For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
September 24, 2004
Vice President's Remarks at a Breakfast for Candidate Boustany
The City Club River Ranch
Lafayette, Louisiana
9:05 A.M. CDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much for the welcome. It's
great to be in this great city. By the look of things today, this is
Bush-Cheney country. (Applause.)
And I'm looking forward to welcoming Dr. Charles Boustany to
Washington as a new member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
(Applause.) He comes from a family that has been active in public
service, for a long time -- improving the community. He's the right
candidate for the times. He's in perfect tune with the values of the
seventh district. He shares our commitment to a secure America, to
keeping our economy strong and -- by making the Bush tax cuts
permanent. Charles is also a respected physician, so he'll bring a
unique experience and a badly needed perspective to the United States
Congress. (Applause.) He knows that better, more affordable health
care requires that we focus on what is best for patients, not personal
injury lawyers. (Laughter and applause.)
The President and I are pleased to be on the ballot with Charles
this year. He's the kind of person who belongs in the United States
Congress. And because of your help, Charles is on his way to victory.
(Applause.)
Now, Lynne mentioned that she'd known me since I was 14 years old.
But the fact is she wouldn't go out with me until I was 17.
(Laughter.) And I tell people often that we actually got married
because Dwight Eisenhower got elected President of the United States.
(Laughter.) In those days in the early '50s, I was living in Lincoln,
Nebraska with my folks. Dad worked for the Soil Conservation Service.
Eisenhower got elected, reorganized the doing, Dad got transferred to
Casper, Wyoming, and that's where I met Lynne, and we grew up and went
to high school together, and a couple weeks ago celebrated our 40th
wedding anniversary. (Applause.) I explained to a group the other
night that if it hadn't been for Eisenhower's election victory, Lynne
would have married somebody else. (Laughter.) And she said, right,
and now he'd be Vice President of the United States. (Laughter and
applause.) Enough foolishness. (Laughter.)
But we are delighted to be here, running this year with a great
slate of candidates -- Republican candidates. One of my jobs, of
course, as Vice President -- actually it's my only job -- (laughter) --
is to preside over the Senate. And when they wrote the Constitution,
they created the post of Vice President, but then they got down the end
of the convention and discovered they hadn't given him anything to do
so they made him the President of the Senate, the presiding officer of
the Senate. And I get to preside over the Senate, to cast tie-breaking
votes. My predecessor John Adams, when he had the job, he even had
floor privileges. He could go down into the well of the Senate and
actually debate the issues of the day. And then he did a couple of
times, and they withdrew his floor privileges. (Laughter.)
One of the things I get to do is I get to swear in new senators.
And I'm looking forward come January to swearing David Vitter as the
new senator from Louisiana. (Applause.)
As I said in my convention speech up in New York, I'm mindful that
I now have an opponent. (Laughter.) People keep telling me that
Senator Edwards got picked for his good looks, his charm, because he's
sexy and has great hair. (Laughter.) I said, "How do you think I got
the job?" (Laughter.)
But in all seriousness, this is an important election and serious
business that we're about this year. It 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. From
the night of September 11th to this day, America has left no doubt
about where we stand. We have no illusions about the character of the
struggle or the nature of the enemy we face. The beheading of two
American hostages this week is another grim reminder of the evil nature
of our adversaries. This is not an enemy we can reason with, or
negotiate with, or appease. This is, to put it simply, an enemy that
must be destroyed. (Applause.) With President George W. Bush as our
Commander-in-Chief, that is exactly what we will do. (Applause.)
Under the President's leadership, we have reached around the world
to capture and kill hundreds of al Qaeda. In Afghanistan, the camps
where terrorists trained to kill Americans have been destroyed, and the
Taliban driven from power. In Iraq, we dealt with a gathering threat,
and removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. Eighteen months ago, he
controlled the lives and fortunes of 25 million people. Today he sits
in jail.
Yesterday I presided in the House of Representatives as Ayad
Allawi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, addressed the Congress and said,
"thank you America." He noted the struggle in Iraq is tough, that
there have been and there will be setbacks. But he also noted that
there is progress -- some of it not always reported in the American
media. Iraqi children are in school; security forces are being
trained; the country is on a course toward free elections. Prime
Minister Allawi is a brave man. Some years ago, Saddam Hussein sent
killers after him with axes. They tried to hack him to death in his
bed. He is a brave and a determined leader, and I must say I was
appalled at the complete lack of respect Senator Kerry showed for this
man of courage when he rushed out to hold a press conference and attack
the Prime Minister, yesterday right after his speech. Ayad Allawi is
our ally. He stands beside us in the war against terror. John Kerry
is trying to tear him down and to trash all the good that has been
accomplished, and his words are destructive. As Prime Minister Allawi
said in his speech, and I quote, "When political leaders sound the
siren of defeatism in the face of terrorism, it only encourages more
violence." End quote. (Applause.)
President Bush's steadfast leadership and clear determination send
a very different signal. Just five days after Saddam Hussein was
captured, the government of Libya agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons
program, turn the materials over to the United States, and reenter the
community of nations.
The biggest danger we face today is that of having nuclear weapons
fall into the hands of terrorists. The President is working with many
countries in a global effort to end the trade and transfer of these
deadly technologies. The most important result thus far -- and it is
an important one -- is that the black-market network that supplied
nuclear weapons technology to Libya, as well as to Iran and North
Korea, has been shut down. The world's worst source of nuclear
proliferation is out of business, and we are safer as a result.
(Applause.)
We could not have succeeded in these efforts without the help of
dozens of countries around the world. We will always seek
international support for 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.)
America faces a choice on November 2nd between a strong and
steadfast President and his opponent, who seems to adopt a new position
every day. Earlier this week, John Kerry gave us yet another position
in the war in Iraq. He attacked the progress we are making and the
policies we have implemented. Yet despite all the harsh rhetoric,
Senator Kerry endorsed many of the same goals President Bush has been
pursuing there for months. Senator Kerry also said that under his
leadership, more of America's friends would speak with one voice on
Iraq. That seems a little odd coming from a guy who doesn't speak with
one voice himself. (Laughter and applause.) By his repeated efforts
to recast and redefine the war on terror and our operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan, Senator Kerry has given every indication that he lacks the
resolve, the determination and the conviction to prevail in the
conflict we face.
The position Senator Kerry adopted most recently seems to be that
he would not have supported the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein's
regime -- and that removing Saddam has somehow weakened our national
security. Nine months ago when Howard Dean took a similar position
during the Democratic primaries, Senator Kerry jumped on him and said,
and I quote: "Those who doubted whether Iraq or the world would be
better off without Saddam Hussein, and those who believe today that we
are not safer with his capture, don't have the judgment to be President
or the credibility to be elected President." (Laughter and applause.)
The only thing I have to say to that is, I'm Dick Cheney and I approve
this message. (Laughter and applause.)
All the shifts Senator Kerry has made are troubling, but there is
one that really stands out. It starts with Senator Kerry and his
running mate, Senator Edwards, voting in favor of using 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. 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. Senators Kerry and
Edwards were two of the four.
At first 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." That
certainly clears things up. (Laughter.) But lately he's been saying
he's proud that he and John Edwards voted no, and then explains that
his decision was "complicated."
But as Charles knows, funding American troops in combat should
never be a complicated question. (Applause.) We need a President who
will back our troops 100 percent, and that's exactly what we've got in
George W. Bush. (Applause.)
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another the, next. Our troops, our
allies, and our enemies must know where America stands. The President
of the United States must be clear and consistent. In his years in
Washington, John Kerry has been one of a hundred votes in the United
States Senate, and fortunately on matters of national security, his
views rarely prevailed. But the presidency is an entirely different
proposition. A senator can be wrong for 20 years, without consequence
to the nation. But a President ?- a President ?- always casts the
deciding vote. And in this time of challenge, America needs -? and
America has -? a President we can count on to get it right.
(Applause.)
President Bush knows that our dedicated servicemen and women
represent the very best of the United States of America. Right here in
Louisiana thousands of troops from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and
the Warrior Brigade at Fort Polk have returned safely from Iraq this
month. I want to thank them and all the veterans with us here today
for all that they've done for all of us. (Applause.) One of the most
important commitments the President made during the 2000 campaign was
that our armed forces would be given the resources they need and the
respect they deserve, and he has kept his word to the U.S. military.
(Applause.)
On Iraq, Senator Kerry has disagreed with many of his fellow
Democrats. But Senator Kerry's liveliest disagreement is with
himself. (Laughter.) His back-and-forth reflects a habit of
indecision, and sends a message of confusion. And it is all part of a
pattern. He has, in the last several years, been for the No Child Left
Behind Act -? and against it. He has spoken in favor of the North
American Free Trade Agreement -? and against it. He is for the
Patriot Act -? and against it. Senator Kerry says he sees two
Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual -? America sees two John
Kerrys. (Laughter.)
Our country requires strong and consistent leadership for our
actions overseas, as well as our policies here at home. When President
Bush and I stood on the inaugural platform on the west front of the
Capitol and took the oath of office, the economy was sliding into
recession. Then, on 9/11, terrorists struck and shook our 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 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, including 1.3 million
here in Louisiana, benefited from the Bush tax cuts -? and so has our
economy. We've created jobs for the last 12 consecutive months -? a
total of 1.7 million new jobs over the past year -? including 144,000
new jobs last month alone. Here in Louisiana, 15,300 jobs have been
created since July a year ago. Mortgage rates, interest rates, and
inflation are all low. Consumers are confident, businesses are
investing, and families are taking home more of what they earn.
We know there are still challenges out there. 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.)
Charles shares our hopeful, optimistic vision for the future, and
we look forward to working with him in Congress to accomplish great
goals. In our second term, we will keep moving forward with a
pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda.
With Charles's support, we will work to make the Bush tax cuts
permanent. (Applause.) Congress took an important step yesterday by
extending tax relief for working families. And the President will be
proud to sign that bill into law. With Charles in Congress, we will
lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code.
With Charles's support, we will work to end lawsuit abuse.
(Applause.) We know it's a lot easier for America's businesses to hire
new workers if they don't have to keep hiring lawyers. (Applause.)
And with Charles's support, 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.)
With Charles's support, we will also work to continue to move
forward to adopt a comprehensive energy policy -? one that promotes
domestic energy production, respects the environment, and modernized
our electricity grid. The President's plan does all these things. But
it was blocked by a Democrat filibuster in the Senate. We fell two
votes short of being able to get that legislation passed. Senators
Kerry and Edwards didn't even show up for the vote.
Our opponents have a very different vision for the country. They
opposed our tax relief, and now they're proposing massive increases in
federal spending. They oppose effective reform of the legal system,
and they're against medical liability reform. Their big idea for the
economy: raise our taxes.
President Bush and I will also continue to defend our society's
fundamental rights and values. We stand for a culture of life and
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." (Applause.) And we
believe that we ought to be able to say so when we pledge allegiance to
the 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. (Applause.)
The Democrats in the Senate have been doing everything they can -?
including using the filibuster -? to keep the President's sensible,
mainstream nominees off the bench. They are hoping to wait the
President out. But I've got news for them. That's not going to happen
because we are going to win this election. (Applause.) And a good way
to deal with the problem of the Democratic filibuster in the Senate is
to elect some good Republican senators like David Vitter. (Applause.)
On issue after issue, President Bush has a clear vision for the
future of the nation. America has come to know him, and I have come to
admire him very much. I watch him at work every day. He's a person of
loyalty and kindness, a man who says what he means and means what he
says. I have seen him face some of the hardest decisions that can come
to the occupant of the Oval Office -? and make those decisions with the
wisdom and humility that Americans expect of their President.
Under President Bush's leadership and with Charles' help at home,
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
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, by your
commitment to the cause we all share. President Bush and I will wage
this effort with complete confidence in the judgment of the American
people. The signs are good -? here in Louisiana, and even in
Massachusetts. (Applause.) According to a news account, people
leaving the Democratic National Convention in July asked a Boston
policeman for directions. He replied, "Leave here -? and go vote
Republican." (Laughter and applause.)
President Bush and I are honored to have the support of that police
officer, and of Democrats, Republicans, and independents from every
calling in American life. We're grateful to you for supporting
Charles. We're proud to have you on the team. And together, we'll see
our cause forward to victory on November 2nd.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 9:25 A.M. CDT
|