[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 45 (Monday, November 8, 2004)]
[Pages 2707-2708]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

October 30, 2004

    Good morning. In just a few days, Americans will choose who will 
lead our country during a time of war and economic opportunity. And the 
choice on Tuesday comes down to a few issues of great consequence. The 
first choice is the most important, because all our progress depends on 
our safety.
    Since September the 11th, 2001, I have led a relentless campaign 
against the terrorists. We have strengthened homeland security. We 
removed terror regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are on the offensive 
around the world, because the best way to prevent future attacks is to 
go after the enemy.
    My opponent has a different view. Senator Kerry says September the 
11th didn't change him much, and his policies make that clear. He says 
the war on terror is primarily an intelligence and law enforcement 
operation. He has proposed what he calls a ``global test''

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that would give foreign governments a veto over American security 
decisions. And when our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq needed funding 
for body armor and bullets, Senator Kerry voted against it.
    The direction of the war on terror is at stake in the election of 
2004. And when you go to the polls on Tuesday, remember this: I will do 
whatever it takes to defend America and prevail in the war on terror, 
and I will always support the men and women who do the fighting.
    The second choice in this election concerns your family budget. As a 
candidate, I pledged to lower taxes for families, and I have kept my 
word. We doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, and 
dropped the lowest tax bracket to 10 percent. Now working families keep 
more of their paychecks, and America's economy is growing faster than 
any other among major industrialized nations.
    My opponent voted against all our tax relief for working families. 
His votes would have squeezed about $2,000 more in taxes from the 
average middle-class family. Now Senator Kerry is promising to increase 
Federal spending by more than $2.2 trillion. And to pay for all that new 
spending, he would have to raise taxes on American families. I will keep 
your taxes low because I know it's not the Government's money; it's your 
family's money.
    The third choice in this election involves your quality of life. As 
President, I signed historic education reforms to bring high standards 
to the classroom and make schools accountable to parents, and our 
children are making progress in reading and math. We've strengthened 
Medicare, created health savings accounts, and expanded community health 
centers to help more Americans get health care. I'm proposing a series 
of practical reforms to make health care more affordable and accessible 
by expanding health savings accounts, allowing association health plans, 
and protecting patients and doctors from junk and frivolous lawsuits.
    My opponent has a different approach. Senator Kerry voted for the No 
Child Left Behind Act, but he has pledged to weaken the accountability 
standards. He's voted 10 times against medical liability reform. And 
now, he's proposing a big-Government health care plan that would do 
nothing about rising health costs and would cause millions of Americans 
to lose their private health insurance and end up on Government 
programs.
    Finally, this election presents a choice on the values that keep our 
families strong. I believe marriage is a sacred commitment, and I will 
always defend it. I will continue to appoint judges who strictly 
interpret the law. And I will keep working to move this goodhearted 
nation toward a culture of life.
    On these issues, my opponent and I are miles apart. Senator Kerry 
was part of an out-of-the-mainstream minority that voted against the 
Defense of Marriage Act. He believes there ought to be a liberal litmus 
test for judicial appointments. He voted against banning the brutal 
practice of partial-birth abortion. I believe that reasonable people can 
find common ground on difficult issues, and I will continue reaching out 
and bringing Americans together to protect our deepest held values.
    All of these choices make this one of the most important elections 
in our history. These past 4 years, you have seen how I do my job. Even 
when you might not agree with me, you know where I stand, what I 
believe, and what I intend to do. Soon, the decision will be in your 
hands. And however you decide, I urge you to get out and vote on 
Tuesday.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on October 29 in the Cabinet 
Room for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 30. The transcript was made 
available by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 29 but was 
embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.