[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 40 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[Pages 2198-2205]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Allentown, Pennsylvania

October 1, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. It is 
great----
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you all for coming. It's--what a beautiful day 
to be here in the Lehigh Valley. It's great to be back in Allentown. 
It's a wonderful place to come after a debate.
    I'm so honored John McCain is traveling with me today. I'm proud of 
his friendship. I appreciate his leadership. I appreciate his courage, 
and I'm really grateful he's for me for President.
    We had a great debate last night. It highlighted some of the 
fundamental differences between my opponent and me, differences I 
believe are crucial for our national security. It's a big difference 
when it comes to supporting our troops. When America puts our troops in 
harm's way, I believe they deserve the best training, the best 
equipment, and the wholehearted support of our Government.
    My opponent last night said our troops deserve better. They 
certainly deserve better than they got from Senator Kerry when he voted 
to send them to war and then voted against funding our troops in combat.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You may remember his famous quote about the 
supplemental funding that I sent up to Congress. He said, ``I actually 
did vote for the $87 billion, right before I voted against it.'' 
[Laughter] I understand.
    Last night----
    Audience members. Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!
    The President. Last night, he said he made a mistake in how he 
talked about that vote, but the mistake wasn't what Senator Kerry said. 
The mistake was what Senator Kerry did.
    He voted against supplying our troops after voting for putting them 
in harm's way. He then went on to say--after saying the 87 billion line, 
they kept pressing him. He said he was proud of his vote. And finally, 
he said, ``The whole thing was a complicated matter.''

[[Page 2199]]

Then he had a new wrinkle, a new explanation. During an interview this 
week, he described it as a protest vote.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When we put American troops in harm's way, they 
certainly deserve better than to have a candidate for President use them 
as a protest.
    Last night, Senator Kerry only continued his pattern of confusing 
contradictions. After voting for the war, after saying my decision to 
remove Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, he now says it 
was all a mistake.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. But I asked a logical question, does that mean our 
troops our dying for a mistake?
    Audience members. No-o-o!
    The President. That's what he said, ``No.'' You can't have it both 
ways. You can't say it's a mistake and not a mistake. You can't be for 
getting rid of Saddam Hussein when things look good and against it when 
times are hard. You can't claim terrorists are pouring across the border 
into Iraq yet, at the same time, try to claim that Iraq is somehow a 
diversion for war against terrorism. The President cannot keep changing 
his mind. The President must speak clearly, and the President must mean 
what he says.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. A crucial difference between my opponent and me is 
the most important question for voters this election: Who can lead this 
war against terror to victory? Which candidate can best protect 
America's families and our national security? And here my opponent has a 
fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the war against terror, 
and he has no plan to win in Iraq. The cornerstone of Senator Kerry's 
plan for Iraq is that he would convene a summit.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I've been to a lot of summits. [Laughter] I've never 
seen a meeting that would depose a tyrant or bring a terrorist to 
justice. Senator Kerry claims that he can work with our allies, yet he 
said those who are standing with us are not a part of a genuine 
coalition.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He earlier called them ``a coalition of the coerced 
and the bribed,'' dismissed their sacrifices as window dressing. You 
cannot lead by pushing away the allies who are already with us or expect 
any support for a cause you've called a ``mistake'' or a ``grand 
diversion'' or ``the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time.'' 
The way to lead this coalition is not be disdainful or dismissive. The 
way to lead this coalition to victory is to be clear in our thinking, 
grateful for the sacrifices, and resolute in our determination to defeat 
the enemy.
    One other point I want to make about the debate last night. Senator 
Kerry last night said that America has to pass some sort of ``global 
test''----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. ----before we can use American troops to defend 
ourselves. He wants our national security decisions subject to the 
approval of a foreign government.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Listen, I'll continue to work with our allies and the 
international community, but I will never submit America's national 
security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America 
must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The 
President's job is not to take an international poll. The President's 
job is to defend America.
    I'm grateful you all are here today, because I'm here to ask for 
your vote. That's what I'm doing. Not only am I here to ask for your 
vote; I'm here to ask for your help. Listen, I know a lot of people 
worked hard to put this great crowd together, and I thank you for 
working hard to do so. I know there's a lot of people working hard to 
register people to vote, and I want to thank you for doing that too.
    And as you register people to vote, make sure you don't overlook 
discerning Democrats like Zell Miller. And after you get them registered 
to vote, I encourage you to turn out that vote. Get them headed to the 
polls. And remind them if they want a safer America, a stronger America, 
a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

[[Page 2200]]

    The President. Listen, I like traveling with John McCain a lot. My 
only regret is that Laura is not here instead of him. [Laughter] I 
kissed her goodbye this morning in Miami, and she said, tell everybody 
hello in the Lehigh Valley. She was a public school librarian, and when 
I asked her to marry me, she said, ``Fine, I'll marry you, just so long 
as I never have to give a political speech.'' [Laughter] I said, 
``You've got a deal.'' [Laughter] Fortunately, she didn't hold me to the 
promise. She's my best advocate. She's a great First Lady.
    Audience members. Laura! Laura! Laura!
    The President. Listen, I agree with you. I'm going to give you some 
reasons to put me back in, but perhaps the most important one is so that 
Laura will be First Lady for 4 more years.
    I'm proud of my runningmate. I'm running with a good man in Dick 
Cheney. He doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. I didn't pick him 
for his hair. I picked him because of his judgment, his experience. I 
picked him because he can get the job done for the American people.
    I'm proud of the--Tom Ridge. He's done a fabulous job. I want to 
thank you for preparing him for an incredibly important assignment that 
he's doing.
    I know Arlen Specter is here. I want to--I urge you to put Arlen 
back in the United States Senate. I want to thank Congressman Pat 
Toomey. He's a classy guy. He really is. I'm honored to call him friend.
    I urge you to put Charlie Dent in the United States Congress. I want 
to thank all the candidates who are here. I want to thank the local 
officials who are here. I want to thank the Wil Gravatt Band, who is 
here. I want to thank the high school band that is here. But most of 
all, thank you all for coming. It's great to be with so many people.
    I'm really looking forward to this campaign. I'm going to tell the 
people what--where I stand, what I believe, and where I'll lead this 
Nation for the next 4 years.
    I believe every child can learn and every school must teach. I went 
to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I 
believe we've got to raise the bar. I believe we must measure early to 
solve problems before it's too late. I know we've got to trust the local 
people to make the right decisions for your schools. We're making 
progress in America. We're closing the achievement gap, and we're not 
going to turn back to the old days.
    I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with 
good health care. Medicare was not modernizing the way medicine was. 
See, I think the seniors got to have the best when it comes to health 
care. We used to pay--we'd pay $100,000 when it comes to heart surgery 
but not one dime for prescription drugs to prevent the heart surgery 
from being needed in the first place. That didn't make any sense for our 
seniors. It didn't make any sense for the taxpayers. We're modernizing 
Medicare for seniors to get prescription drug coverage in 2006, and 
we're not going to turn back.
    I believe in the energy, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit 
of our workers and small-business owners and farmers and ranchers. 
That's why we unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a 
generation.
    When you're out gathering up the vote, remind people what this 
economy has been through. The stock market started going down about 5 or 
6 months before Dick Cheney and I showed up in Washington. Then we had a 
recession. Then we had some corporate scandals. By the way, we passed 
new laws. It's abundantly clear to people of this country we're not 
going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of this country. And then 
we got attacked, and that attack hurt our economy.
    But this economy is strong, and it's getting stronger, growing at 
rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. It's strong because our spirit 
is strong, and it's strong because of well-timed tax cuts.
    We've added about 1.7 million new jobs since last summer. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That is lower than the 
average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The unemployment rate here 
in Pennsylvania is 5.6 percent. So long as anybody is looking for a job, 
we'll continue to expand with pro-growth, pro-small-business, pro-
entrepreneur economic policies.

[[Page 2201]]

    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 is not going 
to happen on my watch.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. 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 that is why, 
with your help, we'll carry Pennsylvania and win a great victory in 
November.
    The world in which we live is changing, and I understand that. Think 
about the workplace a couple of decades ago. A person would generally 
have one job, one career, one pension plan, one health care plan, and 
that person was usually a male. Today, the workforce has changed a lot. 
People change careers. They change jobs. Women are working inside the 
house and outside the house. It's a changing world we live in, and yet, 
the fundamental institutions of our Government, the fundamental systems, 
the Tax Code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training, were 
created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. In a new term, we'll 
transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared, and 
thus truly free to make your own choices so you can pursue the great 
dreams of America.
    A hopeful society is one in which this economy continues to grow. To 
create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the world 
to do business. If you want jobs here, this has got to be the best place 
in the world for people to employ people. That means less regulations on 
our small businesses. That means legal reform so frivolous lawsuits 
don't make it hard for expanding the job base.
    In order to keep jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan 
that encourages conservation, spends money on research so we can better 
use renewable sources of energy, promotes clean coal technology, uses 
technology to explore for natural gas in environmentally friendly ways. 
We want jobs here; this country must become less dependent on foreign 
sources of energy.
    To keep jobs here, we've got to reject economic isolationism and 
open up markets for U.S. products. We've opened up our markets, and it's 
good for you. The more products you have to choose from, the more likely 
it is you're going to get what you want at a better price or a higher 
quality. That's how the marketplace works. So I'm saying to places like 
China, ``You treat us the way we treat you.'' See, we can compete with 
anybody, anytime, anywhere if the rules are fair.
    Finally, to make sure we got jobs here and this economy stays 
strong, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money in Washington 
and we've got to keep your taxes low. Taxes are an issue in this 
campaign. I'm running against a fellow who has promised at least $2.2 
trillion in new spending----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. ----so far. [Laughter] Just getting into October. 
[Laughter] Two-point-two trillion is a lot, even for a Senator from 
Massachusetts. [Laughter] So they said, ``How are you going to pay for 
it?'' He said, ``That's easy. We'll just tax the rich.'' Yes, we've 
heard that before, haven't we? [Laughter] You can't raise enough money 
by taxing the rich to pay for $2.2 trillion of new spending. There's a 
tax gap. Guess who fills the tax gap?
    Audience members. [Inaudible]
    The President. Yes. You've heard ``tax the rich'' before, but the 
rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason--to stick you with the 
bill. The good news is, we're not going to let him tax you because we're 
going to win in November.
    When it comes to taxes, we've got to do something about the Tax 
Code. It's a complicated mess, full of special interest loopholes. In a 
new term, I'll bring Republicans and Democrats together to make this Tax 
Code more fair for you. We'll make sure our workers have the skills they 
need. We'll make sure these training programs work and make sure they've 
got the opportunity to go to community colleges to be able to match 
their desire to work with the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 
21st century.

[[Page 2202]]

    I'll tell you what also I understand in a changing world, most new 
jobs are filled by people with at least 2 years of college, yet, that's 
why I'm for--yet, only one in four of our students gets there. That's 
why I'm for early intervention programs in our high schools to help our 
at-risk kids. That's why I'm for emphasizing math and science in the 
classrooms. That's why, over time, we should require a rigorous 
examination before graduation. By raising performance in our high 
schools and by 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 about the health care 
system. The costs are rising rapidly. They burden our economy, and too 
many people are uninsured. I have a commonsense, practical plan to make 
high quality health care more available and more affordable. And we have 
a difference in this campaign when it comes to health care. If you 
listen carefully to what my opponent proposes, he wants Government to 
dictate. He wants Government to tell you how to purchase your health 
care. He wants the Federal Government to run health care. I want you to 
decide. I want you to be the decisionmaker when it comes to health care.
    More than half of Americans who are currently uninsured work for 
small businesses. Small businesses are having trouble affording health 
care. We've got to change the law to allow small businesses to join 
together so they can purchase insurance at the same discounts big 
businesses get to do.
    We'll expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll give small 
businesses tax credits to pay into health savings accounts for their 
employees. We want more workers to have their own health accounts so 
they can base medical decisions on advice from their doctor, not in 
negotiations with an HMO. It makes sense for people to own their own 
health account. If you're changing jobs or careers, you want to be able 
to carry your health account with you. You want to be able to manage it 
yourself.
    Listen, I understand we need to take care of the poor and the 
indigent in this country, and we will by expanding community health 
centers to every poor county in America.
    But let me tell you what else we need to do to make sure health care 
is available and affordable. We need to do something about these 
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business. 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.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I made my choice. I'm for medical liability reform--
now. In all we do to make sure we reform health care, I will make sure 
that the medical decisions are made by patients and doctors, not by 
bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    We'll continue to promote an ownership society in America--in 
changing times, provide stability in somebody's life if they own their 
own home. Homeownership rates are at an alltime high in America. Over 
the next 4 years, we'll continue to expand ownership--homeownership to 
every corner of America. I want more and more people opening the door 
where they live saying, ``Welcome to my house. Welcome to my piece of 
property.''
    Let me talk about Social Security right quick. You remember what 
happened in the campaign in 2000. They said, ``If George W. gets 
elected, they're going to take away the checks of the seniors on Social 
Security.'' You remember that, don't you? Yes, it didn't happen. So when 
they try and say it again in 2004, don't believe them. You'll get your 
checks. If you're a baby boomer like me, we're okay; we'll get our 
checks.
    But we need to worry about our children or 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 up a personal savings account 
to make sure Social Security fulfills its promise, a personal savings 
account they call their own, a personal savings account that 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 
times of change, we'll support the institutions that give our lives 
direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our religious 
congregations. We stand for a culture of life

[[Page 2203]]

in which every person counts and every being matters. We stand for 
marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. 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 volunteer army. We will keep it an All-Volunteer Army. 
We're reforming and strengthening our intelligence services. We're 
staying on the offensive. We'll 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. Think about this. Four years ago, 
Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point 
for terrorist groups; Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist 
fundraising; Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a 
gathering threat; and Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned 
attacks.
    Because America led, Afghanistan is free and is fighting terror; 
Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders; 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 have been brought to justice.
    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. We knew his support for terror. 
Remember, Saddam harbored Abu Nidal, the leader of a terrorist 
organization that carried out attacks in Europe and Asia. We knew he 
harbored Abu Abbas, who took refuge in Baghdad after he killed an 
American, Leon Klinghoffer, because he was Jewish. We knew Zarqawi was 
in and out of Baghdad. We knew Saddam Hussein's long history of pursuing 
and even using weapons of mass destruction. He was a threat.
    Audience members. Yes!
    The President. And we understand that after September the 11th, we 
must take threats seriously before they fully materialize. That's a 
lesson we must never forget. I'll never forget it. I went to the 
Congress. Members of both political parties, including my opponent, 
looked at the same intelligence I looked at and came to the same 
conclusion as my administration came to, that Saddam Hussein was a 
threat. They authorized the use of force.
    Before the Commander in Chief ever commits troops into harm's way, 
we must try everything possible to deal with threats--everything 
possible. So I went to the United Nations in the hopes that diplomacy 
would work. I hoped that Saddam Hussein would listen to the demands of 
the free world. The United Nations debated the issue. They voted 15 to 
nothing to say to Saddam Hussein, ``Disclose, disarm, or face serious 
consequences.'' I believe when an international body speaks, it must 
mean what it says in order to keep this world peaceful. When you say 
something, you better mean it.
    But Saddam Hussein didn't believe the United Nations. After all, 
he'd ignored 16 other resolutions. Last night, my opponent said 
something about, ``Well, maybe another resolution would have helped.'' I 
just don't think it's realistic. As a matter of fact, the U.N. sent 
inspectors into Iraq, and as David Kay's report showed, Saddam Hussein 
was systematically deceiving the inspectors. Somehow thinking inspectors 
would have caused Saddam Hussein to change is not very clear thinking.
    And so at this point in time, I realized diplomacy wasn't working. 
And so I had a choice to make: Do I take the word of a madman and forget 
the lessons of September the 11th, or take action to defend this 
country? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
    We didn't find the stockpiles everybody thought was there. But 
knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same action. And the 
reason why is because Saddam Hussein had the capability of making 
weapons of mass destruction. And had the world

[[Page 2204]]

turned its head, he would have made those weapons. Had we hoped that a 
resolution would have worked, he would have been able to realize his 
dreams. He could have passed that capability or those weapons on to 
terrorists that hate us. After September the 11th, that was a chance we 
could not afford to take. The world is better off with Saddam Hussein 
sitting in a prison cell.
    By protecting ourselves, 50 million people now live in freedom in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. And that's in our national interest. Just think 
about what's happened in Afghanistan. It used to be run by this barbaric 
group called the Taliban. Many young girls were not allowed even to go 
to school. Their mothers were taken in the public square and whipped 
because they refused to toe the line of their dark ideology of hatred. 
Because we acted, 10 million citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, 
have registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. In 3 
short years, those people have gone from darkness to light because of 
liberty. And now Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror, and they 
serve as a bright example for others who wonder whether or not they can 
live in a free society.
    In Iraq, it's hard work. You know it's hard work, and so do I. But 
Iraq now has a strong Prime Minister, a National Council, and national 
elections are scheduled for January. We'll succeed in Iraq if we don't 
send the wrong messages. We'll succeed in Iraq because we've got a plan. 
And here's the plan. We'll train Iraqis so they can do the hard work in 
defending themselves; 100,000 troops are trained today, 125,000 by the 
end of the year. We'll continue to work with them, to give them the 
equipment, the training they need to defend themselves against the 
attacks of these terrorists. We'll help them to get the stability, help 
them on the road to democracy. And then our troops will come home with 
the honor they have earned.
    We've got a great United States military, and I want to thank the 
veterans who are here today for having set such a great example for 
those who wear the uniform.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I've talked to 
Prime Minister Koizumi quite a bit since I've been your President. He's 
the Prime Minister of Japan. I like to tell this story because I want 
people to understand exactly what I mean by the transformational power 
of liberty. It's generally a little longer word than I use--[laughter]--
transformational. [Laughter]
    Prime Minister Koizumi is the head of a country that was our sworn 
enemy some 60 years ago. Think about that. My dad fought against the 
Japanese. John's dad, grandfather, many of your dads and grandfathers 
did the same thing. Japan was the sworn enemy of America. Harry Truman, 
after World War II, believed that liberty could transform an enemy into 
an ally. So after we won that war, despite skepticism of some, he worked 
to help Japan become a democracy. And as a result of the belief that 
liberty can change societies, today, I sit down at the table, talking 
about the peace we all long for, with the head of Japan. Someday, when 
we succeed in Iraq, an American President will be sitting down with a 
duly elected leader of Iraq talking about the peace, and the world our 
children and grandchildren will grow up in will be better for it.
    I believe people long to live in a free society. I believe women in 
the greater Middle East long to live in freedom. I believe that if given 
the chance, the people of that troubled part of the world 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 our systems of Government, we'll help more 
Americans realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity 
to every corner of this country. We'll pass the enduring values of our 
country to a new generation. We will continue to make the world more 
peaceful and more free.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. There are quiet times in the life of our Nation when little is 
expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time 
when we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values 
that makes this a great nation.

[[Page 2205]]

    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 that I'll never forget. There were workers in 
hardhats yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' 
I remember trying to console people as best I could, and a guy grabbed 
me by the arm, and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Every day since that 
day, I wake up trying to figure out how better to 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 had been elected. 
With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more years.
    Thanks for coming. God bless. I appreciate you all. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:33 a.m. at Lehigh Parkway. In his 
remarks, he referred to Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who made the 
keynote address at the Republican National Convention; Charles W. Dent, 
candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District; 
senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; David Kay, former CIA 
Special Advisor for Strategy Regarding Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction 
Programs; Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; 
and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.