SPEECHES
FROM THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
George W. Bush
Campaign Remarks
in New Mexico
October 11, 2004 • Hobbs, NM
Thank you all. (Applause.) Thanks for coming
out. (Applause.) It's nice to be back in a part of the
world that I know very well. (Applause.) I was raised right
around the corner. (Applause.) It's good to be in a part
of the world where the cowboy hats outnumber the ties.
(Applause.) It's good to be in a part of the world where
people believe in their family and their faith and their
country. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the people from Lea County, New Mexico
for coming here today. I'm proud you're here. Thanks for
organizing this great event. (Applause.) I want to thank
the people from Eddy County who are here. When I was a
little guy, I distinctly remember going to Carlsbad Caverns.
(Applause.) I went with the Cub Scout troop. It just so
happens the den mother was my mother. (Laughter.) I think
that's when her hair started to go white. (Laughter.)
Appreciate the people from Chaves being here, as well.
I want to thank my friends who've come over from the great
state of Texas. I'm proud you all are here. (Applause.)
I really appreciate the Flying Eagles from Hobbs being
here. Thank you for being here in the band. (Applause.)
Still play pretty good basketball? (Applause.) Yes. That's
what I figured. (Laughter.)
I'm here to ask for your vote. That's what I'm here to
do. (Applause.) By the way, I don't know if you know this,
but I'm the first sitting President to have ever visited
Hobbs, New Mexico. (Applause.) I may just be the first
sitting President to have visited, and the first person
who's -- President who's ever been here before he was President.
(Laughter.) All I can tell you is the other ones missed
a lot by not coming to Hobbs, New Mexico. (Applause.)
I'm also here to ask for your help. You know, last time,
in New Mexico, we lost by just a little over 600 votes.
If every one of you all -- if every one of you all takes
somebody to the polls come voting time. We'll win. (Applause.)
So I'm here to thank you for what you're going to do. You're
going to convince our fellow citizens to do their duty
and vote. And when you're turning people out to the polls,
don't overlook discerning Democrats -- people like Zell
Miller, who understands -- (applause) -- who understands
that if you want a safer America, a stronger America, and
a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
(Applause.)
I'm keeping really good company today. (Applause.) I'm
proud to be traveling with one of our twin daughters, Jenna
Bush. (Applause.) This is the camping trip I promised to
take her on when she was a kid. (Laughter.) Jenna and I
just said goodbye to a great First Lady. You know, when
I asked Laura to marry me, she said, fine, just so long
as I never have to give a political speech. I said, you
got a deal. (Laughter.) Fortunately, she didn't hold me
to that. The American people have seen not only a great
speaker, when she speaks, but they've seen a graceful,
compassionate, great First Lady. (Applause.) I like to
tell people, you know, 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 is the First Lady for four more years.
(Applause.)
I'm real proud of George P. Bush. Now, his dad is my brother.
And he's the governor of Florida. (Applause.) So if he's
listening, turn out that vote. (Laughter.) I want to thank
my Vice President. I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney.
He's a good, solid, strong American. (Applause.) I really
am pleased to be working with a great United States Congressman
from this part of the world. I'm proud of the job that
Steve Pearce is doing. (Applause.) He brings that eastern
New Mexico common sense to Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
He's down to earth. He's smart. He's capable. He's doing
you a great job in the House of Representatives. (Applause.)
Laura and I are fond of Cynthia, his wife, and he kindly
introduced me to his mother, Jane, today. I said to her,
I said, is Steve still listening to you? She said, about
half the time. (Laughter.) I said, well, that sounds like
me and my mother. (Laughter.)
With us today, as well, is a fellow running for Congress
across the state line, named Randy Neugebauer. (Applause.)
I know Randy. I trust his judgment. He's a good, honest
man. He's a man that I can work with. It is important that
the people of west Texas send Randy Neugebauer back to
the United States Congress. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the other state and local officials.
I want to thank the members of my team who are here of
Hispanic origin. The head of the SBA is here today, Hector
Barreto; Rosario Marin, who's a former U.S. Treasurer;
the White House Counsel, Alberto Gonzales is with us today.
These folks are here to help us inspire the Hispanic vote
to come our way. (Applause.) Con su apoyo, vamos a ganar.
(Applause.)
See, my message is for everybody. When I say a hopeful
America, I'm just -- not talking about one segment of the
country. I'm talking about every single person when it
comes to a hopeful America.
I want to thank my friend, Mark Wills. He's a good singer.
(Applause.) Nice of him to be here today. I'm proud he's
here. I particularly want to thank all the grassroots activists,
the people involved with turning out the vote and making
the phone calls. I know you've done a lot of hard work.
First of all, it takes a lot of hard work to get this many
people to show up. (Laughter.) If you put the same amount
of work you put into getting this rally going to getting
people to the polls, there's no doubt in my mind we'll
carry New Mexico and win a great victory in November. (Applause.)
We had a great debate on Friday night. (Applause.) As
you can tell, I'm kind of working my way west for the final
debate. Our debates have highlighted the clear differences
between the Senator and me on issues ranging from jobs
to taxes to health care and to the war on terror. Much
as he tries to obscure it, on issue after issue he has
shown why he earned the ranking as the most liberal member
of the United States Senate. Several of his statements
the other night simply don't pass the credibility test.
With a straight face he said he'd had only one position
on Iraq. (Laughter.) He must think we're on another planet.
(Laughter.)
In the spring of 2003, as I ordered the invasion of Iraq,
Senator Kerry said it was the right decision. Now he says
it's the wrong war. In the same debate he said Saddam was
a threat; then a few minutes later he said there wasn't
a threat in Iraq. And now he tries to tell us he's had
only one position. Who's he trying to kid? (Laughter.)
He can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
With another straight face, he tried to tell Americans
that when it comes to his health care plan -- and I quote
-- "the government has nothing to do with it." (Laughter.)
The facts are that eight out of 10 people who get health
care under Senator Kerry's plan would be placed on a government
program. He can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
Then he was asked to look into the camera -- (laughter)
-- and promise he would not raise taxes for anyone who
earns less than $200,00 a year. The problem is, to keep
that promise he'd have to break almost all his other promises.
(Laughter.) His plan to raise taxes on the top two income
brackets would raise about $600 billion, according to our
counters, about $800 billion according to his planners
-- counters. The problem is, is that his spending plans
will cost almost four times as much, $2.2 trillion. You
can't have it both ways. To pay for all the big spending
programs he's outlined during his campaign, he's going
to have to raise your taxes. See, he can run, but he cannot
hide. (Applause.)
You know, listening -- after listening to that litany
of complaints and the dour pessimism, it took all I could
do not to make a face. (Laughter.) I have a different view,
a different philosophy, and a strong record to be running
on. (Applause.) I worked hard to make this country a more
hopeful place, and a more secure place. I've led our country
with principle and resolve, and that's how I'll continue
to lead this nation. (Applause.)
The world in which we live and work is changing. Workers
switch jobs more than they used to. Women are working in
the home and outside the home, as well. That means they
need new skills and benefits they can take with them from
job to job. Yet many of the most fundamental systems of
our government -- the tax code, the health care, pension
plans and worker training -- were created for a world of
yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm running for four more years
to transform these systems to help citizens realize their
dreams. (Applause.)
And a plan -- any plan, any strategy for a hopeful America
begins with a growing economy that creates good jobs. See,
I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our
workers, and our small business owners, and our farmers,
and our ranchers. And that's why we unleashed that energy
with the largest tax relief in a generation. (Applause.)
When you're out rounding up the vote, you might remind
people what we've been through, what this economy has been
through. The stock market started to go down six months
prior to my arrival in Washington, D.C. See, and that was
-- that foretold the recession that came. So we had the
stock market correction and a recession; we had some corporate
scandals which affected our economy. By the way, we passed
tough laws. We have made it abundantly clear that we will
not tolerate dishonesty in the board rooms of America.
(Applause.)
And then the enemy hit us. And that cost our economy one
million jobs in the three months after September the 11th.
No, we've been through a lot, but we acted. Because we
passed tax relief, this economy is growing. It's getting
stronger, and we're not going to go back to the old days
of tax and spend. (Applause.) The past 13 months, we've
added 1.9 million new jobs. The national unemployment rate
is 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average of the
1970s, 1980s, and the 1990s. (Applause.) State unemployment
rate in New Mexico is 5.4 percent. People are working.
People are finding a way to make a living. Our farmers
are doing well. Our ranchers are doing well. The home ownership
rate in America is at an all-time high. (Applause.)
We're moving forward, and there's more to do. To make
sure quality jobs are here, created here in America, America
must be the best place in the world to do business. (Applause.)
That means less regulations on the job creators. That means
we got to do something about these frivolous lawsuits that
are making it hard to expand the job base. (Applause.)
Listen, to make sure this economy continues to grow, Congress
needs to pass my energy plan. (Applause.) I put a plan
up there that encourages conservation, that understands
we can use renewables, like ethanol and biodiesel. It's
a plan that also recognizes that we can explore for natural
gas in environmentally friendly ways. It's a plan that
recognizes we can use clean coal technology. At the heart
of my plan is the understanding that in order to create
jobs here, America must become less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.) And people around here know
what I'm talking about. (Applause.)
To create jobs, we need to keep people in businesses safe
from wildfires. That's why I worked with Congress to pass
the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. It's an important piece
of legislation for much of your state. This good law allows
us to thin out the underbrush that damages our forests
and serves as kindling for fires. It's a common-sense measure
that's protecting communities all across the west. I was
proud to work on it, and I was proud to sign it into law.
Both the Republican Senator from this state -- and by the
way, Pete Domenici is a good one. He's a fine man. (Applause.)
Both the Republican Senator and the Democrat Senator from
New Mexico supported the Healthy Forest bill. But my opponent
was against it. Now he says he likes part of the law. I
guess it's not only the wildfires that shift in the wind.
(Laughter and applause.)
To create jobs, we got to reject economic isolationism
and open up markets. Listen, we've opened up the markets
for products from overseas, and it's good for you as consumers.
See, here's the way the market works. If you've got more
products to choose from, you're likely to get that which
you want at a better price and a higher quality. That's
how it works. So what I'm saying to places like China,
you treat us the way we treat you. You open up your markets.
And I'm saying that because I know we can compete with
anybody, any time, anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
(Applause.)
To create jobs here and to make sure this economy grows,
we got to keep your taxes low. Taxes are an issue in this
campaign. We talked about them in the last debate and I
hope we talk about them in the next debate. See, he's saying,
oh, don't worry, I can pay for all my programs by taxing
the rich. We've heard that before, haven't we? Yes, you
know how it works. First of all, as I told you, he doesn't
have enough money to pay for all his programs. There's
a tax gap, and guess who usually gets stuck filling the
hole -- yes, you do.
Something else about taxing the rich -- the rich hire
lawyers and accountants for a reason, to dodge the tax
bill and stick you with it. We're not going to let him
do it to you. We're going to win in November. (Applause.)
To build a more hopeful America we've got to have the
best prepared and most highly skilled work force in the
world. It all starts with education. I believe every child
can learn and every school must teach. I went to Washington,
D.C. to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations,
to challenge those systems that would just shuffle the
kids through year after year, grade after grade, without
teaching them the basics. See, we have a optimistic outlook.
I learned it being out here where the sky is big. I believe
every child can learn. I believe that. That's why we've
raised the standards. That's why we believe in local control
of schools. And that's why we measure, so we can solve
problems early before it is too late.
The achievement gap in America is closing. We're not going
back to those old days of mediocrity in our schools. No
dejaremos a ningn niZo atrs -- we will leave no child behind.
(Applause.)
Listen, most new jobs are filled by people with at least
two years of college education, yet only one in four of
our students gets there. That's why we've got to fund early
intervention programs for at-risk students in high schools.
That's why we got to emphasize math and science. That's
why, over time, we'll require rigorous exam 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 degree.
(Applause.)
I'm a big supporter of the community college system here
in America. (Applause.) See, I believe that community colleges
can be used wisely to make sure our workers gain the skills
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. And to
make sure our country is more hopeful, we need to make
health care more affordable and more available. We need
a safety net for those with the greatest needs. I believe
every poor country in America ought to have a community
health center, places where the poor and the indigent can
get the health care they need. I believe we got to expand
those community health centers. Since I've been President
we've opened more than 600 -- expanded or opened more than
600. There's more to do. We got more to do to make sure
our poor children are fully subscribed in programs for
low-income families so they get the health care they need.
There's more we can do to make sure health care is affordable.
Most of the uninsured are employees of small businesses.
In order to make sure families can get the insurance they
need, we ought to allow small businesses to pool together,
to pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can
buy insurance at the same discount that big companies can
buy insurance. (Applause.)
We'll make sure health savings accounts are available
to all, so workers in small businesses are able to pay
lower premiums, and people can save tax-free in a health
care account they call their own. To make sure, health
care is available and affordable, we got to do something
about the junk lawsuits that are running good doctors out
of practice and running up the costs of your health care.
(Applause.) You can't be pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital,
and pro-trial lawyer at the same time. (Laughter.) I think
you have to choose. And my opponent made his choice, and
he put a trial lawyer on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I made my choice: I am for medical liability
reform now. (Applause.) No, there's a big difference in
health care. We'll talk about it Wednesday night. But in
all we do to improve health care, we will make sure that
the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by
officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
I went to Washington to solve problems, not to pass them
on. And I felt we had a problem when it came to making
sure our seniors got good, modern medicine. Medicare is
a vital program, yet it wasn't keeping pace with the changes
in medicine. Let me give you an example. We'd pay thousands
of dollars for heart surgery, but not one dime for the
prescription drugs that could prevent the heart surgery
from being needed in the first place. That doesn't make
any sense. It didn't make any sense for our seniors and
it didn't make any sense for the taxpayers. So I worked
with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen Medicare.
In 2006, our seniors will be able to get prescription drugs
in the Medicare program. Medicare is changing for the better.
Our seniors will get a modern health care program, and
we're not going to go back to the old days. (Applause.)
Let me talk about the retirement systems for a second.
In the 2000 campaign, I remember distinctly our seniors
being told on television ads that if George W gets elected,
you won't get your check. I don't know if they ran those
kinds of ads here in New Mexico, or not. I bet they did
-- yes. Well, the seniors got their checks. See, and that's
the same kind of rhetoric you're going to hear again, because
I'm going to talk about strengthening Social Security.
But when I do so, I want you to remember that if you're
getting your Social Security check, nothing is going to
change. No matter what the political rhetoric is, you're
going to continue to get your check, just like we said
you would.
If you're a baby boomer, we're in pretty good shape when
it comes to Social Security. But when it -- but for our
younger folks here in America, for our children and grandchildren,
we need to think differently about whether or not the Social
Security system is going to be viable for them. I believe
younger workers ought to be able to take some of their
own tax money and set up a personal savings account so
they can get a better rate of interest on the money being
accumulated for their retirement. (Applause.)
In times of change, there are some things that don't change
-- the values we try to live by: courage and compassion,
reverence and integrity. In changing times, we will support
the institutions that give our lives direction and purpose:
our families, our schools, our religious congregations.
We stand for a culture of life, in which every person matters
and every being counts. We stand for marriage and family,
which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) And
we stand for the appointment of federal judges who know
the difference between personal opinion and the strict
interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
This election will also determine how America responds
to the continuing danger of terrorism. 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
will not happen on my watch. (Applause.)
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. We've got a strategy that's clear. We're
defending the homeland, we're transforming our military.
I will make sure the all-volunteer army remains the all-volunteer
army. (Applause.) We're reforming and strengthening our
intelligence services. We're staying on the offensive.
We are striking the terrorists abroad, so we do not have
to face them here at home. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago Afghanistan
was the home base of al Qaeda, Pakistan was a transit point
for terrorists, Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorists
fundraising, Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons,
Iraq was a gathering threat, and al Qaeda was largely unchallenged
as it planned attacks. That's the way the world was.
Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan
held presidential elections last weekend and is an ally
in the war on 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 Qaeda's
key members and associates have been detained or killed.
(Applause.) We have led, many have joined, and America
and the world are safer. (Applause.)
After September the 11th, America had to assess every
potential threat in a new light. It's one of the lessons
of that fateful day. We confront an even greater danger,
that the prospect of terrorists getting weapons of mass
destruction would inflict great harm on America. We had
to take a hard look at everyplace where terrorists might
get those weapons. And one regime stood out: the dictatorship
of Saddam Hussein. We knew his record of aggression and
support for terror. We knew he hated America. We knew he
had weapons of mass destruction. We know that after September
the 11th, we must take threats seriously before they fully
materialize. In Saddam we saw a threat.
And I went to the United States Congress. They looked
at the same intelligence I looked at, they remembered the
same history I remembered, and they came to the same conclusion
I came to, that Saddam Hussein was a threat, and they voted
to authorize the use of force. My opponent -- my opponent
looked at the same intelligence and he voted to authorize
the use of force.
Before the United States ever commits troops into harm's
way, we must try all means to deal with the threat. No
President ever wants to send America's sons and daughters
to war. So I worked to avoid that. And I went to the United
Nations in the hopes that diplomacy would work. The United
Nations had a debate. They looked at the same intelligence
we were looking at. They passed another resolution telling
Saddam Hussein to disclose, disarm or face serious consequences.
I believe that when an international body speaks, it must
mean what it says. (Applause.)
So we gave Saddam Hussein a final chance, and he continued
to deceive the world. He was deceiving the weapons inspectors.
And so I have a choice to make at this time in our history:
Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and take
the word of a madman, or do I take action to defend our
country? Given that choice, I will defend America every
time. (Applause.)
We didn't find the stockpiles that we all thought were
there. But as the Duelfer report says, Saddam Hussein retained
the intent and the capability to rebuild his weapons programs.
He was gaming the oil-for-food program, using it to influence
officials in other countries. Why? Because he wanted the
world to look the other way, so he could restart his programs.
The world is safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison
cell. (Applause.) Knowing what I know today, I would have
made the same decision. (Applause.) Because we acted in
Afghanistan and Iraq, America is safer, and 50 million
people now live in freedom. (Applause.)
Think about what took place in Afghanistan this past weekend.
It's an unbelievable story. Just three-and-a-half years
ago, people lived under the brutal dictatorship of the
Taliban. These were people that wouldn't let many young
girls go to school, and when women didn't agree with them
they took them in the public square and whipped them, and
sometimes killed them in the sports stadium. These were
brutal people. And because they're gone, Afghanistan held
presidential elections. The first voter was a 19-year-old
women who was able to express her opinion in the polls.
(Applause.)
And Iraq has got a strong Prime Minister and a national
council, and national elections are scheduled for January.
Think about how far that country has come from the days
of torture chambers and mass graves. No, we're standing
with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, because when America
gives its word, America must keep its word. (Applause.)
We're also standing with them because a free Afghanistan
and Iraq will make our country safer. See, free societies
in the Middle East will be hopeful societies, which no
longer feed resentments and breed violence for export.
Free governments in the Middle East will fight the terrorists
instead of harboring them. And that helps us keep the peace.
Our mission is clear: We will help those countries train
armies so that the people of Afghanistan and Iraq can do
the hard work of defending democracy. We'll help them get
on the path to stability and self-govern as soon as possible,
and then our troops will come home with the honor they
have earned. (Applause.)
We've got a great United States military. (Applause.)
And I want to thank the veterans who are here today for
having such -- set such a great example to those who wear
the uniform. (Applause.) And I want to thank the military
families who are here today. (Applause.) I've made a commitment
to those who wear the uniform and to their families, they'll
have all the resources they need to do their job. That's
why I went to the United States Congress in September of
2003 and asked for $87 billion in supplemental funding
to support our troops in harm's way in Afghanistan and
Iraq. And this was essential funding. This was really important
funding. We received great bipartisan support for that
funding. As a matter of fact, the support was so strong
that only 12 United States senators voted against it. Now,
when you're out there rounding up the vote, remind people
there were only four United States senators who voted to
authorize the use of force and then voted against money
necessary to support our troops in harm's way -- and two
of those are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Boooo!
THE PRESIDENT: You might remember my opponent's famous
quote: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before
I voted against it." (Laughter.) Now, I know something
about eastern New Mexico and west Texas, and there are
not many folks who talk like that in this part of the world.
(Laughter.) They kept pressing him, you know. He's giving
a lot of explanations for that vote. There are just too
many to enumerate. (Laughter.) One of my favorites is when
he said, well, it's just a complicated matter. (Laughter.)
There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops
in combat. (Applause.)
Now, on national security, my opponent has a record. He
can run, but he can't hide from it. (Laughter.) He voted
against the weapons systems that helped our country win
the Cold War. He voted to cut America's intelligence budget
by $7.5 billion after 1993 -- that's after the World Trade
Center got bombed for the first time. He now says he wants
a global test before taking to defend America's security.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That's what he said. I'm not putting words
in his mouth either. (Laughter.) The problem is the Senator
can never pass his own test. (Laughter.) Think about that
-- in 1990, the United Nations Security Council passed
a resolution supporting action to remove Saddam Hussein
from Kuwait. The international community was united. Countries
throughout the world joined our coalition. Yet in the United
States Senate after the Security Council resolution, Senator
Kerry voted no on the authorization of force.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: See, if driving Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait
with the support of the international community does not
meet this test, then nothing will meet his test. And that's
dangerous in the kind of world we live in. See, we have
a different view of the world, a different view of America's
role in confronting threats. Just this weekend, we saw
new evidence that Senator Kerry fundamentally misunderstands
the war on terror. Earlier he questioned whether it was
really a war at all, describing it as primarily a law enforcement
and intelligence-gathering operation, instead of a threat
that demands the full use of American power.
Now, just this weekend, Senator Kerry talked of reducing
terrorism to -- quote -- "nuisance" -- end quote
-- and compared it to prostitution and illegal gambling.
See, I couldn't disagree more. Our goal is not to reduce
terror to some acceptable level of nuisance. Our goal is
to defeat terror by staying on the offensive, destroying
terrorists, and spreading freedom and liberty around the
world. (Applause.)
I'll always work with our friends and allies. Alliances
are important, and within the next four years, we'll continue
to build strong coalitions. But I will never turn over
America's national security decisions to leaders of other
countries. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I
tell people about my relationship with Prime Minister Koizumi
of Japan. I tell them that because it's an interesting
lesson. You see, it wasn't all that long ago that we were
fighting the Japanese. If you're 58 years old, it seems
like an eternity, since it was 60 years ago. (Laughter.)
But my dad was in the war; I guarantee you there are people
here in the audience who were touched by that war and had
a granddad or a dad fight in that war.
And after we won, Harry S. Truman, President of the United
States, believed in the power of liberty to transform societies.
And he worked with the Japanese to help them develop a
democracy. A lot of people questioned that. There was a
lot of pessimism after World War II. You can understand
why. The Japanese were the enemy. Why do we care after
we won? We had defeated them. A lot of people here's lives
had been turned upside-down because a loved-one's life
had been lost, and they didn't have -- want to have anything
to do with the enemy. But fortunately, there were people
in this country who had the faith in the ability of liberty
to transform societies.
And so now I sit down at the table with Prime Minister
Koizumi
talking about the peace, talking about how to achieve
the peace we want for our children and grandchildren. I
believe the same lessons apply for today. We will achieve
a free Iraq. Iraq will be a democracy. And when we do so,
at some point in time, an American President and a duly-elected
leader of Iraq will be sitting down talking about how to
keep the peace. And our children and grandchildren will
be able to live in a better world. (Applause.)
I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence
for their freedom. I believe women want there to be a free
society in the Middle East. I know they want their children
to be able to grow up in a world in which they can realize
their dreams. I believe that, if given a chance, the people
of the Middle East 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. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will always
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 that requires firm resolve,
clear vision and a deep faith in the values that makes
us a great nation.
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 is indelibly
etched in my memory. I will never forget it. There were
workers in hard hats yelling at me at the top of their
lungs, "Whatever it takes." (Applause.) I remember
a man grabbing me by the arm, and looked me in the eyes,
and he said, "Do not let me down." Ever since
that day, I have awakened, working as hard as I possibly
can to protect this country. I will never relent in defending
America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, when I traveled your great state, I said
if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold the honor
and the dignity of the office to which I had been elected.
With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for four
more years. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming. God bless. God bless you all. (Applause.)
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