For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 1, 2004
President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Lehigh Parkway
Allentown, Pennsylvania
11:33 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. It is
great --
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. It's -- what a beautiful
day to be here in the Lehigh Valley. (Applause.) It's great to be
back in Allentown. It's a wonderful place to come after a debate.
(Applause.) I'm so honored John McCain is traveling with me today. I'm
proud of his friendship. I appreciate his leadership. I appreciate
his courage. And I'm really grateful he's for me for President.
(Applause.)
We had a great debate last night. (Applause.) It highlighted some
of the fundamental differences between my opponent and me, differences
I believe are crucial for our national security. It's a big difference
when it comes to supporting our troops. When America puts our troops
in harm's way, I believe they deserve the best training, the best
equipment, and the whole-hearted support of our government.
(Applause.)
My opponent last night said our troops deserve better. They
certainly deserve better than they got from Senator Kerry when he voted
to send them to war, and then voted against funding our troops in
combat.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
HE PRESIDENT: You may remember his famous quote about the
supplemental funding that I sent up to Congress. He said: I actually
did vote for the $87 billion, right before I voted against it.
(Laughter.) I understand.
Last night --
AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!
THE PRESIDENT: Last night, he said he made a mistake in how he
talked about that vote. But the mistake wasn't what Senator Kerry
said. The mistake was what Senator Kerry did. (Applause.)
He voted against supplying our troops after voting for putting them
in harm's way. He then went on to say -- after saying the $87 billion
line, they kept pressing him. He said he was proud of his vote. And,
finally, he said the whole thing was a complicated matter. Then he had
a new wrinkle, a new explanation. During an interview this week, he
described it as a protest vote.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: When we put American troops in harm's way, they
certainly deserve better than to have a candidate for President use
them as a protest. (Applause.)
Last night, Senator Kerry only continued his pattern of confusing
contradictions. After voting for the war, after saying my decision to
remove Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision -- (applause)
-- he now says it was all a mistake.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: But asked a logical question, does that mean our
troops our dying for a mistake?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: That's what he said, no. You can't have it both
ways. You can't say it's a mistake and not a mistake. You can't be
for getting rid of Saddam Hussein when things look good, and against it
when times are hard. You can't claim terrorists are pouring across the
border into Iraq, yet at the same time try to claim that Iraq is
somehow a diversion for war against terrorism. The President cannot
keep changing his mind. (Applause.) The President must speak
clearly. And the President must mean what he says. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: A crucial difference between my opponent and me is
the most important question for voters this election: Who can lead
this war against terror to victory? (Applause.) Which candidate can
best protect America's families and our national security?
(Applause.) And here my opponent has a -- fundamental misunderstanding
of the nature of the war against terror, and he has no plan to win in
Iraq. The cornerstone of Senator Kerry's plan for Iraq is that he
would convene a summit.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I've been to a lot of summits. (Laughter.) I've
never seen a meeting that would depose a tyrant, or bring a terrorist
to justice. (Applause.) Senator Kerry claims that he can work with
our allies, yet he said those who are standing with us are not a part
of a genuine coalition.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He earlier called them a coalition of the coerced
and the bribed, dismissed their sacrifices as window dressing. You
cannot lead by pushing away the allies who are already with us; or
expect any support for a cause you've called a mistake, or a grand
diversion, or the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time.
(Applause.) The way to lead this coalition is not be disdainful or
dismissive. The way to lead this coalition to victory is to be clear
in our thinking, grateful for the sacrifices, and resolute in our
determination to defeat the enemy. (Applause.)
One other point I want to make about the debate last night. Senator
Kerry last night said that America has to pass some sort of global test
--
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: -- before we can use American troops to defend
ourselves. He wants our national security decisions subject to the
approval of a foreign government.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I'll continue to work with our allies and
the international community -- but I will never submit America's
national security to an international test. (Applause.) The use of
troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries
like France. (Applause.) The President's job is not to take an
international poll -- the President's job is to defend America.
(Applause.)
I'm grateful you all are here today, because I'm here to ask for
your vote. That's what I'm doing. (Applause.) Not only am I here to
ask for your vote, I'm here to ask for your help. Listen, I know a lot
of people worked hard to put this great crowd together and I thank you
for working hard to do so. (Applause.) I know there's a lot of people
working hard to register people to vote, and I want to thank you for
doing that, too.
And as you register people to vote, make sure you don't overlook
discerning Democrats, like Zell Miller. (Applause.) And after you get
them registered to vote, I encourage you to turn out that vote. Get
them headed to the polls. And remind them if they want a safer
America, a stronger America, a better America, to put me and Dick
Cheney back in office. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I like traveling with John McCain a lot.
My only regret is that Laura is not here instead of him. (Laughter.)
I kissed her goodbye this morning in Miami, and she said: Tell
everybody "hello" in the Lehigh Valley. (Applause.) She was a public
school librarian, and when I asked her to marry me, she said, fine,
I'll marry you, just so long as I never have to give a political
speech. (Laughter.) I said, you've got a deal. (Laughter.)
Fortunately, she didn't hold me to the promise. She's my best
advocate. She's a great First Lady. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Laura! Laura! Laura!
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I agree with you. I'm going to give you
some reasons to put me back in, but perhaps the most important one is
so that Laura will be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate. I'm running with a good man in Dick
Cheney. (Applause.) He doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. I
didn't pick him for his hair. I picked him because of his judgment,
his experience. I picked him because he can get the job done for the
American people. (Applause.)
I'm proud of the -- Tom Ridge. He's done a fabulous job.
(Applause.) I want to thank you -- I want to thank you for preparing
him for an incredibly important assignment that he's doing.
I know Arlen Specter is here. I want to -- I urge you to put Arlen
back in the United States Senate. (Applause.) I want to thank
Congressman Pat Toomey. (Applause.) He's a classy guy. He really is.
I'm honored to call him, friend. I urge you to put Charlie Dent in the
United States Congress. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the candidates who are here. I want to thank
the local officials who are here. I want to thank the Wil Gravatt Band
who is here. I want to thank the high school band that is here.
(Applause.) But most of all, thank you all for coming. (Applause.)
It's great to be with so many people. I'm really looking forward to
this campaign. I'm going to tell the people what -- where I stand,
what I believe, and where I'll lead this nation for the next four
years. (Applause.)
I believe every child can learn and every school must teach. I went
to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I
believe we've got to raise the bar. I believe we must measure early to
solve problems before it's too late. I know we've got to trust the
local people to make the right decisions for your schools. We're
making progress in America. We're closing the achievement gap, and
we're not going to turn back to the old days. (Applause.)
I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with
good health care. Medicare was not modernizing the way medicine was.
See, I think the seniors got to have the best when it comes to health
care. We used to pay -- we'd pay $100,000 when it comes to heart
surgery, but not one dime for prescription drugs to prevent the heart
surgery from being needed in the first place. That didn't make any
sense for our seniors. It didn't make any sense for the taxpayers.
We're modernizing Medicare for seniors to get prescription drug
coverage in 2006, and we're not going to turn back. (Applause.)
I believe in the energy, innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit
of our workers and small business owners and farmers and ranchers.
(Applause.) That's why we unleashed that energy with the largest tax
relief in a generation. (Applause.) When you're out gathering up the
vote, remind people what this economy has been through. The stock
market started going down about five or six months before Dick Cheney
showed up in Washington; then we had a recession; then we had some
corporate scandals. By the way, we passed new laws -- it's abundantly
clear to people of this country we're not going to tolerate dishonesty
in the board rooms of this country. (Applause.) And then we got
attacked, and that attack hurt our economy. But this economy is
strong, and it's getting stronger -- growing at rates as fast as any in
nearly 20 years. It's strong because our spirit is strong, and it's
strong because of well-timed tax cuts. (Applause.)
We've added about 1.7 million new jobs since last summer. The
national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That is lower than the
average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. (Applause.) The
unemployment rate here in Pennsylvania is 5.6 percent. So long as
anybody is looking for a job, we'll continue to expand with pro-growth,
pro-small business, pro-entrepreneur economic policies. (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 is not going
to happen on my watch. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: 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 that is why with your help we'll carry Pennsylvania and
win a great victory in November. (Applause.)
The world in which we live is changing, and I understand that.
Think about the workplace a couple of decades ago. A person would
generally have one job, one career, one pension plan, one health care
plan, and that person was usually a male. Today the workforce has
changed a lot. People change careers. They change jobs. Women are
working inside the house and outside the house. (Applause.) It's a
changing world we live in, and, yet, the fundamental institutions of
our government -- the fundamental systems, the tax code, health
coverage, pension plans, worker training -- were created for the world
of yesterday, not tomorrow. In a new term, we'll transform these
systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared and, thus, truly
free to make your own choices so you can pursue the great dreams of
America. (Applause.)
A hopeful society is one which this economy continues to grow. To
create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the
world to do business. If you want jobs here, this has got to be the
best place in the world for people to employ people. That means less
regulations on our small businesses, that means legal reform so
frivolous lawsuits don't make it hard for expanding the job base.
(Applause.)
In order to keep jobs here, Congress needs to pass my energy plan
that encourages conservation, spends money on research so we can better
use renewable sources of energy, promotes clean coal technology, uses
technologies to explore for natural gas in environmentally friendly
ways. We want jobs here -- this country must become less dependent on
foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
To keep jobs here, we got to reject economic isolationism and open
up markets for U.S. products. We've opened up our markets, and it's
good for you. The more products you have to choose from, the more
likely it is you're going to get what you want at a better price or at
higher quality. That's how the marketplace works. So I'm saying to
places like China, you treat us the way we treat you. See, we can
compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere if the rules are fair.
(Applause.)
Finally, to make sure we got jobs here and this economy stays
strong, 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. I'm running against a fellow who has promised at least
$2.2 trillion in new spending.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So far. (Laughter.) Just getting into October.
(Laughter.) Two-point-two trillion is a lot, even for a senator from
Massachusetts. (Laughter.) So they said, how are you going to pay for
it? He said, that's easy, we'll just tax the rich. Yes, we've heard
that before, haven't we? (Laughter.) You can't raise enough money by
taxing the rich to pay for $2.2 trillion of new spending. There's a
tax gap. Guess who fills the tax gap? Yes. You've heard "tax the
rich" before, but the rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason --
to stick you with the bill. The good news is, we're not going to let
him tax you because we're going to win in November. (Applause.)
When it comes to taxes, we've got to do something about the tax
code. It's a complicated mess, full of special interest loopholes. In
a new term, I'll bring Republicans and Democrats together to make this
tax code more fair for you. (Applause.) We'll make sure our workers
have the skills they need. We'll make sure these training programs
work, and make sure they've got the opportunity to go to community
colleges to be able to match their desire to work with the skills
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. (Applause.)
I'll tell you what also I understand in a changing world, most new
jobs are filled by people with at least two years of college, yet,
that's why I'm for -- yet, only one in four of our students gets
there. That's why I'm for early intervention programs in our high
schools to help our at-risk kids. That's why I'm for emphasizing math
and science in the classrooms. That's why, over time, we should
require rigorous examination before graduation. By raising performance
in our high schools and by expanding Pell grants for low and
middle-income families, we will help more Americans start their career
with a college diploma. (Applause.)
In a time of change, we've got to do something about the health
care system. The costs are rising rapidly, they burden our economy,
and too many people are uninsured. I have a common-sense, practical
plan to make high quality health care more -- more available and more
affordable. And we have a difference in this campaign when it comes to
health care. If you listen carefully to what my opponent proposes, he
wants government to dictate. He wants government to tell you how to
purchase your health care. He wants the federal government to run
health care. I want you to decide. I want you to be the decision-maker
when it comes to health care. (Applause.)
More than half of Americans who are currently uninsured work for
small businesses. Small businesses are having trouble affording health
care. We've got to change the law to allow small businesses to join
together so they can purchase insurance at the same discount big
businesses get to do. (Applause.)
We'll expand tax-free health savings accounts. We'll give small
businesses tax credits to pay into health savings accounts for their
employees. We want more workers to have their own health accounts so
they can base medical decisions on advice from their doctor, not in
negotiations with an HMO. (Applause.) It makes sense for people to
own their own health account. If you're changing jobs or careers, you
want to be able to carry your health account with you. You want to be
able to manage it yourself. Listen, I understand, we need to take care
of the poor and the indigent in this country, and we will by expanding
community health centers to every poor county in America.
But let me tell you what else we need to do to make sure health
care is available and affordable. We need to do something about these
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business.
(Applause.) You cannot be pro-doctor, pro-patient, and pro-trial
lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My opponent made his
choice and he put a trial lawyer on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I made my choice. I'm for medical liability reform
now. (Applause.) In all we do to make sure we reform health care, I
will make sure that the medical decisions are made by patients and
doctors, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
We'll continue to promote an ownership society in America in
changing times, provide stability in somebody's life if they own their
own home. Home ownership rates are at an all-time high in America.
Over the next four years, we'll continue to expand ownership -- home
ownership to every corner of America. I want more and more people
opening the door where they live saying, welcome to my house; welcome
to my piece of property. (Applause.)
Let me talk about Social Security right quick. You remember what
happened in the campaign in 2000? They said, if George W. gets
elected, they're going to take away the checks of the seniors on Social
Security. You remember that, don't you? Yes, it didn't happen. So
when they try and say it again in 2004, don't believe them. You'll get
your checks. (Applause.) If you're a baby boomer like me, we're okay,
we'll get our checks. But we need to worry about our children or
grandchildren when it comes to Social Security. (Applause.) I believe
younger workers ought to be able to take some of their own tax money
and set up a personal savings account to make sure Social Security
fulfills its promise, a personal savings account they call their own, a
personal savings account that 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
times of change, we'll 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
counts, and every being matters. (Applause.) We stand for marriage
and family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) Our strategy is clear. We're
defending the homeland. We're transforming our volunteer army. We
will keep it an all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We're reforming and
strengthening our intelligence services. We're staying on the
offensive. We'll 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. Think about this, 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 terrorist
fundraising; Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a
gathering threat; and al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned
attacks. Because America led, Afghanistan is free and is fighting
terror; Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders; Saudi Arabia is making
raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs --
(applause) -- the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and more
than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key members have been brought to
justice. (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. We knew his support for terror.
Remember, Saddam harbored Abu Nidal, the leader of a terrorist
organization that carried out attacks in Europe and Asia. We knew he
harbored Abu Abbas, who took refuge in Baghdad after he killed an
American, Leon Klinghoffer, because he was Jewish. We knew Zarqawi was
in and out of Baghdad. We knew Saddam Hussein's long history of
pursuing and even using weapons of mass destruction. He was a threat.
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: And we understand that after September the 11th, we
must take threats seriously, before they fully materialize.
(Applause.) That's a lesson we must never forget. I'll never forget
it. I went to the Congress. Members of both political parties,
including my opponent, looked at the same intelligence I looked at and
came to the same conclusion as my administration came to, that Saddam
Hussein was a threat. They authorized the use of force. Before the
Commander-in-Chief ever commits troops into harm's way, we must try
everything possible to deal with threats, everything possible.
So I went to the United Nations -- I went to the United Nations in
the hopes that diplomacy would work. I hoped that Saddam Hussein would
listen to the demands of the free world. The United Nations debated
the issue. They voted 15 to nothing to say to Saddam Hussein:
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. I believe when an
international body speaks, it must mean what it says, in order to keep
this world peaceful. When you say something, you better mean it.
(Applause.)
But Saddam Hussein didn't believe the United Nations. After all,
he'd ignored 16 other resolutions. Last night, my opponent said
something about, well, maybe another resolution would have helped. I
just don't think it's realistic. As a matter of fact, the U.N. sent
inspectors into Iraq, and as David Kay's report showed, Saddam Hussein
was systematically deceiving the inspectors. Somehow thinking
inspectors would have caused Saddam Hussein to change is -- is not very
clear thinking.
And so at this point in time, I realized diplomacy wasn't working.
And so I had a choice to make: Do I -- do I take the word of a madman
and forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take action to defend
this country? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
We didn't find the stockpiles everybody thought was there. But
knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same action. And the
reason why is because Saddam Hussein had the capability of making
weapons of mass destruction. And had the world turned its head, he
would have made those weapons. Had we hoped that a resolution would
have worked, he would have been able to realize his dreams. He could
have passed that capability or those weapons on to terrorists that hate
us. After September the 11th, that was a chance we could not afford to
take. The world is better off with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison
cell. (Applause.)
By protecting ourselves, 50 million people now live in freedom in
Afghanistan and Iraq. (Applause.) And that's in our national
interest. Just think about what's happened in Afghanistan. It used to
be run by this barbaric group called the Taliban. Many young girls
were not allowed even to go to school. Their mothers were taken in the
public square and whipped because they refused to toe the line of their
dark ideology of hatred. Because we acted, 10 million citizens -- 41
percent of whom are women -- have registered to vote in the upcoming
presidential election. (Applause.) In three short years, those people
have gone from darkness to light because of liberty. And now
Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror, and they serve as a bright
example for others who wonder whether or not they can live in a free
society.
In Iraq, it's hard work. You know it's hard work, and so do I.
But Iraq now has a strong Prime Minister, a national council, and
national elections are scheduled for January. (Applause.) We'll
succeed in Iraq if we don't send the wrong messages. We'll succeed in
Iraq because we've got a plan. And here's the plan: We'll train
Iraqis so they can do the hard work in defending themselves; 100,000
troops are trained today, 125,000 by the end of the year. We'll
continue to work with them, to give them the equipment, the training
they need to defend themselves against the attacks of these
terrorists. We'll help them to get the stability, help them on the
road to democracy. And then our troops will come home with the honor
they have earned. (Applause.)
We've got a great United States military, and I want to thank the
veterans who are here today for having set such a great example for
those who wear the uniform. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I've talked to
Prime Minister Koizumi quite a bit since I've been your President.
He's the Prime Minister of Japan. I like to tell this story because I
want people to understand exactly what I mean by the transformational
power of liberty -- it's generally a little longer word than I use.
(Laughter.) Transformational. (Laughter.)
Prime Minister Koizumi is the head of a country that was our sworn
enemy some 60 years ago. Think about that. My dad fought against the
Japanese, John's dad, grandfather, many of your dads and grandfathers
did the same thing. Japan was a sworn enemy of America. Harry Truman,
after World War II, believed that liberty could transform an enemy into
an ally. So after we won that war, despite skepticism of some, he
worked to help Japan become a democracy. And as a result of the belief
that liberty can change societies, today I sit down at the table,
talking about the peace we all long for, with the head of Japan.
Someday, when we succeed in Iraq, an American President will be sitting
down with a duly elected leader of Iraq talking about the peace, and
the world our children and grandchildren will grow up in will be
better for it. (Applause.)
I believe -- I believe people long to live in a free society. I
believe women in the greater Middle East long to live in freedom. I
believe that if given the chance, the people of that troubled part of
the world 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 our systems of government, we'll help more
Americans realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity
to every corner of this country. We'll pass the enduring values of our
country to new -- to a new generation. We will continue to make the
world more peaceful and more free. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
apart. There are quiet times in the life of our 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 this 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 that I'll never forget. There were
workers in hard hats yelling at me, at the top of their lungs:
Whatever it takes. I remember trying to console people as best I
could, and a guy grabbed me by the arm, and he said: Do not let me
down. Every day since that day, I wake up trying to figure out how
better to 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 had been elected.
With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for four more years.
(Applause.)
Thanks for coming. God bless. I appreciate you all. Thank you
all. (Applause.)
END 12:11 P.M. EDT
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