For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 11, 2004
President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in Hobbs, New Mexico
Lea County Event Center
Hobbs, New Mexico
9:13 A.M. MDT
THE PRESIDENT: 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.)
END 9:59 A.M. MDT
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