For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 24, 2004
Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally
General John J. Pershing Park
Racine, Wisconsin
4:20 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming out. (Applause.)
You can tell, I've been traveling your good state by bus. (Applause.)
Nothing better than taking a bus trip throughout southern Wisconsin.
(Applause.) What a fantastic, beautiful part of the world, full of
great people. And a great place to end is right here in Racine.
Thanks for coming out today. (Applause.)
Listen, the reason I'm traveling around by bus is because I'm
asking for the vote. I'm here to ask for your vote, and I'm here to
ask for your help. (Applause.) I think it's really important for you
to convince your friends and neighbors to go to the polls. We live in
a free society and we have an obligation to vote in a free society.
(Applause.) So the first thing I'm doing -- I'm going to ask you to
do, is to register your friends and neighbors. And make sure as you
register your friends and neighbors, to register discerning Democrats
like Zell Miller. (Applause.) And then, after you register them to
vote, head them to the polls. And when you get them to the polls, tell
them, if they want a safer, stronger and better America, to put me and
Dick Cheney back in office. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: I'm sorry that Laura is not here. I wish she were
here. She is a great wife, a wonderful mother, and a great First
Lady. (Applause.) And I appreciate my running mate, Dick Cheney.
(Applause.) Look, he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race.
(Laughter.) I didn't pick him for his hair. (Laughter.) I picked him
for his experience, his judgment, and the fact that he get the job done
for the American people. (Applause.)
Listen, I'm proud of my Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(Applause.) You've trained him well. (Applause.) You taught Tommy
Thompson a lot. He is a great friend, and he's doing a terrific job on
behalf of our country. I'm proud to be traveling with Congressman Paul
Ryan. (Applause.) He is a breath of fresh air. He's a good, honest
man who, like me, married well. (Laughter.) I appreciate Congressman
Mark Green being here today, too. (Applause.) Both of them represent
your state well. The State Treasurer is with us; Milwaukee County
Executive Scott Walker. (Applause.) I call him Scott W. (Laughter.)
A lot of state and local officials here -- Tim Michels, running for the
United States Senate is here. (Applause.) I look forward to working
with him in the United States Senate. (Applause.)
I appreciate my friend, Rick Graber, who is the party chairman of
Wisconsin. I appreciate him being here. Mary Buestrin is the national
committeewoman. Listen, what I'm doing is I'm telling you thanks for
the grassroots activists. (Applause.) All of the people who have put
the signs and get on the telephones and encourage people to register
and vote, thank you for what you're doing, and thank you for what
you're going to do as you're coming down the stretch. We're going to
carry the state of Wisconsin. (Applause.)
I appreciate Charlie Sykes who emceed this program. (Applause.)
Listen, today, on the bus, I had the honor of meeting with Casey
Perry and some other state -- members of the National Troopers
Coalition. These are law enforcement officers who are out there every
single day to protect the people of Wisconsin and around the country.
(Applause.) I always found, when you're riding down the highway, it's
good to have some troopers with you. (Laughter.) These -- these men
were here to inform me that the National Troopers Coalition endorsed my
candidacy for President. I am honored to have their endorsement.
(Applause.) I'm honored to have it because of the risks they take.
I'm honored to have it because of the values they stand for. I'm
honored to have it because of the kind of people they are. I'm proud
to have you by my side. God bless you all. Thank you. (Applause.)
You know, I'm looking forward to this campaign. I've been coming
to Wisconsin a lot. I suspect I'll be coming some more. (Applause.)
I enjoy coming here. I'm looking forward to coming back. (Applause.)
I want to tell you where I stand, what I believe, and where I intend to
lead this nation for four more years. (Applause.) I believe every
child can learn and that every school must teach. That's what I
believe. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low
expectations. See, like you, I was tired of that practice of just
shuffling the kids through the schools, year after year, grade after
grade, without teaching them the basics. I believe every child can
learn, and I expect every school to teach. That's why we've raised the
standards. That's why we're measuring early before it's too late to
solve problems. That's why we believe in local control of schools.
And that's why we're closing an achievement gap in America, and we're
not turning back. (Applause.)
I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with
good health care. (Applause.) Medicine was changing, but Medicare
wasn't. I went to Washington to solve problems. We had a problem in
Medicare. See, Medicare would pay nearly $100,000 for the heart
surgery, but would not pay one dime for the prescription drugs to
prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. That
didn't make any sense. Medicare needs to be modernized. I worked with
Republicans and Democrats. We've strengthened Medicare. Seniors will
get prescription drugs in 2006, and we're not going to turn back to the
old days. (Applause.)
I believe in the energy, innovative spirit of America's workers,
small business owners, farmers. And that's why we unleashed that
energy with the largest tax cut in a generation. (Applause.) When
you're out rounding up the vote, remind people what this economy has
been through. It's been through a recession. As a matter of fact, the
stock market started to head down about five months before we showed up
in Washington. Then there was a recession. And then we found out some
of our citizens didn't tell the truth. There were some corporate
scandals. We passed new laws, and we made it abundantly clear we're
not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
(Applause.)
And then we got attacked, and that hurt our economy. But our
economy is strong and growing stronger. We'll overcome these
obstacles. We've got great workers, great farmers. The
entrepreneurial spirit is strong, and the tax cuts made a difference.
(Applause.)
We've added about 1.7 million new jobs since August of '03. We've
added 107,000 manufacturing jobs since January. The national
unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average of
the '70s, the '80s, and the 1990s. (Applause.) And right here in
Wisconsin, your unemployment rate is 4.8 percent. (Applause.) This
economy is strong, it's getting stronger, and we're not turning back.
(Applause.)
I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to
protect the American people. If we show uncertainty and weakness in
this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This isn't going to
happen on my watch. (Applause.) I'm 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
governments should help people improve their lives, not try to run
their lives. (Applause.) I believe this nation wants steady,
consistent principled leadership. And that is why with your help we'll
carry Wisconsin and win a great victory in November. (Applause.)
The world in which we live is changing. The generation of our dads
and granddads -- in that generation, a man generally had one job, one
career, and moms stayed at home. But times have changed a lot since
then. Many workers have more than one job and more than one career,
and many women work inside the house and outside the house. And yet
the systems of our government, the most fundamental systems -- the tax
code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training, labor law was
all designed for yesterday, not tomorrow. In the next four years,
we'll work to transform these systems so that all citizens are
equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to be able to make your own
choices and to realize the great promise of America. (Applause.)
I fully understand a hopeful society is one that has a growing
economy. I have a plan to make sure this recovery is lasting
prosperity. If you want to keep jobs here in America, America must be
the best place in the world to do business. (Applause.) As simple as
that. That means less regulations on the employers and job creators.
(Applause.) That means less frivolous lawsuits on the employers and
job creators. (Applause.)
If we want to keep jobs here in America, Congress needs to pass my
energy plan. I sent up a plan that encourages conservation, encourages
the use of renewables like ethanol and biodiesel, that says we got to
modernize our electricity grid, that says we'll use clean coal
technology, that we'll explore for natural gas in environmentally
friendly ways. In order to keep jobs here in America, this country
must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
In order to make sure this economy grows and people in Racine,
Wisconsin can find work, we've got to open up markets. See, we open up
our markets for goods from other countries. If you got more products
to choose from, you're likely to get the product you want at a better
price and better quality. That's why Republicans and Democrat
administrations have opened up our markets. So I'm saying to places
like China, is you treat us the way we treat you. See, we can compete
with anybody, any time, anywhere so long as the rules are fair.
(Applause.)
In order to make sure this economy grows we got to be wise about
how we spend your money in Washington. And we got to keep your taxes
low. (Applause.) Taxes are an issue in this campaign, make no mistake
about it. The fellow I'm running against has promised $2.2 trillion in
new federal spending -- so far.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I say, so far, because we still got October to go.
(Laughter.) $2.2 trillion is a lot even for a senator from
Massachusetts. (Laughter.) So I said, how are you going to pay for
it? He said, that's easy, we'll just tax the rich. We've heard that
before, haven't we? First of all, you can't raise enough money by
taxing the rich to pay for $2.2 trillion in new spending, so there's a
tax gap. Guess who usually gets stuck with filling the tax gap.
Secondly, when you hear that language, tax the rich, hold on to your
wallets, because the rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason.
So you get stuck.
The good news is, we're not going to let him tax you, because we're
going to win in November. (Applause.)
Let me say something else about the tax code. It's a complicated
mess. It's a million pages long. The American people spend six
billion hours a year filling out the tax forms. In a new term, I'm
going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to simplify the tax
code so you're treated more fairly. (Applause.)
Today, down the road, I talked about making sure workers have the
skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Our work force
is changing. Sometimes workers don't have the skills necessary to fill
the jobs of the 21st century. That's why I'm such a big believer in
the community college system here in Wisconsin and around the world.
We're going to spend more federal money to make sure community colleges
are more accessible.
Do you realize most jobs, or new jobs, are filled by people with at
least two years of college, yet only about one in four of our students
gets there. That's why I believe, in our high schools, we should fund
early intervention programs to help at-risk students. We need to place
special emphasis on math and science. Over time, we'll require a
rigorous exam before graduation. By raising performance in our high
schools, and by expanding Pell grants for low-and middle-income
American families, we'll make sure more families -- more workers start
their career with a college diploma. (Applause.)
We're going to do something about our health care system, too. But
I promise you this; when we reform health care, we're going to let you
make the decisions. (Applause.) There's a fundamental difference in
this campaign; there is a philosophical divide. My opponent wants
government to dictate to you.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I think that's the wrong approach to health care.
See, we're going to make sure the poor and the indigent get good health
care by expanding community health centers in every poor county in
America. That makes sense. We'll make sure the children's health
programs for low-income Americans are fully subscribed to by those who
qualify. That makes sense. We have a practical, commons-sense plan.
I understand half the working uninsured work for small businesses.
There's a reason why they're uninsured. Small businesses are having
trouble affording health care. And one of the reasons having -- having
trouble affording health care is because they can't pool risk. So I
think we ought to allow small businesses to pool together across
jurisdictional boundaries so they can buy health care at the same
discounts big companies get theirs. (Applause.)
We'll expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll give small
business tax credits to encourage them to put money into health savings
accounts for their employees. In order to make sure that health care
is available and affordable in Wisconsin and around the country. We've
got to do something about these frivolous lawsuits that are driving
good doctors out of practice and running up your costs. (Applause.)
There's a difference of opinion in this campaign. You cannot be
pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital, and pro-trial lawyer at the same
time. I think you have to make a choice. 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 sure health
care is available and affordable. In all we do to make sure medicine
works in America, we will make sure that the decisions are made by
doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
(Applause.)
In times of change, in a changing world, it helps if somebody owns
something to bring stability in their lives. The home ownership rate
is at an all-time high under my administration. More and more people
from all walks of life are able to open up the door where they live and
say, welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property. (Applause.)
And over the next four years, we'll continue to expand home ownership
to every corner of our country.
In terms of our retirement systems, they were designed for
yesterday. They need to be designed for tomorrow. If you're on Social
Security today, you have nothing to worry about. You will get your
check. I don't care what the political rhetoric is in a campaign,
you're going to get paid. You remember, four years ago in Wisconsin,
they were saying, if George W. gets in, the seniors aren't going to
get their checks. You might remember that? Yes, well -- (laughter) --
that's what happened. Seniors got paid. You will get paid again. If
you're a baby boomer -- if you're a baby boomer, you're fine. We're
fine. There's enough money in the trust to take care of us. But we
need to worry about our younger workers. We need to worry about our
children and our grandchildren. (Applause.) I think in order to make
sure Social Security is around for a new generation, younger workers
ought to be able to take some of their own money and set up a personal
savings account that they can call their own. (Applause.)
The world has changed. Some things won't change, the values we try
to live by: courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In times
of change, 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. (Applause.) We stand for marriage and
family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) I 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 the terrible morning of
September the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the
globe not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of citizens
are at stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland.
We're transforming our military. We're strengthening our
intelligence-gathering 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.)
We will -- we will continue to work to advance liberty in the
broader Middle East, and around the world. And we'll prevail. Our
strategy is succeeding. Our strategy is succeeding. Think about the
world only four short years ago. Afghanistan was the home base of al
Qaeda. Pakistan was a transit point of terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia
was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising. Libya was secretly
pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq was a gathering threat, and al Qaeda
was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks.
Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan is fighting
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
brought to justice. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: We have led, many have joined, and America and the
world are safer.
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 he had
harbored Abu Nidal, the leader of a terrorist organization that carried
out attacks in Asia and Europe. We knew Abu Abbas had been in Iraq --
he's the fellow that killed Leon Klinghoffer. We knew Zarqawi had been
in Baghdad. He's the person now beheading our citizens in order to
shake our will. We knew that -- we knew his long history, Saddam's
history of pursuing and even using weapons of mass destruction. He was
firing at our pilots enforcing the world's sanctions. Saddam Hussein
was a threat. It is important this country never forget the lessons of
September the 11th. We must take threats seriously before they fully
materialize. (Applause.) We cannot forget that lesson.
So I went to the Congress. The Congress looked at the
intelligence, the same intelligence I looked at, remembered the same
history I remembered, and concluded that Saddam Hussein was a threat
and authorized the use of force. My opponent looked at the same
intelligence I did, concluded that Saddam was a threat, and voted "yes"
when it came to the authorization of force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits troops into harm's way, he
must try all options to solve a problem. And so I was hopeful that
diplomacy would work. I was hopeful that we wouldn't have to commit
our troops. And so I went to he United Nations, and I gave a speech
there, and I said, we see a threat. They looked at the same
intelligence, they remembered the same history, and they concluded that
Saddam Hussein was a threat. As a matter of fact, by a U.N. Security
Council resolution, they voted 15 to nothing to say, disclose, disarm,
or face serious consequences. I believe when an international body
speaks, it must mean what it says. (Applause.)
Saddam Hussein wasn't about to listen to the demands of the free
world. He had ignored the demands of the free world for over a
decade. I think this was maybe the 17th resolution that had been
passed. He doubted whether or not the international body would keep
its word. He defied the inspectors the U.N. sent in. So I have a
choice to make at this point in time. Diplomacy has failed, Saddam
Hussein was given a last chance. Do I forget the lessons of September
the 11th and trust a madman --
AUDIENCE: Nooo!
THE PRESIDENT: -- or do I take action to defend this country?
Given that choice, I will defend America every time. (Applause.)
Listen, we didn't find the stockpiles we all thought would be
there, but Saddam Hussein had the capability of manufacturing weapons,
and he could have passed that capability on to an enemy. And after
September the 11th, that is a risk we could not afford to take.
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 in our self-interests, 50 million people in
Afghanistan and Iraq are now free. (Applause.) Think about
Afghanistan, what life was like there less than four years ago. Think
about it. Young girls were not allowed to go to school. The Taliban
was so dark in their vision that they'd haul their mothers out in the
public square and whip them if they didn't toe their line. They didn't
believe in freedom at all. Their mind-set was the exact opposite of
what America stands for. Today, because we acted, 10 million citizens
in Afghanistan, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered to vote
in the upcoming presidential election. (Applause.) Fantastic. This
society is going from darkness to light because the people are free,
and we're better off for it. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on
terror.
In Iraq, despite ongoing acts of horrible violence, that country
has got a strong Prime Minister and it's going to have elections in
January. (Applause.) It's in our interests that Iraq be free. Free
societies will be hopeful societies. Free societies will not breed
resentments and export for terror. Free societies will fight
terrorists instead of harboring them. Our strategy is clear -- we'll
help the Iraqis and the Afghans defend themselves by training citizens
-- their own citizens so they can do the hard work. We'll help them
get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and
our troops will come home with the honor they have earned. (Applause.)
We got a great military. (Applause.) I want to thank the veterans
who are here for having set such a great example to those who wear the
uniform. We appreciate your service. (Applause.) I've had the
privilege of meeting those who wear the uniform at bases here at home
and across the world. I know their courage, and their unselfish
decency. Ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in really good
hands. (Applause.)
And we owe our troops and their loved ones the full support of the
federal government. That's why I went to -- that's why I went to the
Congress last September a year ago to ask for $87 billion of
supplemental funding to support our troops in harm's way. This was
really important legislation. This was vital money, money for spare
parts and ammunition, for body armor, for hazard pay, for health
benefits. It's the kind of thing that you'd want your troops to have,
and the troops not only in Iraq, but Afghanistan, as well. We received
great bipartisan for that funding request, so strong that only 12
United States senators voted against it -- two of whom are my opponent
and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: When you're out there campaigning tell people about
this statistic: Only four United States senators voted to authorize
the use of force, and then voted against funding for our troops. And
two of those four are my opponent and his running mate. They asked
him, of course, you know this, he said his answer to why he voted the
way he did, he said, I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I
voted against it. (Laughter.) You've heard that. They then said --
they then said, well -- they kept pressing him. He said he was proud
of his vote. And finally, he just said, the whole thing was a
complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about supporting our
troops in combat. (Applause.)
We've got hard work to do in Iraq. And it's tough, and it's hard.
I know it's hard. The terrorists over there cannot defeat our
military. The only tool they've got is the ability to shake our will.
We care for human rights and human dignity. Every life matters to the
American people. And therefore, when we see people beheaded on our
screens, we cry and we weep. And the terrorists know that. They know
we've got a conscience. And we know they don't have a conscience. We
must not allow them to shake our will. It's important that we succeed
in Iraq. It's important for our security and for the peace of the
world that we defeat the terrorists there. This is a central, central
front in the war on terror.
Fortunately, we've got a partner, a strong partner in Iraq. He's
named Prime Minister Allawi. (Applause.) I was with him yesterday in
the Oval Office, had a great visit with him. When I was in New York
and saw him, I asked him, is it true that -- about the story I had
heard. He said, it's true. He told me the story about the night he
woke up in a bed in a flat in London. See, he had been -- he had left
the country because Saddam Hussein wanted to kill him. And he woke up
one night -- this is a true story -- his wife in his bed next to him,
and there was two people next to his bed with axes, sent by Saddam
Hussein. They were trying to axe him to death. He survived. He's now
the Prime Minister of that country. He's a tough guy who understands.
He understands we must not yield. (Applause.) We'll stand with him.
When America gives its word, America must keep its word. (Applause.)
If we expect to win this war on terror and secure the homeland, we
must be clear about what we say. And the President must mean what he
says. (Applause.) That's why you can't keep changing positions based
upon polls. My opponent has had seven or eight different positions on
Iraq. He can't decide if we should be there or not be there. You
cannot lead if you don't know where you want to lead. You cannot lead
if you don't know what you believe. You cannot lead if you -- if you
get blown around by the political winds. Yesterday, he criticized the
Prime Minister of Iraq.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Right after the Prime Minister spoke to the United
States Congress, right after he gave an important speech, Senator Kerry
went out and stood in front of the cameras and questioned Prime
Minister Allawi's credibility.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Earlier this week, he said he would prefer the
dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation in Iraq today.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: In order for us to succeed in Iraq, the Iraqi
people must believe the American people will stand with them.
(Applause.) In order to have credibility with those people who are
fighting for freedom, the leaders of this country must not send mixed
signals. They must earn the credibility of the Iraqi people.
Twenty-five million people want to be free in that country. And when
they're free, we're better off for it. I'll continue to lead this
country with clarity. When I say something, I'll mean what I say.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Part of our strategy -- part of our strategy is to
continue working with our friends and allies. I was on the phone this
morning with Prime Minister Tony Blair. (Applause.) He understands --
he understands that Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. He
understands the stakes. He understands the need for leaders to stand
up and lead, and he is a leader. And I appreciate him -- I thank him
every time I have a chance to for joining this coalition. (Applause.)
Do you realize we've got over 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some
30 nations involved in Iraq. Over the next four years, I'll continue
to work to strengthen alliances, but I will never turn over America's
national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: I believe -- I believe in the transformational
power of liberty. That's what I believe. The wisest use of American
strength is to advance freedom. Recently in New York, I had a visit
with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. I said, I tell you, I'm
traveling the country talking about you. He said, fine, make sure you
tell them I like Elvis. (Laughter.) And so I do talk about him because
I find it really interesting, really interesting. And I want the
youngsters to understand -- to listen to this because I think it will
give you some clarity about why I decide what I decide -- is that I sit
down and talk with the leader of a country that we were at war with
some 60 years ago. That's a lot of time if you're 58 like me.
(Laughter.) It seems like forever. (Laughter.) It's not a lot of
time, though, in the march of history. It wasn't all that long ago in
other words, that we were at war with Japan. My dad fought against the
Japanese. I promise you a lot of folks out here relatives fought
against the Japanese, too, in what was one tough war. A lot of people
lost their lives.
After World War II, my predecessor Harry S. Truman believed that we
should work with the Japanese to build a democracy. A lot of people in
this country questioned the wisdom. You can understand why. There was
a lot of bitterness toward the Japanese. They were our enemy. We had
just fought them. But there were folks in this country that believed
in the power of liberty to transform an enemy into an ally. And so
they did the hard work after World War II, developing that country, and
to build that country into a democracy. And because of that work,
today I talk to Prime Minister Koizumi, talking about the peace we all
want, talking about how to make the world more peaceful.
So when you hear me say, I believe in the transformational power of
liberty, think about the fact that the American President and the
leader of Japan are working together for peace. Some day -- some day
-- (applause) -- some day an American President and a duly-elected
leader of Iraq will sit down at the table to talk about peace, and our
children and our grandchildren will be better off for it. (Applause.)
I believe -- I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in
silence for their freedom. I believe women in the Middle East long to
be free. I believe they want their young daughters to be able to grow
up in a hopeful society. I believe that, if given a chance, the people
in the broader Middle East will embrace the most honorable form of
government ever devised by man. And I believe 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 century. By promoting freedom
at home and abroad, we'll build a more safer world and a more hopeful
America. By reforming our systems of government, we'll help more
Americans realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity
to every corner of this land. We'll pass the enduring values of our
country on to a new generation. We'll continue to lead the cause of
freedom and peace. (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. (Applause.)
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On the bus we were talking to troopers about that day,
September the 14th, 2001, when we stood in the ruins of the Twin
Towers. It's a day I know I'll never forget. There were workers in
hard hats there yelling at the top of their lungs, "Whatever it
takes." I remember talking to a guy who came out of the rubble, had
blood-shot eyes and he's exhausted for trying to find his buddies and
people that were hurt. And he looked me right in the eye and said,
"You don't let me down." I wake up every morning since that day trying
to better figure out how to protect our country. I will never relent
in defending the security of America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, as I traveled your great state and our country, I
made a pledge that if you gave me the chance to serve I would uphold
the honor and the dignity of the office to which I have been elected.
With your hard help, with your hard work and your help, I will continue
to do so for four more years. God bless. Thank you all for coming.
(Applause.) On to victory. Thank you all. Thanks for coming.
(Applause.)
END 5:04 P.M. CDT
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