for $2.2 trillion. There's a 
tax gap. If he has his way, guess who's going to get stuck with the 
bill? You've heard the rhetoric about taxing the rich before. Well, the 
rich hire accountants and lawyers for a reason, so you get stuck with 
the tab. We're not going to let him raise your taxes. We're going to win 
in November.
    Speaking about taxes, this Tax Code of ours is full of special 
interest loopholes. It's a complicated mess. It's a million words long. 
The American people spend 6 billion hours a year on taxes. I think we 
need to do something about the Tax Code. In a new term, I'm going to 
bring Republicans and Democrats together to make this Tax Code more 
simple and more fair for the American people.
    Listen, in a changing world, jobs change. You know as well as 
anybody here in Rochester, Minnesota, that the health care field offers 
fantastic opportunities. But oftentimes, there's a skills gap in 
America. You know, workers don't have the skills necessary to fill the 
new jobs of the 21st century. That's why I've laid out a comprehensive 
plan to make sure our worker training programs are modernized. That's 
why I'm such a big backer in the community college system, to enable our 
workers to gain the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st 
century.
    In this changing world, most new jobs are filled by people with at 
least 2 years of college. Yet one in four of our students gets there. So 
in our high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs to help 
students at risk. We'll emphasize math and science. Over time, we will 
require a rigorous exam before graduation. See, by raising performance 
in our high schools and expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income 
families, we will help more Americans start their career with a college 
diploma.
    In a time of change, we've got to do something to reform our health 
care system. People in this town know what I'm talking about. See, 
Government must understand that it should stand side by side with 
patients and doctors, not try to dictate to patients and doctors. A good 
health care system is one that honors the provider and the patient. When 
it comes to health care, my opponent wants Government to dictate. I want 
you to decide.
    More than half of the Americans who are currently uninsured are 
small-business employees and their families. That's because small 
businesses are having trouble affording health care. I want to change 
the laws to allow small firms to pool together and purchase insurance at 
the same discounts big companies get. My opponent opposes this reform 
because he says it will hurt consumers. No, what hurts consumers is not 
having health insurance. Under my plan, the same laws that protect 
workers at large companies will protect consumers at small companies. 
It's time to stop excuses, and it's time to act to give Americans more 
quality health care coverage.
    We need to expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll help the 
working uninsured purchase health savings accounts. We'll help small 
businesses with health savings accounts. We want there to be a tax-free 
plan for Americans from all walks of life to be able to call a health 
plan their own. If they change jobs, they ought to be able to take the 
plan from one job to the next. If they save money in their plan, it 
ought to be theirs tax-free. We want plans where they make the 
decisions, not faceless bureaucrats and HMOs.
    We're going to continue to expand community health centers to make 
sure the indigent and the poor get primary care and preventative care. 
It's better they get care in the health centers than in emergency rooms 
of

[[Page 2021]]

hospitals. We're going to continue to expand health information 
technology, which will reduce costs.
    But I'll tell you what else we need to do. We need to stop these 
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business and 
running up the cost of your medicine. Listen, I don't think you can be 
pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. I 
think you have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put a 
trial lawyer on the ticket. I made my choice. I am for medical liability 
reform--now.
    Listen, we have a commonsense, practical plan to make high-quality 
health care more affordable and more accessible. This is a big issue in 
this campaign, and there is a big philosophical difference. My 
opponent's plan is a massive, big-Government plan. And you can tell it 
is, because it costs a lot--[laughter]--1.5 trillion, with a ``T,'' and 
that's a lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter]
    Two problems with the plan. Only one way to pay for it, is to raise 
your taxes, and the other problem is he's expanding Government. For 
example, he's going to increase Medicaid coverage, which will crowd out 
private insurance. It will mean 8 million families are now going to be 
on the Government's insurance policy. The problem with that is, is that 
when you're on a Government insurance policy, it means the Government is 
in charge of the decisionmaking. When you're on a Government insurance 
policy, bureaucrats make the decisions, deciding what doctors you can 
see and what health services are covered. That's the wrong plan for 
America. The right plan for America is to have a practical plan that 
keeps the decisionmaking between doctors and patients, not bureaucrats 
in our Nation's Capital.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. In a new term, we'll continue to promote ownership in 
America. In changing times, ownership brings stability to people's 
lives. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high in America today. It's 
a hopeful statistic, isn't it? More and more people are opening up the 
door where they live, and they're saying, ``Welcome to my home. Welcome 
to my piece of property.'' In a new term, we'll continue to spread 
ownership to every corner of America.
    And we've got to think differently about retirement plans as well. 
We've got to do something about Social Security. Now, if you're a senior 
on Social Security, the Government has got enough money in the Trust 
Fund to take care of you. I don't care what the politicians tell you, 
you have nothing to fear when it comes to Social Security. As a matter 
of fact, baby boomers like me, and a couple others out there I see--
[laughter]--are just fine when it comes to Social Security.
    But we need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when 
it comes to Social Security. I believe younger workers ought to be able 
to take some of their own tax money and set it aside in personal savings 
accounts to help fulfill the promise of Social Security, an account they 
call their own, an account the Government cannot take away.
    In this world of change, some things do not change, the values we 
try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In a 
time of change, we will support the institutions that give our lives 
directions and purpose, our families, our schools, our religious 
congregations. We stand for a culture of life in which every person 
matters and every person counts. We stand for marriage and family, which 
are the foundations of our society. And we stand for the appointment of 
Federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the 
strict interpretation of the law.
    This election will also determine how America responds to the 
continuing danger of terrorism. Since that terrible morning of September 
the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for 
pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at 
stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. We're 
transforming our military. We're strengthening our intelligence 
services. We're staying on the offensive. We will strike the terrorists 
abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. We will work to 
advance liberty in the broader Middle East and around the world, and we 
will prevail.
    Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home 
base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist

[[Page 2022]]

groups; Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising; Libya 
was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat; Al 
Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Because we acted--
--
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Because we acted, the Government of Afghanistan is 
fighting terror; Pakistan is capturing terrorists; Saudi Arabia is 
making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs; the 
army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and more than three-
quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates have been brought to 
justice. We have led. Many have joined, and America and the world are 
safer.
    This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and 
some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam 
Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long 
history of pursuing and even using weapons of mass destruction. And we 
know that after September the 11th, our country must think differently. 
We must take threats seriously before they fully materialize.
    In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. I went to the United States 
Congress. They looked at the same intelligence I looked at. They 
remembered the same history I remembered. They concluded Saddam was a 
threat and authorized the use of force. My opponent looked at the same 
intelligence I looked at. He came to the same conclusion we came to, 
that Saddam was a threat, and he voted ``yes'' for the authorization of 
force.
    Before the Commander in Chief commits troops into harm's way, we 
must try all avenues to solve the problem. That's why I went to the 
United Nations. I was hoping that diplomacy would work. The United 
Nations looked at the same intelligence we looked at. They remembered 
the same history we remembered, and by a 15-to-nothing vote in the 
United Nations Security Council voted to declare to Saddam Hussein, 
``Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' I believe when 
international bodies speak, they must mean what they say, in order to 
make the world peaceful.
    But as he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein wasn't interested in 
what the free world said. He ignored this resolution like he ignored 
resolutions and resolutions and resolutions for the decade before. When 
the United Nations sent inspectors into the country, he systematically 
deceived the inspectors. So I'm faced with a choice: Do I forget the 
lessons of September the 11th and take the word of a madman, or take 
action to defend this country? Given that choice, I will defend America 
every time.
    We didn't find the stockpiles that we thought would be there, but 
Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons, and he could have 
passed that capability on to the enemy. And that was a risk we could not 
afford to take after September the 11th. Knowing what I know today, I 
would have made the same decision. And America and the world are safer 
with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell.
    Because we acted to defend our country, more than 50 million in 
Afghanistan and Iraq are now free. Think about Afghanistan. Three years 
ago, many young girls couldn't go to school because the Taliban was so 
backward and barbaric, and their moms would be pulled out in the public 
square and whipped if they didn't toe the line of these backward people. 
Today in Afghanistan, 10 million people, 41 percent of whom are women, 
have registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential election.
    There's a lot of violence in Iraq. I understand that. But Iraq now 
has a strong Prime Minister, National Council, and national elections 
are scheduled in January. The world is becoming more free. Parts of the 
world where people never dreamt there would be liberty are becoming more 
free. And we're standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. When 
America gives its word, America will keep its word under my 
administration.
    We're also serving an historic cause that will make us safer and 
make generations of Americans grow up in a safer world. See, free 
societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies which no longer 
feed resentments and breed violence for export. Free governments in the 
Middle East will fight terrorists instead of supporting them, and that 
makes us all safer.

[[Page 2023]]

    Our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We will help new 
leaders to train their police and armies, so they can do the hard work 
of defending their countries against the few who would deny the 
ambitions of the many. We'll help them have elections. We'll get them on 
the path to stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our 
troops will return home with the honor they have earned.
    I'm proud of our United States military. I've traveled to bases 
across our country and around the world. I've seen their great courage 
and wonderful decency. I want to thank the veterans who are here for 
having set such a great example for those who wear the uniform. I assure 
you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in great hands.
    And I want to thank the military families who are here. We 
appreciate your service and your sacrifice. The Federal Government owes 
your loved ones all the support necessary to complete their missions. 
That's why I went to the United States Congress last September and asked 
for $87 billion of supplemental funding to support our troops in harm's 
way in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This was vital legislation. It was 
important legislation. It was so important that we received great 
bipartisan support in Congress. 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. When you're out gathering the vote, remind citizens 
that only four United States Senators voted to authorize the use of 
force and then voted against funding our troops. And two of those four 
are my opponent and his runningmate. So they asked him, they said, ``Why 
did you make the decision you made?'' And you might remember his famous 
answer: ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted 
against it.'' You know, I doubt many people talk like that in Rochester, 
Minnesota. They pressed him further. He said he's proud of the vote. 
Finally he just said, ``It's a complicated matter.'' There is nothing 
complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
    The Commander in Chief must be clear and mean what he says. In order 
to make this world a more peaceful place, when the President of the 
United States speaks, he better mean what he says. During the course of 
this campaign, my opponent has probably seven or eight different 
positions on the war in Iraq. He's for it and wouldn't fund. Then he 
became the antiwar candidate. Then last summer he stood there--I believe 
it was on the edge of the Grand Canyon--and said, ``Well, knowing 
everything we know today, I would have voted to go into Iraq.'' Then he 
got pressure and said, ``Well, maybe that wasn't the right thing to 
do.'' Then he said, ``We're spending too much money.'' That's right 
after he criticized me for not spending enough money.
    So yesterday in a radio interview he tried to clear things up, and 
here's what he said: He said there were no circumstances, none, under 
which we should have gone to war, although his own vote to go to war was 
the right vote, and it was right to hold Saddam Hussein accountable. 
[Laughter] Even the radio host said, ``I can't tell you what he said.'' 
[Laughter]
    Let me be clear about something. Mixed signals are the wrong signals 
to send to our troops in the field, the Iraqi people, our allies, and 
most of all, the enemy.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I appreciate the contributions our friends and allies 
are making. I particularly want to thank the lady Member of Parliament 
for being here from our strong ally Great Britain. Welcome. We put 
together a coalition of nations all bound together to make this world a 
better place. There are some 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 
nations involved in Iraq. Please don't listen to the language by some 
who said this coalition is feeble and not strong. It's a strong 
coalition. The next 4 years, I'll continue to work to build coalitions. 
But I'm never going to turn over America's national security decisions 
to leaders of other countries.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use 
of our strength is to advance freedom. I like telling people about the 
fact that I sit at the table with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. You 
know, it

[[Page 2024]]

wasn't all that long ago in the march of history that our dads and 
granddads were fighting the Japanese as a sworn enemy. Think about that.
    Because of Harry Truman and Americans who believed in the power of 
liberty, after World War II, we helped Japan become a democracy. There 
were a lot of skeptics during that period of time. You can understand 
why. People were saying, ``Wait a minute. We just fought these people 
and here we are helping them become a democracy. That doesn't make any 
sense.'' It did make sense. It made sense because today I sit at the 
table with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan talking about the peace we 
all want, talking about how to make the world a more peaceful place.
    Someday, an American President and a British Prime Minister are 
going to be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, talking 
about the peace, and our children and grandchildren are going to be 
better off.
    I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for 
their liberty. I believe women in the greater Middle East want to have a 
free society so they can realize their dreams. And I believe that given 
the chance, they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever 
devised by man. I believe all these things because freedom is not 
America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each 
man and woman in this world.
    This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting freedom 
at home and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more hopeful 
America. By reforming systems of Government, we will help more Americans 
realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity to every 
corner of America. We'll pass the enduring values of our country on to a 
new generation. We will continue to work to spread freedom and peace 
around the world.
    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 
that requires firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values 
that makes 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's a day I'm never going to forget. There were workers there 
in hardhats yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it 
takes.'' I remember trying to console a--one of the fellows came out of 
the rubble. He looked me right in the eye, and he said, ``Do not let me 
down.'' Ever since that day, I wake up thinking about how to better 
protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever 
it takes.
    Four years ago, as I traveled your great State asking for the vote, 
I made a pledge that if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold 
the dignity and the honor of the office to which I have been elected. 
With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more years.
    God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 4 p.m. at Mayo Field. In his remarks, he 
referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made the keynote address 
at the Republican National Convention; Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; 
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; Theresa May, 
Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, United Kingdom; and Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.