For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 16, 2004
Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally
Mayo Field
Rochester, Minnesota
4:00 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. That's what I'm here to tell you.
I'm ready to serve this country for four more years. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming. Rochester, Minnesota is a fantastic city.
(Applause.) I appreciate -- I know something about it. You see, my
mother is a trustee of the Mayo Clinic. (Applause.) And I'm still
listening to my mother, after all these years. (Applause.) And she
said, when you get over to Rochester, you tell them to keep doing what
they're doing and Barbara Bush sends her best. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming out today. Today, as I traveled your state on
the bus, I've been on the telephone getting updates on the devastation
being caused by Hurricane Ivan in Florida and Alabama and parts of
Mississippi and Louisiana. Federal teams are there to do everything
possible to help the folks down there. I know all my fellow Americans
join me in sending our prayers and concern for the families who lost
loved ones, and for those whose lives are being affected by this
devastating storm.
I also want to express my sympathy and concern for the people just
down the road in Austin, Minnesota, and the surrounding areas who have
been affected by flash flooding there. (Applause.)
I've had a great day traveling your state -- St. Cloud, Anoka, the
Halloween capital of America -- (laughter) -- Blaine, Minnesota, and
right here in Rochester. What a great way to spend a day.
(Applause.) I kind of like to spend an afternoon in the ballpark.
(Applause.) I also like coming to ask people for their vote.
(Applause.) And that's what I'm doing here in the great state of
Minnesota. I want your vote. (Applause.) I also want your help. I'm
traveling on this bus to let people know that I'd like your help coming
down the stretch in this campaign.
We have a duty in this country to vote. And I'd like you to go out
and register your friends and neighbors to vote. Remind them we have
an obligation in a free society to go to the polls. And when you're
registering people, don't overlook discerning Democrats like Zell
Miller. (Applause.) And after you get people registered to vote and
voting time is around the corner, get them headed to the polls, and
tell them if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a
better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office. (Applause.)
My only regret of today is that Laura is not traveling with me.
When I asked her to marry me, she said, fine, just so long as I don't
ever have to give a political speech. (Laughter.) I said, okay.
Fortunately, she didn't hold me to her word. The American people in
New York City got to see a compassionate, strong, fine First Lady in
Laura Bush. (Applause.) Today I'm going to give you some reasons why I
think you ought to put me back into office, but perhaps the most
important one of all is so that Laura will be First Lady for four more
years. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Gil Gutknecht, the fine United States
Congressman from this part of the world. I appreciate his service.
(Applause.) I appreciate working with him to do what's right for our
country. He's a stalwart friend, and he's a great member of Congress.
Today I had the privilege of being on the bus with your governor,
Tim Pawlenty, who has done such a fine job for the people of
Minnesota. (Applause.) I'm proud to work with United States Senator
Norm Coleman. (Applause.) I want to thank all the state and local
officials who are here. I want to thank the people running for
office. I want to thank the grassroots activists. You are the people
who put up the signs and make the phone calls and do all the hard work,
and never get enough credit. I'm here to give you credit for what you
have done and what you're going to do, as we're coming down the pike.
There's no doubt in my mind, with your help, we will carry the great
state of Minnesota. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to this campaign. I like to get out amongst
the people and tell people where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm
going to lead this nation for the next four years. I believe every
child can learn, and every school must teach. (Applause.) I went to
Washington, D.C. to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I
didn't like a system that just shuffled kids through the schools, year
after year, without learning the basics. So we raised standards. We
measure early to solve problems before it's too late. We believe in
local control of schools. We're closing an achievement gap here in
America, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our citizens with
good health care. I went up to Washington to solve problems. We had a
problem in Medicare. Medicine was modernizing, Medicare wasn't.
Medicare would pay $100,000 for heart surgery, and would not pay for
the prescription drugs to prevent the heart surgery from being needed
in the first place. That didn't make any sense. It didn't make any
sense for our seniors; it certainly didn't make any sense for the
taxpayers. We've modernized Medicare. In 2006 our seniors are going
to get prescription drug coverage, and we're not turning back.
(Applause.)
I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our workers,
our small business owners, our farmers and ranchers. And that is why
we unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
(Applause.) Listen, when you're out gathering the vote, when you're
out there in the hustings convincing people to go to the pools, remind
them what this economy has been through. We've been through a
recession. We had corporate scandals. We passed tough laws in
Washington, by the way; it's now abundantly clear we're not going to
tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. (Applause.) And the
attack on our country hurt. It hurt people looking for work. They
estimate, in the three months after September the 11th we lost a
million jobs.
But we're overcoming these obstacles. This economy of ours is
strong, and it is getting stronger. (Applause.) Our economy has been
growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added 1.7
million new jobs in the last 12 months. The national unemployment rate
is at 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average of 1970s, 1980s, and
1990s. (Applause.) The unemployment rate in Minnesota is less than 5
percent. This economy is overcoming the obstacles we have faced, and
we're not turning 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.) I am running for President with a
clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful
America. I'm running with a compassionate conservative philosophy that
government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their
lives. (Applause.) I believe this nation wants steady, consistent,
principled leadership, and with your help, we're going to win a great
victory in November. (Applause.)
Listen, the world in which we live is changing. You know, when our
dads and grandads were coming up, a man usually worked at one company
all his life, and there was a pension plan and health care. And women
stayed at home. This world of ours is different. Men change -- or
people change careers and jobs often; and women not only work inside
the house, they're now working outside the house. And yet the systems
of our government, the fundamental systems haven't changed with the
times -- tax code, health care, pensions plans, worker training were
created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. In the new term
we'll transform these systems so all citizens are equipped, prepared,
and thus, truly free to be able to make your own choices and to pursue
the great American Dream.
A hopeful society is one in which the economy grows. The best way
to keep jobs here in America is to make sure America is the best place
in the world to do business. (Applause.) To make sure we have jobs
here we got to lessen the regulations on our job creators. To make
sure we have jobs here in America, we got to stop these frivolous
lawsuits that are plaguing small business owners. (Applause.)
To create jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan. I
proposed a plan over two years ago that encourages conservation, that
uses technologies to explore for hydrocarbons in environmentally
friendly ways, that promotes clean coal technology, that uses ethanol
and biodiesel. (Applause.) It's an energy plan that understands in
order to keep jobs in America, we must be less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.)
To create jobs we got to reject economic isolationism and open up
markets for our farmers and entrepreneurs. We open up our market, and
it's good for you. When you have more choices you're likely to get the
product you want at better quality and better price. And so what I
tell countries like China and elsewhere is, you treat us the way we
treat you. I say that because I know we can compete with anybody, any
time, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair. (Applause.)
Listen, to create jobs we got to be wise about how we spend your
money, and keep your taxes low. (Applause.) Taxes are an issue in
this campaign. They're an issue. I'm running against a fellow who's
promised $2.2 trillion -- that's with a "T" -- new dollars -- so far.
And we're coming down -- we haven't even got to the stretch run yet.
(Laughter.) So I said to him, well, how are you going to pay for it.
He said, oh, that's easy, we're just going to tax the rich.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: You've heard that before, haven't you? Yes. First
of all, you can't tax the rich enough to pay for $2.2 trillion --
there's a tax gap. If he has his way, guess who's going to get stuck
with the bill. You've heard the rhetoric about taxing the rich
before. Well, the rich hire accountants and lawyers for a reason -- so
you get stuck with the tab. We're not going to let him raise your
taxes. We're going to win in November. (Applause.)
Speaking about taxes, this tax code of ours is full of special
interest loopholes. It's a complicated mess. It's a million words
long. The American people spend six billion hours a year on taxes. I
think we need to do something about the tax code. In a new term I'm
going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to make this tax code
more simple and more fair for the American people. (Applause.)
Listen, in a changing world, jobs change. You know as well as
anybody here in Rochester, Minnesota, that the health care field offers
fantastic opportunities. But oftentimes there's a skills gap in
America. You know, workers don't have the skills necessary to fill the
new jobs of the 21st century. That's why I've laid out a comprehensive
plan to make sure our worker training programs are modernized. That's
why I'm such a big backer in the community college system, to enable
our workers to gain the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st
century. (Applause.)
In this changing world, most new jobs are filled by people with at
least two years at college. Yet one in four of our students gets
there. So in our high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs
to help students at risk. We'll emphasize math and science. Over
time, we will require a rigorous exam before graduation. See, by
raising performance in our high schools and expanding Pell grants for
low- and middle-income families, we will help more Americans start
their career with a college diploma. (Applause.)
In a time of change, we've got to do something to reform our health
care system. People in this town know what I'm talking about. See,
government must understand that it should stand side-by-side with
patients and doctors, not try to dictate to patients and doctors. A
good health care system is one that honors the provider and the
patient. When it comes to health care, my opponent wants government to
dictate; I want you to decide. (Applause.)
More than half of the Americans who are currently uninsured are
small business employees and their families. That's because small
businesses are having trouble affording health care. I want to change
the laws to allow small firms to pool together and purchase insurance
at the same discounts big companies get. My opponent opposes this
reform because he says it will hurt consumers. No, what hurts
consumers is not having health insurance. Under my plan, the same laws
that protect workers at large companies will protect consumers and
small companies. It's time to stop excuses, and it's time to act to
give Americans more quality health care coverage. (Applause.)
We need to expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll help the
working uninsured purchase health savings accounts. We'll help small
businesses with health savings accounts. We want there to be a
tax-free plan for Americans from all walks of life to be able to call a
health plan their own. If they change jobs, they ought to be able to
take the plan from one job to the next. If they save money in their
plan, it ought to be theirs, tax-free. We want plans where they make
the decisions, not faceless bureaucrats and HMOs.
We're going to continue to expand community health centers, to make
sure the indigent and the poor get primary care and preventative care.
It's better they get care in the health centers than in emergency rooms
of hospitals. We're going to continue to expand health information
technology, which will reduce costs.
But I'll tell you what else we need to do -- we need to stop these
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business and
running up the cost of your medicine. (Applause.) Listen, I don't
think you can be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-trial lawyer at the
same time. I think you have to choose. My opponent made his choice,
and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket. I made my choice. I am for
medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
Listen, we have a common-sense, practical plan to make high-quality
health care more affordable and more accessible. This is a big issue
in this campaign, and there is a big philosophical difference. My
opponent's plan is a massive, big-government plan. And you can tell it
is, because it costs a lot -- (laughter) -- $1.5 trillion, with a "T,"
and that's a lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts. (Laughter.)
Two problems with the plan -- only one way to pay for it, that's to
raise your taxes. And the other problem is he's expanding government.
For example, he's going to increase Medicaid coverage, which will crowd
out private insurance. It will mean 8 million families are now going
to be on the government's insurance policy. The problem with that is,
is that when you're on a government insurance policy, it means the
government is in charge of the decision-making. When you're on a
government insurance policy, bureaucrats make the decisions, deciding
what doctors you can see and what health services are covered. That's
the wrong plan for America. The right plan for America is to have a
practical plan that keeps the decision-making between doctors and
patients, not bureaucrats in our Nation's Capital. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: In a new term, we'll continue to promote ownership
in America. In changing times, ownership brings stability to people's
lives. Home ownership rates are at an all-time high in America today.
It's a hopeful statistic, isn't it? More and more people are opening
up the door where they live, and they're saying, welcome to my home,
welcome to my piece of property. In a new term, we'll continue to
spread ownership to every corner of America.
And we've got to think differently about retirement plans, as
well. We've got to do something about Social Security. Now, if you're
a senior on Social Security, the government has got enough money in the
trust fund to take care of you. I don't care what the politicians tell
you, you have nothing to fear when it comes to Social Security. As a
matter of fact, baby boomers like me, and a couple others I see --
(laughter) -- are just fine when it comes to Social Security. But we
need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to
Social Security. I believe younger workers ought to be able to take
some of their own tax money and set it aside in personal savings
accounts to help fulfill the promise of Social Security -- an account
they call their own, an account the government cannot take away.
(Applause.)
In this world of change, some things do not change -- the values we
try to live by: courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In a
time of change, we will support the institutions that give our lives
directions and purpose: our families, our schools, our religious
congregations. We stand for a culture of life, in which every person
matters, and every person counts. (Applause.) 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. 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. Our strategy is clear: We're defending the
homeland, we're transforming our military, we're strengthening our
intelligence services. We're staying on the offensive. We will strike
the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
(Applause.) We will work to advance liberty in the broader Middle East
and around the world, and we will prevail. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago Afghanistan was the
home base of al Qaeda, Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist
groups, Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorists fundraising,
Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, Iraq was a gathering
threat, al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks.
Because we acted --
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Because we acted, the government of Afghanistan is
fighting terror, Pakistan is capturing terrorists, 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
brought to justice. (Applause.) We have led, many have joined, and
America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose and
some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam
Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his
long history of pursuing and even using weapons of mass destruction.
And we know that after September the 11th, our country must think
differently. We must take threats seriously before they fully
materialize. (Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. I went to the United States
Congress. They looked at the same intelligence I looked at. They
remembered the same history I remembered. They concluded Saddam was a
threat, and authorized the use of force. My opponent looked at the
same intelligence I looked at. He came to the same conclusion we came
to, that Saddam was a threat, and he voted, yes, for the authorization
of force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits troops into harm's way, we
must try all avenues to solve the problem. That's why I went to the
United Nations. I was hoping diplomacy would work. The United Nations
looked at the same intelligence we looked at, they remembered the same
history we remembered, and by a 15-to- nothing vote in the United
Nations Security Council voted to declare to Saddam Hussein, disclose,
disarm or face serious consequences. I believe when international
bodies speak, they must mean what they say, in order to make the world
peaceful. (Applause.)
But as he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein wasn't interested
in what the free world said. He ignored this resolution like he
ignored resolutions and resolutions and resolutions for the decade
before. When the United Nations sent inspectors into the country, he
systematically deceived the inspectors. So I'm faced with a choice:
Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th, and take the word of a
madman, or take action to defend this country? Given that choice, I
will defend America every time. (Applause.)
We didn't find the stockpiles that we thought would be there, but
Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons, and he could have
passed that capability on to the enemy. And that was a risk we could
not afford to take after September the 11th. Knowing what I know
today, I would have made the same decision. (Applause.) And America
and the world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell.
(Applause.)
Because we acted to defend our country, more than 50 million in
Afghanistan and Iraq are now free. (Applause.) Think about
Afghanistan. Three years ago, many young girls couldn't go to school
because the Taliban was so backward and barbaric. And their moms would
be pulled out in the public square and whipped if they didn't toe the
line of these backward people. Today in Afghanistan, 10 million
people, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered to vote in the
upcoming presidential election. (Applause.)
There's a lot of violence in Iraq, I understand that. But Iraq now
has a strong Prime Minister, national council, and national elections
are scheduled in January. The world is becoming more free. Parts of
the world where people never dreamt there would be liberty are becoming
more free. And we're standing with the people of Afghanistan and
Iraq. When America gives its word, America will keep its word under my
administration. (Applause.)
We're also serving an historic cause that will make us safer and
make generations of Americans grow up in a safer world. 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 terrorists instead of supporting them. And
that makes us all safer.
Our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We will help new
leaders to train their police and armies, so they can do the hard work
of defending their countries against the few who would deny the
ambitions of the many. We'll help them have elections. We'll get them
on the path to stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then
our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.
(Applause.)
I'm proud of our United States military. (Applause.) I've
traveled to bases across our country and around the world. I've seen
their great courage and wonderful decency. I want to thank the
veterans who are here for having set such a great example for those who
wear the uniform. (Applause.) I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the
cause of freedom is in great hands.
And I want to thank the military families who are here.
(Applause.) We appreciate your service and your sacrifice. The federal
government owes your loved ones all the support necessary to complete
their missions. That's why I went to the United States Congress last
September and asked for $87 billion of supplemental funding to support
our troops in harm's way in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This was vital
legislation. It was important legislation. It was so important that
we received great bipartisan support in Congress. 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 the vote, remind citizens
that only four United States senators voted to authorize the use of
force and then voted against funding our troops. And two of those four
are my opponent and his running mate. So they asked him. They said,
why did you make the decision you made? And you might remember his
famous answer: I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted
against it. You know, I doubt many people talk like that in Rochester,
Minnesota. (Applause.) They pressed him further. He said he's proud
of the vote. Finally he just said it's a complicated matter. There is
nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
The Commander-in-Chief must be clear and mean what he says. In
order to make this world a more peaceful place, when the President of
the United States speaks, he better mean what he says. (Applause.)
During the course of this campaign, my opponent has probably seven or
eight different positions on the war in Iraq. He's for it and wouldn't
fund, then he became the anti-war candidate. Then last summer he stood
here -- I believe it was on the edge of the Grand Canyon, and said,
well, knowing everything we know today I would have voted to go into
Iraq. Then he got pressure, and said, well, maybe that wasn't the
right thing to do. Then he said we're spending too much money. That's
right after he criticized me for not spending enough money.
So yesterday in a radio interview he tried to clear things up, and
here's what he said: He said there were no circumstances, none, under
which we should have gone to war, although his own vote to go to war
was the right vote and it was right to hold Saddam Hussein
accountable. (Laughter.) Even the radio host said, I can't tell you
what he said. (Laughter.)
Let me be clear about something: Mixed signals are the wrong
signals to send to our troops in the field -- (applause) -- the Iraqi
people, our allies, and most of all, the enemy. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate the contributions our friends and
allies are making. I particularly the -- a lady member of parliament
for being here from our strong ally, Great Britain. Welcome.
(Applause.) We put together a coalition of nations all bound together
to make this world a better place. There are some 40 nations involved
in Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in Iraq. Please don't listen
to the language by some who said this coalition is feeble and not
strong. It's a strong coalition. The next four years I'll continue to
work to build coalitions. But I'm never going to turn over America's
national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
of our strength is to advance freedom. I like telling people about the
fact that I sit at the table with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. You
know, it wasn't all that long ago in the march of history that our dads
and granddads were fighting the Japanese as a sworn enemy. Think about
that.
Because of Harry Truman and Americans who believed in the power of
liberty, after World War II we helped Japan become a democracy. There
were a lot of skeptics during that period of time. You can understand
why. People were saying, wait a minute, we just fought these people,
and here we are, helping them become a democracy -- that doesn't make
any sense. It did make sense. It made sense because today I sit at
the table with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan talking about the peace
we all want, talking about how to make the world a more peaceful
place. Someday an American President and a British Prime Minister are
going to be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, talking
about the peace and our children and grandchildren are going to be
better off. (Applause.)
I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for
their liberty. I believe women in the greater Middle East want to have
a free society so they can realize their dreams. And I believe that
given the chance, they 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.)
This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting freedom
at home and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more hopeful
America. By reforming systems of government, we will help more
Americans realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity
to every corner of America. We'll pass the enduring values of our
country on to a new generation. We will continue to work to spread
freedom and peace around the 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. (Applause.)
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of
the Twin Towers. It's a day I'm never going to forget. There were
workers there in hard hats yelling at me at the top of their lungs,
"Whatever it takes." I remember trying to console a -- one of the
fellows came out of the rubble. He looked me right in the eye and he
said, "Do not let me down." Ever since that day, I wake up thinking
about how to better protect our country. I will never relent in
defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, as I traveled your 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 have been elected.
With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for four more years.
God bless. Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) Thank you all.
END 4:41 P.M. CDT
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