For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 7, 2004
President's Remarks at a Victory 2004 Rally in Wausau, Wisconsin
Marathon Park
Wausau, Wisconsin
3:19 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming out. (Applause.) It's
great to be back in Wisconsin. (Applause.) Listen, thanks for
coming. It's great to be back in Wausau. It's an honor that so many
came out to say hello. I'm so thankful you're here. (Applause.) Next
time I come back I'd like to do some hunting and fishing. (Applause.)
I'm here to ask for your vote. (Applause.) I'm here to ask for
your help. (Applause.) We're getting close to the stretch run here in
this campaign, and I'd like to encourage you to get your friends and
neighbors to register to vote, and then go to the polls. And remind
them when they head to the polls, if they want a safer America, a
stronger America, a better America, to put Dick Cheney and me back in
office. (Applause.)
Laura sends her very best. (Applause.) Last time I saw her I was
watching the Jay Leno rerun this morning. (Laughter.) I am -- you
know, when I asked her to marry me she said, fine, just so long as I
never have to give a speech. (Laughter.) I said, okay, you got a
deal. Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise. The American
people have gotten to see what I know: She is a strong, compassionate,
great First Lady for this country. (Applause.)
I was proud of the job my Vice President did the other night.
(Applause.) I appreciate Tommy Thompson. He's a great leader.
(Applause.) He's in my Cabinet, as you recall. And I appreciate you
training him so well. (Applause.) I'm glad to be here on the stage
with the next United States senator from Wisconsin, Tim Michels.
(Applause.) You got a good one in Tim, and I hope you put him in
office. (Applause.) It's important. And make no mistake about it,
with your help, he's going to win. (Applause.)
I want to thank Jack Voight, who is the State Treasurer. I want to
thank the Assembly Speaker, John Gard who is with us, Scott Walker is
over here from Milwaukee County. I appreciate him coming. We call him
Scott W. (Laughter.) I want to thank the mayor of Wausau for being
here, Mayor Tipple. Mr. Mayor, I'm proud you're here. My only advice,
and I know you didn't ask for any -- (laughter) -- but my only advice
is to fill the potholes. (Laughter and applause.)
I want to thank Scott Klug for emceeing this event, and I
appreciate my friend Stan Orr. I want to thank John Conlee, the singer
who was here. I appreciate you coming, John, and thanks for
entertaining everybody. I particularly want to thank the grass roots
activists who are here. (Applause.) Those are the people who put up
the signs and make the phone calls and do all the hard work. You never
hardly get thanked. I'm here to thank you for what you're going to
do. (Applause.) I know with your hard work, I know when we turn out
the vote, we will carry Wisconsin this year and win a great victory in
November. (Applause.)
I have a strong, positive message. As your president, I have
worked hard to make America more hopeful and more secure. I have led
our country with principle and resolve -- and that's how I'll lead this
nation for four more years.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: When I took office -- I want you to remind your
friends and neighbors about what we have been through as a country.
When I took office, the bubble of the 1990s had burst, and our economy
was heading into recession. And because of the attacks of September
the 11th, nearly a million jobs were lost in three months. It was a
dangerous time for our economy. You might remember there were people
warning of potential deflation and depression. But we acted. To
stimulate the economy, I called on the United States Congress to pass
historic tax relief, which it did. (Applause.) And that tax relief
was the fuel that got our economy growing again. Thanks to the effort
of our citizens, and the right policies, in the right place, at the
right time. (Applause.) That recession is behind us and we're
creating jobs once again. (Applause.)
In the past year, the United States has added about 1.7 million new
jobs -- more than Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada, and France
combined. (Applause.) Real after-tax income -- the money in your
pocket -- is up more than 10 percent since I took office. (Applause.)
Home ownership is at an all time high in America today. Small
businesses are flourishing. Today we learned that America's welfare
rolls are the lowest in 34 years. (Applause.) Math and reading scores
are increasing in our public schools. (Applause.) Ten million
students will get record levels of grants and loans to help with
college. (Applause.) We have modernized Medicare so our seniors will
get a prescription drug coverage in 2006. (Applause.)
And this farm economy is strong. I understand farming is a
priority in Wisconsin. (Applause.) And I made it a priority in my
administration. My opponent has taken a different view. In the Senate
career he's consistently voted against the interests of your dairy
farmers.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He supported the Northeast Dairy Compact.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That puts your farmers at a distinct disadvantage.
I believe farm policy should treat all farmers fairly. That's why I
was proud to sign a good farm bill. (Applause.) We've opened up
foreign markets for your products. We've increased funding for ethanol
and biodiesel. Farm income is at an all-time high. (Applause.)
I know that the Milk Income Lost Contract program is important to
the dairy farmers here in Wisconsin. The milk program is set to expire
next fall. I look forward to working with Congress to reauthorize the
program, so Wisconsin dairy farmers and dairy farmers all across this
country can count on the support they need. (Applause.)
We have made America stronger, and we're just getting started.
(Applause.) Listen, we live in a time of change. It's a changing
economy. People are changing jobs and careers often. Women are
working inside the home and outside the home. And yet the fundamental
systems of our government haven't changed. They're stuck in the past.
I understand a hopeful society is one in which we challenge the soft
bigotry of low expectations in our public schools, and raise the
standards, and trust the local people to make sure they make the right
decisions for the schools. We have an achievement gap in America
that's closing, thanks to our education reforms. And we're not going
to turn back. (Applause.)
We're going to invest in our nation's fine community colleges so
they prepare workers for the jobs of the 21st century. In a time of
change, because people are changing jobs often, we'll expand health
savings accounts so people can pay health expenses, tax-free, and keep
the savings if they change jobs.
We'll improve Social Security. Listen, if you're -- I remember the
2000 campaign here in Wisconsin. You might remember it, too. They
said if old George W. gets elected, he's going to take away your Social
Security check. You remember those ads? Well, you got your check,
didn't you? (Applause.) And you're going to get it again.
(Applause.)
Nobody is going to take away the check of those who are on Social
Security, and the baby boomers are in good shape. But we better worry
about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to Social
Security. In order to make sure Social Security is available for them,
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, that
the government will not take away. (Applause.)
To keep our economy strong and competitive, we got to make sure
America is the best place in the world to do business. That means
we've got to have that tax relief we passed permanent. That means we
got to do something about these needless regulations on small
businesses. (Applause.) This country needs an energy plan if we want
to keep jobs here in America. I submitted a plan to the Congress over
two years ago. It's a plan that calls for more conservation, the use
of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. It's a plan that says
we can use our coal and natural gas wisely without hurting the
environment. It's a plan that says if we want jobs here in America, we
must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
We got to do something about the frivolous and junk lawsuits here
in America that hurt our employers and make it hard to get jobs.
(Applause.) We've got -- my opponent and I have got different views on
all these issues. We've got some fundamental differences on issues
like taxes. See, I have a record of reducing them. He's got a record
of raising them.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He voted in the United States Senate 98 times to
raise taxes.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That sounds like he's developing a habit.
(Laughter.) He voted for higher taxes on Social Security benefits.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He voted for the 1997 formula that helped cause the
increases in Medicare.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He's against all the tax relief we've passed. You
might remember that tax relief. We raised the child credit. We
reduced the penalty on marriage. (Applause.) We created a 10-percent
bracket for low-income Americans. (Applause.) He voted against them
all.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: My opponent is one of the few candidates in history
to campaign on a pledge to raise taxes.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: And unfortunately that's the kind of promise more
politicians keep. (Laughter.) He says the tax relief -- the tax
increase is only for the rich. Now, you've heard that before. The
rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason -- to stick you with the
bill. (Laughter.) The good news is we're not going to let him tax us
this year. We're going to carry Wisconsin and win a great victory in
November. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: The Senator and I have different views on health
care -- fundamentally different views on health care. I believe that
we ought to make health care available and affordable. We'll make it
available by making sure low-income Americans can -- can go to a
community health center to get good preventative care, and good primary
care. We'll make it available to make sure our children's health
programs for low-income Americans are expanded to every corner of this
country. We'll make it affordable by doing something about these
frivolous lawsuits that are running good doctors out of business and
running your costs up. (Applause.)
We'll make it affordable by promoting technologies, which will help
wring out excessive costs in health care. We'll make it affordable by
allowing small businesses to pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries
so they can buy insurance at the same discounts big companies can buy
insurance. (Applause.) We'll make it affordable by expanding health
savings accounts, and that stands in stark contrast to my opponent's
plan. Under his plan, 8 million Americans would lose the private
insurance they get at work and would end up on a government program.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Under his plan, eight out of 10 people who'd get
new insurance would get it from the federal government.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: My opponent's proposal would be the largest
expansion of government-run health care ever.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: And you know something, when the government pays
the bills, it makes the rules. His plan would put bureaucrats in
charge of dictating coverage, which could ration your care and limit
your choice of doctors. What I'm telling you is he's putting us on the
path to "Hilary-care."
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I've got a different idea. (Applause.) In all we
do to improve health care, we will make sure the decisions are made by
patients and doctors, not by bureaucrats in our nation's capital.
(Applause.)
During his 20 years as a senator, my opponent hasn't had many
accomplishments. Of the hundreds of bills he submitted, only five
became law. That's in 20 years of service. One of them was
ceremonial. But to be fair, he has earned a special distinction in the
Congress. The nonpartisan National Journal analyzed his record and
named John Kerry the most liberal member of the United States Senate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Now, that's saying when the competition is people
like Ted Kennedy. (Laughter.) It wasn't easy for him to be the single
most liberal member of the Senate. You might say it took hard work.
(Laughter.) But he earned that title by voting for higher taxes and
more regulation and more junk lawsuits and more government control of
your life. And that's one of the real differences of this campaign.
My opponent is a tax-and-spend liberal, I'm a compassionate
conservative. (Applause.) My opponent wants to empower government. I
want to use government to empower our citizens. (Applause.) My
opponent seems to think all the wisdom is found in Washington, D.C. I
trust the wisdom of the American people. (Applause.)
You know, I say this, we're living in a changing, and we do,
there's some things that won't change, the values we try to live by:
courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. 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.) And I stand for appointing
judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict
interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
Our differences are also clear on issues like national security.
When I took office in 2001, threats to America had been gathering for
years. Then, on one terrible morning, the terrorists took more lives
than America lost at Pearl Harbor.
Since that day, we have waged a global campaign to protect the
American people and bring our enemies to account. Our government has
trained over a half a million first responders, we've tripled the
spending for homeland security. Law enforcement and intelligence have
better tools to stop the terrorists, thanks to the Patriot Act -- which
Senator Kerry voted for but now wants to weaken.
The Taliban regime that sheltered al Qaeda is gone from power --
(applause) -- and in two days time, 10 million people, 41 percent of
whom are women, have registered to vote in a presidential election that
will take place in two day's time. Think about that. (Applause.)
Think about what's going on there. The black market network that
weapons materials to North Korea, Libya, and Iran is now out of
business. Libya has given up its weapons of mass destruction
programs. (Applause.) Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have joined the fight,
and more than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key members and associates
have been brought to justice. (Applause.) We have led, many have
followed, and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
After September the 11th, America had to assess every potential
threat in a new light. Our nation awakened to even a greater danger --
the prospect that terrorists who killed thousands with hijacked
airplanes would kill many more with weapons of mass murder. That's the
threat we face. And so we had to take a hard look at every place where
terrorists might get those weapons.
And one regime stood out -- the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. We
knew the dictator had a history of using weapons of mass destruction, a
long record of aggression and hatred for America, and was listed by
Republican and Democratic administrations as a state sponsor of
terror. There was a risk that Saddam would pass weapons or materials
or information on to terrorist networks. And that was a risk, after
September the 11th, this nation could not afford to take. (Applause.)
After 12 years of United Nations Security Council resolutions, we gave
him a final chance to come clean and to listen to the demands of the
free world. He chose defiance and he chose war, and the world is
better off with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.)
Last week in our debate, Senator Kerry once again came down firmly
on every side of the Iraq war. He stated that Saddam Hussein was a
threat -- and that America had no business removing that threat.
Senator Kerry said our soldiers and Marines are not fighting for a
mistake -- but also called the liberation of Iraq a "colossal error."
He said we need to do more to train Iraqis -- but also said we
shouldn't be spending so much money over there. He said he wants to
hold a summit meeting -- so he can invite other countries to join what
he calls the "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: You hear all that, you can understand why somebody
would make a face. (Laughter and applause.) Just a short time ago, my
opponent held a little press conference and continued his pattern of
overheated rhetoric. He accused me of deception. He's claiming I
misled America about weapons, when he himself cited the very same
intelligence about Saddam's weapons programs as the reason he voted to
go to war. Two years ago this Saturday, back when he was for the war
-- (laughter) -- my opponent said on the floor of the United States
Senate, "Saddam Hussein sitting in Baghdad, with an arsenal of weapons
of mass destruction is a different matter. In the wake of September
the 11th, who among us can say with any certainty to anybody that those
weapons might not be used against our troops or against allies in the
region."
John Kerry went on. "Who can say that this master of
miscalculation will not develop a weapon of mass destruction even
greater, a nuclear weapon, than re-invade Kuwait or push the Kurds out,
attack Israel, any numbers of scenarios to try to further his
ambitions. Can we afford to ignore that possibility that Saddam
Hussein might accidentally, as well as purposely allow those weapons to
slide off to one group or another in a region where weapons are the
currency or the trade."
Now today my opponent tries to say I made up reasons to go to war.
Just who is the one trying to mislead the American people?
(Applause.) We have many victories in this war on terror so far, and
the war goes on. Our nation is safer, but not yet safe. To win this
war, we must fight it on every front. We will stay on the offensive
against the terrorist networks -- we will defeat them overseas, so we
do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
We will confront governments that support terrorists, and could arm
them -- because they're equally guilty of terrorist murder. And our
long-term victory requires confronting the ideology of hate with
freedom and hope, changing the conditions that produce radicalism and
suicide bombers, and finding new democratic allies in a troubled region
of the world. You see, America is always more secure when freedom is
on the march. (Applause.) And freedom is on the march in Afghanistan,
in Iraq, and elsewhere. There will be good days and there will be bad
days in the war on terror. But every day, we will show our resolve and
we will do our duty. This nation is determined: We will stay in the
fight until the fight is won. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: My opponent and I have very different views on
conducting the war on terror. Senator Kerry approaches the world with
a September the 10th mindset. Think about this. He declared at his
convention speech that any attack will be met with a swift and certain
response. That was the mind-set of the 1990s, while al Qaeda was
planning the attacks on America. After September the 11th, our object
in the war on terror is not to wait for the next attack and respond,
but to prevent attacks by taking the fight to the enemy. (Applause.)
In our debate, Senator Kerry said that removing Saddam Hussein was
a mistake because a threat was not imminent. Think about that. The
problem with his approach is obvious. If America waits until a threat
is at our doorstep, it might be too late to save lives. (Applause.)
You see, terrorists and tyrants will not give us polite notice before
they launch an attack on our country. I refuse to stand by while
dangers gather. (Applause.)
My opponent also announced the Kerry doctrine, declaring that
Americans' actions in the war on terror must pass a global test.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Under this test, America would not be able to act
quickly against threats because we'd be sitting around waiting for a
grade from other nations. I have a different view. America will
always work with our allies for security and peace. But the
President's job is not to pass an international test; the President's
job is to protect the American people. (Applause.)
When my opponent first ran for Congress, he argued that American
troops should be deployed only at the directive of the United Nations.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: You probably think I'm making that up. (Laughter.)
I thought it was wrong when I first read it. (Laughter.) Now, to be
fair, he changed his mind, but it is a window into his thinking.
(Laughter.) Over the years, Senator Kerry has looked for every excuse
to constrain America's action in the world. These days he praises
America's broad coalition in the Persian Gulf War. But in 1991 -- I
want to remind you what he said -- he criticized coalition members as,
quote, "shadow battlefield allies who barely carry a burden." That
sounds familiar, doesn't it? And that time he voted against the war.
If that coalition didn't pass his global test, nothing will pass
his global test, nothing will pass his global test. (Laughter and
applause.)
The Kerry doctrine has other consequences, especially for our men
and women in uniform. The Senator from Massachusetts supports the
International Criminal Court.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Which would allow unaccountable foreign prosecutors
and foreign judges to put American soldiers on trial.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: You probably think I'm making that up. See, that
would be a legal nightmare for our troops. My fellow citizens, as long
as I'm your President, Americans in uniform will answer to the officers
and law of the United States -- not to the International Criminal Court
in The Hague. (Applause.)
We have a different point of view on how to build alliances. The
Senator speaks about his plan to strengthen America's alliances but
he's got an odd way of going about it. In the middle of the war, he's
chosen to insult our fighting allies by calling them "window dressing"
and "a coalition of the coerced and the bribed."
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Well, the Italians who died in Nasiriyah were not
window dressing. They're heroes in the war on terror as far as we're
concerned. (Applause.) The British and the Poles at the head of the
multinational divisions in Iraq were not coerced or bribed. They
fought and some have died in the cause of freedom and peace.
(Applause.) These good allies and dozens of others deserve the respect
of all Americans, not the scorn of a politician. (Applause.) Instead,
the Senator would have America bend over backwards to satisfy a handful
of governments with different agendas. This is my opponent's
alliance-building strategy, brush off your best friend and fawn over
your critics. And that's no way to gain respect in this world.
(Applause.)
My opponent says he has a plan for Iraq and part of it should sound
pretty familiar because it's already known as the Bush plan. (Laughter
and applause.) Senator Kerry suggests we train Iraqi troops. That's
what we've been doing for months. (Laughter.) He's proposing that
Iraq have elections. That's what's going to happen in January. He
says the U.N. ought to be involved in the elections. Well, the U.N.
is already there. (Laughter.)
There was one new element of Senator Kerry's plan. He talks about
artificial timetables to pull our forces out of Iraq. You see, he sent
a signal that America's overriding goal in Iraq would be to leave, even
if the job isn't done.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That may satisfy his political needs, but his words
complicate the essential work we're doing in Iraq. See, the Iraqi
people need to know that America will not cut and run when their
freedom is at stake. (Applause.) Our soldiers and Marines need to
know that America will honor their service and sacrifice by completing
the mission. (Applause.) Our enemies in Iraq need to know that they
can never outlast the will of America. (Applause.) Senator Kerry
assures us that he's the one to win a war he calls a mistake, a
diversion, an error. But you can't win a war you do not believe in
fighting for. (Applause.) On Iraq, Senator Kerry has a strategy for
retreat, and I have a strategy for victory. (Applause.)
We returned the sovereignty to the Iraqi people ahead of schedule.
We have trained and equipped about 100,000 Iraqi soldiers, police
officers and other security personnel, and the total will rise to
125,000 by the end of the year. See, the strategy ought to be clear.
The Iraqi people must stand up and fight for their freedom. They must
be the ones that take the hard risk. (Applause.) We've allocated
about $7 billion for reconstruction efforts so more Iraqis can see the
benefit of freedom. We're working with the coalition of some 30
nations to provide security. Other nations are helping with debt
relief. And although the terrorists will try to stop them, Iraq will
hold free elections in January. (Applause.)
I believe in the power of liberty to transform nations. I believe
that freedom can bring peace. You know, I talk to Prime Minister
Koizumi quite often -- he's the Prime Minister of Japan. I know we've
got some veterans here -- first of all, I want to say thanks to all the
veterans who set such a great example. (Applause.) I suspect we may
have some veterans of World War II with us. My dad was such a
veteran. There's a veteran right there. (Applause.) The reason I
bring that up is because it wasn't all that long ago in the march of
history we were fighting Japan. My dad was there, others were there,
as well. They were the sworn enemy of America.
After World War II, Harry Truman believed that liberty could
transform an enemy into a friend. So we worked hard to help Iraq with
democracy -- I mean, Japan with democracy. And as a result, I sit down
at the table today talking with the leader of a former enemy about how
to keep the peace we all want. (Applause.) Think about that. That's
what happening in the world today. A free Iraq will help us keep the
peace. A free Iraq will be an ally in the war against terror. And
some day an American President will be sitting down at the table with a
duly-elected leader from Iraq, talking about how to keep the peace.
And our children and our grandchildren will be better off for it.
(Applause.)
These are important times. It is important -- it is important we
complete the mission successfully. I know some of the citizens of our
country have concerns over Iraq. I respect that. We ought to take
this issue seriously because it's a serious matter. I assure them
we're in Iraq because I believe it is necessary for the -- to get a
positive outcome in this war on terror. That's what I believe. If
another terror regime were allowed to emerge in Iraq, the terrorists
would find a home and a new source of funding. They would correctly
conclude that free nations do not have the will to defend themselves.
If Iraq becomes a free society in the heart of the Middle East, we'll
have an ally and a model for other nations to look at. (Applause.)
That's why Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman calls Iraq "a crucial
battle in the global war on terrorism." That's why Prime Minister Tony
Blair called the struggle in Iraq "the crucible in which the future of
global terrorism will be determined." That's why the terrorists are
fighting with desperate cruelty, because they know their own future is
at stake. Iraq is no diversion. It is a place where civilization is
taking a decisive stand against chaos and terror, and we must not
waver. (Applause.)
Unfortunately, my opponent has been known to waver. (Laughter.)
His well-chosen words and his rationalizations cannot explain why he
voted to authorize force against Saddam Hussein and then voted against
money to support our troops in combat.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He actually tried to clear it up initially by
issuing the famous quote, I actually did vote for the $87 billion
before I voted against it. (Laughter.) I've been in politics for
some time. I've never heard one of them put it that way before.
(Laughter.) He now says he made a mistake in how he talked about his
vote. The mistake is not what Senator Kerry said, the mistake is what
he did in voting against funding for our troops in harm's way.
(Applause.)
That is the kind of waving a nation at war can never afford. On
September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It
helped shape my thinking about my duty to protect you. I'll never
forget that day. There were workers in hard hats there yelling at me
at the top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I was doing my best to
console those who were coming out of that rubble. They had grime and
dirt all over them. I looked a guy right in the eye, he had bloodshot
eyes, and he said, "Don't let me down."
I wake up every morning since that day thinking about how to better
protect America. I will never relent in doing what is necessary to
secure this country and to protect you, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
A race for President -- a race for President is a contest for the
future. And you know where I stand: I'm running for President to keep
this nation on the offensive against terrorists with the goal of total
victory and peace for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.)
I'm running for President -- I'm running for President to keep this
economy moving so every worker has a good job and quality health care,
and a secure retirement. I'm running for President to make our strong
nation a more compassionate society where no one is left out, because I
believe everybody counts and everybody matters. I have a hopeful
vision -- (Applause.)
I have an optimistic vision about this country. You would have
one, too, if you've seen what I've seen. I've seen the spirit of
America under good times and bad times. I've seen the great character
of this nation rise up to help a fellow citizen who hurts. I've seen
strangers put their arms around another person and say, I love you,
brother, I love you, sister; what can I do to help you.
I believe this young century will be liberty's century. We'll
promote liberty abroad to protect our country and build a better world
beyond terror. We'll encourage liberty here at home to spread
prosperity and opportunity to every part of this land. I'm going to
carry this message to my fellow citizens in these closing days of this
campaign. I'm looking forward to it. And with your help, we'll carry
Wisconsin and win a great victory on November the 2nd. (Applause.)
Thank you all for coming. I'm glad you're here. God bless. Thank
you all. (Applause.)
END 4:02 P.M. CDT
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