[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 39 (Monday, September 27, 2004)]
[Pages 2097-2104]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

September 22, 2004

    The President. Thank you all very much for coming. I'm proud you all 
are here. Thanks for coming out to say hello.
    How good does it get to be introduced by Arnold Palmer? What a 
fantastic citizen of our country. I'm proud to be here in his hometown. 
He said, ``Have you ever heard of Rolling Rock?'' I said, ``I quit 
drinking.'' [Laughter]
    But thank you all for coming out today. I'm asking for the vote, is 
what I'm doing here today in Pennsylvania. I like getting out amongst 
the people and letting them know I've got a reason for running--to serve 
you for 4 more years.
    I'm here to tell you what my plans are for the future of our 
country. I'm also here to ask for your help. I'd like for you to 
register your friends and neighbors to vote. We have a duty in this 
country to vote. Call upon your friends and neighbors to exercise their 
responsibility. And when you're out registering people to vote, don't 
overlook discerning Democrats like Zell Miller. And when you get them 
headed toward the polls, tell them that if they want this to be a safer, 
stronger, better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    I'm sorry Laura is not with me today.
    Audience members. Aw-w-w!
    The President. I know it. I don't blame you. When I asked her to 
marry me, she said, ``Fine, just so long as I never have to give a 
speech.'' I said, ``Okay, fine, you'll never have to give a speech.'' 
Fortunately, she didn't hold me to my word. [Laughter] The people of 
this country got to see her in New York City giving a speech. They saw 
how compassionate, strong, and decent she is. She's a great mom, a great 
wife, a wonderful First Lady. I'm going to give you some reasons to put 
me back in, but perhaps the most important one of all is so Laura is 
First Lady for 4 more years.
    I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney. He's a good man. Now look, 
I admit it. I admit it, he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. 
[Laughter] I didn't pick him for his hair. I picked him because he's a 
man of great judgment, sound experience, and he can get the job done on 
behalf of the American people.
    Listen, you did a good job of training Tom Ridge. And I did a smart 
thing by picking him to run the new Department of Homeland Security.
    I want to thank the United States Senators who are with me today. 
I'm here to ask you to put Arlen Specter back in the United States 
Senate for 6 more years. I'm proud to be traveling with the other 
Senator, Rick Santorum. I want to thank Congressman Tim Murphy, the 
Congressman from this district. I call him Murph. I want to thank 
Congresswoman Melissa Hart from the great State of Pennsylvania for 
joining us.
    I want to thank all the candidates who are here and local and State 
officials. Thanks for serving Pennsylvania and your communities.
    I want to thank my friend Lynn Swann. He and I worked together to 
try to promote physical fitness. You need to walk. [Laughter] You want 
to stay healthy, get some exercise. And I appreciate my friend Lynn 
Swann for supporting my candidacy.
    I want to thank John Michael Montgomery for singing here today.
    I just came from Millvale, where I saw the devastation caused by the 
floods of Ivan. I assure you that we're helping as much as we possibly 
can to help people restore their lives, and that the prayers of the 
people of this country are with those who suffer.
    I'm looking forward to this campaign. I like to campaign, because I 
like to be with people. I'm looking forward to telling people where I 
stand, what I believe, and where I'm going to lead this Nation for the 
next 4 years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I went to Washington to solve problems, not to pass 
them on to future Presidents and future generations. I saw a problem 
with Medicare. See, Medicare was--is a very important program, but it 
wasn't changing with medicine. There was a problem. For example, 
Medicare would pay $100,000 to--for heart surgery for a senior but 
wouldn't pay for the prescription drugs to prevent the heart surgery 
from being needed in the first place. That's a problem. It's a problem 
for our seniors, who deserve modern medicine in Medicare. It's a problem

[[Page 2098]]

for the taxpayers. So I brought Republicans and the Democrats together 
to strengthen Medicare. In 2006, our seniors will get prescription drug 
coverage. We're not turning back to the old days.
    When we came into office, the economy was turning south. The stock 
market had been in decline prior to our arrival. The first three 
quarters of my Presidency were a recession. We started to recover a 
little bit, and then we found out some of our citizens didn't tell the 
truth. Some CEOs forgot what it meant to be a responsible citizen in 
this country. By the way, we passed tough laws that now make it 
abundantly clear, we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the 
boardrooms of our country. Then we got hit with an attack, and that hurt 
us. It cost us about a million jobs in the 3 months after September the 
11th.
    There was a problem. We're overcoming those problems. We're 
overcoming those obstacles because our workers are great, our farmers 
know what they're doing, the entrepreneurial spirit is strong. We're 
overcoming those problems because of well-timed tax cuts.
    Our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 
years. The national unemployment rate is at 5.4 percent, which is lower 
than the average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Inflation is low. 
Mortgage rates are low. You're adding jobs here in the State of 
Pennsylvania. This economy is growing, and we're not going to go 
backwards. We're not turning back to the old days.
    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'm 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. And I believe this Nation wants 
steady, principled leadership. And that's why, with your help, we're 
going to carry Pennsylvania and win a great victory in November.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I believe every child can learn and every school must 
teach. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low 
expectations. We passed a new law called the No Child Left Behind Act. 
It raises standards. It uses accountability to solve problems early, 
before a child simply gets shuffled through the schools. It trusts the 
local people to make the right decision for the schools and the 
community in which you live. This law is making a difference. Here in 
the State of Pennsylvania, 81 percent of the Pennsylvania schools are 
meeting higher standards. That's up from 62 percent in just one year.
    Across this Nation, test scores are rising. African American and 
Hispanic students are closing the achievement gap here in America. We're 
making progress in this country, and we're not turning back to the old 
days of low expectations.
    We'll do more to improve education and prepare our children for the 
future. Listen, we've got a changing job force. Most new jobs are filled 
by people with at least 2 years of college, yet one in four of our 
students gets there. That's why, at our high schools, we'll fund early 
intervention programs to help at-risk students. We'll emphasize math and 
science so our kids can fill the jobs of the 21st century. We'll reward 
teachers who gets results for their students. We'll give our best 
teachers incentives to teach in the neediest schools. Over time, we'll 
require a rigorous exam before graduation. By raising performance in our 
high schools and expanding Pell grants for low and middle-income 
Americans, we will help more of our citizens start their career with a 
college diploma.
    Listen, I understand the world in which we live is changing. Think 
about what happened over the course of the last couple of decades. It 
used to be a person would work for one company, have one career. They'd 
have one pension plan, one health care plan. That person was a man. 
Today, our workers change jobs and careers, and women are working not 
only inside the house but outside the house. This workforce has changed, 
yet the systems of Government have not changed with the times. The 
pension plans, health

[[Page 2099]]

coverage, the Tax Code, and worker training were created in a world of 
yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm running for President to transform these 
systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus truly free 
to make your own choices and to realize the great promise of our 
country.
    Listen, I understand a hopeful society is one in which the economy 
is growing. If we want to keep jobs here in America, America must be the 
best place in the world to do business. If we want people to find work 
here, we've got to do something about these regulations and lawsuits 
that are making it hard on the employers in the State of Pennsylvania.
    If we want to keep jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan. 
Listen, in order to make sure this economy grows, we've got to encourage 
conservation, the use of renewables such as ethanol and biodiesel. We've 
got to use--modernize the electricity grid. We've got to use 
technologies to make sure we can use our coal. I'm for clean coal 
technology. We've got to use our technology so we can explore for 
natural gas in environmentally friendly ways. In order to keep jobs here 
in America, we must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    In order to keep jobs, we've got to reject economic isolationism. 
See, we open up our markets for a--for goods from overseas, and that's 
good for you. If you've got more--more to choose from, you're likely 
going to get the good you want at a better price and higher quality. 
What I'm saying to places like China is, ``You treat us the way we're 
treating you.'' And I'm saying that because I know we can compete with 
anybody, anytime, anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
    In order to make sure we've got jobs here, to make sure this 
recovery we have is a sustained--is sustained economic growth, we've got 
to be wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low. Taxes 
are an issue in this campaign. I'm running against a fellow who has 
promised $2.2 trillion of new Federal spending so far.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. That $2.2 trillion is a lot, even for a Senator from 
Massachusetts. [Laughter] So they said, ``How are you going to pay for 
it? How are you going to pay for this new spending?'' He said, ``We're 
going to tax the rich.'' Now, you've heard that before, haven't you? 
Here's the problem with that. You can't raise enough money by taxing the 
rich to pay for $2.2 trillion. There's a tax gap. And guess who always 
gets stuck with the bill? I'll tell you something else about that 
language, ``tax the rich.'' The rich hire lawyers and accountants for a 
reason, so you get stuck with the bill. We're not going to let John 
Kerry tax you, because we're going to carry Pennsylvania and win in 
November.
    Say something else about the Tax Code. That Tax Code needs to be 
changed. It's a complicated mess. It's full of special interest 
loopholes. In a new term, I'm going to bring Republicans and Democrats 
together to simplify the Tax Code and make it more fair for the American 
people.
    In a changing world, the economy changes, the nature of the jobs 
change, and oftentimes, there's a skills gap. That's why I'm such a big 
believer in the community college system. We're going to expand access 
to our community colleges so our workers are going to be able to gain 
the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
    In a changing world, we've got to think about how to provide 
stability in people's lives. One way to provide stability in a person's 
life is to encourage ownership. We want more people owning their own 
home. Do you realize, under my administration, the homeownership rate in 
America is at an alltime high? Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to 
expand ownership so more and more people are able to open up the door 
where they live and say, ``Welcome to my home. Welcome to my piece of 
property.''
    In changing times, we need to reform our health care system. The 
costs are rising rapidly. I've got a commonsense, practical plan to make 
sure health care is available and affordable. When it comes to health 
care, my opponent wants the Government to dictate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He wants the Government to decide. When it comes to 
health care, I want you to decide. More than half of the Americans who 
are currently uninsured are small-business employees and their families. 
We've got to change law to allow small firms

[[Page 2100]]

to pool together so they can purchase insurance at the same discounts 
that big businesses get.
    My opponent opposes association health plans. Those are the plans 
that will give small businesses the opportunity to afford insurance so 
their workers can have insurance. I believe that we need to continue to 
expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll give small businesses 
credits that encourage them to put money in health savings accounts. We 
want more workers to have their own health savings accounts so they can 
base medical decision on advice from their doctor, not because of people 
at HMOs.
    I believe we have an obligation to help the poor in this country. 
That's why I want to expand community health centers, places where the 
poor and the indigent can get good preventative care and good primary 
care. I want a community health center in every poor county in America.
    I'm going to tell you what else you've got a problem with in this 
State, and many others do as well in other States. One reason your costs 
of health care are going up, and one reason it's harder to find a doc 
these days, like ob-gyns, is because of the frivolous lawsuits. You 
cannot be pro-doctor, pro-patient and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time. 
You have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put a trial 
lawyer on the ticket. I made my choice: I'm standing with the docs and 
the patients and the hospitals. I am for medical liability reform--now. 
In all we do to make sure health care works in America, we'll make sure 
the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in 
our Nation's Capital.
    I see we've got some young workers here. I want to talk about Social 
Security right quick. I told you systems have changed--or systems 
haven't changed, and they're stuck in the past. Listen, if you're a 
senior, you will get your Social Security check. You should not listen 
to the political nonsense that happens in the course of a campaign. The 
Social Security trust has got enough money to fulfill its promise to 
those who are receiving Social Security today.
    If you're a baby boomer, like me--[laughter]--leading edge of the 
baby boomers, I might add--[laughter]--we're going to be in pretty good 
shape when it comes to Social Security. 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 money 
and set up a personal savings account that earns better interest than 
the Social Security trust, a personal savings account they can call 
their own and a personal savings account Government cannot take away.
    Listen, in a world of change, some things don't change, the values 
we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In 
times of change, we will support the institutions that give our lives 
direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our religious 
congregations. We stand for a culture of life in which every person 
matters and every being counts. We stand for marriage and family, which 
are the foundations of our society. We stand for the second amendment, 
which gives every American the individual right to bear arms. And I 
stand for the appointment of Federal judges who know the difference 
between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
    This election also determines how America responds to the continuing 
danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September the 11th, 
2001, we have fought the terrorists around the world, 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're striking the terrorists abroad so we do not have 
to face them here at home.
    We'll work to advance liberty in the broader Middle East and around 
the world. And by being steadfast and resolved, we'll prevail. Our 
strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home base of 
Al Qaida; Pakistan was the transit point for terrorist 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 led, Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is 
capturing terrorist leaders; Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests; 
Libya is dismantling its weapons programs;

[[Page 2101]]

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've led. Many have joined, and America and the world are safer. 
And this progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and 
some hard decisions.
    Our hardest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam Hussein's record of 
aggression and support for terror. We know he had harbored Abu Nidal, 
the leader of a terrorist organization that carried out attacks in 
Europe and Asia. We knew Saddam harbored Abu Abbas, who found refuge in 
Baghdad after he killed American Leon Klinghoffer. We knew he paid the 
families of suicide bombers. We knew Saddam Hussein harbored Zarqawi, 
the terrorist we have seen who has beheaded some of our citizens. We 
knew they were there. We knew that Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of 
the United States of America. We knew that he had pursued and used 
weapons of mass destruction. We knew we had been at war with him once 
before. We knew he was a threat. And after September the 11th, this 
Nation must think differently about threats. We must take threats 
seriously before they fully materialize.
    I went to the United States Congress. Members of both political 
parties, including my opponent, looked at the same intelligence I was 
looking at, remembered the same history I remembered, and voted to 
authorize the use of force.
    Before the United States President ever commits people into harm's 
way, he must try all options to deal with the threat. I was hoping that 
diplomacy would work. I was hoping we could deal with the threat in Iraq 
by the use of diplomacy. That's why I went to the United Nations. At the 
United Nations, I made my case. They looked at the same intelligence I 
looked at. They remembered the history of Saddam Hussein and passed yet 
another resolution, 15 to nothing, that said, ``Disclose, disarm, or 
face serious consequences.'' I believe when international bodies speak, 
they better mean what they say.
    Saddam Hussein once again did not listen to the demands of the free 
world. He ignored this resolution, just like he ignored resolution after 
resolution after resolution for nearly a decade. He just didn't believe 
``serious consequences.'' He was hoping we'd look the other way. He was 
hoping that we would continue with the failed policy. As a matter of 
fact, when we sent inspectors in--or the U.N. sent inspectors into Iraq, 
he systematically deceived the inspectors. That's what he did. So I had 
a choice to make at this time. Diplomacy has failed. Do I trust Saddam 
Hussein? Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take action 
to defend this country? Given that choice, I will defend America every 
time.
    Because we acted in our self-interest, 50 million people in 
Afghanistan and Iraq now live in freedom. Do you realize, a little more 
than 3 years ago, young girls couldn't go to school in Afghanistan 
because that country was run by some barbarians whose dim vision of the 
world is the exact opposite of ours. Their moms could be pulled out in 
the public square and whipped or sports stadium and killed because they 
wouldn't toe the line of this ideology of hate. Today, 10 million 
citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered to vote in the 
upcoming October Presidential election. Amazing, isn't it?
    How powerful a statistic is that? Three years to go from darkness to 
light because of a free society. It's in our interests that Afghanistan 
no longer is a safe haven for Al Qaida. It's in our interests that 
Afghanistan has now joined us in fighting the terrorists. It's in our 
interests to spread freedom, because free societies are peaceful 
societies.
    Despite ongoing acts of violence, Iraq has a strong Prime Minister, 
with whom I met yesterday and will meet tomorrow and hold a press 
conference with him. I can't wait for the American people to hear this 
man. He's strong. He's tough. He was lying in a bed one night in London, 
and he wakes up--late at night, he was asleep--wakes up late at night; 
two henchmen from Saddam Hussein are by his bed with an ax trying to ax 
this man to death. He, fortunately, was able to get out of the 
situation. Today, he's the Prime Minister of Iraq. You talk about a guy 
who understands the stakes, somebody who understands what it means to 
live under the thumb of a thug. Prime Minister Allawi believes in the 
future of the people. They're going to have elections in January in 
Iraq.

[[Page 2102]]

When America gives its word, America will keep its word. We'll stand 
with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.
    Our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We'll help the new 
leaders train their armies so the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq can 
do the hard work of defeating the few who want to stop the ambitions of 
the many. We will help them get on the path of stability and democracy 
as quickly as possible, and then our troops will come home with the 
honor they have earned.
    We have a great United States military, and I'm proud to be their 
Commander in Chief. I've had the privilege of meeting with the service 
men and women who defend our country and sacrifice for our security. I 
know their courage and their great decency. The cause of freedom is in 
really good hands. And I want to thank the veterans who are here today 
for having set such a great example for those who wear the uniform 
today.
    Our Government must support the men and women of our uniform. We owe 
it to them, and we owe it to their loved ones. That's why I went to the 
United States Congress a year ago and asked for $87 billion in 
supplemental funding that was crucial money needed for our troops who 
were in harm's way in both Afghanistan and Iraq. That money was for 
ammunition and fuel and spare parts and body armor and hazard pay and 
health benefits. It was vital request. We received great support, 
bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats said, ``This is vital 
funding.'' As a matter of fact, it was so strong that only 12 Members of 
the Senate voted against funding the troops----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. ----only 12 Members, 2 of whom were my opponent and 
his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Only 4 Members of the Senate, only 4 out of 100, 
voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against funding the 
troops. Two of those four are my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. So they asked him--they said, ``How could you have 
made that vote?'' He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, 
right before I voted against it.'' Not a lot of people talk like that in 
Latrobe, Pennsylvania. And they pressed him further. He finally just 
said, ``The whole thing is a complicated matter.'' There's nothing 
complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
    Prime Minister Allawi said yesterday that we're making progress in 
Iraq. Yet as we're seeing on our TV screens, it's tough; it's hard work. 
It's incredibly hard work, because the terrorists are desperate. They're 
trying to affect the elections in Iraq. They can't stand the thought of 
the people of that country voting to decide who their leaders are. They 
want to impose their dim vision on the people of that country. That's 
what they're trying to do, and that's why you're seeing on your TV 
screens awful brutality. Those terrorists will not defeat our military. 
They cannot defeat our military. The only thing they can do is behead 
people and try to shake our will.
    They're trying to shake the will of the Iraqis. They're trying to 
convince the Iraqis freedom is not worth it. They're trying to convince 
the American people that we will not succeed. That's the only weapon 
they have. They don't understand our country. We abhor the violence. We 
can't stand the beheadings, but we're not going to let thugs keep us 
from doing our duty.
    We have a strategy to help this country get to elections. We have a 
strategy to bring security to that country. Our military commanders have 
got flexibility to do their job. They're adjusting to conditions on the 
ground. We're helping the Iraqis rebuild their country. But one thing we 
will do--we will show our troops, the Iraqi people, the world, and our 
enemies that America will stand firm, and we will prevail.
    And the way to prevail, the way toward the successful conclusion we 
all want, the way to secure Iraq and bring our troops home is not to 
wilt or waver or send mixed signals. Incredibly, this week, my opponent 
said he would prefer the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation 
in Iraq today.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. That's not the first time he's changed positions. You 
cannot lead the war on terror if you wilt or waver when the times are 
tough. You cannot expect the Iraqi people to stand up and do the hard 
work

[[Page 2103]]

for democracy if you are pessimistic about their ability to govern 
themselves. You can't expect the Iraqi people to have faith when you 
believe they were better off with Saddam Hussein in power. You can't 
expect these people to trust America if we think mass graves are the 
wave of the future of these people and the torture rooms of Saddam 
Hussein.
    What kind of message does this send our troops, who are risking 
their lives and see firsthand the mission is hard, when they hear people 
who grow--when they wilt in the face of pressure? No, this mission is 
crucial to our success, and it's crucial to our future, and it's crucial 
to freedom. Mixed signals are the wrong signals. I will continue to lead 
with clarity, and when I say something, I mean it. I appreciate----
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I had a chance to visit with some of our friends and 
allies who are making contributions to our coalition in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. I had a chance to thank them on behalf of the American people for 
the sacrifices they're making, for the sacrifices their moms and dads of 
those troops--their troops, and the husbands and wives of their troops 
are making. I'm proud of the coalition we've put together. We've got 
some 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 in Iraq. And I'm going 
to continue to lead, to build these alliances over the next 4 years. But 
I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders 
of other countries.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. You know, I sat 
down with Prime Minister Koizumi yesterday. I said, ``I'm using your 
name quite a bit when I'm traveling around the country.'' I said, ``I 
hope it's all right.'' [Laughter] ``Sometimes, I'm telling the people 
you like Elvis too.'' [Laughter] I like to tell my--about my 
relationship with Prime Minister Koizumi because it wasn't all that long 
ago in the march of history that we were at war with the Japanese. They 
were the sworn enemy of the United States of America. As a matter of 
fact, I bet you a lot of your relatives fought against the Japanese. I 
know my dad did, and many others did as well.
    And after we won in World War II, Harry S. Truman, President of the 
United States, wanted to work for democracy in Japan because he believed 
liberty could transform nations. And you can bet there were some 
skeptics. There were skeptics then, just like there are some skeptics 
today. A lot of people in America said, ``Why do we want to work with an 
enemy? This enemy can't change its ways. We just fought them.'' But a 
lot of citizens didn't agree with that. Japan did become a democracy. 
And today, I sit down at the table with a former enemy, talking about 
achieving the peace we all want.
    Liberty is powerful. One day, an American President is going to be 
sitting down with a duly elected official from Iraq, talking about how 
to keep the peace. And our children and grandchildren will be better off 
for it.
    It's hard work to spread liberty, particularly in societies that 
have only known tyranny. But I believe the women of the greater Middle 
East desire to be free. I believe they want to be able to realize their 
dreams. I believe if they're the mother of a young girl, they want that 
young girl to be able to grow up and be anything she can be in life. I 
believe if given a chance, the people in that part of the world will 
embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I 
believe 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.
    I said in my convention speech, we've done the hard work. We've 
climbed the mountain, and now we can see the valley below. And that 
valley is a peaceful valley. That valley is a hopeful valley. That 
valley is a better day for every single citizen who lives in this 
country. This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting 
freedom at home and abroad, we'll build a safer world and a more hopeful 
America. By reforming our systems of Government, we'll help more 
Americans realize their dreams. We'll pass the enduring values of our 
country to a new generation. We'll continue to work to spread freedom 
and peace.
    You know, for all Americans, these years in our history will always 
stand apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when

[[Page 2104]]

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 make 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 will never forget. There were workers there in 
hardhats yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' 
I remember working the ropeline, doing my best to console those folks 
who had just been doing everything they could to find a buddy out of the 
rubble, save people from harm's way. A guy grabbed me by the arm, and he 
said, ``Don't let me down.'' Those were impressions I'll never forget. I 
wake up every morning trying to figure out how best to defend our 
country. I will defend the security of America, whatever it takes.
    When I campaigned--4 years ago, when I campaigned in your great 
State asking for the vote, I made a pledge to my fellow Americans. I 
said if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold the honor and the 
dignity of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with 
your hard work, I will do so for 4 more years.
    May God bless you. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:15 p.m. at Arnold Palmer Regional 
Airport. In his remarks, he referred to professional golfer Arnold 
Palmer; Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made the keynote address at 
the Republican National Convention; Lynn C. Swann, chairman, President's 
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; country music entertainer John 
Michael Montgomery; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; 
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; and Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.