For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 9, 2004
President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Center City Park
Chanhassen, Minnesota
3:10 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all for
being here. (Applause.) What a beautiful day. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. It turns out I am the first sitting
President ever to visit Chanhassen, Minnesota. (Applause.) All the
other ones missed out on a beautiful part of America. (Applause.)
Thank you for coming out today. (Applause.) I'm here asking for the
vote. (Applause.) And I'm here to ask for your help in getting that
vote out. (Applause.) There is no doubt in my mind, with your help, we
will carry Minnesota and win a great victory in November. (Applause.)
We're getting close to voting time here in America. And today a
great thing happened in Afghanistan. (Applause.) The people of that
country, who just three years ago were suffering under the brutal
regime of the Taliban, went to the polls to vote for their President.
(Applause.) A 19-year-old woman, an Afghan refugee who fled her
homeland during its civil war, became the very first voter.
(Applause.) It's amazing, isn't it? She said, "I cannot explain my
feelings, just how happy I am. I never would have thought I'd be able
to vote in this election." Freedom is beautiful. Freedom is on the
march. (Applause.)
So today is an appropriate day for Americans to remember and thank
the men and women of America's Armed Forces who liberated Afghanistan.
(Applause.) Because of their actions, America is safer and the world
is better off. (Applause.) Australia had an election, as well. And I
was honored to call my friend, John Howard, the Prime Minister, and
congratulate him on a great victory. (Applause.) As you can see, I'm
keeping good company today. (Applause.)
So here's the way I like to tell the day I asked Laura to marry
me. I said, would you marry me? She said, fine, just so long as I
never have to give a political speech. (Laughter.) I said, okay,
you've got a deal. (Laughter.) Fortunately, she didn't hold me to the
promise. Americans, when they see Laura speak, see a compassionate,
decent, warm, great First Lady. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. (Applause.) I thought
he did a great job in his debate. I admit it, he didn't have the
waviest hair on the platform there. Of course, I didn't pick him for
his hair. (Laughter.) I picked him because of his experience and
sound judgment. I picked him because he can get the job done for the
American people. (Applause.)
I'm proud of your Governor, Tim Pawlenty. He's a good governor,
and I'm proud to call him friend. (Applause.) Plus, I like working
with Norm Coleman. He's a fine United States Senator. (Applause.)
And I hope you put John Kline back in office, the United States
Congressman from this district. (Applause.) They're not here, they're
in Washington, still voting. I can't wait for them to get out of
town. (Laughter.)
I want to thank the Mayor of Chanhassen, Tom Furlong, for being
here. I'm proud you're here, Mr. Mayor. (Applause.) One of the
things I'm proud of is there's all kinds of Democrats around the
country supporting me. People like Zell Miller are supporting my
candidacy. (Applause.) But so is my friend, the Mayor of St. Paul,
Randy Kelly. (Applause.) I want to thank all the statehouse people
that are here. I want to thank the Shooting Star Band. (Applause.) I
want to thank all the grassroots activists for what you're going to
do. (Applause.) I can see by the signs, and the size of this crowd,
you have done a lot. But it's what you're going to do I want to thank
you for. And that is, turn out the vote, get people to the polls.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: We had an interesting evening last night.
(Applause.) It was a great debate. I thought the citizens did a
fantastic job of asking good questions, and that debate highlighted
some fundamental differences on issues from jobs and taxes and health
care and national security. Much as he tried to obscure it, on issue
after issue, my opponent showed why he earned the ranking of the most
liberal member of the United States Senate. (Applause.) And several
of his statements just don't pass the credibility test. With a
straight face, he said, "I've only had one position on Iraq."
(Laughter.) I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.) He must have
-- he must think we're on a different planet. (Laughter.)
In the spring of '03, as I ordered the invasion of Iraq, Senator
Kerry said it was the right decision. Now he says it was the wrong
war. He tries to tell us he's had only one position. Who's he trying
to kid? He can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
Again, with a straight face, he tried to tell Americans that when
it came to his health care plan -- quote -- "the government has nothing
to do with it." (Laughter.) Eight out of ten people who get health
insurance under Senator Kerry's plan will be placed on a government
program. He can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
And then Senator Kerry was asked to look in the camera and promise
he would not raise taxes on anyone who earns less than $200,000 a
year. I know. The problem is, to keep that promise he would have to
break almost all of his other ones. (Laughter.) You see, his plan to
raise taxes on the top two income brackets will raise $600 billion a
year by our estimate, and $800 a year by -- $800 million by his
estimate -- will raise $600 billion by our estimate, and $800 billion
by his estimate. I think I finally got it right. (Laughter.) But his
own health care plan costs $1.2 trillion. So you begin to see the
problem.
He can't have it both ways. To pay for the big spending programs
he's outlined during his campaign, he's going to have to raise your
taxes. And he can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
You know, after listening to his litany of complaints and his dour
pessimism, it was all I could do not to make a bad face. (Laughter.)
I have a very different philosophy from Senator Kerry. I'm a
compassionate conservative. (Applause.) As your President, I've
worked to make America more hopeful and more secure. I've led this
country with principle and resolved, and that's how I will lead with --
the next four years. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to coming back to Minnesota before election
day. (Applause.) I'm looking forward to this stretch run. I like to
be with people. (Applause.) I like to tell people what I believe and
where I stand. (Applause.) I believe every child can learn and every
school must teach. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry
of low expectations. I felt strongly we needed to end this business
about just shuffling the kids through, grade after grade, year after
year, without teaching the basics. We've raised the standards. We
measure early to solve problems before it's too late. We trust the
local people to make the right choices for their schools. We're
closing an achievement gap in America, and we're not going to go back.
(Applause.)
I believe our seniors must have a good health care system. I went
to Washington to fix problems, not pass them on to future Presidents.
I saw a problem in Medicare. Let me give you an example. Medicare
pays thousands of dollars for a heart surgery, but not one dime for the
prescription drug to prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the
first place. That wasn't right for our seniors; it wasn't right for
the taxpayers. We came together and strengthened Medicare for our
seniors. Seniors will get prescription drug coverage in 2006, and
we're not going to go back. (Applause.)
I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our workers
and small business owners and farmers and ranchers. That's why we
unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
(Applause.) When you're out there gathering up the vote, remind people
what we've been through, what this economy has been through. Six
months prior to our arrival in Washington, D.C., the stock market was
heading down. Then we had a recession. Then we had some corporate
scandals, which affected our economy. We passed laws that said to
people, we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of this
country. (Applause.) And then the enemy hit us. And that attack cost
us a million jobs in the three months after September the 11th. We've
been through a lot. You think about that.
But our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly
20 years. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is
lower than the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. (Applause.) The
unemployment rate in the great state of Minnesota is 4.8 percent.
(Applause.) Farm income is high. The home ownership rate is at an
all-time high in America. America is on the move, and we're not going
to go back. (Applause.)
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.)
Listen, I recognize that a hopeful society must have a growing
economy, and I have a strategy to keep this economy moving forward. In
order to keep jobs here in America, in order to make sure people can
find work, America must be the best place in the world to do business.
That means less regulations on our businesses. That means we've got to
do something about these junk lawsuits that are hurting small business
owners in America. (Applause.) If we want to keep jobs here in
America, this country -- Congress has got to pass my energy plan. It's
a plan that encourages conservation. It's a plan that encourages the
use of renewables, like ethanol and biodiesel. It's a plan that uses
technologies to make sure that we can explore for natural gas in
environmentally friendly ways. It's a plan that promotes clean coal
technology. It is a plan that recognizes to keep jobs here, America
must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
In order to keep jobs here in America, we've got to open up markets
for our products. Listen, we've opened up America's markets for
products from overseas, and that's good for you. If you have more
choices, you're likely to get the product you want at higher quality
and better price. That's how the market works. So rather than
shutting down our market and hurting consumers, my strategy is to tell
places like China, you treat us the way we treat you. And I'm
confident in doing so, because I know we can compete with anybody, any
time, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair. (Applause.)
To create jobs in America, we must be wise about how we spend your
money, and keep your taxes low. (Applause.) You heard that rhetoric,
oh, all he's going to do is tax the rich. In order to make sure he can
-- in order to make sure he fulfills a little bit of his promises, he
said he's going to tax the rich. We've heard that kind of language
before. Yes, the rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason -- to
stick you with the bill. We're not going to let the Senator tax you,
we're going to whip him in November. (Applause.)
We've got to do something about this health care system. Costs are
rising rapidly. We need to make sure health care is available and
affordable. Most of the people who are uninsured work for small
businesses. I think we ought to allow small businesses to pool risk
across jurisdictional boundaries, so they can buy insurance at the same
price and the same discounts big businesses get to buy insurance.
(Applause.)
We need to expand tax-free health savings accounts, to help our
small businesses and our workers. We need to make sure that each poor
community in -- county in America has got a community health center for
our poor and the indigent. We've got to make sure our children's
low-income -- children's health program is fully subscribed. We've got
to use technology to wring excess costs out of the system. This is a
practical, common-sense way to make sure health care is available and
affordable.
And another thing we need to do is we've got to get rid of those
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business and
running up the cost of health care. (Applause.) You cannot be
pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital and pro-trial lawyer at the same
time. (Applause.) You have to choose. My opponent made his choice,
and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I have made my choice. I'm standing with the
patients and the docs. I'm for medical liability reform now.
(Applause.) In all we do to reform health care, my administration will
make sure the decision-making is between the doctor and the patient,
not by officials in the nation's capital. (Applause.)
You know, in changing times, and we do have changing times, it
helps bring stability into your life if you own something. More and
more people are owning their own home. We've got plans over the next
four years to continue to expand home ownership all around America. I
love the idea of somebody opening up the front door where they live,
and saying, welcome to my home, come to my house, welcome to my piece
of property. (Applause.)
In changing times we got to do something about our retirement
system. You might remember the campaign in 2000, when they said if
George W. wins you're not going to get your Social Security check.
Remember those ads? Our seniors got their checks. You're hearing the
same rhetoric this time. Baby boomers like me, we'll get the checks.
We need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when it comes
to Social Security. (Applause.) We need to do something to make that
system available for our children and grandchildren. That's why I
think younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own
money and set up a personal savings account, a personal savings account
that will earn better interest, a personal savings account they can
call their own, that government cannot take away. (Applause.)
We have a difference in philosophy in this campaign. My opponent's
programs expand the federal reach -- the reach of the federal
government. My programs expand freedom and opportunity for every
American. He trust government; I trust the people. (Applause.) In a
world of change, there's some things that will not change -- the values
we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In
times of change we'll 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. (Applause.) We stand for marriage and
family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) We
stand for the appointment of federal judges who know the difference
between personal opinion and strict interpretation of the law.
(Applause.)
This election will also determine how America responds to the
continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of
September the 11th, 2001, we've fought the terrorists across the Earth
-- not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens
are at stake. Our strategy is clear: We're defending the homeland,
we're strengthening the intelligence services, we're transforming the
all-volunteer army -- which will stay an all-volunteer army.
(Applause.) We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the
terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
(Applause.) We will continue to work to spread liberty in the greater
Middle East and around the world. And we'll prevail.
Our strategy is succeeding. Think about the world the way it was
prior to September the 11th. Afghanistan was the home base of al
Qaeda. Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups. Saudi
Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising. Libya was
secretly pursuing weapons. Iraq was a gathering threat, and al Qaeda
was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Because we led,
Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror and they're having
presidential elections today. (Applause.) Pakistan is capturing
terrorists. Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests. Libya is
dismantling its weapons program. The army of a free Iraq is fighting
for freedom, and three-quarters of al Qaeda -- three-quarters and key
members and associates of al Qaeda have been brought to justice.
(Applause.) America has led, many have followed, and the world is
safer. (Applause.)
This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and
some tough decisions. And the toughest came in Iraq. We knew Saddam
Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew he had
harbored terrorists. We knew his long history of pursuing and using
weapons of mass destruction. We knew that the biggest threat we face
is if a terrorist group were able to attain weapons of mass
destruction. And we knew that after September the 11th it's vital that
we think differently about our security. We must take threats
seriously, before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
Saddam Hussein was a threat. (Applause.) I went to the Congress.
They looked at the same intelligence I looked at. They remembered the
same history of Saddam Hussein, and they concluded Saddam was a threat
and authorized the use of force. My opponent was one of those who
authorized the use of force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits troops into harm's way, we
must try every option, every option to solve a problem. I understand
the consequences of sending people into combat. I know exactly what
takes place. And so I went to the United Nations, hoping to solve this
problem diplomatically. You know, they looked at the intelligence,
they debated the issue, and they voted 15-0, in the U.N. Security
Council, and said to Saddam Hussein, disclose, disarm or face serious
consequences. That's what they told him. I believe when an
international body speak, it must mean what it says. (Applause.) In
order to make the peace, when you say something, you'd better mean it.
(Applause.)
As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein wasn't about to listen
to the demands of the free world. As a matter of fact, the report that
came out the other day showed he didn't have the weapons we thought he
had, but nevertheless, was gaming the system. He was using the
oil-for-food program to weaken the sanctions. And you know why?
Because he wanted to start his weapons programs up again. Saddam was a
danger. He was a threat. We gave him a final chance. He ignored the
demands of the free world. He deceived the inspectors. So I have a
choice to make at this point: Do I trust the word of a madman and
forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take action to defend our
country? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
Because we acted, because we acted to defend ourselves, 50 million
people now live in freedom. The world is seeing what's happening in
Afghanistan. Despite ongoing acts of violence, Iraq is moving toward
free elections in January. Iraq has a strong Prime Minister and a
national council. We're standing with the people in those countries
because when America gives its word, America must keep its word.
(Applause.)
And in standing with those people, we're making our country safer.
Free societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies, which no
longer feed resentments and breed violence for export. Free societies
in the Middle East will fight terrorists instead of harboring them, and
that makes us safer.
Our missions in Afghanistan and Iraq are clear: We will help the
Afghan people and the Iraqi people by training them, so they can fight
for their own freedom, so they can fight for the destiny of their
people. We'll help them get on the path to stability and democracy as
quickly 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.) I want to
thank the veterans who are here for having set such a great example for
those who wear the uniform. (Applause.) I want to thank the military
families who are with us here today. (Applause.) I made a commitment
to our families and to our troops: They will have the resources they
need to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress in
September of 2003 and asked for $87 billion of vital funding to support
our troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq. We got great support there in
the Congress, strong bipartisan support. As a matter of fact, only 12
United States senators voted against the funding for our troops, two of
whom are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: When you're out gathering up the vote, remind
people of this fact: Only four members of the United States Senate
voted to authorize force and then voted against funding the troops --
only four -- two of whom are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they asked him, why. And he said, well -- in
the most famous quote of the 2004 election, one that has befuddled
millions of Americans -- he said, I actually did vote for the $87
billion before I voted against it. They kept pressing him, and he's
given, I don't know, six or seven answers. But one of the most
interesting ones of all was he finally through up his hands and said,
it's just a complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing
complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
On national security, my opponent has a record of voting against
the weapons systems that helped our country win the Cold War. Right
after the bombing in 1993, he voted to cut America's intelligence
budget by $7.5 billion. And now he says he wants a global test --
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: -- before we take action to defend our security.
Think about that -- the problem is that the Senator can never pass his
own test. (Laughter.) In 1990, the United Nations Security Council
passed a resolution supporting action to remove Saddam Hussein from
Kuwait. The international community was united. Countries around the
world joined that coalition. Yet in the United States Senate, after
the Security Council resolution, Senator John Kerry voted no for the
use of force. See, I have a different view: We'll do everything we
can to solve problems before we commit our troops, and I'll continue to
work with our friends and allies. But I will never allow other nations
to veto America's national security decisions. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I like to
share with people some of my talks with Prime Minister Koizumi. He's
the Prime Minister of Japan. I saw him in New York. I said, you know,
I'm going around America telling people that you and I talk, do you
mind if I share some of our conversation. He said, no. I didn't tell
him I was going to tell you that Elvis is his favorite singer.
(Laughter.) Was his favorite singer. Is his favorite singer on CD.
(Laughter.)
The reason I bring him up is because it wasn't all that long ago
that we were fighting Japan. My dad fought there, I'm sure your dads
and grandads, probably somebody here was there themself. See, they
were the enemy, the sworn enemy. After we won World War II, though,
Harry Truman believed in the power of liberty to transform an enemy
into an ally. That's what he believed. A lot of people in this
country doubted that, and you can understand why. There was a lot of
bitterness toward the Japanese. A lot of people resented the fact that
they were the enemy. But Harry Truman and other Americans stayed with
that concept. And today, because they believed in the power of
liberty, Japan is a democracy and I sit down at the table with Prime
Minister Koizumi talking about the big issues of the day and talking
about how to keep the peace we all want.
Think about that. (Applause.) Some day, if we're resolved and
steadfast and strong, Iraq will become a democracy. And some day an
American President will be sitting down with a duly-elected leader of
Iraq, talking about the peace we all want. And our children and our
grandchildren will grow up in a better world for it. (Applause.)
I believe millions plead in silence for liberty in the Middle
East. I believe women in the Middle East want to grow up in a free
society. I know they want to raise their children, their sons and
daughters, so they can realize their dreams. I believe that given a
chance, people in that part of the world 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 when we need 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. I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September
the 14th, 2001. It's a day I'll never forget. There were workers in
hard hats yelling at me at the top of their lungs, "Whatever it
takes." I remember seeing a man who had been in the rubble, looking
for his buddy. He grabbed me by the arm, and he said, "Do not let me
down." Ever since that day, I wake up trying to do my best to protect
this country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it
takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, as I traveled this great state asking for the vote,
I made a pledge that if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold
the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had been elected.
With your hard work, I will do so for four more years.
Thanks for coming. God bless. God bless America. (Applause.)
Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 3:46 P.M. CDT
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