For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
August 24, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President at a Victory 2004 Rally
Kettering High School
Waterford, Michigan
4:54 P.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you all very much.
Thank you for that warm welcome. And it's good to be in Waterford.
This looks like Bush-Cheney country to me. (Applause.) And it's a
privilege to bring all of your greetings from our President, George W.
Bush. (Applause.)
Lynne talks about knowing me since I was 14 years old -- she didn't
pay any attention to me until I was 17. (Laughter.) But I like to
tell the story that we owe our marriage to a great election victory by
Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. In 1952, I was living with my folks in
Lincoln, Nebraska. Dad worked for the Soil Conservation Service.
Eisenhower got elected, reorganized the Agriculture Department. Dad
got transferred to Casper, Wyoming. And that's where I met Lynne. And
then we grew up together, went to high school, and next Sunday, we'll
mark our 40th wedding anniversary. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Forty more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Forty more years. (Laughter.) Well, I don't
know about that. (Laughter.) But I explain to people that if it
hadn't been for Eisenhower's great victory, Lynne would have married
somebody else. (Laughter.) And she said, right, and now he'd be Vice
President of the United States. (Laughter.) Absolutely true.
But I know you take your sports very seriously in this state. And
I know you'll join me in congratulating so many fine Michigan athletes
who have represented our country in the Olympics, including medal
winners Kara Lynn Joyce, Carly Piper, and Peter Vanderkaay.
(Applause.) Not only have they made the state of Michigan proud,
they've made America proud, too.
The President and I are tremendously grateful for our many strong
supporters in Michigan. We ran hard here in 2000, and came close to
victory. We're going to work even harder to earn your support this
year. Between the two of us, the President and I have stopped in
Battle Creek, Traverse City, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing,
and Marquette -- and that's just in the last few weeks. (Applause.)
You'll be seeing more of us this year. And come November 2nd, Michigan
is going to be part of a nationwide victory for the Bush-Cheney
ticket. (Applause.)
Now, as you might have heard, there was a little political
gathering in Boston here a few weeks ago.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, now, come on I know some of you watched a
little bit of it anyway. But it's now official -- I have an opponent.
(Laughter.) No, I really do. I have an opponent. People keep telling
me that Senator Edwards got picked for his good looks, his charm,
because he's sexy, he's got great hair. (Laughter.) I said, "How do
you think I got the job?" (Applause.)
Now, this election could not come at a more crucial time in our
history. Today we face an enemy every bit as intent on destroying us
as the Axis powers were in World War II, or the Soviet Union at the
height of the Cold War. The enemy, in the words of the 9/11 Commission
report released recently, is "sophisticated, patient, disciplined, and
lethal." What this enemy wants, as the 9/11 report explains, is to do
away with democracy, to end all rights for women, and to impose their
way of life on the rest of us. As we saw on the morning of 9/11, this
enemy is perfectly prepared to slaughter anyone -- man, woman, or child
-- who stands in their way.
This is not an enemy we can reason with, or negotiate with, or
appease. This is, to put it simply, an enemy that we must destroy.
(Applause.) And with President George W. Bush as our
Commander-in-Chief, that is exactly what we're going to do.
(Applause.)
In the weeks following the terrorist attack on America, people in
every part of the country, regardless of party, took great comfort and
pride in the conduct and character of our President. They saw a man
calm in a crisis, comfortable with responsibility, and determined to do
everything necessary to protect our people.
Under the -- (applause) -- under the President's leadership, we
have driven the Taliban from power in Afghanistan and closed down the
camps where terrorists trained to kill Americans. (Applause.) Under
the President's leadership, we rid the world of a gathering threat by
eliminating the regime of Saddam Hussein. (Applause.) Seventeen
months ago, Saddam Hussein controlled the lives of nearly 25 million
people. Today, he's in jail. (Applause.)
A year ago, Libya had a secret nuclear weapons program. But after
our coalition ousted Saddam, Libya's leader, Colonel Moammar Ghadafi,
had a change of heart. He turned control of Libya's program over to
us, and today the uranium, the centrifuges, and the designs for weapons
are in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under American lock and key. (Applause.)
We've also shut down the secret network that was the world's most
dangerous supplier of illegal nuclear weapons technology. We've put
terrorist financers out of business, and dismantled terrorist cells
world-wide. Most of the planners of the 9/11 attacks have been
captured or killed --including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind
of 9/11. (Applause.)
We could not have succeeded in these efforts, without the help of
dozens of nations all over the world. We will always seek
international help to support our international efforts, but as
President Bush has made very clear, there is a difference between
leading a coalition of many nations and submitting to the objections of
a few. We will never seek a permission slip to defend the United
States of America. (Applause.)
Under the President's leadership, we have taken unprecedented steps
to protect the American people here at home. We passed the Patriot Act
to give law enforcement the tools they need to track down terrorists.
We created the Department of Homeland Security to focus our government
on the mission of protecting the American people. We passed Project
BioShield to fund cutting edge drugs and other defenses against a
potential biological weapons attack. But a good defense is not enough,
and so we have also gone on the offense in the war on terror.
(Applause.)
But the President's opponent, Senator Kerry, seems to object. He
has even said that by using our strength, we are creating terrorists
and placing ourselves in greater danger.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But that is a fundamental misunderstanding of
the way the world we live in works. Terrorist attacks are not caused
by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of
weakness. (Applause.)
America faces a choice between our President and a man calling for
us to fight a "more sensitive" war on terror. (Applause.) America has
been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was
won by being "sensitive." (Laughter and applause.)
America's great wartime leaders -- leaders like Lincoln, Roosevelt
and Truman -- did not seek to fight a "sensitive war," they sought to
defeat our enemies decisively. (Applause.)
I listened to what Senator Kerry had to say in Boston, and, with
all due respect to the Senator, I sometimes think he views the world as
if we had never been attacked on 9/11. The job of the
Commander-in-Chief, as Senator Kerry said in his convention speech, is
to use America's military strength to respond to attacks. But
September 11th showed us, as surely as anything can, that we must act
against gathering dangers -- not wait to be attacked. (Applause.)
That awful day left some 3,000 of our fellow citizens dead, and
everything we have learned since tells us the terrorists would do worse
if they could, that they would use chemical, biological, or even
nuclear weapons against us if they could. In the world we live in now,
responding to attacks is not enough. We must do everything in our
power to prevent attacks -- and that includes using military force.
(Applause.)
In his convention speech, Senator Kerry invited us to judge him by
his record -- and that seems like a good idea. Senator Kerry
frequently reminds people that he was a member of the Senate
Intelligence Committee. What was Senator Kerry's record on the
committee as the terrorist threat gathered around the world? Well, to
begin with, he did not even bother to show up for 75 percent of the
intelligence committee's public meetings.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: After the first attack on the World Trade
Center, he missed every public meeting of the committee for the
following year.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We also have important differences with the
Kerry-Edwards record when it comes to providing for our men and women
in uniform. And there's one story that makes that about as clear as
anything could be. It starts with Senators Kerry and Edwards voting
yes when the President asked Congress to authorize the use of force
against Saddam Hussein. But then, when it came time to vote for funds
that would provide our fighting men and women with body armor,
ammunition, jet fuel, and spare parts, Senators Kerry and Edwards voted
no.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Only 12 members of the United States Senate
opposed the funding that would provide vital resources for our troops.
Only four Senators voted for the use of force and against the resources
our men and women in uniform needed once they were in combat. Only
four. And Senators Kerry and Edwards were two of those four.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: As Senator Kerry said he didn't really oppose
the funding. He both supported and opposed it. (Laughter.) He said,
and I quote, "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted
against it." (Laughter.) Well, that certainly clears things up.
(Laughter and applause.) Lately he's been saying he's proud that he
and John Edwards voted no, and he's proud of that because he explains
that his decision was "complicated."
Funding American troops in combat should never be a complicated
question. (Applause.) It's simply wrong to vote to commit our troops
to combat and then refuse to provide them the resources they need. We
need a President -- we need a President who will back our troops 100
percent, and that's exactly what we've got in George W. Bush.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What are you guys doing tomorrow? (Laughter.)
President Bush knows that our dedicated servicemen and women
represent the very best of the United States of America. (Applause.)
And I want to thank them and I want to thank all the veterans here
today with us for they've done for all of us. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: One of the most important commitments that
George W. Bush and I made during the 2000 campaign was that our armed
forces would be given the resources they need and the respect they
deserve, and he's kept his word to the United States military.
(Applause.)
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another, the next. Our country requires
strong and consistent leadership for our actions overseas, and the same
is true for our policies here at home. When President Bush and I stood
on the inaugural platform on the west side of the Capitol and took the
oath of office, our economy was sliding into recession. Then, on 9/11,
terrorists struck and shook the economy once again. We faced a basic
decision -- to leave more money with families and businesses, or to
take more of the American people's hard-earned money for the federal
government. President Bush made his choice. He proposed and he
delivered tax savings to the American people -- not once, not twice,
but three times. (Applause.)
Every American who pays federal income taxes has benefited from the
Bush tax cuts, and so has our economy. For the last 11 consecutive
months, we've created jobs, and since last August added about 1.5
million new jobs. Here in Michigan, your unemployment rate is still
too high, but it's down almost a full point since December. Consumers
are confident, businesses are investing, families are taking home more
of what they earn. We know there are still challenges, especially in
our manufacturing communities. The President and I will not be
satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a job. But
this is a strong economy; it's growing stronger. The Bush tax cuts are
working. (Applause.)
Our accomplishments these last four years have made America safer,
stronger, and better. They also demonstrate something about the
character of our President. He didn't go to the White House to mark
time, or to spend energy on small goals. He went to take on the big
issues, and to make serious reforms. He has led with confidence, with
clear vision, and unwavering purpose. He's made hard choices, and kept
his word. And that's exactly how he will lead this country for the
next four years.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Lynne says maybe you guys are free for the
next week. (Laughter.) We got a lot of stops today.
In our second term, we'll keep moving forward with a pro-growth,
pro-jobs agenda. We will work to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. We
will work to help end lawsuit abuse. (Applause.) We know it's a lot
easier for American businesses to hire new workers if they don't have
to keep hiring lawyers. (Applause.) And we will work for medical
liability reform because America's doctors should be able to spend
their time healing patients, not fighting off frivolous lawsuits.
(Applause.)
In our second term, we will continue to move forward on a
comprehensive energy policy to make the nation less dependent on
foreign sources of energy. On our nation's energy policy, our
opponents have a very different vision for the country. Throughout his
20 years in the Senate, John Kerry has supported unreasonable fuel
standards for American cars and trucks. Analysts say the CAFE
standards supported by Senator Kerry would cost up to 450,000 American
jobs.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The UAW said these standards would cause
American jobs to be sent overseas, and the National Academy of Sciences
has suggested that they might compromise safety. But now, Senator
Kerry has told his colleagues that he's no longer committed to those
drastic increases he supported for years.
Senator Kerry's back-and-forth talk about fuel standards reminds me
of that story he told about his SUV. (Laughter.) Back in February, he
came to Michigan and said, quote, "We have some SUVs," and he talked
about having a couple of minivans and a big Suburban, too. Then on
Earth Day, the Senator remembered things a little differently.
(Laughter.) He said, quote, "I don't own an SUV." To clear up the
confusion, he added this nuance: "The family has it, I don't have it."
(Laughter.) So that explains it. In other words, he doesn't have an
SUV, except when he's talking to people in Michigan. That's one guy
who's getting a lot of mileage out of a Suburban. (Laughter and
applause.)
Hard-working families in Michigan deserve straight answers when it
comes to their jobs. And you can rely on President Bush to fight to
keep auto jobs where they belong -- right here in America. (Applause.)
Our opponents talk about jobs, yet they never explain how they
would put a single American back to work. They opposed our tax relief,
and now they're proposing massive increases in federal spending. They
helped block the energy plan in the Senate. They oppose effective
reform of our legal system, and they're against medical liability
reform. Their big idea for the economy: to raise our taxes.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What we're hearing from the other side is the
failed thinking of the past, and we're not going back. (Applause.)
President Bush and I will also continue to defend our society's
fundamental rights and values. We stand for a culture of life, and we
reject the brutal practice of partial birth abortion. (Applause.) We
stand strongly for the Second Amendment, and we will defend the
individual right of every American to bear arms. (Applause.) We
believe that our nation is "one nation under God." And we believe that
Americans ought to be able to say that when they pledge allegiance to
their flag. (Applause.)
There shouldn't be any question about this -- and there wouldn't be
if we had more reasonable judges on the federal bench. But we have a
situation in the United States Senate now where Democrats -- including
Senators Kerry and Edwards -- are using the filibuster to block the
President's sensible, mainstream nominations to the judiciary.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Democrats have used their obstructionist
tactics to block six of the President's superb nominees here in the
state of Michigan. They recently blocked a nominee from my part of the
country, Bill Myers, a fine man with widespread bipartisan support for
his personal integrity, his judicial temperament, and his legal
experience. If Bill had made it to an up-or-down vote on the Senate
floor, he had the votes to be confirmed to the Ninth Circuit, which, by
the way, is the circuit that decided we should not say "under God" when
we pledge allegiance to the flag.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sounds to me like they could use some new
judges on the Ninth Circuit. (Applause.) What the Democrats are doing
is simply outrageous, and that's why Michigan should send a Republican
to the United States Senate. (Applause.)
On issue after issue, President Bush has a clear vision for the
future of our nation. Abroad, we will use America's great power to
serve great purposes, to protect our homeland by turning back and
defeating the forces of terror, and by spreading hope and freedom
around the world. Here at home, we will continue building prosperity
that reaches every corner of the land so that every child in America
has a chance to learn, to succeed, and to rise in the world.
(Applause.)
The President and I are honored by your confidence in us, and by
your commitment to the cause we all share. We're grateful to our many
friends across the great state of Michigan. I want to thank you for
this tremendous welcome to Waterford. We're proud to have you on the
team. And together, on November 2nd, we're going to see our cause
forward to victory.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 5:20 P.M. EDT
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