    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 40 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
    [Pages 2152-2164]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks in a Discussion on Education in Springfield, Ohio

    September 27, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for being here. Appreciate you being
    here. Thanks for coming. Thank you all.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. Okay, thanks. We got to get started here. Thank you.
    Thank you all for coming. Please be seated. I'm honored so many came
    out. Thanks for the warm welcome here in Springfield. It's such a
    pleasure to be here. I'm excited to be here.
        I've come to let you know that I've got a reason for seeking the
    vote again, that I'm

    [[Page 2153]]

    not only here to ask for your vote, I'm here to explain to you why I
    want to be President for 4 more years. See, I don't think you can just
    hold the office of President. I think you have to have a reason to hold
    the office. And so we're going to talk about some key issues about how
    to make sure America is a safer place, a stronger place, and a better
    place.
        I'm also here to ask for your help. See, I understand you can't win
    a race for the Presidency alone. It requires the grassroots, those
    people who put up the signs and make the phone calls and register the
    voters. We have a--thank you all for doing that. First of all, I
    understand a crowd this big just doesn't happen. Somebody had to work to
    make it happen, so thanks for organizing this event. Thank you for
    coming.
        You notice I've been joined by some of your fellow citizens here.
    We're here to talk about education, but before we do so, I've got some
    other things on my mind.
        First thing on my mind is for you to get out and register friends
    and neighbors. Don't overlook discerning Democrats like Zell Miller. I
    know a lot of Democrats who want America to be a safer place. I know a
    lot of Democrats who want our schools to fulfill their promise. I know a
    lot of Democrats who are interested in having a health care system that
    works. I know a lot of Democrats who are going to vote for us. So when
    you get people going to the polls, make sure you remind your Republican
    friends, your independent friends, and your discerning Democrat friends
    to vote for Bush-Cheney.
        So I woke up on the ranch this morning, and Laura said, ``Tell
    everybody hello in Ohio.'' So, Laura says hello. She was a public school
    librarian when I met her--again. We went to seventh grade at San Jacinto
    Junior High in Midland, Texas. And so, years later, my friend O'Neill
    brought me over to his backyard for a barbecue, and there was Laura. I
    fell in love--love at first sight. So I said--eventually, I said--
    eventually, I asked her to marry me. She said, ``Fine, just so long as I
    never have to give a political speech.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay,
    you've got a deal.'' Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise.
    People of this country got to see Laura in New York City give a speech.
    They saw a compassionate, decent, fine woman. Really proud of her. I
    hope you leave here realizing that I'm going to give you some--well, I
    know I'm going to give you some reasons why you should put me back in,
    but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady
    for 4 more years.
        I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He's a fine man. You know,
    I admit it, he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] Of
    course, I didn't pick him because of his hair. I picked him because of
    his experience, his judgment. I picked him because he can get the job
    done for the American people.
        I want to thank my friend Mike DeWine, and Fran for joining us
    today. He's a great United States Senator. Proud you're here, Mike. He's
    on the bus. He said as we pulled in here, he said, make sure you remind
    everybody that he, Mike DeWine, was born right here in Springfield. He's
    what we call a home boy. [Laughter]
        I want to thank my friend Dave Hobson, the Congressman from this
    district. I appreciate you, Dave. Proud you're here. Chairman John
    Boehner is with us today. Mr. Chairman, the Congressman from the
    district next door, thanks for coming. We're going to talk a little bit
    about education. I want you to understand he is the father of this
    fantastic reform we put in place. He carried the legislation in the
    House of Representatives. It would not have happened without his
    leadership--a great Congressman. Thanks for coming.
        Congressman Mike Turner from Dayton, Ohio--appreciate you coming,
    Mike. Real proud of you. [Applause] Sounds like they've heard of you.
        I want to thank Joe Deters, who is with us today, the treasurer of
    the State of Ohio. Thanks for coming, Joe. I want to thank all the State
    and local officials. I know the party chairman is here. I want to thank
    Bob Bennett for his leadership for the Ohio party. But most of all, I
    want to thank you all. I really do appreciate you coming. I want to
    thank you for giving me a chance to share some thoughts with you.
        I like getting out amongst the people. I like sharing my philosophy
    with people. I like to tell people what I believe. First of all, I

    [[Page 2154]]

    want you to know I understand that we're living in changing times. Now,
    think about this. When our dads were coming up or our grandfathers were
    growing up, a person generally had one career and one job, with one
    pension plan and one health care system. And that person was usually a
    man.
        Today, we live in a different world, when you think about it. The
    workforce has changed dramatically. People tend to change jobs and
    sometimes careers, often. And the workforce not only has men in it, but
    it has got women who work both in the house and outside the house. We
    have time--times have changed, yet the fundamental systems of our
    Government have not changed. The fundamental systems of Government were
    designed for yesterday, not for tomorrow. I'm running for 4 more years
    to help redesign the systems of Government so people have a chance to
    realize their dreams.
        The job of Government is to help people realize their dreams, not to
    dictate to people. There's a fundamental philosophical difference in
    this campaign about the role for Government in people's lives. We
    believe Government ought to help people. My opponent believes Government
    ought to tell people how to live their lives.
        And so they said, ``What do you mean?'' Well, I'll tell you what I
    mean. I mean, for example, labor laws ought to be changed. There ought
    to be flex-time in the labor laws. That will allow moms to be able to do
    their work at the workplace and the home. The labor laws ought to be
    family-friendly. They ought to change with the times.
        The Tax Code needs to change. The Tax Code is a complicated mess.
    It's full of special interest loopholes. In a new term, I'll bring
    people from both parties together to simplify the U.S. Tax Code, the
    Federal Tax Code, that will reflect the changing times and make the code
    more fair.
        The pension plans--we need to think differently about pension plans.
    Listen, times have changed, but the Social Security system hasn't. Now,
    listen, if you're on Social Security, you're going to get your check. I
    remember the 2000 campaign. They all said, ``Well, if George W. gets in,
    you're not going to get your check.'' You got your check, didn't you?
    You'll probably hear it again. You'll probably hear it again: ``Oh, he's
    got some plan to take--he'll take the money away from you.'' It's just
    not the case. If you're a baby boomer, we're in pretty good shape when
    it comes to Social Security.
        But we need to think about our kids and our grandkids when it comes
    to Social Security. I think younger workers ought to be allowed to take
    some of their own tax money and set up a personal savings account so
    Social Security has a chance to meet its promise, a personal savings
    account you call your own, a personal savings account the Government
    cannot take away.
        The health care system ought to reflect changing times. I mean, if
    you're changing jobs, it makes sense to have a health care system that
    enables you to carry with you a health savings account. See, I believe
    we ought to continue to expand health savings accounts, which gives
    people a chance to save tax-free, earn money tax-free, spend money on
    health care needs tax-free, that you own. It's a new way of looking at
    health care, but it's a way to make sure that the decisions are made
    between doctors and patients, not between bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        A couple of other points I want to make on health care. It makes
    sense to take care of those who can't help themselves. We need to help
    the poor and the indigent when it comes to health care. That's why I'm
    for expanding community health centers to every poor county in America.
    We want people to get good primary care and good preventative care in
    places other than the emergency rooms of hospitals. So we'll continue to
    take care of those who need help here in America. We'll make sure the
    children's health care program for low-income families is expanded and
    families take advantage of that.
        We'll continue to make sure Medicare fulfills its promise. You might
    remember those old Medicare debates. They called them ``Mediscare.''
    They tried to lure you into talking about Medicare, then they tried to
    whip you in the political process if you did. I went to Washington to
    solve problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents. I saw a
    problem in Medicare, and I'll tell you what it is. Medicare would pay,
    for example, nearly $100,000 for heart surgery. It would not pay a dime
    for the prescription drugs that could

    [[Page 2155]]

    prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. That
    didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense to the senior citizens,
    and it made no sense to the taxpayers. We've strengthened Medicare for
    our seniors, and in 2006, seniors will be able to get prescription drug
    coverage in Medicare. And the system is better, and we're not going to
    turn back to the old days of not making sure our seniors have got good
    health care.
        Now that you got me cranked up, on health care, I've got a few other
    things to tell you. Most of the uninsured work for small businesses.
    Small businesses have trouble affording health care. One of the reasons
    why is there's no purchasing power. I think small businesses ought to be
    allowed to join together so they can purchase insurance at the discounts
    that big companies are able to do.
        No, I got a lot of ideas on how to make sure health care works. I
    understand what's causing some of the cost of health care to rise, and
    these are these frivolous lawsuits. You ask your docs what it's like to
    try to practice medicine, ask your ob-gyns what it's like to try to
    practice medicine when they're getting sued and sued and sued by
    frivolous lawsuits. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
    trial-lawyer at the same time. I think you have to make a choice. My
    opponent made his choice, and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket. I
    made my choice. I'm standing with the doctors, the hospitals, and the
    patients. I'm for medical liability reform--now.
        As you can tell, I'm ready to go. What I'm telling you, there's a
    big philosophical difference in the campaign. There really is, when it
    comes to health care. My opponent believes the Government ought to
    decide for you. I don't. I believe the best health care system is when
    we take care of the poor, make sure seniors have got good health care,
    and make sure the decisions in the health care are made by patients and
    doctors, not by bureaucrats in the Nation's Capital.
        See, I believe that we're recognizing the world is changing, and
    make sure the systems of Government change with the world so people can
    realize their dreams. We've created--will help to create a hopeful
    society, but you can't be a hopeful society unless this economy grows.
        Now, listen, I want you to remind your friends and neighbors what
    we've been through when it comes to this economy. We went through a
    recession. As a matter of fact, the stock market started to go down
    months before Vice President Cheney and I showed up in Washington, and
    then we had a recession. We started to recover from the recession, and
    we found out some of the citizens of this country forgot what it meant
    to be a responsible person. In other words, they didn't tell the truth.
    And those corporate scandals shook our confidence, make no mistake about
    it. By working with Members of Congress and in the Senate, we passed
    tough laws, and we made it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate
    dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. And then the enemy hit us, and
    it cost us jobs.
        These were mighty obstacles to overcome. But we've overcome those
    obstacles. One, we got great workers in America. We got great farmers in
    America. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. We also
    overcame it because of well-timed tax cuts. The economy is strong, and
    it is getting stronger. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent.
    That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
        I understand you've been hit hard in Ohio. I know that. That's why I
    proposed what's called opportunity zones, a place where counties like
    Clark County can apply to become an opportunity zone and be able to
    have--be able to get--attract business with better tax treatment, better
    regulatory treatment, ways to make sure that in changing times economies
    that need help are able to get the help. No, I know there's people still
    hurting in this State, and that's why it's important to continue to
    promote pro-growth, pro-small-business, pro-farmer economic policies.
        It's one thing to say we've overcome the obstacles. The real
    question is how do we make sure that this prosperity lasts. So I'll give
    you some ideas. First, America must be the best place in the world to do
    business. If you want jobs to stay right here in America, we better make
    sure this is the best place to create jobs. That means less regulations
    on our businessowners and employers. It

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    means we've got to do something about frivolous lawsuits that make it
    hard for people to expand their job base.
        If you want to make sure jobs stay here, Congress needs to pass my
    energy plan. Listen, if you don't have energy, you're not going to have
    jobs. We need to make sure the electricity system is reliable. You in
    Ohio know what I'm talking about. We've got to make sure that we use
    alternative sources of energy like ethanol and biodiesel. We've got to
    make sure that we continue to enhance conservation. We've got to make
    sure we use our technology so we can burn coal. We've got to make sure
    we use our technology so we can continue to explore for natural gas.
    What I'm telling you is if we want jobs to be here in America, this
    country must become less reliant on foreign sources of energy.
        A couple other points I want to talk about. One, in order to make
    sure jobs are here, we need to open up markets for U.S. products. It
    would be a mistake to adopt the policies of economic isolationism. Do
    you realize, one in five manufacturing jobs in America depend upon
    exports? If you're good at something, we ought to promote it. If you're
    good at growing crops, we ought to be selling crops all around the
    world. If you're good at manufacturing things, we ought to make sure you
    have a chance to do so. We've opened up our markets for foreign goods.
    This is not just the policy of this administration, it's the policy of
    both Republican and Democrat Presidents. And I'll tell you why. If
    you've got more products to choose from, you're likely to get the
    product you want at a better price or higher quality. That's how the
    marketplace works. It makes sense to--to give you more choices as a
    consumer. It makes economic sense.
        And so what I say to places like China is, ``You treat us the way we
    treat you.'' And I say that--and not only that, we've used the tools at
    my disposal to make it clear to China and other countries we expect to
    be treated fairly. And the reason I say that with certainty--that it's
    good for America--is I know we can compete with anybody, anytime,
    anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
        Finally, to make sure you've got jobs here in Ohio and all across
    America, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money and keep
    your taxes low. Running up the taxes--running up taxes on the American
    people would hurt economic growth. So the--so taxes are an issue.
        The fellow I'm running against has proposed $2.2 trillion in new
    Federal spending so far. [Laughter] We still got October to go--
    [laughter]--three debates in October. So they said, ``How are you going
    to pay for all that money?'' And by the way, 2.2 trillion is a lot,
    particularly for--or even for a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter]
    So they said, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' It's a legitimate
    question, isn't it? ``In the course of a campaign, you made all these
    promises, you're going to do all this stuff on health care, and all this
    stuff on here, and all that stuff on there, how are you going to pay for
    it?'' He said, ``Oh, that's easy. We'll just tax the rich.''
        Now, we've heard that before. I know you've heard that before. By
    the way, most small businesses in America are--pay tax at the individual
    income-tax rate. Ninety percent of the small businesses are sole
    proprietorships or limited partnerships. Therefore, they pay income tax
    at the individual rate. And so you hear him say, ``Well, we're going to
    tax the rich. We're just going to run up the top two brackets.'' The
    first thing wrong with that proposal is you're starting to tax the job
    creators of America. Seventy percent of the new jobs in America are
    created by small businesses. It makes no sense to tax the job creators
    in this country just as this economy is being to recover.
        Secondly, you can't tax the rich enough to pay for $2.2 trillion of
    new spending. So there's a tax gap. Guess who usually fills the tax gap
    when there is one? You do. Yes, I know. Thirdly, the rich hire lawyers
    and accountants for a reason. That's to stick you with the bill. The
    good news is you're not going to get stuck with the bill, because we're
    going to carry Ohio again and win in November. [Applause]
        Okay. Let me talk about--thank you for coming. Thank you. We got
    work to do. Save your energy. Save your energy. [Laughter]
        I want to talk about education. A hopeful America is one in which
    not one child is left behind. I went to Washington, as I told you,

    [[Page 2157]]

    to solve problems, not to pass them on to future generations. We saw a
    problem. Congressman Boehner saw a problem too in public schools, and
    the problem was this, that people were just being shuffled through
    school grade after grade, year after year without learning the basics.
    That's a problem.
        If you want a hopeful America, you better make sure every child
    learns and they learn early, before it's too late. So I worked with the
    Congressman. I said, ``I tell you what we'll do. We'll increase spending
    at the Federal level, but we're going to start asking some important
    questions, starting with, can the children read?'' Seems like to make
    sense, doesn't it? If you're going to increase spending, you ought to at
    least know whether or not the system is working.
        So John and I and others drafted some legislation called the No
    Child Left Behind Act, the heart of which says the following things.
    One, we trust local people to make the right decisions for the schools.
    We're going to talk about some school decisionmakers--with some school
    decisionmakers here.
        Secondly, it says we need to measure, not the Federal Government
    doesn't need to measure, the people outside of Washington need to
    measure so we can determine whether or not we're meeting goals. And the
    first goal is every child reading by third grade--at grade level by the
    third grade. It seems to make sense, doesn't it? That's a legitimate
    request to ask of the school systems, in return for 49-percent increase
    in K-through-12 funding since I've been in Washington, DC, that people
    learn how to read, write, add, and subtract.
        Thirdly, we're raising the standards. I went to Washington to
    challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. What that means is, when
    you lower the standards, you get lousy results. We can't have a hopeful
    America unless every child has a chance to succeed because every child
    has been taught how to read and write and add and subtract. As a result
    of the legislation we passed, an achievement gap is beginning to close
    in this country. It's happening.
        I'll tell you what else we did, which is an important part of the
    accountability system. We--I'm going to use a fancy word--disaggregated
    results. That means we measured by race, for example. See, we want to
    know if every child is learning to read and write and add and subtract.
    We don't want any doubt in our mind that the system is making sure it's
    hopeful for everybody. You don't know whether every child is learning to
    read and write and add and subtract unless you measure, unless you show
    the results, unless you say to parents, ``This school is great. This
    school needs help.''
        Some people say, ``You shouldn't test. You're just punishing the
    schools.'' I disagree. By not testing, you're punishing children. By
    testing, you can determine what needs to be cured. You can't solve a
    problem unless you diagnose the problem. And we're using the
    accountability system as a diagnostic tool to lift the sights and the
    spirits of every child in this country.
        So that's what we're here to talk about, the No Child Left Behind
    Act. It's a vital piece of legislation. Someone said, ``Well, you know,
    when you look back, what's going to be important?'' Well, I'll tell you,
    the peace is going to be important when I look back on my time as your
    President, but also making sure that this education system fulfilled its
    promise, that our teachers had the tools necessary to teach.
        One of the things we've got in the program we're going to talk about
    is teacher training, that the local folks were able to make the right
    decisions, that moms and dads were happy with what they were receiving,
    that the community was involved. No, I'm proud of this piece of
    legislation. We're not going to turn back. We're not going to allow my
    opponent to weaken it. We're going to continue moving forward to make
    sure every child has a chance to realize his or her dreams.
        A couple of other things I want to talk about. We're going to make
    sure that in high school, there's at-risk--programs for at-risk kids.
    Listen, if you're going to start a job in a changing world, you need a
    college degree. Yet, one in four of our students doesn't get there. And
    since they don't get there, it means we better do something better. So
    we're going to make sure we intervene in high schools on reading and
    math and sciences. We'll continue to expand reading

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    and sciences. We're going to continue to expand Pell grants. We want to
    make sure that everybody has a chance to start their career with at
    least 2 years of college, in order to make sure there's a hopeful
    tomorrow. In other words, we got to plan not only to build on No Child
    Left Behind but to take the progress of No Child Left Behind, the
    success of No Child Left Behind to our high schools.
        In a changing world, a lot of times people need a new set of skills.
    You know what I'm talking about. When you've seen jobs leave, new jobs
    come in, and oftentimes, somebody needs a little help in making sure
    they got the skills necessary to fill the jobs. That's why I'm such a
    strong believer in the community college system in America. I want to
    make sure workers have a lifetime of learning opportunity in this
    country.
        These are all plans to make sure education works from K all the way
    through lifetime.
        Now, let me talk to some people who know what I'm talking about. We
    got George Tombaugh with us. He is the superintendent of----
        George Tombaugh. Westerville School District.
        The President. Good. Where is that?
        Mr. Tombaugh. Northeast side of Columbus, Ohio.
        The President. There you go. How are things in Westerville?
        Mr. Tombaugh. Very good, sir. We have a great school system and a
    great staff.
        The President. Good. So tell me what life is like under No Child
    Left Behind.

    [Mr. Tombaugh made brief remarks.]

        The President. Yes, see, one thing that's important about
    accountability is it lets you determine whether the curriculum you're
    using is working. If you're using a lousy curriculum, you're going to
    get lousy results. And it helps schools adjust. It helps teachers
    understand whether or not the systems they use work. This is a tool.
    This is a helpful tool. Measurement is good. I've heard all the excuses.
    Listen, I was a Governor at one time, and you heard them all, ``Oh, all
    they're doing is teaching the test''--I'm sure you've heard that--or
    ``They're testing too much.''
        If you use the accountability system properly, it is a great
    diagnostic tool to make sure children have a chance. You know what I'm
    talking about when I tell you sometimes we walk into a classroom and see
    a classroom full of child that are--these so-called ``hard to teach.''
    You know what happened with the so-called ``hard to teach,'' don't you?
    They just moved them through. That's how you handled the so-called
    ``hard to teach'' when you didn't have an accountability system--or a
    classroom full of children whose moms or dads might not speak English as
    a first language. ``Let's just move them through. No one is going catch
    us.'' I'm not saying it was that conscious, but it happened. It was
    practiced. And it wasn't right, and it wasn't fair, and it wasn't what
    America stands for. Every child should have a chance.
        You ready to go? Good job. Kathy Rank, sitting right here next to--
    I'm sitting right here next to the Ohio Teacher of the Year. Thank you.
        First of all, all the teachers out there need to know how much I
    appreciate you being a teacher. It is a noble and important profession.
    And if youngsters are looking for a great way to serve our country,
    teach. Teach a child. Impart knowledge. What a fantastic way to make a
    living. Thanks for coming. Where do you teach?
        Kathy Rank. I teach at Bennett Intermediate, which is part of Piqua
    City School System.
        The President. Great, and what grades?
        Mrs. Rank. Fourth grade.
        The President. Fourth grade. That's good. I remember my fourth grade
    teacher, Augustine B. Crosby. [Laughter] Somebody someday is going to
    sit back and say, ``Gosh, I remember my teacher, Kathy Rank.'' What's
    the nature of the school, kind of school?

    [Mrs. Rank made further remarks.]

        The President. Yes, good job. That's great. You can see why she's
    teacher of the year. One of the things I think we need to do--and I
    talked to John about this on the bus, although I think people in the
    White House have already talked to him about it--is to set up about a
    half-a-billion-dollar fund to reward teachers who are helping students
    meet the standards and goals, as an incentive

    [[Page 2159]]

    program. I know we need to have loan forgiveness--student loan
    forgiveness for teachers who teach in special ed or math or science in
    schools that need special ed, math, or science teachers. Matter of fact,
    the loan forgiveness ought to go from 5,000 to $17,500 to provide
    incentives for teachers to fill the needs where they're needed most. I
    still believe we ought to continue to increase teacher training funds.
    These teachers have got great hearts, and sometimes they need the tools
    necessary to be able to teach the curriculum that works.
        So, thanks for coming. Congratulations. See you in Washington----
        Mrs. Rank. All right. I'm looking forward to it.
        The President. ----Teacher of the Year award.
        Tracy Reiner is with us, a mom. Tell us about your little guy,
    Tracy.
        Tracy Reiner. Well, I have three great kids. They're here with me
    today. I have Zach, who's in sixth grade; Joshua, who's in fourth grade;
    and Abby, who's in third grade. They attend Hopewell Elementary in the
    Lakota School System in West Chester----
        The President. Good.
        Mrs. Reiner. ----where you'll be speaking later today, I understand.
        The President. Yes, we're ready to crank it up, yes. [Laughter] I'm
    just warming up here. [Laughter]
        Mrs. Reiner. And if I could just add real quick, the principal sends
    his greetings, and he wants you to know there is very much support in
    the Lakota School System for you.
        The President. Oh, thank you. I appreciate you saying that. Tell me
    about Josh, and the No Child Left Behind Act.

    [Mrs. Reiner made further remarks, concluding as follows.]

        Mrs. Reiner. And I need to add this, that my children know
    discipline. In fact, they were just reminded last night about
    discipline. But this is not--[laughter].
        The President. You probably want to keep that one to yourself, Mom,
    you know. [Laughter] She's turning this into Dr. Phil, you know.
    [Laughter] Don't worry about it. The same thing happened to me a couple
    of times. [Laughter] Listen to your mother, though. Still listening to
    mine. [Laughter]

    [Mrs. Reiner made further remarks.]

        The President. It's working. Good job. Congratulations, Josh.
    Ninety-nine, brother. Let me--Tracy talked about parental involvement; I
    think there needs to be community involvement as well. See, I think we
    need to support our teachers and principals and superintendents. You
    know, a lot of people look to Washington. You're not going to find
    support out of Washington. You'll find money. You'll find good law, but
    the truth of the matter is, a responsible society is one in which people
    who live close to the school systems support the school systems and
    support the teachers.
        Nick is with us today, Nick Lashutka. He is the--what do you do,
    Nick?
        Nick Lashutka. I'm the director of government relations at the Ohio
    Business Roundtable.
        The President. Good. And so, therefore, why are you sitting here?
    [Laughter]
        Mr. Lashutka. Because improving Ohio's public schools is the single
    most important priority for our organization.
        The President. There you go. And your organization is called the
    Roundtable. I guess you meet at a round table, but why would you call it
    the--what's it--who sits at the table?
        Mr. Lashutka. Our organization consists of the CEOs of the State's
    largest business enterprises, and we focus on issues of competitiveness.
    And for us, a growing economy and the elements of that are primary for
    our mission. And at the center of that, what really drives that is
    talent, and that's having an educated citizenry. It's having a qualified
    workforce, and it's having the kind of individuals in our public schools
    that are capable of going on, earning higher degrees and being able to
    be really----
        The President. So what are you doing? How are you helping?

    [Mr. Lashutka made further remarks.]

        The President. Great. Good job. Thanks for coming. Listen, thank you
    all for being here. We're making progress. We're achieving what every
    American wants, every child

    [[Page 2160]]

    receive--being able to realize their dreams through a good education.
        I want to talk about keeping the peace. I want to talk about the
    challenges we face to secure this country, make the world and America a
    safer place. You know, later on this week, I'm going to have a chance to
    debate my opponent. It's been a little tough to prepare, because he
    keeps changing positions on the war on terror. He voted for the use of
    force in Iraq and then didn't vote to fund the troops. He complained
    that we're not spending enough money to help in the reconstruction of
    Iraq, and now he's saying we're spending too much. He said it was the
    right decision to go into Iraq; now he calls it the wrong war. Probably
    could spend 90 minutes debating himself. [Laughter]
        You cannot lead when people don't know where you stand. In order to
    make sure America is a safer place----
        Audience member. We need you as a leader! [Laughter]
        The President. In order to make sure America is safer, the President
    must speak clearly and mean what he says. I'll share some lessons with
    you about September the 11th. We face a brutal enemy that has no
    conscience. They are the kind of people that you just can't reason with.
    It makes no sense for anybody to say, ``Oh, all we've got to do is
    change our ways because they'll change their visions.'' It's just not
    true. You can't negotiate with these people. You cannot rationalize with
    these people. The best way to protect America is to stay on the offense
    against them around the world so we do not have to face them here at
    home.
        We're making progress. We're working with our friends and allies to
    bring Al Qaida to justice. Seventy-five percent of their leadership has
    been brought to justice. Just yesterday, if you noticed, that in
    Pakistan, one of the killers of Danny Pearl had been arrested. One by
    one, we're finding these people.
        It's a different kind of war. And first of all, I wish I wasn't
    talking about war. We didn't ask for this war. This war came to our
    shores. And there's only one way to deal with it, and that is to do
    everything we possibly can to protect the American people using all our
    assets, using everything at our disposal. And anything short of that
    will mean this Government has not done its duty to the American people.
    Our most solemn duty is to protect you.
        Now, we can make sure the Homeland Security Department works well
    and do a better job on our borders and ports, which we're doing. But the
    only way to protect America in the long term is to--to protect America
    at all is to stay on the offense against these killers and to spread
    liberty and freedom. That's the only way we can protect this country.
        In a different kind of war, we had to recognize that we're not
    facing a nation; we're facing a group of people who have adopted an
    ideology of hatred and love to find places where they can hide. They're
    like parasites. They kind of leech on to a host and hope the host
    weakens over time so they can eventually become the host. That's why I
    said to the Taliban in Afghanistan, ``Get rid of Al Qaida. See, you're
    harboring Al Qaida.'' Remember, this is a place where they trained--Al
    Qaida trained thousands of people in Afghanistan. And the Taliban, I
    guess, just didn't believe me. And as a result of the United States
    military, Taliban no longer is in existence and the people of
    Afghanistan are now free. In other words, when you say something as
    President, you better make it clear so everybody understands what you're
    saying and you better mean what you say. And I meant what I said.
    [Applause] Okay, hold on for a minute. Thank you all. I meant what I
    said for the sake of peace, because I understood that America would
    become more secure by denying Al Qaida safe haven and training bases in
    Afghanistan.
        But I want to tell you something else that's on my mind during the
    course of my decisionmaking. I understand how powerful freedom can be.
    And I want you to think about Afghanistan. It wasn't all that long ago
    that the Taliban were running that country. People say, ``What were they
    like?'' They're the opposite of America. If you had a point of view that
    didn't coincide with what they thought, you were in trouble. They didn't
    believe in the freedom of anything. They have a dark vision about the
    world. We have a vision based upon light. We believe in freedom. We
    believe you can worship freely

    [[Page 2161]]

    any--in this country, any way you want--any way you want. It's your
    right. You can speak your mind. You can participate in the political
    process. You can write any editorial you want in this country. That's
    freedom. That's not what the Taliban thought. You know that young girls
    weren't allowed to go to school, or many--most young girls weren't
    allowed to go to school under the Taliban. Imagine a society like that.
    It's hard for Americans to visualize that.
        So not only was Al Qaida being able to train there in Afghanistan,
    but it was a repressive society. Repressive societies breed violent
    people. Repressive societies breed those who are willing to strike at
    those of us who love freedom as well.
        Today, in Afghanistan--I want you to hear this fact--today, in
    Afghanistan some--a little more than 3 years since we liberated them, 10
    million people have registered to vote, 41 percent of whom are women, in
    the elections that will be held in about the first--let's see, I think
    the 9th of October. Think about that, a country that has gone from
    darkness to light because of freedom. Freedom is powerful. It's
    powerful. Unbelievable statistic, I think. And I tell you why it's
    important. One way to defeat the ideologs of hate is to spread freedom.
    Free societies answer to the hopes and needs of the average citizens.
    Free societies do not export terror. Afghanistan is an ally now in the
    war on terror. In order to make sure America is secure in the long run,
    we must have allies standing with us in the broader Middle East.
        Another lesson I learned is that we've got to deal with threats when
    we see them. We've got to take a threat seriously before it fully
    materializes. Prior to September the 11th, the American President and
    policymakers could say, ``Well, we see a threat, but it's probably not
    going to come and hurt us.'' That all changed on September the 11th.
    Every time we see a threat now, we must take it seriously before it
    comes to hurt us again.
        And so I looked around the world and saw a significant threat in
    Saddam Hussein. I'll tell you why I saw a threat. One, he a was a sworn
    enemy of the United States of America. Secondly, he was firing missiles
    at U.S. pilots who were enforcing the sanctions placed upon him by the
    world. Thirdly, I knew exactly how he felt about the demands of the free
    world. As they say down in Texas, he could care less. After all, they'd
    passed 16 different resolutions, and he ignored them all. Fourthly,
    there was terrorists like Abu Abbas, Abu Nidal--Abu Abbas is the guy who
    killed Leon Klinghoffer; Abu Nidal, famous terrorists. We knew Zarqawi
    was in and out of Baghdad. He had terrorist connections. He also used
    weapons of mass destruction. The lessons of September the 11th were we
    must take these threats seriously.
        I went to the Congress and said, ``We see a threat.'' Members of the
    United States Congress from both political parties looked at the same
    intelligence I looked at, remembered the same history I had just recited
    to you, and concluded that, yes, Saddam Hussein was a threat, and not
    only that, concluded that they--that force might be necessary, and they
    authorized the use of force for the President, if necessary, to use
    force to deal with the threat.
        My opponent, he looked at the same intelligence I looked at. He
    remembered the same history I remembered. And when it came time to vote
    for the authorization of force, he voted ``yes.''
        So I went to the United Nations. Let me tell you why I did: Because
    the President must try all means to prevent war. I understand the
    consequences of putting our troops in harm's way, and before any
    President puts one troop in harm's way, they best try all different
    means the solve the problem. And I was hoping that diplomacy would work.
    I was hoping that finally Saddam Hussein would listen to the demands of
    the free world. At the United Nations, I laid out our case. They looked
    at the intelligence. They concluded with a 15-to-nothing vote in the
    United Nations Security Council that Saddam Hussein should disclose,
    disarm, or face serious consequences. Fifteen to nothing was the vote.
    As a matter of fact, they also sent in inspectors into Iraq. The problem
    was Saddam Hussein systematically deceived the inspectors. You can't
    inspect unless you get cooperation. They got no cooperation.
        It was clear that he wasn't about to cooperate with the United
    Nations. It was clear that,

    [[Page 2162]]

    once again, he was going to ignore the demands of the free world.
    Diplomacy wasn't working. So I have a choice to make at this point in
    time: Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and just hope for
    the best when it came to a madman who brutalized his own people, or do I
    take action necessary to defend this country? Given that choice, I will
    defend America every time. [Applause] Thank you all.
        A couple of other things. I know what you know. We've got a great
    military. I want to thank those who wear the uniform. I want to thank
    the loved ones of those who wear the uniform. And when we put our troops
    in harm's way, they need to have the full support of the Federal
    Government--the full support. That's why I went and asked for $87
    billion of additional spending for important--this is an important piece
    of legislation. After all, it's for ammunition, fuel, spare parts, body
    armor, hazard pay, health benefits, things necessary when you've got
    your troops in combat. This money was going to go to not only those in
    Afghanistan but Iraq. It was vital.
        Fortunately, Members of Congress here knew how vital it was, and
    they stood up like most of the Members of Congress and voted, ``Yes.
    We'll fund the troops.'' As a matter of fact, the support was so strong
    that only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against funding
    our troops, 2 of whom are my opponent and his runningmate. Now, when
    you're out there campaigning, I want you to remind the good folks of
    this statistic. There were only four Members of the United States Senate
    who said, ``Yes, we're going to send troops,'' but, ``No, we're not
    going to pay for them.'' In other words, ``Yes, we're going to send
    troops by authorizing force''--they voted to authorize force--but then
    when the troops were in harm's way, did not vote the money to support
    the troops. Only 4--there's 100 Members of the Senate; 4 voted that way,
    2 of whom are my opponent and his runningmate.
        So they asked him, they said, ``How could you possibly have made
    that vote?'' He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before
    I voted against it.'' You've got to be able to speak clearly in order to
    make this world a more peaceful place. You cannot expect to lead this
    world if you try to take both sides of every position. Finally, they
    kept pressing him. He said, ``The whole thing's a complicated matter.''
    There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        We'll prevail. We will prevail if we're resolute and determined.
    We'll prevail because we'll stay on the hunt, and we've got a great
    coalition of nations. There are 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some
    30 in Iraq. People are doing hard work, and I appreciate the sacrifice
    the people of those countries are making right alongside our troops.
    I'll continue to build these coalitions. I'll continue to praise the
    people and not denigrate the contributions. But one thing I'll never do
    is I'll never turn over national--our country's national security
    decisions to leaders of other countries. [Applause]
        Finally, a couple of other things. Thank you all very much. I
    appreciate that. A couple of other points I do want to make. They'll be
    short, you'll be happy to hear. [Laughter]
        We've got hard work in Iraq, no question about it. And the reason
    why is because people are trying to stop the march of freedom. These
    terrorists cannot beat our military. They cannot beat our military. The
    only thing, the only weapon they have is their willingness to behead a
    citizen and put it on TV. The only weapon they have is the capacity to
    shake our conscience. They understand people in America. See, we value
    human rights and human dignity. Our heart breaks when a--for the family
    of those two fellows who were beheaded, just as Prime Minister Allawi
    was here.
        This guy, Zarqawi and his crowd, they are so coldblooded that they
    have no conscience. Yet, they know we do. And their main tool is their
    capacity to get on our TV screens, with horror that the American people
    just cannot stomach it, because we're civilized and we love and we're
    compassionate. It's really important for them not to be able to shake
    our will. I'll tell you why. A free Iraq is in our interests. A free
    Iraq will become an ally in the war on terror. A free Iraq will be such
    a hopeful example for other nations. A free Iraq will serve as stark
    contrast to the hateful ideology of these people.

    [[Page 2163]]

        We'll stay with the Iraqi people because when America gives its
    word, it must keep its word in order to make the world a more peaceful
    place. We'll stay with the Iraqi people because it's in our interests.
    We'll stay with the Iraqi people because they long for freedom; they
    desire to be free.
        People say to me, ``Well, maybe certain parts of the world don't
    want to be free.'' I strongly disagree. I believe people want to be free
    because I believe freedom is the gift from the Almighty God to each man
    and woman in this world.
        Schools are being rebuilt. The electricity is up to pre-war levels.
    Hospitals are functioning. Children are being immunized. But it's hard
    work. It's hard work. And--but amidst this hard work, remember this:
    Elections are going to be held in January. This country is headed to
    democracy. I appreciate visiting with Prime Minister Allawi. He's a guy
    who woke up one day in a London flat to see two men standing beside his
    bed with axes, sent by Saddam Hussein to kill him. He, fortunately, got
    out of that, got wounded severely. He knows firsthand what it means to
    be dealing with a tyrant. He is determined. He is strong. He tells me
    right to my face, ``Mr. President, we will succeed.'' And I believe him.
    We'll succeed so long as the United States does not grow weary or tired
    and allow these thugs to shake our will. And it's in our interests.
        I want to tell you a story, and then I'll--let me tell you a story I
    like to tell people. It's my--with my dealings--the story is about my
    dealings with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. I saw him in New York
    recently. I said, ``Do you mind if I tell people about you?'' And he
    should have said, ``You already started.'' But anyway--[laughter]--he
    said, ``Not at all.'' So I'm going to tell you about him.
        First, he likes Elvis--[laughter]--favorite movie is ``High Noon.''
    Anyway, I like to tell the story about talking to Prime Minister
    Koizumi, because I'm talking to the leader of a former enemy. It was 60
    years ago or so we were fighting the Japanese. My dad was there. I'm
    sure your relatives were there, a bloody war.
        And after World War II was over with, Harry S. Truman, one of my
    predecessors, said, ``We'll help Japan become a self-governing
    democracy.'' A lot of people in the United States didn't believe that
    was capable of happening. Some people said, ``Why even bother. They're
    the enemy.'' But Harry Truman and others in this country believed that
    liberty has got the capacity to transform enemies to allies. That's what
    he believed.
        And that's what I believe. So I sit at the table with Prime Minister
    Koizumi, and we're talking about the peace we all want. We're talking
    about how to make the world a more peaceful place. Think about that for
    a minute. There we were at war with an enemy, and today, the leader of
    Japan and the United States are working together in concert for peace.
    Someday, an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected
    leader of Iraq talking about the peace, talking about how to make sure
    peace comes in a troubled part of the world so our children and our
    grandchildren can grow up in a more peaceful, peaceful world.
        We have an obligation, I think--this generation has an obligation to
    do the hard work, the hard work to defend ourselves from these brutal
    killers, the hard work to spread freedom and liberty, the work necessary
    so that someday, people will look back at us and say, ``Thank goodness
    they didn't lose faith. Thank goodness they were strong in their beliefs
    that we can overcome this evil and that liberty will help change the
    world for the better.''
        I want to thank you all for coming. I'm ready to go. God bless you
    all, and God bless our country.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:17 p.m. at the Midwest Livestock and Expo
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia,
    who made the keynote address at the Republican National Convention;
    Robert T. Bennett, chairman, Ohio Republican Party; television host
    Phillip ``Dr. Phil'' McGraw; Amjad Hussain Farooqi, Pakistani terrorist
    killed by Pakistani military forces in Nawabshah, Pakistan, on September
    26, who participated in the 2002 kidnaping and later killing of Wall
    Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl; Eugene Armstrong and Jack
    Hensley, American citizens who were killed in Iraq on September 20 and
    21, respectively, by militants led by senior Al Qaida associate Abu
    Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister Ayad Allawi

    [[Page 2164]]

    of the Iraqi Interim Government; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of
    Japan.