[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 44 (Monday, November 1, 2004)]
[Pages 2616-2622]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Dubuque, Iowa

October 26, 2004

    The President. Thank you all for coming. Listen, Laura and I are 
glad to be back in Dubuque and so honored so many came out to say hello. 
You lift our spirits. Really appreciate you coming. We're here, of 
course, asking for the vote and asking for your help. We need you to get 
your friends and neighbors to go to the polls, find our fellow 
Republicans, find independents, find discerning Democrats and remind 
them if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better 
America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    When I asked Laura to marry me, she said, ``Fine, so long as you 
make me a promise.'' I said, ``What is it?'' She said, ``Promise me I'll 
never have to give a political speech.'' [Laughter] I said, ``Okay, 
you've got a deal.'' Fortunately, she is not holding me to that promise. 
She's giving a lot of speeches, and when she does, the American people 
see a compassionate, strong, great First Lady.
    And I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He's doing a wonderful 
job. You know, I admit it, he does not have the waviest hair in the 
race. [Laughter] You'll be happy to hear I didn't pick him because of 
his hairdo; I picked him because of his experience, his judgment, his 
ability to get the job done.
    I'm proud to be on the stage with Congressman Jim Nussle, and I want 
to thank his wife, Karen, for being here. He's the chairman of the 
Budget Committee. He's watching your money like a hawk--eye. Nussle is a 
good man, good, solid citizen from the State of Iowa and I'm proud to 
call him friend.
    You know, we love your Senator, Chuck Grassley. I saw him the other 
day, and I said, ``Say, Chuck, you know, the South Lawn has got a lot of 
grass''--[laughter]--``and we're looking for somebody to give us a 
hand.'' [Laughter] He's done a wonderful job as the chairman of the 
Finance Committee. I know the people of Iowa are proud that he's the 
Senator; I know you're going to put him back into office for 6 more 
years.
    I want to thank Dale Schultz for coming. Dale is right there. He's 
from the Third Congressional District in the great State of Wisconsin. 
He's been traveling with me all day. Just in case anybody from Wisconsin 
is watching on TV, put this good man in as a Congressman.
    I want to thank Dave Vaudt for being here. I want to thank Dave 
Roederer. I want to thank Doug Gross. I want to thank the Wil Gravatt 
Band for entertaining you all. I want to thank the grassroots activists 
who are here, the people putting up all the signs and making the phone 
calls and helping turn out people to rallies in the Dubuque area. With 
your help, there is no doubt in my mind we're going to carry Iowa and 
win a great victory in November.
    We have just one week to go. Voters have a clear choice between two 
very different candidates with dramatically different approaches and 
records. Now, you know where

[[Page 2617]]

I stand. And sometimes--sometimes you even know where my opponent 
stands. [Laughter] We both have records. I'm proudly running on mine. 
The Senator is running from his, and there's a reason why. There's a 
mainstream in American politics, and my opponent sits on the far left 
bank.
    I'm a compassionate conservative and proudly so. I have a positive, 
optimistic vision for our future and a comprehensive strategy for 
victory in Iraq and the wider war against terror. My opponent has no 
plan, no vision, just a long list of complaints. [Laughter] But a Monday 
morning quarterback has never led any team to victory.
    This election comes down to five clear choices for America's 
families: your family's security; your family's budget; your quality of 
life; your retirement; and the bedrock values that are so critical to 
our families and to our future.
    The first clear choice is the most important because it concerns the 
security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends on 
the safety of our citizens. This will be the first Presidential election 
since September the 11th, 2001. Americans will go the polls in a time of 
war and ongoing threats. The terrorists who killed thousands are still 
dangerous and determined to strike us again. And this outcome--the 
outcome of this election will set the direction of the war against the 
terrorists. The most solemn duty of the American President is to protect 
the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this 
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my 
watch.
    Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we 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've strengthened the protections for the homeland. We're reforming our 
intelligence capabilities. We're transforming our military. There will 
be no draft; the All-Volunteer Army will remain an all-volunteer army. 
We're staying on the offensive. We are relentless. We are determined. We 
will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at 
home. We will continue to spread freedom and liberty. And we will 
prevail.
    The President has to lead with consistency and strength. In a war, 
sometimes your tactics change but not your principles. Americans have 
seen how I do my job. Even when you might not agree with me, you know 
what I believe, you know where I stand, and you know what I intend to 
do.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. On good days and on bad days, whether the polls are 
up or the polls are down, I am determined to protect the American people 
and I will always support the men and women who do.
    My opponent has taken a different approach. It's fair to say that 
consistency has not been his strong point. Senator Kerry says we're 
better off with Saddam Hussein out of power, except when he declares 
that removing Saddam made us less safe. He said in our second debate 
that he always believed Saddam was a threat, except a few questions 
later when he said Saddam Hussein was not a threat. [Laughter] He says 
he was right when he voted to authorize the use of force against Saddam 
Hussein, but that I was wrong to use force against Saddam Hussein. 
[Laughter] Now my opponent is throwing out a wild claim that he knows 
where bin Laden was in the fall of 2001, that our military passed up a 
chance to get him at Tora Bora. It's an unjustified criticism of the 
military commanders in the field. It is the worst kind of Monday morning 
quarterbacking.
    Tommy Franks was our commander in Afghanistan, and here's what he 
said about Tora Bora. He said, ``The Senator's understanding of events 
does not square with reality.'' Tommy was there. Tommy says that Special 
Forces were actively involved in the search for the terrorists in Tora 
Bora and that intelligence reports at the time placed bin Laden in any 
of several countries.
    Now, before Senator Kerry got into political difficulty and revised 
his views, here's what he said about Tora Bora on national TV in the 
fall of 2001. He said, ``I think we've been doing this pretty 
effectively, and we should continue to do it that way.'' At the time, 
the Senator said about Tora Bora, ``I think we've been smart. I think 
the administration leadership has done it well, and we are on the right 
track.'' Well, all I can say

[[Page 2618]]

to that is, I am George W. Bush, and I approve of that message.
    Yet, my opponent's record on national security has a far deeper 
problem than election-year flip-flopping. On the largest national 
security issues of our time, he has been consistently wrong. When Ronald 
Reagan was confronting the Soviet Union at the height of the cold war, 
Senator Kerry said that President Reagan's policy of peace through 
strength was making America less safe. Well, history has shown that 
Senator Kerry was wrong and President Ronald Reagan was right.
    When former President Bush led a coalition against Saddam Hussein in 
1991, Senator Kerry voted against the use of force to liberate Kuwait. 
If his view had prevailed, Saddam Hussein today would dominate the 
Middle East and possess the world's most dangerous weapons. History has 
shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and former President Bush was right.
    In 1994, just one year after the first bombing of the World Trade 
Center, Senator Kerry proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence 
budget, so massive that even his colleague from Massachusetts opposed 
them. Well, history has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and--got to 
be fair--Senator Kennedy was right.
    Just last year, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan needed $87 
billion to help them on their missions, to make sure they had all that 
was necessary in harm's way. First, Senator Kerry said it would be 
irresponsible to vote against the troops, then he voted against the 
troops. You might remember perhaps the most famous quote of the 2004 
campaign when he said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before 
I voted against it.'' [Laughter] History has shown that Senator Kerry 
was right, then wrong, then briefly right, then wrong again. [Laughter]
    You know, he's given quite a few answers about that vote, and 
finally, at one time he just said, ``The whole thing was a complicated 
matter.'' My fellow Americans, there is nothing complicated about 
supporting our troops in combat. I thank our troops. I thank the 
families of our troops. And I thank the veterans who have set such a 
great example to our troops.
    During the last 20 years, in key moments of challenge and decision 
for America, my opponent has chosen the position of weakness and 
inaction. With that record, he stands in opposition not just to me but 
to the great tradition of the Democratic Party. The party of Franklin 
Roosevelt, of Harry Truman, of John Kennedy is rightly remembered for 
confidence and resolve in times of war and hours of crisis. Senator 
Kerry has turned his back on ``pay any price'' and ``bear any burden,'' 
and he has placed those commitments--replaced those commitments with 
``wait and see'' and ``cut and run.'' Many Democrats in this country do 
not recognize their party anymore. Today I want to speak to every one of 
them: If you believe that America should lead with strength and purpose 
and confidence in our ideals, I'd be honored to have your support, and 
I'm asking for your vote.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. All the difference--all the differences I've outlined 
today add up to one big difference. My opponent says that September the 
11th, in his words, did not change him much at all. And his policies 
make that clear. He says the war on terror is primarily a law 
enforcement and intelligence gathering operation.
    My outlook was changed on September the 11th. A few days after the 
attacks, I stood where the buildings fell, in Ground Zero. It's a day 
I'll never forget--the workers in hardhats yelling at me at the top of 
their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember a guy grabbed me by the 
arm, he looked me square in the eye, and he said, ``Do not let me 
down.'' After that morning, I wake--I've wakened up every morning 
thinking about how to better protect America. I will use every asset at 
our disposal. I will never relent in defending the security of the 
American people, whatever it takes.
    The second clear choice concerns your family's budget. When I ran 
for President 4 years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for American 
families. And I kept my word. We doubled the child credit to help 
mothers and dads raise their children. We reduced the marriage penalty. 
Listen, I think the Tax

[[Page 2619]]

Code ought to encourage marriage, not penalize marriage. We created the 
lowest bracket of 10 percent, so to help families. We're reduced income 
taxes for everybody who pays taxes.
    Now, I want you to remind your friends and neighbors what we have 
overcome, the obstacles this economy has overcome. You know, the stock 
market had been in decline for 6 months prior to my arrival. We were 
headed into a recession. And these corporate scandals which affected the 
economy--we passed tough laws, by the way, and we made it abundantly 
clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of 
America. And then we got attacked, and those attacks cost us about a 
million jobs in the 3 months after September the 11th. But because we 
cut your taxes, because we encouraged consumption and investment, 
because we recognized the contributions small-business owners make in 
this country, our economic policies have led us on the path to growth.
    Our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 
years. We've added 1.9 million new jobs since August of 2003. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in 
perspective for you: That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, 
the 1980s, and the 1990s. Our farm economy is strong. I campaigned here 
in the caucuses, and I campaigned in 2000, and I've been coming back to 
your State saying, ``I support ethanol.'' We're supporting ethanol. I 
said, ``I'm going to come back and open up markets so Iowa farm products 
are all around the world.'' We've opened up markets. Our farmers are 
making a good living. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong. Small 
businesses are flourishing. The homeownership rate is at an alltime 
high. And the unemployment rate in the State of Iowa is 4.7 percent. Our 
policies are working, and we're not going to go back to the days of 
Federal spending and Federal taxes.
    We have a different point of view on the budget. My opponent has 
different plans. He's going to take a big chunk out of your budget. 
Listen, he's promised $2.2 trillion in new spending in this campaign. 
That's trillion with a ``T.'' [Laughter] That's a lot even for a Senator 
from Massachusetts. [Laughter]
    And they asked him how he's going to pay for it. And he threw out 
the same old tired line, ``We're going to tax the rich.'' Well, first of 
all, when you run up the top two brackets, you're taxing job creators. 
Do you realize most of the small businesses in America pay individual 
income taxes because they're either a Subchapter S or a sole 
proprietorship? Seventy percent of new jobs are created by small 
businesses. Senator Kerry's plan would tax the job creators of America, 
and that is bad economic policy.
    And secondly, by taxing people who have earned over $200,000 or 
entities that have earned over $200,000, you raise between 600 and 800 
billion dollars. It doesn't take much math to figure out that's far 
short of the 2.2 trillion he's promised. So there's a gap, a gap between 
what he's promised and how he's going to pay for it. And guess who 
usually fills the gap?
    Audience members. We do!
    The President. You do. The good news is, he's not going to tax you, 
because we're going to win Iowa and win a great victory.
    The third clear choice involves the quality of life for our Nation's 
families. A good education and quality health care are important for our 
country's families. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to 
challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations by reforming our public 
schools. I kept my word. We passed education reform to bring high 
standards into the classrooms and to make our schools accountable to our 
parents. We're seeing progress. Math and reading scores are rising. We 
are closing achievement gaps for minority students all across America. 
We'll build on these reforms. We'll extend them to our high schools so 
that no child is left behind in America.
    We'll make sure health care is available and affordable. We'll 
expand health savings accounts so small--more small businesses can cover 
their workers and more families can get health care accounts they call 
their own and manage. In order to make sure our small businesses can 
afford health care, we ought to allow them to pool together, pool risk 
so they can afford insurance at the same discount that big companies 
get. We're going to make sure we take care of the poor and the indigent 
through community and rural

[[Page 2620]]

health centers. We'll work hard to make sure every eligible child is 
enrolled in our Government's low-income health insurance program.
    To make sure health care is available and affordable for you, we 
will do something about the frivolous lawsuits that are running up the 
cost of medicine and running good doctors out of practice. I have met 
too many good doctors who have quit practicing medicine. Some of the 
saddest tales are those of ob-gyns. These lawsuits are running up the 
cost of premiums to the point where they can't afford to stay in 
business. So they leave their community. Some of them quit the practice 
of medicine. And that means there are expectant moms who are desperate--
desperately worried about whether or not they'll get the health care 
they need for their child and for themselves.
    You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-personal-injury-
lawyer at the same time. You have to make a choice. My opponent made his 
choice, and he put a personal-injury trial lawyer on the ticket. I have 
made my choice. I'm standing with the patients. I'm standing with 
doctors. I'm standing with small-business owners. I'm standing with 
hospitals. I'm for medical liability reform--now.
    There is a big difference of opinion when it comes to health care 
between me and my opponent. I remember that debate when he looked right 
in the camera, and they asked him about his health care plan, and he 
said, ``The Government doesn't have anything to do with it.'' I could 
barely contain myself. [Laughter]
    The Government has got a lot to do with it. Eight out of ten people 
end up on a Government program under his health care. Listen, when you 
make Medicaid more attractive, small businesses will stop providing 
insurance for their employees because the Government will. And that 
moves people from private care--private insurance to Government 
insurance. And you know what I know: When the Government starts writing 
the checks, the Government starts making the rules; and the Government 
starts making the rules, the Government starts making your decisions. 
They ration care; they decide what doctors you go to. No, Federal health 
care is the wrong prescription for health care in America. In all we do, 
we'll make sure the health decisions are made by doctors and patients, 
not by officials in Washington, DC.
    The fourth clear choice in this election involves your retirement. 
We made a solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and 
Medicare. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to keep that 
commitment and improve Medicare by adding prescription drug coverage. I 
kept my word. You might remember the Medicare issue. People in 
Washington have been debating Medicare for years, and nothing got done. 
Well, thanks to working with Senator Grassley and Congressman Nussle, we 
got the job done for our seniors. Beginning in 2006, all seniors will be 
able to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
    I remember coming to eastern Iowa during the congressional campaigns 
in 2002. I said that I understand Iowa's hospitals are not being treated 
fairly under Medicare. Nussle, you might remember--I stood and looked 
right in the camera. I said, ``I'm going to work with Congressman Nussle 
and Senator Grassley to make sure Iowa's rural hospitals, in particular, 
are treated fairly.'' The bill I signed not only helps our seniors but 
it helps Iowa hospitals. I kept my word.
    And we will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors. And 
I want to remind you what happened in the 2000 campaign. I don't know if 
it's happened here yet or not, but it certainly happened in 2000, when 
they made it abundantly clear to people that if I got elected, our 
seniors were not going to get their Social Security checks. That's the 
old scare tactics that they like to use. You might remember those ads. 
As you gather up the vote, I want you to remind people, George W. did 
get elected, and our seniors did get their checks. I don't care how they 
put it or how they try to scare you, our seniors will continue to get 
their checks. And baby boomers like me, I think we're in pretty good 
shape when it comes to getting the checks when we retire.
    But we need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when 
it comes to Social Security. We need to worry about whether or not there 
will be a Social Security system available for them when they retire. 
And

[[Page 2621]]

that's why I think we ought to allow younger workers to take some of 
their own payroll taxes and set them in a personal savings account, an 
account that earns a better rate of return, an account that they can 
call their own.
    My opponent has taken a different approach on this issue. He said he 
is going to protect Social Security, but he forgot to tell you he's the 
only candidate in this race who voted eight times for higher taxes on 
Social Security benefits.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You're wondering why you got those taxes on your 
Social Security benefits--there's one reason why, Senator John Kerry. 
And then when he talks about reforming the system for our youngsters, he 
had nothing to offer. The job of a President is to confront problems, 
not pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. In a new 
term, I'll bring people together to strengthen the Social Security 
system for a younger generation.
    And the final clear choice in this election is on the values that 
are so crucial to keeping our families strong. And here my opponent and 
I are miles apart. I stand for the appointment of Federal judges who 
know the difference between personal opinion and the strict 
interpretation of the law. I believe marriage is a sacred commitment, a 
pillar of our civilization, and I will defend it. This isn't a partisan 
issue. You know, when Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which 
defined marriage as a union of a man and a woman, the vast majority of 
Democrats supported it and President Bill Clinton signed it into law. 
But Senator Kerry was part of the out-of-the-mainstream minority that 
voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I believe reasonable people can find common ground on 
difficult issues. Republicans and Democrats came together and agreed we 
should ban the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion. I proudly 
signed that bill. But Senator Kerry was part of the out-of-the-
mainstream minority that voted against the ban on partial-birth 
abortion. As a matter of fact, he voted against parental notification 
laws. He voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. I'll continue 
to reach out to Americans of every belief and move this goodhearted 
Nation toward a culture of life.
    I don't know if you remember this in the campaign, but at one point 
my opponent said you can find the heart and soul of America in 
Hollywood.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Most families don't look to Hollywood for a source of 
values. The heart and soul of America is found in communities like 
Dubuque, Iowa.
    All of these choices make this one of the most important elections 
in our history. The security and prosperity of our country is at stake. 
The health and education for families are important. The retirement of 
our seniors, the direction of our culture--they're all at stake. And the 
decision is in the best of hands; it's in the hands of the American 
people.
    I've got a--I see a great America coming. I see a hopeful day. One 
of my favorite quotes--I hope it helps capture how I feel about 
America--is what a fellow Texan named Tom Lea wrote. He said, ``Sarah 
and I live on the east side of the mountain. It's the sunrise side, not 
the sunset side. It is the side to see the day that is coming, not to 
see the day that has gone.'' In the course of this campaign, my opponent 
has spent much of the time talking about the day that has gone. I'm 
talking about the day that is coming. I'm talking about a great day for 
America.
    We've been through a lot together in the last nearly 4 years. 
Because we've done the hard work of climbing the mountain, we can see 
the valley below. We'll protect our families. We'll build on their 
prosperity. We'll defend the deepest values. We'll continue to spread 
liberty and freedom, achieving the peace we all long for.
    You know, when I campaigned in your State--around your State in the 
caucuses and in the 2000 general election, I made you this pledge: I 
said if I was honored to be elected, I would uphold the honor and the 
dignity of the office. With your help, with your hard work, I will do so 
for 4 more years.
    Thanks for coming. God bless. We're on to victory. Thank you all.

[[Page 2622]]

Note: The President spoke at 4:03 p.m. at the Grand River Center. In his 
remarks, he referred to Dale Schultz, candidate for Congress in 
Wisconsin's Third Congressional District; Iowa Auditor of State Dave 
Vaudt; David Roederer, Iowa State chair, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; former 
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al 
Qaida terrorist organization; and Gen. Tommy R. Franks, USA, (Ret.), 
former combatant commander, U.S. Central Command.