[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 44 (Monday, November 1, 2004)]
[Pages 2573-2579]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Greeley, Colorado

October 25, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming today. Laura and I 
are so honored so many came out to say hello. You have lifted our 
spirits. Thank you for being here. It's great to be here in Greeley, 
Colorado. You know, I am told the last sitting President to visit 
Greeley was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who came right before he won his 
second term. With your help, history will be repeated.
    And that's what we are here to do; we're here to ask for your help. 
We'd like you to get your friends and neighbors to go to the polls. 
Remind them we have a duty in our democracy to vote. When you get them 
headed to the polls, tell them if they want a safer America, a stronger 
America and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
    So Laura and I were in the seventh grade together in west Texas. And 
then we became reacquainted when she--she was a public school librarian 
at the time. I asked her to marry me. She said, ``Fine, but make me one 
promise.'' I said, ``What is that?'' She said, ``Promise me I'll 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. She's given a 
lot of speeches, and when she does, the American people see a strong, 
compassionate, great First Lady.
    I am proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. Look, I readily concede 
that he does not have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] But 
you'll be pleased to know I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. I 
picked him because of his judgment, his experience. He's getting the job 
done for the American people.
    You know, Laura, and I were able to welcome the Giulianis to our 
ranch in Crawford, Texas, last night. We know him more--I know him 
better than I knew him as mayor. I know him as a person, a 
compassionate, strong leader. I am proud to have Rudy and Judith 
Giuliani traveling with us. I'm proud to have your support, Mr. Mayor. 
And I appreciate your great service to our country.
    And like the mayor, I recognize that you've got a great Governor in 
Governor Bill Owens, and I want to thank his wife, Frances, and 
daughter, Monica, and son, Brett, for being with us today.
    I want to thank Senator Wayne Allard for his great service to the 
State of Colorado. And his wife, Joan, is with us today. I'm proud to 
stand with the next Senator from Colorado, Pete Coors. I appreciate 
Marilyn being here. And when he wins, he'll be taking the place of a 
fine man in Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. And I know you're proud of 
the Congresswoman from this district, Marilyn Musgrave. We're proud 
you're here, Marilyn. I appreciate Steve being here.
    I want to thank the Lieutenant Governor. I want to thank all the 
State and local officials who are here. I appreciate Congressman Bob 
Schaffer for being here. Congressman, I appreciate working together to 
make sure this party stays united coming down the stretch.
    I want to thank Mark Wills, the country and western singer who is 
here. He likes to sing in a part of the world where the cowboy hats 
outnumber the ties. I want to thank Kenny Cordova & The Olde Rock Band. 
I'm proud to be up here with a man who can hit that baseball in Todd 
Helton. We got to know him a little while back; we had he and his wife 
to the White House for dinner. And he can sure play. [Laughter]

[[Page 2574]]

    I want to thank those who wear the uniform who are with us here 
today. Thank you for your service. I want to thank the veterans who are 
here today for having set such a great example. I want to thank the 
military families who are here today, for your sacrifice.
    But most of all, I want to thank the rest of you for coming. I 
appreciate what you have done on behalf of our campaign and what you're 
going to do. Keep putting up the signs, making the phone calls, turning 
out the vote, and we're going to win a great victory on November the 2d.
    We're coming down the stretch in the last week of this campaign. I 
will continue to talk about my vision for a more hopeful America. I am 
committed to low taxes, spending discipline. I'm committed to a sound 
energy policy that makes us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    In a new term, we'll continue to work to make sure our farmers and 
ranchers can make a decent living. In a new term, we'll continue to work 
to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit in America is strong so small 
businesses can thrive and succeed. In a new term, we'll stay on the path 
of reform and results in our schools so no child is left behind in 
America. In a new term, we'll make sure health care is more affordable 
and accessible for all our families and small businesses. In a new term, 
we'll keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors and strengthen 
the system for our children and our grandchildren. We will protect 
marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. And I'll 
name judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the 
strict interpretation of the law.
    And all the progress we hope to make depends on the security of our 
Nation. We face enemies who hate our country and would do anything to 
harm us. I'll fight these enemies with every asset of our national 
power, and we will do our duty and protect the American people.
    In the last 4 years, we've been through a lot of history. We saw a 
ruthless, sneak attack on the United States. We learned of heroism on 
doomed airplanes. We saw the bravery of rescuers running toward danger. 
We've seen our military bring freedom to the oppressed and justice to 
our enemies. Our Nation has shown our character to the world. We are 
proud to be Americans.
    Now we are nearing the first Presidential election since September 
the 11th, 2001. The people of the United States will choose the leader 
of the free world in the middle of a global war. The choice is not only 
between two candidates; it is between two directions in the conduct of 
the war on terror. Will America return to the defensive, reactive mind 
set that sought to manage the dangers to our country?
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Or will we fight a real war with the goal of victory?
    In every critical aspect, in every critical respect, my opponent and 
I see the war on terror differently, and the Americans need to consider 
these differences as they make a vital choice. First, I believe that 
America wins wars by fighting on the offensive. When I saw those images 
of the fire and death on September the 11th, I made a decision: Our 
country will not sit back and wait for future attacks; we will prevent 
those attacks by going after the enemy.
    We are waging a global campaign from the mountains of Central Asia 
to the deserts of the Middle East, from the Horn of Africa to the 
Philippines. And those efforts are succeeding. Since September the 11th, 
2001, more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates 
have been brought to justice, and the rest of them know we're on their 
trail.
    After September the 11th, we set a new direction for American policy 
and enforced a doctrine that is clear to all: ``If you supported or 
harbored terrorists, you are equally guilty of terrorist murder.'' We 
destroyed the terror camps that trained thousands of killers in 
Afghanistan. We removed the Taliban from power. We have persuaded 
Governments in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to recognize the enemy and to 
join the fight. We ended the regime of Saddam Hussein, which sponsored 
terror. America and the world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a 
prison cell. We sent a clear message to Libya, which has now given up 
its weapons of mass destruction programs. We have acted through 
diplomacy and force to shrink the area where

[[Page 2575]]

the terrorists can freely operate. And that strategy has the terrorists 
on the run.
    My opponent has a different view.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He says that fighting terrorists in the Middle East, 
America has, quote, ``created terrorists where they did not exist,'' end 
quote.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. This is his argument, that terrorists are somehow 
less dangerous or fewer in number if America avoids provoking them.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. But this represents a fundamental misunderstanding of 
the enemy. We are dealing with killers who have made the death of 
Americans the calling of their lives. If America were not fighting these 
killers west of Baghdad and in the mountains of Afghanistan and 
elsewhere, what does Senator Kerry think they would do? Would they be 
living productive lives of service and charity? [Laughter] Would the 
terrorists who behead innocent people on camera just be quiet, peaceful 
citizens if we had not liberated Iraq?
    Audience members. No-o-o!
    The President. We are fighting these terrorists with our military in 
Afghanistan and Iraq and beyond so we do not have to face them in the 
streets of our own cities.
    America is not to blame for terrorist hatred, and no retreat by 
America would appease them. We don't create terrorists by fighting them. 
We defeat the terrorists by fighting them.
    Our second big difference concerns Iraq. Victory in Iraq is 
essential to victory in the war on terror. We have a strategy to achieve 
that victory. The stakes in that country are high. If a terror regime 
were allowed to reemerge in Iraq, terrorists would again find a home, a 
source of funding, and vital support; they would correctly conclude that 
free nations do not have the will to defend themselves.
    As Iraq succeeds as a free society in the heart of the Middle East, 
an ally in the war on terror, and a model of hopeful reform in a 
troubled region, the terrorists will suffer a crushing defeat, and every 
free nation will be more secure.
    We are still confronting serious violence from determined enemies. 
Yet, the Iraqi Interim Government, with American and coalition support, 
is making progress week by week. Along with Iraqi forces, we're on the 
offensive in Fallujah, North Babil. We've restored Government control in 
Samarra, Tall `AFar, and Najaf. More than 100,000 Iraqi soldiers, 
police, and border guards are already trained, equipped, and bravely 
serving their country. More than 200,000 will be in place by the end of 
next year. An Iraqi independent electoral commission is up and running. 
Political parties are planning campaigns. A free and fair Iraq elections 
will be held on schedule this January.
    The desperate executions of unarmed Iraqi security forces show the 
evil nature of the terrorists we fight. It proves these terrorists are 
enemies of the Iraqi people and the American people and everyone who 
loves freedom. The terrorist insurgents hate our progress, and they 
fight our progress, but they will not stop our progress. We will stay on 
the offense against these terrorists, and we will prevail. We will help 
the Iraqis get on the path to stability and democracy as quickly as 
possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they have 
earned.
    My opponent has a different view.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. The Senator calls America's missions in Iraq a 
``mistake,'' a ``diversion,'' a ``colossal error.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And then he says he's the right man to win the war?
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. You cannot win a war you do not believe in fighting.
    On Iraq, my opponent has a strategy of pessimism and retreat.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He's talked about artificial timetables to pull our 
troops out. He has sent the signal that America's overriding goal in 
Iraq would be to leave, even if the job is not done.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. That sends the wrong message. It sends the wrong 
message to Iraqis who need to know that America will

[[Page 2576]]

not cut and run. That sends the wrong message to the troops of our 
coalition who need to know that we will honor their sacrifice by 
completing the mission. My opponent has the wrong strategy for the wrong 
country at the wrong time.
    On this vital front of the war on terror, protest is not a policy, 
retreat is not a strategy, and failure is not an option. As long as I'm 
the Commander in Chief, America will never retreat in the face of the 
terrorists.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Third, American leadership is indispensable to 
winning the war on terror. Ever since September the 11th, 2001, America 
has sounded a certain trumpet. We've stated clearly the challenge to 
civilization. We've rallied many nations to oppose it. More than 90 
nations are actively engaged in the war on terror. All 26 nations of 
NATO have personnel in either Iraq, Afghanistan, or both. NATO has taken 
leadership of an international force in Afghanistan, the first out-of-
area deployment in the history of our Alliance. Japan has deployed 
forces in Iraq, the first overseas mission in the history of their 
democracy. Forces from South Korea are there. America has led. Many have 
joined. And America and the world are safer.
    My opponent takes a different approach.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He believes that instead of leading with confidence, 
America must submit to what he calls a ``global test.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I'm not making that up. [Laughter] I was standing 
right here when he said it. As far as I can tell, that means our country 
must get permission from foreign capitals before we act in our own 
defense.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As President, I will always work with other 
countries. I will seek their advice. But there is a world of difference 
between working with good allies and giving a few reluctant nations veto 
power over our national security. I will never, never submit our 
national security decisions to veto of a foreign government.
    In addition to a ``global test,'' my opponent promises what he calls 
a ``golden age'' of diplomacy, to charm critical governments all over 
the world.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I don't see much diplomatic skill in Senator Kerry's 
habit of insulting America's closest friends. He's called the countries 
serving alongside us in Iraq, quote, ``a trumped up coalition of the 
bribed, the coerced, the bought, and the extorted.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Even last week, my opponent said that we have, quote, 
``hardly anyone with us in Iraq.'' That is a deeply offensive way to 
treat some 30 nations that are in Iraq, and especially the 14 nations 
that have lost forces in our cause. How can Senator Kerry denigrate the 
contributions led by the likes of Tony Blair of Great Britain, John 
Howard of Australia, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Aleksander Kwasniewski 
of Poland, and then expect other leaders to stand with America in the 
future? You cannot expand an alliance by showing contempt for those 
already in it. In this time of challenge to civilization, America has 
found strong and responsible allies, and they deserve the respect of all 
Americans, not the scorn of a politician.
    Fourth, I believe that America will gain long-term security by 
promoting freedom and hope and democracy in the broader Middle East. Our 
country needs to look ahead. And 20 years from now, if the Middle East 
is dominated by dictators and mullahs who build weapons of mass 
destruction and harbor terrorists, our children and grandchildren will 
live in a nightmare world of danger. That doesn't have to happen.
    By taking the side of reformers and democrats in the Middle East, 
we'll gain allies in the war on terror and isolate the ideology of 
murder and help defeat the despair and hopelessness that feeds terror. 
By spreading freedom, by spreading liberty, the world will become a much 
safer place for future generations. Progress in the broader Middle East 
toward freedom will not come easily. Yet, that progress is coming faster 
than many would have said possible. Across a troubled region, we're 
seeing a movement toward elections, greater rights for women, and open 
discussion of peaceful reform. The election in Afghanistan this month 
and the election

[[Page 2577]]

in Iraq next January will be counted as landmark events in the history 
of liberty.
    My opponent looks at things differently.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. He's not only skeptical of democracy in Iraq; he has 
not made democracy a priority for his foreign policy. But what is his 
long-term answer to the threat of terror? Is he content to watch and 
wait as anger and resentment grow for more decades? Is he content to 
wait as more and more people are angry and hostile and turn to 
terrorism? Is he content to wait until radicals without conscience gain 
the weapons to kill without limit? Ignoring the root causes of terror, 
turning a blind eye to the oppression and despair of millions may be 
easier in the short run, but we learned on September the 11th, if 
violence and fanaticism are not opposed at their source, they will find 
us where we live.
    Instead of offering his own agenda for freedom, my opponent 
complains that we are trying to, quote, ``impose democracy on the people 
of the broader Middle East.'' Is that what he sees in Afghanistan, 
unwilling people having democracy forced upon them? We did remove the 
Taliban by force, but democracy is rising in that country because the 
Afghan people, like people everywhere, want to live in freedom. No one 
forced them to register by the millions or to stand in long lines 
waiting to vote. For many people, that historic election was a day they 
will never forget. One man in western Kabul arrived to vote at 7 a.m. He 
said, ``I don't want''--he said, ``I didn't sleep all night. I wanted to 
be the first in my polling station.'' My fellow citizens, freedom is on 
the march, and it is changing the world.
    We are witnessing big and hopeful events. Yet, my opponent refuses 
to see them. I believe that people across the Middle East are weary of 
poverty and oppression. I believe everybody wants to be free. Freedom is 
not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to 
each man and woman in this world.
    Our fifth great difference concerns the role of the Presidency. A 
President has to lead with consistency and strength. In a war, sometimes 
your tactics will 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, where I stand, and what I intend to do. On good days and on bad 
days, whether the polls are up or down, I am determined to win the war 
on terror, and I will always support the men and women who do the 
fighting.
    My opponent has taken a different approach.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. It's fair to say that consistency has not been his 
strong point. [Laughter] Senator Kerry says that we are better off with 
Saddam Hussein out of power, except when he declares that removing 
Saddam made us less safe.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Senator Kerry stated in our second debate that he 
always believed that Saddam Hussein 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 the wild claim that he knows 
where bin Laden was in the fall of 2001--[laughter]--and that our 
military had a chance to get him in Tora Bora. This is an unjustified 
and harsh criticism of our military commanders in the field. This is the 
worst kind of Monday morning quarterbacking, and it is what we've come 
to expect from Senator Kerry.
    In fact, our Commander in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks recently 
wrote, quote, ``The Senator's understanding of events do not square with 
reality.'' He was talking about Tora Bora. The General says that 
American Special Forces were actively involved in the search of 
terrorists in Tora Bora, and that intelligence reports at the time 
placed bin Laden in any of several countries.
    Before Senator Kerry got into political difficulty and revised his 
views, he saw Tora Bora differently. In the fall of 2001, on national 
TV, Senator Kerry said, quote, ``I think we have been doing this pretty 
effectively, and we should continue to do it that way.'' At the time, 
Senator Kerry said about Tora Bora, ``I think we've been smart. I think 
administration leadership has done well, and we

[[Page 2578]]

are on the right track,'' end quote. All I can say is that I am George 
W. Bush, and I approve of that message.
    Yet, Senator Kerry'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 and dangerously 
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.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And he voted against many of the weapons systems 
critical to our defense buildup. History has shown that Senator Kerry 
was wrong, and President 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.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. 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----
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. ----so massive that even his Massachusetts colleague, 
Ted Kennedy, opposed them. [Laughter] History has shown that Senator 
Kerry was wrong and--we've got to be fair--[laughter]--Senator Kennedy 
was right.
    Just last year, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan needed $87 
billion for body armor, hazard pay, vehicles, weapons, and bullets. 
First, Senator Kerry said, ``It would irresponsible to vote against the 
troops.'' Then he voted against the troops.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Then 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--[laughter]--then briefly right--
[laughter]--then wrong again. [Laughter]
    Since then, the Senator has said the whole matter about the $87 
billion is a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about 
supporting our troops in combat.
    During the last 20 years, in key moments of challenge and decision 
for America, Senator Kerry 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 and Harry Truman and John Kennedy is rightly remembered for 
confidence and resolve in times of war and in hours of crisis. Senator 
Kerry has turned his back on ``pay any price'' and ``bear any burden.'' 
And he has replaced those commitments with ``wait and see'' and ``cut 
and run.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. 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 would be honored to have your support, and I 
ask for your vote.
    All the differences I outlined today add up to one big difference: 
Senator Kerry says that September the 11th did not change him much at 
all.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. And his policies make that clear. He says the war on 
terror is primarily a law enforcement and intelligence gathering 
operation. His top foreign policy adviser says, ``The war is just a 
metaphor, like the war on poverty.'' The Senator's goal is to go back to 
the mindset of the 1990s, when terrorism was seen as a nuisance, and we 
fought with subpoenas and a few cruise missiles.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. There is a major problem with that. The era of calm 
he longs for was only a shallow illusion of peace. We know that 
throughout the 1990s, the terrorists were training and plotting against 
us. They saw our complacency as weakness. And so their plans became more 
ambitious and their attacks more deadly, until, finally, the Twin Towers 
became Ground Zero and the Pentagon was in flames. My outlook was 
changed on September the 11th.

[[Page 2579]]

    A few days after the attacks, I stood with Rudy where the buildings 
fell. He'll never forget that day, and neither will I. I'll never forget 
the evil of the enemy and the suffering of our people. I know we're not 
fighting a metaphor. And I remember the hard--workers in hardhats there 
yelling at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' A fellow 
grabbed me by the arm, and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' From that 
day forward, I have gotten up every morning thinking about how to better 
protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever 
it takes.
    In a new term, we will finish the work we have started. We will 
stand against terror. We will stand for freedom and peace. And on 
November 2d, my fellow Americans, I ask you stand with me.
    God bless. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 10:14 a.m. at the Island Grove Regional 
Park Community Events Center. In his remarks, he referred to former 
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York City, and his wife, Judith; Gov. 
Bill Owens and Lt. Gov. Jane Bergman Norton of Colorado; Marilyn Coors, 
wife of Colorado senatorial candidate Pete Coors; Steven E. Musgrave, 
husband of Representative Marilyn N. Musgrave; former Representative Bob 
Schaffer, senatorial candidate in Colorado; professional baseball player 
Todd Helton and his wife, Christy; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the 
United Kingdom; Prime Minister John Howard of Australia; Prime Minister 
Silvio Berlusconi of Italy; President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland; 
Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist network; and Gen. 
Tommy R. Franks, USA, (Ret.), former combatant commander, U.S. Central 
Command.