SPEECHES
FROM THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
George W. Bush
Campaign Remarks
in St. Paul
August 18, 2004 • St. Paul, MN
Thank you all very much for coming. Thanks
for having me. I'm glad we came, Mr. Mayor. I'm proud to
stand by your side. I am really proud to have your endorsement.
(Applause.) St. Paul has got a wise and tough and principled
man as the mayor of this city. I appreciate him bucking
the political winds to do what he thinks is right in the
2004 campaign. (Applause.)
You know, there's a lot of differences in this campaign.
The other day, my opponent said he thought you could find
the heart and soul of America in Hollywood. I think you
can find it right here in this hall. (Applause.) I'm proud
to be with the heart and soul of America tonight, and thank
you for coming. I'm here to ask for the vote. I'm in this
important state to let the people know I'm asking for the
vote. There is more to do to make America a safer place,
a stronger place, and a better place for every single citizen.
(Applause.)
I'm also here to thank the grassroots activists for your
support. I want you to work hard to put up the signs, man
the phones, register your friends and neighbors to vote.
I appreciate all your hard work, and when you get them
headed toward the polls, remember that George Bush and
Dick Cheney are what's best for this country. (Applause.)
Thank you. With your help, we will carry the great state
of Minnesota. With your help, we'll achieve a great victory
in November of this year. (Applause.)
I only wish Laura could be here to see and hear this crowd.
(Applause.) She's a wonderful mother and a great wife.
Listen, I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back
in, but perhaps the most important one of all is so that
Laura has four more years as the First Lady. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. Listen, I admit
it, he's not the prettiest face in the race. (Laughter.)
I didn't pick him for his looks. (Laughter.) I picked him
for his judgment, his experience, his ability to get the
job done. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be up here with a great United States Senate,
Norman Coleman. I appreciate his service. (Applause.) He's
here with his dad. It's good to see you, Mr. Coleman. Thank
you for being here. (Applause.) I want to thank members
of the Minnesota congressional delegation who are here
-- Gil Gutknecht, John Kline, and Mark Kennedy -- three
fine members of the House. Thank you all for coming. Proud
you're here. (Applause.)
I want to thank Pat Anderson and Erik Paulsen for coming.
I want to thank all the elected officials who are here.
Thank you for serving your state and your community. I
appreciate Laura Ingraham for being the emcee of this fine
event. (Applause.) I want to thank all the veterans who
are here tonight. I appreciate you coming. I want to thank
my friend, Joe Repya. (Applause.) I want to thank the Minnesota
Teen Challenge Choir for joining us tonight. (Applause.)
Thank you all for coming. And I appreciate my friend, Ricky
Skaggs, for being here, as well. (Applause.)
Most of all, thank you all for taking time out of your
day to come by and say hello. I appreciate it. (Applause.)
It means a lot. It means a lot. You know, in the past few
years we've been through a lot together. We've accomplished
a great deal. But there's only one reason to look backward
at the record, and that's to determine who best to lead
this nation forward. (Applause.) I'm asking for the vote
because so much is at stake. We have so much more to do
to move this nation forward. We've got more to do to create
jobs and to improve our schools. We've got more to do to
protect our homeland and spread the peace. We've made much
progress and there is more to do.
We have more to do to make our public schools the centers
of excellence we all know they can be so that no child
is left behind in America. (Applause.) You know, when we
came to office three-and-a-half years ago, too many of
the children were being shuffled grade to grade, year after
year, without learning the basics. We challenged the soft
bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the bar. We believe
in accountability so we know whether or not our children
can read and write and add and subtract. We're willing
to challenge the status quo if our children are being failed
in America. (Applause.)
There's more work to do. We want our high schools to issue
a diploma that means something. We want to encourage math
and science so our children have the schools necessary
to work in the -- for the jobs of the 21st century. We'll
bring the Internet to high-level -- for high-level training
in the classrooms. What I'm telling you is, after four
more years, a rising generation will have the confidence
and the skills necessary to realize the great promise of
America. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make quality health care available
and affordable. You might remember the old debates on Medicare.
Year after year, the politicians would promise you a modernized
Medicare system. We got the job done. (Applause.) Beginning
in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose
the plan that suits their needs and gives them coverage
for prescription drugs. We've done more. We've expanded
community health centers for low-income Americans so they
can get primary care in places other than emergency rooms
in your hospitals. We've created health savings accounts
so families can save tax-free for their own health care
needs. When it comes to giving Americans more choices for
their own health care and making health care more affordable,
we are moving America forward. (Applause.)
Most Americans get their health care coverage through
their work. Most of today's new jobs are created by small
businesses, which too often cannot afford to provide health
care. To help more American families get health insurance,
we must allow small employers to join together to purchase
insurance at the discounts that big companies are able
to do. (Applause.)
We'll harness technology to reduce costs and prevent mistakes.
We'll do more to expand research and seek new cures. And
to make sure we've got available and affordable health
care, we must have medical liability reform. (Applause.)
I don't think you can be pro-doctor and pro-patient and
pro-plaintiff attorney at the same time. I think you have
to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him
on the ticket. I made my choice. I stand with the patients
and doctors. I support medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
In all we do to improve health care in America, we'll make
sure the health decisions are made by doctors and patients,
not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
And there's more work to be done to make our economy stronger.
Our economy's been through a lot. We've been through a
recession. We've been through a terror attack that some
estimated cost us a million jobs. We've been through corporate
scandals. But we've overcome these obstacles, because the
spirit of America is strong. We've got great workers, great
farmers, great small business owners. (Applause.) And we've
overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
(Applause.)
You know, we didn't pick winners or losers when it came
to tax relief. We did it the fair way. We said, if you
pay federal income taxes, you ought to get relief. (Applause.)
We helped our families with children. We reduced the marriage
penalty. It's a bad tax system that penalizes marriage.
We ought to be encouraging marriage in America. (Applause.)
We helped our small businesses, and this time, the check
actually was in the mail. (Applause.) Because we acted,
our economy has, since last summer, has grown at a rate
as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, America
has added 1.5 million new jobs since last August and the
unemployment rate is down to 5.5 percent. (Applause.) Because
we acted, Minnesota's unemployment rate is at 4.4 percent.
(Applause.) When it comes to creating jobs, or moving America
forward, and we're not going to turn back. (Applause.)
Our farm economy is strong, and I intend to keep it that
way. (Applause.) I appreciate the farmers who are here
today.
There's more work to be done to make sure that we've got
jobs here in America. Listen, we need an energy plan. I
submitted a plan to the United States Congress nearly two
years ago; it needs to get to my desk -- an energy plan
that encourages conservation, renewable sources of energy;
an energy plan that encourages the exploration of natural
resources here close to home in environmentally friendly
ways. But one thing is certain: For the sake of economic
security, and the sake of national security, we must become
less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
We got to make sure our workers have the skills necessary
to fill the jobs of the 21st century. That's why I'm a
strong backer of lifetime learning for America's workers
and the smart utilization of our community college system
here in this country.
In order to make sure we've got jobs here in America,
we need reasonable regulations on our business creators,
our job creators. We need tort reform. In order to keep
jobs here in America, we've got to make sure we open up
markets for Minnesota products, and reject economic isolationism.
In order to keep jobs here in America, we've got to be
wise about how we spend your money, and keep your taxes
low. (Applause.)
We have a difference in opinion on this campaign about
taxes. My opponent said that he's going to -- he promised
about over $2 trillion of new programs. And so we said,
well, how are you going to pay for it? He said, well, I'll
pay for it by taxing the rich. You've heard that before,
haven't you? You've heard that line. That's why people
hire accountants and lawyers, so you won't be able to tax
them. You can't raise enough money to pay for all his spending
by so-called taxing the rich. He's going to try to stick
you with the tax bill. We're not going to let him raise
your taxes. He's not going to win. (Applause.) When you
put me back into office for four more years, I'll continue
to pursue a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-farmer agenda
that enables America to remain the strongest economy in
the industrialized world. (Applause.)
We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror.
America's future depends on our willingness to lead in
the world. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in
this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This
is not going to happen on my watch. (Applause.)
The world changed on a terrible September morning, and
since that day, we have changed the world. Before September
the 11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of al Qaeda,
which trained and deployed thousands of killers to set
up terror cells in dozens of countries, including our own.
Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy, Afghanistan
is an ally in the war against the terrorists, and many
young girls go to school for the first time in their lives.
(Applause.) Because we acted, America and the world are
safer.
Before September the 11th, the ruler in Libya was spending
millions to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Today,
because America and our allies have sent a strong and easy
to understand message, the leader of Libya abandoned his
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and America and
the world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn
enemy of America. He was defying the world. He was firing
weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world's
sanctions. He had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction.
He harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized
the families of suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands
of his own citizens. He was a source of great instability
in the world's most volatile region. Saddam Hussein was
a threat. (Applause.)
One of the important lessons that we must never forget,
is that after September the 11th, we must take threats
seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.) I
recognize that. I realized that and so I went to the United
States Congress and said, I believe there is a threat in
Iraq. Members of the Congress, the House and the Senate,
members of both political parties, including my opponent,
came to the same conclusion: Saddam Hussein was a threat.
Listen, the hardest decision a President ever makes is
to commit those who wear our uniform into combat. It's
a hard decision. And it ought to be the last option for
a President. So I went to the United Nations. And I said
to the United Nations, I said, I believe there's a threat.
They looked at the same intelligence, they remembered the
same history, and came to the same conclusion. They passed
a resolution, 15 to nothing, that said that Saddam Hussein
disclose, disarm or face serious consequences.
The world spoke. But as he had for over a decade, Saddam
Hussein defied the world. He wasn't about to disclose or
disarm, because he didn't think there were serious consequences.
As a matter of fact, we sent -- we didn't -- the U.N. sent
inspectors into Iraq, but he systematically deceived the
inspectors. I knew he was systematically deceiving the
inspectors, as did others. So I had a choice to make: either
to forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a
madman who is a sworn enemy of America, or take action
necessary to defend this country. Given that choice, I
will defend America every time. (Applause.)
Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we expected
to find, I want you to remember that Saddam Hussein had
the capability of making weapons, and he could have passed
that capability on to our enemies. And that was a risk
we could not afford to take after September the 11th. (Applause.)
Knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same
course of action. America and the world are safer with
Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.)
Now, almost two years after he voted for the war in Iraq,
and seven months after switching positions to declare himself
the anti-war candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance
-- he now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq.
After months of questioning my motives, and even my credibility,
the Massachusetts Senator now agrees with me that even
though we have not found the stockpiles of weapons we all
believed were there, knowing everything we know today,
he would have voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein
from power. I appreciate him clarifying his position. (Laughter
and applause.) There are -- however -- however, there are
still 76 days left in the campaign for him to change his
mind. (Applause.)
We have more to do. I'm running because I understand there's
more work to be done. We must continue to work with friends
and allies around the world to aggressively pursue the
terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. See, you
can't talk sense to these people. You can't negotiate with
them. You cannot hope for the best. We must engage these
enemies around the world so we do not have to face them
here at home. (Applause.)
America will continue to lead the world with confidence
and moral clarity. We put together a strong coalition to
join us in the defeat of our enemies. Listen, there's nearly
40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved
in Iraq. I appreciate the sacrifices the moms and dads
and husbands and wives of those countries are making, alongside
those of our country to secure our freedom. (Applause.)
We will continue to build alliances and work with our friends
for the cause of security and peace. I will never turn
over America's national security decisions to leaders of
other countries. (Applause.)
We will keep our commitments to help Afghanistan an Iraq
become peaceful democratic societies. See, these two nations
are now governed by strong leaders who believe in the hopes
and aspirations of their people. And we have a clear goal
in those two countries: peaceful and democratic societies
which are allies of our in the war on terror. We will help
those people meet those goals by providing security as
the political process moves forward. We will help them
train their own troops, so they can step up and do the
hard work necessary for a free society. Our military will
complete this mission as quickly as possible so our troops
do not stay a day longer than necessary. (Applause.)
We have a difference of opinion as to how to handle this
issue in Iraq. After all, my opponent said the other day
that if he's elected, the number of troops in Iraq will
be significantly reduced within six months. I don't think
it's a wise statement. You see, it sends the wrong signal.
I mean, after all, the enemy says, fine, I'll wait six
months and one day. It sends the wrong signal to our troops.
It sends the wrong signal to the Iraqis. See, they're watching
carefully. They wonder whether or not we will stand with
them as they do the hard work for a free society to emerge.
So long as I am the President, when America gives its word,
America will keep its word. (Applause.)
In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the
men and women that wear our uniform. I'm really proud of
our military. We've got a fantastic military. (Applause.)
I've traveled our country and met with our troops. I've
seen their great decency and their unselfish courage. Ladies
and gentlemen, I can assure you the cause of freedom is
in really good hands. (Applause.)
I have made a commitment to them and to their loved ones:
our troops will have the resources they need to fight and
win the war against the terrorists. (Applause.) So last
September I went to the Congress, while our troops were
in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I proposed supplemental
funding to support them in their mission. This was an important
piece of legislation. It was money for body armor and vital
equipment, for hazard pay, for health benefits, ammunition,
fuel and spare parts. We received great bipartisan support.
Members of both political parties recognized that when
you had people in harm's way, they deserve the full support
of government. As a matter of fact, it was such good bipartisan
support only 12 members of the United States Senate voted
against it -- two of whom are my opponent and his running
mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they asked him to explain his vote.
He said: Well, I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
before I voted against it. (Laughter.) I don't think they
talk that way in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Applause.) They
pressed him on the vote and he said, well, he's proud of
the vote. Then he finally said, the whole thing is a complicated
matter. There's nothing complicated about supporting our
troops in combat. (Applause.)
In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force,
alone. We'll work to change the conditions that give rise
to terror: poverty and hopelessness and resentment. You
see, a free and peaceful Iraq, and a free and peaceful
Afghanistan will serve as powerful examples in a part of
the world that is desperate for freedom. (Applause.) Free
countries do not export terror. Free countries do not stifle
the dreams of their citizens. By serving the ideal of liberty,
we're bringing hope to others, and that makes America more
secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're spreading
the peace that we all want. (Applause.) And by serving
the ideal of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals
of America. We understand freedom is not America's gift
to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
man and woman in this world. (Applause.)
We have more to do to protect America. There are enemies
who hate us, and they're still plotting. It's the reality
of the world we live in today. We have a difference of
opinion about these folks. My opponent says that going
to war with the terrorists is actually improving their
recruiting efforts. I think the logic is wrong. I think
is shows a misunderstanding of the enemy we face. See,
during the 1990s, the terrorists were recruiting and training
for war with us long before we went to war with them. (Applause.)
They don't need an excuse for their hatred. I think it's
wrong to blame the actions of our country for the anger
and evil of those killers. (Applause.) You don't create
terrorists by fighting back. We defeat the terrorists by
fighting back. (Applause.)
We're working hard here at home to protect you. There's
a lot of really good, decent people at the federal level,
the state level, the first responders here in St. Paul,
Minnesota, that are working long hours to do everything
we can to protect the American people. This is our most
solemn duty. It's what we're called to do. We created the
new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the Patriot
Act. The Patriot Act is necessary for law enforcement to
be able to protect you. (Applause.) We're integrating intelligence
and law enforcement better than before. I've already taken
a lot of action on a majority of the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
We're working hard to secure our ports and our borders,
to train first responders, to improve dramatically our
intelligence-gathering capability.
We're working on reform. It's not easy in Washington to
reform things. There's a lot of entrenched interests there.
There's a lot of people interested in defending the status
quo. You see, it's not enough to advocate reform; you have
to be able to get the job done. (Applause.)
When it comes to reforming our schools to provide excellent
education for every child, we're getting the job done.
(Applause.) When it comes to health care reforms to get
families and seniors more access and more choices, we're
getting the job done. (Applause.) When it comes to improving
our economy and creating quality jobs, we're getting the
job done. (Applause.) When it comes to better securing
the homeland and spreading freedom and peace, we are getting
the job done. What I'm saying to you is, when it comes
to electing a President, put somebody back in the White
House who can get the job done. (Applause.)
You know, we live in a time -- we live in a time of rapid
change. These are exciting times, and times have changed.
It's important for government to help by standing side
by side with families and workers. And a great way to do
that is to promote an ownership society. I'll continue
to promote ownership in America. Listen, it's important
for people to own their own health care account so if they
change jobs, they can take their own health care account
with them. If you're a younger worker -- of you're a younger
worker, you ought to be concerned about the fiscal stability
of Social Security. Old baby-boomers like me are okay,
but for younger workers, there's a question about the fiscal
solvency of Social Security, and therefore, I think you
ought to be given the choice to have a personal savings
account and Social Security to call your own. (Applause.)
You know, one of the great -- one of the heartening statistics
of our country today is ownership rates are at an all-time
high. It's a fantastic thought when you think more and
more Americans from all walks of life are opening the door,
saying, welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property.
We want more people to own things. We want to create an
environment so more people own their own business. We want
the small business sector of our economy to remain vibrant
and strong. The reason why I continue to promote an ownership
society in America is because I understand if you own something,
you have a vital stake in the future of the United States
of America. (Applause.)
In changing times there's some things that won't change
-- our belief in liberty and opportunity and the non-negotiable
demands of human dignity; the individual values we try
to live by -- courage and compassion, reference and integrity;
the institutions that give us direction and purpose --
our families, our schools, and our religious congregations.
We stand for institutions like marriage and family which
are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) We stand
for a culture of life in which every person matter and
every person counts. We stand for judges who faithfully
interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.
(Applause.) We stand for a culture of responsibility in
America.
Listen, the culture of our country is changing from one
that has said, if it feels good do it, and if you've got
a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in which each
of us understands we're responsible for the decisions we
make in life. If you're fortunate enough to be a mom or
a dad, you are responsible for loving your child with all
your heart and all your soul. (Applause.) If you're worried
about the quality of the education in your community, you're
responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO
in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the
truth to your shareholders and your employees. (Applause.)
And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible
for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved
ourselves.
I'm running for four more years to continue to rally the
armies of compassion all across America. See, I understand
the limitations of government. Government can hand out
money, but government cannot put love in a person's heart,
or a sense of purpose in a person's life. That happens
when a loving soul puts their arm around somebody who hurts
and says, I love you. What can I do to help you? I want
to walk with you. I want to stand with you. You see, I
believe, by rallying the armies of compassion, we can change
America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time,
to make sure this great American experience is available
to all our citizens. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will stand
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when
little is expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those
times. This is a time where we need firm resolve, clear
vision, and a deep belief in the values that make us a
great country. (Applause.)
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 I'll never
forget. Workers in hard-hats were yelling at me, "Whatever
it takes." I remember shaking people's hands and a
guy looked me in the eye, his bloodshot eyes, he'd just
come out of the rubble, saying, "Do not let me down." It
was a powerful day. You know, I came away from that site
recognizing that everybody there searching through the
rubble took that day personally. My fellow citizens took
it personally. I took it personally. I have a duty that
goes on. Every day that I wake up, I think about how best
to secure our country. I will never relent in defending
America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
We have come through much together. We've done a lot of
hard work. But there's more work to be done to move this
country forward. During the next four years, we will spread
opportunity and ownership throughout every corner of our
country. We will pass the enduring values of our country
to another generation. We will continue to work to spread
freedom and peace.
You know, when I campaigned in your state four years ago,
I asked -- when I was asking for the vote, I made a pledge
to the people of Minnesota and the people of our country,
that if you honored me with this great responsibility,
I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office
to which I had been elected. (Applause.) And with your
help, and with your hard work, I will do so for four more
years.
Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)
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